Age of Cosmic Exploration, 1 Read online

  A lady in the front row suddenly stood up. "Mrs. Thompson, I’m sorry, but I think I can offer some explanation," said the lady apologetically.

  The lady who stood up was a pretty, bespectacled Asian woman who looked to be approaching thirty.

  Sara asked kindly, "is it Mrs. Manos? Do you know why other families aren’t coming?"

  Accepting the microphone that was passed to her, the Asian lady nodded her head. "I’m sure people have noticed my Chinese heritage by now, but I left China when I was young. However, ever since boarding the Hope, I’ve formed relationships with some of the Chinese families. In fact, some of them had family members who died on the desert planet. I talked to many of them before coming here today, and they have all refused to come along. I believe they prefer to wait for the official government response, and I have a feeling they might be afraid to attend this meeting."

  Most of the people couldn’t register what Mrs. Manos was saying. Grabbing a microphone, a fifty-year-old elder stood up asking for clarification. "But it is because we have waited so long for an official government statement that this meeting is being held. We would like to discuss how to properly broach this topic with the government. But that aside, why did you say they are afraid… What are they afraid of?"

  Mrs. Manos had obvious difficulties speaking freely, but under public pressure, she elaborated, "They are afraid of the government… They were too spooked by the lawlessness of the riotous days…"

  An African woman stood up and asked, "That might be true, but shouldn’t they feel safe now? The rules they have on this ship almost borders on personal harassment. Order reigns supreme, so why are they still afraid?"

  Cornered, Mrs. Manos finally caved. "That is what they are afraid of! Current conditions on this ship reminded them too much of the dictatorial regime they once had. They are used to living under conditions where the people have no say in the administration. They are afraid that a request like ours would earn the ire of the government. They have their children to think of, they are content with how things currently are, and they do not wish for it to change!"

  Chaos erupted following Mrs. Manos’ statement. A sixty-something-year-old man stood up and said, in a booming voice, "Why would they think so? This is the first time the Hope has faced such a situation; we are setting a precedent for, God forbid, future repetitions. Why wouldn’t they be a part of this? We aren’t criminals, we are merely exercising our rights!"

  "I agree, and our Major is a just hero, surely he…"

  "We are helping the government streamline their protocol, how could that get us arrested…"

  "Mrs. Manos, are you sure there hasn’t been miscommunication…"

  People started talking over one another, so it was hard to tell who had the reason and facts. Right then, the door busted open. Two Black Star Unit members and about fifteen soldiers marched in.

  That effectively settled the upheaval. Everyone turned to look at the newly arrived soldiers. Mrs. Manos was so riddled with fear that her body started shivering.

  One of the two Black Stars was Liu Bai. He extricated himself from the group and ambled up the stage to the podium. He smiled genially at Sara as he took over the microphone. After giving everyone a deep bow, he said, "Major’s orders: there will be a solemn star burial service in the coming days to honor the heroes who have lost their lives on Planet Sahara. At the same time, one of the Barracks’ pavilions will be renovated to build a Memorial Hall. It will be used to record the legacy of our fallen heroes so that their selfless deeds will be forever remembered by humanity.

  "Regarding the issue of familial reparations, the government is open for suggestions. We will set aside a week to listen to your suggestions. But please do not worry; your loved ones’ memory will be properly honored. The families will stay on their current residences and the children will receive the best education possible so that one day they can proudly say to their friends that…

  "My father, my mother, my sister, or my brother was a true hero!"

  The news was greeted by a room of stunned silence. However, that quickly dissolved into soaring cheers, as if they had just won a war. Amidst the festivity was an overjoyed Mrs. Manos, who started sobbing uncontrollably like a child…

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  Chapter48 The Daily Scoop (2)

  “…The subject matter aside, where does their audacity to organize an illegal gathering come from? This is unacceptable!” fumed Guang Zhen.

  Since there was only himself and Yao Yuan within central command, he was unrestrained in his speech.

  “Do they not understand that without Ol’ Cap’n, you, leading the way, they would be dead by now! We’ve labored day and night keeping this ship under control. Isn’t that been enough for these ungrateful sods? Have they forgotten the hell they were in before we came along? We’ve done everything we can for them, and how do they repay us? They complain! And a complaint that is in itself preposterous! Do they seriously think we won’t be honoring our fallen comrades? The insolence!”

  While Guang Zhen raged on, Yao Yuan sat calmly flipping through a dossier. It was a report on the Hope’s various zones and their individual energy consumption. Details on each zone, like their function, importance to the Hope, and population number, were all noted by the experts who did the report. Yao Yuan was looking through it because he had to decide which, if any, of the zones needed to be shut down to conserve energy.

  When Guang Zhen reached a lull in his tirade, Yao Yuan lifted his head and smiled understandingly at him. “It’s of no use telling me all this, Ol’ Wong. As a matter of fact, why don’t you try looking at it from their perspective… You’ll see that this is more than a simple meeting, it’s also a test.

