Crease: Chapter 4 (Drifting Away)
But as the train passed through the sunset, hiding Caleb within its shadows, Gideon ultimately found himself completely unable to utter a single word.
Has this post also appeared on everyone’s FYP? @Solitude posted this in forum section: The Colour Of Skies and Water Link: <<The truth behind the Farspace Fleet’s restructuring>>
On one hand, this article looks like it’s helping to clarify our non-involvement with the Farspace Fleet. But on closer inspection, it looks like they’re actually praising the Fleet by putting us down? Cuz what the heck do they mean by “Compared to the Deepspace Aviation Administration, the Farspace Fleet can reach far greater depths within the Deepspace Tunnel while possessing even stronger patrol and combat capabilities”?
@SoPrettyEvenWhenUpClose:
Not gonna comment on the last part, since I haven’t yet interacted directly with people from the Farspace Fleet… But the first part is indeed facts.
@TheDeepspaceInMyHeart replied:
You’re turning your back against your own people.
@SoPrettyEvenWhenUpClose replied:
It's not like we can keep using the total depths of the Deepspace Tunnel explored as a method of comparison to judge who’s better, right? We just have different beliefs compared to those guys.
The DAA’s most important duty is to always safeguard the land beneath these skies, not to advance and encroach without limits.
@Echo:
I’m so confused clicking into this post. Isn’t this section of the forum meant for casual conversations? @SouthernClouds replied:
Everyone should be able to freely engage in discussions. Doesn’t the DAA promote openness and freedom? Chatting about the Farspace Fleet shouldn’t be a big issue, right?
@MOMO replied:
Is there even anyone in the DAA who can be all buddy-buddy with the Farspace Fleet? There are so many citizens who can’t tell the difference between us and the Farspace Fleet, and they think that we are the ones responsible for all the sudden city-wide lockdowns and Protocore cleanups!
@RejectUnnecessarySocialising replied:
We could never do anything like that. Even flying slightly out of range gets us a warning from the control tower.
@ConfrontationWinner:
That’s true, we’re definitely incapable of committing such acts. Their detection depth and research progress will soon leave us in the dust. 👏 There’s a major trend towards Protocore technology right now, and staying conservative will only make us fall behind.
@Echo replied:
? Leave this thread and go take a look at the forum rules. Or recite the vows you swore when you first entered the Deepspace Aviation Administration silently in your heart.
“Face Deepspace with reverence in your heart, look back at Earth with a duty of protection, and always revere the cosmos.” Have you forgotten all of it?
@2Lazy2Reply
This article also discussed the mystery of the newest Colonel that took over the Farspace Fleet. Nobody knows his background. The recent disturbances in Skyhaven… were also caused by him, right? I wonder what his attitude towards the DAA will be.
@Riot replied:
What kind of attitude can you expect from him? Since he made the decision to join the Farspace Fleet, one thing is clear: it shows that he has zero reverence for Deepspace, and he doesn’t have a single bit of attachment towards the Earth we call home.
“So this is why you disapprove of the Farspace Fleet? Because you have an attachment to the Earth we call home?” “Something like that. Back when I was in uni, the senior that I had the utmost respect for came here right after graduation. Apparently, the most frequent reason he gave when rejecting unnecessary social engagements was ‘I need to go home and have dinner tonight.’ He's someone who cherishes his family greatly, so I would trust his choice wholeheartedly."
“Wow, who is this person? Did you see him today at the oath-swearing ceremony?”
“Nope. Maybe he's out on a mission or something. I’m his junior by many years, so it’s not like he knows me personally. Back in the Deepspace Aviation Academy, whenever it was his turn to fly, everyone would dash to the front in droves to watch him take off. The way he flew was a spectacular sight to behold…”
The three newcomers’ bright voices drift in from the auditorium as they recount their reasons for joining the Deepspace Aviation Administration. By chance, Gideon and Patrick pass by, and the three newbies immediately stand upright in a proper salute——
“Drill Instructor Jiang, Drill Instructor Zhang, good day to you!”
Both of them nod their heads, and the three young boys make sure to maintain their poise of respect while marching away. After making sure that they had walked far enough, the trio finally relax their tense muscles, wrapping their hands around each other’s shoulders merrily. Patrick squints and watches their retreating figures, and he turns around to look at the podium where he once stood with Gideon and Caleb.
“If that fella was still here, between you and me, only one of us would’ve been able to assume the position of a Drill Instructor.”
“Are you kidding me? If that guy was still here, you think he’d even take this long to become a Drill Instructor?”
