Deep Space Wandering Fleet

F{h*F5./ V hapter 52 We Must Know

Three days hurried past.

Other than going to the bathroom, everyone could only stay strapped in their seats. It was an uncomfortable experience akin to imprisonment.

Gravity was diminishing bit by bit. When the centrifugal force finally equaled gravity, people would experience total weightlessness.

The novelty had worn off for the tourists, replaced by an inexplicable unease and irritation. Three days had passed, and even the most beautiful scenery had become commonplace. The initial excitement had given way to boredom.

Weightlessness may look amusing, but in reality, it’s quite terrifying.

First, the blood pressure in one’s head increases, and the legs begin to swell, a condition humorously referred to as “puffy head, bird legs syndrome,” or more medically as the “Charlie- Brown effect.”

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Second, since the brain loses the constraint of gravity and floats within the skull, one could experience blurry vision, symptoms collectively known as visual impairment and intra-cranial pressure syndrome.

Even with advanced medical technology, these ailments can’t be completely eradicated, hence the elderly and minors are not permitted in space.

In such conditions, the tourists became exceptionally quiet, speaking in soft, gentle voices.

Boys had to pretend to be brave, while girls became truly ladylike.

“Mr. Zhang, do you feel a sense of unease? I’m not feeling very well.”

“No, actually once you get used to it, it’s fine. You can take some low-dosage nitric oxide or other medications.”

“I’ve taken them already, but I still feel terrible.”

Zhang Yuan laughed, “Apart from the physiological factors, there’s also the psychological aspect, a bit like agoraphobia. Mainly, this space is just too vast, but you’ll feel better once you’re back on the ground.”

This girl, whom he had just met three days ago, stuck out her tongue, her complexion not very good.

It wasn’t just her; nearly everyone felt the same.

Perhaps she was recalling the fact that they were in the boundless universe. Between humans and the cosmos was only a thin layer of glass.@@novelbin@@

Outside was absolute nothingness, void except for deadly radiation.

Any minor mishap could result in this entire batch of people dying without a place to be buried.

Or perhaps, if they turned around to look down at Earth from over 30,000 kilometers high in the sky, entering a broader perspective, they would see how truly small Earth is, just a quiet stone floating in the Solar System.

Almost all of humanity multiplies and thrives on this little stone.

Humans have created countless stories here.

Including the Four Ancient Civilizations, the Eight Wonders, the four world wars, and innumerable tales of love and hate…

But Earth is too small; all its history, culture, religion, and wars are merely small stories on a small stone.

Humans and bacteria aren’t that different after all.

All the intrigue and pettiness become nothing but bacterial consumption.

The leader of the United Government becomes a mere bacterial chieftain.

The world’s wealthiest person is akin to the largest individual in a swarm of bacteria.

And then what?

Which bacterium died, which found a mate, which one was the dazzling idol of the masses… Even if one were to completely conquer Earth – this beloved mother of children – what would it ultimately signify?

The world outside is so vast, so immense!

This astonishing contrast turned the pride they felt in conquering nature just a few days prior into ashes.

After a few more hours, amidst a profound silence, the world-famous “Tenglong” Space City arrived.

“Wow, it’s so tiny… why is it so small…”

The first reaction of people was that the Space City was surprisingly small.

The tour guide explained, “It’s actually not small at all, with a diameter of a kilometer! After all, it’s a century-old piece of equipment. Back then, there was no Space Elevator, and constructing this Space City relied on the thrust of rockets, which was quite difficult.”

The zero-gravity experiment zone, the plant cultivation area, and the ring-shaped living area—all this information was very familiar to the public.

This Space City, due to its age and dated facilities, had gradually become a place for sightseeing tourism as well as an interstellar port for cargo transport, lacking much scientific research equipment.

Its small size, coupled with its desolation, meant a lack of a sense of security.

Even if they successfully reached their destination, it did not ignite the visitors’ enthusiasm. Everyone just took a symbolic look around, with only the tour guide continuing his non-stop explanations.

“Pu Pu Grass was born right here in this Space City; it’s known as the ‘gift from space to humans.'”

“If you live in a zero-gravity area for a long time, you will grow very tall. Staying in space for a while, gaining five centimeters in height is very likely…”

No matter how he tried to stir emotions, the response from the people remained tepid.

There were plenty of people taking photos since this Space City already had a network connection to Earth.

They snapped photos with their “click-click,” uploading them to social circles, and it wasn’t too bad to make family and friends envious…

After all, no matter what, they had to pretend to enjoy themselves. Having spent money, one could not claim it wasn’t fun, could they?

The vast majority of people, after going to space once, were thoroughly petrified and dared not come up a second time.

Humans had evolved on Earth for a million years, having a certain confidence in their living place, even if it was a presumptuous confidence.

To abandon the comforting harbor for a life of solitude and constant fear was not for everyone.

Zhang Yuan sighed; he was accustomed to this sort of thing after experiencing it so many times. In any case, there were plenty of people signing up for space tourism, and there was no need for repeat customers.

He turned around and said with a smile, “Ms. Li, we’re about to follow the group to the Moon, so let’s say our goodbyes here.”

The girl, who had been with him in the same car for three days, asked, “Mr. Zhang, I have one last question I want to ask you.”

Zhang Yuan said, “I was thinking, you might be a journalist? From your every move, it seems to have that characteristic.”

The girl raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, “You discovered me! But I’m not intending to interview anyone, I’m just privately curious to understand, you and your companions, why leave the Solar System and go to such a distant place?”

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and answered, “As for your question, my answer is, ‘I don’t know.'”

“Don’t know?” The girl looked puzzled.

“Yes, we don’t know. We don’t know the world beyond the Solar System, so we want to see it. Have you seen the Earth beneath our feet? Doesn’t it make you feel like our Mother Star is very small, just an ordinary sapphire?”

“Yes, it’s very small,” the girl said with a sigh. “Being in space, the whole mindset seems a bit different somehow, as though there’s a sense of detachment from the mundane world… although I’m still very scared. I still need to thank the many space workers for their silent contributions. I finally understand why their salaries are so high.”

Zhang Yuan continued, “We don’t know how vast the starry sky is, we want to know.”

“We don’t know what Earth will become in three thousand years, we want to know.”

“Not knowing is our motivation.”

“We must find out, we will eventually find out.”

There are always that small group of people willing to muster the courage to bounce high from a small stone, hold their hearts in their throats, tiptoe, reach out their fingers, and touch that deadly and boundless starry sky.

Even if it costs them their lives.

The girl was silent for a while, then smiled and said, “Your answer really has a philosophical meaning. I’ll write it down, can I post it to my social circle?”

“It would be better… not to,” Zhang Yuan felt he really couldn’t afford to lose that much face.

They all laughed heartily.