Chapter Three: The Multiverse

At this moment, after the military police armored vehicle heading to an undisclosed location had traveled for a while longer, Company Commander Li Chengzhi once again reminded Captain Zhang Desen that this mission was highly classified. Not a single word could be revealed to anyone not directly involved—not even relatives, friends, or colleagues.

In truth, Captain Zhang Desen was well aware of this fact. From the moment he boarded the vehicle, he understood the level of secrecy surrounding the mission must be extremely high. After all, aside from the windshield in front of the driver and a few necessary observation slits, every other part of the armored car was thoroughly covered. In other words, even the scenery along the route was classified. This alone made the level of secrecy abundantly clear, so Zhang Desen wasn’t bothered by Li Chengzhi’s somewhat repetitive warnings.

On the contrary, Zhang Desen felt a growing sense of excitement. As a seasoned soldier, he believed the more difficult the mission, the more his worth could shine—at least, that was his conviction.

After roughly two hours of travel, they finally reached their destination. When they arrived at the gates of the military base, there was an identity check, but none of the coverings over the vehicle were removed. Li Chengzhi explained that, given the extreme secrecy of this site, even those lacking the proper clearance were not permitted to see anything of the surrounding environment—strictly for security reasons.

Zhang Desen had no intention of pressing for further details. Even if Li Chengzhi said nothing, he wouldn’t take offense; after all, such measures were standard for classified operations. Zhang Desen had witnessed situations like this countless times before in his line of work. Still, Li Chengzhi’s willingness to explain was welcome—it made the otherwise dull journey pass a bit faster.

Soon, they reached the entrance to the base’s underground facilities. Only then were the coverings around the armored vehicle finally removed, and they disembarked.

Stepping out, Zhang Desen surveyed his surroundings. To his amusement, he found that even outside the vehicle, the view wasn’t much different from what he saw inside—except now he could look up and see the sky. On both sides of the road leading to the underground entrance, towering walls blocked any sight of the distance. Guard posts perched atop either side of the gate, with soldiers standing at full alert.

Relying on his years of experience as a special forces operative, Zhang Desen quickly spotted several concealed sentry positions, prompting him to marvel inwardly: “Ah, this truly is a secret base. The security here is airtight!”

Noticing Zhang Desen’s curious glances, Company Commander Li Chengzhi admonished gently, “Captain Zhang, please refrain from looking around. The entrance to the underground facility will open shortly—please be ready.”

Zhang Desen, caught in the act, apologized, pointing up at the sun, “Sorry, the sun’s blazing, and it’s hot. I was just looking for a bit of shade, since I don't know how long we’ll be waiting out here.”

Li Chengzhi replied, “No need to worry. Once we’re inside, the temperature won’t be an issue.”

Their conversation ended as a guard approached, and after completing some necessary formalities, the door to the underground facility—a nuclear blast-proof gate—was opened for them. They proceeded into the base.

After passing through the gate and several corridors, they descended to the third subterranean level. Along the way, Zhang Desen felt as though he’d stepped into a science fiction film; everything about the place exuded a futuristic atmosphere.

To his surprise, the person greeting him was none other than General Li Guoshou, the head of the Ministry of Defense’s Science and Technology Department.

It must be noted that very little is known about General Li Guoshou in the outside world—a direct consequence of his role overseeing sensitive national defense technologies. The less people knew of his existence, the better for security.

Yet Zhang Desen knew him personally—a fact that caught him off guard. Their acquaintance had been forged through their mutual involvement in defense technology. Because national security hinges on advancements in this field, hostile nations spare no effort in attempting to steal such research and exploit any weaknesses.

Indeed, eighteen months ago, a spy from an adversarial nation nearly succeeded in smuggling a classified piece of defense technology across the border. In that critical moment, Zhang Desen, with his Flying Dragon Special Operations Team, intercepted the spy and recovered the intelligence just before it left national territory. That operation was the foundation of the deep camaraderie between Zhang Desen and Li Guoshou. Despite Zhang Desen holding the rank of general himself, Li Guoshou remained his superior within the Ministry’s Science and Technology Department.

