The next morning, soft sunlight streamed into the room, but Shen Xixuan had been up for a while. He dressed neatly in comfortable clothes suitable for traveling, checked all his belongings one more time, and waited for Uncle Chen to come pick him up.
After a while, the door chime sounded. Uncle Chen arrived in a very modern four-wheeled hovercraft. It had no wheels and glided smoothly above the ground.
“Are you ready?”
“I am, Uncle.”
The two of them loaded the luggage into the hovercraft and set off for the spaceport. Shen Xixuan gazed outside excitedly as the hovercraft traveled along clean, orderly streets. They passed buildings with modern designs—some incredibly tall, others floating above the ground.
A real hovercraft! It moved so smoothly. No noise, no shaking! And those skyscrapers... they looked like they reached all the way to the clouds. So cool! If buildings this tall had existed in the old era, people would have had to crane their necks until they hurt.
The spaceport on AG-1 wasn’t very large, but it was clean and orderly. Shimmering silver metal structures rose around it beneath beautiful lights, and automated scanners stood at every checkpoint. A few travelers moved back and forth. It wasn’t crowded, but everyone looked so modern. Some people even used personal holograms that floated beside them.
A spaceport! Shimmering silver metal structures! Automated scanners! Everything looked like it had come straight out of a science-fiction movie. He really wanted to explore every corner of the place.
Uncle Chen handled all the paperwork, then walked Shen Xixuan to the boarding gate, where an officer stood guard.
“Remember, kid... take care of yourself. Call me if you run into any trouble, and don’t forget your promise to come back safely with all the children.”
“I remember, Uncle... Thank you so much.”
“You can go now, kid... Have a safe trip, and find your nieces and nephews soon.”
Shen Xixuan hugged Uncle Chen once to show his gratitude, then walked through the boarding gate. He turned back to look at Uncle Chen one more time before disappearing into the spaceship.
The medium-sized spaceship was modern and exceptionally clean. Soft lighting made the interior comfortable, and the machinery hummed quietly. The private cabins had adjustable beds, large windows, and holographic entertainment systems. Shen Xixuan found his seat—a window seat beside a large pane of glass. He sat down, fastened his seat belt, and gazed outside excitedly.
After a while, the ship began to move, rising smoothly from the ground. Shen Xixuan watched beautiful AG-1 grow smaller and smaller until it became a tiny green dot in the vastness of space.
Space was even more beautiful than anything he had ever seen in movies from the old era. Planets of every color—blue planets, red planets, purple planets, and planets with beautiful rings—countless glittering stars, clouds of gas and dust as lovely as paintings, and other spaceships passing by. Some were so enormous they looked like floating cities.
Space... it really was vast and beautiful. Humans had truly evolved this far. In just a few thousand years, they had gone from the old era, when they had only just begun sending ships to the moon, to becoming an interstellar civilization. It was unbelievable.
But he didn’t have much time to admire the scenery. His heart was filled with thoughts of the children.
The five-day journey began. The ship offered food and drinks through an automated system, but Shen Xixuan could barely eat anything. The food was still made from synthetic nutrients, and it tasted awful. He spent most of his time looking outside or curiously learning about the ship’s various technologies.
The ship’s holographic entertainment system! You could watch movies in 3-D as if you were inside the story! And the automated dining hall! You could order anything you wanted. The flavor wasn’t great, but it was incredibly convenient. If the old era had had automatic cooking machines like these, nobody would have needed to step into a kitchen.
Sometimes he chatted with the other passengers, though never very deeply. He learned that most of them were traveling for business or to visit relatives, and everyone spoke worriedly about the situation on DT-3.
“That planet is really dangerous right now. Space pirates raid it all the time. A lot of locals have gone missing. It’s heartbreaking.”
“Exactly. I’m going to visit my older sister there. I’m really worried. I have no idea how she’s doing.”
The more Shen Xixuan listened, the more worried he became about the children.
The children have to be alive... I’m on my way to find them.
On the fifth day of the journey, the ship began descending into DT-3’s atmosphere. Shen Xixuan looked down—and his heart immediately clenched.
This planet wasn’t as beautiful as AG-1. Most of the land was a dry, yellowish-brown plain. There were a few cities and villages, but many looked damaged. Black smoke rose from several locations, and the sky was grayish orange from the dust in the atmosphere.
This planet... it looks so dry and devastated. What have the children been through, living here?
When the ship landed at the spaceport, Shen Xixuan immediately felt the tense atmosphere. Travelers moved around the terminal, but everyone looked rushed and anxious. Soldiers and security officers were everywhere, carrying advanced-looking weapons. Sophisticated, stringent security scanners stood at every checkpoint—far stricter than those at AG-1’s spaceport.
The atmosphere is so tense... It feels like a war zone. Soldiers everywhere, strict security scans... The situation really is serious.
He disembarked with his suitcase and looked for the person Uncle Chen had said would pick him up—Xiao Ming.
After a while, he spotted a man around forty years old holding a holographic sign bearing Shen Xixuan’s name. He walked over.
“Hello... I’m Shen Xixuan. You’re Mr. Xiao Ming, right?”
The man smiled, but his expression was stern.
