Chapter 52
Before dawn, the world was a silent expanse of snow, the only light coming from the warm glow within the lone house on the plain.
Shi Nuo, who had been too excited to sleep until late last night, opened his eyes, remembered their planned outing today, and, ignoring his usual morning drowsiness, sat up and quickly got dressed.
He had already chosen his clothes last night, so he didn’t have to waste time deciding what to wear.
Hugh was already up and had gone out. Afraid of being left behind, he quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, then hurried outside.
The kitchen lights were on, and the aroma of food filled the air.
Breakfast was porridge and eggs. It was too early, and Shi Nuo wasn’t particularly hungry, thinking he would eat more later, so he only had a bowl of porridge and two eggs, just enough to take the edge off his hunger.
He had grown tired of his own limited cooking skills and craved a variety of foods: dumplings, buns, noodles, hot pot, barbecue, fresh fish and seafood, desserts, drinks, snacks, and regional specialties.
They had finished the fresh vegetables Hugh had brought back from the black market. He craved stir-fries, salads, almost anything besides the food he had been eating.
Long Xu had already transformed, and a dark gray, medium-sized starship waited patiently outside.
After breakfast, Hugh washed the dishes and packed a thermal container with two warm chicken legs for Shi Nuo to eat later if he got hungry.
Shi Nuo, his eyes shining with excitement, sat in the pilot seat, quickly fastened his seatbelt, and waited for takeoff.
A beam of light scanned his body, Long Xu’s medical diagnostics.
After learning about Shi Nuo’s pregnancy, the mecha had automatically switched to medical mode, specifically prenatal care, and the specialized flight suit he was wearing would protect him during space travel.
A large virtual screen appeared on the main console, displaying various data, and Hugh Elvis, leaning back in his seat, his expression still slightly sleepy from having woken up early, studied the information.
He didn’t touch any of the controls, piloting Long Xu with his mental energy and voice commands.
The starship lifted off smoothly. Shi Nuo, remembering something, activated a window displaying real-time environmental monitoring data and selected the overhead view, watching as the house below grew smaller.
The powerful engines roared as they ascended, breaking through the clouds and the atmosphere, then, without pausing, set course for their destination.
Shi Nuo looked out the window at the vast darkness of space.
Beside them, the blue-green planet slowly rotated, its vast continents surrounded by blue oceans, majestic mountain ranges like giant dragons, and sprawling forests.
This was their home.
Before they left the planet’s orbit, Shi Nuo saw an artificial satellite and, remembering the monitoring equipment, felt a surge of anxiety. “Are they watching us?”
Hugh Elvis activated a virtual screen. “Don’t worry. Long Xu has already taken control of the satellite’s core systems. All the data they’re receiving is fabricated. There’s no trace of us.”
“Okay,” Shi Nuo nodded, relieved.
He looked out at the vast expanse of space and, suppressing his excitement, asked, “Which planet are we going to?”
“N47989. Therlun Star,” Hugh replied, then held out his hand. “Give me your optical brain.”
Shi Nuo, confused, unfastened his wristband and handed it to Hugh. “What’s wrong?”
“Changing your identity,” Hugh opened the optical brain and quickly entered commands. He took two small chips from Long Xu’s control panel and inserted one into Shi Nuo’s optical brain.
“Your information is already in the Elvis family’s internal database. If your identity is recorded on another planet, it could be traced back to us.”
“This is a fake ID chip. Don’t use the star coins in your account. We’ll exchange some energy crystals for local currency when we arrive.”
Shi Nuo watched him work. “Did you buy this at the black market last time?”
“Yes,” Hugh didn’t look up, his gaze fixed on the rapidly scrolling data on the screen. Creating a fake identity wasn’t difficult, but it couldn’t have any flaws. Therlun wasn’t a black market planet, and its port security systems were strict.
Seeing his focused expression, Shi Nuo didn’t disturb him.
A virtual screen suddenly appeared, displaying information about Therlun Star.
Long Xu must have done that. Shi Nuo smiled, his eyes crinkling.
Therlun was also in the Fifth Star System, a small agricultural planet, not highly ranked, its main exports agricultural products and fish. It had some natural resources and a modest tourism industry.
However, the Fifth Star System was remote, far from the other star systems, and Therlun didn’t have any major tourist attractions, but its safety rating was high, making it a suitable destination for nearby residents seeking a peaceful vacation and natural scenery.
“Five hours?” Shi Nuo murmured, looking at the estimated travel time. Hugh’s round trip to the black market had only taken about ten hours.
Hugh, still working on the ID chip, replied casually, “Yes, Therlun is further away. We’ll be passing by a few other planets, but they’re too close to our…home. Yarlin might be monitoring those. It’s safer to go further out. The Fifth Star System isn’t like the Imperial Star Circle. His influence doesn’t reach this far.”
He handed Shi Nuo a glass of water from the console. “Have Long Xu play a movie if you’re bored.”
Shi Nuo held the glass with both hands, his gaze fixed on the stars outside, some near, some distant. He smiled slightly. “I’m not bored.”