Now, General Li Guoshou extended a warm hand and greeted him with enthusiasm, “Captain Zhang Desen, it’s been a long time. Welcome. You must have guessed the extraordinary nature of this mission.”

“Yes, though I still don’t know the specifics. Is it another matter of defense technology? Don’t tell me something’s been stolen again?” Zhang Desen replied earnestly.

Li Guoshou shook his head, “No, not this time. Instead, the Ministry of Defense has achieved a major breakthrough with a new research project. We recently conducted biological experiments, and according to data returned by our sensors, the test subjects did indeed reach a different world and transmitted back information, including photographs.”

His tone turning serious, Li Guoshou continued, “However, as we’ve yet to send a human through, these results remain unverified. That’s why we need a warrior—and we thought of you.”

“Wait, a different world? Where is that? Where am I going?” Zhang Desen asked, confused.

Li Guoshou replied, “I was just about to tell you. You are to be dispatched to an unknown domain. If you succeed in going there and returning, we will be the world’s pioneers in this field of science.”

“Is it a dangerous place? If the country needs me, I’ll go anywhere!” Zhang Desen declared resolutely.

General Li Guoshou smiled, “That is the spirit our nation needs. To be frank, we cannot say for certain just how dangerous this mission may be. It’s quite possible you’ll encounter things so fascinating you won’t want to return.”

Zhang Desen: …?

Li Guoshou went on, “Tell me—have you heard of the multiverse?”

“The multiverse? I think I’ve heard the term… Wait, is it something like in the film ‘The One’?”

“Exactly!” Li Guoshou responded. “That means you have some idea of the challenges that may lie ahead. Let me explain the specifics.”

“So, I might encounter another version of myself, or even acquaintances who don’t recognize me?” Zhang Desen queried.

Li Guoshou answered seriously, “It’s entirely possible. In essence, a parallel universe splits off from the original, existing alongside it—similar, yet different. These universes may share many features, including planets with identical histories, and thus possibly even people identical to ourselves.”

Pausing, Li Guoshou continued, visibly excited, “Likewise, the development of things in these universes may diverge dramatically. For example, species that have gone extinct in our universe could still be evolving and flourishing in another.”

“So, the two parallel universes don’t overlap or intersect—they coexist, each minding its own affairs,” Zhang Desen observed.

“Exactly. While rare events might allow for some awareness of each other, in general, these universes remain as neighbors who never interact,” Li Guoshou affirmed.

“But how are we supposed to reach another universe?” Zhang Desen pressed.

“Come, let me show you the latest fruit of our scientific research!” With that, Li Guoshou led Zhang Desen deeper into the base.

Soon, they arrived before a brand new, unfamiliar machine. Li Guoshou announced, “This is the Multiverse Traveler. By warping space, it will quickly transport you and your vessel to the target location. We’ve already selected the coordinates based on previous experiments.”

Taking a folder from a nearby guard, Li Guoshou continued, “According to the data we’ve received, the climate there is very similar to ours, and likely many other similarities will minimize the risks of this exploration. We’re certain to encounter intelligent life—perhaps humans like ourselves, or possibly other civilized species. We’ll only know for sure once you arrive.”

“That must consume a tremendous amount of energy,” Zhang Desen remarked.

“Rest assured,” Li Guoshou replied, “all we require is enough energy to send you and your ship beyond the atmosphere to a point approximately 57.9 million kilometers directly above the sun’s corona. The remaining energy will be supplied continuously by our solar satellites, which collect and transmit power straight from the sun. There will be no problem at all.”

“Satellites enveloping the sun?” Zhang Desen exclaimed in shock.

Li Guoshou leaned in conspiratorially, “Have you ever heard of a Dyson Sphere?”