Destination: Yellowstone Lake — Let's go!

Early next morning, as Planck steps on the accelerator, the plump Volkswagen Type 2 camper van spits out a thick puff of hot air, then trundles forth, carrying everyone westwards out of Billings.

Soon after boarding the van, the four in the rear begin to dose off, toppling and sprawling over the seats, probably because they had woken up so early.

Laurel. Park City. Columbus. Reed Point. Greycliff. Big Timber.

A number of small, quaint, colonial towns line the winding Yellowstone River. They have been scattered about throughout the Montana wilderness in a disorderly but picturesque fashion — thus giving this vast landscape a touch of the human spark.

Despite having travelled along this route many times, Schrödinger continues to silently admire the bleak scenery outside the window.

Oh Montana, so pleasant … This wilderness, filled with serenity, is most suited for emptying your mind and calming your mood! Mm. It would be better if there were fewer people. Ara, would you like Alaska then? No … this is enough … No matter how you look at it, there are too many mountains near Anchorage.

Note:

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, the United States. It is located in south-central Alaska, on the eastern foot of the Chugach Mountains.

Ah. Siberia might be nice. It's just that Russians have too strong a body odour, so I suppose I might not tolerate it. Even when Canada is just to the north? You really favour the exotic over the familiar, don't you?] Canada — including the Yukon region near Alaska — was all completely submerged by the Arctic ice sheet during the last Ice Age …

Note:

The Last Glacial Maximum is the coldest period prior to modern times, the peak of which was around 25,000 BC.

At that time, about 24% of the global land mass was covered by ice, the sea level was about 120 meters lower, and the average temperature of the poles was 10-20°C lower than it is now.

During the last Ice Age, the earth was cooler and drier, and desertification more severe, than it is in the present day.

Teacher, do you reasonably think we'll ever be given an opportunity to work over there? Be that as it may … But Siberia isn't under our jurisdiction at all, ja? Yes, but the “Babylon Laboratory” is there. Isn't that the place where they send anyone who disobeys the Overseer for human experimentation? … That was a cruel joke. … And not at all funny. Teacher, you are always reluctant to consider the negative possibilities. Schrödinger continued to leisurely play with her corkscrew curl, as if the admonishment was of no concern to her. The Uncertainty Principle. The world changes with human observation — if you only focus on cute and pretty things, then it'll transform into a fragile porcelain doll.

Note:

The Uncertainty Principle states that the position and momentum of a particle cannot be determined simultaneously, and the uncertainty follows the inequality —

ΔxΔp ≥ h/4π

— where, h is the Planck constant.

This principle indicates that it is impossible for observers to make accurate predictions for all physical quantities of a microscopic particle. The higher the certainty of some quantities, the greater the uncertainty of others. (Translator note: Schrödinger seems to have confused the Uncertainty Principle with the Observer Effect. Note that this is a common confusion.)

… Speaking of porcelain dolls — — Einstein has always been a lot cuter than you, Dr Schrödinger. … Schrödinger halts her fiddling of her single corkscrew curl, her finger frozen in midair, possibly because the jump in topic had been so unexpected. Hehe — — you Austrians will need to practice for another hundred years, if you dream of ever surpassing us Bavarians with your cruel humour!

Note:

Bavaria (German: Bayern) is located in the southeast of the Federal Republic of Germany, and is the largest state in modern Germany.

The local customs are quite different from those in other parts of Germany, and it is also historically one of the last German states to be unified by Prussia.

P.S.

Planck is Bavarian, while Schrödinger is Austrian.

… Teacher, discrimination on the basis of nationality is unbecoming behaviour. Aha, that is why you still need to cultivate yourself. Not only is your entire person steeped in “Sturm und Drang”, but you are also a little out-of-touch with the common sensibilities. — How can you ever find a boyfriend like this? … So … Isn't that convincing enough as a reason for change? … Schrödinger sighs helplessly. Must I really say this … Teacher, this is all about your own anxiety of being single. Isn't it getting a bit out of hand? … You meanie, that was totally not cute at all! Hmph! …

When Welt opens his sleepy eyes once more, he sees that the driver of the Volkswagen Type 2 camper van had been replaced by a gloomy Corkscrew Ponytail.

