Age of Cosmic Exploration Chapter 225

With the information brought back by the Observer, the Academy postulated the time remaining for humanity to stay at the new planet: a year and a half.

Even though it would take a year and a half for the neutron star fragment to make contact with the sun, one year from now, the fragment will enter the solar system. Its gravitational pull by then will be strong enough to disturb the celestial activities. To prevent accidents, mankind will only remain for another year at the new planet, just to be safe.

In other words, the next warp would happen in the middle of Human Calendar Year 10. This last year was absolutely precious to humanity.

The Hope’s new three extra levels, construction of Defense-Grade Spaceships One and Two, mining and smelting of mineral ores, all these took time.

Of course to increase the quality of life, luxury plants were a necessity. If possible, Yao Yuan wanted to create several large agricultural spaceships specifically for plantation, but alas, time didn’t allow it.

After Yao Yuan’s speech, there was some extreme public opinions, like this was a government conspiracy aimed to suppress societal autonomy, but all that died out after the video taken by the Observer on the neutron star fragment was released. Instead, the entire society was caught in an atmosphere of anger and melancholy.

Because they had no other choice but to once more abandon their home planet. It was sadness and fury born out of one’s helplessness…

This also inspired mankind to go the extra distance!

In space, weakness was not a fault, but contentment at being weak was the biggest mistake!

During this last year on the new planet, certain people and things had also changed.

When Bo Li ascended on the Observer and spent one whole year in space, she was given plenty of time to straighten her thoughts away from Yao Yuan.

First, she understood that it was not that Yao Yuan didn’t love her, because with his personality, he wouldn’t agree to the relationship in the first place if he didn’t. He was a respectable and responsible man with immense self-control. The best human being Bo Li knew. They had shared so many good moments together, laughing and crying alongside each other. Yao Yuan did love her, because it was unlike him to jump through all these hoops for just a fling.

Therefore, Yao Yuan did love her…

Then, why couldn’t he give her a child? And what exactly did the word ‘Hong’ represent? Was he still trapped in the trauma from his past, or had he really treated her as a replacement?

Bo Li was not a conversationalist; it was her nature. Even though she had all these questions, she had no clue how to bring them up with Yao Yuan. It was one of the reasons why she wanted to get on the Hope. She needed some time away from Yao Yuan to straighten her thoughts.

During that one year in space, she tried conversing with Ying to pull some information on ‘Hong’ out of him, but Ying was even worse at people skills than she was. He was unresponsive most of the time. However, there was one instance where he let slip the fact that it was not because of ‘Hong’ that Yao Yuan didn’t want progeny.

Due to that one sentence, Bo Li decided to have a deep talk with Yao Yuan after the Observer returned to the new planet. But she was hindered by her own lack of confidence; she just couldn’t bring herself to talk to Yao Yuan. However, she realized that the woman called Ming Ji Jie had been trying her best to approach Yao Yuan.

Bo Li decided to bow out. Her intention to talk to Yao Yuan never once came into fruition. After the Observer returned, Bo Li locked herself up in her lab. Since this was the last safe year humanity had on the new planet, her dedication was praised by many who weren’t in the know.

This was all a mounting headache for Yao Yuan. Ji Jie approached him after his break-up with Bo Li. This naïve girl-next-door actively pursued him, but not to

a stage where it became suffocating. Even though Yao Yuan wasn’t interested, he didn’t have the heart to hurt her feelings. Therefore, even though Yao Yuan had rejected her, he couldn’t firmly stop her from getting close to him. Just like that, under everyone’s gazes, Ji Jie walked closer and closer to Yao Yuan.

Pulled between Bo Li, who he felt guilty about, and Ji Jie, who practically offered herself to him, the year passed by slowly for Yao Yuan. However, the year was eventually over.

This was the third seasonal harvest for the luxury plants. The Hope’s warehouse was full beyond its capacity. Finally, an additional warehouse had to be built on the newly constructed basement two level. Simultaneously, a large quantity of precious metals like tombarthite and radioactive ores were distilled until their purest form and stored in ingot form. The Hope had reached its maximum capacity. If it hadn’t undergone that circuit upgrade back on the meteorite base, it wouldn’t be able to warp with this cargo weight.

