前のエピソード――episode 5 Mathematics Class - The Collatz Conjecture

After School

After school, I go to the neighboring research laboratory at the Akashi Municipal Aerospace University.

Currently, I am conducting research on surpassing the speed of light in outer space. It's a technology that was called "warp" a hundred years ago. Strictly speaking, it can also increase the speed of light, making it applicable to Faster-than-Light (FTL) communication.

Here's the principle: We have developed the ability to generate stable antimatter and can also cause partial annihilation of the dark matter [which exists] present in space. The dark photons that connect the elementary particles of dark matter have relatively loose bindings. By reducing their density through annihilation reactions, a concentration difference in dark matter is created between the front and back, resulting in a forward attraction as if an object were surfacing from the sea.

Previously, light was limited to a speed of 300,000 kilometers per second due to interference from dark matter. But now, by converging antimatter at the forefront of a spacecraft and emitting it as a wave-like beam, the front becomes like true vacuum, and the reduction of interfering dark matter allows us to surpass the speed of light. It's amazing, isn't it? The annihilation energy is also emitted in a wave-like manner at the rear, providing thrust. There used to be a vehicle [which exists] in America that traveled long distances inside a vacuum-sealed steel tube (Sō seems knowledgeable about old vehicles), so it's somewhat similar to that. This is the principle of the wave engine. Currently, we can only fly small experimental crafts, but they have been accelerated to the point of escaping the solar system in just five minutes. If we can make it bidirectional, we might be able to send beams to Mars with almost no delay for communication.

Actually, the idea and basic theory of annihilating dark matter with antimatter were my own. I received the Prime Minister's Award in Japan, you know. It's incredible, right? Give me some praise, praise me! That's why I'm being called to the laboratory.

Right now, I'm tasked with researching the miniaturization and weight reduction of containers that can store as much antimatter as possible. We need lightweight containers capable of storing large amounts of antihydrogen; otherwise, we won't be able to move large spacecraft.

Maybe I should try shaving the container a little thinner... Grrrrrr!

After about an hour, Sō came to pick me up, so I should head home soon. I can clean up the containers tomorrow.

Sō looks at the containers and mutters, "Hmm, it's like a work of art, maybe..."

Maybe we should take the Trobus on the way back.

Sō and I board the Trobus that was stopped.

"Gen-san, give us a ride back too."

I call him "Gen-san," but apparently, Gen-san is a descendant of that Minamoto no Yoshitsune. They found out through genomic analysis, it seems.

The Trobus was introduced by Akashi City Mayor Matsuura to meet the demands of tourism and provide transportation for the elderly. It runs on tires, but you need a license for a non-track tram (issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism), so enthusiasts flock to ride it.

The mayor of Akashi is said to have introduced the trailer bus that requires both a large special vehicle license and a towed vehicle license, along with the famous octopus statue. Since it's the town of the driving license test site, there's a green-numbered car with "Kobe 900" plates [which exists] that attracts enthusiasts for hologram photography from all over Japan.

"Oh, Sō took my designated seat!" I lock onto Sō's head from behind and give it a playful shake. Is this what they call a date DV? I don't know.

The moment I board, various sceneries, sounds, and even smells automatically play in my head. It's said to have the effect of relieving people's stress.

As we get closer to the sea, a faint smell of ammonia fills the air. Nowadays, large ships floating on the sea use ammonia as fuel. Somehow, internal combustion engines still exist, and ammonia, which doesn't emit carbon dioxide, has become the fuel for large vessels [which exists]. If we load a lot of energy fillers used in taxis (passenger drones), we might be able to power large ships with them too. Fusion energy fillers don't have the risk of going out of control. But there must be some reasons why it's not being done. Probably political reasons or something.

Meanwhile, the faded red octopus statue disappears behind us.

Important clues that will become key to this story are hidden within these descriptions. The flow of destiny has already reached a point where it cannot be changed. Will we be able to prevent destruction in the next installment?