Alpha Alien Star, First Fortress.
Just like the mecha Crown of Golden Dawn before, Jiang Jianming’s “remains” were also temporarily placed in a hidden door inside the underground Stele of Heroes, with strict orders prohibiting approach.
At 3 AM, when Ryann came to visit in the dark, he found the path to the Stele of Heroes filled with flowers.
A soldier brought a white chrysanthemum to mourn silently. He never expected to encounter His Highness the Crown Prince in the middle of the night, and was so frightened he could barely speak.
But the Crown Prince’s attitude was unexpectedly gentle, and gradually the man became less afraid, even daring to say a few words on his own.
“This humble one once had prejudices against His Highness Jiang, and said some… well… very insulting… remarks.”
The soldier lowered his head with a bitter expression, saying he felt ashamed now, and only dared to come in the dead of night, yet felt unworthy upon arrival.
“It’s a small matter, he wouldn’t mind,” the Crown Prince said calmly, “Go place your flower, it will wilt if you keep holding it.”
“Yes, yes.” The soldier’s face showed gratitude, finally straightening his back with relief. He stepped forward and carefully placed the white chrysanthemum down, then closed his eyes in silent mourning.
Ryann’s gaze fell on the mourning flower bouquets.
The fallen of Silver Big Dipper usually just had their ashes placed in the Stele of Heroes without further ceremony, never organizing large-scale mourning. This current scene was entirely spontaneous from the officers and soldiers.
His Jiang Jianming had finally reached a height of genuine reverence from everyone, though it came a bit late.
The Crown Prince didn’t bring flowers, nor did he mourn silently.
He walked straight past the soldier, went down the elevator, and entered the Stele of Heroes lined with white steles.
Tomorrow when the sun rose, the starship from Black Shark Base would take Jiang Jianming away, and who knew when they would meet again.
If Jiang Jianming never woke up, if he perished on the frontlines… this night would be the last.
The Crown Prince walked alone to the hidden door and stopped. Someone else was here.
A figure sat leaning against a white stele, turning his head at the sound behind him, revealing a weathered face.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
Jiang Sheng slowly stood up, supporting himself on his knee, and bowed to the heir apparent, “Your Highness has come, please forgive this official’s disrespect that day.”
His voice was very hoarse, and his eyes were swollen. But his emotions had settled, his dark brown eyes like a lake surface touched by spring breeze, with only tiny ripples.
That day when they met at the fortress, his grief was entirely that of an ordinary father who had lost a beloved son; but tonight, the middle-aged man facing the young heir in the Stele of Heroes had a different air.
Ryann returned his bow.
“He followed me, but I failed to protect him.”
Jiang Sheng shook his head. “As you said, this was Mingming’s choice. If there’s blame, it can only be on me, this irresponsible father, who left him alone years ago, causing him much hardship.”
The white steles on both sides were like snow-covered pines. The Crown Prince stood there, chatting with the mecha engineer for a moment.
Jiang Sheng sighed, saying that back then, before his departure, he had also considered Jiang Jianming’s placement… but the child’s personality and views were really out of sync with normal people.
Where could one find a suitable adoptive family in the short term for a disabled human child who was obsessed with tinkering with mechas and reading war histories every day?
Jiang Jianming was precocious and wise beyond his years. Rather than letting adults who couldn’t understand him control him in the name of guardianship, it was better to let him be freer.
He just didn’t expect this child would directly go take the entrance exam for Kaios Military Academy in the imperial capital…
“Years ago, when the chief entrusted Mingming to me, I knew this child would surely be extraordinary. But in those years, I raised him just like the most ordinary father and son, I…”
Jiang Sheng spoke with a bitter smile, his curved eyes brightening like a pair of candles, soon the fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were moistened again.
“I had thought about asking the chief about this child’s identity, but now I feel it’s better not to know… If I should know, I will eventually know in the future.”
“Now he’s a hero of the Empire, with so many people seeing him off. In his heart… he must be satisfied, right, Your Highness?” Jiang Sheng murmured, “That child was easily content.”
Was he satisfied?
Ryann’s eyes grew misty.
