A different application for Directed Energy:
It will not be long before the physical form with all its disease and fragility will become obsolete. Consciousness will soon be downloaded/uploaded and theoretical immortality is becoming less science fiction and more a reality.
It's not far fetched to imagine that this should unlock new applications of existing technologies. I can see a reality where a downloaded "person" can then be shot in fractions of a second via laser not only anywhere in the world (with precision use of mirrors), but potentially anywhere in the vastness of space.
Perhaps the next generation of space exploration (and maybe those already visiting us) will simply be data. No need for rocket propelled devices, warp drives, etc etc… All you need may be the data and a laser.
Perhaps the interdimensional ETs of lore are civilizations who have long ago achieved singularity and we only recently in human history have developed technologies to perceive/receive them or the transmission thereof.
It's food for thought, if nothing else.
https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/2010-11/DownloadingConsciousness/tandr.html
https://www.tested.com/tech/2364-how-a-laser-can-transfer-26-terabits-of-data-per-second/