The Edge of the Star Field

Nightmare

After bidding farewell to Su Yan, Lin Fan held Lin Xiaomin's hand and moved towards the cafeteria with the crowd.

As they walked, Lin Fan suddenly lowered his head, looked at Lin Xiaomin beside him, and said, "Xiao Min, do you think what that sister said makes sense?"

"I don't know!" Lin Xiaomin shook her head, holding Lin Fan's hand tightly, and said earnestly, "As long as I can be with my brother, it doesn't matter where we live!"

Lin Fan smiled and asked, "Really?"

"Of course!" Lin Xiaomin nodded repeatedly.

As they continued walking, the two joined the people in line at the cafeteria window.

Steam wafted from the window, and the air was filled with fragrant smells.

"One pound of white rice."

"One serving of boiled vegetables!"

"One serving of steamed eggs!"

The spaceship only supplied a small amount of meat on the last day of each week. The rest of the time, the protein intake for the residents on the spaceship mainly came from eggs.

Of course, this was unavoidable. Although the spaceship had an "ecological zone" for simulated natural farming, it was limited and couldn't meet the enormous demand.

Therefore, the price of meat was ridiculously high, but it still triggered a rush to purchase because, nutritionally and in terms of taste, meat was much superior to eggs.

After quickly finishing their meal, Lin Fan carried the tray and approached the utensil recycling point, handing everything to the staff in charge.

Then he lowered his head and asked, "Do you want to go to the activity center?"

Lin Xiaomin thought for a moment, shook her head, and said, "No, I still have homework to do."

"Alright." Lin Fan nodded, holding Lin Xiaomin's hand as they left the material supply center.

The ceiling above emitted a relatively bright light, illuminating the entire "street." People gathered in groups—couples in love holding hands, children running and playing.

Walking among the crowd, Lin Fan and Lin Xiaomin soon entered the elevator and descended rapidly, stopping at the 72nd floor.

Leaving the elevator, they walked for a while and reached the room that belonged to Lin Fan and Lin Xiaomin.

The "living area" on the spaceship had no concept of architecture. All rooms looked the same from the outside—red walls, steel doors with a small four-grid window.

"1003"

Room 1003 on the 72nd floor was the small home of Lin Fan and Lin Xiaomin.

Lin Fan entered the password on the electronic lock, confirmed the fingerprint, and then pushed the door handle forward. The door opened.

This electronic lock was a reward from the government for their parents' excellent performance in the "external operations legion." Lin Fan still remembered the novel experience of unlocking it with fingerprints.

Logically, Lin Fan should replace this electronic lock with a regular one to save unnecessary energy consumption. However, sentimentality kept him hoping that one day, his parents would return.

Lin Xiaomin turned on the lights, brightening the room. "I'm going to do my homework!" she said, taking the books from Lin Fan and entering her room.

Lin Fan nodded and turned off the living room lights. Energy quotas were limited, and saving any bit was crucial.

At this moment, the light from the "street" ceiling seeped in through the window, making the room still visible. Positioned between two long light tubes, even with the living room lights off, it wasn't too dim.

Taking off his shoes, Lin Fan walked to the sofa, picked up the pillow filled with shredded cloth, stood it up, and leaned against it.

In this position, Lin Fan could see the entire room at a glance.

Here, it held too many memories for him.

Closing his eyes, Lin Fan quietly leaned on the sofa, as if falling into a deep sleep, and the entire living room became exceptionally quiet.

...

In the cold and dark universe, a spaceship, resembling a giant city, remained motionless, as if it had existed in the cosmos since ancient times.

The silver-white shell, crafted from steel and alloys, shimmered with a faint light, giving a sense of extraordinary solidity. The spaceship had a rectangular shape, and with the ejection of the massive flame thruster at the tail, it released an unparalleled power.

Blue and white flames surged outward, creating a dazzling light, forming a beautiful light trail that propelled the spaceship slowly into the depths of the dark and cold universe.

There was no sound in this dark universe, only coldness and silence.

Suddenly, roaring flames gushed out from the bottom of the spaceship. The flames burned with intense heat, spreading rapidly like a flood. In almost an instant, the entire spaceship was engulfed in a sea of fire.

Flames ravaged the surface of the spaceship, hot fiery serpents winding out from the flames with dreadful crackling sounds. The structure of the spaceship began to collapse, metal and glass bursting under high temperatures, turning into fragments shooting out.

A massive explosion resounded, a dazzling light instantly filling the entire space. The spaceship turned into a huge fireball, releasing a powerful shockwave.

With the impact of the explosion, everything dissipated into the darkness of the universe.

Without any trace of the spaceship, only floating dust in the void witnessed a disaster that swallowed all hope.

Room 1003 on the 72nd floor.

"No!"

Lin Fan woke up, gasping heavily, fear and helplessness filling his heart. His heart pounded rapidly, sweat beads forming on his forehead. The scene he just witnessed made him feel intense despair about the future.

The spaceship, carrying all of humanity's hope, met such a tragic end, turning into cosmic dust.

Almost bringing down his hope for the future along with it.

Until he saw the familiar furnishings in the dim living room, he realized that the scenes from before were just part of a nightmare.

The lights on the "street" ceiling were already extinguished, and it was pitch black around. A blanket had been covered over him at some point.

"Snap."

The light suddenly turned on, illuminating Lin Fan's face, still showing a hint of fear.

Lin Xiaomin rubbed her eyes and walked out, asking in confusion, "Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Lin Fan stiffened for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Nothing, just had a nightmare."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, stabilizing his emotions, not wanting to worry his sister.

Upon hearing his explanation, Lin Xiaomin, without suspicion, made a sound of acknowledgment and returned to her room.

The lights went out, and darkness once again enveloped the room. Lin Fan lay back down, and his thoughts became unsettled, the internal turmoil lingering for a long time without calming down.