Chapter 138: Like falling stardust |
When the light filaments of Stardust Flowers spread across the holographic screen, the control panel indicators suddenly flickered in unison, as if responding to some ancient pact. Lin Mo looked down to see a glowing petal resting on his hand. At the touch of his fingertip, it disintegrated into fine star crystal powder that pulsed gently with the rhythm of his pulse.
The robot's optical lens abruptly turned toward the mine entrance, where small figures stood on tiptoe peering inside - children holding bouquets assembled from star crystal fragments, their coarse clothes stained with stardust sap that flowed like a draped galaxy in the morning light. The old man with leg wraps followed behind, cradling a tin can filled with freshly gathered Stardust Flower seeds. A hemp-tied note at the can's mouth bore the children's crooked handwriting: "Flowers for Uncle Lin Chen."
"Mr. Lin, look at this." The lead crystal craftsman presented a freshly cut star crystal containing a swirling strand of light. Upon closer inspection, Lin Mo discovered countless tiny images floating within the luminous current - Lin Chen's profile as he recorded data in the mines, children laughing around the star crystal monument, the old man's hunched silhouette while watering seedlings... as if condensing an entire barren star system's memories into crystal.
The energy core emitted a deep hum as luminous bands on the holographic star chart began rotating, weaving a massive ring around Harmony Dust Star. Lin Mo suddenly noticed these light trails perfectly matched the natural luminous veins within the star crystal deposits, down to the most minute branches. "The Stardust Flower roots are guiding the way," the craftsmen marveled. "They've already paved the path."
The robot unexpectedly played a distorted audio clip recorded three years ago by outpost sensors. Through static emerged Lin Chen's fragmented voice, filtered through stardust: "Brother... Stardust Flower seeds follow the light... When they bloom across Harmony Dust Star... follow the flower path to find me..." The recording ended with the delicate shatter of star crystal, followed by faint laughter like the release of some heavy burden.
Lin Mo walked deep into the mine where the withered Stardust Flowers still rested within split crystals. Unnoticed before, the petals' edges now emitted a faint glow, as if reabsorbing light's nourishment. He recalled drawings from Lin Chen's journal - Stardust Flower roots drilling into crystal veins, petals stretching toward light sources, stems entwined with countless tiny names. What he'd dismissed as his brother's romantic imagination now revealed itself as precise prophecy for Harmony Dust Star's future.
When the children rushed into the mine, the entire star crystal deposit suddenly illuminated. Luminous veins crawled along root pathways across cavern walls, converging overhead into a sea of light. A pigtailed girl pointed at images within the radiance: "Look! Uncle Lin Chen planting flowers!" The crowd saw young Lin Chen kneeling in the tunnel, carefully burying Stardust Flower seeds between crystal crevices, his reflective safety strips cutting bright arcs in the darkness.
The old man wiped his eyes, voice trembling: "He always said... even the bleakest place becomes home... with light and flowers."
Lin Mo gazed upward where Lin Chen's silhouette materialized in the light sea, reaching toward him. As their fingertips met through the luminescence, all of Harmony Dust Star's lights trembled in response - names on the star crystal monument glowed, seedlings at Stardust Whispers Station sprouted anew, even the old energy blocks in the robot's tin box emitted warm light.