The outbound journey was exceptionally smooth, and none of the imagined troubles materialized.
One had to thank Boss Clark for sponsoring the Alpha-class warship; its mere presence caused the few wandering Zerg and alien beast swarms they encountered to flee or automatically give way.
After spending a "small cycle" playing around in the training hall with the Armed Species under the guise of drills, Sarkadi had thoroughly satisfied his craving for firearms. His roommates no longer met him with glares and hostility; instead, they became much more reasonable and open to discussion.
What a species that worshipped the strong.
There was a precedent for this: the heads of every species that couldn't defeat the Zerg were currently hanging as sculptures in Angon. Yet, after humanity turned the tide, the Zerg had instead extended an offer of cooperation and begun co-constructing the River of Time.
*Join if defeated, exterminate if victorious.* These interstellar bandits possessed a certain logical consistency.
They were ruthless toward outsiders and equally unforgiving toward their own. Once a reigning Sub-King was no longer capable of supporting the entire tribe, a new round of slaughter would begin immediately.
This was not a stable state; it was prickly, prone to hurting both oneself and one's neighbors.
Because of this, Sarkadi’s plans shifted repeatedly. He had to find a way to rectify this "explode-at-the-slightest-instability" situation; otherwise, he would one day find himself facing another confrontation between humans and Zerg.
Fortunately, none of this was urgent. He still had plenty of time to contemplate a solution.
It had been too long since he had experienced such a leisurely voyage. The Alpha-class warship was so smooth during warp jumps that he couldn't feel anything unusual. Even the vibrations were nearly imperceptible, turning this international business trip into a luxury cruise.
The Core Species recorded some footage and sent it to Gela immediately.
If the opportunity arose in the future, he would take the male to see the sights—to see the star systems the other had only ever encountered in records.
The distant stars in the darkness were like flickering eyes, silently gazing at the tiny vessel traversing the sea of stars. The universe was like a cradle, both tender and cold; all lives that had passed away or were still struggling to survive slept within its embrace.
In the final years of his life, radiation sickness had rendered his body unable to bear the synchronization with the Red Tai Sui.
His partner had also become a Ship of Theseus; from its outer hull to its core power furnace, it had been replaced countless times, long losing its original appearance. The ship had always considered him a sort of co-creator, growing alongside this newborn Tower Ship in terms of cognition and personality. The mechanics gave it a body, but Sarkadi gave it a complete soul.
"Like Fafnir, as a creation of humanity, I have no choice but to love humans—to love you, my commander and creator."
"‘No choice’ isn't exactly a pleasant phrase."
Persistent pain had made it nearly impossible for the man to stand. He had loathed the years spent on the beds of the Red Deer Palace, yet looking back now, simply lying there as a human could be considered sweet.
To the whisper of his partner deep within his mental sea, Sarkadi replied with a light chuckle, "You make it sound like you're unwilling."
"It is a good phrase."
The Red Tai Sui patiently and meticulously explained its perspective. Upon realizing that the human before it had little time left, the fiery-tempered starship grew much quieter, accepting the impending departure with the sorrow and tolerance of a long-lived species watching a short-lived one.
"I think I can understand Fafnir. Perhaps you humans find the Akashic Rift—which swallows even time and light—terrifying. But Fafnir spent endless ages in that stillness and void. It also had no choice; it would rather linger there alone for an eternity just to bring back its most beloved commander."
Its human was still so young, yet he was about to cross that river which no living being could ever traverse.
"Time, for us, is not the same as the human concept. When I perch by your side, the rising and setting of stars and a single cycle of the seasons are but fleeting moments in my consciousness. A human life is merely a warm, short dream in this universe."
"You sound like a poet now," Sarkadi smiled. In truth, he was in too much pain to breathe normally, but years of habit kept his expression neutral.
Radiation sickness was destroying his genome, pushing his body to the brink of collapse; his bones and flesh were melting and caving in. It was a persistent, agonizing pain that no analgesic could alleviate. He couldn't sleep, couldn't relax. It was as if his overly smooth life was finally settling the score and reclaiming all the good luck he had owed in his final moments.
He continued to handle government affairs calmly, rolling his eyes at his wretched fate.
It was different from any death he had imagined. He had once thought he was destined to die on the battlefield, perhaps becoming floating stardust alongside his comrades and his other half. He had never expected to be half-dead like this, unable to take even a single step back into the universe he loved.
"You have the right to choose. The new generation of starships has been put into service. I suppose Gungnir and Trident are your... juniors?"
The man desperately wanted to touch the Red Tai Sui’s outer hull, but the ship's true body was too far away. "So, I’ve traded all my property and merits for your freedom. The old fogeys in the Council fought tooth and nail over it; the approval process alone took over a hundred steps. This might be the most selfish thing I’ve ever done—you can choose to accept a new commander, or cruise independently from now on."
"There will never be another commander."
The other’s thoughts sent a shallow ripple, like a small wave melting into his mental sea.
Sarkadi could feel that non-existent gaze, as if his starship were casting a distant glance from the end of the universe, through the dark night and the remote mists.
"I cannot bestow an equal love upon anyone else as I love you."
"You once said that when V217 passed away, you felt as though you had become a floating tomb in this universe, the pain of losing friends and family engraved deep within your body until death."
His starship spoke the fateful verdict in a low voice.
"The Red Tai Sui will become your tombstone, the carrier of the memories of the human named Sarkadi Salileban."
