Epilogue
Three days later.
In the departure hall of Ladder No.7 Counterweight Spaceport.
"I'm sorry, Anton. I owe you an apology," I finally managed to say it after a long hesitation. The boy had truly made me see him in a new light, and if not now, I might not have another opportunity to say this. "I have to say, your bravery has made a deep impression on me."
"Apology accepted," Anton smiled, his face looking more lively compared to how pale and deathlike he appeared the past few days. "But it's not really your fault. I realize that some of the tourists you've encountered... well... might not really like Earth."
"Right," I agreed, "I've always wondered why they don't really like Earth."
"Well, it's not that they hated Earth; it's just that..." Anton hesitated, looking for the right words, but finally, he let it go, "Anyway, do you remember that myth you told me about at the Parthenon ruins?"
"Absolutely,"
"Do you mind if I repeat it?"
"No, not at all."
"In Greek mythology, there's this giant named Antaeus. His father was Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and his mother was Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth. Antaeus was super strong and unbeatable as long as he was touching the ground because he could draw endless power from his mother, Gaia. So, Antaeus was really into wrestling and would force anyone who came by to wrestle with him. With Gaia's help, he was invincible, defeating and then killing his opponents to build a temple for Poseidon with their skulls. Antaeus's reputation spread far and wide, and soon, everyone knew there was an unbeatable one named Antaeus in Libya. Until it reached Heracles, a hero of great strength. Heracles went to Libya to challenge Antaeus, and during their battle, he realized Antaeus's secret. So, Heracles lifted Antaeus off the ground, cutting off his source of power, and killed him. Is that right?"
"Yes, you have a good memory," I complimented genuinely.
"And now, here we are, leaving Earth," Anton pointed at the planet's surface below us through the window, "and just like Antaeus, losing strength as we leave the ground."
"Yes," I mentioned.
"By telling me this story, were you trying to say that humans lose some of their strength when they leave Earth?" Anton asked.
I paused, then nodded.
Anton smiled, looking at me, "But Jason, I believe there's another way to interpret this myth, actually."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Humans are indeed children of the Earth, but as Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky once put it this way, 'Earth is humanity's cradle, but one cannot live in the cradle forever.' It's with this spirit that humanity has continuously ventured towards the stars." At that moment, Anton appeared to be more than just a boy. His golden hair glowed, and his eyes flickered with fiery passion as he pointed toward the endless sky and the glowing stars, "We're writing the next chapter of this myth, Jason. Even as we leave Mother Gaia behind, we gain our strength from our father, from the infinite power of the starry sea. But wherever we go, we will never forget our mother."
I was silent for a moment, digesting his words. As the journey neared its end, I thought I had a good understanding of this young man, but now I feel like I don't understand him at all. Then, the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal; it was time for Anton to go.
"Thank you, Jason, for making this trip unforgettable," he said, "I'm really glad you were my tour guide."
"That's the highest praise for my work," I replied, "Thank you."
"I don't have any change on me, so I can't leave you a tip," Anton said with a slight twinkle in his eye.
I felt awkward and quickly waved it off, "No, you don't have to..."
Anton smiled, then asked, "By the way, Jason, did you really want to be an Explorer?"
I nodded first, then shook my head, "Once, I did."
"Never let go of your dreams; they might come true. Plus, your dream isn't as unreachable as Tsiolkovsky's was," Anton said with a smile, reaching out his hand. "So, farewell, my friend."
I shook his hand, somewhat awkwardly, and said, "You're the bravest tourist I've ever met. Good luck, Anton. Goodbye."
Anton gave me a quick wink before turning to leave. I watched as he disappeared into the shuttle that would take him to the City of Dawn. From there, he'd catch a transport ship to the Lagrange Stargate, back to the endless expanse of stars.
I never saw Anton again after that.
But that's alright. I'm used to it. In the infinite universe, people cross paths briefly, like meteors in the night, never to intersect again.
Three months later, just after wrapping up a tour and my routine report, feeling weary, I wandered back into the small bar in the ring-shaped commercial district. They had switched up the music to Beethoven's "Fate Symphony" today.
I went for a glass of rum, which, I heard, was traditionally made from sugarcane by-products and was the preferred strong spirit of ancient mariners. I had recently read a book about ancient liquors that mentioned this type of rum. This rum was also referred to as "Nelson's Blood." Legend has it that it was named after Admiral Nelson, a storied British naval officer whose body was returned to his country in a coffin after he died overseas. The journey back was so long that they had to fill the coffin with rum to preserve the body. When the battleship finally reached Britain, the crew found the rum inside the coffin was gone, drained through many small holes they found in the coffin. It was later revealed that the crew, having depleted their own rum supplies, resorted to tapping into the rum-filled coffin. They discreetly made holes and sipped the rum using straws, believing they were not just consuming rum but the blood of Admiral Nelson himself. This is how rum came to be known as "Nelson's Blood."
