Defending dimensional gateways is now Luna and Ayla's primary research focus.
Defense must be omnidirectional.
Therefore, Luna and Ayla plan to deploy a dense network of [ Gold Probes ] around the dimensional gateways.
[ Gold Probes ] are a new type of energy detection device capable of detecting minute fluctuations in the four fundamental forces, but each probe's detection range is relatively small—only 0.66 AU. Theoretically, over 10 trillion Gold Probes are needed per cubic light-year.
Fortunately, the probes themselves are relatively small, not much larger than a 21st-century laptop, making mass production feasible.
The network of Gold Probes will accurately monitor information from other dimensional warships entering this dimension, or other forms of attack.
But this is only the detection aspect.
The defensive array's primary purpose is, of course, defense.
For this defense layer, Ayla designed a specialized cannon.
This cannon is called the Targeted Nuclear Annihilation Cannon—a nuclear weapon.
The "Targeted" designation means it's stationary, remaining in place, dedicated to striking a single point. This allows for the fastest possible response; combined with the Gold Probes, it allows for near-instantaneous attacks.
These cannons will be deployed around the Gold Probes; a total of 1–1.2 billion units.
Beyond them, the Olive Branch civilization's super-gravity devices will be deployed to impede enemy warships.
The cores of these super-gravity devices are located within stars surrounding the dimensional gateways.
These stars will house super-range weapons targeting the dimensional gateways, and star system reserves will also include substantial warship fleets.
Ayla initially planned to defend the five dimensional gateways within the Federation's current sector, then expand to eleven more.
"Two of these gateways are actually passages between us and the Flyer Civilization," Ayla reminded Luna.
Her plan was to let the Flyer Civilization defend these two gateways.
Luna considered this and found it feasible.
If the Federation's current strength were sufficient, there would be no need to cede those two passages.
Controlling the passages means controlling the surrounding sectors, essentially inviting the enemy to attack directly.
However, the current enemy is still on the other side of the dimensional gateway, so this isn't an immediate concern.
Failure to stop the enemy on the other side of the dimensional gateway would ultimately harm the Federation. The Federation is currently weak; its border defenses aren't fully operational, and its warship numbers are low.
In short, the Federation hasn't yet reached the level expected of a Type 2.5 civilization. It's still in a state of recovery and expansion, and attempting to absorb everything at once is unrealistic.
"The Flyer Civilization will be covetous, so they will accept those two dimensional gateways." Luna instructed Ayla to immediately notify the Flyer Civilization.
The Flyer Civilization has no reason to refuse.
However, the response was a refusal. The Flyer Civilization demanded that the Federation open trade before they would agree to defend the two dimensional gateways.
Luna merely chuckled.
"Delusions of grandeur."
"They want to have their cake and eat it too."
"Let the diplomats handle it. A little stubbornness will buy us time; they'll eventually concede."
Negotiations weren't entirely smooth but weren't unsuccessful either.
The Federation currently lacks the context for negotiations with the Flyer Civilization; Luna and Ayla are waiting for the return of the dispatched warships to determine the Flyer civilization's structure.
"Ayla, how's the population plan progressing?"
Luna's previous goal of increasing the Federation's population to over 10 quadrillion is a long-term project.
The Federation's population at the time the plan was announced was around 916 trillion; it only needs to increase tenfold.
Earth's human population increased fourfold, from under 2 billion to 8 billion, in just 100 years.
With the Federation's higher birth rates than humans—the Lelera and Waterfolk—this task isn't particularly difficult.
"The Federation's population has now reached 11.80 quadrillion."
Nearly 3,000 years have passed since the plan was announced.
Despite the relatively low birth rate, the Federation will reach Luna's desired population within the allotted time.
"Still not enough, but it will suffice for now."
"Ayla, establish several shipbuilding companies; mass-produce ships and lower prices."
"We will then relax restrictions on becoming explorers, encouraging large-scale population expansion into explorers to expand our sectors."
"Next, we need to bring all named sectors under our control. Most won't be directly under the Federation; we will foster key figures to build star nations, while we retain control of the major stars."
"Phase two involves developing the lettered sectors. These have already been explored; the difficulty of development is relatively low."
"Once these sectors are occupied, those star nations will require population; they will incentivize reproduction. We aim to create several star nations around the Federation, each with over 1 quadrillion inhabitants."
