Inside the black, disc-shaped hall, all was quiet.
All that remained were the sounds of air entering and exiting through the breathing holes.
Every Proxima Centauri inhabitant was pondering the implications of this news.
"So, what should we do now?"
Rex's voice rang out again, drawing the attention of all the Proxima Centauri present.
When Rex asked him a question, Lyle toned down the disdain and contempt he had for the other Proxima Centauri.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Given the current situation, interstellar migration may be our only way to survive."
"Interstellar migration?"
Rex narrowed his eyes slightly: "Our technology shouldn't be advanced enough to lead all the Proxima Centauri out of the world, right?"
Lyle replied matter-of-factly, "Of course."
"To be precise, we can only take 100,000 Proxima Centauri with us."
As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the hall.
One hundred thousand Proxima Centauri.
what does that mean?
This means that over 99% of the inhabitants of Proxima Centauri will have to face the gradual extinction of their star in their lifetime.
This process is extremely agonizing and painful.
As the energy released by the host star gradually decreases, the surface temperature of Proxima Centauri b will become increasingly lower.
Even though the dense atmosphere can retain heat to the maximum extent, the surface temperature will still drop rapidly below zero over a few decades.
By then, there will be no more liquid water on the surface of Proxima Centauri b.
This is undoubtedly a huge blow to the ecosystem of Proxima Centauri b.
With the energy generated by the fusion reactor, the remaining Proxima Centauri inhabitants were able to live inside buildings, or rather, underground cities.
But this was just the appetizer for the whole disaster.
Over time, in 150 years, the Earth's surface temperature will drop to a critical point.
That's the temperature at which most gases in the atmosphere liquefy or solidify.
At that time, Proxima Centauri b will not have an atmosphere.
The Proxima Centauri will also completely lose the right to live on the surface of Earth.
Once things reach this point, the chances of survival for the Proxima Centauri left on Proxima Centauri b will be extremely slim.
While fusion reactors can maintain the temperature inside the underground city, the raw materials for fusion reactors are limited.
Especially after meeting the needs of the long-distance fleet, the helium-3 resources contained on Proxima Centauri are only enough for the entire civilization to consume for a few decades.
Although there is a gas giant inside the Proxima Centauri system, which contains extremely rich resources of helium-3.
However, given Proxima Centauri's current productivity, obtaining helium-3 from that gas giant is nothing short of a pipe dream.
A few minutes later, Rex, dressed in gray, opened his breathing hole and took a deep breath.
"In that case, let's proceed with the interstellar migration plan as you have said."
"But... esteemed Lyle, where do you intend to target?"
Lyle didn't speak, but silently looked toward the direction where Atocha was being executed.
"You mean, the solar system?!" Large, fine bumps instantly appeared on the smooth skin at the top of Rex's thought organ.
Even as a member of the royal family, someone who had seen it all, he was taken aback by Lyle's idea.
His breathing quickened instantly, and a sharp voice rang out: "This is courting death!"
Seeing Lyle's somewhat indifferent gaze directed at him, Rex felt a chill run down his spine and quickly lowered his posture: "Lord Lyle, please forgive my rudeness."
"However, our genetic data..."
Lyle shook his head slightly.
“Rix, I know what you mean.”
"But this is the only way for the Proxima Centauri civilization to survive."
"Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B are the closest stars to us. Although these two stars form a relatively stable binary system, there are no habitable planets there."
(Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri form Alpha Centauri, a triple star system. However, Proxima Centauri is far from the other two stars and has a smaller mass, so it does not form a so-called three-body structure. The orbits of Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B are more like a stable binary system.)
Rex's gaze dimmed slightly.
He was naturally aware of this.
only……
“Why not Barnard’s Star, which, like Proxima Centauri, is also a red dwarf star?” Rex continued. “According to our observations, the structure of the Barnard star system is similar to that of the Proxima Centauri star system, both having a gas giant and a solid planet.”
Lyle was silent for a moment.
“Rex, do you know how far Barnard’s planet is from us?” Lyle’s voice shrilled again. “6.55 light-years! Damn it, that’s 6.55 light-years!”
Lyle's emotions suddenly became intense.
He angrily kicked some of the decorations around him to the ground.
The piercing sound echoed inside the disc-shaped building.
A hint of fear was evident in the minds of all the Proxima Centauri present.
In their memory, Lyle would never show such a discomposure.
“We are only 4.22 light-years away from the solar system!” Lyle continued hysterically.
"That adds a full 55% to the journey! Tell me, how are we supposed to get there?!"
Rex lowered his mental focus and retorted in a low voice, "Perhaps we could choose to bring fewer Proxima Centauri."
Lyle's breathing holes opened slightly, emitting a series of rapid and high-pitched whistling sounds.
He angrily walked up to Rex, stretched out his thick forelimbs, and grabbed Rex's gray clothes: "If we go to Barnard's Planet, we can only bring ten thousand Proxima Centaurus!"
"Do you know how many people it would take to maintain the current level of technology? At least a hundred million Proxima Centauri!"
"Even if all 100,000 Proxima Centauri people were elites, our technological level would still suffer an unprecedented setback."
"Ten thousand Proxima Centauri, do you want us to go back to the Stone Age?!"
Rex did not answer Lyle's question, but simply lowered his head and looked at the dark ground.
At that moment, a deep despair welled up in his mind.
A chilling thought gradually surfaced in his mind.
If the object that entered Proxima Centauri was intended to destroy the Proxima Centauri civilization, then it has clearly accomplished its mission.
One hundred thousand Proxima Centauri inhabitants could never support an interstellar civilization.
Even if they manage to escape, they will be trapped in a death spiral of ever-decreasing technology.
In other words, unless a miracle occurs, the Proxima Centauri civilization is already on its countdown to extinction.
Lyle released his forelimbs, and his breathing holes opened and closed rapidly.
He gradually calmed down.
"Therefore," he said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a fierce intensity, "prepare for war, everyone!"
"I'm not joking, this is the only way for the Proxima Centauri civilization to survive!"
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