The Evolution of Genius: Every Night, I Get Smarter!-Chapter 82: Fusion Ignition

Another week passed, and I finished studying the third layer.

Mr. Reymond helped me establish the company, and at this point, I had twelve employees, and the purchased facility was undergoing expansion.

I received a message from Mrs. Hayes that the fusion engine was ready for launch, and the next day, Oliv and I flew to Germany.

...

Landing in Frankfurt, Olivia and I wasted no time as we hopped into a car headed toward the inertial confinement fusion facility.

The drive took us through the city’s outskirts, where the urban landscape gradually transformed into a more industrial setting.

As we approached the facility, the car smoothly came to a stop at the entrance. Mrs. Hayes and Lydia were already waiting. They stepped up to us with welcoming smiles.

This time, however, there were also some distinguished guests – leaders of the engineering team, the Minister of Energy and Economy of Germany and other politicians.

Exiting the car, me and Oliv found ourselves surrounded by people. Not only the guests but also reporters shooting pictures.

Mrs. Hayes took the initiative to introduce me to the gathering, even though many in the group were already familiar with my work.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It’s my pleasure to introduce Professor Max Sullivan, a leading figure in the field of quantum physics, mathematics, and especially in the field of inertial confinement fusion. His work has played a major role in bringing us here today," Mrs. Hayes announced, gesturing towards me.

The invited guests and dignitaries extended their warm greetings as we exchanged professional insights and discussed the imminent fusion demonstration.

The Minister of Energy and Economy of Germany expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between nations, emphasizing the importance of such breakthroughs for the energy industry.

Leaders from the engineering team shared technical details and milestones achieved during the project.

As we walked towards the entrance of the facility, Mrs. Hayes continued to facilitate introductions and discussions.

We moved inside, and we conducted a brief walkthrough of the facility.

The lasers were ready for initialization.

Due to the monopole structure of the systems, the heating-up process posed no issue.

Inside the centerpiece a hydrogen core was situated with hydrogen ice inside a heavy metal casing.

The fusion engine was ready for ignition.

Following our walkthrough, Mrs. Hayes, Lydia, Olivia, and I, along with all the guests, boarded cars to move to the workers’ quarters.

This relocation allowed us to observe the fusion ignition from a safe distance, ensuring that we were well-prepared in case of any unexpected mishaps.

Cameras positioned within the facility continued to provide a real-time view of the event.

The monopole magnets that I designed served as the core components, guiding the laser fusion process within the facility.

Instead of liquid helium and atomic reactions like in a hypothetical nuclear fusion, laser guidance controlled by monopole materials surrounded the central point of fusion, with mirrors inside the centerpiece.

Countless other components contributed to this structure, the culmination of the collective effort, dedication, and expertise of numerous researchers.

Fortunately, the project had reached its completion.

I watched on the screens as engineers conducted final inspections, swiftly exiting the building.

They informed me that a fusion ignition drill had been successfully executed three days prior, ensuring that everyone involved was well-acquainted with safety and operating protocols.

Now, they only had to replicate the procedures.

At this moment inside the worker’s quarters, through the speakers, we heard the lead engineers say their last words before ignition.

"Monopole magnet inspection completed! Monopole materials are in place..."

"Monopole material placement completed. All systems are ready; initiate the laser fusion process!"

"Lasers readiness achieved..."

"Magnetic field adjustment complete..."

"Initiate the fusion!"

The final step approached.

All that remained was to activate the powerful lasers, and their work would be finished.

And it so happened that this was my job.

I stood in the observation area, facing the cameras, and I eyed the button before me.

I turned to Lydia, "Why don’t you press it?"

"No, you do it." Lydia shook her head, smiling. "Without the theory you created this wouldn’t be possible. You must be the one to do it."

All eyes in the control room, including the CTV camera, focused on me.

I took a deep breath and extended my right hand.

For over 70 years, the international community has pursued fusion, and it was time to make it happen.

It would soon be 2025, and this year marked a new era for energy.

I glanced at the guests and researchers surrounding me, "We’ve undertaken every task meticulously, striving for perfection in every detail. No matter what unfolds, this day will be etched in history, and our efforts will forever be ingrained in memory."

