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墨書 Inktalez
The last words of Mentor Lian Hongbo became a nightmare that kept me awake all night. I remember tossing and turning until I heard the chirping of birds outside the window, which gave me a vague impression of finally falling asleep. When I woke up, it was already eleven-thirty in the morning. Even though today was sunny, my mood was still as terrible as yesterday. I didn’t go to the office arranged by the military but walked straight to the pond in the living area, watching the goldfish swimming towards me, begging for food.
"I am just a student..." I told myself that I didn’t need to bear such heavy thoughts. I was just a student and didn’t need to be troubled by these so-called matters concerning humanity. However, I couldn’t escape the condemnation of my conscience. Although I was a student, I was still one of the few scholars in the world researching Cosmic String Life, which others considered "pretentious and empty."
I tore off a small piece of steamed bun and threw it into the lake, watching as the goldfish opened and closed their mouths, competing for food. I was curious about which fish would catch that piece of bun, but my shadow scared them away. With a flick of their tails, they splashed water that disappeared into the waves, and the piece of bun vanished too. I tore off another piece and threw it into the lake. This continued for about five or six times until my vision blurred, and my thoughts drifted far away. I felt like that piece of bun, yet I didn’t know how to prove it until another hand that didn’t belong to me appeared in my line of sight, waking me up.
"Fishing?" Mentor Lian Hongbo appeared beside me. "I haven’t seen you all morning; I found you here relaxing."
"I just stepped out; I didn’t sleep well last night," I replied awkwardly with a smile. "There aren’t many opportunities left for me to get a good sleep."
"Indeed, not many left," Mentor Lian Hongbo said. "The directive has just come down; we are required to prevent any deterioration before Venus is penetrated."
"How do we stop it?" My expression must have looked bleak because there was a hint of surprise in Mentor Lian Hongbo's eyes. "We don’t know anything; we can’t even be absolutely sure if it is truly a civilization from the Cosmic String Dimension. What can we use to stop it?"
"You’ve never been this pessimistic before; this isn’t you, Fengqi."
"No, this is me; it has been since my mother passed away."
I wanted to tell Mentor Lian to let me be alone for a while, but he persistently took my hand. His rough palm provided a solid sense of security as his thumb stroked the back of my hand while he looked at the goldfish competing for food in the lake. "I know you can’t let go, but this era needs young talents like you; this is fate, and how to weigh it is your choice."
"Are you asking me to weigh the determinism of fate against the randomness of life?"
"Pretty much. Just like..." He also threw a small piece of bun into the lake. "Just like the bun in the water; its entry is determined, but which fish it enters is random."
General Long notified all staff in the evening that tomorrow we would be merging with the main research team for the Armed Airship, forming a complete group aimed at racing against time to send Beijing T-1 Armed Airship into space before Venus was penetrated. That evening, I once again saw those eyes in the sky; however, this time they were smaller and didn’t appear at the distance between Earth and Moon as before. I went to the observation center to learn that according to footage sent from the lunar base, these eyes were indeed not between Earth and Moon but had moved between Uranus and Saturn, seemingly observing the progress of Cannon Barrel extension.
"My conclusion aligns with Professor Lian Hongbo’s," said an official wearing glasses before everyone. "This life form seems to be conducting some sort of test on our solar system; it has utilized the special astronomical phenomenon known as 'Seven Stars Aligned' and intends to connect all planets in our solar system using these two Cannon Barrels!"
"With that said, this thing feels somewhat pointless," an officer cursed with his hands on his hips.
"All hope for solving this mystery now rests on the Armed Airship," Mentor Lian Hongbo stated. "I have provided you with much information regarding Cosmic String; once we start docking work tomorrow, you must cooperate unconditionally with their needs. The fusion engine is still an immature technology, especially since we have yet to determine a true target point; thus, the requirements for various mixed propulsion elements needed for the entire airframe are very strict."
"And one more thing," General Long added. "Tomorrow we will begin selecting personnel for boarding."
