Age of Cosmic Exploration Chapter 192

Xiao Chen yawned and rubbed her blurry eyes. She then walked into the bathroom with her tussled hair. After a quick bathroom routine, she reappeared as a cute girl, looking about 17 in age. She had on a simple garter dress, showing off her youth.

In reality, Xiao Chen was already 22, but the mesomeric technology had doubled mankind’s life expectancy. In other words, Xiao Chen could maintain her youthful appearance for another 10 years. This was a feature well-loved by the women of the Hope, and they hadn’t stopped using the technology ever since it was introduced.

Xiao Chen pulled open the door to her fridge and extricated from within a pitcher of milk, cake, and fresh fruits, like strawberries. However, she didn’t take a bite out of any of them. She set them up nicely and walked into a room. 15 minutes later, a blushing Xiao Chen wheeled Jay out. The man had a pale complexion and looked like he was asleep. He was strapped into the chair with belts, and a drip hung at his side.

"Good morning… It’s time for breakfast, Big Liar. Today’s breakfast is milk and cake. I baked it myself. See, I burned my fingers baking it; look at the ugly bandage."

Xiao Chen moved the cake closer to the sleeping man and waved her bandaged index finger in front of his face. Jay gave no visible response, not even a flutter of his lashes.

Xiao Chen, though, seemed to have gotten used to this kind of one-sided interaction. She giggled to herself and started to have her breakfast. After she cleared everything away, she moved behind Jay and said, "It’s time for our daily walk. You lucky fella, you have a gorgeous girl willing to accompany you on your walks, a girl you’ve cheated at that. You should definitely feel honored."

Xiao Chen pushed Jay out of their crowded room. After passing a few blocks, they stopped at a small pavilion. Xiao Chen sat down on an empty bench. The passing crowd examined the unusual couple, many tossing them respectful and admiring looks.

After the incident on the meteorite base, Jay had gone into a coma from over-exhausting his Deceiver’s power. His condition had gotten better after the past few years. Before the 4th revolution, Jay had to be plugged into the life support system to keep him alive, but with the improvement in medical technology and surgery, he only needed a daily glucose drip to prevent his body from dying.

Ever since then, Xiao Chen had been taking care of Jay. Yao Yuan offered her a special job, to be responsible for constant care of mankind’s hero. He allowed her all the benefits she needed to survive without an actual job. This way she could focus on caring for Jay. Other than that, a medical crew visited Jay at Xiao Chen’s residence every week to conduct the necessary examinations. This policy had lasted until now.

To his surprise, the fiery Xiao Chen agreed with all his arrangements. She cloistered herself in her own home to take full care of Jay. She would talk to him and clean his body every day. Basically, except the obvious, she did all the work like she was his wife.

It had been 3 months since the war with the mother nest, and about 25,000 people had visited the new home planet. Needless to say, Xiao Chen desired to join them. She wanted to see and touch nature for herself. Her girlish nature compelled her to do so. However, she could only satisfy herself with clippings of animals and plants pictures published in the Hope Weekly. She could approach Yao Yuan for special permission to join the tour, and he would agree, but… she couldn’t leave Jay behind.

Sitting at the pavilion, Xiao Chen sighed. She used her fingers to tidy up Jay’s hair that was windblown. As she fussed over him, she said, "Big Liar, could you please wake up? I want you to take my hand and we’ll race across this new planet like how we did when we were on Planet Sahara."

Her words fell on deaf ears. She leaned back in her chair and the two of them spent the rest of the morning sitting quietly by each other’s side. When Xiao Chen was ready to push Jay back home, an electromobile stopped by the pavilion and down strode a young man in army fatigue.

"Xiao Chen, I knew you would be here… Still nothing from Jay?" The young man walked towards Xiao Chen and Jay once he descended.

