248: The starlight of home and the dilemma of "embracing".

The Ark slowly adjusted its posture, like a weary bird returning to its forest, sliding into the familiar and warm gravitational embrace of the "Homeland" star system. The familiar star map lit up on the navigation screen one by one, and the azure planet known as "Homeland" gradually enlarged in the field of view, its edges shrouded in a pale golden artificial halo—the light from space stations and orbital defense platforms. Every porthole was crowded with silent, red-rimmed faces. No one cheered, and no one wept; there was only a near-suffocating silence, a mixture of immense relief and the trepidation of returning home. This time, they were truly home, bearing the weight of their wounds and immeasurable losses, yet also carrying the hope of rebirth from the ashes.

The base had long since entered the highest state of readiness for the reception. All non-essential production activities were suspended, the port area was cleared, and the largest "Dawn" dock and its connected viewing platform were packed with a dense crowd. Wang Jianguo stood at the very front of the welcoming party. The old man had specially donned a crisp, somewhat aged dark blue uniform today, his chest covered in medals representing past meritorious services. He stood with his hands behind his back, straight as a javelin, but his slightly trembling fingertips and his eyes, which subconsciously glanced toward the airport entrance every few seconds, betrayed the turmoil within him. Behind him were the high-ranking officials, scientists, and officers of all departments of "Homeland," as well as countless ordinary citizens who had come spontaneously upon hearing the news. People craned their necks in anticipation, whispering to each other, their gazes focused on the slowly opening entrance of the massive external energy barrier.

When the Ark, with its massive hull covered in repair marks and energy burn scars, like a scarred yet unyielding giant, smoothly passed through the barrier and slid into the brightly lit dock, time seemed to freeze for an instant.

Immediately after, a tsunami of cheers, screams, applause, and sobs of joy erupted like a flood that had been dammed for too long and finally broke through! The sound waves struck the alloy dome of the dock, echoing repeatedly in the enclosed space, deafeningly loud. Streamers (simulated electronic light effects) rained down from above, and stirring triumphal music played through all broadcast systems. Many people jumped up, waving makeshift light signs or banners with words like "Welcome Home" and "Heroes Return," while many more simply clapped vigorously, wiping away the tears that kept streaming down.

The airlock opened slowly with a massive hydraulic sound, extending a connecting passage.

The first to walk out were Su Mu and Evelyn.

Su Mu had changed into a clean training uniform, her left arm still in a sling, her face showing obvious exhaustion, yet her eyes remained bright and sharp. She stood at the hatch, taking a deep breath of the air of "Homeland"—that familiar scent, carrying the slight ozone and plant fragrance unique to the recycling system—and her eyes instantly grew hot. She blinked hard, raised her uninjured right hand, and waved vigorously at the seething crowd below.

Evelyn walked beside Su Mu. Her physical form appeared in public today, a rarity—a bionic body consistent with her holographic appearance but with a more realistic texture. She had secretly built this during the latter part of the return journey, using the remaining materials on the ship and the technical support provided by Excellence. The body's movements were still slightly unnatural, but she walked steadily. She wore her usual calm smile, nodding to the crowd, but those familiar with her could see that her eyes behind the lenses were flashing with an unusually bright light.

The appearance of the two ladies ignited another wave of cheers.

Immediately after, the surviving crew members walked out in the pre-arranged Order. Many of them were also injured; some needed support from their companions, others sat in automatic wheelchairs, but everyone tried their best to straighten their spines. They wore uniforms that, despite being washed, still showed signs of damage and stains; their faces were haggard, but their eyes were resolute. When these familiar or unfamiliar faces appeared under the sunlight (artificial), seeing the excited, concerned, tearful faces of their loved ones below, their strong barriers finally broke. Tears broke through, sobs erupted, and the formation fell into slight chaos as people could not wait to embrace the family and friends who rushed up to them, with cries, words of comfort, and laughter weaving together.

Heroes return in triumph, and "Homeland" rejoices.

However, in this deeply moving scene of reunion, the eyes of almost all the core members, including Wang Jianguo, as well as many observant citizens, could not help but drift—with growing anticipation and unease—time and again toward the depths of the now-empty hatch.

