Kane's gaze didn't linger on the countdown; instead, it was fixed on the star map and various sensor readings on the main screen. His brain was working at an unprecedented speed, filtering through every potentially overlooked detail, searching for that almost nonexistent glimmer of hope.
Give up? No. As long as there was one second left, he wouldn't give up.
"Leah, rescan the CME's energy structure and diffusion pattern! Are there any relatively low-energy areas? Or... is it possible to use planets or other celestial bodies as cover?" Kane's voice was low and urgent.
"Scanning..." Leah immediately executed the order. "The CME is a monolithic plasma cloud with fluctuating internal energy distribution, but there are no absolutely safe 'low-energy areas.' As for cover..." Her gaze fell on the planet G-173c, which was in the CME's path and about to face its doom.
The planet itself might be the only, massive cover.
But the problem was, the CME was a blanket attack. Hiding behind the planet would indeed avoid the initial head-on impact, but the consequences would be:
1. A direct hit from a CME would scavenge the entire surface of the planet, potentially triggering secondary explosions and global fires (if flammable materials are present), and producing massive, radioactive dust clouds.
2. A CME would violently disturb the planet's magnetic field and ionosphere, possibly even stripping away its already thin atmosphere, generating a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and radiation belts.
3. Most importantly, a CME is not a one-off event; its effects will linger for some time. Hiding behind the planet would mean that Nightingale would be trapped between the planet and the aftermath of the CME's impact, equally dangerous.
"Using planet G-173c as a temporary shelter can theoretically avoid the **first and most violent direct impact of the CME**," Leah analyzed quickly. "But we must calculate the location precisely, right next to the planet's **shadow cone** (the area where the planet completely blocks the star's line of sight), and pray that the planet itself won't completely disintegrate or cause irreparable secondary disasters upon impact. Simultaneously, we must, within a **very short time** after the CME's main body has passed the planet and the storm effect has weakened to a tolerable level, utilize the planet's gravitational slingshot effect to accelerate our escape from the subsequent impact zone."
This is an extremely complex plan with a very low margin for error. It's like trying to survive between two ferocious beasts; any miscalculation or accident will lead to utter destruction.
"Success rate?" Kane asked directly, posing the crucial question.
"...Based on the existing data model, the success rate is less than 12.7%," Leah stated a harsh figure. "Moreover, this requires the ship to possess the ability to perform **short-term burst acceleration** at critical moments, and our current engine output..."
"Give me the engine!" Rex, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, a ruthless glint flashing in his scanning eyes. "I'll go to the engine room! The plasma injector for the manual overload auxiliary thruster! Damn it, even if we burn the engine, we can still squeeze out the last bit of thrust!"
Manually overload the engine! This is practically suicidal. The engine room becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure hell when overloaded, and it's highly likely to cause an explosion.