JieMin sipped his tea, after which Jessica did, then finally MinChao, as host, sipped his tea.
“You asked for this meeting, JieMin,” MinChao said. “Please proceed.”
“Thank you, Chen Zufu.”
JieMin collected his thoughts. MinChao and Jessica were content to wait.
“I have been for some years attached to the government program that seeks to develop a hyperspace probe. A first unmanned ship to go into hyperspace and come back to space-time.
“It is my duty to report to you that this effort will be unsuccessful.”
MinChao nodded, as if he were not surprised to hear this news. Jessica was curious.
“How will it be unsuccessful, JieMin?” she asked.
“The probe will successfully transition to hyperspace, from which it will not return. It will be destroyed in hyperspace and its energy will return to hyperspace, from whence it came.”
“From whence it came, JieMin?”
“Yes, Chen Zumu. All of space-time is a spin-off out of hyperspace. All of the mass-energy of space-time originated there, including that of the probe. In a sense, it will simply return.”
“Will that cause a disruption of hyperspace, JieMin?” MinChao asked.
“No, Chen Zufu. Hyperspace is smaller than space-time, but the energy density of hyperspace is several orders of magnitude higher than that of space-time. The destruction of the probe will be a very small blip. A drop of water in the ocean.”
“JieMin, I just had a thought,” Jessica said. “Would it be possible to draw energy out of hyperspace? Instead of using fusion power plants?”
“Yes, Chen Zumu, but I do not recommend it. It would be like trying to fill an eye-dropper from a fire hydrant. Even a small mistake could incinerate the planet.”
Jessica got wide-eyed but nodded.
“Back to the hyperspace probe, JieMin,” MinChao said. “Why will it be destroyed? Is there no possibility of hyperspace travel?”
“Oh, the possibility is there, Chen Zufu, but one must go about it properly.”
JieMin stopped and seemed uncomfortable.
“I need to speak of the actions of others in this matter. Some of this may seem to be self-aggrandizement, Chen Zufu.”
“I understand, JieMin. Please proceed.”
“Thank you, Chen Zufu.
“The problem is that my warnings are unheeded by the director of the government space program. Karl Huenemann is a brilliant engineer, and he is used to his vision being right. But his vision has no experience with hyperspace, and so his vision in this regard is not correct.”
“And he trusts his vision more than he trusts yours, JieMin?”
“Yes, Chen Zufu. I think he regards me as a mathematician, without the insight he has into the physical world. But that has never been the case. Mathematics is the way I describe my visions, the language best suited to their expression. ChaoLi described it last night as a means to an end for me. But I too have vision here, have an insight, and mine is consistent with the mathematics.”
MinChao nodded.
“And Dr. Huenemann’s is not, JieMin?”
“That is correct, Chen Zufu.”
MinChao nodded.
“In what specific way does this manifest itself, JieMin?”
“Dr. Huenemann views the transition into hyperspace as an event, and the transition back into space-time as an event. That is an incorrect point of view. The transition into hyperspace, transit across hyperspace, and transition back into space-time is a process.
“Dr. Huenemann would turn off the hyperspace field generator once the transition into hyperspace is made. Hyperspace is pure energy and is, one might say, corrosive to condensed matter. Turning off the hyperspace field generator in hyperspace will destroy the probe. That is, hyperspace will convert it back to energy and simply keep it.”
“Like steam condensing back into the tea,” Jessica said.
JieMin was puzzled a moment, then remembered his talk to Paul Chen-Jasic and Chen JuPing sixteen years ago.
“Yes, Chen Zumu. That is exactly correct. But for a bubble of steam, a bubble is safe to go into the tea and return.”
MinChao simply nodded. JieMin looked at him curiously.
“You do not seem surprised by any of this, Chen Zufu.”
“I’m not, JieMin. I have had my concerns for some time that Dr. Huenemann is perhaps too enamored of his own opinions. That your guidance would not be utilized properly. This is mere confirmation of what I have suspected for some time.
“Even so, I am not sure I can do anything about it, or even that the Prime Minister can do anything about it. We may have to let Dr. Huenemann fail first.”
JieMin nodded. This was as he expected. But he had also had an idea about it.
“And then what happens, Chen Zufu?” JieMin asked.
“I suppose we can then move Dr. Huenemann out of the way and try again.”
“That is unlikely to help, Chen Zufu. Dr. Huenemann will not go down without a fight, and he has his supporters in both the House and the Chamber. He will blame it on someone else. Probably on me.”
Chen Zufu sighed and nodded.
“There may be another option Chen Zufu,” JieMin said. “Buy the defunct and failed project from the government for pennies on the dollar. Including the intellectual property. Chen can do this.”
“Are you sure, JieMin?”
“Oh, yes, Chen Zufu. And if you buy project, including the intellectual property, and Chen make it work, Chen owns the technology.”
This time it was MinChao who got wide-eyed.
After JieMin had left, MinChao and Jessica remained, discussing the conversation.
“It is ridiculous that JieMin is not being listened to, MinChao,” Jessica said. “Chen JieMin is the one who saw the existence of hyperspace in the first place.”
“Yes, Jessica, but, as I warned you, this is to be expected of a program operated by the bureaucracy. I argued for farming this project out to a private firm, but the bureaucracy already saw big opportunities for itself.”
“What about JieMin’s idea to