Where is Excellence?

That youngest, most central commander who had created miracles, where was he?

The waves of celebration seemed to sense this subtle anticipation and suspense, gradually subsiding into a suppressed, buzzing whisper and countless inquisitive gazes directed toward the hatch.

Su Mu and Evelyn exchanged a look, sharing a complex and indescribable glance. Su Mu took a deep breath and took a high-power loudspeaker from a staff member nearby. She did not speak immediately, but waited until the scene was completely silent, leaving only the faint sound of airflow from the ventilation system and distant, faint sobs.

"Fellow citizens! Loved ones!" Su Mu's voice, transmitted through the loudspeaker, clearly reached the entire viewing platform, sounding a bit hoarse yet exceptionally powerful. "We, the entire crew of the 'Ark,' have fulfilled our mission and returned!"

Applause and cheers erupted again, but quickly subsided; people knew the main point was yet to come.

"I announce that the 'The Weave' repair mission has been a complete success!" Su Mu's voice rose, firm and decisive. "The main body erosion of 'Entropy' has been purged, and the cosmic barrier of 'Order' has been rebuilt and strengthened! We have defended our 'Homeland' and secured a future for this universe!"

This time, the cheers were more intense and prolonged, with many people embracing and weeping; this was the best consolation for the long sacrifices and immense fear.

"However," Su Mu's voice lowered, drowning out the aftermath of the cheers. The platform quickly returned to silence, and an ominous premonition began to spread. "In this final decisive battle, in Order to complete the repairs, our commander, Excellence, paid... a price beyond ordinary imagination."

Wang Jianguo swayed almost imperceptibly, his face instantly losing all color, his fingers gripping the railing beside him tightly. Suppressed gasps and sounds of sharp intakes of breath came from the crowd.

"He is fine!" Evelyn immediately stepped forward, taking over. Her voice, transmitted through the bionic body's vocal unit, carried its unique, reassuring clarity and rationality. "Please rest assured, Excellence's consciousness is intact, his thinking is clear, and his state is stable. It is just that his 'form of existence,' during the final process of repairing the core protocol of 'The Weave,' underwent a fundamental 'transformation' that we cannot yet fully reverse. His consciousness has established an unprecedented, deeply integrated link with the newborn 'The Weave' system, the core architecture of the 'Ark,' and even the deep network of our 'Homeland' base. Simply put, he is currently... temporarily unable to appear before everyone in the familiar, independent physical form."

The crowd fell into deeper bewilderment and confusion. A change in form of existence? Integration with the system? Unable to appear in a physical form? This exceeded the comprehension of the vast majority. People looked at each other, whispering, their faces full of the question, "What on earth does this mean?"

Just then—hum... hum...

A low, rhythmic humming sound came from the hull of the docked Ark. Immediately after, on the ship's outer shell, the tens of thousands of navigation lights, indicator lights, and even some adjustable armor coatings began to flash and change in synchronization!

At first, it was irregular flashing, as if debugging. But soon, the lights began to combine and arrange in an orderly fashion, sketching out clear, recognizable patterns on the massive, dark hull.

First, a huge "smiley face" symbol, made of bright white dots with a wide grin, occupied a small part of the hull, facing the direction of the viewing platform.

The smiley face flashed a few times, then disappeared as if erased. Immediately after, the lights changed, forming two blocky, slightly clumsy-looking Chinese characters: "Safe."

The characters "Safe" remained for a few seconds, then changed again. This time, the lights outlined a stick figure—a simple yet vivid outline of a "little person." The "little person" stood at the bow of the ship, raised an "arm," and made a clear, unmistakable "waving" motion toward the crowd below.

The entire viewing platform was silent. Everyone stared with wide eyes, looking in disbelief at the spaceship that was "typing with light" and "waving with a stick figure." This scene was not only unimaginably sci-fi, but also carried a kind of clumsy and sincere childlike innocence.

