Chapter 1: The Dilemma Under the Interstellar Dawn
In the distant 23rd century, human civilization has successfully crossed the boundaries of the solar system and deeply imprinted its mark on the vast expanse of the Milky Way. Interstellar travel, once an unattainable fantasy, has become an integral part of daily life. Colonial planets are scattered throughout the boundless embrace of the universe like brilliant stars. However, beneath this seemingly glorious interstellar era lies a treacherous undercurrent filled with crises.
The over - exploitation of resources has left many planets in ruins. Fierce conflicts frequently break out among different interstellar forces as they vie for limited energy sources and scarce resources. Under the loose governance of the Interstellar Alliance, interstellar criminal activities have become increasingly rampant. Incidents such as caravan robberies and colonial attacks are all too common. Moreover, it seems that a mysterious force is secretly manipulating these events from behind the scenes, attempting to subvert the existing interstellar order.
Lin Yu was born on "Miner Star Delta - 7", a planet veiled with endless veins of ore and a crucial stronghold for human interstellar mining. Its sky is perpetually shrouded in thick industrial smog, and the deafening roars of mining equipment echo day and night, as if the planet were gasping wearily.
Lin Yu's parents were ordinary interstellar miners. Every day, they toiled laboriously in the perilous mine shafts, hoping to secure a relatively stable life for their family in this era of ever - scarcer resources. They lived in a small, dilapidated apartment on the outskirts of the mining area. The apartment walls, having been repeatedly shaken by mining operations, were riddled with spider - web - like cracks.
In the early morning, the shrill alarm pierced the tranquility of the apartment, as it did every day. This was the work alarm for the mine, summoning miners like his parents to start their daily labor. Lin Yu slowly opened his eyes amidst the alarm. Gazing at his parents' tired yet resolute faces, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.
"Xiaoyu, stay home and rest today. Don't run around. It's not safe outside these days. The security in the mine is getting worse," his mother said as she adjusted her patched - up miner's uniform.
"Got it, Mom. You two be careful," Lin Yu replied, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation. He watched as his parents hoisted their heavy mining tools and their figures gradually disappeared down the dim corridor outside the apartment door. His weariness of this monotonous, day - in - day - out life grew deeper.
After his parents left, Lin Yu didn't idle at home as he usually did. He had a secret plan that had been brewing in his mind for a long time. He put on an old but warm coat and stealthily slipped out of the house, making his way towards the abandoned space station on the outskirts of the city.
This abandoned space station was once a vital interstellar transportation hub for Delta - 7. However, with the shift in the focus of mining development, it had gradually fallen into disuse and become a playground for adventurous children. Lin Yu knew every nook and cranny of this place like the back of his hand. He believed that within this forgotten corner, he might stumble upon something that could transform his destiny.
As Lin Yu approached the abandoned space station, a fierce gust of cold wind swept towards him, carrying the pungent smell unique to the mine. The outer shell of the space station was rust - eaten, and some areas had even caved in, exposing the intricate pipelines and discarded equipment inside. The warning signs at the entrance swayed precariously in the wind, as if recounting the station's glorious past and its current decline.
Lin Yu cautiously made his way through the collapsed passageways, dodging the tottering metal beams. The metal floor beneath his feet emitted a dull thud, echoing through the silent space station. He made his way towards the core area of the space station, which had once been the control center, filled with a large number of electronic devices and data storage units.
He rummaged through a pile of discarded electronic equipment, hoping to find some functional parts or valuable old data chips. Although these items were not of great value in the interstellar market, to Lin Yu, they represented his ticket to the outside world. He had already amassed quite a few such parts and chips, planning to sell them one day to buy a ticket off Delta - 7.
Just as Lin Yu was engrossed in his search, his hand touched a hard and cold object. Curious, he pushed aside the surrounding debris, and a crystal shard emitting a faint blue light came into view. The shard was about the size of a palm, irregular in shape, and covered with strange symbols. These symbols seemed to possess a life of their own, shimmering mysteriously in the blue glow.
Lin Yu had never seen anything so peculiar. A strong sense of curiosity welled up within him. He carefully held the crystal shard in his hand, examining it closely, trying to decipher some meaning from those enigmatic symbols. However, the symbols were completely foreign to him, and he was unable to make any sense of them.
At that moment, a commotion of footsteps and the rumbling of machinery suddenly came from the distance. Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat. He knew it was likely the space station's patrol team. To prevent anyone from stealing potentially valuable supplies, the mine management regularly dispatched patrol teams to inspect the area. Without hesitation, Lin Yu quickly stuffed the crystal shard into his coat pocket and cautiously started running in the opposite direction.
In the narrow and dim passageways, Lin Yu, relying on his familiarity with the space station, nimbly weaved through, trying to shake off the patrol team. The passageways were filled with the stale smell of metal, and occasional flickering electric sparks could be seen. He could hear the shouts of the patrol team getting closer behind him, and a sense of nervousness welled up in his heart.
"The kid is up ahead. Don't let him get away!" a patrol team member shouted.
