Which is the best era?
Perhaps, everyone has his own answer.
Stark believes that the best era is now, when humanity is about to step into the Star Ocean, and he will achieve even greater accomplishments than his father.
Steve believes the best era was the last one, which belonged to him, a time that was both simple and grand.
Nick Fury believes the best era is always the next one, as unknown enemies mean more funds.
But, if a modifier is added to the question: for human civilization, which is the best era?
It is the era when there was a sea apart yet intense competition.
In that era, known as the Cold War, two superpowers competed in all aspects, and the greatest human ingenuity was unleashed. There were two suns shining brightly, and thousands of stars ascended to the sky.
In that era, there was the Red Giant, laboring for the lofty ideal of liberating all mankind, and the World Beacon, focused on the stars in the sky and unwilling to be left behind.
The small sparks ignited by the friction during that silent era, still light the fire of technology today.
However, the fall of the Red Giant does not imply the victory of the other side. One could say they both lost, and human civilization also lost.
The once brilliantly shining beacon, without the night sky to illuminate or ships to guide, started to show signs of aging with dust covering the bulbs.
This fading beacon would be left un-touched, because it wasn't necessary anymore.
The distant ships hitting the reefs are not saved, and nobody can accuse them any longer. The raging storms and distressed seamen thousands of miles away will not change paths due to their indifference.
By now, everyone believed that the best and the worst era had passed and would never come back.
The raging flames ignited by countless sparks had extinguished, yet now, a new flame was lit.
It was a single man's flame, incomparable to the grandeur of the Giant, but his abilities were immensely powerful, making him a one-man army.
The terrifying and fascinating Red Ghost once again descended upon the Earth, dead yet alive again.
What kind of changes would Professor X, a staunch communist, bring to the Earth?
Perhaps, the only change is that the dead soul has been brought back to life. She extended her arms, embraced Earth, and observed everything here from the high altitude.
Light the beacon bright enough, or let us do it.
In the office of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick hung up the phone and said in a rarely serious tone to Coulson at his side:
"Notify everyone to get ready for a meeting!"
The lights in the corridor turned on one by one. Led by Nick, a group of people briskly walked through the corridor. When they entered the conference room, more people were already waiting there. Nick looked around and the first thing he said thundered like an explosion.
"Tomorrow, at the meeting of the United Nations Permanent Council, we will vote to pass the global union solar system construction plan."
"I've received the order from Congress. From now on, S.H.I.E.L.D will be in full charge of Supernatural Force arrangements and coordination for the solar system construction plan."
"In the near future, manpower will be stretched thin. Therefore, I don't care where you come from or who you've served in the past, all of you are now part of humanity. As we are about to step into the cosmos, we must unite as one."
"In the following period, the CIA will gradually stop its intelligence work related to technical protection and investigation. Some special agents will be transferred into S.H.I.E.L.D. I hope you can get along well with your new colleagues."
Nick's face was very serious. He didn't have his usual perfunctory attitude. He said:
"Maybe you have already investigated and understood what we are facing. If we do not handle it well, someone will gladly replace us."
Meanwhile, in the office of the CIA, Mark looked confusedly at his stern-faced boss and asked, "What's the matter? Is there a problem with my resignation letter?"
"Yes, there is," his boss responded.
"Err, which part of it is unclear? I can rewrite it," Mark immediately offered.
"The problem is, you can't resign."
"Why?" Mark asked in surprise, unclear as to why his boss's attitude took a 180-degree turn.
Not long ago, due to unsuccessful investigations surrounding Shiller, his boss was very displeased and kept making things difficult for him.
Mark wanted to resign due to poor mental state, and his boss verbally agreed, only asking him to write a resignation letter. Unexpectedly, his boss reversed his decision.
Mark's boss walked over, patted Mark's shoulder, and said, "The Global Union Solar System plan carries extraordinary significance. I heard that the higher-ups intend to establish the Earth Union Government to help human civilization better colonize the cosmos."
Mark's eyeballs almost popped out. "Earth Union Government? What happened? Why the sudden change? Didn't they say that the disputes over the Solar System construction plan were too great because the territories in the Solar System were hard to divide? How did they end up uniting?"
His boss, seemingly knowing more than Mark, sighed and said, "Because the biggest obstacles have disappeared. The Congress has changed its mind, and the Russian side changed their mind even faster."
"Why? Why did they suddenly change their minds?"