Almost at the same time the light patterns began to change, all the public broadcast speakers in the dock, including those around the viewing platform, simultaneously emitted a slight sound of electrical adjustment. Then, a voice—a voice that everyone was intimately familiar with, yet now carried a bit of nervousness, a bit of embarrassment, and a hint of indescribable excitement—rang out clearly in every corner:

"Ahem... um... well... Uncle Wang, uncles and aunts, big brothers and sisters, little brothers and sisters... hello... everyone. I... Excellence, am back."

It was Excellence! It was absolutely Excellence! Although it came from the cold speakers, lacking the breath and warmth of a flesh-and-blood body, that unique tone, that habitual opening with a touch of hesitation and sincerity, that "Uncle Wang"... instantly struck the hearts of countless people.

The crowd erupted completely! But this time it was not just cheers, but a clamor mixed with immense surprise, relief, laughter through tears, and deep emotion.

"It really is Little Zhuo!"

"My god! This... what is going on? Has Little Zhuo turned into a spaceship spirit?"

"Listen to that voice! That way of speaking! Yes, it's him!"

"As long as he's safe! As long as he's safe! Who cares what he's turned into!"

Wang Jianguo looked up, watching the Ark still changing its "waving stick figure" pattern, listening to the familiar, lively voice in his ears. His tense body finally relaxed, and the tears in his eyes could no longer be held back, rolling down his wrinkled cheeks. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat choked up. In the end, he just nodded vigorously and heavily toward the spaceship, raised his hand, waved hard, and shouted with all his might, his voice hoarse yet loud:

"Excellence! Good child! It's you! It really is you! It's good to be back! It's good to be back!"

"It's me, Uncle Wang!" Excellence's voice immediately responded over the broadcast, with obvious joy and relief. "I'm fine! My body... uh, is technically gone, but 'I' am still here! And it feels... actually quite wonderful. I'm sort of like... I've become a part of this ship and many systems of our 'Homeland'? A super administrator? An intelligent core? Oh, I can't explain it clearly, anyway, it's just that I can 'see' everyone, 'hear' everyone, and I can also... 'talk' and 'greet' everyone in this way!"

Super administrator? Intelligent core? The expressions on people's faces were even more varied, but after the initial shock, a strange atmosphere of understanding and acceptance began to spread. After all, this was Excellence, that young man who could always create miracles and always get into some bizarre situations. Turning into a part of a spaceship? It sounded absurd, but happening to him, it seemed... not entirely unacceptable?

"No matter what you've turned into!" Wang Jianguo wiped his face, his voice returning to a steady tone, filled with unquestionable firmness. "You are still our child, our hero, and a permanent member of 'Homeland'! This is always your home! We have all been waiting for you to come back!"

"Yeah!" Excellence's voice lowered, carrying an intense, inseparable emotion and attachment, and one could even hear a hint of a choked-up nasal tone. "I know, Uncle Wang. I'm home."

The subsequent welcome and triumphal ceremony was destined to be recorded in the annals of "Homeland," becoming the most peculiar and memorable one.

There was no protagonist to take the stage to give a speech, but the protagonist's voice and "figure" (via the ship's lights and the virtual image on the base's large screen) were everywhere.

When Su Mu and Evelyn reported on the mission on behalf of the team, Excellence would occasionally "interrupt" over the broadcast to add details or correct some technical descriptions he felt were inaccurate ("Squad leader, at that time the main attack direction of the 'Entropy Tentacle' was actually 15 degrees to the port side, not straight ahead..."), drawing a huffy glare from Su Mu (directed at the air) and good-natured chuckles from the audience.

During the award ceremony for meritorious service, when Excellence's name was called, one of the Ark's multi-functional mechanical arms (usually used for loading and unloading cargo or external repairs) was precisely controlled and extended from the side of the hull. The clamp at the end of the mechanical arm had been temporarily modified and was carefully holding a "Star Guardian" medal, representing the highest honor. The mechanical arm's movements were somewhat stiff, yet it moved with exceptional stability to an old veteran who had been selected to accept the award on Excellence's behalf, and then, at an extremely slow and careful speed, pinned the medal to the veteran's chest. The entire process was solemn yet held a touch of clumsy cuteness. The veteran was moved to tears, and gave the most standard military salute toward the mechanical arm and the direction of the spaceship. The whole venue erupted in warm, laughter-filled applause.