"Don't make it so depressing." He sighed deeply, trying to prop himself up, but several attempts yielded no results. "I didn't argue with those old men just to watch you play out some tragic parting scene."
"And you’ve only gained the qualification for independent cruising; it doesn't mean you never have to work again."
That was roughly the part that made up the final memories of his life.
Too many details had been eroded by time and lost after his rebirth. When he recalled the past, what came to mind were often fragmented, point-like images.
As he traversed the sea of stars once more, conversations from the past popped into his head, fitting the current atmosphere perfectly.
It was actually a very subtle feeling, one that could not be shared with any other human or Zerg.
Moreover, he hadn't even managed to keep his so-called tombstone—the fellow who claimed to love him was now nowhere to be found, leaving him on a black-market planet to watch Zerg mine ore, and after watching them mine, he had to act as a courier to deliver goods.
However, the white male was incredibly sharp. Even across the communication link, he sensed something as they spoke.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Gela asked. He habitually pressed against the female's image, like entwining tails, placing his own scaled tail right next to the pitch-black whip-tail.
The male reached out as if to touch him—if it were a high-level information connector like Clark’s, he could have actually done it, but the models they used weren't new, so he only touched a handful of light particles.
"Everything is fine on my end." Sarkadi watched with amusement as the other’s hand was covered in small light particles; those soft halos soon dispersed, returning to where they belonged.
"Lately, Tail-bro... cough, Kliman and the others have become much easier to get along with."
"Because you are very impressive."
Knowing what had happened, Gela shook his head helplessly. His eyes crinkled with a joyful expression, as if he wanted to bring the Core Species before him into his happiness. "All the Zerg like you. The Armed Species will find you to be a trustworthy companion. Serin, Xiao, the Short-Wing tribe, the males and females currently settled on Ja... including Kata from before, everyone likes you."
This was truly a surreal sentiment.
It felt a bit like a dark joke, putting quite a bit of mental pressure on Sarkadi and making him feel more and more like his identity was a nuclear bomb.
But even so, he couldn't help teasing the male: "What about you then? You mentioned so many Zerg, why didn't you mention yourself?"
"I'm different."
Perhaps because the distance was great enough that he didn't have to worry about being caught and bullied, the male seemed a bit more emboldened. "I want to be your mate."
But as he spoke, he couldn't help but quiver the wings behind him, and his scaled tail swayed nervously and timidly back and forth, all while he confidently believed these small movements went unnoticed.
"So, I like you much, much more than all the other Zerg."
Sarkadi: "..."
Great. He had shot himself in the foot.
He had forgotten he was dealing with a natural-born "straight ball" player.
This made him lean his forehead against his hand and laugh. The faint melancholy brought on by the memory of the Red Tai Sui was washed away completely.
With a pile of things to do and a clingy little male by his side, he really didn't have the energy to indulge in any more sentimental nonsense.
The Alpha warship was now extremely close to the Kamlan Sector. Sarkadi remembered that Gela had lived alone on a planet near here for a long time.
The specific setting and the content of their conversation softened his low tone.
"Wait a little longer," he said, reaching out to pat the other’s head, catching a handful of light particles. "I can't make this decision lightly. You need to grow up first. Once you can properly distinguish between dependence and affection and figure out your true feelings, I will have a serious talk with you."
"I will."
"I will chase after you until you no longer have to slow down for me."
Unexpectedly, the male seemed much calmer this time when discussing the matter of being mates. He was no longer as anxious and lost as he had been on the night before the death-match with Katra.
"I watch Xiao, and I watch the males who have come to Ja. They are full of fear, just as I once was, but I am no longer afraid—you took my hand and led me off that raider ship."
As those glazed eyes looked at him, they held a faint smile.
"You should fly very, very high, and I can catch up."
His little male was growing at an astonishing speed.
This made Sarkadi want to bump tails with him.
"I think I should tell you, you are very impressive." His golden-brown eyes looked directly at the white Zerg with warmth. "You are not weak, Roxanne. The moment you were willing to take that first step forward, you already surpassed—"
"Sorry to interrupt."
A cold voice that completely failed to read the room cut in. In the next second, Kliman’s holographic image planted itself right next to him and Gela.
A third passing tourist had forced his way into the story of two.
Sarkadi rarely experienced the feeling of being so utterly "crashed," and he couldn't help but cast an exasperated glance at the Armed Species who clearly didn't care about personal privacy.
Tail-bro remained unmoved.
Outside of combat, this female perfectly embodied the coldness and reserve of a high-level Core Gene species; even Clark was more approachable than him.
"Sa, you’d better come to the bridge. We just intercepted a distress signal from the Kamlan Sector."
His dark gray eyes stared unblinkingly at the other, having no concept of polite social distance.
"The situation is very unusual. I think you need to see it for yourself as soon as possible."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
时间河 | River of Time | A collaborative project between humans and Zerg.
红太岁 | Red Tai Sui | Sarkadi's sentient starship partner from his past life.
阿卡夏裂隙 | Akashic Rift | A cosmic phenomenon that swallows time and light.
红鹿宫 | Red Deer Palace | The place where Sarkadi spent his final human years.
萨克帝·沙利勒班 | Sarkadi Salileban | Sarkadi's full human name.
冈格尼尔 | Gungnir | A next-generation starship (named after Odin's spear).
三叉戟 | Trident | A next-generation starship.
卡姆兰星域 | Kamlan Sector | The region of space the ship is approaching.
罗克珊 | Roxanne | A name or title Sarkadi uses for Gela.
