Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three rows of guns, the deafening sound of gunfire quickly disappeared in the smoke, echoing in this beautiful place with clear mountains and clear waters.
A few rows of people in black clothing stood solemnly, and many people in the front row were sobbing, looking sadly at the three newly erected tombstones and the photos posted on them. It was the three crew members of Lomus III.
Around them, there are more monuments. Each one is young, each one is smiling, and each one was an astronaut during his lifetime.
Date of death, from manned spaceflight in the last century to planetary exploration at the beginning of the century, Dr. Jiang Qi of Jeepta 3 was also among them.
Row after row, piece by piece, they silently tell how much sacrifice and effort there are behind mankind’s glorious aerospace achievements.
Omi Nanase, Director of the Office of Outer Space Affairs, read a eulogy on behalf of the TPC for the three astronauts who unfortunately died in the universe:
". Since this century, mankind has created Many miracles, including building a lunar base, building a Delta space station, building the Martian city of Mariner Canyon, building interstellar bases in the asteroid belt and Ganymede, and building space stations on Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. < br>
Success has become a matter of course, and miracles have become commonplace, but in fact, it has only been fifty-six years since humans first entered space on April 12, 1961.
We still know very little about the universe, and human aerospace activities are still in their infancy. Many astronauts, including me, are the pioneer generation to explore space, accompanying themselves with danger and exploring the unknown. .
Every astronaut who steps into space is the most fearless brave. They know that space exploration carries huge risks, but they still accept the mission and embark on the road to explore the future for mankind.
To the families of the three heroes, we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. As we grieve the passing of these heroes, we are also thinking about you very much.
You are the heroes behind the scenes, and your medals are half as good.
The people you love are very brave. They have unparalleled courage and fearless spirit. They are worthy of mankind and worthy of the name of heroes. They died for the ideals of mankind and for the future of mankind. They sacrificed their lives in the discovery of 's journey'.
Today we gather together to mourn them. Tomorrow the new spacecraft will carry their last wishes and head farther. The cause of space exploration will not be stopped because of this tragedy. Setbacks will Let us move forward with greater courage, let us remain hopeful, and let us remain indomitable.
Ten years ago, after Jeep 3 reached the orbit of Jupiter for the first time, it was attacked by an unknown luminous object, and three astronauts died unfortunately; today, Lomus 3 arrived at Kuiper for the first time In the third area of the belt, three more astronauts encountered misfortune; ten years later, humans will reach farther places.
On this road, many of us will fall. This was true in the past, today, and in the future. In the process of exploration and knowledge, tragedy is an inevitable part of human adventure. Exploring frontiers is always accompanied by sacrifices, but sacrifices will not stop us in fear, but will only make us move forward with more and greater courage.
”
Makoto Nanase, who was the first person in charge of the Delta Space Station, humanity's first permanent space station, spoke passionately about the sacrifices and achievements made by mankind in aerospace activities. His condolences were filled with sadness, but There is no shortage of encouragement either.
At the end, Makoto Nanase, who has long since resigned as the director of the Delta Space Station and currently continues to shine as the director of the Outer Space Affairs Office in the second line, also ended his condolences with the last concluding sentence.
Although there were not many people present, it was broadcast globally.
Everyone lined up and came forward in an orderly manner to lay flowers on the tombs of the three astronauts.
Yes, it is the Cenotaph.
The big explosion of the asteroid destroyed everything.
Only some items left by the three astronauts on the earth could be put into the tomb.
After laying flowers, people left by car one after another. Even their family members cried in grief and left three times after being comforted by their relatives.
The entire memorial service lasted three hours.
After the excitement, there is desolation.
The wind coming from afar blows the bright flowers placed on the ground, bringing fragrance to the nose. But how long can the flowers without roots last?
Xincheng stood motionless, the crowd had dispersed, but he was still there, watching from a distance.
According to regulations, he should not appear, let alone contact his family members privately without permission and unaccompanied.
