kingnovel Chapter 255: State Funeral Ceremony
Chapter 255: State Funeral Ceremony
After the council confirmed the high probability that the metal nuts did not originate from the Federation, the room shifted from shock and excitement into a tense, eager energy.
There was no point in blindly debating theories anymore; they needed to launch a full-scale subterranean expedition to uncover the truth!
"Alright then, this concludes the emergency meeting," Jason finalized, taking control of the room.
He gave a brief summary outlining their immediate operational goals. "Preliminary linguistic translation algorithms can begin rendering immediately. The helmet-cam footage we’ve recovered contains a significant amount of native vocalizations and corresponding behavioral data, which should allow our mainframes to compile a basic translation matrix."
"With a rudimentary translation software installed in our visors, we can eliminate the bulk of the communication barriers during first contact."
Hearing this, a lead software engineer immediately gave a thumbs up. "We’re on it, Captain."
Ever since their encounter with the Viridian Empire, the Federation’s computer science division had dedicated massive resources to developing rapid-translation AI for xeno-linguistics. The primitive language of the reptilian natives didn’t appear overly complex; the AI should be able to crack its syntax fairly quickly. While the available data was limited, every little bit helped build a baseline vocabulary.
Jason nodded and continued, "The selection process for the subterranean expedition team will begin immediately. I want our top sociologists, xeno-linguists, combat Marines, and journalists. We launch the expedition immediately following the state funeral! I will personally oversee the tactical deployment for this operation."
Meeting adjourned!
Naturally, Jason’s name was at the very top of the expedition roster. How could the Captain of the Federation possibly sit out such a monumental discovery?
Even if the High Council objected to him risking his life again, he could easily argue that the tactical danger was now a "known and controllable variable."
Currently, a heavy, somber atmosphere blanketed the entire colony. The citizens were deep in mourning.
The Federation news networks and local data-nets continuously broadcasted the service records and contributions of the seven fallen heroes, commemorating their ultimate sacrifice for the survival of humanity.
Their deaths were a direct result of the colony’s collective lack of experience in dealing with extreme subterranean environments...
Three days later, a massive state funeral was held in Sector C3 on the surface of Nyx.
An autonomous transport crawler slowly delivered seven caskets to the memorial site, where a line of heavy-duty lifter drones gently placed them in a perfect row. Three of the caskets were empty, serving as cenotaphs for the Marines whose bodies couldn’t be recovered from the rubble.
Honoring the fallen was the absolute highest priority for the Federation.
"Present arms! Silence! Salute!"
A somber stillness fell over The Ark and the surface colony. Jason stood rigidly to the side, his expression completely unreadable as he watched the proceedings.
Seven cold, lifeless caskets rested on the alien dirt.
The ceremonial incinerators ignited, and a roaring fire quickly consumed them...
They were gone. Wiped from this universe.
Death was the great equalizer; there was no coming back. Every human possessed only one life, and according to all known laws of physics, reversing time was impossible. Humanity truly only lived once; when their time was up, they returned to dust.
Even the longest-lived creatures eventually withered. No matter how powerful or god-like a civilization became, the end was always waiting. With humanity’s current philosophical understanding, until they could grasp the ultimate meaning of life, death would remain their greatest, most primal fear...
Every citizen in attendance bowed their heads in silent tribute, and every Marine snapped crisp, sustained salutes. Millions of citizens up on The Ark gathered in the grand plaza, watching the live feed on the massive holographic displays with solemn reverence.
Tears streamed down faces. Some stared intensely at the flames, while others squeezed their eyes shut in silent prayer. The families of the fallen, who had been weeping softly, finally broke down, their heart-wrenching sobs echoing across the quiet memorial.
"Ceremony complete!" the master of ceremonies shouted.
In unison, the Marines dropped their salutes and stood at ease.
But no one moved or spoke.
They stood shoulder to shoulder in the deep, eternal darkness of Nyx, their eyes reflecting the dying embers of the fire, profound sorrow etched into their faces.
Automated drones stepped forward, carefully collecting the ashes and burying them deep within the bedrock.
A massive, towering bronze monolith was erected over the site, the names of the seven fallen heroes deeply engraved into the metal.
With that, the state funeral concluded. The military honor guard marched out in perfect formation, and the civilian crowd slowly dispersed.
Everyone carried their own heavy thoughts, but a collective realization hung in the air: Humanity is not strong enough. Not even close.
The cold, merciless universe had just delivered another brutal lesson. Environments that seemed perfectly stable and secure could turn into lethal traps in the blink of an eye!