At the climax of the ceremony, the base's central lighting system, under the synchronized control of Excellence and in coordination with the live orchestra's symphonic performance, put on a simple yet stunning light show.

The lights brightened and dimmed with the rhythm of the music, colors flowing, and even above the viewing platform, using spotlights from different angles, they wove together three-dimensional, slowly rotating light patterns of "The Weave" Nodes and beacons.

It wonderfully blended the heroism of triumph, the fantasy of technology, and the warmth of returning home.

After the ceremony ended, the true, more complex process of "Integration" had only just begun.

Excellence quickly and thoroughly intervened in the daily operations of "Homeland".

Relying on his deep link with the newborn "The Weave" and his extraordinary control over information energy, he completed a comprehensive "physical examination" and deep optimization of core systems such as the base defense system, global energy network, ecological circulation hub, and traffic control matrix in almost an instant.

The complex system that previously required dozens of posts and hundreds of people working in three shifts to monitor and maintain now had its operational efficiency increased several times over, energy consumption significantly reduced, and potential failure points warned and eliminated in advance.

He unceremoniously "allocated" the large amount of liberated manpower to Wang Jianguo—investing it into the continuous monitoring of the universe's state after the repair of "The Weave", the explosive period of new technology research and development based on beacon and The Weave knowledge, and the large-scale construction project of "ark-class" follow-up ships that had long been on the agenda and was now even more urgent.

His "Perception", following the extension of the base network, could theoretically reach every corner equipped with sensors and cameras.

At first, this caused some people's unease and privacy concerns.

Excellence keenly sensed this, and without even needing a reminder from Su Mu or Evelyn, he proactively drafted and promulgated the extremely strict "Excellence (System Fusion State) Conduct and Privacy Protocol".

The core of the protocol included: unless a clear security threat (such as intrusion, fire, or a distress signal for life-threatening danger) was detected, or a clear request for assistance was received from personnel in the relevant area, he would never proactively access audiovisual sensor data from that area; all private living quarters, restrooms, changing rooms, and other areas were permanently shielded from his Perception access by default; anyone could, at any time, temporarily or permanently shield non-essential monitoring in their area via personal terminals or specific passcodes; he even set a simulated human "work-rest schedule" for himself—during the late night to early morning of base time, his active consciousness would enter a "low-power silence" state, retaining only the minimum level of security alert functions, reducing the oppressive feeling of being "always present" that it brought to people.

These measures quickly won the understanding and trust of most people.

People began to get used to shouting "Consultant Zhuo" at the air or the nearest microphone when they needed help, often getting a quick response; they also got used to enjoying private spaces where they were not being "watched" at certain times.

However, for Su Mu and Evelyn, who were closest to Excellence, this interaction through screens, speakers, and machinery, after the initial surprise and adaptation, gradually exposed its irreparable flaws.

The living quarters of Su Mu and Evelyn at the base were adjusted to two adjacent suites with a connecting door in between.

This became the "main interface" for Excellence's daily interaction with them.

The living room wall was installed with a custom-made high-definition large screen that took up almost the entire wall, equipped with a top-tier multi-channel surround sound system.

There were also multiple auxiliary displays and high-quality speakers throughout the room.

A general-purpose service robot (playfully nicknamed "Little Zhuo" by Su Mu), specially modified by Excellence with more flexible robotic arms and a simple emotional interaction module, was stationed in the corner of the living room on standby.

In the evening, Su Mu finished a long day of reporting meetings and rehabilitation training, returning to her residence with exhaustion and a dull ache in her left arm.

She kicked off her shoes, threw herself onto the sofa, and habitually said to the empty living room: "I'm home."

As soon as her voice fell, the main screen lit up silently.