Ayla stated, "The Federation's position might be challenged at that point."
Sector occupation will be swift; it should be completed within 1,000 years.
Subsequently, these star nations, incentivizing reproduction, will not only attract immigrants but also incorporate numerous clones, transforming them into individuals.
Unconstrained population growth in these star nations could exceed 1 quadrillion within 200 years.
With a larger population, even if the social structures of those star nations are unstable, the sheer number of individuals will lead to technological advancements and attract new Federation members.
The Federation will no longer hold a dominant position.
"That's alright."
"The Federation doesn't need a special status; it's merely an organizational structure within the overall civilization; its continued existence suffices."
"If another star nation surpasses the Federation, we can join that nation; after all, they belong to the same human civilization."
Star nations are for expanding human civilization.
If human civilization consisted only of the Federation, it would be overly monolithic.
Luna desires a more open and free societal model, similar to a federation of states on Earth.
Ayla's vision leans toward traditional monarchism; she wants to control everything within her sphere of influence.
Luna isn't sure which is better.
But they can't restrain their expansion; they must progress rapidly, like an expanding star.
...
Luna mentioned only the exploration range of the explorers.
But for the Federation, these explorers wouldn't venture too far; beyond a certain point lies empty space.
At least for now, no Federation species is truly solitary; they all heavily rely on communities for material and emotional support.
Therefore, about 30 years after the expansion plan was announced, Luna and Ayla began researching a new item:
—Subluminal Flight Vehicles
Subluminal refers to speeds exceeding 90% of the speed of light, or greater than 270,000 km/s.
The Federation has been working on subluminal vehicles for a long time, but they haven't been used militarily.
Luna checked the civilian applications, which are quite widespread.
Generally used for cargo transport.
However, with super-antimatter displacement devices, this market is quite small.
Super-antimatter displacement devices have incomplete information transfer issues. Attempting to transfer something with data is problematic.
For example, someone has a memory card containing valuable data or images. Super-antimatter displacement could damage it; repairing such damage is difficult or impractical.
This is where subluminal flight vehicles find their niche.
Subluminal flight vehicles are also deployed on some exploratory ships. Explorers send these ahead to the surface of the target planet to determine its characteristics before approaching, avoiding unforeseen problems.
While not enormous, this market is still worth trillions of energy credits.
The Federation has researchers specializing in this area, with several companies vying for market share.
The largest company is called Axakuê. The name sounds strange, but it's a phonetic rendering of a term from the Kate people's language, meaning "splendid" or "multicolored".
Luna instructed Ayla to carefully study their technology, combining it with similar technologies from other companies.
Ayla eventually developed a colossal subluminal flight vehicle.
This vehicle is named the—White Dart.
Weighing around 92 kg, it resembles a bullet. Its internal cargo space can carry no more than 3 kg of items.
This size is less than the weight of a human, but typical subluminal flight vehicles weigh only 30–50 kg; objectively, this is considered colossal.
The core technology isn't in the vehicle itself, but in its launch mechanism.
Therefore, increasing size requires not only advanced technology but also cost-effectiveness.
Without profit considerations, increasing the weight to over 70 kg is relatively easy.
Looking at the subluminal flight vehicle, Luna found it exquisitely crafted.
It had a glassy sheen with high reflectivity.
The warhead is spherical, not conical.
On the warhead is a fist-sized device, divided into various colors, each with a code.
Luna picked one up and weighed it.
Over 90 kg was somewhat heavy to hold.
Luna placed it into a launch tube on the surface of Free Star City. She was currently atop a skyscraper about 140,000 meters tall, equipped with gravity-canceling devices.
Free Star City itself has relatively high gravity; even without gravity-canceling equipment, its gravity exceeds that of Mars.
After eliminating external interference, Luna pressed a button.
The subluminal flight vehicle didn't immediately launch; instead, energy rings, resembling Mach rings or donuts, began to appear in front of the launch tube.
These energy rings are spaced approximately one meter apart, extending for a million meters into space.
"Acceleration rings established."
A cold, mechanical voice—a common voice synthesized from the voices of 100 million individuals—resonated.
Acceleration rings are a common method for accelerating small objects, briefly concentrating energy in a specific area. This energy compresses against the object as it passes through, providing a powerful thrust.
Ayla wanted to apply this to larger objects; it might enable starships or spacecraft to easily reach speeds exceeding 100,000 km/s, but the energy requirements are too high to be practical.