Outrageous regulations are always because even more outrageous things have happened.
After all, when people are sad or angry, they always want to find a place to vent. But when they don’t know who to turn to, can’t find it, or dare not find the perpetrator, they will unconsciously vent their anger.
If it weren't for you, there wouldn't be
reason or reason, which doesn't make sense at this time.
That’s why this regulation was introduced.
But Xincheng still came, but he did not embarrass the people sent by the TPC Safety Committee to 'protect' him, he just watched from a distance, feeling silently sad.
From the beginning to the end, no one noticed that there was a sad man standing on the hillside in the northeast corner of this cemetery dedicated to those who dedicated their lives to human spaceflight.
Director Nanase's car stopped by the road, and then Makoto Nanase got out of the car and walked over alone. He looked at Shinjo with a sad face, sighed silently, stopped a few meters away from Shinjo, and said: “In 1994, the International Space Development Agency formulated a plan to first Mars then Jupiter. The first step of the strategic policy was to build an interstellar base on the moon and a space station on the back of the moon. At that time, in order to seize the best position and the best orbit, various countries launched their own launch vehicles: the Bald Eagle's Saturn, the Polar Bear's Soyuz, Europa's Ariane and the Shenzhou in East Asia.
Countries split the huge space station into parts, transported them to outer space, and then assembled them into a space station. At that time, every second was really racing, just to be faster and one step ahead of others. Occupy the orbit on the far side of the moon.
< br>The pursuit of speed resulted in frequent failures
The Bald Eagle lost four launch vehicles and more than 20 astronauts; the Polar Bear lost six launch vehicles and more than 40 astronauts.
, Europa
When various countries finally realized that continued competition would only lead to greater losses, nearly two hundred astronauts had already spilled their blood in the sky, including my mentor and two senior brothers. The Hagoromo-9 carrier rocket they were on board, two The first-stage rocket failed to escape and exploded in the thermosphere. Originally, they were supposed to go to Artemis Base, which is now Carlo Base, but it turned out
At that time, the new space station was selecting the person in charge, and I was not No. 1 overall pick, but that accident made me the only choice. "
Xincheng stood there without moving. He didn't know what Director Nanase wanted to explain by saying this.
Nanase Makoto didn't care about Xincheng's lack of response, but was minding his own business. Said: "Before that, I didn't think about going to that new type space station, because it means staying in the universe for a long time. After all, at that time, the cost of a round trip between heaven and earth was still extremely high, and countries were in fierce competition, and limited resources and space were all used up. It is used for transportation and construction of space stations and interstellar bases.
But their departure made me have no choice but to pass, and I must pass. ”
Nanase Makoto was sighing as he spoke. Shinjou may not have been able to understand what he said before, but now he deeply understands Nanase Makoto's choice back then.
My friends and mentors have all left, and I am the only one left who must adhere to their last wishes and carry their expectations together to complete the unfinished business.
Just like myself now, I will continue to go to the universe, and go further, so that I can live up to the sacrifices of the three crew members of Lomus 3, even if I have to pay a huge price for it. No matter what.
Just like Nanase Makoto.
Because of taking over the mission of the Delta Space Station, the relationship between Nanase Makoto and his wife broke down, and they inevitably divorced. He is still alone to this day, and his closest daughter has been a stranger for ten or twenty years. After a long time, even if the grown-up Lina later forgave her father, the lost family love would be impossible to find, and it would be impossible to get it back if she was absent from her daughter's growth process.
"Soaring into the universe is the dream of many people, but turning that dream into reality requires enduring great pain and even making huge sacrifices. It may be you or it may be me.
It is inevitable ! This is probably it."
The last words became inaudible.
But Xincheng was not in the mood to be curious, and was still immersed in sadness.
Four people go and one person returns.
The deceased has passed away, but the living have to bear heavy burdens and carry sorrow.
Nanase Makoto stood with Shinjo for a long time. He did not turn around and leave until all the people attending the memorial service left.
