Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 67
“Joshua, did you see that?” The young scientist pulled his hand out of the pocket of his white lab coat and pointed to the deep navy sky, where a bright moon hung. “The moon. It has humanity’s first outer space base.”
“Isn’t it abandoned now? Professor Giorgione said that it’s been uninhabited for a long time.”
“Yes, ever since the colonies severed ties with Earth, the lunar base has been abandoned. It was originally meant to serve as Earth’s spaceport… Now it has no purpose.”
It seemed to be an early summer night, with a warm breeze carrying a dry scent as it climbed down the hillside. Kester stood under a tall eucalyptus tree. The night wind lifted his silvery-white hair, making it look as bright and pure as moonlight.
“Although no one lives there anymore, the spaceport’s equipment and machinery are still there. Even two spaceships capable of reaching light speed. Though we have the technology to build spacecraft, Earth no longer has the resources to produce the necessary materials,” Kester said with a sigh. “If this continues, even the remaining humans won’t survive.”
“Professor Giorgione said the current resources can sustain everyone for another two hundred years.”
“Two hundred years… That’s not enough.” Kester put his hand back into his pocket. “The colonies took everything from Earth, and we have nothing left.”
He turned around. “A few days ago, I met Nasir. He plans to use one of those two ships to head towards the colonies. With cryo-chambers, it could take about eight hundred to a thousand people.”
“That’s half of Earth’s current population.”
“If both ships are intact and operational, almost everyone could evacuate Earth.”
He used the word “evacuate”, as if Earth weren’t their home but a battlefield no longer fit to stay in.
“Kester, are we going with Nasir?”
“I don’t want to leave just yet. Many of my experimental equipment can’t be taken on the ship, and I want to stay on Earth to continue my research.”
“Is it the project you mentioned last time? Researching artificial intelligence with self-awareness?”
Kester blinked curiously. “How do you know?”
“Professor Giorgione told me.”
“Oh, he talks too much.” Kester rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on from his colleague’s loose lips. “It’s supposed to be a commercial secret. He shouldn’t tell others so casually!”
“I’m not just ‘others’!”
Kester smiled faintly. “Then you must keep it a secret.” He took a small communication device out of his pocket. “The prototype of the AI program has been written. The next step is to give it learning and mimicry abilities, just like a child learning about the world by imitating adults.” He turned on the device, and the screen lit up brightly in the night. “Come, take a look. The AI is linked to my device. Try asking it a few questions, but keep them simple, or it might not understand.”
“Can it really work? Hmm… what should I ask?”
“Keep it simple. Try it.”
“Um… what’s your name?”
A line of small red text appeared on the screen. “Hello, my name is Leonard.”
“Mr. Planck? Mr. Planck?”
Joshua woke with a start, momentarily disoriented. It wasn’t until someone nudged his shoulder that he realized he was on the Muse, in the lounge, waiting to rendezvous with the Dream of a Cold Night. He had dozed off and dreamt of something strange.
It was Rita calling him, the manager responsible for hosting Joshua and Alois on the ship.
“Sorry, I just dozed off.”
“You don’t look well.” Rita observed. “Didn’t you sleep well last night?”
Joshua glanced at Alois beside him, who was also struggling, yawning continuously. If not for a cup of coffee, he would surely be fast asleep by now.
They hadn’t slept well the previous night. They’d spent the night in various positions, exhausting themselves. Since they were leaving the Muse the next day to return to the mothership, Joshua had forcibly dragged Alois out of bed. “Do you want to be carried back to the Dream of a Cold Night naked?”
“…Just carry me back then.”
“Leonard will record the whole thing!”
“…He’s recorded worse things.”
“Camilla will see it too!”
Alois had jumped up and started dressing obediently, which made Joshua consider assassinating the Galactic Diva again.
Rita didn’t notice his dark thoughts but could tell from their expressions that they had a rather stimulating night… The manager silently mourned Camilla’s yet-to-blossom romance. But it was for the best. For Camilla, his career was more important. How could he focus on work if he was always thinking about romance?
“The shuttle from the Dream of a Cold Night has landed,” Rita said with a professional smile, her subtext clear: It’s time for you two to leave and stop distracting Camilla!
Joshua kicked Alois lightly. “Hey, we can go back now.”
“Huh? We’re leaving already?”
“…Do you want to stay longer?”
Alois stood up hurriedly. “I didn’t say that…”
Rita made a gesture. “Follow me. I’ll take you to the hangar.”
Neither Alois nor Joshua spoke as they followed Rita, who chatted incessantly. “This adventure in Leyting was so thrilling. Leonard said you offended some big shot. The world is so unstable these days, but luckily the next concert is in the Free City-States, safe from the Empire and Federation’s war. Camilla cried all night yesterday, but don’t worry, he’s strong. He’s acting as if nothing happened today.”
Alois was worried about Camilla, but Joshua’s sour expression made him hesitant to bring it up.
Fate seemed to love playing with people. In the hangar, there stood a gray Gondola from the Dream of a Cold Night. A small figure stood before it, with neatly combed blue hair, dressed in a white shirt and a pleated skirt, looking like a high school girl.
“Srosie?” Alois couldn’t help but stop. Beside him, Joshua was already searching for his gun.
“Alois.” Srosie stood with his hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the floor. “You’re leaving?”
“Uh… yes.”
“I… I want to talk to you alone.”
Alois held Joshua back by the shoulder, preventing him from acting impulsively. The assassin snorted and looked away. Srosie mustered his courage and grabbed Alois’s hand (Joshua’s face twitched at the sight), pulling him aside, away from the assassin and the manager.
“Um, Alois…” The youth stammered. “After you leave, will we… will we see each other again?”
“Well… I don’t know.”
Srosie lowered his head. “Can I text you?”
“Sure.”
“How about video calls via faster-than-light communication?”
“That’s fine too.” Alois thought for a moment, then clarified. “As long as Joshua isn’t around.”
Hearing Joshua’s name, Srosie’s face darkened. “If… I mean, if,” he looked up, his sea-blue eyes shining with something, “if you two break up, would I have a chance?”
Alois was speechless. Srosie lowered his head again. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.” He muttered, “I don’t know how to talk, sorry.” Tears started to form. Alois quickly wiped them away. “Don’t cry. Your makeup will smudge.”
“…Okay.”
“And you look good when you smile.”
“…Okay.”
Srosie tried to hold back his tears, wanting to smile in return, but couldn’t manage it. Alois patted his head. “You’re very cute. So many people like you. The entire galaxy is crazy about you. One day you’ll find someone who loves you completely…”
“…Okay.”
Srosie gave Alois one last hug before pushing him away. “Go on! You’re ruining my schedule!” He turned away, no longer speaking.
“Goodbye.” Alois turned his back to him and walked back to Joshua.
After the Gondola carrying them left the hangar and returned to the Dream of a Cold Night, Rita approached the lonely Srosie.
“Alright. Let’s go back.”
“I know!”
Srosie looked at his hands, feeling sad that it might have been the last time he’d hold Alois’s hand. The galaxy was so vast. The odds of any two people meeting were like two specks of dust colliding in space. If those two people also happened to love each other, the odds were astronomical, almost a miracle.
“Your makeup is smudged again.”
“None of your business!”
A miracle had happened, but not for him.
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