“That’s right... You’re Xuanxuan, aren’t you? Uncle Chen already called to tell me you were coming. Welcome to DT-3... though the situation isn’t exactly great.”
“Thank you so much for coming to pick me up.”
“No problem... Let’s get moving. We can talk at my place. It isn’t safe to talk here at the spaceport for too long.”
The two of them left the spaceport and boarded Xiao Ming’s hovercraft. As it pulled away, Shen Xixuan saw the state of the city. Many buildings were damaged, bearing blast marks and weapon scratches. Some shops had sealed their doors with steel plates. The pedestrians looked hurried and anxious. No one stopped to chat like the people on AG-1 had.
“Things have gotten much worse over the past two weeks...” Xiao Ming began as he drove. “The space pirates have been raiding more often, preying on the locals, stealing resources, and causing many people to disappear. The authorities can’t protect every place. The pirates have advanced weapons too.”
“The children... my children... Do you have any information?” Shen Xixuan asked, his voice trembling.
Xiao Ming sighed and looked at him through the rearview mirror.
“Uncle Chen told me about your older brother and the children. I’ve looked into it a little... Your brother’s house was in a village on the eastern outskirts. Most of it was destroyed in the latest attack. No bodies were found, but there was no one there either.”
“What about the children? Where are they?”
“There’s no definite information yet... But there are rumors that several children survived and are hiding in old warehouses and abandoned structures east of the city. Many of them are trying to find food and shelter on their own.”
Shen Xixuan’s heart sank, but he still held on to hope.
“I have to find them right away.”
“Are you sure? That area is extremely dangerous. The space pirates might be there, and some wild beasts moved in after the city was damaged.”
“I’m sure... The children are my nieces and nephews. They’re my family. As their uncle, I can’t wait any longer.”
Xiao Ming stared at him for a while before speaking slowly.
“All right... I’ll take you there. But you have to be extremely careful and follow my instructions at all times. If I tell you to run, you run immediately. Understand?”
“I understand... Thank you so much for helping me.”
The hovercraft continued on until they reached Xiao Ming’s home—a small but sturdy house with an advanced, highly sophisticated security system, located in a relatively safe neighborhood. Xiao Ming had Shen Xixuan set down his luggage, then prepared some protective equipment.
“We’ll go this afternoon... The sun will be high then, and the space pirates don’t usually come out as much. But we still have to be careful. They could be hiding anywhere.”
Shen Xixuan prepared seriously. He put on comfortable clothes suitable for traveling, packed water and some food into his bag, and carried the protective device Xiao Ming gave him—a small electrical device capable of temporarily paralyzing an enemy.
The protective equipment of this era! It’s tiny but powerful. So cool! But hopefully I won’t actually have to use it.
That afternoon, the two of them set out for the area where the children might be hiding. The hovercraft left the city district and traveled along a rough road that showed signs of attack damage. Shen Xixuan saw several ruined villages: abandoned homes, scattered debris, and a frightening, desolate silence.
This used to be a lively village, didn’t it? And now it’s become this... What have the children been through, living here?
“This area used to be a very lively village...” Xiao Ming said sadly. “There was a market and a school for the children... But now...”
The hovercraft continued until they reached an area filled with old warehouses and abandoned structures. Xiao Ming parked in a concealed spot.
“We’ll have to continue on foot from here... The hovercraft can’t get any farther, and its noise might attract unwanted attention.”
They got out and walked into the area. Shen Xixuan felt extremely tense, his heart pounding. In a soft voice, he called out the children’s names.
“Xiaohu... Xiaolong... Xiaocao... Xiaofeng... Xiaoyan... Where are you, children...? Uncle’s here to find you...”
He called for the children the entire way, checking each warehouse, every dark corner, and every place they might be hiding. He opened the doors of every warehouse and peered into the darkness with a small flashlight that cast a long beam.
Time passed. The sun began to set, and the sky turned orange and purple, but they still hadn’t found the children. Shen Xixuan began to feel discouraged, but he refused to give up.
Just a little farther... Just a little more... They have to be somewhere around here. I won’t give up.
Seeing how hard he was trying, Xiao Ming spoke up.
“You should take a break... We need to head back before dark. Once night falls, this area will become even more dangerous. The wild beasts will come out to hunt for food.”
“But I still haven’t found them...”
“We’ll come back tomorrow... It’ll be brighter in the morning, so they’ll be easier to find, and it’ll be safer too.”
Shen Xixuan was deeply disappointed, but he knew Xiao Ming was right. He let out a deep sigh and prepared to leave.
But before he could turn back, he heard faint sounds coming from a large warehouse not far away—a child’s soft whimper and whispered voices.
He froze and turned toward the sound.
“Did you hear that...? A child...”
Xiao Ming stopped to listen too, then spoke in a low voice.
“I heard it... It definitely came from that warehouse. Be careful. It could be a trap.”
Shen Xixuan didn’t hesitate. He hurried toward the warehouse, his heart pounding. Carefully, he opened the old, filthy warehouse door and peered into the darkness.
And in the dark corner of the warehouse... he saw them.
Five children huddled tightly together, staring at him with frightened eyes.