Space wasn’t just an endless expanse of darkness. As they passed other planets or saw distant galaxies slowly rotating, Shi Nuo took pictures.
He was relaxed, enjoying the journey, like a tourist on vacation.
After finishing with the ID chip and confirming there were no flaws, Hugh Elvis returned Shi Nuo’s optical brain.
“Happy?” he asked, looking up.
Shi Nuo, a smile still lingering in his eyes, nodded readily. “Yes.”
A large hand ruffled his hair, and Shi Nuo didn’t pull away. After Hugh smoothed his hair, he returned his attention to the scenery outside.
Every time they passed a planet, Long Xu would display information about it.
Shi Nuo, fascinated, would read every page, learning about the different planets and their unique characteristics, wondering if he would ever have a chance to visit them.
During their previous trip to the black market, it had downloaded publicly available information about the Fifth Star System. From the seemingly mundane data, patterns and trends could be discerned, but there was no need to share this with Shi Nuo for now.
Hugh Elvis, no longer busy with the ID chip, sat back and watched the stars with Shi Nuo, the usually uninteresting celestial bodies suddenly captivating.
They read the information displayed on the enlarged screen together, Shi Nuo’s focus on the local customs and cuisine, his mood light and cheerful.
Hugh Elvis scanned the economic data and political news, noting the familiar names of prominent families from his childhood.
The baby’s arrival had given him a sense of urgency.
As long as their child remained undiscovered, their planet, a resource-rich world, could sustain them for generations.
He frowned slightly. He had no desire to return to the Elvis family and its power struggles, but if the child’s existence was discovered, he would have to make a choice.
There were no large-scale wars now, and the Elvis family’s focus had shifted to finance and business. To successfully regain control, he would have to familiarize himself with the current economic landscape.
Not wanting to spoil Shi Nuo’s good mood, he didn’t mention his concerns.
His brow smoothed. These were just hypothetical scenarios for now, nothing to worry about yet.
Therlun Star’s spaceport.
After docking, their identities were scanned.
During the five-minute wait, Shi Nuo’s heart pounded with anxiety. He had never used a fake ID before, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
He tried to maintain a neutral expression, afraid of attracting attention during the iris scan.
Beep—
[Identity verified. Proceed to Platform Three.]
As Long Xu landed at the designated docking bay, Shi Nuo’s clenched hands finally relaxed.
“We’re in. Don’t worry,” Hugh Elvis reassured him softly. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over to unbuckle Shi Nuo’s, and took his hand, leading him to the back of the starship.
Some people used public transportation to leave the spaceport, but Long Xu had its own integrated spacecraft, which, after registration, could travel freely within Therlun’s airspace.
The spacecraft’s model appeared to be an outdated, harmless design from decades ago, but its defense systems were actually more advanced than current standard models.
“Okay,” Shi Nuo followed, his legs slightly stiff, his palms damp with sweat.
Hugh Elvis’s demeanor was calm and casual, seemingly unconcerned about using a fake ID.
Feeling the moisture on Shi Nuo’s hand, he stopped, gently pried open his fingers, and, too lazy to find a tissue, wiped them with his sleeve.
Shi Nuo blushed, embarrassed, wanting to ask why Hugh wasn’t nervous but, afraid of being overheard, remained silent.
“Hungry?” Hugh asked as they entered the spacecraft, fastened their seatbelts, and connected to Therlun’s star network, accessing its maps and other data.
Shi Nuo hesitated, touched his stomach, and nodded. “A little.”
He had eaten the two chicken legs Hugh had packed, but after five hours of travel, he was feeling hungry again. Hugh had offered him both, but he had only eaten one, saving the other for Hugh, worried he wouldn’t have room for other food once they arrived.
“Alright, let’s get something to eat,” Hugh Elvis opened the real-time map and searched for nearby restaurants.
The spacecraft lifted off, and Shi Nuo, looking down at the bustling spaceport, the constant flow of arriving and departing ships and the crowds of people heading towards the public transportation platforms, felt a surge of excitement, the familiar energy of human activity a welcome change from his months of isolation.
He saw large green spaces, vast fields with agricultural machinery moving through them, and ponds filled with aquatic flowers.
The streets below were crowded with people and vehicles, a vibrant and bustling scene.
He imagined the city lights at night, the scene even more captivating.
Having not seen so many people in a long time, he was both excited and slightly intimidated.
The spacecraft landed quickly, joining the queue at an open-air landing pad. After paying the docking fee, Shi Nuo gripped Hugh’s left hand tightly, following him closely.
“It’s alright,” the white-haired man reassured him softly.
“Mm,” Shi Nuo watched the people passing by, the sounds of their voices and footsteps a strange cacophony.
The shopping district was just five hundred meters from the landing pads. As they emerged from the passageway, the sounds of the city intensified, the noise of traffic, conversations, and other human activity washing over him, no longer the muffled, distant sounds from inside the spacecraft.
The aroma of food and the faint smell of alcohol mingled in the air, punctuated by the sounds of children laughing and crying.
Shi Nuo followed Hugh into the bustling crowd.