It became extremely quiet, and Xincheng moved his legs and feet that were a little stiff from standing for a long time, and staggered forward. It was not a long journey, but he walked for a long time.
Looking at the three people in the photo, their voices and smiles are still in my mind. Every moment they spent together seemed like yesterday, but the yin and yang have been separated, and heaven and man are separated forever.
I stood for a long time and looked at it for a long time.
It wasn't until the sky got dark that Xincheng leaned down, gently placed a flower in his hand on the tombstone, and whispered: "I will continue to fly, taking your share with me. Go further afield
Go to the edge of the solar system. , to find the ninth planet, to Proxima Centauri, to the three-star system.
As long as I can still fly, I will keep flying."
Muttered to himself. , talking about his dreams, the places he wants to go, and the wonders of the universe he wants to see.
Even if most of them are impossible to see in this life, this does not prevent Xincheng from thinking about it.
What technology cannot reach, the mind may be able to reach.
After a long time, Xincheng turned around, raised his head, spread his legs, and strode in the direction he came from. He gradually walked away, leaving the three astronauts and the three who were stopped in place. Around them were more astronauts, far behind.
And they stopped where they were, with smiles on their faces, watching the new city go further and further away, until they were no longer visible. Although they were left behind, the smiles on their faces did not weaken at all, but became even brighter. .
Because there are others going forward, and going further than them.
—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—
"Captain Xincheng, your results are normal, and you will be discharged from the hospital after three more days of observation."
Medical Department, Xincheng's attending physician took the test results and told Xincheng the good news with a smile.
Although Xincheng was rescued, the matter was not over.
He needs to undergo strict medical and psychological examinations to determine whether he is physically and mentally affected by the accident.
This is not about targeting, it is about science.
Even if there is no accident, astronauts will have routine physical examinations and psychological tests to ensure that they can continue to be competent for their current jobs.
After all, most astronauts work in outer space. Not to mention the dull environment, it is still dark and not as colorful as the earth. They have to bear several times the pressure every minute and every second, especially Psychological changes are silent and even invisible to the person, but they will suddenly break out at a certain moment and bring unpredictable consequences.
"Thank you!"
Xincheng smiled back and breathed a sigh of relief quietly.
It would be great to be okay.
In this way, he can return to space as soon as possible, continue to explore the unknown, and go further.
After the attending doctor left, Mayumi hurried in and saw her brother with a smile on his face, and he was no longer as full of mourning as before, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother!"
"Mayumi, you are here."
Xincheng invited his sister to sit down and asked about her current situation in a casual manner.
How is your work, how is your life, and do you have anyone you like? At such an old age, it’s time to think about it.
Hearing this, Mayumi rolled her eyes and said angrily: "Brother, you should think about yourself first. How old are you and you don't have a girlfriend yet.
Dr. Horii, his son and I already have a daughter.”
Xincheng curled his lips and said, “What’s going on?”
"This means that even if I get old and my smart brain can't move anymore, there will still be people who can inherit my excellent genes and continue to move forward." Horii's voice sounded outside the door, and then his fat body appeared at the door. .
“You’re still like this, it’s time to lose weight.”
“You haven’t changed, you’re still the same person.”
Two people who haven’t seen each other for a long time. , taunting each other, hugging each other with open arms, constantly slapping each other's backs harder and harder, until the pain was unbearable, they let go of each other, looked at each other, and then laughed together.
“Long time no see, Xincheng!”
"We meet again, Horii!"
Mayumi on the side held her forehead and sighed. She really couldn't understand the friendship between men, but she didn't bother. She got up and went outside to help Xincheng go through some procedures. So that he can be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. Anyway, this guy doesn't want to stay in the hospital for one more minute. Although he will continue to stay for three days, Xincheng definitely can't wait for one more second.
Without a sister-in-law, she is the only one who can help. He is really a troublesome brother. (End of this chapter)