Excellence's virtual image appeared on the screen—it was one he had designed himself, a Q-version cartoon-style boy, sitting cross-legged on a virtual sofa that looked soft and comfortable, beaming a big smile at her: "Thank you for your hard work, Squad Leader! Vital sign monitoring shows high muscle fatigue in your left arm injury and a slightly elevated heart rate. According to your preferences, I've already prepared hot water in the bathroom, set to 41 degrees, with soothing herbal essential oils added. Dinner is ready in the kitchen; it's the braised pork belly set meal you've been talking about for a long time, plus a fresh 'serene cucumber' salad specially sent by Sister Chen. It's expected to be delivered by the food delivery robot in three minutes."

Comprehensive information, thoughtful service.

Su Mu looked at the cartoon image on the screen with its brilliant smile and lively eyes, but her heart felt as if it had been gently pricked by something.

A subtle, indescribable sense of loss and emptiness quietly spread.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, using her usual, slightly teasing tone to cover it up: "Yo, quite the attentive service, Little Zhuo."

The nickname "Little Zhuo" was given to Excellence (in his new form) by Su Mu on the return journey; after protesting several times to no avail, Excellence had to helplessly accept it, even using it to refer to himself at times.

"At your service, Squad Leader!" Cartoon Excellence gave a lackluster salute.

Evelyn's way of getting along was more inclined towards "academic partner".

She would sit at the desk in the living room, facing the large screen, discussing with Excellence the abnormal fluctuations discovered in the newly acquired "The Weave" data, or deducing some new energy formula based on beacon knowledge.

Excellence's virtual image would call up complex holographic models on the side to conduct simulation demonstrations, or perform calculations directly on the virtual whiteboard.

His thinking speed and analytical ability made this collaboration extremely efficient, and Evelyn was often immersed in it.

It was just that when she suddenly found inspiration for a problem that had troubled her for a long time, and habitually reached out to grab the now-cold coffee cup beside her, she would find that the cup had already been silently pushed to her hand by the "Little Zhuo" robot, the cup wall delivering just the right amount of warmth.

She would be slightly startled, looking at that quiet robotic arm reflecting a cold metallic light, then lower her head, adjust her glasses, a very faint smile mixed with warmth and loss appearing at the corners of her mouth, and softly say: "Thank you."

Some vacancies cannot be filled by even the most advanced technology or the most thoughtful service.

Once, when Su Mu was conducting restorative training in the gravity training room, she was distracted and landed unsteadily, causing a sharp pain in her ankle.

Although the medical scan showed it was only a minor soft tissue sprain, the pain and the sudden sense of frustration caused her mood to instantly hit rock bottom.

Excellence discovered the abnormality almost immediately through the training room's monitoring system.

He immediately dispatched the nearest medical robot, which rushed to Su Mu's side with ice packs, spray, and elastic bandages.

The robot used its robotic arm to skillfully lift her foot, performing a cold compress and bandaging, its movements standard and impeccable.

Su Mu sat on the training room floor, leaning against the cold wall, watching the metal creation busy at her ankle, feeling the cold, stinging pain from the spray, and then looking up at the empty ceiling of the training room, a strong, unreasonable sense of grievance and loneliness suddenly gripped her heart.

Her nose soured, and her vision instantly blurred.

She missed the Excellence who would come rushing over, shouting and panicking, his face full of unmasked worry, who would clumsily support her with warm palms, constantly asking "Squad Leader, are you okay? Does it hurt?", and then perhaps accidentally bumping her injury because he was too anxious, the Excellence who had real body temperature and tactile sensation.

"Squad Leader, medical data shows it's just a minor sprain, pain index level three, analgesic spray has been used. Do you need to call medical personnel?" Excellence's voice sounded through the training room's broadcast, his tone steady, carrying programmatic concern.

"No need." Su Mu turned her head, said in a muffled voice, and quickly wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

There was silence in the broadcast for a moment.

Su Mu could almost imagine that if Excellence had a physical form, he would surely be standing in front of her at this moment, at a loss, wanting to comfort her but not knowing where to start.

After a while, the "Little Zhuo" robot finished the bandaging and did not leave immediately, but instead used its robotic arm to gently, somewhat stiffly, pat Su Mu on the shoulder.