But all this honor and adoration came a step too late. Jiang couldn’t see it when he reached for that euthanasia drug, and he could see it even less now.
What if you counted his previous life?
His heart contracted painfully. Dawn Aslan in the previous life… The Crown Prince furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together, not daring to think further.
He lost the desire to continue talking, turned away from Jiang Sheng, and used his authority to open the hidden door.
There was nothing special inside the hidden door.
In a small space, a transparent long coffin made of alloy glass was placed.
Two intelligent lights from the base hovered beside the transparent coffin. The light was blue-white, yet appeared very soft, like the fine snow from that farewell.
“Jiang.”
The Crown Prince sat down beside the glass coffin, gently stroking the glass with his palm.
He said hoarsely. “We’ll part tomorrow, so… I came to see you one last time.”
The “remains” in the coffin were still covered in white cloth, with a national flag draped over it. The medal of merit and the dual military badges of Golden Sun Wheel and Silver Big Dipper were placed on the tassels falling from the corner of the flag, beautiful and solemn.
Ryann pushed open the coffin lid, first folded the flag with the badges and set them aside, then lifted the white cloth.
He saw the young man’s black-haired features again.
Sylph hadn’t lied to him. Jiang Jianming’s appearance hadn’t changed at all, as if he were just sleeping.
The people from Black Shark Base had already performed surgery on him, doing their best to repair this body with existing medical methods. The rest could only await a miracle.
“…Jiang.”
Ryann touched Jiang Jianming’s hand, holding those cold fingers, then pinched the ring on the ring finger, closing his eyes and exhaling.
He raised that hand, pressing his forehead against the back of Jiang Jianming’s hand, his expression becoming somewhat more at ease.
…At least he was still here.
Though not alive, he wasn’t quite dead either.
Just thinking about the months or even years of separation ahead made his chest feel like it would split open.
The Crown Prince turned his face, his pale green eyes fixed on the person in the coffin, his pupils glinting in the dim light.
The dead of night was a time for emotions to run wild. The closer he got, the more unbearable the sorrow; the more he touched, the more unsatisfied he felt.
He thought, since it was the last night, he should hug him one more time; but then feared that moving too much would increase the strain on this body. What if he injured him again?
Ryann leaned down, extending his arms to encircle Jiang Jianming’s neck, then hesitated and pulled back.
He reached out again, but his fingertips changed course midway, stroking the soft black hair and cold cheek before withdrawing.
The Crown Prince shook his head in frustration. He stood up, turning his back to the glass coffin to leave, but after only four or five steps, he turned back to stare at Jiang Jianming. After a few seconds, he silently walked back.
“…”
This wouldn’t do.
Ryann sat down again, leaning against the glass coffin with a gloomy face. He opened his wrist device and pulled out a chip from his pocket, inserting it.
Moments later, there was a rustling white noise in the dark room. The scene that appeared was the interior of a medical mecha cockpit.
He had long ago copied all the data from that mecha, including the surveillance footage, and kept it with him.
He still felt he should watch it.
In the footage, a figure sat in the pilot’s seat. At this time, Jiang Jianming was still wearing that blood-stained Silver Big Dipper uniform, his expression calm, showing no signs of distress.
He nodded to the few soldiers beside him, politely declining their offer to accompany him, pushed the control lever, and the mecha flew out of the starship along the slide.
“…”
Ryann’s eyes reflected the faint light of the footage, his voice gloomy. “Your Highness Jiang, if these soldiers are left with some psychological trauma, will you take responsibility?”
The dark room was quiet, the sleeping figure gave no response.
The sounds of battle faded, and the mecha entered the silent Stele of Heroes.
Jiang Jianming stopped the medical mecha and placed the unconscious Crown Prince into the treatment cabin.
“Weren’t you quite skilled at injecting yourself with stimulants? If you had woken me up then, I could have seen you off one last time.”
Ryann frowned, tapping the glass coffin with his knuckles. “So you see, you getting yourself into such a miserable state is entirely your own fault.”
“Isn’t it?”
The glass coffin remained silent.
