"After we finish constructing Theory Lane, we'll build Infinity Dock—the benefits are endless. Just like the explorers of the Age of Sail who ventured into the depths of the ocean for treasure, we too will boldly set out to explore the hyperspace ocean."
"Just a single Genesis Sand can give you tremendous help, but getting Genesis Sand is a matter of luck—like finding pearls or diamonds on the beach, you can't count on it. But this time, we're not just waiting around. We're going on the offensive! The more we explore, the more we'll gain, and the more control we'll have."
"And what we're doing will be remembered forever. One small step on the moon was a giant leap for mankind into space. But our small step into the hyperspace ocean is a giant leap for humanity from mortals to gods—a legendary achievement that will go down in history!"
After his rousing speech, Adam's tone softened.
"Plus, the deeper we go into hyperspace, the faster someone in the lab will be able to soak up divinity. And when one of us has absorbed enough divinity, Sophia, you won't be fighting alone anymore."
Adam grabbed Sophia's shoulders with both hands, his expression sincere.
"Sophia, the pressure's way too much. The normal operation of the whole Tiberius Laboratory depends entirely on you holding things together in hyperspace, and that's just not right. Someone has to help share your burden. Maybe our power isn't much, but even a little bit adds up—and together, we can be your support."
"Haven't you always wanted to start construction on the moon? It's too much for you alone to send supplies up there, but if more people pitch in and share the hyperspace load, we won't just build a moon base—one day, we'll even build a base on the surface of the sun."
Adam laid out the pros and cons, smooth-talking as ever, but Sophia was still worried: "But Adam, the hyperspace ocean is extremely dangerous. I can handle going in myself, but if others try, the risk is just too high."
"Sophia, I won't let my employees die for nothing." At that moment, Adam looked resolute and heroic: "I'm not some bureaucrat hiding in the back while my team takes all the risks. I'll be leading the charge myself."
"But..."
A finger pressed against Sofia's lips, Adam shifting from rugged hero to tender romantic: "Besides, Sofia, I have my own selfish reasons. Honestly, I want to soak up divinity faster than anyone. Because, if someone's destined to see what you see, if someone's meant to stand in the crack between heaven and earth with you, I hope I'm the first."
Adam paused, took a breath, and poured out his feelings.
"Because I want to be the first to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, to become your kind."
Adam Zade's acting was off the charts at that moment, and Sofia couldn't help but be moved by the endless tenderness.
But it seemed that from that day on, everything slowly started to change.
Still, what unfolded before Sofia was a scene of vibrant prosperity and blazing progress.
Underground caverns were blooming all over the world, the fragments of the Gate of Science were constantly being pieced together. The cutting-edge tech from the Hypothesis Lane kept breaking new ground, and every leap in technology sped up the pace of basic construction. The Lunar Base project that had weighed on Sofia's mind for so long was finally underway, with the Zade Family building the largest, most terrifying human-made structure ever on the moon's surface.
It wasn't just science—even the staff around her showed a whole new spirit. They seemed more energetic, more polite, more passionate than ever. No more lazy slackers, no more oddballs in wild outfits. The American hippie chaos was swept away in just a few days, replaced by absolute white—uniforms and hairstyles all neat and tidy.
Even the lab's ubiquitous screens were always broadcasting breakthrough research, honoring top achievers, sharing stories of good deeds—pure, unadulterated positive energy.
What Sofia saw before her was the thriving Tiberius Laboratory.
Sofia was genuinely thrilled by the constant scientific breakthroughs.
She also loved the order and tidiness.
The lab was rapidly transforming into exactly the kind of place she liked.
But when she saw the host's enthusiastic but slightly forced smile, and heard the broadcaster's supposedly powerful, passionate voice that somehow felt unnatural, Sofia couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen all this before.
It was as if she'd witnessed it somewhere, mixed with the memory of a bloodstained cleaver held high—echoes of a certain era.
Fragmented, elusive memories would sometimes surface from deep within. Sofia was troubled, but couldn't grasp them, so she let it go.
The construction of Infinity Dock had Adam Zade's full support, plus Sofia's spatial abilities, so the pace was much faster than expected.
October 1984, Infinity Dock trial run.
Not many people joined the first trial. Adam kept his promise and actually led the charge. Other than him, only Sofia tagged along to watch his back. Even though they'd used Genesis Sand to make some devices that could theoretically defend against spatial surges, exploring hyperspace was still seriously risky.
But that first exploration was a smashing success.
The two-person team not only hit every target, but also measured key hyperspace parameters. Most importantly, they brought back a ton of stuff from deep hyperspace—mostly ultra high-tech machines.
These devices drifted in hyperspace like treasures hauled up by sailors from the ocean floor, all discovered and retrieved by Exploration Team One.
The whole Tiberius Laboratory went wild.
The haul was sorted and catalogued, then preliminarily studied.
Results: one good, one bad.
The bad news: No matter what form these things took, they all had some bizarre, incomprehensible property. Basically, unless Sofia herself studied them, not a single scientist—no matter how galaxy-brained—could figure out how the devices worked. Even copying them detail by detail, the replicas were useless.
It was like these things were mocking every scientist on Earth, but nobody could do anything about it. So, thanks to their weirdness, these hyperspace materials were dubbed "unknowable matter." And the phenomenon itself? "Unknowable phenomenon."
Cracking high-dimensional tech? Yeah, it's gonna be a long road.