But the tuition for these lessons was paid in human blood.
Humanity was still so painfully naive. They had merely grown from a helpless newborn into a toddler taking its first wobbly steps into the dark...
Their technological and physical strength was still far too weak to easily tame an alien planet. They couldn’t afford a single moment of carelessness or arrogance.
Jason pulled himself out of his heavy thoughts and let out a soft sigh.
The road ahead was impossibly long and treacherous; sometimes it truly felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
The ceremony had been incredibly solemn. Neither Jason nor any of the other Department Heads had given a speech. The men were gone, and their heroic deeds had already been broadcasted for days; every citizen knew their stories. Repeating them at the memorial would have felt hollow and redundant.
The tectonic activity on Nyx is too volatile, and the highly corrosive atmosphere will eventually eat away at that bronze monument. It might last ten thousand years at best... that’s not nearly long enough! Furthermore, human memory is painfully short. People barely talk about the heroes who died securing the Mars virus cure anymore, do they? We are a forgetful species.
We need to construct a permanent Hall of Heroes up on The Ark! The names and deeds of every citizen who gives their life for the Federation must be immortalized there... including the pioneers who fell on Mars.
We must ensure they are remembered forever. The entire Federation must carry their legacy!
As Jason walked back to Central Command, he tapped his comms and dialed Shane, the Director of Public Relations, immediately pitching the idea.
These fallen heroes could not be forgotten; they were the very bedrock upon which the Federation was built!
"We need to integrate their stories directly into the primary education curriculum," Jason insisted over the comms. "Our future generations need to understand that the Federation only survives and grows stronger because of the sacrifices of those who came before them. Their blood bought our tomorrow!"
Educational policy, especially concerning the next generation, had to be handled with extreme care. However, Jason firmly believed that teaching the youth to revere their heroes was absolutely essential.
The first generation of 50,000 citizens aboard The Ark were the absolute elite, handpicked from Earth’s population of seven billion. Every single one of them was a genius, possessing immense potential and incredible psychological resilience.
However, genetics wasn’t a guarantee; the children of two geniuses could easily turn out to be completely average. Statistically speaking, it was highly unlikely the second generation would surpass their parents’ raw intellect. True greatness was a massive genetic lottery.
But while a citizen could be born with average intelligence, their mindset and work ethic could be forged into something extraordinary!
For the survival of the Federation, a diligent, selfless, and hard-working average citizen was infinitely more valuable than a lazy, selfish genius.
So, how did they forge the mindset of the next generation?
A child was born as a blank slate, driven only by basic instincts. The trajectory of their life was determined almost entirely by their education and environment!
Over the past few years, Jason had finally begun to understand why the alien entity known as "Black" had placed such heavy emphasis on the "Mindset" category in its Spirit Level evaluations...
A civilization’s collective mindset was the ultimate deciding factor in its survival score.
Therefore, the Federation’s leadership had to heavily invest in early childhood education to forge an unbreakable future for humanity!
They had to seize this unique opportunity to completely eradicate the toxic cultural habits that had plagued old Earth!
The oldest children born on The Ark were currently in primary school. There were very few external distractions or mindless entertainment networks, creating an incredibly focused and disciplined learning environment.
Their teachers constantly reinforced a singular truth: humanity was physically weak, the pressure to survive in the cosmos was immense, and their original home planet had been annihilated...
It was a harsh truth, but it was reality.
These children had never seen a blue sky, fluffy white clouds, vast oceans, or green mountains. They yearned for the world their parents described, but could only experience it through digital archives and photographs.
Only science could make humanity strong enough to reclaim a world with blue skies and white clouds!
Consequently, the youth held a profound reverence for science. Over 80% of the children actively aspired to become researchers or engineers! This was a stark contrast to old Earth, where chasing wealth or fame was considered the ultimate career goal.
In the cold, unforgiving void of the universe... humanity could only survive through the relentless advancement of technology and absolute, unbreakable unity!
Now, after the first few years of specialized education, the seeds of scientific curiosity had been planted. But they required continuous nurturing and rigorous education to grow into a towering forest.
Currently, their society was relatively pure. There was no political backstabbing, corporate sabotage, or vicious infighting over petty resources. The overall educational and cultural environment was perfect.
What kind of people would these children grow up to be?
Jason was incredibly eager to find out.
He didn’t expect all of them to be geniuses; he only hoped they would become reliable, dedicated members of the Federation... Though, a few unexpected geniuses rising from the ranks certainly wouldn’t hurt!