“Then I’ll call you Hermes,” Laplace said softly, “Hermes von Valantia, you will become the new leader of the Union and inherit my blood.”

“The Great Union no longer exists!” Elizabeth tapped Laplace’s head. “I’ve told you not to set a path for your child in advance. Let go of your controlling hand.”

“He has to take this path,” Laplace said nonchalantly. “So, what do you think of the name Hermes?”

“Sounds good, let’s use this,” Elizabeth smiled, “Then I’ll name our second child this.”

“Herames isn’t even born yet, why are you in such a hurry?”

“At your rate, the second one shouldn’t be long.” Elizabeth glanced at Laplace in reproach, then put a hand to her lips, “Hmm… let me think… let’s call him Edward!”

“It’s a very common name.”

“Who asked you to give Hermes such a great destiny?” Elizabeth said, “I hope he can live an ordinary life. That’s enough, absolutely enough…”

As he spoke, the starry sky rotated, and colorful points of light sprinkled into the observation cabin, lighting up the light in Elizabeth’s eyes again.

Laplace’s eyes became blurred again, and he suddenly realized that the girl in front of him might be more beautiful than the starry sky.

Under the starlight, he was getting closer and closer to Elizabeth.

……

In a blink of an eye, the Ark had been traveling in the stratosphere for a full six months.

During the past six months, the factor energy gathered in the high altitude has gradually begun to fall back to the ground, but the progress is very slow.

Based on this speed, it will take at least ten years for the Ark to land safely.

Of course, this is not just because of the energy factor – according to the one-time probes launched in the past six months, many areas on the ground are still covered by black fog. The composition of the black fog is unknown, but once the probe enters its range, it will lose contact. This means that even if you land at this time, you may not be able to survive.

In short, this conclusion completely made Laplace give up the idea of ​​going to the ground in a short time, and thus started the hibernation plan.

The six hibernation chambers are already waiting.

……

Extra) Tower of Babel (Part 7)

In the past six months, the mood of the crew members has stabilized along with the unchanging sea of ​​clouds. Many of them had collapsed on the day of judgment due to the doomsday scene, but now they have calmed down.

It would be better to say that they are numb rather than calm. They have gradually become hardworking machines, just repeatedly performing the work they are required to do, and their souls remain in the old world forever.

Half a year away from the earth is enough to turn pain into numbness and desire into ambition.

“…”

In the dark little room, the person at the table pushed a paper bag towards the worker opposite him. His face was covered in shadow, revealing only a mouth with a smile.

“You know what to do.”

The worker took the paper bag, nodded numbly, and turned to leave the room.

……

“Dip…dip…dip…”

The sound of the instrument rang out, and Elizabeth lay on the bed of the examination machine. Before her body was pushed into the arch-shaped instrument, she turned her head to look at Laplace outside the viewing window, smiled and made a “yeah” gesture.

But Laplace couldn’t be happy. Watching his lover being pushed into the examination machine, he sighed softly.

Elizabeth’s condition was not very good.

Of course, her physical indicators are normal, and she is healthy for a pregnant woman, but she is more than just a pregnant woman now.

She is the candidate for the [Hibernation Project].

“…”

Next to Laplace, Old Tom was looking at the instrument in front of him with a frown on his face. As a series of readings passed by, he sighed softly:

“I’m afraid that Eliza** can’t enter the hibernation chamber.”

“Is it still because of the physical indicators?” Laplace asked.

“That’s one part. Another part is that in the low metabolic state during hibernation, it is difficult for pregnant women to provide enough supplies for the fetus. What will happen is still unknown. If you insist on entering the hibernation chamber, you will take certain risks.”

“No, I can’t take the risk.” Laplace looked at Elizabeth’s feet exposed outside the examination device. “What if we wait until after the baby is born?”

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid the weak period after childbirth is not suitable for hibernation,” Tom shook his head. “Of course, this is mainly because we lack sufficient clinical trials, so it’s hard to say what will actually happen.”

Laplace paced back and forth in front of the glass window, frowning and mumbling to himself.

Yes, Elizabeth couldn’t hibernate and couldn’t cross this period of time with him.

This problem can be solved… Just wait until her body returns to normal before putting her into hibernation…

But what about the child? He had to grow up on the cold Ark without his parents right after he was born?

Laplace imagined the scene when he came out of the hibernation chamber decades later. At that time, he would face a boy, a man, or even an old man. That man grew up with the laborers on the Ark, and his silver eyes had long lost their luster.

No, this is not acceptable.

If Laplace could not see the trajectory of his fate, he would be better off not existing.

“How is the fetus?” Laplace asked Old Tom.

“Very healthy. He will be a strong boy.”

“Check her out,” Laplace said to Old Tom. “I have some things to do.”

“Leave it to me, Lord Laplace.” Old Tom bowed his head.

Laplace left the medical station and walked quickly through the corridor.

He had to go find those archons, and now the launch time of the hibernation plan had to be postponed.

During this half year, Laplace had hoped that someone on the Ark would strive to get a place in the hibernation chamber and squeeze out those archons. But contrary to his wishes, no one dared to compete with those archons.

On this skyship that houses thousands of people and tens of thousands of human embryos, power is quietly dividing.

Those archons set the start time of the hibernation plan to coincide with Elizabeth’s delivery period, obviously with ulterior motives.

