Chapter 45: The History of the Sky Dome Star
“It is now August 8th, Year 5625 of the Firmament Era.”
“They actually have a history spanning over five thousand years?!”
Some scientists whispered incredulously through their communication headsets, utterly shocked by this revelation.
“According to the chronometer, we departed in the year 3177. By the current standard calendar, it should now be 3563.”
“But they’re all speaking Mandarin—specifically, the kind spoken on Earth after the twentieth century!”
“It seems we’ll have to investigate the historical records of this planet.”
Feigning deep thought, Alibert quietly spoke through the comms, then turned once more to the fishermen.
“Gentlemen, we’re conducting a small experiment. Would you mind lending us some of your children’s unused textbooks?”
Alibert gestured for the other scientists to bring down a hollow-centered magnetic sphere from the ship.
He’d brought along this personal trinket from the Pioneer Fleet. The sphere, crafted from a powerful magnetic mineral, could be rearranged freely without falling apart.
“I can exchange this little gadget for the textbooks.”
“Oh? What is this thing? Never seen anything like it.” The oldest fisherman took the sphere, turning it curiously in his hands before breaking into a broad smile. “You scientists are always coming up with strange and wonderful things. Well, I’ll bring this back for my kid to play with. And if you win an award from the Grand Priest, I’ll be able to show off on TV and tell my child I met you.”
Alibert returned the smile, but none of the scientists gave much thought to the title “Grand Priest,” assuming it to be some sort of ceremonial office rather than delving deeper into its meaning.
The old fisherman, delighted, pocketed the magnetic sphere and hurried back to the village, returning shortly with several books.
Alibert glanced at the covers: “The Stellar Canon: Essential Readings for Secondary School,” “On the Human History of the Firmament Star,” and “The Great Starfather.”
“These titles are rather odd,” Alibert murmured, momentarily perplexed. He couldn’t help but wonder: were these truly the materials students were required to study?
“These are my kid’s textbooks. Are they suitable?”
“Sir, what subjects do these cover? Last time we looked, it was still the old edition.”
“One’s a textbook, the others are some extracurricular readings published by the Oracle Institute, and I think the last one was written by that scientist Wen Jing…”
“You’re right. The Stellar Canon has been revised a lot lately, thanks to brilliant scientists like you always inventing new things. My kid is always complaining at home about having to memorize yet another knowledge point.”
As the fisherman was about to launch into a lengthy tirade, Alibert quickly interrupted him.
“Sir, we have research to attend to—please, don’t let us keep you.”
“Oh, of course, of course. You scientists are always busy.”
After a few more polite exchanges, the scientists followed Alibert back to the research ship, which slowly lifted off into the sky.
Once the vessel stabilized, the other scientists hurriedly gathered around Alibert, unable to contain their excitement.
“Professor Alibert, quickly—open them!”
Eager to glimpse the educational materials of this new civilization, several scientists urged him on. Alibert nodded, choosing the one that most resembled a history textbook: “On the Human History of the Firmament Star.”
“The Starfather created all things in the world, and He also created us humans.”
“Humanity must always remember.”
“The light of the Starfather shall shine upon the world forever.”
“The majesty of the Starfather must not be infringed upon, nor His glory profaned.”
Beneath these words, it read:
[This publication is authored by the Oracle Institute, intended solely for students at all educational stages.]
[Chief Editor: Hong Zhong]
“These people still believe in religion? Even the publishing house is called the Oracle Institute. And who is this Starfather?”
They began to discuss, attempting to deduce the impact of this newfound faith on the civilization of this world.
The opening pages riveted their attention.
The text was saturated with praise and reverence for a supreme deity.
“The inhabitants of this planet still believe in a Creator God—how primitive,” one scientist grumbled, noting how much of the book’s introduction was devoted to describing a divine being.
“They haven’t yet entered the space age, haven’t felt the awe of cosmic civilization. Belief in gods is understandable. Don’t forget, even a millennium ago, many people on our own world still held religious faith,” Alibert reminded them, shaking his head.
“These records are likely cultural relics from the early stages of their civilization,” Alibert continued. “They reflect the values and worldview of this planet’s inhabitants. We shouldn’t be hasty to judge the sophistication or simplicity of a civilization based solely on our own perspective.”
The murmuring scientists fell silent. Alibert’s words made them realize that, regardless of their own civilization’s advancement, humility and open-mindedness were essential in the exploration and understanding of a new world.
“Let’s read on.”
Alibert continued to turn the pages. Soon, he found more familiar historical material.
The book recounted a grand narrative of species evolution—from the emergence of single-celled organisms, through the flourishing of mammals, to the rise of early hominids.
Yet seeing such a familiar evolutionary path laid out in a Firmament Star textbook was deeply unsettling.
“Are they really not descendants of Earth?” one scientist muttered. “How could they also believe themselves to be products of evolution?”
“If they truly evolved independently on this so-called Firmament Star, it would be impossible for them to look exactly like us—let alone speak Mandarin.”
“It’s preposterous.”
Some shook their heads in disbelief, finding the situation far too absurd for strict scientific reasoning.
Alibert took a deep breath, striving to steady his inner turmoil.
He continued turning the pages, hoping the answers to all these mysteries might lie ahead.
His movements were solemn, as if he were not merely opening a book, but unlocking the secrets of another world.
With each turned page, the scientists’ emotions rose and fell like the fluttering corners of the paper.
They yearned to uncover, in these lines, the countless ties between the Firmament Star and Earth, or perhaps reveal some unknown chapter of shared history.
In that moment, all the noise and confusion faded, leaving only the faint sound of Alibert’s fingers brushing against the paper and the scientists’ hurried, expectant breaths.
But what they found was even stranger.
In the history book of the Firmament Star, the accounts of the primitive era were imbued with mystery and legend, forming the founding myths of the planet’s civilization.