To be honest, that story was somewhat gruesome, yet I found it incredibly appealing. It seemed to echo the vibrant spirit of adventure and passion at the onset of the Great Navigation Era. However, the only thing that didn't sit right was the dark red rum in my glass. Under the dim bar lights, it appeared murky and somber, nothing like real blood.
At that moment, a sudden burst of cheers broke out in the bar, startling me. I turned to see everyone crowded around the center, looking up at the holographic screen, cheering and jumping, their voices nearly overturning the entire space station. I stopped a waiter who was hurrying by, "Wait, what's going on?"
The waiter was beaming with excitement, shouting over to me, "Haven't you seen the news? They've made a deal! No war is going to happen! Peace is coming!"
"Who? Who made a deal?"
"The Antonios Consortium and the Arbiter Committee!"
I finally understood what was going on after a moment. A few days earlier, the Arbiter Committee's united fleet arrived in the Wasteland Star System and ended up in a standoff with the Antonios Consortium's fleet. As tensions reached a peak and war seemed inevitable, the situation took a sudden turn. The Antonios Consortium and the Arbiter Committee suddenly issued a joint statement on peacefully developing the X Star System.
According to the joint statement, Andre, the president of the Antonios Consortium, and Yue Wenfeng, the chairman of the Terran Sphere, declared their intention to invite the NOMA Shipping Group to explore and develop the X Star System. They are also looking to facilitate negotiations with all factions across the galaxy in the City of Dawn to establish long-lasting peace.
From bits and pieces of conversations around me, I learned that the main issue was actually within the Antonios Consortium itself. The consortium is divided between a faction that supports the Arbiter Committee and a newer faction that critiques the "Dawn Accord." Their ongoing debates had stalled the agreement. This time, unexpectedly, the newer faction seemed to back down, leading to the smooth signing of the agreement for joint development of the X Star System. Regardless, the signing of this agreement was beneficial for rebuilding the Lagrange Network and was the first step toward peace.
I didn't know why, but something clicked in my mind as I listened, bringing back a memory of Anton's first encounter with a space elevator. Ah, then it dawned on me—Earth isn't the only place with a space elevator! There's one on Garden Planet, built by the Antonios Consortium for transporting supplies. And then I recalled how Anton didn't wobble like the other tourists when he first landed on Earth... It all made sense now. I was too slow to realize that Anton wasn't new to planets; he had surely been to Garden Planet via their space elevator.
My god, I was stunned by this thought. It hit me—Anton wasn't from the Grus U8232a Star System; he must've used a fake identity. He was from the Antonios Consortium! Then, a daring thought occurred to me: what if Anton's trip changed his perspective, and when he returned to Antontas, it led to a negotiation breakthrough? Could it be that I, a nobody, actually played a role in advancing peace for humanity? Thinking this, I stood up a little straighter, proudly. After a moment, I snapped back to reality and laughed at my own ridiculous thoughts. That's crazy. How could a simple tour guide like me possibly propel such a monumental event?
"Don't be foolish," I muttered to myself with a wry smile, shaking my head as I realized I had too much of the rum called "Nelson's Blood."
As the bar lights dimmed, I glanced out the window. Dawn was approaching.
The edge of the horizon was softly glowing, and in an instant, the center of the arc exploded with intense light, like a jewel shining on a massive ring. The sunlight had already brightened the massive ring above, and now the two rings shone together, forming an indescribable, stunning scene between heaven and earth.
Though sunsets are beautiful, they're no match for the vibrant uplift of a sunrise.
I looked down at my rum, sunlight piercing through the glass, making the drink glow a deep red, just like blood. Ah, Nelson's Blood—it really is Nelson's Blood.
Lifting my glass to the brilliant sunlight, I gazed towards the luminous galaxy. I could see countless Explorers navigating massive ships through Lagrange Stargate, heading out into the expansive starry sea. I could see the Lagrange Network which covered the entire galaxy, twinkling in the cosmic sea.
Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with a feeling I've never had before. Despite our presence across the galaxy, despite being millions of light-years apart, despite our mistrust and conflicts, the blood of our ancestors still runs through us all, and we all share one common name—human. No matter where we are, we all share one everlasting home—Earth.
"Salute to humanity," I murmured to myself. I then raised my head and finished the glass of "blood" in one gulp.
