177: Chapter 177 The Hero Returns and the World's Cheers
The voyage of "soaring heavens" traversing the Earth-Moon space had never been as attention-grabbing as it was this time.
When this silver-gray giant ship adjusted its posture and sailed out from the lunar shadow zone, bathing in the bright sunlight, the subtle traces left by battle on the hull—the ablation spots on the side, the scorch marks near the shield generator, and several armor damages that had not yet been fully repaired—were clearly visible in the sunlight, and the entire Earth seemed to hold its breath.
The GDC pushed real-time footage to all connected screens globally via the "Mozi" quantum network.
There was no impassioned soundtrack, no sentimental commentary.
There was only the starry sky as a backdrop, with "soaring heavens" as the scene.
That warship, which had just defeated the alien invaders in deep space, was slowly approaching its azure home with a steady and firm posture. Behind it lay the pitch-black, deep universe, and in front of it was the blue star, beautiful as a gemstone, floating in the sunlight. On the side of the hull, the two characters "soaring heavens" shone brilliantly in the daylight, and the GDA emblem below reflected a soft light.
At this moment, language was superfluous.
Earth, Dragon Kingdom, Capital City.
A huge holographic screen hung over the city's central square. In front of the screen, there was already a sea of people. People looked up, watching the increasingly clear silhouette of "soaring heavens."
A little boy in a school uniform rode on his father's shoulders, his small hands clutching his father's hair tightly, his eyes wide open: "Dad, is that the big spaceship that defeated the aliens?"
The father's voice was somewhat choked with emotion: "Yes, that's it. That is our 'soaring heavens'."
Beside them, an elderly grandmother with white hair, leaning on a cane, had tears shimmering in her cloudy eyes, murmuring: "It's back... Good, it's good that it's back..."
In the crowd, no one knew who shouted first: "Welcome home!"
The next moment, a sound like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami roaring erupted from the square, rapidly spreading to the entire street and the entire city district!
"Welcome home! soaring heavens!"
"Heroes! Heroes!"
"Long live humanity!"
The sound gathered into a wave, echoing over the city. Countless arms were raised high, waving makeshift GDA flags, the Dragon Kingdom flag, or simply waving vigorously in the air.
Moscow, Red Square.
The freezing weather could not stop the people's enthusiasm. Faces wrapped in wool hats and scarves were flushed with excitement. People shouted in Russian: "Ура! (Hurrah!)" "Космические воины! (Space Warriors!)"
An old veteran wearing an old-style military uniform, his chest covered in medals, tremblingly raised his right hand, saluting a standard and solemn military salute towards "soaring heavens" on the screen. The young people beside him saw this and also stood at attention, straightening their backs.
Paris, the square outside the European Union headquarters.
The romantic French sprayed champagne into the air, the golden liquid sparkling in the sunlight. People hugged, kissed, and cheered. The shouts of "Liberté! (Freedom!)" and "Vive l'humanité! (Long live humanity!)" intertwined. A huge GDA flag fluttered against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.
Cairo, New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi...
In every corner of the world, wherever screens could light up, people stopped their work and walked out of their homes. They expressed the same emotion in different languages—the ecstasy of survival after a disaster, gratitude to the guardians, and an unprecedented collective pride belonging to the entire human civilization.
"Bright Dawn" base, main control center.
Lin Mo, Elder Chen, and a group of senior generals stood in front of the circular screen, watching the celebration footage coming from all over the world, watching "soaring heavens" steadily sail into its designated berth in low Earth orbit.
The corners of Elder Chen's eyes were slightly moist; he took off his reading glasses and wiped them gently: "How many years has it been... I didn't expect to see such a scene in my lifetime. We are no longer ants fighting endlessly among ourselves; we... are a civilization capable of uniting to confront the threats from the sea of stars."
Lin Mo did not speak, just watched quietly. In his mind flashed his confused self after unemployment, the shock of binding the system, the exhaustion of deducing blueprints late at night time and again, the determination when anonymously handing over the technology... Walking all the way to today, sacrifice, pressure, doubt, and crisis had never been far away.