  “Their actions aren’t entirely unreasonable. For one, even though on paper we call ourselves humanity’s last hope, we are still a fractured community. Just look at the civilian campgrounds. We’ve tried arranging the placements in such a way that people from different cultures would mingle, but as time passes, they naturally separate back into their own little groups. There is obvious xenophobia.

  “This meeting was organized and mostly attended by westerners. They are afraid their people won’t be represented and their death won’t be honored, which I find to be a valid concern. They see us as the Hope’s face of authority, and I have to admit, it is not a particularly inclusive representation. Therefore, they held this meeting to test whether we, the authority, would be receptive to their interests. There is a fear that because we are different from them culturally, we will brush them off as unimportant.”

  After taking some time to ponder Yao Yuan’s explanation, Guang Zhen asked, “Then how shall we answer? Are you considering a compromise…?”

  “Not entirely a compromise,” explained Yao Yuan as he flipped through yet another page of the report. “At the moment, the Hope can’t support a democratic system, or at least the idealistic democracy that the people have in mind. Until we have a hospitable home planet, we will not be relinquishing our military power. The community is still too young to govern itself. If I allow them to have elections, the concentration of power would be ruptured. The clash following it would only be troublesome. At this stage, the Hope needs a single consolidation of power to unite under. However, as a give and take, I have decided that the military will start to distance itself from the territory of civil rights.

  “Make no mistake; the Hope’s survival depends on the progress that we make in the coming month. So that is our focus, but if we survive that, there are two things that I plan to propose: first, each of the communities will be allowed to elect their own representatives and have their own public council. Naturally, the power of this council is limited to civil movements and, as the military leader, I will retain the right to veto any motion that I find disagreeable…

  “Second, the military will remove itself in stages from cases of civil suit. We will e
stablish a police force and civil court to take over these issues. In terms of legislation, because of its scale, we will let the people discuss among themselves when times are more stable.”

  When Yao Yuan went through his plan, Guang Zhen wanted to interject at multiple places, but every time he had stopped himself at the last moment. Noticing this, Yao Yuan chided him, “Ol’ Wong, I know you were a dedicated politician, but… everything has its place. Don’t get your priorities mixed up. Isn’t one instance of anarchy enough?”

  “…I understand. I’ll take your advice and only focus on military issues from now on,” sighed Guang Zhen.

  Yao Yuan smiled sympathetically, adding, “These talks of politics tire me. Let’s talk about something more interesting… the case of Homo Evolutis.”

  With a serious tone, Guang Zhen replied, “I still have my reserves regarding this superhuman state that you and Ying talk about, but since you are so sure, I guess there’s no harm discussing it… You have to understand that since I’m the only one within the Black Star Unit that hasn’t experienced this mysterious sensation, I have my skepticism.”

  “Of course… To be fair, everything we know about this Homo Evolutis is also speculation. But based on the various incidents on Planet Sahara, the fact that it’s real can’t be denied anymore. I’ve asked the Academy to look into this issue and they noted a link between this and Virus X. Here are some of their initial findings,” said Yao Yuan as he tossed Guang Zhen the report.

  Yao Yuan had skimmed the report beforehand. It read that the fever caused by Virus X might be the seed that birthed the new generation of Homo Evolutis. Another observation was that with the exception of Yao Yuan, those that survived Virus X were all under age 30, so in a way, Yao Yuan was secretly glad that the 34-year-old Guang Zhen hadn’t fallen to the weird sickness.

  He and Guang Zhen went way back. When he was the Black Star Unit’s leader, Guang Zhen was his second in command. And when he left, Guang Zhen stepped into his shoes. Guang Zhen was great at many things, but the quality Yao Yuan was most impressed with was his prudence. He had a way of dealing with messy situations that made sure the required result would eventually pan out. That was why Yao Yuan was so willing to hand over the Hope’s leading position to Guang Zhen when he needed to step out. Guang Zhen was indispensable.

  However, Guang Zhen was pissed because he wasn’t given any superhuman ability; he felt understandably left out. While the rest of the Black Stars were outside having their own adventures, people could spot their acting captain stalking around the Hope with an upside-down smile plastered on his face.

  He reluctantly accepted the report and started to read through it. That was another reason why Yao Yuan trusted Guang Zhen, he always wore his feelings on his sleeves.

  “The number of people who survived Virus X was 102. Seven of them died on Planet Sahara, so that decreased the number of suspected Homo Evolutis to 95. 18 have been confirmed to exhibit signs of superhuman capabilities, the rest are still under observation.