Lin Yu quickened his pace, making sharp turns in the intricate passageways. Suddenly, he found the passage ahead blocked by a pile of collapsed metal blocks. Panic surged within him as he frantically searched for an alternative route. Just then, he noticed a small ventilation duct opening nearby. Without thinking much, he struggled to pry open the cover of the ventilation duct and crawled in.
The ventilation duct was cramped, filled with a pungent dust smell. Lin Yu laboriously crawled through the duct, with the sounds of the patrol team's search echoing from behind. He dared not make a sound, only inching forward cautiously.
"Where could this kid have gone?" a patrol team member complained.
"Search carefully. He might be hiding in some corner," the patrol team leader ordered.
Lin Yu heard the patrol team searching nearby and held his breath. His heartbeat sounded extremely loud in the silent duct, and he was worried that the sound would give away his position. Sweat trickled down his forehead and dropped onto the metal wall of the duct, making a faint sound. He listened intently to the outside noises, praying that the patrol team would leave soon.
Suddenly, Lin Yu felt that the duct ahead was blocked by something. He reached out to feel and found it was a loose metal plate. He pushed it with all his might, and the metal plate emitted a slight rubbing sound. His heart tightened, fearing that the sound would be heard by the patrol team. Fortunately, the patrol team outside didn't seem to notice.
Lin Yu continued to push, and finally managed to move the metal plate enough to squeeze through. He carefully wriggled past the gap and continued crawling forward. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally emerged from the other end of the ventilation duct. He found himself in an abandoned cargo hold filled with dilapidated shipping containers. He hid behind one of the containers, gasping for breath, his heart pounding violently. It took him a while to calm down. He took out the crystal shard again and, looking at its blue glow, was filled with confusion and unease. What exactly was this mysterious crystal shard? Why had it caused such a strong reaction from the patrol team?
Back at home, Lin Yu hid the crystal shard in a secret corner of his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought. He knew that this crystal shard might hold a great secret, and this secret could potentially be the key to changing his situation and venturing into the vast universe. However, he was also aware that the shard could bring him great danger. In this era of scarce resources and a dog - eat - dog world, any seemingly insignificant discovery could become a fuse for disputes.
Meanwhile, at the mine management headquarters of Delta - 7, a man in a black uniform was fuming at a group of his subordinates.
"You bunch of useless idiots! You can't even catch a young lad! If we lose that crystal shard, none of you will escape unscathed!" the man roared, his eyes filled with anxiety and anger. This man was Carl, a minor official in the mine management department and also a liaison for a secret interstellar criminal organization on Delta - 7.
"Boss, that kid was too slippery. In the complex environment of the abandoned space station, we let our guard down for a moment, and he managed to get away. But don't worry, we've sent people to search the whole city. He won't be able to escape," a subordinate said nervously.
"You'd better be right! This crystal shard is of utmost importance to us. It must not fall into the wrong hands! It's crucial to the success of our entire plan!" Carl said through gritted teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes.
It turned out that the interstellar criminal organization Carl belonged to had been secretly searching for the ruins of an ancient and powerful interstellar civilization. They believed that this civilization possessed a core technology capable of controlling the energy distribution across the entire Milky Way. Once they obtained this technology, they could manipulate the resource lifeline of the entire galaxy and become the overlords of the interstellar world.
Recently, during a secret operation, they accidentally discovered this crystal shard. After preliminary research by the top scientists within the organization, they found that this shard was likely the key to unlocking the ruins of the ancient civilization. The mysterious symbols on the shard contained information pointing to the location of the ruins and possibly the code to unlock the core technology within the ruins.
If they could obtain the shard and decipher its secrets, their organization would gain unimaginable power and wealth. To prevent other forces from detecting their plan, Carl arranged for his men to disguise themselves as mine patrol teams in an attempt to retrieve the crystal shard.
Lin Yu had no idea that he had been targeted by a group of dangerous people. At the moment, all he could think about was how to unlock the secrets of the crystal shard. He decided that, no matter what, he had to take the risk and find someone who could help him, even if it meant facing unknown dangers. This decision would completely transform his fate and draw him into a colossal interstellar adventure.
He began to go through the people he knew in his mind, trying to find someone who might have some knowledge about the crystal shard. Suddenly, he thought of a teacher at school, Dr. Ellie. Dr. Ellie had once been a renowned interstellar archaeologist. For some reason, she had come to teach on Delta - 7. She had profound expertise in the study of various interstellar civilizations. Perhaps she could help him unlock the secrets of the crystal shard.
However, Lin Yu was not familiar with Dr. Ellie. And if he went to her directly, would it draw attention and put her in danger? Lin Yu was hesitant. Nevertheless, his thirst for the unknown and his determination to change his fate ultimately overcame his concerns. He decided to go to the school to find Dr. Ellie the next day.
As night fell, Delta - 7 was enveloped in darkness. Lying in bed, Lin Yu looked out at the twinkling lights of the mine outside the window, his heart filled with unease. He had no idea what awaited him the next day, but he knew that he had embarked on an irreversible journey. This mysterious and dangerous interstellar era was waiting for him to lift its veil.