Zhao Chen walked out into the courtyard, and looked at Chu Xuan's mother and Chu Xuan within the house, making ready the evening meal; what they used was a stove of the firewood kind.
It is said there are gas stoves in the city, and natural gas furnished besides; one need only pay some little charge over.
But Chu Wenjun and his wife like this life in its original state better.
"So, in these several hundred years of fighting with us. The Machine Race has been keeping these people all the while?" Chu Changhe stood at Zhao Chen's side, digesting the question.
Zhao Chen nodded. "Yes. Upon the field they show no mercy; but once they have won the advantage of the field, they take the rest of the enemy captive, and arrange for them to live upon planets of this kind. By what I understand, planets such as this, within the star systems of this region, number several thousand. And it is not our human race alone, but other interstellar races besides, the intelligent lives the Machine Race keeps come to above 10 trillion souls."
"So many as that?" Chu Changhe was greatly startled.
"Yes. And speaking of it, I found a strange piece of data. Before this, within our Starlight Empire, was there not no little want of grain among the common people? Natural crops such as these were scarcer still, and the common folk could get nothing but synthetic food to eat. But upon these planets the Machine Race pens, no such case appears," said Zhao Chen.
Chu Changhe drew his brows together. "Can it be that the Machine Race uses the resources of other star systems to feed back into these planets?"
"No." Zhao Chen shook his head. "Saving certain hidden technologies, these planets in the main all feed themselves. And such prisoners as break the law are arranged upon mining planets to dig out resources, which are then carried to these planets for trade, forming an ecological chain that supplies itself of itself. And every one of them can eat their fill and be warmly clad."
Chu Changhe was checked.
"Upon this point, one of the Machine Race's highest standing talked with me. She asked me: your carbon-based creatures plainly need but a very little of resources to live a whole life through. Why then must you consume some thousands of times, some tens of thousands of times, nay some hundreds of millions of times as much?" Zhao Chen's face was somewhat heavy.
Chu Changhe too fell silent; perhaps he had already guessed the answer.
"The Machine Race has observed us, with our human race chiefly in view. Suppose a man lives a hundred years: the resources he must consume answer to 300 star coins. And 300 star coins' worth of resources can let that man eat his fill, be warmly clad, and have a place to live. This, of course, upon the premise of the technological base as it now stands. Yet within our society, 10 percent of people must consume 3 million star coins in a lifetime; and among them, 1 percent must consume above 50 million star coins. And at the same time, there will be more resources yet spent upon the consumption of war. She said to me that if the Starlight Empire could divide its resources evenly, then by the Starlight Empire's resources as they now stand, it could altogether let every single person live settled and content in their work." Zhao Chen raised his head, and looked at the starry sky.
"At the time I thought upon a great many things. What in the end… has made us become like this? Desire? Extravagance? Passion? Or the pursuit of more things? Even we ourselves are steeped in it, nay." Zhao Chen laughed at himself a little. "Perhaps it is just as the Machine Race says. We carbon-based lives are a kind of… life past all understanding."
Chu Changhe listened to all this, and said nothing throughout.
Though he still holds the Machine Race in disgust, yet it must be said that what the Machine Race said is not wrong.
This is the case of carbon-based life as it stands.
"And you, old sir, what do you think of the Machine Race now?" Zhao Chen looked at Chu Changhe with a smile.
Chu Changhe gave a cold snort. "Though my son and his wife are alive, yet in so long a war with the Machine Race there are many still who fell. If you would have me lay down this hatred, I cannot do it."
This answer of Chu Changhe's Zhao Chen had looked for long since.
He said with a smile, "In bringing you across this time, I did not think either that you could suddenly lay down this hatred. I hoped only that your view of the Machine Race might alter a little. For hereafter our Owl Dragon's partnership with the Machine Race may grow closer still, as, for instance, that the Machine Race is now willing to furnish us five starship industrial production grounds. Once this news gets abroad, there will assuredly be no few who question it. Others' questioning I may take no thought of. But you have all along been an elder whom I respect. I would not have a rift come up between us."
Chu Changhe looked at this young fellow before him, and it was as though he were back five years ago, when first he saw this raw stripling.
"You young fellow, such a deal of nagging; aren't you tired of it? I am old; I am too lazy now to have to do with any business of war. Let others do as they please." Chu Changhe brought a palm down upon Zhao Chen's back.
These words seem to hold no answer, yet in truth they had already declared where Chu Changhe stood.
Zhao Chen showed a smile of understanding.
"By the way. Chu Xuan has two younger sisters besides." Zhao Chen said it all of a sudden.
"What?" Chu Changhe's eyes went wide all of a sudden.
Zhao Chen said, in a bantering way, "You will not have supposed that your son and his wife were idle these ten years and more upon this planet?"
Chu Changhe, without a second word, shot back into the house, and planted a kick upon the son who was helping his own daughter at her work.
"You boy, how is it you never told me I had two granddaughters besides!"
"Ah… Father, I was too glad just now, and forgot it."
"And where are my two granddaughters?"
"Studying at school in the city; they come back but two days in the week."
"School? Studying?"
"That is a school we organized ourselves. Though the Machine Race limits our making of technological things, it does not limit our handing on theoretical knowledge; so everyone of their own accord set up a school, hoping that our children may one day return to the starry sky. Today is Friday; school should have let out."
"Quick! Take the shuttle and fetch my two granddaughters back!"
"Ah? Is it so urgent as that?"
"Ten years and more without seeing you, boy, and your old man's word carries no weight, is that it!"
"Yes, yes, yes. I go at once."
Zhao Chen watched the shuttle rise and go, and looked again at the mother and daughter within the house, who were growing gradually familiar with one another.
Zhao Chen could not help feeling some envy.
In near six years' time in this world, it was the first time he had a feeling of loneliness.
He does not know how his father and mother in that other world of his are faring.
With an elder brother and a younger sister, they can lessen something of the grief of his going, one must suppose.
He does not know whether in this life there is yet hope of returning to his own world.
Zhao Chen felt something rise in him.
At this moment a hand suddenly took hold of Zhao Chen's hand from behind.
Zhao Chen looked in surprise at the Chu Xuan beside him, her cheeks faintly red.
"I… I thought you seemed somewhat forlorn…" Chu Xuan said in a low voice.
"It is nothing; only that, seeing your family made whole again. I thought a little of my own home," said Zhao Chen.
Chu Xuan was checked a moment, and took it by mistake that Zhao Chen was thinking of his own father and mother, who had passed away; she leaned her body a little against Zhao Chen's shoulder. "It is nothing. Now… we are all of us your family. My mother asked me just now… asked me… whether…"
"Asked what?" Zhao Chen looked in his doubt at the Chu Xuan who hung her head and dared not look at him.
"Nothing. The meal is nearly ready. Go and wash your hands." Chu Xuan, her face red, flung Zhao Chen's hand off, and ran back into the house.