There was movement in the surveillance video though, as the disabled human coughed up blood again.
“It’s all your…”
The Crown Prince closed his eyes, lifting one of the corpse’s arms and burying his face in that cold palm, “…torturing me.”
The dark room isolated the outside world. On the floor illuminated by the lights, the two figures seemed frozen, as if time had stopped.
But it was only seeming, for the river of time flowed eternally at a fixed rate, never pausing for anyone’s love or hate.
Click.
The invisible second hand moved forward one second.
…
In the First Fortress, the lights were still on in the general’s office.
“With the Little Excellency gone, Your Highness Ryann will need more of the general’s attention in the future.”
Sylph sat opposite Xie Yuduo, her snow-white hair and azure eyes reflected in the lamplight.
“His Highness possesses destructive power and an indomitable fighting spirit. But emotionally, I don’t consider him to be among the strongest.”
“Perhaps he refuses to admit it, or allow himself to show weakness in front of others. But His Highness is indeed not adept at regulating his emotions. Once he suppresses them too much, there’s no telling when trouble might occur.”
Xie Yuduo’s expression was complicated. “Understood. In these past few days, this humble official has deeply experienced it.”
Sylph said in a low voice. “His Highness is still relatively close to you after all. If the major general can persuade him, please do so more often. If any thorny situation arises, please contact the base immediately.”
Click.
Second second.
……
Beta Alien Star, Second Fortress.
“Hello, I am Diana Lance, a researcher from the Black Shark Base and the person in charge of Base Body 002.”
“Due to some abnormalities occurring with Base Body 001 — that is, Jiang Jianming — I am contacting you urgently.”
In the bedroom, Yuan Changze looked at the beautiful female researcher on the other side of the communication in panic, “What happened to His Highness Jiang!?”
“Didn’t the front line win? Is he injured, or has his condition worsened—”
Suddenly, Yuan Changze realized belatedly and screamed, “Wait, is His Highness Jiang also a consciousness projection!?”
Diana: “Many things are hard to explain right now. Jiang is indeed a base body… The chief just told me.”
Yuan Changze eagerly straightened up. “Then, the base is contacting me now, is there anything I can do?”
“Yes, there is.”
The female researcher said in a soft voice, “First, Her Majesty the Emperor will reveal the truth to the public in three days. Now that Jiang is gone, you are the pillar in the hearts of the non-crystal people. We need you to cooperate with the empire to complete some work to appease and inspire the people.”
“Of course, that’s no problem!”
“Second, a few days ago, there was new progress in the base body project. Next, I will use your original body to conduct further experiments. Don’t worry, there might be some discomfort, but safety can be guaranteed.”
“I understand, that’s not a problem either.”
“Lastly, the White Bird expedition army will definitely attack the Crystal Nest in the future.”
“At that time, we need at least one non-crystal human to accompany the team, to observe if there are any different reactions between crystal humans and non-crystal humans when entering the Crystal Nest.”
Yuan Changze was suddenly stunned.
“I understand.”
He lowered his face and said in a daze. “Originally, this responsibility was prepared to be given to His Highness Jiang, but His Highness had an accident, so we can only… change the person, right?”
Diana blinked her blue eyes. “If my brother were still here, she could definitely do it too, but unfortunately she’s gone…Your Excellency, can you do it?”
“I—”
Yuan Changze swallowed.
He clenched his fist, his expression becoming determined, “Of course, I can do it.”
Click.
Third second.
……
The Lava Space Bandits’ starship was traveling through the universe.
“Is that so, Alpha Alien Star battlefield, the fortress recapture battle… the empire won, huh.”
After listening to the report from below, the young leader of the Lava Space Bandits propped his forehead with his fist, looking at the vast universe outside the starship with an expressionless face.
“Old Black Sheep, do you want to see your son?”
“I do.” The tall man with bronze skin scratched his scalp and said in a muffled voice, “But Old Black Sheep also doesn’t want to betray the boss.”
“…”
Red Dragon remained silent for a long time.
He couldn’t ignore the tide of the times. The empire had already nearly unified all of humanity and was growing increasingly prosperous.