In the last two months until the year limit was up, both Defense-Grade Spaceships One and Two started their field run. After one month of testing and moderating, the two spaceships were ready to go. The Hope evolved from the fleet of one to a fleet of four, one main ship, two defense ships, and one exploration ship. Humanity looked much like a space race now. It was definitely better than when they escaped from their home planet the first time. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about immediate survival in space.

In the last month, the earlier fervor had died down. The government had stopped assigning jobs. Other than the Defense Unit and Black Star Troopers who kept up the patrols, the rest began their month-long holiday. They formed groups to go on trips, went sunbathing by the beach, or went into the plantation to have a new planet’s fruits feast. Of course, these were all done with the accompaniment of soldiers. After all, it was their last month on this wonderful planet. Who knew when they would see the sea sky and sea next? Everyone was enjoying this last slice of heaven in their own way, memorizing and recording it for the future…

This day, Yao Yuan finished his small amount of document work early. It was only 2 PM. He recently received reports that Bo Li again spent another few days locked up in her lab. A few days ago, he saw Bo Li from afar, and she was looking worse for wear. It broke his heart. Yao Yuan found way to dismiss Ji Jie, who once again called to ask him out, and went to the lab.

At the lab, Bo Li was creating something alongside her alien robot prototype. Yao Yuan couldn’t understand what it was or what its purpose was. He stood outside the door watching the girl concentrating on her words, ordering and moving the robot about. Finally, he sighed and coughed lightly to let Bo Li know of his presence. After that, he walked in and said, "Busy?"

Bo Li shuddered lightly. She didn’t turn. Her hands slowed down for a split second before picking up her pace.

"…" Yao Yuan strode to her side wordlessly and suddenly grabbed her hands. "Bo Li, let’s go see the ocean…"

Before Bo Li could respond, the eyes of the alien robot that stood beside her glowed menacingly red. Bo Li waved her hand in front of it and it reverted to inactivity.

Bo Li lowered her head stubbornly and said, "Let go of me. I don’t want to see the ocean" 

Yao Yuan eyed the alien robot curiously and shrugged. "You have to even if you don’t want to. Who knows when we will be able to cast our sight on the ocean again after this warp."

Bo Li finally raised her head. She bit her lower lip. "Even so, that’s my problem. In any case, I don’t want to go to the beach."

Yao Yuan looked at Bo Li intensely and she held his gaze. They stared at each other for quite some time, before Yao Yuan said rather weakly, "Then… can you do it for me? I want you to accompany me as we take in the beautiful sea before we leave, just like… before this. I only saw the sunrise with you, today I want to enjoy the sunset with you. Can you be my date just this once?"

Bo Li’s heart softened, but her mouth said, "I… don’t want to leave the laboratory, so can you please stop disturbing me? You have Ming Ji Jie now, don’t you? Why don’t you go ask her?!"

Yao Yuan was slightly taken aback, but an inexplicable joy rose in his heart. He tousled Bo Li’s hair with a giant smile like he used to and said, "There is nothing between me and her. I’ve always treated her like my little sister because she’s an orphan with not many friends. She’s like an extended family member. So that’s that, let’s go watch that sunset!" Then he pulled Bo Li’s hand and exited her lab.

For some reason, Bo Li didn’t struggle. She allowed herself be pulled along by Yao Yuan to the beach. They sat there quietly, watching the sun drop below the horizon. As the night slowly fell, perhaps it was out of habit, Bo Li slipped her hand around Yao Yuan’s arm…

The one year limit was up. The Hope, the Observer and the two Defense-Grade Spaceships, christened Defender One and Defender Two, lifted off from the new planet. Everyone stared at the new planet silently. As the horizon drew further and further away, the grass changed into a piece of green and the sparkling sea into a piece of blue. Eventually, the trees, the glades, the beaches, and the new capital shrunk into a spherical planet. Some cried, while others closed their eyes in prayers. However, there was a ball of fire burning within everyone…

A fire stoked by vengeance!

Finally, the four spaceships that were linked by metallic chains initiated another warp and blinked out of existence.

Chapter end