Star Rider

Alcon's Journal #2 - The Era of Peace

DSF@33d4b5c437d2dcc0938f98eaa3bed7de

Mother often teased Father about his increasing weight, threatening not to give him any delicious food, but she would then continuously try to make and present him with various delicious and beautiful dishes. Father would laugh heartily and enjoy the food. Sometimes, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan would come to share the food. Mr.Bryan and Father had grown up together, gone through the war and come back safely. They seemed to have endless topics to chat about.

During my leisure time after school, Father and I would plant and build things in the huge yard. Not far from the runway, we built a small barbecue counter and a bonfire pit. Mr.Bryan joked that one day the plane landing would blow over the counter, and wine bottles would fly everywhere. Father joked that they could use the plane's engine to barbecue steaks, but mastering the skill of well-done and medium-rare would be very difficult. When the summer night fell, we would watch interesting movies and swim in the yard. In winter, we would play games and watch movies together in the house. In spring and autumn, Father would take us out to play. Mother would laugh like a child, holding Father's hand. Late at night, I often saw them snuggling under the moonlight. Father told Mother about his observations and experiences, especially the various views of Earth from space. Sometimes, Mother would fall asleep in Father's arms, but as soon as Father stopped talking, she would wake up and murmur, "I'm listening, I'm listening, why don't you continue..."

When I entered middle school, social history and science became specialized subjects. I learned that the war Father had participated in was called the "Second Civil War." At that time, I only knew that he represented one side of the Federal army. The textbook described it as a war that was unnecessary and broke out between the inept Federal government and the radical local government. The war lasted for two years and the main battlefield was fought with automatic or remote weapons. About 4,500 people died on both sides, of which 4,300 died in the final battle due to the tactical nuclear weapons dropped by the Federal army, which killed all life in the city where the radical local government was located. This attack was called the "Massacre Battle." Also, due to that battle, the federal ruling party at that time went from bad to worse in the political stage, and eventually ended up splitting into two small parties.

The current ruling party is accepted and supported by the masses for its idealism and moderation. The government has invested a great deal of resources and effort in education, technology, welfare, and infrastructure, and has been regarded as a model of a great power by many neighboring countries. In less than 10 years, except for the destroyed city which is preserved as a permanent war memorial, the remnants of the war have been completely eradicated. One-third of the federal military personnel have returned to civilian life. The technology and economy of the federation continue to lead the way on the home planet. Controlled nuclear fusion technology has been put into practical use. Several space cities in heliocentric synchronous orbits are beginning to take shape, and a supply station has been established on Jupiter. With the establishment of space cities and multiple planetary supply bases, there is no longer a need to use large propellant-powered spacecraft to travel between planets. The number of citizens living in space is increasing, and even some interstellar generations who were born in space habitats. It is not an exaggeration to describe these 10 years as "national security and people's well-being", which is the most glorious decade of the federation.