"Launch!"
As the command issued, the subluminal flight vehicle was launched.
Layers of acceleration rings gathered behind it, forming a high-energy plume. The reaction thrust accelerated the vehicle from 8,000 km/s to over 200,000 km/s almost instantly after launch.
Finally, the vehicle reached a speed of 271,279 km/s.
"Let's hope it can explore further. Its target is within the 5,000-light-year sector."
Based on calculations, its mission completion time is 5,525 years, approaching the speed of light.
Luna primarily needs these subluminal flight vehicles for exploration.
Because these vehicles don't require constant acceleration, each is essentially a large-scale exploration device; nothing is redundant.
At the apex of the vehicle is a miniature reconnaissance and evasion device to avoid cosmic dust and adjust trajectory.
While the probability of colliding with cosmic dust is astronomically low, it's not impossible.
Trajectory adjustments are necessary because the vehicle's small mass makes it susceptible to gravitational influences from nearby stars; even a slight deflection over hundreds of years could lead to significant course errors.
The vehicle's core is the primary exploration equipment: over twenty light sensors on its surface, including cameras; internally, numerous gravity sensors and a highly concentrated micro-server.
This server's processing power is 10 billion times that of a 21st-century mobile phone. It maps the surrounding star field and transmits the data to the vehicle's tail section.
The tail section houses the communication equipment, transmitting acquired information back to the Federation.
Furthermore, the vehicle contains a kinetic energy system, providing power not only for communication and the server but also preparing for future automated processes.
These subluminal flight vehicles are also miniature microfactories. Upon mission completion, they will locate a nearby star system, land on a planet or asteroid, and begin construction.
"How many subluminal flight vehicles are planned for deployment?" Luna asked.
"Approximately 1.6 billion, Luna!"
Ayla specified 1.6 billion not because more couldn't be launched, but because this is sufficient. These vehicles can survey a vast expanse of space using optical sensors, eliminating the need for further deployments.
"Good. Once we have information on the 5,000-light-year sector, we can implement the next phase."
Luna gazed at the stars, determined to utilize all the Federation's advantages.
...
"What are we currently lacking?"
Sitting in her room in Free Star City, Luna observed the city's nighttime cityscape.
Countless flying vehicles crisscrossed the towering buildings; this was a true 3D city.
In the distance was a floating park where Luna often strolled to relax.
The park wasn't large, only 20 square kilometers, but its surface area could accommodate a significant number of people, making it feel vast.
"Currently?"
"Probably warships."
"New planetary-class warships have been built; the third one is in the handover phase."
Much time has passed, and the Federation is nearing completion of its third planetary-class warship.
These warships are essentially mobile star cities, fortresses in themselves.
The concept of a planetary-class warship has evolved, or perhaps expanded.
They must perform more tasks. For example, they need several internal warship production lines, not just docking bays.
A planetary-class warship must be able to fully harness and utilize a star system's energy within 30 years, ideally establishing a complete production system within that star system.
These are just the basics.
Planetary-class warships must also be able to construct super-range weaponry; this is their core function.
In Luna and Ayla's design, it must be an all-purpose tool, not just a warship that simply launches a few super-range weapons on the battlefield.
It must have the capacity to expand the Federation's military power.
Sometimes Luna refers to it as a—War Factory.
The name is quite fitting.
The actual combat units are sub-planetary-class warships; their numbers far exceed those of planetary-class warships.
Their number has now surpassed 100.
Hearing this figure, Luna was relieved. She remembered how few sub-planetary-class warships the old Federation had during its wars?
20?
30?
There weren't many, struggling against the Filament civilization's attacks.
While the Federation still lacks overwhelming firepower, these sub-planetary-class warships have been significantly enhanced; their offensive and defensive capabilities have improved by 20%–25%.
The improvements in their kinetic energy systems are even more significant, allowing for larger servers capable of handling more complex situations.
During the old Federation era, sub-planetary-class warships had limited server capacity; they hadn't been fully upgraded to new architectures. Now, these servers have been upgraded, with a substantial increase in processing power.
While the impact of servers on warfare might seem invisible, their influence is far-reaching.
Captains and soldiers can leverage the server's powerful processing power to calculate countless attack scenarios after detecting enemy movements.
Attack from the left or right, or another direction?