The metallic touch was cold and hard.

Su Mu looked at that cold "hand" on her shoulder, stunned for two seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing, and as she laughed, tears fell down again.

"What a fool..." she said in a low voice, with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Squad Leader..." Excellence's voice was very low, carrying clear annoyance and powerlessness, "I..."

"What are you apologizing for," Su Mu sniffled, raised her hand, and patted the robot's temperatureless metal arm, "It's not your fault. This... is also quite good."

She paused, her voice as light as a sigh, "At least... you are still here, and you can still talk to me like this."

Evelyn also experienced similar moments.

That was a technical breakthrough, where she had worked for over thirty hours straight, and finally, in the early hours of the morning, found the inspiration to crack a bottleneck in a key energy circuit.

A huge sense of achievement and excitement instantly drowned out the exhaustion, and she almost instinctively turned to her side, wanting to high-five and celebrate with the partner who always fought side-by-side with her and shared the joy of every breakthrough.

However, there was only an empty seat beside her, and the stationary, standby-state cartoon image of Excellence on the screen.

The excitement was like a punctured balloon, quickly leaking away, replaced by a cold emptiness.

She spoke to the screen, detailing her findings and derivation process.

The Excellence image on the screen immediately "came alive", (simulated) excitement flashing in his eyes, as he called up relevant models for verification at the fastest speed, and gave extremely high praise and suggestions for further improvement.

Logic was clear, insights profound, reactions swift.

But Evelyn looked at that perfect cartoon face on the screen with its standard expression of joy, listening to the flawless congratulatory words coming through the speakers, yet the sense of emptiness in her heart became increasingly clear.

She missed the lively and vivid boy who would let his eyes light up because of her praise, would argue with her until his face turned red over a technical detail, and would jump up and high-five her forcefully after solving a problem together, with the crisp sound and real tactile sensation of palms meeting.

She looked at her palms, her fingers somewhat cold from long hours of work, and whispered to herself, her voice so low that almost only she could hear: "If only... we could really high-five."

The virtual image of Excellence on the screen suddenly paused for a moment.

The expression on that cartoon face also seemed to freeze, and those big, pixelated eyes seemed to "look" at Evelyn's raised hand.

Then, he slowly, slowly raised his virtual right hand, palm forward, making a clear, waiting-to-high-five posture.

On his virtual face, he tried hard to mobilize pixels to combine a smile that was as "brilliant" and "expectant" as possible.

Evelyn stared blankly at the screen, looking at that "palm" hanging in the void, composed of light and shadow.

A few seconds later, she slowly raised her right hand as well, palm forward, across more than a meter of air and the cold screen, and "patted" that virtual palm gently, virtually.

No sound, no tactile sensation, only the interweaving of light and shadow.

The living room was extremely quiet.

"Soon, Sister Evelyn." Excellence's voice sounded, no longer the previously chirpy or steady tone, but carrying an unprecedented, heavy, and firm determination, as if every word used immense strength, "Give me some time. I promise, I will definitely find a way. Find a way to truly... return to your side. Return to everyone's side. I promise."

This was not empty words of comfort.

This was a vow, the core driving force of all his subsequent actions, and the ultimate goal of his next, and most ultimate, "hand-crafted" project—the final stage of the "Apollo Project": to create a new body for himself that could perfectly carry his current consciousness, walk freely, and truly touch this world.

In Order to be able to feel the force of Su Mu patting his shoulder again, to be able to hear that crisp sound when high-fiving Evelyn again, to be able to hug Wang Jianguo, to be able to walk firmly on the land of "Homeland", to feel the sunlight and the wind, and for all those temperatures and tactile sensations that screens and speakers could not convey.

No matter how many ultimate codes of life science this requires cracking, no matter how much forbidden knowledge of "The Weave" and beacons needs to be called upon, no matter how many unknown risks and failures lie ahead.

The cartoon image on the screen had eyes that were astonishingly bright, where unquestionable will and hope burned.

The true road home, for Excellence, had perhaps only just begun.