To everyone's excitement, it turned out that the dean himself would be teaching the class.
At this point, someone finally realised that they were huddled together in a noisy group, and hurriedly returned to their seats. Everyone then came to their senses and returned to their seats.
The old man walked into the classroom, looked at the students below, and said, 'Hello everyone, I'm very happy to meet this year's most outstanding talented students. This is the biggest reason why I, an old man, still don't want to leave. But before I teach you, I want to ask you some questions and talk about something unrelated.'
His gaze swept over the faces of each student, and his originally kind expression gradually became serious.
He said, 'Can someone tell me why you are here? Is it for the money? In the Federation, the salary of a starship captain is only 1.8 million credits per year. This income may be considered good among the general population, but honestly, even the owner of a private transport ship earns ten times that amount per year. And someone who can become a starship captain, with that person's intelligence and abilities, is qualified to lead a fleet anywhere.'
'So it's for fame? To become a hero? Unfortunately, this is also a distant luxury. Even in a local war of ordinary scale, hundreds of thousands of soldiers will be sent to their graves. If it's an interstellar war in a large area, it's not impossible for the dead to reach millions. Among such a huge population base, there are often only one or two people who can become heroes. People's memories are always limited, and no one can remember too many heroic names. In a war, there are usually no more than three heroes that remain in people's memories. Therefore, the chances of all of you here becoming martyrs are far greater than becoming heroes. Personally, I see it as another rebirth, with billions of sperm, only one can ultimately reach the shore of success.'
'So, is it about power? Unfortunately, being a Starfleet captain may indeed be a very prestigious profession, commanding hundreds of mechs and tens of thousands of soldiers. On this ship, you are the emperor. Everything you say is an imperial decree. But the question is... is that really the case? No. The starship is the property of the Federation, and so is the captain. You are all a war machine cultivated by the state, existing only for the sake of victory. Anyone who thinks that becoming captain of a starship makes them a great man is mistaken. There are too many forces at work in this universe to allow us to become what we want to be. Those forces are a constant reminder that the position is not as great as you think, even though it may seem glamorous and hard to achieve.
'So? What are you here for? I hope you will ask yourselves this question first. Now, can anyone answer me?'
Marshall's question made all the trainees look at each other.
They looked at each other, not knowing how to answer, because the old general's words had blocked most people's reasons, which made them unable to find anything to answer for a while.
Finally, someone raised their hand and said, 'I want to become a captain because I like the feeling of roaming in space, looking at the fascinating stars, and flying freely in the sea of stars.'
Marshall laughed, 'I didn't think there was a romantic poet among us. But let me remind you, boy. Starships are a product of war, and captains are the elite of the military. And the military and war are the most realistic products in this universe. It doesn't accept romance, only the bloody reality. Besides, the sea of stars is not beautiful. Most of the time, the universe is dark and deep. In the universe, beauty always exists alongside death. The sight of a star going supernova is spectacular, and the light and flame of a starship exploding is also beautiful.'
The cadet was at a loss for words.
Sfeld, who had shaved his head, raised his hand. 'I like war, the feeling of blood and killing. I was born in the Devil's Triangle galaxy, where war is a common occurrence.'
Someone chimed in, 'Then you should become a mech pilot.'
There was a burst of laughter in the classroom.
Sfeld raised his eyebrows: 'Starships kill more people than mechs, and the starship command department also has mech courses.'
'Interesting reason, but I accept it.' Unexpectedly, Marshall nodded in approval.
'Anyone else?' he asked.
Reno thought about it and raised his hand. 'The initial reason I wanted to become a captain was to kill the Starlight Pirates because they killed my parents. But I know that if I answer you like this, you will tell me that I cannot freely move the starship to do what I want. On the contrary, according to the system, if one day I really have to wipe out those pirates, considering the hatred between me and those pirates, in order to avoid being burned by anger and hatred and making irrational decisions, someone like me usually will not be sent to participate. And if I kill all the pirates, how can I continue to exist?'
Marshall spread his hands: 'You really said what I wanted to say.'
'So I have found a new reason for myself.'
'Tell me.'
'Dreams! Soaring through the starry sky and conquering the universe are dreams that humans had even when they were still stuck on the earth. It doesn't need any support, every man should have such a dream and fight for it. There is no need to pursue meaning, chasing after dreams is in itself meaningful.'
Marshall laughed: 'I like this answer.'
He looked at all the cadets and said, 'I also have an answer, and that is for the glory of the country, to protect our beliefs, and for the dignity and pride of mankind! Yes, it sounds very vain, but it is the goal I have fought for all my life. I suggest you also find a really good reason for yourself. No matter what it is, I hope he will understand what he is pursuing. The road to becoming a captain is long and arduous. If there is no dream to support him and no belief to serve as a pillar, then he is doomed to fail.'
'Welcome, then, to the Starfleet Command Department of the Alpha Military Academy, where the elimination rate is over 70%. You will spend the most unforgettable six years of your lives here. It will determine whether you become the elite of humanity or incompetent losers.
The Starship Command Department has a total of 36 courses, the largest number of courses of any department, covering everything from ship structure to the various parts of the hull. Apart from three courses on combat, all the others are about basic knowledge.
This part of the curriculum is the most boring and also the largest. Just memorising this knowledge and mastering the corresponding data and calculation procedures is enough to give everyone a headache.
In Marshall's words, so-called wisdom, courage and decisiveness are all based on sufficient expertise. Without sufficient professional ability, courage is synonymous with stupidity!
Big-picture thinking, insight, management ability and other things are not easy to test, but basic knowledge is quantifiable. Therefore, the academy is unrelentingly strict in this regard, cramming a large amount of basic knowledge into them.
They are not worried about turning out nerds. The Alpha Military Academy is not a place that only teaches basic knowledge. All cadets must eventually go through a series of rigorous practical training before they can finally pass.
Because of this, every year, one-third of the students fail the basic knowledge assessment. You have to know that these people were all the best students in their respective schools. But here, they can't even pass the most basic endorsement.
It is for this reason that the cadets of the starship command department are always the busiest in the academy. Their minds are always full of various mathematical formulas, knowledge of various space objects, the structure and function of starships, the classification and differences between ship types, various military systems, etc. The huge and complicated studies have almost exploded the heads of every cadet.
Alpha Military Academy has always been known for its intense learning and training. Every cadet who can be admitted to the Starship Command Department is a genius, and what the academy needs is a genius among geniuses, a hardworking genius.
After the orientation, Reno became the most popular new student at the Starship Academy, attracting attention wherever he went.
But Reno didn't have any time to enjoy this glory. He didn't come here to just get qualifications, but to pursue his dream.
To become a captain and soar freely in the starry sea, that was his dream!
He worked hard, struggled and fought for his dream.
In those youthful years when passion was in the air.