Slow or sudden attack? What are the intentions behind a slow attack? Is a sudden attack indicative of weakness in the enemy's rear?
This data analysis can influence the outcome of a battle.
A warship's reaction time to enemy light weapons is insufficient, but the server can minimize damage within a fraction of a second.
Weapon accuracy also depends on the server.
This is crucial.
In space, enemy speeds are high, and trajectories are often unpredictable. The server can predict future trajectory deviations, increasing the chances of hitting the target.
At this level of space combat, manual operation is impossible. Even powerful beings cannot match a machine's judgment.
"But we're still lacking something," Luna mused.
The black hole's energy exploitation has only just begun; the Federation lacks sufficient energy to produce more.
For a Type 2 civilization, energy is interchangeable with matter—it's metal, it's everything.
"But it's alright; it will come with time."
"The important thing is stability."
"Large-scale dimensional warfare is still unlikely; everyone's still in the exploration phase."
Ayla then revealed some news.
"More four-dimensional objects have appeared near the Solar System's primordial black hole. A civilization might be attempting to breach the dimensional barrier using the black hole, rather than a dimensional gateway."
Using a black hole?
That's extremely difficult.
Even a small primordial black hole has energy density comparable to a much larger black hole within its observable range.
"Perhaps it isn't about breaching the dimensional barrier; maybe they're using the black hole to study dimensions."
"Then it must be an incredibly powerful civilization."
"While we haven't encountered a civilization stronger than ourselves, we can't investigate how they operate, but we can speculate that it's a Type 2.8 or higher civilization."
"If so, the Alpha Centauri gateway might connect to this civilization."
"Or perhaps destroying the Alpha Centauri gateway forced this civilization to resort to the primordial black hole for dimensional research."
They know nothing about higher-dimensional entities; they can only speculate.
Luna and Ayla have always understood that the accuracy of this information is questionable, but it can't be verified quickly. They can only use these speculations as a foundation, building upon them with time and experience.
"If it's a Type 2.8 civilization, its sector wouldn't be small; perhaps their sector overlaps ours."
"We must prepare to meet an incredibly powerful civilization."
Luna uttered these words just 217 years later.
A message arrived from the dimensional gateway: unusual energy readings detected.
They couldn't see any ships or other objects, but the energy readings were real.
The energy reading flickered and disappeared; even the targeting cannons couldn't react in time.
Luna received the observation logs.
He reviewed them countless times, noticing a clear spherical object in the logs; it existed for only about 0.04 seconds.
After slowing it down 10,000 times, Luna noticed something.
"Before disappearing, we can see a flicker; this flicker caused a slight shift in its position, and after a second flicker, it vanished."
"Therefore, I believe it moved, rather than simply disappearing in place. It entered our dimension and is hidden nearby."
"We must find it!"
...
The Federation never found the object.
For decades, it remained undetected.
This is what worried Luna and Ayla the most.
Open warfare is manageable; there's always hope. But unseen, stealth attacks are unpredictable.
"The enemy knows we'll deploy defenses, so their actions won't be conventional," Ayla concluded, suggesting the need for new measures.
The super-gravity shields hadn't stopped the object; the enemy could evade gravity.
"Based on this, we need weapons targeting consciousness, such as…hypnosis?" Luna suggested uncertainly.
The enemy's form is unusual; it doesn't seem physical.
If it were physical, it would be affected and captured, but it wasn't.
An energy being capable of movement implies purpose. If it isn't a higher-dimensional being, it's likely an artifact.
The enemy might possess two types of consciousness:
A biological type and a mechanical type.
There could even be a third type, given its origin in another dimension.
"Strong force, weak force, electromagnetic force—these three forces cannot transcend dimensions. Therefore, higher-dimensional beings could possess different lifeforms and weapons."
Upon entering three-dimensional space, the enemy would necessarily become three-dimensional matter.
It also wouldn't likely manifest as iron or similar materials; it's most likely an energy being composed of fundamental particles like photons and electrons.
However, a higher-dimensional civilization might bend the rules, especially if it has a basic understanding of dimensional manipulation.
This is the possibility of a third type of consciousness.
Controlling dimensions means bringing things from other dimensions—the most unpredictable scenario.
The Federation's only known trans-dimensional weapon is ironically, a consciousness-based weapon.
For example, the weapon used against the Filament civilization.
But that was used only when forces were relatively equal or when an advantage was already secured at close range, drawing the enemy into a predetermined battlefield for a contest of wills.
