Chapter 19: The Golden Age

After saying these words, Ms. Morley abruptly hung up the phone.

Hester vaguely sensed a certain intentionality in the last words but could not understand why.

That afternoon, accompanied by Liz, Hester smoothly completed the registration for the base’s spring courses.

A flood of unfamiliar information surged toward her. Her notebook contained over forty strange, unheard-of terms, along with numerous technical phrases she couldn’t even spell properly, leaving only a rough impression in her mind.

Following Liz’s advice, she chose almost exclusively survival, first aid, and physical training courses for her first year—courses that would span the entire two academic years ahead.

It was said that most “Second Awakening Special Training” for the Mercurial Needles was scheduled during the holiday after the first year. Once successfully awakened, they would occasionally receive dispatch missions, joining active Mercurial Needles in actual combat.

Since basic physical fitness directly affected the upper limits of their abilities once Bullet Time was activated, dedicating the first year entirely to physical training was well worth it. Conversely, those unwilling to go to the battlefield could postpone facing combat through elective choices or even apply from the start for transfer to civilian roles or reserve medical positions.

Under Liz’s guidance, Hester tentatively drafted her course schedule:

Rapid Strength Group Training

Speed Group Training

Endurance Group Training

Basic Tactics

Overview of Basic Weaponry

Basic Shooting Internship

Basic Driving Internship

Overview of Wilderness Survival

Applied Tactics and Terrain Mapping

...

“Is this ready for submission?” Hester asked.

“Feels like something’s missing,” Liz said, staring at the screen, then suddenly realizing something, she smiled. “Ha, you’ve picked all compulsory courses!”

“The maximum for new students is twelve courses,” Hester glanced at the guidebook beside her. “I don’t think I have the energy to take anything else.”

“No, that’s not what I meant—not that I want you to take more courses, but to pick some that give you rest…” Liz leaned over to open the electives window, which had about seven or eight major categories, each with sublists.

“Pick at least one. You’ll like them,” Liz said seriously, folding her arms. “Everyone needs literature or music.”

“…What’s the use?”

“None,” Liz replied. “Besides Edgar, did you read other novels before?”

“I read some short stories, from newspapers,” Hester answered.

“How did that feel?”

“…”

Hester sensed Liz was expecting a certain kind of answer, but she couldn’t quite grasp her meaning. Those tabloid short stories were mostly about men’s affairs or women’s infidelity, and it was hard for her to say what she could learn from them, leaving her uncertain how to respond.

Seeing Hester remain silent, Liz thought she was deep in thought over the question and felt a surge of emotion.

She sighed softly. “Actually, the atmosphere here at the base is already quite tolerant. No matter what difficulties you face, you can find someone to help you solve them. But…”

“But?”

“But some things are always hard to discuss openly, even hard to admit to others,” Liz said quietly. “In a civilized society, there are always repressed things. Everyone has truths they find difficult to speak aloud, but literature—or music—helps us inquire about those things.

“At the base, sometimes you feel so lonely you go mad, or anxious as if burning alive—times when no one can help you. But if you happen to meet a hapless character in a novel who shares your plight, it feels like a refreshing rain on a sweltering summer day…

“No matter where you are or what hardships you face, if you wish, literature will always offer you a refuge, a place to stay connected with the world—”

Hester listened quietly to Liz’s words. She saw the bright joy in Liz’s eyes and felt she understood somewhat, though not fully.

“Do you have any elective recommendations?” Hester glanced at the electives list. “I’m not sure what suits a newcomer like me.”

“Of course, it’s ‘Appreciation of Golden Age Literary Works’—a course jointly taught by Professors Paros and Singer. They’re both experts in cryptography but also highly accomplished in literary appreciation.”

“…Golden Age?”

At this question, Liz’s eyes seemed to ignite, as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“It’s a broad term, Jan, generally referring to human civilization after the Industrial Revolution and before the Great Blackout era,” Liz answered affectionately. “I love only the works from the Golden Age. All the retro movements after the Great Blackout are crude imitations of that period.

“Can you believe it? In the Golden Age, an ordinary person with money could board a grand ship and travel the world. All modes of transport—planes, ships, trains—were open to citizens. People could freely go anywhere in the world!

“In the Golden Age, theaters premiered new shows every month. You could enjoy a splendid musical drama for the price of a meal. People displayed all kinds of books on store shelves, priced so cheaply it was astonishing. Printing presses were constantly producing new reading materials: new poems, contemporary commentaries, or popular science articles—everyone wrote, everyone read…

“The technology of that era was breathtaking. Humans even reached for the stars. Mars was dotted with terraformed habitats. Ceres served as a relay station. Manned spacecraft reached as far as Pluto.

“The human range of activity in space extended an astonishing 4.246 light-years—deep in space, countless light sail vessels traveled at one-fifth the speed of light to Alpha Centauri. They captured images of oceans and mountains on Proxima b, even planting a flag symbolizing Earth there…

“But even so, Golden Age humans never rested on their laurels. They always looked farther, higher, and deeper into the cosmos, always planning new journeys… Whenever someone began to celebrate civilization’s peak, soon another would bring a new dawn—this isn’t some terrifying religious tale; it’s something humanity truly achieved by itself.”

Liz sighed softly.

“Compared to Golden Age humans, what are we? Most people are like captive birds trapped on the ground, and no one cares about the starry sky anymore—or only cares if it can guide them without instruments on a dark night. We can only place our hopes in the various legacies of the Golden Age, trying to catch glimpses of that distant era.”