Gideon’s swift reply takes Patrick off guard.
“It’s only been a weekend, and you’ve made peace with it already?”
Gideon thinks back to the previous day. After saying goodbye to that girl, Gideon and Caleb boarded the Coelum Express back to Skyhaven. On the train ride there, both of them fell into silence, as though there was an unspoken understanding that the lighthearted conversations and familiarity in front of her were merely acts of reassurance. On the outside, Caleb still looks like the Caleb that he knows, but Gideon can’t help feeling like he’s a stranger.
Gideon had so many questions stewing inside of him that he was dying to ask. But as the train passed through the sunset, hiding Caleb within its shadows, he ultimately found himself unable to utter a single word.
“Mmhmm, I’ve made peace with it.”
Gideon takes a step out of the auditorium, and the sunlight falls on him. “In the past, I never thought that the three of us would ever go our separate ways. Now that I think about it, the fact that he made it this far with the two of us seems to be the biggest surprise.”
04 飘逝
大家都被推送到这篇文章了吗？
Solitude发布于分版：水天一色>
链接：《远空舰队改制背后的真相》
乍一看帮我们撇清了和远空舰队的关系，细看却有点踩一捧一的意思，什么叫“远空舰队所能抵达的隧道深度远超航天署，拥有更为强大的巡航和作战能力”？
这么近那么美
后半句不谈，毕竟跟远空舰队的人没有实际接触……但前半句，确实是事实。
心中的深空 回复
胳膊肘往外拐。
这么近那么美 回复
总不能只用抵达的隧道深度分高下吧，和他们理念不同而已。DAA最重要的职责永远是守护这片天空下的土地，不是毫无底线地前进。
Echo
一点开帖子我傻了，这个分版不是灌水专区吗？
南部云 回复
大家随意讨论呗，署里不是倡导开放自由么，聊聊远空舰队也没什么吧。
MOMO 回复
难道有DAA的人能对他们摆出好脸色？外面搞不清楚的市民一大把，还以为动不动就全市管制、清缴芯核，都是我们干的呢！
拒绝无效社交 回复
我们可干不出来这些事，稍微飞远一点塔台就得警告。
对波必站右
确实，我们可干不出来。很快人家的探测深度和研究进度就能甩我们一大截了/玫瑰。芯核科技是大趋势，保守只会带来落后。
Echo回复
？退出帖子再看一眼版规，或者再在心里默念一遍进航天署的时候发的誓。以敬畏之心面对深空，以守护之责回望地球，永远对宇宙怀有敬畏，全都忘了吗。
已读懒得回
这篇文章里也讲了，远空舰队新上任的执舰官神秘得很，没人知道他的来头。前段时间天行闹的那些动乱，都是出自他的手笔吧……不知道他对DAA会是什么态度。
Riot 回复
还要什么态度，既然他加入远空舰队，至少说明一点：他对深空毫无敬畏，对我们所在的地球家园毫无眷恋。
“所以这就是你拒绝远空舰队的原因，因为眷恋地球家园？”
“差不多吧，大学时最崇拜的前辈毕业后就是来的这里。据说他拒绝不必要社交最常用的一句话就是，晚上要回家吃饭。这么爱家的人，我相信他的选择。”
“哎，谁啊？你今天宣誓的时候见到他没有？”
“没有，可能刚好在出任务吧。我比他小好几届呢，他又不认识我。以前在航天学院的时候，每次轮到他试飞，大家都会跑过去围观，飞得那叫一个漂亮……”
从礼堂传来三个新人聊天时清亮的声音，他们在讨论自己加入航天署的初衷。蒋飞和张鹏恰好经过，年轻的新人立刻挺胸收腹立直身板，恭敬地行礼——
“蒋教官好，张教官好！”
两人点点头，三名年轻人毕恭毕敬地走了很远，才放松肌肉，笑着勾肩搭背起来。张鹏眯起眼望着他们的背影，又回头看了看和蒋飞还有夏以昼一起登上过的领奖台。
“要是那家伙还在，你和我之间，只有一个能当上教官了。”
“你这话说的，那家伙还在，还等得到现在？”
蒋飞回复得很快，这让张鹏有些意外。
“过了个周末，你就想开了？”
蒋飞想起刚刚过去的一天。彼时与那个女孩说过再见，坐在回天行的云中列车上，蒋飞和夏以昼陷入了某种默契的沉默，仿佛此前当着她的面表现出的熟稔与谈笑，仅仅是种安抚。夏以昼看起来仍然是那个夏以昼，却令蒋飞感到陌生。
分明心里憋了太多的话想问，但当列车穿过夕阳，将夏以昼藏在车厢的阴影中时，蒋飞最终什么都没能说出口。
“嗯，想开了。”蒋飞一只脚踏出礼堂，阳光落在他身上，“我以前从没想过我们三人会分开，现在回头看，他会和我们一起走到这，好像才是意外。”
Source for CN Transcript: lysk.site/主线/世界深处/折痕
04 Drifting Away
Did everyone get recommended this article?
