CAT Chapter 8: To The Distant Home Planet (4)

The circular central hall, capable of seating nearly a thousand people, gradually filled to capacity, and all the members gathered here were watching Madam Chen on the stage.

Today, she wore a deep blue suit. Her hair, usually styled into a neat bun, was now flowing down, giving her a more gentle and approachable appearance. This contrasted beautifully with the soft image of the blue planet on the light screen behind her.

——Yet, her opening words were unexpectedly heavy, leaving the audience stunned.

 “In the year 2544, the ‘Voyager’ set sail. In 2567, we departed from the Laplant Ring, leaving behind the reach of our signal transmission. From that moment, we left our homeland for good.”

“In fact, by the second year of our voyage, no one on the dying home planet responded to our calls.”

“We don’t know if any of our fellow human beings have survived on the distant mother star, nor whether the ‘Voyager‘ will reach its final destination. Yet, we constantly remember our heavy responsibility and are not swayed by the endless loneliness— we are the seeds of civilization, carrying the last light of hope, sailing across the vast universe.”

The hall erupted into thunderous applause.

She paused for a moment and then continued, “We have traveled across the universe for 137 years, 1.12 million light-years. We have passed through 232 galaxies and hovered over 56 asteroids. To this day, the spaceship has rotated four generations of excellent scientists and soldiers, and our scientific achievements are nothing short of glorious—whether it’s the Van Graff force field, the Lindis force field, the Lucia system, or the ‘Limitless’ project and neuron mechanics, these are all milestone advancements in human science.”

She smiled, “Ten days ago, a massive nuclear accident occurred in Zone 1. Fortunately, thanks to the full rescue efforts of Zone 6, all 53 experimental personnel are out of danger. Even more worthy of celebration is that, although the experiment ended with a flaw due to operational errors, the result is indisputable—the third-generation nuclear fusion technology has been fully perfected, and we have now entered the era of unlimited energy.”

After a brief silence, the hall erupted into even more enthusiastic applause.

Mr. Lambert and his partners received many surprised praises, “It’s unbelievable, you guys are amazing!”

After everyone had finished cheering, Madam Chen continued, “Today, I had a long discussion with the heads of various research regions. In the end, we believe the conditions for landing on a habitable planet and establishing a human base are now ripe. As for the military’s opinion—” She smiled, “We all know the military can’t wait any longer.”

Everyone laughed kindly and looked toward Marshal Sius, who was sitting on the other side.

The Marshal’s mood seemed to be very good as well, and his expression was not as serious as usual. He nodded in acknowledgment to the people watching him.

After their laughter subsided, they turned their attention back to Madam Chen, and their gazes were different now.

Earlier, their excitement had purely been about the achievements of Zone 1. Now, there was a mix of anticipation and unease—Madam Chen’s words had hinted at the next step for the ‘Voyager.’

As expected, Madam Chen said solemnly, “Therefore, I officially initiate a vote here. If more than two-thirds of the ‘Voyager’ members agree, we will set sail again tomorrow, enter subspace flight, and head toward the nearest habitable zone to attempt the first human base construction on an exoplanet.”

The members’ communication wristbands lit up, projecting an interface before them.

Ling Yi looked at the interface.

Although he had woken up with no memory, he had learned quickly. In just a few days, he could now fully understand the common written language.

“Lin Si,” he called out to Lin Si, “Do planets look as beautiful as Earth?”

Lin Si selected “Agree” on his interface and replied to Ling Yi, “Most planets have nothing on them.”

Ling Yi tilted his head. “Then why do we need to land?”

This was a difficult question to answer.

Finally, Lin Si said, “Because the universe is too vast, and we are very small.”

Ling Yi replied, “But planets are small too.”

“But they can protect us,” Lin Si said, “We will encounter many dangers in space, like that black hole. But we can grow safely on a suitable planet, develop our science, and one day, no longer fear any danger in the universe.”

Ling Yi nodded slightly and also selected “Agree.”

Lin Si looked at him.

— Lin Si wasn’t particularly good at expressing himself, and sometimes he was quite reserved, but anyone who faced those beautiful, confused eyes couldn’t bear to leave him in confusion for long.

The voting process didn’t take long. It was completed within ten minutes, with 98% of people selecting “Agree.”

The proposal passed naturally, and they would likely soon see land after such a long time.

Madam Chen then elaborated on the conditions they currently had, assuring that the future of the spaceship was undoubtedly bright. Additionally, she announced that there would be a grand celebration banquet for Zone 1 tonight—to celebrate the beginning of the era of unlimited energy.

After the event, Lin Si took Ling Yi and left the central hall, heading straight to Zone 3.

Although Lin Si had a poor relationship with Marshal Sius, he was very familiar with Zone 3. After the “Limitless” project’s two phases of experimental subjects were modified, they served in Zone 3, and Lin Si needed to come here to gather follow-up data. With the modifications, their bodily functions had been greatly enhanced, making it unsuitable for them to train with ordinary soldiers, so they had their own designated area.

Ling Yi curiously looked around at the environment here.

Like the other zones, Zone 3 was also made from silvery, metallic materials, with a spacious hall, interconnected corridors, and elevators. However, the atmosphere here was much more serious.

The people passing by wore black military uniforms, with shoulder epaulets representing their ranks. They stood straight, carrying weapons and showing no expression.

Ling Yi asked Lin Si, “Does Zone 3 also research science like you?”

“They safeguard science,” Lin Si replied, “Regular patrols, landing on planets to mine resources, and ensuring the safety of the spaceship are the military’s responsibilities. Their role will become even more important after landing on a planet.”

Ling Yi asked, “Will I have to do these things in the future?”

“Your status belongs to the military, but if you find something else you want to do, I will try my best to fight for your freedom.”

After saying this, Lin Si thought to himself that raising a child normally was much more complicated than just handing him over to the military for daily training.

He also believed Ling Yi should be exposed to various fields of knowledge to help him make choices about his future direction—just like the schools on Earth.

Lin Si calculated that due to the setbacks of the “Limitless” project, he could allocate a lot of time to this little guy in his recent work schedule.

Ling Yi obediently held Lin Si’s hand as they approached a metal door at least five meters wide, with a small emblem at the top, written in cursive as “limitless.”

The iris recognition system activated, and information appeared below.

Zone 6, Lin Si, permission level SS, access granted.

The spaceship’s permissions and secrets had seven levels, from D to SSS, with the highest level reserved for Marshal Sius and Madam Chen. Lin Si and others in charge of a single zone were one level lower.

The metal door slowly opened, revealing a vast training area, several times larger than the central hall, clearly divided into several zones. Numerous small landing ships and probes were parked along the edges.

At that moment, about two hundred people were moving around the training areas.

The noise of the door opening caught their attention, and they all noticed Lin Si’s arrival.