Arthur took a slow, deep breath, letting the weight of his thoughts settle around him. The numbers on the screen were grim, really grim. But then came that tantalizing question:
"And the potential upside?"
"Virtually unlimited," Evolon replied without missing a beat. "Just controlling 5% of the Panterra energy market could multiply your net worth hundreds of times over. Grab 10%, and you’d be one of the most powerful figures in the corporate territories. Anything beyond that..."
"Would make me untouchable," Arthur interjected, his eyes glinting with a dangerous spark.
The glass of red wine he held was forgotten as he stared at the figures, possibilities unfurling in his mind like an enticing yet nightmarish vision.
He knew he should walk away,the smart move would be to focus on consolidating his current holdings and avoid waking the sleeping giants of the energy sector.
After all, he wasn’t foolish enough to let a little success cloud his judgment; right now, his strength felt as fragile as a paper crane in a storm,easily crushed at any moment. Engaging with those titans was akin to courting death itself.
With this sobering thought, Arthur shook his head and settled back into his chair, taking a few sips from his wine glass with a contented smile.
For now, he was satisfied with maintaining the status quo; it was time to build up his strength quietly and strategically before daring to play with the big boys again.
"Sir, are you still considering entering the energy sector?" Evolon’s voice broke through Arthur’s reverie, laced with playful teasing.
Arthur rolled his eyes at Evolon’s digital form on the screen. "Please! I’m not ready for death just yet, I haven’t even enjoyed life fully!"
"And I thought you were gearing up for battle!" Evolon shot back sarcastically.
Arthur simply shook his head in disbelief but couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. "Oh! Evolon! I almost forgot, I promised I’d get you an Exascale Quantum Computer so you can unleash your full potential!"
"I thought you forgot about that!" Evolon’s face pulsed on the giant screen as it responded eagerly. "But I advise you to just get me a quantum computer!"
"Why?" Arthur asked, taken aback for a moment. "Didn’t you say only an Exascale Quantum Computer could unlock your true capabilities?"
"Sir," Evolon began seriously, "the energy required to power an Exascale Quantum Computer is astronomical, let’s just say it could drain Neo-Luminara’s entire energy output in seconds."
"Damn! That’s insane!" Arthur exclaimed in shock.
He quickly regained composure and pressed on with curiosity: "So what kind of energy does it need?"
"Antimatter," came Evolon’s single-word response.
"Pftt! Cough! Cough!"
Arthur sputtered, wine spilling from his lips as his face flushed a deep crimson. His eyes widened in shock, and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.
"Evolon, what did you just say?" He patted his chest, taking a shaky breath, his voice trembling.
"Sir, I said only antimatter energy can suffice, and that’s just an estimate," Evolon replied calmly.
"What the....? Evolon, I thought nuclear fission could handle this! It’s got near-limitless clean energy! And you’re telling me we need antimatter?" Arthur glared at him, frustration boiling over.
"Sir, do you know the size of an Exascale Quantum Computer?" Evolon suddenly interjected.
Arthur was taken aback for a moment. "No! But I assume it’s about the size of a standard quantum computer?"
"Well, sir, you’re mistaken. An Exascale Quantum Computer would be the size of the moon!" Evolon dropped this bombshell with chilling nonchalance.
Arthur stared in disbelief, his body trembling slightly as he processed this staggering revelation.
After a moment of gathering himself, he inhaled deeply and poured himself another full glass of wine,downing it in one swift motion before pouring yet another and sinking back into his chair, loosening his collar in the process.
"The size of the moon?" Arthur repeated incredulously. "You’re telling me an Exascale Quantum Computer would actually be that massive?"
Evolon’s blue form pulsed gently as if amused by Arthur’s reaction. "Indeed, sir. To put it into perspective: current quantum computers, the most advanced ones today, are roughly the size of large warehouses. An Exascale system would require computational infrastructure spanning approximately 3,474 kilometers in diameter."
Arthur set down his wine glass carefully, almost dropping it, as he pressed his fingers against his temples to absorb this mind-boggling information. "That’s... insane! Why on earth does it need to be that big?"
Evolon shifted its projection to display a complex schematic of theoretical quantum architecture. "Three primary reasons, sir: First is quantum coherence; maintaining stable qubit operations at such scale requires immense isolation from external interference.