Solitude posted in subsection: Horizon's Embrace ›
Link: The Truth Behind the Farspace Fleet's Reform
At first glance, it seems to clear up our relationship with the Farspace Fleet. But upon getting a closer look, it sort of has that vibe of tearing down one to build up another.
What's with the comment about "the Farspace Fleet reaching a Deepspace Tunnel depth that exceeds the DAA's? And it possesses stronger cruising and combat capabilities"?
soclose _sobeautiful
I won't comment on the latter half. We haven't talked to any Farspace Fleet personnel... But the first half is true.
DeepspacelnMyHeart Reply
You're siding with outsiders.
soclose sobeautiful Reply
You can't judge everything based on the depth they reached. We have different philosophies. DAA's most important duty will always be to protect the land beneath the sky, not to advance without any principles.
Echo
I was confused as soon as I opened this thread. Isn't this section supposed to be for a casual chat?
SouthernClouds Reply
People are free to discuss whatever they want. Doesn't DAA promote openness and freedom? There's nothing wrong with chatting about the Farspace Fleet.
MOMO Reply
How could anyone from DAA put on a friendly face toward them? There are tons of citizens who don't understand what's going on. They think the city-wide restrictions and Protocore cleanup operations are our doing!
NoMeaninglessSocializing Reply
We could never pull that off. We fly a little too far, and the control tower starts issuing warnings.
Confrontation Winner
True. We could never pull that off. Soon their detection depth and research progress will leave us in the dust. Protocore technology is trending lately. Strictly following traditions will only make us fall behind.
Echo Reply
? Leave this thread and take another look at the forum rules. Or recite the oath you took when you joined DAA. Face Deepspace with reverence, look back at Earth with the responsibility to protect, and hold reverence for the universe. Have you forgotten it?
2Lazy2Reply
This article mentioned it too. The Farspace Fleet's newly appointed Colonel is mysterious. No one knows his background. Those disturbances in Skyhaven recently were his doing, right? I wonder what his attitude toward DAA will be.
Riot Reply
What more do we need to know? Since he joined the Farspace Fleet, it proves one thing. He has no reverence for Deepspace and no attachment to Earth.
"That's why you turned down the Farspace Fleet's offer? Because of your attachment to Earth?"
"Pretty much. My most admired senior from university worked here after graduation. They say his go-to excuse for turning down unnecessary social gatherings was always needing to eat dinner at home. I trust someone who values family that much."
"Hey, who is it? Did you see him at today's oath ceremony?"
"No, he was probably out on a mission. I'm several years behind him in school, and he doesn't even know me. During his days at the Aerospace Academy, everyone would run over to watch whenever it was his turn for test flights. Talk about beautiful flying..."
Clear, bright voices of three newcomers drift from the auditorium as they discuss their motivations for joining DAA. Gideon and Patrick happen to pass by, and the young recruits immediately straighten their postures, pull their shoulders back, and respectfully salute.
"Gideon, sir! Patrick, sir!"
The two nod, and the three recruits walk away for a while before relaxing and laughing. They wrap their arms around each other. Patrick squints as he watches their retreating figures. Then he looks back at the platform where he once stood together with Gideon and Caleb.
"If he were still here, only one of us could've been an instructor."
"Would we have to wait this long then?"
Gideon's quick response catches Patrick off guard.
"You've already made peace with it over the weekend?"
Gideon recalls the day that has come and gone. After saying goodbye to that girl, he and Caleb fell into an unspoken silence while sitting on the Coelum Express back to Skyhaven. It's as if their previous friendliness and laughter in front of her had been an act of reassurance. Caleb still looked the same, yet he somehow felt like a stranger to Gideon.
He had so many words bottled up that he wanted to express, but when the train passed by the sunset, shadows fell on Caleb. In the end, Gideon couldn't say anything.
"Yeah, I've made peace with it." Gideon has taken one step out of the auditorium, and sunlight falls on him. "I never thought the three of us would split up. Looking back now, the fact that he walked this far with us is the real surprise."
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