In the future, fewer and fewer people would be willing to join the Space Bandits, and more and more people would despise them. The future of Lava was destined for only two paths: surrender or annihilation.
And the longer they dragged it out, the higher the probability of annihilation.
Now that disabled human surnamed Jiang was willing to lower his stance and make peace with Lava, it was because the empire’s primary enemy was the Crystal Cult and crystal particles.
Once the empire completely eradicated the Crystal Cult and conquered the Crystal Nest, who would still sit down to negotiate terms with a mere Space Bandit group?
But…
“No,” Red Dragon gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, “Lava will never make peace with the empire…never.”
He stood up and closed the light computer in front of him. The screen was displaying two messages.
One was an amnesty offer from the empire, the other from the Crystal Cult’s Archbishop Gaius. But the next second, the screen went dark, and what was specifically written could no longer be discerned.
“Reply to the Crystal Cult, Lava will trust them one last time.”
Click—
Another second passed.
……
The dark room beneath the Stele of Heroes remained quiet, isolated from the turbulent undercurrents of the outside world.
Until the arrival of a new second.
The surveillance footage reached its inevitable node.
“Ryann.”
A weak call shattered the silence. The Crown Prince, who had been leaning against the coffin with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and sprang up as if electrocuted—
Bang!
The movement was so violent that it knocked over the half-open glass coffin lid, which crashed to the ground with a loud noise.
“Jiang!?”
In an instant, the Crown Prince turned around, his face lit up with joy, “You’re awake…”
—His voice suddenly choked.
Inside the glass coffin, Jiang Jianming still lay motionless with closed eyes. The corpse didn’t show even a flutter of an eyelash, let alone any signs of returning to life.
For about two seconds, Ryan couldn’t react to what was happening.
He clearly heard Jiang Jianming call him just now, didn’t he?
Ryan stared blankly at the body for a while before realizing that Jiang Jianming hadn’t actually awakened, but the voice he’d heard wasn’t an auditory hallucination either.
It came from the player on his wrist device.
“Your Highness.”
Another call.
Ryann slowly turned his head, his gaze shifting from inside the glass coffin to the video image.
His expression seemed frozen, color gradually draining from his face.
In the surveillance footage, the black-haired young man had somehow left the pilot’s seat and was kneeling beside the treatment cabin.
He looked as fragile as a reed bent in the cold wind.
Ryann shuddered.
He reached out his hand, but his fingertips passed futilely through the virtual image, unable to support his lover kneeling in the cold.
Jiang Jianming was clearly fading fast, as evident in the surveillance recording. His pupils were completely unfocused, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate. His eyelids drooped heavily, then opened to narrow slits repeatedly.
Each breath required a laborious opening of his mouth, the sound alone enough to make one feel suffocated. Due to blood loss and cold, his gasps were interspersed with obvious tremors, and occasionally one could hear his teeth chattering weakly.
On the brink of death, in darkness and cold, the injured and ill disabled human pushed open the treatment cabin door.
In this state, he repeatedly called out softly “Your Highness”, but his voice wasn’t loud; he pitifully tried to touch the sleeping Crown Prince in the treatment cabin, but his movements were too weak to even be considered a push.
The lights hadn’t gone out, but suddenly everything went black.
Ryann felt the world spinning.
“Jiang,” he turned back to look at the glass coffin, then turned to the surveillance footage, muttering neurotically, “You called me… you, you called for me?”
Every nerve in his body felt like it was burning. The walls around him seemed to distort, only the surveillance footage before him remained clear.
So Jiang Jianming had called for him before dying, had touched him, and he hadn’t answered.
So now no one was responding to him either, was that it?
“Your Highness…wake up…”
Ryann’s knees weakened, and he steadied himself by gripping a corner of the glass coffin.
He said in a trembling voice. “I’m here, I’m listening… Don’t, don’t…”
Don’t be sad, don’t be like this.
Don’t be afraid, you won’t die, Sylph said you’ll get better, because I’m protecting you.
You’re just too tired, you need to sleep relaxed. When you wake up, you can have anything you want. So…
Ryann stared blankly at the screen. Speak, keep talking. I’m listening now, whatever you want… I can give you in the future.