Xiao Chen was familiar with this young man. He was Jay’s comrade and close friend, Zhang Heng. Even though Jay had become comatose, the Hope didn’t forget about him. Not only did its citizens still remember him as a hero, members of the Black Star Unit came to visit him often. Even the busy Yao Yuan came over once a week. Zhang Heng visited them pretty much whenever he was free. He would bring over fresh fruits for Xiao Chen sometimes, causing his friends, Mao Miao and Ning Xue, to suspect he had found himself a girlfriend.

Xiao Chen smiled politely, saying, "Zhang Heng, you’re here to visit Jay again? He’s still the same old, same old. The doctor told me to keep on conversing with him. One day, he’ll reply."

Zhang Heng sat down beside her and Xiao Chen could sense the atmosphere getting solemn. Finally he said, "Xiao Chen, I’m here today to take Jay away…"

Xiao Chen’s expression dropped immediately. She forced a smile and said, "Zhang Heng, what happened? Did the Captain have other orders? Or what I did wasn’t good enough?"

Zhang Heng waved his hands hurriedly. "No, it’s not that. Actually, I need to bring him to get the Ultimate Vaccine and Potion X injection. You should’ve seen the reports on the papers; every Homo Evolutis needs the injection. It allows them to breathe in the new planet’s air directly."

Xiao Chen’s expression relaxed slightly, and she asked worriedly, "But he’s still in a coma. Can his body survive such an injection? Plus, he can’t join the Troopers in his condition; what would be the use of the injection? Plus, you said you have to take him away…"

Zhang Heng was silent before saying, "Because some experts believe that for a half brain-dead patient like Jay, he needs a certain degree of stimulation before he can regain consciousness. Of course we won’t expose him to any danger, but honestly, we have a good source of stimulation at the ready, which is to allow him contact with nature, actual grass, flowers, sunlight, air, and maybe even seawater. I agree it might not work, but it’s still better than letting him waste away inside the Hope. Therefore, the Captain ordered to have him injected with the vaccine cocktail and then move him into a small room built down there. Ebon and myself are tasked with looking after him."

Xiao Chen got paler as their conversation continued. She lowered her head and asked softly, "Can I… get the vaccine injection too?"

Zhang Heng was surprised by her request. He scratched his head and replied, "I don’t think so. Component X is something naturally produced by the Homo Evolutis. We’ve tried using it on animals before, and every single one of them has died. Therefore, Yao Yuan has a strict ban against using the potion on normal civilians. Xiao Chen… you are not a Homo Evolutis, are you?"

Xiao Chen could feel tears pricking her eyes. She suppressed her mounting urge to cry. Without lifting her head, she asked, "No, I’m just a normal citizen… Then, can I go visit him?"

Zhang Heng too felt pressured by the atmosphere, so he said in distress, "I don’t think that’s possible either. Normal civilians aren’t allowed to go into the new planet unless it’s in the tour craft. You can visit Jay, but your visitation will be through the glass… Are you okay with that? How about this, Xiao Chen, if you’re really not up for it, I will help you persuade the Captain to rescind the order. He’s a sentimental person, so I’m sure he wouldn’t reject your request."

Xiao Chen deliberated for a long time and finally replied with a fierce determination in her eyes. "No, Zhang Heng, take him away. It’s okay, I’m only taking care of him because he saved my life, after all… No, really, it’s fine, take him, I’m glad to be rid of such a burden."

As she said so, tears rolled down her face. Like pearls, they fell on her hand that grabbed Jay’s firmly, shattering upon contact.

Zhang Heng looked at her and sighed. "How about this: I’ll ask the Captain to allocate a permanent craft seat specifically for you. Jay will be moved to the ground tomorrow. With this seat, you can see him whenever you want. Give me a heads-up beforehand and I’ll bring you to meet him." Zhang Heng let out another deep sigh before wheeling Jay towards the electromobile.

Xiao Chen wiped away the tears that kept on falling, mumbling, "Who… who wants to see him? Damn the liar… he’s already in a coma and still manages to make me cry…"

Neither Zhang Heng nor Xiao Chen noticed…

At that moment, Jay’s finger twitched slightly.

Chapter end