In the front passenger seat, a pair of long legs are propped up against the windshield; a skirt is slipping to one side in a rather ungraceful manner; and loose strands of long hair cascade down the back of the seat like a waterfall — also, the Professor happens to be snoring in a rather un-ladylike manner.

Just out of Livingston. Now we are driving south along Route 89. Schrödinger explains the current situation, having noticed through the rear-view mirror that someone is now awake. Then let's check out the situation in Yellowstone first. It seems that Einstein too had already awoken some time ago, peeling open her seemingly drowsy eyes. Shouldn't we let those two continue to rest for a while? Planck speaks, with her eyes closed. It seems that she too didn't really fall asleep after all. This drunkard has slept long enough. Without another word, the Mophead with light-coloured hair punches the Red Twintails in the head. Ah! — Ow ow ow … Can't you be a little more gentle? Today she puts on her glasses as soon as she wakes up. Could it be that they are actually real prescription spectacles, and not just plano glasses? People with hangovers have no right to say anything. Einstein gives her a disapproving glance. Is the Finn awake too? Joo! I raise my hand! A familiar frivolous voice transmits from the rear of the van. He seems quite energetic. Now that everyone is awake — — let us begin with the basic geographical situation. Okay. Schrödinger skillfully changes gears, and slows down the van to an appropriate speed. As you know, Yellowstone Park is the first nature reserve in human history. The core of the park is Yellowstone Lake, which is the caldera or crater formed from the main vent of the Yellowstone super-volcano. This active volcano can release huge amounts of energy — If it ever erupts, the volcanic ash it brings will reduce the average global temperature by about 10 degrees for up to a year. 10 degrees? Welt doesn't quite understand the significance of Planck's point. This means that, soon after the disaster, the overwhelming majority of tropical or subtropical crops will die off, resulting in failed harvests. If the response is not adequate … It is no exaggeration to say that devastating famines and plagues will spread throughout many countries. How … Relax, that's not something we should worry about in our lifetime. Schrödinger squints at Welt through the rear-view mirror. What's more, if we happen to lose to the Honkai, these anxieties — they will all cease to have meaning anyway. Of course, if you are a little paranoid, you can also think of the Yellowstone Volcano as part of a “Honkai Luxury Extra-Value Set Meal”, specially prepared for humanity's enjoyment. … Set meal? The destructive nature of Honkai can manifest in a myriad ways. Red Twintails adopts the pose of a lecturer — The Black Death, the Ice Age, the World Wars — all of these had the shadow of Honkai within them. Not to mention, analysis of war criminals has shown that they had often been eroded by small quantities of Honkai energy — Indeed, there were even one or two specimens, where the Honkai energy density had reached several times the lethal dose. Wha — Generally speaking, the metabolic circumstances of male mammals are such that they have a strong allergic response to Honkai infections — In other words, men's adaptability to Honkai is usually very low — But occasionally there are exceptions. Whether it is a male war criminal, or you yourself, these are all exceptional cases. Uh … Me? Welt had never thought that his name would be associated with demonic war criminals, and for a while he doesn't know how to react. Yes. You clearly have some strange exotic property that we don't yet understand. The organisation has conducted so many experiments on you, a point you should already be painfully aware of. No, I mean … Calm down. The girl with the natural curls, seated in the second row, turns around and gently pats the young man's head. Your soul will not deteriorate. … Perhaps you have forgotten who you once were, but you are a kind and compassionate person. A ha ha … There … there is no evidence for that, right? Trust me. There is indeed not much “evidence”, and I have only my intuition to depend upon here … … But please, trust in me. Einstein's eyes are warm but resolute. Ahem. All right, all right. Let's get back to the main topic, shall we? We're here to get down to business, ja? Very interesting business, ja. … Finally, no carbon-14 could be detected in this sample.