Laplace thought so as he turned the corner and passed by a worker.

He heard the sound of a paper bag behind him, and his racing brain immediately made him take action – he lunged forward.

“Bam—”

Gunshots rang out, and bullets hit the metal wall. Laplace felt a heat on his shoulder, which was the pain caused by the stray bullet.

He turned around and found that the laborer was holding a paper bag in one hand and a pistol in the other, staring blankly at Laplace.

“Shelby!” Laplace yelled.

Without him having to shout, the tall man rushed out from the hidden passage in the corridor and punched the laborer in the cheek.

The laborer’s pistol flew out of his hand and he fell face down. He struggled to get up, but Shelby stepped on his back, grabbed the laborer’s left hand with his strong arm, and pulled it hard –

“Kacha!”

The sound of bones breaking was heard and an unpleasant sound came from the worker’s throat. He tried desperately to reach the pistol not far away with his right hand, but he could not reach it.

“Tell me who sent you.” Shelby said coldly.

“Kaaaaah…Kaaaaah!”

The laborer struggled, roared hoarsely, but didn’t speak. Shelby frowned, then quickly broke one of his fingers –

“Kacha!”

He broke the laborer’s fingers one by one, but he had no intention of speaking.

Laplace stood up, checked his injuries, then walked over to the laborer and grabbed his head by his hair.

The laborer rolled his eyes and drooled from the corners of his mouth. Laplace could not see a tongue in his open mouth.

“He can’t say anything,” Laplace said coldly, “He is a dead man.”

After saying that, Laplace picked up the worker’s pistol, pointed it at his head, and pulled the trigger.

“Bam—”

A bloody hole appeared on the laborer’s head and his struggle suddenly stopped.

“Actually, I can still interrogate him. Even though his tongue is gone, his head can still make sounds.” Shelby clapped his hands lightly.

“Impossible, his brain has also been processed,” Laplace said, “The masterminds behind this are those archons.”

“Just as I thought,” Shelby nodded, “Go straight to confront them?”

“They probably have prepared an excuse a long time ago, but it seems we have to go there,” Laplace wiped the gun and handed it to Shelby, “Come with me, we will go to the medical station, make sure Elizabeth is safe first, and then gather everyone.”

“learn.”

Shelby called a few words into the radio, and half a minute later, several armed men appeared and carried away the laborer’s body.

Looking at the hideous expression of the worker before his death, Laplace’s silver eyes became colder and colder. Perhaps, things on the Ark were about to get into chaos.

……

Extra) Tower of Babel (Part 8)

Elizabeth was fine. When Laplace and Shelby arrived at the medical station, she had completed the physical examination and was sitting next to the examination machine talking to Old Tom.

She immediately saw Laplace and Shelby coming in, and then saw the wound on Laplace’s shoulder. She immediately stood up anxiously and ran towards him:

“Laplace! What happened?”

Laplace waved his hand to stop Elizabeth from touching her wound, then reached out to Old Tom beside him:

“Give me the medical kit.”

He quickly treated himself with disinfectant and bandages, then said to Shelby:

“Gather the manpower, we will confront them in a moment.”

“Got it. I’m at the door. Call me if you need anything.” Shelby nodded.

After Shelby left, Laplace turned to Elizabeth and said:

“Go back to our residence first. Shelby will send someone to guard the door. Don’t go out. Call me immediately if anything happens.”

Perhaps because of his unusually serious expression, Elizabeth’s face turned pale, and she pulled Laplace’s sleeve nervously:

“Are they going to…rebel?”

“If it’s just a rebellion, the Valantia family’s guards will be enough to quell it, but I’m afraid it’s more than that.” Laplace shook his head, “I must calm the situation before everything gets out of control.”

“Okay, I understand.” Elizabeth pursed her lips.

“There is one more thing.” Laplace’s expression became a little hesitant. “Teacher Tom should have told you that your current physical condition… I’m afraid you can’t hibernate.”

“I know.” Elizabeth nodded.

“But I have to hibernate, you know, because…”

“I understand.”

“I don’t want you to be alone on the Ark. The situation is getting out of control and I can’t protect you,” Laplace summoned up his courage. “So, come with me to the future.”

The meaning of his words was very simple, and Elizabeth understood it immediately: abandon the fetus in her belly and go into hibernation.

Although abortion can cause damage to the body, with the help of the technology of the [Academy], such damage can be minimized.

Elizabeth had obviously expected Laplace to make this request. She remained silent for a while, then shook her head gently:

“No, dear, I think… I can’t give up Hermes anymore.”

“Why?” Laplace said anxiously, “We can still do it later…”

“You don’t understand. After all, he was in my belly. I have been with him for nine months. He is already a life to me.”

Elizabeth looked lovingly at her belly, and gently passed her hand over the bulging outline, where another heart was beating.

“I’ll be waiting for you outside with the child,” she looked up with a stubborn look in her eyes, “I will protect him and raise him. When you come out of the hibernation chamber, you will see a strong man.”

Elizabeth’s words made Laplace stunned for a moment. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just exhaled.

What will Elizabeth and the children be like decades later?

Elizabeth would grow from a girl into a young woman, and the child would grow from an embryo into a man.

At this moment, Laplace felt that the thing in his arms seemed to be moving away from his hands and out of his control.