If we plan according to the worst-case scenario, that is, if everyone takes refuge in the Spark spacecraft, we first need to determine what kind of supplies should be brought aboard.
The first thing that was identified was food.
All kinds of grains, meat, eggs, and vegetables must be brought into the spacecraft.
At this moment, there is still about half a year before the arrival of the asteroid. This time is enough for the crops in the planting workshop to grow to maturity, harvested, and then sown again. Coupled with the supplies previously stored in the warehouse, it is almost enough to feed everyone for more than a year.
Of course, this is under the premise of implementing wartime controls and strictly controlling intake.
"Then, from now on, wartime controls will be implemented, and everyone will be allocated food at regular times and rations every day."
Zhao Changxing gave the order without hesitation.
After the disaster, no one knows when food production capacity will be restored. In this case, of course the support time should be extended as much as possible.
People nodded silently.
"The various life-support supplies in the Spark spacecraft, especially water, must be replenished in advance."
The status of water is crucial. Not to mention drinking it, after electrolysis, the hydrogen can be used as fusion fuel, and the oxygen can be used for breathing. The status of water is even more important than the status of food.
This article was also passed.
"After that, there are all kinds of equipment that cannot be manufactured at this stage. Fusion generators, chips, 3D printers, and precision machinery."
"If there is still room in the Spark spacecraft, then bring a machine that requires more energy and resources and is more difficult to manufacture."
…
During people's discussions, a long list of items was quickly generated.
According to the overall plan, before the disaster strikes, people will take all kinds of supplies and hide in the spacecraft in advance, and then make do in the crowded spaceship for about a month, waiting for the disaster to completely subside and for the restless Seid Sedna returns to peace - in fact, the time it will take for Sedna to completely return to calm will probably be measured in hundreds of years, but people obviously can't wait that long. Once calm is generally restored, we need to get down quickly and start moving forward, otherwise everyone will starve to death.
When they can land on Sedna, people must start building a planting base as soon as possible and go all out to restore food production, and this must be completed within a year. After all, people still need to allow time for crops to grow.
During this period, everyone still has to return to the Spark spacecraft to spend their rest time. Because it is obvious that there will be no place for people to rest on Sedna.
If all goes well, the new planting workshop can barely take on the responsibility of supplying food before the food reserves are exhausted. Only with a continuous supply of food can we discuss the next step.
However... no one is sure whether it is possible to build a planting base with a total area of at least 5,000 square meters in one year, which is almost a process of overturning everything.
This time, there won't be enough modular building materials for people to use.
"Let's dismantle the No. 2 Comprehensive Base first." Zhao Changxing made arrangements loudly: "The remaining bases can still function for the time being."
No matter whether you can find a way in the end, you will never go wrong if you do things first. It's a waste of time and can be set up later.
"Captain, the latest observation data has been generated."
Xiao Xi's voice came out.
"Say it."
"The mass of the asteroid has been determined. Its mass is 430 million tons, with an error of 2 million tons. The surface temperature is 22K..."
22K is roughly equivalent to minus 251 degrees Celsius.
The mass of 430 million tons is much lower than the originally estimated mass of 600 million tons. However, this mass difference will not bring any difference in the consequences of the impact - just like jumping from a 20th floor or a 15th floor, the ending will be the same. But this number still aroused Zhao Changxing's doubts.
"How can the mass difference be so big? Also, how can its temperature be so high?"
For comparison, the average surface temperature of Sedna is only about 12K. This temperature also represents the general temperature of a star so far away from the sun.
"Sorry Captain, I didn't know."
Zhao Changxing thought for a while and said, "Do you have the latest photos? With higher resolution."
At this moment, the asteroid is still about 5 million kilometers away from Sedna. At this distance, it is theoretically possible to take pictures with higher resolution. Although the sunlight is weak here, it is pitch black.
"Okay Captain."