But at this moment, looking at the pure joy and hope brimming on the faces of people of different skin colors and different faiths on the screen, he felt a heavy sense of satisfaction.
It was worth it.
Su Xiaowan quietly walked to his side, handed him a cup of warm water, and whispered: "Global public opinion monitoring shows the positive sentiment index has reached its peak since records began. The fear index has dropped by 73%. 'Unity,' 'Hope,' and 'Future' have become the most frequent keywords."
Lin Mo took the water cup and took a sip; the warm water soothed his somewhat dry throat. "Fear will not disappear; it has only been suppressed by the temporary victory." He looked at Su Xiaowan, "The 'Ripper' is still silent in Jupiter's orbit, and the final data of 'the piercer' has also been sent out. Celebration is necessary, but our time may be more urgent than everyone imagines."
Su Xiaowan nodded, the joy in her eyes also restrained a bit, restoring the calmness of an intelligence director: "Understood. However, Consultant Lin, at least for this moment, let them cheer to their heart's content. This is what they deserve, and it is also... what those children on 'soaring heavens' deserve."
Lin Mo looked at the screen. At this time, the footage switched to the bridge of "soaring heavens."
"soaring heavens" bridge.
Long Zhantian adjusted his crisp uniform, took a deep breath, and opened the global broadcast channel. His image appeared on countless screens.
"This is the first aerospace mothership of the Human Civilization Guardian Alliance, 'soaring heavens.' I am the captain, Long Zhantian."
His voice was steady, with a hint of imperceptible hoarseness, but it clearly spread across the world.
"We have completed the first external defense combat mission and have returned safely. In this battle, our ship had a total of 374 crew members, with zero casualties. Seventeen people sustained minor injuries and have received proper treatment."
Simple data, yet it made countless people's eyes turn red again. In front of such an unknown and terrifying enemy, there were no sacrifices! This was not only a manifestation of strength but also the combined result of luck, courage, and precise command.
"The victory of this battle belongs to every dedicated crew member on 'soaring heavens,' and it belongs to the scientists and command teams providing technical support and tactical guidance in the rear," Long Zhantian paused, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the screen, looking at everyone watching him, "It belongs even more to all the human compatriots who have united and worked hard for the continuation of civilization."
"We have proven that when humanity abandons differences and unites as one, we have the ability to protect our home."
"But this is just the beginning. The threat is still not far away, and the road remains long. 'soaring heavens' and the entire GDC force will continue to hold our posts and fulfill our duties."
"May this light of victory illuminate the path ahead for us."
"For Earth, for civilization."
"Report concluded."
The speech was short and powerful, taking no credit, and showing no slack. At a moment of global jubilation, the captain's calm reminder was like a perfectly tempered basin of warm water; it did not extinguish the enthusiasm, yet it made people in the midst of revelry feel a slight shiver, reminding them of the shadows that had not yet dissipated from the depths of the starry sky.
This did not affect people's reverence for the heroes in the slightest.
When the hatch of "soaring heavens" opened at the geostationary orbit base, and the first batch of crew members on rotational leave returned to the ground by shuttle, they received a volcanic, overwhelming welcome that even they had not expected.
The airport was submerged in flowers and flags, and the public spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road, the cheers almost lifting the roof. The young officers were a bit at a loss; many of them still had the fatigue of battle on their faces, but at this moment, they were surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd and flashing cameras. They were called "Children of the Stars" and "Guardians of the Home," their images appeared in the headlines of major media, and their stories were passed from mouth to mouth.
This was the simplest and most sincere tribute from human civilization to the first group of its children who fought for it in the sea of stars.
Night fell, but the celebrations in many cities did not stop. Fireworks bloomed in the city's night sky, not as festive fireworks, but as spontaneous patterns simulated by the public using light and shadow to form the silhouette of "soaring heavens" and the GDA emblem.
Under the starry sky, above the earth, the cheers still echoed.
This was a civilization's celebration, celebrating that it had survived its first life-and-death test, celebrating that it had found the meaning of unity, and celebrating that when it finally looked up at the starry sky, besides curiosity and fear, its eyes now held courage and hope.