Chapter 197: The Meeting
Two hours later, in the conference room at the bow of the spaceship, Captain Reggie, clad in a sleek uniform, surveyed the 20-odd crew members present.
With a serious expression, he began, “Everyone, apart from the first and second navigation teams and the security team, all other personnel are now gathered here. This marks the first time since our mission began that so many of us have been awakened at once. I believe you all already understand the reason for this emergency assembly.”
After a brief pause, Captain Reggie continued, “Over sixty years ago, our most advanced observation technology detected an anomalous energy burst on Planet T853 in the T85 star system. The news brought us both excitement and anxiety. We were thrilled because, amidst the vast cosmic sea, we are not alone. But we were also uneasy because we know nothing about the nature of these potential neighbors.”
“Judging by our own history, and considering that this is an entirely unknown species, we can imagine the range of possibilities. While a small minority called for peaceful coexistence, fortunately, most of us remained rational. That’s why we initiated Operation Cat’s Ear and built this very Cat’s Ear spacecraft.”
“Over fifty years ago, each of you, elites among the Riken people, boarded this ship for various reasons to embark on a mission estimated to take about 130 years. Although most of your time has been spent in stasis, life for our loved ones on our home planet has continued to move forward.”
His gaze swept across the room, where many crew members were lost in thought, their memories stirred. He continued, “Even though the Riken people’s lifespan has extended to over 300 years thanks to advances in genetic technology, and our homeworld’s science and technology may have advanced further during our journey, things will inevitably have changed when we return. It will no longer be the world we left behind.”
“But if we succeed in this epic mission, wealth, power, and everything we’ve sacrificed will be returned to us many times over.”
Captain Reggie painted a grand vision for the crew, stirring their enthusiasm. The adrenaline of those just awakened began to surge as they imagined the future.
Once he had lifted their spirits, he continued, “After the initial energy burst observation, the Federation took this matter seriously and convened a team of nearly 10,000 experts across various fields. Their analysis concluded that the energy burst on Planet T853 was likely a small-scale nuclear explosion caused by intelligent beings.”