Earth Era - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Oath-Taking Ceremony

When Wang Tang said the first sentence, all the voices in the operation hall disappeared, and only Wang Tang’s powerful voice echoed here.

“Each of them has the toughest mental quality, the strongest body, the most outstanding ability to resist pressure and make decisions, and the deepest love for our human civilization. They will take the eyes and ears of all the scientists who remain on Earth into space toward the sun, leading us to explore what happened above the sun. In some ways, they hold our hope.” Wang Tang said.

“In a sense, we humans have been moving too fast. So far, we have only landed on the moon, not even Mars. Our level of technology is not advanced enough, our capabilities are not strong enough, our understanding of the near-solar universe is not deep enough, and we cannot accurately estimate the risks that may exist. Our technical level is only just barely up to the requirements. But we have no other choice. This solar crisis is the first serious test faced by human civilization. We have no time, energy, or resources to prepare slowly, so the first manned solar exploration mission was carried out in a hurry. This solar exploration mission is very, extremely dangerous. This is a round trip of almost 400 million kilometers, and the five heroes will spend six to eight months on the Red Heart spacecraft. No one can predict what kind of dangers and challenges they will face during this period. It can be said that from the moment the five heroes boarded the Ares launch rocket, they entrusted their lives to fate and dedicated them to the whole human race. To be honest, I don’t have such courage, and I’m sure most of us here can’t do it either. But these five heroes did it bravely and resolutely, without any hesitation.”

The tallest of the five astronauts said: “There are always things that need to be done. If we don’t do them, what will become of human civilization? We live in this system, and each individual contributes to civilization while also receiving its protection. We have a natural duty to sacrifice for civilization. So we are not afraid. We only ask to complete the mission and get enough technological data. As for our life and death, it is irrelevant to the overall situation.”

“That’s right,” said a female astronaut with a lighthearted smile. “I have already left a letter at home, but I hope that it won’t be opened unless it is confirmed that we are dead.”

Wang Tang said: “I am the commander of this manned solar observation mission. I promise that I will use all my strength to ensure your safety and the smooth execution of the mission. If the Scarlet Heart spaceship encounters an unexpected accident and you suffer misfortune, I will take full responsibility for it and redeem myself with my life.”

Another astronaut smiled and said, “The mission will certainly be successful. We are very optimistic about completing this mission. Before this mission, we received five years of space travel training, and we believe we have the ability to solve any unexpected problems we encounter on the journey.”

“Very good,” Wang Tang nodded. At this time, a staff member walked to Wang Tang’s side and said something in a low voice. Wang Tang said again, “The president has received our report, and he wants to say a few words to you personally.”

Wang Tang pressed a button, and the figure of the old man appeared on the big screen in the hall. Zhao Huasheng looked at the screen, and his pupils could not help but shrink.

The last time Zhao Huasheng saw the old man was probably more than a month ago. In just over a month, the old man seemed to have aged more than ten years.

The wrinkles on his face were deeper, one by one, like ravines. His hair was dyed, but the roots still showed a little paleness. His eyes were a bit muddy, as if he hadn’t had a rest for more than ten days. Even through the screen, Zhao Huasheng could still feel the tiredness emanating from the old man.

The migration plan with billions of people, the largest construction plan in human history, all kinds of rumors, conspiracies, disturbances, cults, food problems, energy problems, transportation problems, etc., all these matters need this old man to make a final decision. If Zhao Huasheng holds half of the fate of mankind in his hands, then the old man holds all of it.

Although the old man looked extremely tired, his voice was still loud and full of strength. After adjusting the video equipment, the old man’s loud voice echoed throughout the entire operation hall: “Heroes, hello.”

The five astronauts bowed to the screen together: “Your Excellency, hello.”

