236: Chapter 235 A Lament for the Stars, The Weight of Choice and Old Zhang's Flowers
Day 9 in the Fusion Chamber: The Stars' Request
The fifth path home belongs to the Star civilization.
That cluster of light—they call themselves "Star Remnants"—is different from all other civilizations. They were born in the intense radiation field of a neutron star, using magnetic field fluctuations as their language and gravitational ripples as their art. Their "individuals" are magnetic storms lasting for thousands of years, and their "society" is a symphony of countless magnetic storms on a galactic scale.
Now, their home star—that neutron star—has cooled. The magnetic field has weakened, and the storms have calmed. Their once brilliant civilization is now reduced to this final testament.
Chen Mo stared at the data on the screen, his brows furrowed. The Star civilization's journey home is more complex than all the others—they don't need to return to a planet, but to a specific orbit "near" that neutron star. In that orbit, they can use their remaining energy to weave an "Elegy of the Stars," and then let that song echo forever in that region of space.
But the problem is that the location of that neutron star is extremely far from the Solar System—farther than all previous paths home combined. With humanity's current technology, even using the Cradle's space-time folding channel, they would need to make at least three "jumps" along the way. Every jump is a life-or-death test.
"What if the jump fails?" Chen Mo asked the light of the Star Remnants.
The Star Remnants flickered slightly, conveying an image: a meteor streaking across the night sky, burning, disappearing, but leaving behind the brightest light before it vanishes.
"Are you... willing to take this risk?"
The light of the Star Remnants brightened a little. The image was: We have waited for countless eons. Waiting any longer is no different from disappearing. If we can die on the way home, that too is... going home.
Chen Mo was silent for a long time.
Then, he forwarded this request to the Command Center.
Command Center: The Weight of Choice
Lin Shen sat in his office with three documents in front of him.
The first was the Star civilization's homecoming plan. Risk assessment: 37% failure rate. If it fails, the carrier will be lost in the folds of space-time along with the Star Remnants.
The second was the list of volunteers for the carrier. The first name on the list was—Chen Mo.
The third was a note Lin Wan had quietly slipped to him yesterday. The note had only one line:
"Chen Mo wants to go. Let him go."
Lin Shen stared at the note for a long time.
After emotional detachment, he thought he wouldn't hesitate over such things again. But now, he realized that the 0.7% fluctuation was slowly, stubbornly beating in his chest.
Chen Mo was the first carrier. He sent away Luli. He solved the first path. He saw that handshake between him and Lin Wan. He also saw those nights when he ate noodles with Lin Wan.
If Chen Mo doesn't come back...
Lin Shen closed his eyes.
Then, he opened his eyes and signed his name on the application.
Not "approved," but—
"Waiting for you to return."
Launch Site: The Fifth Gate
Three days later, at four in the morning.
Above the launch site, the fifth "Gate of Homecoming" was slowly opening. That gate was bigger and brighter than all the previous ones—because this time, the path was the longest and the most dangerous.
Chen Mo stood in the center of the launch site, with everyone who could make it standing behind him. Lin Wan stood at the very front, Su Kun stood next to her, and Zhou Zhe stood quietly, shrouded in the pure white Poem Markings.
The light of the Star Remnants flickered slightly beside him. It had waited too long. Countless eons, finally arriving at this moment.
Chen Mo turned to face everyone.
No one spoke. But everyone's eyes were saying the same thing: Safe travels.
Lin Wan stepped forward and stuffed something into his hand. Chen Mo looked down; it was that small cloth bag—the one he had given her when she crossed the void. It contained soil from the Mars potato field, mixed with the soil from next to the little cabbage.
"Take it," Lin Wan said, her voice trembling slightly. "In case you get lost, it can help you find home."
Chen Mo smiled and tucked the cloth bag close to him.
Then, he walked up to Lin Shen.
The two looked at each other. Silence.
Chen Mo suddenly reached out and pressed firmly on Lin Shen's shoulder.
The force of that press was heavy. Heavy enough to make Lin Shen's shoulder sink slightly.
But Lin Shen didn't dodge.