"Because the Congress doesn't want to see the Soviet Union resurrected, and Russia is even more against it."
"So, Mark, throw your resignation letter into the trash, and prepare to continue contributing to human civilization."
Mark's surprised face gradually changed, slowly morphing into Natasha's. She, with an equally shocked mouth agape, asked to the Nick in front of her:
"Drop the investigation? Reinstatement? But the investigation hasn't even started yet! How is it over already?"
Natasha was perplexed. Although under Nick's preferential treatment, she hadn't really been confined for investigation or been watched, and she could even work normally. Officially, however, she was under suspension for investigation due to suspicion of being a KGB spy.
But the results came out after just a few days of investigation? When did S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation efficiency get so high?
"Yes, you have been cleared of suspicion. On the one hand, we really are understaffed, and there's still a lot of open work that needs you. On the other hand, whether you're KGB doesn't really matter, Congress has decided to turn a blind eye."
"Why?" Natasha asked, shocked.
"Yesterday, the five presidents of the United Nations Permanent Council held a phone conference to determine the main route for the development of human civilization for the next hundred years. Simply put, one word: cooperation."
Natasha was genuinely shocked and speechless. She put her hand to her forehead, looked up at the ceiling, and asked, "Did I sleep for a night? Not like Captain America who slept for 70 years? What's the world coming to? Congress is actually talking about cooperation now?"
Nick briefly explained to Natasha what Shiller had done in Congress yesterday, and then he commented:
"A madman who wants to, and can, resurrect the Soviet Union at any time is watching the world. If we don't do well enough, he'll let the Soviet Union take over. Do you want that?"
Natasha hesitated for a moment, then said, "Depends on which period of the Soviet Union."
"That's for you to say. For them, if Shiller brings back the late Soviet Union, that's fine. But if he brings back the early Soviet Union, he'd string all of American and Russian Congress together and hang them from a lamp post."
Natasha showed a complex expression, somewhat plaintive, somewhat fearful, and somewhat nostalgic.
After Nick left, she pulled the Red Flag Medal out of her pocket.
She gently stroked the surface of the medal with her finger, speaking in a complicated tone that no one had ever heard her use before:
"That era has passed and will never return..."
"But all of us who were once healed by it, who were once proud of it, who incurred sleepless nights from loathing it, we are all still alive..."
"It doesn't need to be brought back, because the spirit never dies."
"Do you really want to resurrect the Soviet Union?"
Standing at the top of the Stark Building, twilight descended again. Amid the evening breeze, Stark turned to face Shiller.
Shiller's hair was whipped into disarray by the wind, he also turned, and looked at Stark, and said with a smile:
"It hasn't died. How can we talk about resurrection?"
Stark fell into silence, Shiller's voice, carried along by the evening breeze, became fuzzy.
"In this world, a convincing doctrine and faith would not dissipate simply because a certain country has fallen."
"A certain great ideal that once made countless people long for, and sacrifice for, will not lose its charm due to the passage of time."
"As long as this ideal and faith continue to circulate in human civilization, even if the road is full of twists and turns, the future is still bright."
Shiller let out a light sigh, looking at the New York skyline, where the scenery was still magnificent and prosperous. He said:
"True communists never sought geopolitical, systemic, or positional advantages. Our only goal has always been the emancipation of all mankind."
"Therefore, resurrecting that group of people on that piece of land will not bring back that era – that was never my intention."
"There are neither objective conditions nor absolute necessity. If one insists on doing so, they haven't grasped the main contradictions and have fallen into an ontological paradox."
Stark turned to Shiller and asked: "So what is it that you plan on doing?"
Shiller said in a calm tone:
"They fear and dread me, but they can't eliminate me. Therefore, they can only strive harder to prove they can do better. Doesn't it sound familiar?"
"That kind of spirit and faith that has revived in me, has also revived in this world."
"And someday, this lighthouse will be bright enough, illuminating all mankind, illuminating the entire cosmos…"
"Then who can say, it hasn't been resurrected?"
"So this is all your plan?!"
Stark crossed his arms and looked at Shiller, angrily saying, "Played us in a big circle, just to give those in Congress a sense of tension about being replaced by the Soviet Union, in order to get them to stop their infighting and unify, and then step into the cosmos?"
Shiller showed the most brilliant smile he had so far. He said, "This place is known as the World Beacon..."
"And I, am best at twisting light bulbs."