Homo Sapiens

Four days passed.

After confirming that the salvage device had finished growing, Zhang Li, along with Tuna 005, reappeared above the aircraft wreckage.

According to feedback data from the genetically modified fish, the main body of the aircraft wreckage—especially the location of the B43 bomb—was now completely covered by a layer of genetically modified coral.

These genetically modified corals had dug into the seabed, forming a cigar-shaped enclosure. The coral skeleton was not only extremely sturdy but also highly permeable, eliminating any concern that internal water pressure would cause it to burst during the ascent.

The salvage device’s pheromone receiver picked up the command from above. Immediately, the Crystal Sponge liner in its upper section started releasing methane.

The methane filled numerous small bladders. The pressure of the surrounding seawater on these bladders generated buoyancy.

The coral enclosure was slowly lifted from the silt.

As more methane bladders inflated, the buoyancy acting on the salvage device steadily increased.

An hour later, the salvage device finally ascended to roughly the submarine’s depth. From the control room, Zhang Li immediately gave an order:

”Maintain depth.”

”Understood.”

Zhang Li turned and nodded to the captain, Davis. ”Captain Davis, prepare for recovery.”

”OK.”

After a series of adjustments, the salvage device was positioned directly beneath the submarine. The sub opened a special bay, descended slowly, and finally enclosed both the device and its package within the compartment.

Once the bay doors were sealed...

”Mission complete. Return to base immediately.” Wary of complications from any delay, Zhang Li gave Davis the direct order.

Of course, Davis didn’t object. He’d been at sea for nearly half a month and was eager to get back to land for some leave.

After a circuitous underwater journey...

Tuna 005 successfully returned to the secret submarine base located in the Mishan Islands.

Personnel, already clad in full hazmat suits, quickly entered the submarine dock. They began to carefully sort through the bomber wreckage, piece by piece.

They paid special attention to the area near the hydrogen bomb. Even the silt was to be meticulously collected and sorted, as every element could be crucial to the success of the reverse-engineering.

After all, the bomb had been sitting on the seabed for 56 years and had been subjected to two significant pressure changes. Without meticulous care, crucial components could be overlooked.

This meticulous sorting process lasted for three days and nights until the twisted, deformed B43 was finally isolated from the rest of the wreckage.

Since the entire section of wreckage and surrounding silt had been salvaged intact, the bomb casing was remarkably well-preserved.

The bomb’s specifications were as follows: length 3,800 mm, diameter 457 mm, total weight 936 kg, tail assembly length 860 mm.

According to declassified American documents, its explosive yield was the maximum for its model: one million tons of TNT equivalent.

The hydrogen bomb design it employed was the famous American Taylor-Ulam configuration, one of the three primary designs for thermonuclear weapons.

America had produced over two thousand B43 hydrogen bombs in total, with around one thousand still in active service.

Therefore, even though later upgrades and modifications had likely introduced some improvements, the core design of this type of hydrogen bomb should not have fundamentally changed.

Even as a decades-old model, Homo Sapiens Company wasn’t about to be picky.

When the personnel found nothing missing from the bomb casing, they breathed a collective sigh of relief before plunging back into intense work.

First, they removed the tail assembly. Next, they began to painstakingly separate the severely deformed outer casing. Despite the robust materials used in its construction, it had inevitably buckled and cracked under the crushing pressure of the deep sea.

Beneath the casing were mechanical and electrical components, all completely ruined.

And finally, there was the miniature fission bomb that served as the trigger—the source of the radiation.

Normally, the lithium deuteride at the core of a hydrogen bomb is not radioactive and has a very long shelf life.

In fact, if this B43 were fitted with replacement components and a new fission trigger, it could still be detonated.

As for the rumors that foreign hydrogen bombs couldn’t be stored long-term—those were best ignored.

While that may have been true in the early days, the major world powers had long since figured out the key, making storage for several decades entirely feasible.

Every component separated from the B43 was scanned into a modeling system for virtual reconstruction via supercomputer.

The process continued until every last part had been disassembled and logged into the modeling system.

The core components couldn’t be studied in depth at the submarine base. They all had to be transported to the facility at Black Tiger Canyon.

Levis was already pressuring them to send the materials over as soon as possible.

「February 26th.」

At a submarine port near the Kela Isthmus, a sign announcing a military exercise was now displayed.

In the dead of night...

The gates of the fully enclosed submarine repair dock swung open. A light rain was falling, and the sky was shrouded in dark clouds.

Soon, a strong pheromone signal emanated from the sea surface nearby. Instead of lights or radio navigation, they were using the most secure method: their pheromone communication system.

The submarine slipped silently into the dock, and the gates promptly closed behind it.

Half an hour later, a convoy sped off toward Hongsawaddy under the cover of darkness and light rain.

Meanwhile, the submarine departed the dock and headed back toward Luzon.

The arrangements were perfectly interlinked, the handover seamless. The outside world detected no hint of abnormality as the B43 was safely transported to Black Tiger Canyon.

An already ecstatic Levis immediately began a comprehensive analysis of the B43.

He and the other engineers responsible for nuclear weapons design were captivated by the many ingenious design elements before them.

Even after more than fifty years, the weapon that America had poured immense manpower and resources into developing still held invaluable lessons for Homo Sapiens Company, which was essentially starting from scratch in the nuclear field.

Looking at the layout of the fission trigger, one engineer had a sudden realization and exclaimed:

”So that’s how it works! No wonder I could never break the 100-kiloton limit in the supercomputer simulations. This is how it has to be configured...”

”And the material for the internal shielding layer is actually...”

As they analyzed the B43’s design piece by piece, they realized they had previously underestimated its complexity and nuance.

Without this B43, they would have had to discover these problems through a slow, iterative process of live test detonations and subsequent improvements.

Now, they had saved themselves at least a decade of trial and error. For Homo Sapiens Company, time was immeasurably precious.

After all, the sooner they acquired a trump card, the sooner they could feel secure.

The door to building a hydrogen bomb was now wide open for Homo Sapiens Company. The raw materials were ready, the technical details had been acquired, and by following the B43’s design, they could manufacture a one-megaton thermonuclear weapon.

Of course, there was still one final step: a live test detonation.

However, Levis was already extremely confident. With a working sample to copy, production was possible even if it was just a matter of rote imitation.

Now inspired, Levis and his team took a two-pronged approach. First, they instructed Base Commander Wu Hu to prepare for the production of the Blazing Sun Type 1, a B43 clone.

Second, they began using the B43’s technical details and design to extrapolate new configurations and to improve upon the B43 itself.

Their goal was to develop a range of hydrogen bombs with yields from tens of tons to tens of megatons, with a special focus on miniaturized versions, whose applications were incredibly versatile.