"If I deploy a teleportation barrier in the direction of travel and teleport everything to the rear, no obstacle would ever hit the hull. But..."
However, there was a problem with keeping it active at all times.
"I wouldn't be able to see where I'm going..."
Indeed, one couldn't see through a teleportation barrier. Or more accurately, it only felt as if one were seeing a chaotic "something" that was neither gray nor pitch-black.
"Still, if I can develop this barrier, it might make the ship invincible."
The logic was sound: if any physical attack was teleported away, the main body wouldn't sustain a single scratch.
"Well, let's put those borderline delusional ideas aside for now."
Jin didn't realize that Laojun had overheard his mutterings. He returned his focus to the problem of increasing speed in the vacuum of space.
"What else... I've got it. How about layering a barrier and a material-avoidance barrier, but shaping them into a cone?"
He thought that changing the geometry might improve efficiency.
"My Lord, a conical barrier looks quite promising."
"Alright, let's test it immediately."
With that, the 10-meter-class spaceship's barrier projector was modified. Since it was a simple adjustment, the work was finished in twenty minutes. Then, the trial began.
"My Lord, I would like to test it near the stratosphere first."
"Good idea. It's faster to confirm results where there's at least a bit of atmosphere, even if it's thin."
The launch was finally underway. It was the first one Jin would see with his own eyes.
Even so, a launch using a force generator was a quiet, underwhelming affair. It started with a reasonable acceleration, yet it disappeared from sight in an instant.
"I am tracking it with the magi-radar. I can also display the video feed from the Watcher."
Laojun spoke as he projected the spaceship onto a magi-screen.
"I see. Looking at it like this... it's quite moving."
Taking the bitter lessons learned from the Satellite 001 failure to heart, they had finally come this far.
"The craft has reached the upper stratosphere. Commencing maximum speed test."
They were about to find out exactly how much a conical barrier would help.
"Accelerating."
Laojun's command was transmitted through the manacam to the Astro golems aboard the ship.
"Whoa!?"
In the video sent from the Watcher, the spaceship shrank away in a heartbeat.
"Switching images."
The view changed to a Watcher positioned in the direction of travel. On the screen, the spaceship rushed toward them at a terrifying speed.
"My Lord, it is a success. We are seeing approximately six times the previous speed."
"Oh, really!?"
If they optimized the cone's shape, it might even improve further. Jin's heart raced.
"Approximately 2,000 kilometers per second. Maximum acceleration is 25G."
Since the barrier was unrelated to acceleration, the jump from 20G to 25G was likely due to the simple fact that the vessel was larger.
"A grand success."
"Yeah."
They planned to use this quarter-scale prototype to test habitability and other factors. At the 10-meter class, they could even test it with small animals on board.
"In that case, we shall use the transporter to send it into space in one go."
"Ah, so there's that method too."
It was something of a shortcut—or perhaps a contingency measure.
"Yes, My Lord. Our goal is to complete the full-scale spaceship within the month."
"That sounds great."
Once that was done, Jin would finally be able to go to space himself.
"Father, that is dangerous."
Reiko, who had been silent until now, voiced her objection.
"Space is full of hazards. If possible, I do not want you to go, Father. Even I would not have survived if I didn't have this body you built for me."
She brought up the recovery of the failed Satellite 001, reminding him of how they had walked a razor's edge.
"I appreciate the concern, Reiko. But that's exactly why I'm trying to make it as safe as humanly possible."
Jin countered.
"...I see. You are determined to go, then..."
Knowing that Jin wouldn't budge on this, Reiko performed a mimicked sigh.
"Reiko-san, I will do everything in my power to ensure safety before that time comes," Laojun added, backing her up.
"Right. For my part, I'll start developing the gear we're going to need."
"I shall assist you. But first, please have your lunch."
"Ah, is it that time already?"
After finishing the lunch prepared by Soleil and Luna, Jin headed to the workshop with Reiko.
There was a manacam here as well, so if anything went wrong with the spaceship tests, they would be notified immediately.
"First up is the space suit."
Essentially, he needed a suit that would keep him safe even if the air supply leaked.
"The question is the material."
Jin was currently weighing two options:
Ground Spider resin (GSP). Ancient Dragon hide (the shed variety).
"I'd like to run a comparative test on these..."
In terms of strength and heat resistance, he felt either would suffice. However, he couldn't reach a definitive answer when considering the vacuum, the extreme cold, and long-term degradation.
Jin instructed Laojun to begin the tests.
"Understood, My Lord. In that case, please grant me permission to use a sample of the Ancient Dragon hide."
"Yeah, of course."
Ancient Dragon hide was an exceptionally rare material; as such, it couldn't be used without Jin's explicit permission.
"Now then, while I wait for Laojun's report on the materials..."
There were still many other functions a space suit required.
- Artificial gravity
- Waste disposal
- Attitude control
- Communication
- Nutrition
- Thermal insulation
- Radiation shielding
- Self-defense
- Respiration
Jin jotted down the points as they occurred to him.
He wasn't an expert, so he didn't know the proper priority or how these compared to suits used on modern Earth. However, he believed every single point could be solved using the technology he currently possessed.
Point 1 was gravity magic. 2 was Decomposition and Cleanup. 3 was the force generator. 4 was the manacam. 5 required development, and 6 depended on the material choice. 7 was also largely dependent on the material, though a barrier was an option. 8 would be a combination of a barrier and weapons. 9 also required development.
"First, let's think about eating while wearing the suit..."
Jin thought Persica juice would be an ideal food base. It was high in calories and provided vitamins, minerals, and hydration.
"Which means..."
There was such a thing as a hydration system—something used in mountain climbing or trail running where a person could drink from a hose near their mouth without needing to pull out a bottle or cup.
"I'll install a tank like that in the suit so I can drink whenever I want."
He figured he would need at least a three-meal capacity.
"Then it's just a matter of whether to make it refillable from the outside, a cartridge system, or a fixed tank."
Jin's mind wandered through the various possibilities.
'A space suit is a one-person spaceship.'
He couldn't recall where he'd read that or who had said it, but Jin kept that philosophy in mind as he ironed out the specifications.