novelraw Chapter 177: The Superalloy Series
Chapter 177: The Superalloy Series
This materials launch event was completely unprecedented. Instead of being restricted to a small circle of specialists, it was broadcast openly to all scientists and even the general public!
After undergoing rigorous testing to prove their reliability, a host of revolutionary new materials was finally being unveiled to the masses.
As a fundamental science, materials science had endless applications. From mechanical manufacturing and weapons production to aerospace engineering, everything relied on high-performance materials. The alloys previously available back on Earth were simply no longer sufficient to support the increasingly demanding requirements of the Federation’s cutting-edge machinery.
Because of this, the launch event was highly anticipated!
"This is something we need to keep a close eye on," Jason muttered to himself.
Jason was already privy to some of the new materials, but the general public was still in the dark. This press conference was broadcast to the entire ship, aiming to bring everyone up to speed on the latest advancements.
Broadcast live by the Department of Public Relations, the event was playing on televisions all across the Noah. Of course, people could also attend the exhibition in person.
"Good evening, everyone. As you can see, this postcard-sized, silvery-white substance in my hand is a piece of our new radiation-shielding organic metal," the host announced to the cameras. "Its radiation-shielding capability is over thirteen times that of a lead plate of the exact same volume. Even better, it possesses some incredible physical properties: it is exceptionally soft, lightweight, and entirely foldable."
"In fact, the heavy radiation shields that protected us against the supernova partially utilized this very material. Its unique molecular structure was actually reverse-engineered from the capsid of the Martian virus."
The presenter was a veteran journalist and anchor who had covered the entire Martian virus crisis from the front lines. She had clearly done her homework to properly introduce these complex new materials.
"As we all know, the universe is full of deadly hazards," she continued. "Extreme sub-zero temperatures, intense radiation, and the vacuum of space can all cause fatal harm to the human body. The invention of this radiation-proof metal bridges a massive gap in materials science. It is cost-effective and completely ready for mass production."
"This means we can now manufacture lighter, more flexible spacesuits, and provide much safer environments for our nuclear laboratory personnel."
"Now, I’d like to invite our guest, Dr. Ravi, the lead inventor of this new organometallic material, to explain exactly how cosmic radiation damages the human body..."
Accompanied by his inner circle, Jason toured the massive exhibition hall, nodding in continuous approval.
Austin, Marcus, and the others looked around with unusual excitement. They weren’t scientists, but they could still appreciate the atmosphere of discovery.
"The new radiation-shielding material is impressive, but it’s not the crown jewel of this exhibition," Dr. Arthur Lambert said with evident pride as he led the group.
The true stars of the show were a new type of high-temperature superconductor and a revolutionary line of metals known simply as the "Superalloy Series"!
The Superalloy Series wasn’t just a single material, it was a collection of seventeen distinct alloys! This massive project was the combined effort of over sixty scientists, and Arthur had been one of them, which explained his immense pride.
Jason paused at the Superalloy display stand. It was already swarmed by eager scientists and engineers. New materials would have a massive ripple effect across all Federation engineering projects. Even the Aegis Industrial Complex would need to undergo gradual structural upgrades to handle the new production capabilities.
Reviewing the technical parameters on the display table, Jason couldn’t help but nod in deep satisfaction.
"This is Superalloy Alpha, essentially a highly advanced hafnium alloy," Arthur explained to Jason. "We developed it by reverse-engineering extraterrestrial hull fragments. Its melting point is exceptionally high, estimated to be over 8,400 degrees Celsius! Most of our geothermal power plants down below have already been retrofitted with this metal."
"Its structural strength is equally impressive, about three times that of military-grade steel, and it’s incredibly corrosion-resistant."
As one of its lead inventors, Arthur knew the series inside and out and eagerly listed off its specifications.
Hearing this, Marcus looked up, visibly confused. "Wait, only 8,400 degrees? Is that supposed to be high? I thought the magma core was tens of thousands of degrees, and that supernova was hundreds of millions! How did the Noah even survive that if this is your best stuff?"
Marcus’s naive comment was like a bucket of ice water, leaving Arthur completely speechless. The scientist’s face flushed red, unsure of how to even begin answering such a fundamentally flawed question.
Without even looking up from the data pad, Jason scolded him. "Over 8,400 degrees is phenomenal. You do realize our previous best Earth materials could barely withstand 3,000 to 4,000 degrees, right? They’ve more than doubled our thermal limits. And you think that’s not enough? If you don’t understand the science, keep your mouth shut."
"Oh..." Marcus scratched the back of his head, entirely unbothered. He was used to being chewed out by Jason, so the reprimand bounced right off his thick skull.
Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly and moved on to the next exhibit. "This is Superalloy Beta. Its primary attributes are extreme low density combined with high tensile strength. The core metallic elements are titanium and lithium. For the exact same volume, it weighs only one-third as much as traditional aerospace aluminum. It is quite literally the perfect material for spacecraft construction."
This caught Austin’s attention. He examined the sleek, black metal carefully before tossing it lightly in his hand. It was astonishingly light. "Is it really strong enough? It’s so light it almost feels fragile..."
"It’s not just lighter than aluminum," Arthur said, puffing his chest out slightly. "Its structural integrity rivals that of military-grade steel."
Evan, standing just behind them, let out a low whistle. "Man, if we were back on Earth, the patents for this alone would be worth billions. Imagine if the old Boeing 773 airliners had been built out of this stuff..."
"Billions wouldn’t even cover it," someone chimed in. "Think about the fuel efficiency. If every commercial jet used this material, the savings would be astronomical."
"Yeah, fuel is always the biggest operational cost for aircraft..."
While the others chatted about the hypothetical economics of a dead world, Jason was lost in his own thoughts.
This metal was practically tailor-made for spacecraft construction. I wonder how the small space shuttle R&D is progressing? he thought. It should be moving along smoothly, especially since our teams have the Viridian Civilization’s drones to study and reverse-engineer.
However, given their current situation, even if the shuttle prototypes were finished, they couldn’t exactly take them out for a test flight outside the Noah. That project would have to be shelved indefinitely until they found a safe harbor.
Pulling Jason from his thoughts, Arthur moved down the line. "And this is a highly ductile superalloy. You can literally stretch it like dough without snapping its molecular bonds..."
He introduced them one by one. There were seventeen variations in total: some boasted extreme melting points, others ultra-low density, immense ductility, or near-diamond hardness. Each had its own specific use case, but their overall performance parameters completely shattered anything humanity had previously created, offering revolutionary upgrades for every single sector of the Federation’s industry.
Whatever a project needed, the Superalloy Series had the answer. Around the displays, crowds of engineers were already arguing over supply allocations, excitedly shouting technical jargon at one another.
Jason couldn’t help but marvel at the endless possibilities these materials represented. Materials science was notoriously slow; historically, it relied almost entirely on trial, error, and blind luck. Formulating a completely new, high-performance material based purely on theoretical math was nearly impossible. It was usually like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Yet, the sudden creation of so many miraculous materials wasn’t just due to reverse-engineering extraterrestrial tech, it was a testament to the sheer brilliance and tireless dedication of the Federation’s scientists.