But Jiang Jianming didn’t say anything. His fingers stirred gently in the medical fluid, making a pitiful watery sound. He was very tired, only able to rest his face on the cold metal edge of the treatment cabin, his blind eyes devoid of light.
His Highness could not know what Jiang Jianming wanted in the end.
—In the future.
Ryan suddenly realized how absurd this phrase was.
The chief had said that Dawn Aslan’s original body was even weaker than the base body. In that era of backward medicine and rampant alien creatures, how hard must it have been for a disabled human to live?
Even after death, the commander left behind few photos and videos, and to this day, no one knew his true race and name, let alone the feelings between him and the emperor.
That’s why there was the consciousness projection base body 001.
Jiang Jianming’s “future” had already exhausted another lifetime.
“Ry…”
In the surveillance footage, the dying disabled human could no longer call out any sound.
After repeatedly calling out to the lover who was destined not to hear, Jiang Jianming finally couldn’t help but choke and lower his head. A glint of moisture flashed, and tears fell silently.
Not even allowing himself to cry out loud, he simply let his black eyes be wetted by tears, laboriously breathing between his thin lips.
“I’m here… don’t cry, I’m here…”
Ryann mumbled deliriously. The fortress’s cold wind howled through every pore, and the dawn’s white light from days ago extended its claws from memory, engulfing his vision.
Was it enough? Was the debt repaid?
He feared darkness, yet died in the dark night.
He dreaded cold, yet died in wind and snow.
Plagued by injury and illness, his mind and body drained to the limit, he suffered greatly in his final moments.
He couldn’t see tomorrow’s victory, shedding a tear unknown to anyone before he died.
When he faced death alone, Ryann couldn’t respond to even one of his calls.
And as separation approached, Ryann wouldn’t be by his side when he woke up in the future…!
How much longer must this torment continue, how many more times must he suffer, how many more times must he be let down!?
There’s a limit to how many times a person can endure projection. After this future, how many more futures could they hope for!?
Or rather, could Jiang Jianming really wake up again?
When the memories of the base body and the original body merged, facing repeated tragic endings, would he be disappointed, would he despair?
What if…
Jiang Jianming no longer wanted a future?
Ryann looked up bewilderedly. Each heartbeat was accompanied by excruciating pain. It hurt so much he felt he might die, unable to bear even one more second.
His fingers unconsciously dug into his chest, fingertips transforming into sharp crystal bones. Blood slowly seeped out, dripping to the ground at his feet.
Unless this thing was taken out, removed…
It’s possible, Ryann thought.
If it could give Jiang Jianming a truly happy future, his heart could be taken too.
But in the surveillance footage, Jiang Jianming unexpectedly calmed down.
He fumbled to close the treatment cabin and moved back to the pilot’s seat.
Then, with a gesture of resignation, he opened the mecha’s outer shell and, in the falling fine snow, reached out to take the euthanasia syringe.
“Why? You clearly weren’t ready to give up.”
“Don’t go. If you leave like this, who will know your sorrow?”
“…Don’t go.”
Ryann looked up, dazed, his platinum hair flowing like a stream down the nape of his neck. Clusters of golden crystal emerged, lifting the fallen strands once more.
“I can forever…”
He didn’t want the future anymore, he only wanted now.
“…be with you.”
****
The First Fortress suddenly shook violently.
Paper documents tumbled down in heaps. Xie Yuduo steadied the chief with one hand while gripping the desk with the other to avoid falling.
Looking up again, the major general drew in a sharp breath. Golden crystals were spreading like a spider web across the floor and walls.
“These crystals… the Little Highness!?”
Sylph felt her scalp tingling. “Something’s happened.”
Xie Yuduo’s face turned ashen. He raised his wrist device to make a call, but the chief grasped his wrist. “Give orders to the fortress first!”
Sylph gritted her silver teeth, enunciating each word. “Please order all soldiers to stay put. His Highness’s condition may not be good. If it’s what I think it is… he absolutely cannot be seen by anyone.”