Such a scenario is impossible now.
Luna's suggestion of hypnosis is therefore quite a naive response.
"We are currently passive, awaiting the object's next move."
Another instance of passivity; the Federation has endured too much of it.
"No, we must regain the initiative. Since they sent something, we should deploy warships."
"This might provide more specific information about the enemy."
Luna refused to wait idly for death.
The Federation is currently too passive; it needs to become more aggressive. After all, the enemy is a higher-dimensional entity; even if powerful, it can't pose a fundamental threat in the short term.
Their previous plan was to study the enemy through captured warships or weapons, but since they can't capture anything, they must take the initiative.
"This might provide the enemy with data to study three-dimensional objects," Ayla worried, suggesting it might accelerate the higher-dimensional civilization's progress.
"It's inevitable; we can't progress without allowing others to progress."
Luna made the decision.
35 years later.
The first "weapon" was deployed.
The quotes are necessary because it's a biological weapon:
The Swarm.
As a constantly evolving Federation species, The Swarm now possesses significant combat capabilities.
However, their reproductive and mutational capabilities are most important. Under ideal conditions, the Swarm can increase from one to 100 million in just three years.
Terrestrial ants can't achieve this kind of rapid population growth; how much more so for the colossal Swarm, often measured in hundreds of meters?
These insects are ideal as invasive organisms.
Most importantly, their sheer numbers are what the Federation is banking on.
"We're deploying 100 quadrillion Swarm units into the higher dimension; this massive number should yield some information."
Gathering information through sheer numbers.
It's the crudest method, but the most effective one the Federation currently possesses.
The Federation deployed ten super-Swarm nests near the dimensional gateway to mass-produce the Swarm.
These super-Swarm nests have undergone significant changes.
Firstly, their size; they've expanded to a diameter of 200,000 kilometers, exceeding planetary-class warships in size, and comparable in mass.
Super-Swarm nests are hexagonal; each corner serves as an exit; other areas are sealed.
The interior is largely hollow, with a massive central fuel tank. Previously, super-Swarm nests used a small planet or asteroid as a base; this is the most significant difference.
The interior resembles a honeycomb, composed of numerous independent hexagonal cells.
These cells are divided into zones: waste disposal, feeding, incubation, nurturing, and—most importantly—the brain-worms zone.
Essentially, the super-Swarm nest is a brain-worm warship, but the Federation has abandoned its mobility; movement now requires external thrusters.
In space, the entire super-Swarm nest resembles a writhing mass of flesh, with numerous bone-like structures supporting this mass.
Luna prefers calling the super-Swarm nest a "giant umbilical cord".
Under optimal conditions, each super-Swarm nest produces 600,000–700,000 insects per minute, up to 1 billion per day; ten nests produce 10 billion insects daily.
Approximately one year later, the accumulated insects within the super-Swarm nests exceeded 7 trillion—a combination of original and newly bred insects.
7 trillion insects formed the first army to advance into the higher dimension.
The scene was breathtaking; these insects, if gathered on a planet, could form several layers.
"It seems 228 new species have emerged." Luna reviewed the super-Swarm nest brain-worm reports.
Each super-Swarm nest breeding cycle produces many new species, recorded and categorized; some become stronger, others weaker. The stronger genes are utilized.
To encourage brain-worm activity, the Federation offers rewards for new species.
Luna discovered an exceptionally large individual among the new species.
A colossal insect over 4,200 meters in length.
This creature resembled a fortress or tank; lacking offensive capabilities, it possessed defensive capabilities—something the Swarm doesn't require.
Luna became fascinated by this insect's genes, enthusiastically pursuing research.
The Swarm is a seemingly inexhaustible treasure trove for Federation biology.
...
Luna created a small object.
This was her first finished product in thousands of years, as she found it incredibly fascinating.
"Backpack Beast; I think that name suits it."
Ayla saw the creature in Luna's hand.
Wasn't it a slime?
The Multi-eyed were somewhat similar to slimes, but their eyes were frightening. Luna's creation was a true slime, an almost perfect replica.
The only difference was its slightly darker color.
Luna demonstrated, tossing an object into the air; the Backpack Beast immediately leaped, opening its mouth to swallow it.
Its body swelled slightly.
"I've created small, medium, and large Backpack Beasts, capable of carrying 10 kg, 50 kg, and 200 kg, respectively."