I felt slightly weird saying that, but a speech needed to be made.

I pressed the button decisively and inside the fusion facility; we observed as if a sun rising.

The once abyssal reaction core now gleamed with intense energy.

The lasers struck the centerpiece with precision, rebounding off the mirrors in a fraction of a second, converging upon the hydrogen core encased in heavy metal.

The powerful lasers burned away a significant portion of the material.

As the lasers attacked the hydrogen center, the temperature rapidly increased, and the plasma in the core sparked instantaneously.

in a matter of 20 billionths of a second, the fuel capsule burned outward from a central hot spot.

The temperature quickly soared to 100 million degrees.

Reporters documented the event, and engineers executed their tasks.

"Fusion reaction confirmed! Neutron beam interacts with the heavy metal casing filled with hydrogen ice!"

"Powerful lasers are illuminating the casing, burning off a substantial portion of the material!"

"External field coil adjustment underway... plasma control scheme operational!"

"Stable magnetic field! Optimal plasma conditions within the reaction chamber!"

"Hydrogen detected by the recycling pump! Hydrogen ice neutron recovery system active!"

The heavy metal casing, like a protective cocoon, absorbed hydrogen before being illuminated by powerful lasers, burning away excess material.

The reporting staff, with a tremor in his voice, declared, "Successful hydrogen ice recycling!"

Excitement reverberated not just in his voice but also through his quivering shoulders.

And he wasn’t alone.

Although precise efficiency calculations awaited post-experiment analysis, initial observations suggested they we had met, if not exceeded our expectations.

After a few seconds from the fusion reaction, I turned to one of the engineers who was monitoring live data on his tablet. "What’s the Gain Factor?"

The engineer turned to me and said, "4 Megajoules in and 6.3 Megajoules out. 0.7 Megajoules losses in cooling. 29 nanosecond pulse."

I looked at the Minister of Energy, who evidently knew his stuff because his face displayed surprise, but I could see that he was trying to calculate the energy possibilities, so I decided to help him.

"55 TWh annually is the current possibility. It can power over 5 million households," I smiled and looked at everyone.

In the aftermath of my revelation, there was a surge of excitement and congratulations from the gathered crowd.

The Minister of Economy and Energy approached me, expressing his enthusiasm.

"Professor Sullivan, this is remarkable. Germany will undoubtedly increase its investment in fusion energy, and I’m confident that other countries will follow suit." he exclaimed, shaking my hand firmly.

After about an hour of discussions and indulging in the Swedish buffet that had been prepared, the guests began to disperse.

Reporters ceased their questions, and soon, only the project team members remained on site.

The fusion engine would commence continuous operation in a few weeks, and similar projects were likely to emerge in other countries.

After the successful fusion demonstration, as I was drinking some wine in the relaxation room and conversing with Lydia, Mrs. Hayes turned to us and the other professors.

With a smile, she proposed, "Well, I believe it’s time for a bit of a private celebration, don’t you think? How about coming to my house?"

The suggestion was met with enthusiastic agreement from everyone.

After Mrs. Hayes’s invitation, Oliv and I headed towards the car we arrived in, accompanied by our driver.

As we approached the car, Dr. Reynolds approached me with a slightly tipsy grin, "Hey, Max, mind if I join you guys? I had a bit of wine, and I’d rather not drive alone."

For a moment, I remembered his weird behavior from the last time, and I was slightly worried that it might be another case of a Jump, but I responded with a smile, "Of course, Dr. Reynolds, come with us."

As we took our seats inside the car, Dr. Reynolds turned to me, "So, Max, what are you going to do now? The fusion was successful. Isn’t that enough? You’ll be remembered."

His question struck me as odd, knowing Dr. Reynolds’ usual demeanor. I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of worry. I replied, "Do I look like I’m an old man?! Why would I stop at this? This is just the beginning."

Dr. Reynolds pressed further, "Yes, so what’s your plan then?"

I started to be even more worried that this person might not be Mr. Reynolds.

In private he was a person who would always talk about himself ’in a humble way’, he rarely asked others about their research.

Despite that, I decided to share, "I plan to work on a Unified Quantum Physics theory."