Chapter 195: The Americans Return to Space, I’ll Take a Flight (Part 3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Red Lotus would not ordinarily intervene in a standard satellite launch.
Consequently, this satellite had to be out of the ordinary.
“Red Lotus, bring up the image,” Tang Rui ordered.
“Of course, Master. Would you like to watch the American launch live, or should we access it through our satellite?” Hong Lian inquired, her head tilted as she looked at Tang Rui.
“The live broadcast,” Tang Rui instructed succinctly.
“Immediately, Master. I am converting the video data now.”
With a whoosh, the holographic projection illuminated the launch site of the American rocket.
“This satellite has piqued my interest,” Tang Rui observed thoughtfully.
Through the American live broadcast, it was evident that the satellite was affixed not within, but externally to the rocket, reminiscent of how the Space Shuttle was transported.
Tang Rui’s gaze sharpened as he zoomed in on the satellite’s emblem. The Lockheed Martin logo was unmistakable.
This meant the satellite was almost certainly militarized.
The United States, after all, had invested substantial research into armed satellites, like the space-based kinetic weapon known as the ‘Divine Spear’—a ruse to deceive the public.
Indeed, he was duping the masses; kinetic weapons lacked the fearsome potency portrayed in films.
Unless, perhaps, they encapsulated a nuclear device within the tungsten rod. Only then, upon subterranean impact and subsequent detonation, would the devastation be profound.
Yet such a tactic was redundant. If nuclear devices were the weapon of choice, why not deploy them directly instead of encasing them in tungsten?
The computer-generated animation that Tang Rui had Red Lotus craft previously depicted the Divine Spear laying waste to a city. But that rod wasn’t tungsten.
In his conceptualization, only rods composed of electron-degenerate matter could wield such force—substance from the core of white dwarfs.
And if one dared to dream bigger, rods forged from neutron-degenerate material would be cataclysmic, effortlessly capable of obliterating a star.
Neutron-degenerate matter made up the dense heart of neutron stars.
However, these were figments of his imagination; creating such a fearsome weapon was unnecessary at present.
As Tang Rui contemplated this, Ying-chan’s rotating rocket ignited and ascended.
The launch unfolded without a hitch.
Dissatisfied with the ground broadcast’s limited scope, Tang Rui requested Red Lotus to switch to the satellite’s viewpoint.
From this angle, after the launcher had propelled the colossal satellite into the cosmos, it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
The satellite’s outer shell then ignited, revealing small rocket propellers, likely single-use.
Once the satellite settled into its destined orbit, the protective casing shed away, exposing the true form of the satellite in Earth’s orbit.
Tang Rui studied the satellite and sensed it was not yet fully functional, noting an apparent interface.
“Is it designed to integrate with the Transformers?” he mused.
“Red Lotus, proceed to refuel the White Emperor,” Tang Rui instructed as he stood.
“Very well, Master. Launch preparations will be complete in fifteen minutes,” Red Lotus promptly reported.
Upon receiving the timeline, Tang Rui returned to change into his gear.
He then contacted the Space Command Center, informing them of his intent to ascend and secure the militarized satellite.
Such a mission, naturally, met with no resistance from the authorities.
Twenty minutes later, armored for battle, Tang Rui commandeered the White Emperor Space Fighter and soared into the celestial domain..