  “Below are the known Homo Evolutis types. We have the Diviner, like Lieutenant Zhang Heng, who can predict incoming danger seconds before it actually occurs. According to the experiments conducted, this power is passive in the sense that it is automatically activated 90 percent of the times when danger is imminent…

  “We have the Deceiver, like Mister Jay, who, according to field reports, can influence a foreign party’s thought processes through psychological manipulation. This power is active. The trigger mechanism is unknown, but it appears not to be activated by danger…

  “We have the Seeker, like Lieutenant Ying, who can observe his surroundings in perfect details as if viewed through a microscope. It greatly improves marksmanship. This power is active. Trigger mechanism is pressure from danger…

  We have the Whisperer, like Miss Bo Li and Mister Ivan, who occasionally receive mysterious whispers when contemplating important questions or scientific conundrums. The whispers inspire breakthroughs. Active or passive power undetermined. Trigger mechanism unknown…

  “We have the All-rounder, like Major Yao Yuan…”

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  Chapter49 The Daily Scoop (3)

  Qi Xiao Niao, Lin Qiu Qiu, and Wang Dan Dan were sitting in their tent, chatting each other up.

  The three guys were all students from Harbin Polytechnic University. Other than being each other’s course mates, their families were also each other’s neighbors. A brotherly bond was cemented through their years growing up together.

  The story of impending apocalypse broke when they were still in university. Cancellation of classes aside, life in the university had remained for the most part unaffected. It was only after the university’s access to the internet was cut off that people started to panic. Students were asked to head back to their hometowns.

  The trio intended to follow the mass evacuation back home, but horror stories of riots and rebel armies had persuaded them to spend one extra week around the campus for better preparation. Their cautiousness was a lifesaver because almost eighty percent of the people who blindly left campus never made it back home.

  It took them three months to reach their hometown, and along the way they came across many of their friends’ dead bodies. It was a harrowing experience. To make matters worse, when they finally arrived at their destination, they found their family homes in shambles and their families long gone. Their biggest fear had come true.

  With each other’s support, the three friends managed to recover from the initial trauma.

  They matured from the experience. In the following days of anarchy, despite not having any weapons or fighting skills, they managed to round up a small group of survivors. With diligence and wit, they survived until rescue came in the form of the Black Star Unit…

  A few months of anarchy had mellowed out the trio’s youthful impetuousness, but they were still adolescents in their heyday. The extended period of security on the Hope had returned them back from issues of survival to topics on video games and girls.

  "Hey, bro, I just came back from the C4 district. There was indeed an unopened internet café. I snuck a look into it and saw rows of computers. Can’t tell their actual specs, but the monitors and accessories were all high end stuff! Can’t wait for it to finally open," shared Xiao Niao, in between glugs of water.

  His friends were visibly excited by the news. It even brought Qiu Qiu to his feet, saying, "Let’s go check it out!"

  Dan Dan, however, remained seated and intoned listlessly, "You two can go ahead without me. They have promised us these entertainment amenities months ago. There’s still no update, so why bother? They won’t let us go in anyway… Also, weren’t we supposed to answer the military’s recruitment call this afternoon?"

  Reminder of the recruitment slumped both Xiao Niao and Qiu Qiu back down to the floor.

  "I don’t understand why are the three of us being recruited. We majored in engineering, shouldn’t we be assigned into the Workshop and not the army?" griped Qiu Qiu.

  Dan Dan agreed, saying, "That is so true. In fact, we should be living in the Workshop right now and not here in the campgrounds. Like you said, why are we being enlisted? I do not get it…"

  Xiao Niao, who had been thoroughly silent since he sat down, suddenly added, "I wonder how many of us think that way?"

  Dan Dan and Qiu Qiu turned to stare quizzically at their friend.

  Xiao Niao elaborated, "You said we deserve a better accommodation because of our education. Do you think many people here share that thought?"

  Qiu Qiu instantly replied, "I believe many of us think that way. For example, the teacher couple a few tents away. They consider themselves part of the scientific community and believe they deserve a residence in the Academy. Also, Lee, who said he was a sociologist, noticed that the Hope, especially in its lowest three levels, still has many areas that are warded off. If the authorit
y would open these areas, all 120000 of us could have our own rooms and would no longer need to stay in these tents…"

  Xiao Niao quickly warned his two friends, "Keep your distance from those people. These are very inflammatory remarks; the authority might not respond to them kindly."

  Qiu Qiu and Dan Dan nodded in return, with Dan Dan adding, "Do you think we are that dense? It’s the westerners that are acting on it, organizing these disastrous meetings. We are wise to stay far away from them."

  "Indeed, they fail to see that we have a different way of handling things. They prefer to go with ostentatious protests, but we prefer to bide our time. At the end of the day, we need the government, but the government also needs us. There are only 120000 of us left, and we are the foundation that’s holding the Hope up. The government could only do so much without irreparably damaging its own survival. Can’t these westerners see that things will eventually pan out? It is just a matter of time. In fact, I dare say, the government will soon roll out more residential areas, entertainment zones, and its own currency. These cries of dissention will only slow all that down," Qiu Qiu supplied.