Chapter 1: “The Experiment”

On the semi-desert plateau of Alashan, in northwestern China, stood the Kryos Base, a laboratory shrouded in mystery. Within its facilities, the KosmoGenesys project had brought together the most brilliant minds on the planet, whose work had culminated in the creation of the Primordial QX quantum supercomputer, designed to recreate with unprecedented precision the different evolutionary moments of the universe.

It was the year 2084, and Kryos Base was at the limits of its capabilities. Although the Primordial QX had been developed around 2060, at that time it could only recreate states of the universe for a few seconds due to the colossal amounts of energy it required. The nuclear plant that had been built within the base itself functioned exclusively to feed it.

The control room hummed constantly as the Primordial QX’s magnetic containment system went into action. Screens projected three-dimensional simulations of plasma bubbles, glowing with a blueish intensity that filled the room. The supercomputer featured an advanced 3D modeling system for the bubbles that contained the plasma. These bubbles were stabilized by Tokamak traps, stellarator devices, and ultra-sensitive magnetic field systems.

Dr. Elena Tsvetkova was a Russian astrophysicist with a long background in quantum modeling. She was frantically checking parameters alongside Dr. Richard Hall, an American physicist specializing in fusion energy. The two were in charge of the basic engineering of the QX.

Elena said at the time: -”The magnetic field in the bubble with the 13.7 billion-year-old model is unstable. If the confinement fails, we could lose hours of data, or worse.”-

Richard sounded confident. -”Let’s not underestimate the system, Elena. I think the new upgrade should keep the plasma under control. Let’s trust the QX. Look at the data: it’s within expectations.”-

Elena gave a worried look as she replied. -”It’s not about confidence, Richard. It’s about precision. We’re recreating an early moment of the universe, no more, no less. At any moment, stability can be blown out of the water.”-

Dr. Ming Zhao, the project’s engineering supervisor, entered the room with his characteristic air of authority to intervene. -”How are we doing? The data indicates that power is fluctuating. Have you checked the plant’s supply?”-

Richard explained in an attempt to ease everyone’s tension. -”Everything is within the expected parameters, Dr. Zhao. The evolutionary bubble is stable, but Elena is a perfectionist, as you well know.”-

Despite Richard’s assurance, Elena was not reassured. -”If perfectionism means I don’t want to blow up the lab, then yes, I am. The Primordial QX is on the verge of recreating a point immediately after the Big Bang, but we won’t survive if the plasma exceeds the critical threshold.”-

Ming frowned, but his tone softened. -”I understand. Well ... I must say that I think you both are right. We need precision, but also confidence. And it’s true: the parameters are within the expected limits. If nothing serious occurs, we will start the simulation in five minutes. Understood?”-

The lights in the room dimmed as power from the nuclear plant was redirected to the Primordial QX. Plasma bubbles began to swirl and expand within the confines of the magnetic fields.

Richard watched in amazement. -”Do you ever think about what we’re doing here? Recreating the birth of the universe ... It’s like looking into the eyes of God.”-

Elena, more pragmatic, replied: -”I think about what will happen if we don’t do it right. Do you know how many countries are waiting for us to fail so they can claim this place?”-

Ming interrupted. -”Silence. We are entering the critical phase. Reduce distractions.”-

The bubble began to change, displaying patterns that mimicked the first few seconds after the Big Bang. A dense tangle of energy and particles filled the screens.

Ming, amazed, could only say: -”It’s beautiful ... and terrifying. It doesn’t matter how many times we see it.”-

Suddenly, alarm bells started ringing.

Elena confirmed as she looked at her monitor screens. -”The confinement is losing stability! We need more power in the magnetic field.”-

Richard tensed immediately. -”But we’re already at 95% capacity! Pushing any further could melt the conductors.”-

Ming did not wait for the reports to decide. -”Take this as an order. If this bubble collapses, the entire project will be in danger.”-

With a decisive movement, Richard adjusted the system parameters. The tension in the room was palpable. Then, after a few endless seconds, the alarms stopped.

Elena snorted as she relaxed. -”The lockdown has stabilized ... for now.”-

Ming exhaled deeply. -”Good job, team. But remember, we’re dealing with something bigger than all of us. This isn’t just a simple experiment. It’s the beginning of a new era.”-

Richard looked at the bubble which after a few seconds began to disappear. -”Yes ... or the end of everything.”-

Elena nodded silently, as the Primordial QX continued to process and store the millions of data obtained from the simulation metrics.

A few years later, Dr. Elizabeth Vinter and Dr. Sergei Ivanovich Lebedev stood in front of the Primordial QX, which had already been upgraded to support a new stage of the simulation. Engineers Tsvetkova and Hall had been working for years to get to this point: the stabilization of the energy bubbles that would allow a simulation of the universe to be recreated at an accelerated, but realistic, speed.

Elizabeth was exhausted, but her gaze was fixed on the screen. She said, -”We’ve done it, Sergei. In this simulation, the bubble has stabilized without collapsing. And notice that it hasn’t distorted either.”-

Sergei, who was watching the graphs with pinpoint concentration, nodded slowly, but with a slight smile on his face.

—”That’s right ... the simulation is evolving at an unprecedented speed. The Primordial QX is creating a minimal replica of the universe ... and it’s working. Did you ever imagine this moment, Elizabeth?”-

Elizabeth didn’t answer immediately. Her mind was still racing in parallel, analyzing every change in the numbers and patterns of evolution that appeared on the screens. —”Yes, I know ... But I still don’t believe it. We are seeing the history of the universe in accelerated time. And the QX seems to be making it a reality.”-

Sergei turned to her, his eyes shining with a mixture of admiration and excitement. -”The system is working at a speed of 336.030 billion times faster than real time. In just 15 days, this simulated universe will go from the Big Bang to the current state.”-

Elizabeth watched the data on her screen. The plasma bubbles expanded and contracted with astonishing precision. The model of the universe unfolding before them was a condensed version, but its subatomic details were beginning to reveal patterns almost identical to those studied by physicists in the most advanced laboratories.

Elizabeth shook her head in wonder. -”It’s crazy to think that this bubble could recreate so many millennia in such a short time. Do you think we’ll ever be able to unravel the mysteries of quantum physics? The subatomic particles that we can’t observe directly ... maybe we’ll get a chance to see them in action in this experiment.”-