The Nantianmen Project from China mixes science fiction with military reality. Although it started as a sci-fi story about humanity defending Earth from aliens, it now features full-scale futuristic platform mock-ups shown at China’s air shows. The project began in 2017 and also inspired a novel published in 2022. This mix of fiction and real displays has stirred speculation that China is hinting at its future goals in air and space control, especially against the US. Is it just storytelling or a peek into coming technology? Only time will tell.