A picture was projected directly in front of everyone by Xiao Xi's control of the projector.
Zhao Changxing had seen its picture before, but this time it was clearer.
"Is it hollow?" Zhao Changxing asked: "Otherwise, how could it be so light?"
The so-called lightness is relative to its volume. Its density is too low, and based on the surface material composition that has been observed so far, its density should be more than this low.
Since there is a contradiction, it can only be explained by thinking that it is hollow. However, if its internal density is so low, why doesn't its volume shrink?
Even such a small asteroid has its own gravity. If there are gaps inside it, from a macro perspective, it will definitely fill these gaps under its own gravity.
But now it is clear that there is a contradiction.
This is very strange.
Zhao Changxing wrote down this doubt.
"Everyone, go get ready."
After arranging some people to make preliminary preparations, Zhao Changxing and several people who performed relatively well during this period stayed and began to discuss whether they could find ways to avoid collisions on the basis of the existing situation.
After all, decades of hard work have been on this planet Sedna. No one is willing to give up these things until absolutely necessary and at the last moment.
But more than an hour of discussion yielded nothing. No one has found any way to stop the asteroid from hitting it.
The rest seemed resigned to their fate and had given up hope altogether. Only Zhao Changxing was still thinking.
The next day, the dismantling work of the No. 2 Comprehensive Base had begun. Zhao Changxing led the people to the base, which had completed its framework and only needed some core components to be put into operation. They stood and watched for a long time.
People seem to be instinctively resisting the subsequent demolition work deep in their hearts.
"Cheer up!" Zhao Changxing shouted: "If the old one doesn't go, the new one won't come. We will build a bigger and better one in the future! By then, everyone will have their own independent house with a living room and kitchen. The one with a bathroom!”
"Back on earth, people lived in houses like that. Some houses even had lawns and gardens. When spring came, the flowers bloomed, and they were colorful. It looked awesome."
Everyone showed a look of fascination.
"Work!"
Zhao Changxing strode forward, entered the base, pulled out a sensor with a fierce pull.
He encouraged himself and took the lead, and the atmosphere finally became a little more lively.
He didn't know how long he had been doing it, but a question suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Why is the temperature of this asteroid so high and the density so low?"
After thinking for a while, he really couldn't figure it out, so he gave up thinking about this issue.
But for some reason, in his subsequent work, this question would always pop up from time to time, making him think about it involuntarily and subconsciously. Like, like the instinct of a scientist or an engineer.
Even though Zhao Changxing has been doing menial jobs over the years, and he seems to have nothing in common with scientific researchers who work with high-end research institutions all day long, he is actually a solid scientist, and he has excelled in many categories. Have a very high reserve of knowledge.
In fact, this is the case for every astronaut who left the earth with Zhao Changxing and implemented the Fire Project. If they weren't so good, they wouldn't have been selected through the selection process.
"Why exactly?"
His thinking still failed to gain anything. It’s still the same sentence. The universe is full of wonders. If every question could be clarified, human civilization would have dominated the entire universe long ago.
He spent every free time seriously thinking about this problem and deducing various possibilities, but every possibility was ruled out by him. Until one day, a person tried to walk through the isolation door with a package of things, but because this was a vacuum environment, the air pressure caused the package to expand, and it could not pass through the isolation door. Then he had to deflate it before finally walking through. At that moment, Zhao Changxing suddenly thought of a possibility.
"Is that so? If so..."
Zhao Changxing murmured, his heart suddenly filled with heat.
Reason told him that this possibility was extremely low, but, but, if this was true, then, then...
"I'm going to do some field exploration on that asteroid."
After finishing his work for the day, he told people his plan.
This made people immediately confused.
"What are you doing there?"
"The distance is still far, and the Spark spacecraft cannot move. Can the landing spacecraft alone support it?"
Zhao Changxing did not tell his guess. He just said: "I'm going to take a look for myself. Maybe I can find something we need there."