On the last night before embarking on our journey into space, I had a dream while lying on my bed at the military base. I dreamed that I returned to my childhood during a bright summer day when sunlight was abundant. I caught a Yellow Butterfly with my hands; mischievous as a child, I wanted to tear its wings off alive. Just as I was about to act, my mother came over and praised me: "Qiqi actually caught a butterfly! My little one is amazing!" But when she saw me gripping one wing tightly and preparing to rip it apart, she immediately stopped my mischief and released that butterfly which had taken so much effort for me to catch. I wanted to cry out in protest, but this time she didn’t comfort me; instead, she earnestly taught me:
"Qiqi, respect life; this is a basic quality that civilized people should possess."
I stood behind my childhood self and my mother at that moment, watching myself cry as my mother pulled me away. She picked him up and prepared to buy him some candy. The Yellow Butterfly fluttered by my ear; I could hear the sound of its wings creating wind as it started from my left ear and gradually drifted away to my right ear until it finally disappeared from my perception. Sitting cross-legged on the lawn surrounded by fragrant grass and white misty expanses, I waited for my dream to wake up, waiting for that day when my mother would return with him. But when I opened my eyes in the night darkness, I remembered that this miracle would never happen again.
I had to admit that this night was even less stable than last night; I'd rather stay awake through it because through tear-filled eyes, I could always see my mother's figure flickering in the darkness like distant stars. At three-thirty in the morning—I specifically checked my phone's time—I seemed enchanted as I reached out towards the crescent moon hanging outside my window. At that moment, I truly felt that I could grasp it; however, when my five fingers clasped together instead of catching that moon on the horizon, the collapse at its edge ultimately transmitted itself into my heart. I covered my face and began sobbing without knowing exactly why—was it for my mother or for pursuing what seemed meaningless in others' eyes through this doctoral program? Or was it because I believed in miracles yet repeatedly witnessed hope shatter into beauty? I'm not sure; all I know is there are eyes in heaven—if they belong to my mother’s spirit above—I want to return to childhood and take her hand again so we can point out our shared mother together.
The next day, I arrived punctually at our agreed meeting place where seats had been arranged without notice beforehand. A banner hung in the meeting hall welcoming research teams preparing for launch into space. Some belonged to military research departments while others were physicists from different sectors along with their small teams—over one hundred people in total. Like an inexperienced child hiding behind Mentor Lian Hongbo thinking only academic legends could join this team, little did I expect when a female figure appeared before me exclaiming joyfully that I'd underestimated myself too much.
"Fengqi? You're here!" At that moment Zhu Lin appeared dressed impeccably in black-and-white formal attire—neat and elegant—though she was also a PhD student like me; however her aura rivaled even those professors with graying hair.
"What a coincidence!" I exclaimed happily. "It seems what you're researching goes beyond just integrated circuits."
"I'm part of our mentor's team," Zhu Lin proudly stated while we shook hands as two youngest juniors from our respective teams marking an end to our pleasantries.
"In our first meeting today," General Long addressed us all, "I believe there’s no need for further elaboration on what everyone should do—we all know very well what’s at stake here."
"It seems we still have time," he continued solemnly but added knowingly: "Only we understand how catastrophic consequences may arise from wasting time."
"The United Nations has classified this plan as 'Level One Action,' so those cooperating with us are not just present here but globally aligned with our actions—let's proceed."
Later, I learned that the research team that arrived was not composed solely of Chinese individuals; nearly half of them were from other countries. Faces from Europe, America, Latin America, and Africa appeared in my view, each person equipped with simultaneous interpretation devices provided by the United Nations. Their capabilities amazed me. When the holographic projection of the ship's structural diagram was displayed, each team received their own tasks and began taking action just an hour later, demonstrating remarkable efficiency. As I watched the busy figures in the large experimental base, I was immersed in awe. However, after a while, I found myself searching for Zhu Lin until my mentor, Lian Hongbo, tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Let's go; this isn't where we belong."
"I saw it again last night," I recalled and told him.
"Yes," Lian Hongbo nodded. "This is our direction. General Long asked me to check with you and hopes you are mentally prepared."
"What for?"
"Are you willing, or do you dare to board the ship?"
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