Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 285: Not That Piece of Material

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Yao Yuan was the most unique among all the Homo Evolutis, an All-Rounder. His uniqueness lied in the fact that other than Deceiver’s power, he had access to all the other Homo Evolutis powers, including the Whisperer.

The supposed Whisperer’s power was something that was hard to describe; it was something beyond scientific comprehension. It was unlike other Homo Evolutis powers. The Perceptor’s power could be explained scientifically as a heightened sensory sensitivity. The Diviner (the Sage was an exception) also could be understood as a heightened sixth sense. Even Animas and Thinkers technically could be explained scientifically. Of course, their validity is another issue.

In comparison, All-Rounders, Deceivers, and Whisperers were the most unique. We shall focus on Whisperers for now. Their uniqueness lies in the sense that when Whisperers used their power, they hear an indescribable voice.

This voice is different from the Thinker’s situation. The voice heard by the Thinker has clues, details, and logical conclusions. Even normal people, given enough time, would reach these observations. In other words, the Thinker’s power greatly shortened the time needed to think. Therefore, if viewed from a scientific perspective, the Thinker’s power came from increased brain activity.

The voice heard by the Whisperes was something beyond scientific explanation. The Academy called it "Dark Technology." When the Whisperer needed to solve a scientific difficulty, they could find the key or break through with their power. They could even use experiments or examples to exemplify their thoughts. This process... or rather, this non-process, was because the Whisperer’s power was akin to providing the answer to a math equation without showing the work. It was not mental arithmetic, they arrived at the answer through intuition. This was something beyond scientific comprehension.

Because of this, Whisperers were highly valued on the Hope. Wang Da Bing included, they were considered treasured talents of the same level as Da Vinci, Newton, and Einstein.

Yao Yuan had access to the Whisperer’s power, so after the Hope decided to focus on the research of the Genesis, he too would spend all of his days researching...

However, after Yao Yuan joined the task force, he finally realized how complicated everything was.

This was because unlike the space merchants, mankind was not aiming to just design these products. It was worth noting that the scientists on the Hope were really carefully selected from Earth. They had indescribable drive and responsibility, a responsibility towards mankind’s scientific history, and they would not allow themselves to stop at just creating the products.

In other words, the scientific knowledge hidden within each product and technology needed to be completely unearthed. For example, the research on AI. The Hope’s robotics and electronics group had started writing quantum code, some even had started creating an AI game, a game world that was completely open and would change organically. This was only possible after mankind had uncovered everything about the AI technology.

After Yao Yuan joined the task force, he realized how difficult scientific research was. Its difficulty came from the series of complicated formulas. The application of these formulas could be left to the computers, but the verification of these formulas, their logic and theories, needed to be processed manually. Computers were, at the end of the day, computers. They didn’t contain the same level of imagination and creativity human minds had.

All these analyses, calculations, verifications, and experiments were not something pursuable with just instinct. They needed a large amount of experience and familiarity with the sciences to pull off. Therefore, only a researcher or an actual scientist was needed for these works.

Even though Yao Yuan was a Whisperer, and he could instinctually find out the correct answer when faced with these complicated scientific formulas, technologies, and theories, unlike Bo Li, Ivan, and Saburo, he didn’t have years of research experience behind him.

Simply put, the three Whisperers, after they arrived at the conclusions in the minds, they could use their scientific knowledge to work their way back, to simplify and connect the dots, to answer the question "why."

However, when Yao Yuan got the conclusion, he didn’t have the experience to ask "why." In fact, he couldn’t understand why he needed to ask "why;" therefore, he couldn’t show them the process but only the answer.

Science was not math homework, it was not something you could pass by just writing down the answer. The key was still in the process; be it verification, analysis, or the calculation of formulas, those were not only solvable by providing a direct answer. Therefore, when Yao Yuan joined the Genesis task force, he brought quite a bit of chaos.

Since Yao Yuan was the leader of the ship and also a Whisperer, the answers he provided needed to be followed, but normall,y after the researchers wrote down his answer, the next step would be...

Nothing. That’s right, it ended there!

Was there something more inflaming than this? However, Yao Yuan couldn’t see where the problem was in the beginning. He even ordered the researchers to build the Genesis using his conclusions. Of course, this craziness was halted by the leading scientists.

After a few incidents of this madness, the few great scientists that governed the Academy finally had had enough of Yao Yuan’s disturbance at the lab. They pooled together to confront Yao Yuan. Their sudden presence flustered even Yao Yuan.

There were in total four great scientists that held sway in the Academy, and three of them had gathered to confront Yao Yuan. They were Alan, Silewei, and Garfield. Silewei, befitting of his German ancestry, was the one to confront Yao Yuan directly. "Science is not politics! Captain, Chancellor! If you continue to give impossible orders, then me and the few leading scientists will have to bar you from entering the lab!"

Alan, who was beside him, thought his words were unintentionally harsh, so he quickly added, "Chancellor, we understand you’re anxious because the Diviners have sensed danger. You wish to finish the Genesis as soon as possible, but science is really not something approachable via direct orders. Research can’t be sped up with an order. We need a large amount of time, energy, and effort before we can get the things we want. Since you’ve already left the development of science to us, why can’t you trust us? Give us some time to finish the research behind the Genesis."

Yao Yuan smiled awkwardly and then asked, in a low voice, "Actually, I also know science cannot be rushed, but I’m running out of ideas. The Diviners have sensed the danger, but no one knows when it will arrive. Time is of the essence; is there any way we can hasten this process?"

The three scientists looked at each other before shaking their heads. Finally, Garfield said, after some hesitation, "Chancellor, you also know that there are no shortcuts in science... But if you’re adamant on finding one, then I can only think of one solution, that is your Homo Evolutis power. The Whisperers are the only ones who can find the shortcuts in science. Other than that, I see no possible solution to hasten the research on the Genesis."

After that, Yao Yuan left the lab. He knew he wasn’t a research material. If only his Whisperer power could be given to a researcher, no, even an intern would be nice. Alas, it was wasted on someone like him...

But the only shortcut?

Yao Yuan was not someone who gave up easily. Since he couldn’t use the shortcut himself, then he decided to visit Bo Li that night. He knocked on her door.

Bo Li was wearing snow white pajamas when she opened the door. Her face registered both surprise and joy. She didn’t stop Yao Yuan from following behind her when she sauntered back into her room. This was the first time Yao Yuan had been in Bo Li’s room after they left the new planet.

"What’s the purpose of your visit?"

Bo Li asked while Yao Yuan was studying the room’s decorations.

Yao Yuan asked, with some excitement and weirdly some nervousness, ‘I’m here to ask you about the Genesis weapon system. You’re a Whisperer and the most familiar with this technology. Can you resolve everything within a year?"

"...I can’t answer that. I may be a Whisperer, but I’m not God. I can’t promise I will finish everything within a year simply because you ordered me too. Why don’t you do it yourself if you’re so desperate. You’re also a Whisperer, right?"

Bo Li replied with a straight face that was turning cold. Even her tone was icy. After that, she ignored the question that was on Yao Yuan’s lips and shove him out the door.

"If that’s all you’re here for, then you can leave now."

Yao Yuan had spent less than half a minute inside her room before he got the door slammed in his face...