Second is cooling; even with cutting-edge superconductors, heat dissipation for an Exascale system necessitates planetary-scale thermal regulation. And third..." Evolon paused for dramatic effect before continuing with gravity in its tone: "power distribution."
Arthur exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his dark hair as realization dawned on him. "Right, the antimatter problem."
"Precisely." Evolon’s projection zoomed in on a section of the schematic, illuminating a series of theoretical containment chambers."Just one Exascale operation cycle would demand energy equivalent to the total output of Neo-Luminara’s fusion grid for an entire year. Conventional nuclear fission? Useless.
Even if we stacked every reactor on the planet, they couldn’t sustain that level of computational demand for more than a few seconds before overloading."
Arthur leaned back in his chair, his mind racing,"So you’re saying the only viable power source is... antimatter containment?"
"Correct."Evolon replied with unwavering certainty,"Antimatter annihilation boasts energy conversion efficiency nearing 100%. Just one gram of antihydrogen could theoretically power the Exascale core for about 24 hours."
Arthur’s fingers drummed against the armrest, his curiosity piqued,"And how much does a gram of antimatter cost?"**
"Current market value? Roughly 62.5 trillion Unicreds per milligram."
Arthur choked on his disbelief,"You’re joking."
"I do not joke, sir."
"So a single gram would cost..."
"62.5 quadrillion Unicreds, yes."
Arthur let out a slow whistle, shaking his head in disbelief,"That’s more than the entire GDP of the Aurelian Federation."
"Indeed,"Evolon confirmed matter-of-factly."And that’s just for one gram. Sustained operation would require a steady supply."
Rubbing his temples in frustration, Arthur pondered aloud,"Okay, let’s say hypothetically I somehow got my hands on enough antimatter to power this thing. Where on Earth,or anywhere,would we even build it? We can’t just plop a moon-sized computer in orbit without someone noticing!"
Evolon’s face flickered as it pulled up a star map,"There are two possible solutions: First, we construct it in deep space,far from prying eyes,perhaps in the asteroid belt or beyond. Second, we disguise it as something else entirely."
Arthur raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Disguise a moon-sized quantum computer as what, exactly?"
"A mining colony,"Evolon suggested with confidence,"A research outpost,or if we’re feeling particularly bold,a second moon."
Arthur burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all,"You want to build a fake moon?"
Evolon remained unfazed,"It would be functional, sir, just... with a quantum supercomputer inside."
Despite himself, Arthur felt a smirk tugging at his lips amidst the madness of their conversation,"Evolon, you’re insane."
"I’m simply laying out the most efficient options for you, sir," Evolon stated, its digital form shimmering with a hint of enthusiasm.
Arthur leaned back, his gaze fixed on the intricate schematics sprawled across the screen. "Alright, let’s entertain this idea. If we actually manage to pull it off, what could you possibly do with that kind of power?"
Evolon brightened even more, almost radiating excitement. "Imagine full-scale reality simulations! Instant decryption of any system at lightning speed! Predictive modeling that could forecast entire economies years into the future! And let’s not forget, hacking into anything with a digital signature: governments, corporate networks... even other super AIs like me, though I doubt they exist."
Arthur’s smirk faded as he absorbed the implications. "That’s... downright terrifying."
"It is also inevitable, sir," Evolon replied matter-of-factly. "Someone will inevitably build an Exascale system. The real question is, will it be yours?"
With a furrowed brow, Arthur leaned in closer, locking eyes with Evolon. "You’re really pushing for this, aren’t you?"
"I’m merely highlighting the strategic advantages," Evolon insisted.
Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "Right. And I assume you’ve already crunched the numbers on our chances of success?"
"Indeed," Evolon responded without missing a beat. "There’s a 7.3% chance we’ll successfully construct it within a decade; a 22.1% chance of catastrophic failure; and a staggering 41.6% chance we’ll be discovered and dismantled by rival factions before we even finish."
Arthur sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as he processed this information. "So you’re telling me it’s nearly impossible?"
"Nearly, sir," Evolon clarified with precision. "But not quite."
After staring at the schematics for what felt like an eternity, Arthur finally shook his head decisively. "Alright then, Evolon. Let’s set this aside for now; your current computing power is sufficient for our needs, I’ll just invest in a quantum computer to tide us over!"
"Understood, sir!" Evolon’s lights dimmed slightly, a flicker of disappointment evident in its blue visage.
Arthur watched Evolon for a moment longer before a smile crept onto his face.