Note:

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a half-life of approximately 5730 years.

That is to say, for a sample that has ceased to have any biological activity, the carbon-14 content within it will be reduced by half for every 5730 years — it will continue to decline at this rate until even sophisticated instruments can no longer detect its presence.

From this comprehensive assessment, the last human activity in the ruins would have taken place at around 50,000 BC, with a margin of error of no more than 1,000 years. That is all. It's still incredible … The Finn clasps his hands together, sinking into deep contemplation. … I did not expect that, during the era of the Previous Civilisation, human activity was already present in North America. It's analogous to us having research stations in Antarctica. And it does not contradict our current understanding of the Previous Era. Planck absent-mindedly plays with her long hair, as if in deliberate imitation of Schrödinger from before. No … The scale of this is comparable to archaeological ruins in the Old World … things may not be as simple as you say. The Finn continues to prop up his chin with his clasped hands. Where did this wannabe Sherlock Holmes fan come from? That … Welt, who long ago had been scratching his head in confusion, now raises his hand. That “Previous Era” you speak of — — What is it exactly? Mmm … Now we're at … Ah, no, we haven't arrived at Gardiner yet. Professor Long-hair studies the signs along the highway. It's okay, we're still early. You lot can continue to pass the time. Pick one from among yourselves to give him a primer on the subject. Then let me explain. As an expert in ancient literature, the Finn simply could not refuse the offer. The “Previous Era”, as its name implies, was a scientifically- and technologically-advanced civilisation that once flourished on Earth, long before the beginning of our own history. This civilisation could be traced back to the Astrakhan archaeological site number 3, from around 53,000 BC.

Note:

Astrakhan is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It is the last great city through which the Volga River flows. It is distributed on more than a dozen islands connected by bridges. The city was founded in the 13th Century by the Golden Horde, and formed an independent Astrakhan Khanate from 1460-1556, before being annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

The local specialty is watermelon.

It was characterised by a common culture, and covered an enormous region, ranging from the Sea of Japan to the Mediterranean, from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf. Were they also humans? Haha, of course. They would have been the first “Homo sapiens” to “step out of Africa” — Having said that, their model of civilisation was still very different from ours. … Do you mean differences in lifestyle, customs, or art? Hahahaha, no, not so. Rather, we are unexpectedly similar in many of those aspects. The so-called model I just mentioned is mainly referring to the duration and diversity of civilisation. For example, our civilisation today can be traced back to a few regions, such as the Middle East, as early as 4000 BC; Since then, after nearly 6,000 years of propagation and expansion, we have finally formed a civilised society covering the entire globe. We have countless different nations, countless languages, countless cultures. We have a very diverse civilisation. Wasn't it the same for the “Previous Era”?? No, they were different. Their “entire world” had a unified language and technological system. In our world, although the Greco-Roman, British and American cultures have been very influential, they remain far from reaching that level of hegemony. If we were to find a better comparison, the manner of unity is more like that of ancient East Asia — where every other nation around China uses Han Chinese characters in some form or another. So you're saying … their cultural diversity was very low? Mm-hmm. Moreover, they seem to have preserved the entire American continent in a pristine, uninhabited state, just like how we are now protecting Antarctica. To put it simply, it's almost as if this land was not their primary source of economic resources. They may have started using Honkai energy on a large scale, very early on. If that were the case, then it doesn't make sense to settle in an area lacking in Honkai energy. Just like how the metropolises of today are often situated close to sea ports, river ports, and railway hubs. Isn't Honkai a shockwave- or radiation-like thing? Hahahaha, lightning can be used to blast people to bits, yet electricity can also illuminate! The same is true for Honkai energy. From a physics perspective, Honkai energy — or so-called “imaginary internal energy” — Oh, even if I put it like that, you won't ever understand. What a headache. “Imaginary internal energy” is a hypothesis about the phenomenon of Honkai and the Big Bang. Einstein seemed uncharacteristically delighted to take over the explanation —

