The following day, the sun gently rose from the eastern horizon, casting its golden rays upon the ocean's surface. The shadows of a cruiser and two warships stretched long across the waters.
"Calling the captain, calling the captain!"
"Received! Please speak."
"We have detected the coordinates of Dragon Country's territorial waters. We are off course, deviating 15° to the west!"
"Adjust course, proceed at full speed!"
"Received!"
Immediately, one warship led the way, with the other two following closely behind. These were the ships dispatched by Dragon Country to rescue the Antarctic research vessel, Antarctica.
The previous day, they had received orders to head toward Antarctica, but before they could even leave Dragon Country's territorial waters, their navigation system unexpectedly malfunctioned, rendering it inaccessible. However, by using the sun and a compass, they navigated the vast ocean and continued at full speed.
Yet, as night fell, in the pitch-black sea, their visibility was nearly nonexistent. Twice, they narrowly avoided colliding with foreign merchant ships following their own designated routes. To ensure safety, they had to slow their pace. Only this morning did they find a drifting locator at sea, allowing them to confirm their position.
In the boundless ocean, without navigation, pinpointing one's exact location was an insurmountable challenge. Captain Wu Peng of the cruiser contacted Director Cao of the Maritime Bureau.
"Director Cao, when will the navigation system be restored?"
"Captain Wu, we are currently in talks with the Beautiful Country," Director Cao responded helplessly.
Upon hearing this, Captain Wu understood: the Beautiful Country had likely deliberately shut down their navigation system.
"Captain Wu, continue heading toward the Antarctica research vessel. I will try to find a solution as quickly as possible!"
With that, Director Cao ended the call and contacted Elf, the person responsible for Dragon Country's navigation systems.
"Mr. Elf, why was our cruiser's navigation system deactivated?"
"Mr. Cao, you should already know the reason for the deactivation. As long as the Antarctica research vessel submits to our inspection, I am sure they will return safely to their homeland."
"Mr. Elf, that is in the Pacific Ocean, in international waters! You have no right to inspect our research vessel!"
"I cannot interfere in these matters. I am merely conveying the wishes of the higher-ups. When you have made your decision, please inform me. Heh..."
With that, Elf ended the call.
...
At the Beautiful Country Antarctic Research Bureau, an elderly man spoke to Mr. Foster:
"Minister Foster, the Antarctica research vessel carries something of great importance. It may help us unlock some of the secrets of Blue Star. Whatever it takes, we must acquire it!"
"Mr. Morgan, rest assured. Our two warships have already intercepted the research vessel and have shut down their navigation system. They will soon surrender."
"Minister Foster, your actions will contribute significantly to the Beautiful Country."
...
In the high-level meeting room of Dragon Country's leadership, Director Cao of the Maritime Bureau, through video call, reported the situation to several top officials. They quickly began discussing possible countermeasures.
The Antarctica vessel was still 3,800 nautical miles away from Dragon Country's territorial waters, nearly 7,000 kilometers. Such a vast distance left them with few options.
Fighter jets were the fastest, but their maximum range was only around 1,100 kilometers, which made them inadequate for this mission.
The best option was to send the cruiser for support, but since Dragon Country's navigation system relied on the Beautiful Country, any attempt to send a cruiser to sea would allow the Beautiful Country to monitor and disable their system. This posed a significant challenge to reaching the Antarctica vessel.
"Is there truly no one in our great Dragon Country capable of developing a navigation system?" one senior official angrily asked.
"Developing a navigation system is not so simple. Only the Beautiful Country has managed to create the GPS system. To make it work, they require five geostationary satellites and thirty non-geostationary satellites. Without powerful space technology, it is impossible to replicate," another official explained.
"But didn't we recently develop the thousand-ton rocket engine?"
"Yes, we are ahead of the world in rocket propulsion, but we still lag far behind in space stations, satellites, and space exploration."
At this point, the previously silent number one official raised his head and spoke to everyone.
"Regardless of how difficult it may be to develop a navigation system, if Dragon Country wishes to break free from the Beautiful Country' control, we must create our own navigation and positioning system."
"Number One is right. What if one day war breaks out and the Beautiful Country shuts down our navigation system? We would be blind, unable to use any of our advanced weaponry!"
The meeting lasted for over three hours.
Dragon Country contacted the Beautiful Country, demanding an end to their unlawful actions against the Antarctica research vessel. They also sought assistance from their ally, Russia, which sent warships to support the mission. However, after sailing 500 nautical miles, Russia's vessels encountered the same problem: their navigation system was rendered useless.
YOU ARE READING
Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion
Science FictionAchieving high scores is not frightening; it is the mastery of one's scores that is truly daunting. Reborn as a young scientist, the protagonist submits partial formulas and data for controlled nuclear fusion in order to gain admission to a prestigi...
