Colonial Suit

"Faster! Faster! Start the engines! Don't tell me that damned backup engine won't start; it's not like it's running on empty."

"Lord Giles is already out there, he's going to ignite the light. We can't waste time. Remember, not even a little! If you can't manage that, I'll personally stuff you into a siege cannon and fire you off!"

"Henry! Where's Henry! Announce to the entire ship: lights out! Turn off all those damned lights! That's not how light should be used; it needs to be used where it's needed more! Activate the holographic scanner! Scout fleet, move out!"

"Alright, folks, let's move out!!"

In the boundless dark world, the human fleet was activated, and this time, ahead of them was no longer Eden, but a seemingly gaunt old man. He was still wearing an old mercenary uniform, with a cigarette dangling nonchalantly from his mouth.

In the void, he floated in front of the fleet, the glowing tip of the cigarette flickering on and off.

That was the only light.

"This is really a headache. In this kind of environment, even my old bones have to come out. I thought I could retire properly," Giles scratched his head, scattering dandruff. But there wasn't a trace of difficulty on his face.

"No choice, for my lovely daughter. Gotta work hard..."

Muttering to himself, Giles, the old man, took out an old, yellowed photograph from his pocket. The photo showed a cute girl, but judging by the age, she was probably a middle-aged woman by now. But no matter what, in the old man's heart, the girl remained in the years captured in the photo, just like before.

"Ellie, rest well. Grandpa will protect the world you love."

He said this, then took a deep breath. The glowing tip of the cigarette suddenly expanded!

No one could describe that light, it was as if the entire world had come alive in an instant. Darkness was still darkness, but above that endless darkness, there flowed something called 'hope'. Within the human fleet, all instruments that required the rules of light were activated, once again exerting their due effect.

No one thought that this light actually came from a cigarette butt.

Nor did anyone think that beneath the flickering of this cigarette butt was the old man's deep love for his deceased daughter.

In the Garden of Eden, the old man's face appeared in front of the Speaker, with a nonchalant smile on it.

"Boss, I'm leaving."

"Remember the promise you made me. The dignity of humanity, you must protect it well... You must stand in the sunlight and loudly say no."

"I'm sorry I can't accompany you to the end."

Space twisted for a moment, and the old man's face disappeared. The Speaker stood silently in place, his hands clenched tightly. In the darkness, his fingernails had already dug deep into his palms. But he didn't seem to feel it. Fresh blood dripped down his hands... drip, drip.

"Giles... old friend..."

The Speaker closed his eyes in pain. Hadn't his heart already gone numb? Why... does it still hurt?

And at this moment, in the void in front of the fleet, Giles had already begun to fade. His body gradually merged with the void, losing its original outline. Only the cigarette in his mouth was still emitting light. The light was formless, but it lit up in everyone's heart. The light was weak, but it was continuous.

The fleet was already accelerating desperately, and the crew members were working frantically, seizing every minute. This time was transformed from Giles's life, and every minute and every second was condensed with this old man's obsession. Humanity needs sacrifice. He is not the first, nor will he be the last. But on this road of pursuing hope, any sacrifice must be worthwhile.

Giles has fulfilled the duty of a space warrior; now it's the time for ordinary people.

"Faster! Faster! Damn it, didn't you eat?"

"Run and see why the pipes in sector X3 are blocked. Solve it."

"Go and get fifty servings of Blue Mist Coffee. I don't think we'll be sleeping for the next few days. Forget about the damned side effects; at least we're still alive."

"The scout fleet has sent back the first phase of information. Decipher it immediately!"

"A clue has been found! The coordinates have been transmitted to the navigation center!"

"Accelerate! We have hope."

In the endless void, the human fleet is like a running rhinoceros, and it will never stop once it accelerates. No matter how dark the front is, it cannot stop their footsteps. This is the courage of humanity, their fighting spirit and pride. Perhaps only the strong have the right to speak in this cold universe, but the weak also have their stage! The courage that is ignited is not distinguished by individual strength, nor by the worldly conventions of high and low!

And in front of this fleet, there is always a light flashing, faint but never extinguished. That is the lighthouse of hope! Always lighting the way forward for them.

Giles has completely disappeared. The only thing left is that yellowed photo. Now, at the front of the fleet is a burly man, also the seventh volunteer. As a 'lighthouse' of light, the minimum standard is planetary level. This burly man will be no exception.

However, compared to ordinary planetary levels, his image is very miserable. His broken body has only one arm, and both legs are broken off at the knees. This is the permanent damage left to him by a war, which even the power of the planetary level cannot repair.

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But even so, the burly man is still laughing, laughing loudly, laughing madly.

In high spirits, he waved his wine pot, as if he were still on the battlefield, shouting for a hearty battle.

"Put in some effort, you little ones!"

"My life is burning out! Don't let me die with my eyes closed!"

"Go to the entrance to the next level! I want to see what can stop us!"

"We are humans, humans in the sunlight! Even if you burn me to death, don't think I'll bend my knees! What is Boca? What is Sasa? We are the masters of the universe!"

"Let me see the fourth level, just a glance! If you see it, I'll buy you drinks!!"

In the midst of the frantic shouts, the human fleet finally arrived at the coordinates, and the scout fleets also appeared in front. But for some reason, they stopped there and never moved forward.

The burly man's pupils contracted slightly, but his face still had a nonchalant smile. "Get out of the way, you little ones, don't block my way. Could it be that after holding on for so long, I don't even have the right to take a look at the lower level?"

The thought was transmitted, and the fleet in front hesitated for a moment, but eventually dispersed, revealing the entrance to the fourth level.

It was a dense darkness that even the burly man couldn't illuminate.

The smile on the burly man's face froze. He stared fiercely at the darkness, as if he were looking at an irreconcilable enemy. But in the end, he just spat and his body dissipated into the void.

"Damn it, it can't even be illuminated by me..."

"What a big pile of dog shit."