The second law of thermodynamics can be formulated as follows: if the entropy of a system decreases, it will inevitably cause the entropy of another system to rise by a greater margin. From the perspective of information theory, this is equivalent to the huge information asymmetry between the ordinary environment where information is highly chaotic, and the negative entropic environment where information is highly ordered. Historically, research has shown that Honkai energy and this information asymmetry have a strong inter-relationship. Mathematically, the imaginary internal energy belongs to the collapsing, convergent manifold, while the so-called divergent manifold — that is, the four-dimensional space-time that we can usually perceive — contains the thermodynamic manifestation of the “real internal energy”; together these can be mathematically-expressed as a higher-order complex function, and as a result it can be used to predict Honkai fluctuations at the sub-atomic scale. Therefore, current researchers generally suspect that this “imaginary internal energy” is Honkai energy, or at least a major constituent of it.

How about that, do you understand a bit more now, Assistant Welt? … I understood jack-all!

Passing under the Roosevelt Arch, which is engraved with the words “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People”, the Volkswagen Type 2 camper van enters Wyoming along Route 89. The scholars enthusiastically discuss all manner of technical details — Welt, who barely understood even the most elementary of such details, can do nothing more than admire the scenery of the national park instead.

Mammoth Hot Springs … Swan Lake … Roaring Mountain … Firehole River … Americans sure have a quirky way of naming things, and their taste for scenic place names is no less peculiar. Welt, what time is it now? Planck, who had switched back to the driver's seat, suddenly seems to remember something, and presses Welt for the time. Give me a moment … The young man, lacking a wristwatch, twists his body to grab the wrist of one of the girls in front of him. OI OI OI, DO YOU CHOOSE DEATH!? Turning a deaf ear to Tesla's protests, Welt desperately puts his life on the line, and focuses his eyes on that small round surface — Report for the Professor, it is ten-fo-fo-fo-forty-three — PISS OFF! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With a complete lack of restraint, Tesla flips her hand, and strikes with her elbow with such force that she even dislodges her own glasses. At once, a tragic mournful howl resonates throughout the entire van. Ha ha ha ha … Anyway, looks like we need to catch up! The Long-haired Big Sister violently changes gear, and immediately slams on the accelerator — Those who are here for the first time, please look to your right! The camper suddenly lurches forward, first bypassing several sapphire-coloured springs, then crossing over a large bridge — Then it turns off the main highway, and rushes up a relatively gentle slope — Only to immediately perform a sharp brake with a 90-degree drift. AAARRRGGGHHH WE'RE GOING TO CRASH!! SAVE US!! And right at this moment, with Welt still in a state of shock —

Phwoah!

A huge column of water, about 30 to 40 metres tall, shoots high into the air from a basin behind the hillside, spewing out a large quantity of white mist, much like a volcanic eruption.

The Old Faithful geyser!

Note:

The Old Faithful is the most popular geyser in the world. The volume of each spray is between 3700 gallons and 8400 gallons, and the water temperature is about 95°C.

“Old Faithful is sometimes degraded by being made a laundry. Garments placed in the crater during quiescence are ejected thoroughly washed when the eruption takes place. Gen. Sheridan's men, in 1882, found that linen and cotton fabrics were uninjured by the action of the water, but woolen clothes were torn to shreds.” (Translator's note: taken from “The Yellowstone National Park — A Manual for Tourists” by Henry Winser, 1883 — as cited in the Old Faithful Wikipedia article.)

What a coincidence that we can actually see it! Oh my, oh my, we've definitely hit the jackpot. … Winter is indeed much more spectacular than summer. Although this attraction is named “Old Faithful” because it is very punctual, it actually has two intervals! 65 minutes and 91 minutes — the exact interval is said to depend on the size of each eruption. Eh … then we — So how about that, aren't we all very lucky today? … Professor, please stop being a tease. This was no dumb luck. Especially given that the park forecasts and updates the eruption times every day. … Schrödinger … Always, no matter the situation, you just say something, anything, and all sense of mystery and wonder is dispelled … Thank you. That is indeed my strength.