Chapter 88: Wukong
Li Qingsong was overjoyed to have finally found an effective solution to the drastic drop in combat effectiveness caused by communication delays.
Moreover, Li Qingsong knew that as he continued to conduct large-scale combat exercises, the vast amounts of combat data generated would make the combat AI even more intelligent, leading to an even greater increase in combat power.
As his chip technology continued to develop and supercomputer processing power skyrocketed, his combat radius might expand even further in the future. Perhaps even with a two-way communication delay of up to an hour—corresponding to a distance of 30 light-minutes, or 540 million kilometers—he could still maintain a high level of combat effectiveness in his fleet.
By then, he could command interstellar battles on the far side of the Asteroid Belt, all while remote-controlling from Earth!
In fact, another idea had just occurred to Li Qingsong.
’Manned combat spacecraft certainly have their advantages. Even with a communication delay of an hour, I can always control the Clones to perform tasks that automated programs can’t, like internal ship repairs, complex tactical maneuvers, and overall strategic deployment.’
’Unmanned ships lack this advantage.’
’But they have other advantages.’
’They can be built smaller and more agile. Their average combat power is far inferior to manned ships, but they can be produced in vast numbers to simply overwhelm the enemy.’
’Most importantly, I can hand over complete control of unmanned combat assets—like droneships and armed satellites—to the combat AI, without needing to expend any of my own mental energy!’
’They might not be as intelligent, since I can’t directly control them, but that doesn’t matter. As long as there are enough of them, it’s fine!’
’This way, even from Earth, I could deploy armed forces ten billion, or even a hundred billion, kilometers away!’
Although Li Qingsong couldn’t yet build combat-ready unmanned weapons that met his requirements, it didn’t stop him from beginning to lay the theoretical groundwork for their use.
’In that case, my future combat doctrine will look like this:’
’First, I’ll deploy supercomputers and a massive number of unmanned combat assets over a wide area, letting the combat AI control them automatically.’
’Meanwhile, I’ll station fleets of manned spacecraft around my core self.’
’These fleets will be the core of my entire fighting force. As the battlefield situation changes, the manned fleets can be repositioned with ease.’
’This combination of manned and unmanned forces, of AI and my own intelligence, will create a two-tiered fighting force. By working in concert, they’ll be able to unleash combat power far beyond what any single control method could achieve...’
The moment he considered this possibility, Li Qingsong realized that a combined manned-unmanned approach would almost certainly become the standard for all future interstellar warfare.
It wouldn’t be just him, either. Other civilizations, including the coming Blutuk Civilization, would almost inevitably adopt the same strategy.
There was no other way. The combination of mass-produced unmanned ships and weapons with elite manned combat spacecraft presented advantages that were simply too obvious to ignore.
Li Qingsong also began to analyze the strengths and weaknesses this combat model would present for a typical interstellar civilization, as well as for a unique existence like himself.
’My advantages are obvious. With everyone of one mind and no internal friction, I can maximize the combat effectiveness of my manned fleets within a low-delay combat radius. At the same time, my unmanned forces will surely be far superior to those of an opponent at the same technological level.’
’My production capacity is simply higher.’
’The disadvantage, however, is that in areas far from my core self where communication delays are high, my manned fleets will inevitably be weaker than the enemy’s.’
’That’s because their manned ships are crewed by individuals who can make their own decisions, without needing remote commands from a central commander.’
’The strengths and weaknesses of an opponent at the same tech level are the exact inverse of my own.’
"Having understood his strengths and weaknesses, planning future strategies and tactics became straightforward. It was simply a matter of playing to his strengths and mitigating his weaknesses: maximize his unmanned forces while avoiding engaging the enemy with manned fleets in high-delay zones."
With this point settled, Li Qingsong couldn’t help but fantasize about his future combat model.
He envisioned a network of interconnected supercomputers spread throughout the Solar System, stretching from the distant Ceres and Enemy God Star at the system’s edge to every major planet and moon in the Inner Solar System. The entire Solar System would be patrolled by unmanned forces controlled by the combat AI. And at the heart of it all, his core elite manned fleets, supported and assisted by this vast unmanned network, would reign supreme across the entire star system...
The combat AI was the absolute cornerstone of Li Qingsong’s future interstellar warfare strategy, second in importance only to his core self.
’Since you’re so important, you deserve a proper name.’
’In Eastern mythology, the Jade Emperor presides over the Celestial Court, so he’s like a master AI. But there doesn’t seem to be a deity specifically in charge of combat and warfare.’
’Which mythological figure is most associated with battle?’
Li Qingsong thought for a moment before a figure instantly came to mind.
The Victorious Fighting Buddha, Sun Wukong, who wreaked havoc in the Celestial Court!
"Alright, from now on, I’ll call you Wukong! You will be in charge of all unmanned combat forces, and you will assist me in conducting manned operations!"
"You’re still weak and not intelligent enough right now, but that’s okay. I will continue to feed you data and train you."
At Li Qingsong’s command, the two fleets, Alpha and Bravo, once again launched into space.
One fleet was under Li Qingsong’s direct command, while the other was controlled by the Wukong AI. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the void of space.
Amidst the fierce battle, a ceaseless torrent of data flowed like a river into the sea, pouring into the newly built supercomputer and nourishing the Wukong AI.
Even after achieving yet another major technological breakthrough, Li Qingsong did not allow himself to relax.
His focus immediately shifted to another matter.
The miniaturization of nuclear fission reactors!
Over the years, Li Qingsong had never let up on upgrading and refining his nuclear fission power plants.
He had always understood that the method of energy acquisition was the most critical factor for him at his current stage of development, serving as the foundation for everything else.
Take the Unmanned Combat System led by the Wukong AI, for example. Without a sufficiently advanced power source, how could the droneships and unmanned weapons even fight?
Chemical fuels?
Even if Li Qingsong converted his entire fleet into fuel tankers, he probably couldn’t keep the Unmanned Combat System supplied.
Furthermore, without a high-quality energy supply, new engine designs would be impossible, and the speeds of his combat craft would remain severely limited.
Now, after more than a decade of persistent, unremitting research, Li Qingsong’s nuclear fission technology had finally achieved a major breakthrough.