The importance of this mission need not be said by me, you all understand it in your hearts. I have only one thing to tell you, no matter where you are, even in the distant starry sky, the whole earth, the entire human civilization will be, and always be, your strong backing. No matter what kind of crisis you encounter, no matter how desperate or scared you are, never forget the small blue planet behind you. There are seven billion of your kind living on this planet, your family, friends, lovers, children, and parents are all here, always watching you, blessing you.

“Please rest assured, we will definitely complete the mission.” The five astronauts said in unison.

The old man rubbed his forehead, tiredly, and fell silent. Finally, he sighed and said, “You must come back safely, I, and all the people of the Earth will be waiting for you here.”

Perhaps moved by the solemn mood of the moment, Li Wei’s eyes had unknowingly filled with tears. Li Wei held onto Zhao Huasheng’s hand even more tightly.

Zhao Huasheng felt a sense of heaviness in his heart. This was indeed an extremely dangerous mission; from the moment the Great Strength Rocket launched, every step of the mission was accompanied by risks, and any small negligence could lead to an irrecoverable disaster. For instance, the rocket could explode during its launch, and the cause of the explosion might only be due to a malfunctioning gasket; during the mid-air docking, a piece of debris no bigger than a grain of rice could possibly claim a life, not to mention the months-long journey that followed.

But Zhao Huasheng’s feelings were not just simple heaviness. In addition to the heaviness, Zhao Huasheng was also feeling something else. He couldn’t identify where this emotion was coming from or why it was there, but it made him feel uneasy and agitated, as if he had forgotten something important for this manned solar observation mission.

This feeling was very unpleasant. Zhao Huasheng tried his best to calm his thoughts, attempting to think out the reason, which seemed to be on the verge of being discovered, as if it was only a thin sheet of paper away from appearing in Zhao Huasheng’s mind. However, Zhao Huasheng eventually failed and got nothing, still unable to think out the reason.

In the end, Zhao Huasheng gave up thinking. Zhao Huasheng lowered his head and said to Li Wei: “I’ll go up and say a few words to them.”

Li Wei nodded and let go of Zhao Huasheng’s hand. Zhao Huasheng walked up to the rostrum and nodded to Wang Tang first, then said to the screen: “Your Excellency, hello.”

“Huasheng, you’re here too.” The old man smiled happily, “So, do you have anything to say to me?”

“No, I want to say something to these five heroes.” Zhao Huasheng said, shifting his gaze to the five astronauts, who also looked at Zhao Huasheng. Zhao Huasheng’s mouth moved, but the words were finally stuck in his throat and not said out loud.

Zhao Huasheng suddenly did not know what to say. Zhao Huasheng had a strange feeling of restlessness in his heart, which made him feel that this manned solar observation mission was not suitable, but he did not know why. Since he didn’t know the reason, how could Zhao Huasheng speak out?

Reason told Zhao Huasheng that if there was no definite evidence, then this manned solar observation mission was inevitable, and he had no reason to stop it – should he let all the staff’s hard work go to waste just because of his own ominous premonition?

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Silence fell in the control hall. The five astronauts looked at Zhao Huasheng with questioning eyes. Even Wang Tang, the many staff, and the elderly on the screen looked at Zhao Huasheng with puzzled eyes.

Whispers echoed in the control hall. Except for Wang Tang, the elderly, and a few others, no one else knew Zhao Huasheng’s special identity. Everyone was puzzled by Zhao Huasheng’s sudden arrival and his silence on the podium.

Zhao Huasheng moved his mouth and seemingly said, in a dismayed manner, “Wish you all the best. You will surely return to Earth safely. When you come back, I would like to invite you all for a drink.”

“Thank you,” the tallest astronaut thanked politely, “We look forward to that day.”

Zhao Huasheng retreated and returned to the seat of honor. Wang Tang reported a few more sentences to the old man. The old man’s eyes sharpened, and his voice became serious and powerful, “Now, I order, the Solar Astronaut Observation Program to officially begin! Astronauts, enter the rocket, and get ready for liftoff!”