He just looked at Chen Mo, and then said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Come back."
Chen Mo nodded. Then, he turned and walked toward the gate.
When he reached the gate, he stopped and looked back.
In the crowd, Lin Wan was smiling. Su Kun was listening with her eyes closed. Zhou Zhe's pure white Poem Markings was glowing faintly.
He smiled, and then walked into the gate.
The gate closed slowly behind him, and the sky returned to normal.
Everyone was staring at the gate that had already disappeared.
Only Su Kun closed her eyes and began to "listen."
Depths of Space-Time: Three Jumps
Chen Mo's consciousness, along with the light of the Star Remnants, sped through the space-time folding channel.
The first jump passed smoothly.
The second jump had a slight deviation at the channel entrance. The Star Remnants split off a wisp of light and forcibly "pulled" the channel straight. The cost was that the wisp of light dissipated—it was a part of the Star Remnants, proof of their existence for countless eons.
Chen Mo's eyes were red, but he didn't speak. He knew this was the Star Remnants' choice.
The third jump was the most dangerous.
The channel entrance was in a region of space known as the "Undercurrent Zone." The space-time structure there was extremely unstable; a slight carelessness would result in being torn to shreds.
Chen Mo closed his eyes and "looked" at the region with his light vision. In his perception, it was like a boiling ocean, with countless space-time vortices spinning crazily.
The light of the Star Remnants flickered violently beside him. Then, it did something Chen Mo hadn't expected—
It split off more than half of its light, condensed it into a "light core," and then rushed straight into the Undercurrent Zone.
It was "clearing the path."
Using half of its own existence to blast a path for Chen Mo and the remaining half.
Chen Mo wanted to shout "No," but he couldn't make a sound. He could only watch as that large half of the light crashed into the boiling space-time, then erupted with the brightest light.
The channel opened.
The remaining half of the Star Remnants took Chen Mo and rushed into the channel.
Then, they emerged.
Ahead was a cooling neutron star, rotating quietly in the starry sky. That was the home of the Star Remnants, the "home" they had waited countless eons for.
The remaining half of the Star Remnants flickered violently. Then, it split off a very thin wisp of light and shone it on Chen Mo.
The light was warm, like the last warmth of a neutron star, like a mother's final embrace.
The last image it conveyed was:
"Thank you for bringing us home. The other half has already gone ahead. Now, we are going to find them."
Then, the cluster of light drifted toward the neutron star.
Chen Mo stood at the exit of the channel, watching it get smaller and smaller, further and further away, until finally, it merged into the light of that star.
He knew it was home.
And the dissipated half was also on its way home.
Cradle: The Moment of Return
Above the launch site, the gate that had been closed for five days suddenly opened again.
Chen Mo's figure stepped out from the gate.
He was pale and exhausted, but his eyes were startlingly bright.
Lin Wan was the first to rush up and hug him tightly.
"You're back!" Her voice trembled. "You finally came back!"
Chen Mo patted her back gently without saying a word.
Su Kun walked over, closed her eyes, "listened" for a while, then opened her eyes and said softly:
"The dissipated half has also gone home. They are on the final path."
Chen Mo nodded, took out the cloth bag from where he had kept it close, and opened it—the pinch of soil from the Mars potato field was still there.
He smiled and put the cloth bag away.
Then, he looked up toward the back of the crowd.
Lin Shen was standing there, looking at him from afar.
Chen Mo walked over and stood in front of him.
The two looked at each other. Silence.
Then, Chen Mo said, "I'm back."
Lin Shen didn't speak. He just reached out and pressed lightly on Chen Mo's shoulder.
The touch was very light. So light it was almost imperceptible.
But Chen Mo knew that was everything he could give.
Mars: little cabbage's Gaze
Mars potato field.
The little cabbage had grown to calf-height. Its leaves were thick, tender green, and shining under the sunlight of Mars.
It had "heard" many things recently. Old Zhang's flute music on Earth, the "breathing" of the crystal cores in the soil nearby, the chorus of the "firefly one"s in the potato field. And, the "Elegy of the Stars" coming from the very, very deep starry sky.