Luna walked around; the Backpack Beast followed.
"It's a good pet, right?"
"Simple, and not as slimy as a real slime; it's like a bouncy rubber ball—everyone likes it."
However, Ayla questioned, "Where's the small one?"
Luna shook her head: "No small one, but there's a colossal plusmaxpro…"
Luna pointed to the stars.
A massive object was floating in space.
Its diameter seemed to exceed 1,000 meters.
"It can grow large enough to swallow a planet; however, its function then would be dissolution, not carrying."
This is actually Luna's main research project.
This organism can dissolve an entire planet, breaking it down into its fundamental components.
"Most importantly, the medium-sized one can evolve into a large one, and then continue growing to its maximum size; theoretically, there's no limit, but practically there is—1.4 times Earth's mass."
"Its density is very low; it can even float on water. At that size, its volume would be 6–7 times that of Earth."
"But what I find most appealing is that it's a purely biological entity."
Luna was like a child showing off her accomplishment.
This has a very broad market.
Families needing pets.
Explorers needing to carry large amounts of equipment.
It will have a stable market, even if some machines become substitutes, their cost-effectiveness is incomparable.
A Backpack Beast costs only 0.009 energy credits.
"Regardless, Luna, you need to see this."
Ayla has been closely monitoring the Federation's activities; communication with the Boundary Gods of all star systems is frequent.
Ayla was referring to an event that occurred approximately 19 days ago, about 200 light-years from them.
It was a planet.
Most of the Federation consists of star cities; discovered planets are usually exploited. Only a small number of planets remain in the Federation, mostly used as tourist destinations or for creating curiosities.
Recently, an astonishing phenomenon occurred on this planet.
A bug.
Numerous comments appeared on this star system's internet, which Ayla retrieved.
Luna reviewed them one by one.
[OMG, I went to the Oulan Sea Flower today, and there was a real bug! I woke up on June 11th, did a day's work, went to sleep, and woke up on June 10th!]
[Don't spread rumors! How could something like this happen? Isn't it a malfunction in your auxiliary brain or robot? Or maybe alien influence?]
[The first is true; I experienced something similar. It wasn't just June 11th; three days later, I saw people walking backward on the street, doing things in reverse.]
[Is it a new event?]
[Don't be ridiculous. After receiving information, the Boundary God immediately sealed off the Oulan Sea Flower; there's no such event.]
[Seriously, I just checked; the Oulan Sea Flower is indeed sealed off; you can't go there.]
Countless comments, all pointing to the same place and the same thing.
—Time reversal.
"Could something like this really happen?"
Even a three-year-old in this era knows that time is a product of matter's movement; theoretically, the absence of matter movement is time stopping.
But how could matter move backward?
Even negative energy couldn't achieve this effect.
Ayla then showed a video; it indeed showed numerous people walking backward on the street, and time in the video was running in reverse.
It looked like a reversed video.
But Luna knew Ayla wouldn't play such a childish prank.
A new video appeared.
It showed a piece of iron found on the planet. The iron showed no signs of oxidation; any existing oxidation was receding.
At the atomic level, electrons were spinning in reverse, indicating antimatter.
However, measurements showed that the electrons were actually matter.
This contradictory observation and measurement threw planetary physics into chaos.
"This planet functions normally, but in a reversed manner."
"A being on this planet would literally experience reverse aging."
"The reversal seems macroscopic, not affecting the microscopic level."
If it did, electrons would become positrons, not remain electrons.
"A dimensional distortion?" Luna thought of Einstein's four-dimensional spacetime.
Four-dimensional spacetime is three-dimensional space plus a time dimension. This time dimension is a pseudo-dimension; it's calculated, not a real dimension equivalent to other dimensions.
In the 21st century, people would say that four dimensions are three spatial axes plus a time axis; this is incorrect.
Even graphically, this fourth dimension of time can only be represented by a dashed line, not a solid one. Four-dimensional beings aren't simply immortal.
However, controlling dimensions might allow manipulation of this pseudo-dimension, causing time reversal.
But this is highly improbable.
Then where does the grandfather paradox fit in?
If time could be altered, the universe would be filled with civilizations from the past, present, and future.
"Perhaps it was the object that came to us."
Luna considered this likely.
It's just unclear how it achieved this.
"We can capture it."
"But we must be cautious; we don't want to scare it away."