It didn't know what that song meant. But it knew the song was beautiful. So beautiful it made it want to cry.
The Potato Chief's projection hovered above it, asking gently: "What are you thinking about?"
The little cabbage was silent for a while, then sent a faint signal:
"I'm thinking, when I grow up, will someone sing a song for me too?"
The Potato Chief was silent for a long time.
Then, it gently "sang" a tune using the rhythm of the potatoes.
That tune was Old Zhang's flute music. It was a folk song from Earth. It was the sound an old man gently played to the soil on countless ordinary days.
The little cabbage's leaves trembled gently in the singing.
It knew someone had already sung for it.
Earth: Old Zhang's Flower
Earth, a small town in the south.
Old Zhang squatted in the vegetable plot, looking at the Mars potatoes.
A month had passed. The buds had grown into a patch of lush green seedlings. The tallest one had reached his knee. And, it had bloomed.
A small, pale purple flower swayed gently in the sunlight.
Old Zhang stared at the flower for a long time. Then, he reached out and, with extreme caution, gently touched the petal.
The petal trembled, like a shy girl.
Old Zhang smiled. He smiled until his eyes were red.
He ran into the house, pulled his wife out, and pointed at the flower: "Look! It bloomed! It bloomed!"
His wife took a look and curled her lips: "It's just a flower, what's the big fuss?"
Old Zhang ignored her and squatted back down to continue watching the flower.
As he watched, he suddenly remembered something, ran into the house, took out the flute, and played a tune gently to the flower.
It was that same old folk song. The melody was long, carrying a bit of faint sadness, and a bit of warm expectation.
The flower swayed gently in the flute music.
As if breathing along with the rhythm.
Solar System Entrance: The Fifth Signal
That silent light, at the moment Chen Mo returned, trembled for the fifth time.
This time, the trembling lasted for a full ten seconds. Then, it sent the fifth signal in the direction of the Cradle.
"Choose."
Zhou Zhe captured this signal in the pure white Poem Markings.
"See," "Wait," "Remember," "Choose."
Five characters, five stages.
See them send civilizations home. Wait for them to make a choice. Remember every moment of them. Now, let them "choose."
Choose what?
Choose to become "after," or become "thank you."
Zhou Zhe looked at the silent light and asked softly:
"Have you... ever chosen?"
No one answered.
But he knew the answer must be: Yes, we chose. And we chose wrong.
That's why they became what they are now.
Night: The Silence of Five People
Late at night, the canteen.
Chen Mo sat in a corner with a bowl of "self" noodles in front of him. He hadn't eaten for five days, but now, he just wanted to slowly finish this bowl of noodles.
Lin Wan sat opposite him, keeping him company.
Su Kun sat beside him, eyes closed, "listening" to the Elegy of the Stars still echoing in the depths of the starry sky.
Zhou Zhe sat at another table, the pure white Poem Markings glowing faintly.
At the entrance, Lin Shen walked in.
He didn't sit down, just stood by the counter, looking at them from afar.
Great Strength walked over to Lin Shen with a bowl of freshly cooked noodles and handed it to him: "Eat. Why are you standing there?"
Lin Shen took the noodles and looked down.
In the noodles, there was a poached egg, a few chopped green onions, and a clear broth base.
He suddenly remembered that a long time ago, someone had also cooked such noodles for him.
That person was now sitting over there, keeping someone else company.
He picked up the bowl and took a bite.
The noodles were very hot, burning his tongue. But he didn't stop, eating it all, bite by bite.
Then, he put down the bowl and turned to leave.
When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.
The four people were still there. Eating noodles, talking, laughing occasionally.
He watched for a long time.
Then, he turned and walked into the night.
Outside the window, in the depths of the starry sky, the light of the Cradle was still warm. At the entrance to the Solar System, the light of the Reapers was still silent.
But tonight, one person had just finished a bowl of noodles.
A flower had just bloomed on Earth.
A song had just sounded in the depths of the stars.
Five characters had just been received by humanity.
"Choose."