Chapter Eleven: An Astonishing Discovery

After taking medicine to treat his external wounds and replenishing his strength with a nutrient solution, he lay down for nearly two hours before his body finally recovered. Rising to his feet, he walked toward the deep pit, wanting to closely examine the giant bird he had just killed. There was something mysterious about this whole affair that he could not quite shake. Reaching the edge of the pit, he looked down and saw the giant bird lying prone at the bottom. Even curled up, its body remained enormous—over ten meters long, and when its wings were folded, its width exceeded five meters. In flight, its wingspan was at least fifteen meters. Its feathers were grayish-brown, broad, and thick.

He was certain that no such bird had ever existed on Earth. With the current level of information sharing on Earth, if such a gigantic bird existed, it would have caused a worldwide sensation long ago. On the creature’s back was a bowl-sized, charred hole—the result of the laser gun shot that had pierced through it. The pit was so deep that even the bird’s back was over two meters from the ground. Wary of his injuries and worried that he might not be able to climb out if he descended, he did not enter the pit. Instead, he took out his MVP5, snapped a few photographs, and then left, heading into the distance.

As he walked, he reflected on everything that had happened since waking up, and on the surrounding environment. The giant bird, so utterly unfamiliar and unheard of, especially drew his attention. Gradually, he noticed other oddities. First, he recalled that the forest he had passed through earlier felt unfamiliar. He had traveled extensively and had undergone survival training in many of Earth’s primeval forests, yet he had never seen trees resembling these. Like the giant bird, these trees appeared to be species that had never existed on Earth. Looking down, he realized the grass underfoot was equally unfamiliar.

Next, he noticed that the sun in the sky was distinctly different from the sun on Earth—not only did it appear much larger, but its color was also different. Moreover, he sensed that everything here seemed heavier, by about a third. Because his strength had increased significantly due to his training, he trusted this perception. There were also other, more subtle differences. Whenever he returned to Earth after a long mission in space, he always felt a familiar comfort. This time, though, he felt only strangeness. He had been gone from Earth for only ten years, including the journey home; such dramatic changes should not have occurred. He also recalled that the incident at the edge of the solar system had been more complicated than it seemed. He had thoroughly checked his communication equipment, which, by his experience, was undamaged—yet it received no signal. At first, he suspected magnetic interference, but after walking nearly twenty kilometers without receiving any signal, he grew more suspicious.

Suddenly, a startling thought struck him: “Could it be that I am not on Earth at all, but on another life-bearing planet in a different star system?” The idea left him momentarily stunned. At first, it seemed absurd—humanity had yet to discover extraterrestrial life, and what were the odds that he would land on a habitable alien planet by mere chance? But as he systematically considered the anomalies—the unfamiliar animals and plants, the much larger sun, the increased gravity, the lack of communication signals—the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. In fact, this theory alone could explain everything he had observed.

He stood rooted to the spot for a long time before finally coming back to himself and continuing on his way. Yet the weight of his realization pressed on him like a massive stone. As he drew farther from the slope where he had awakened, he encountered more and more unfamiliar plants and animals. He carefully observed every creature he came across and compared photos—including those of the giant bird—to the entries in the MVP5’s Earth Encyclopedia of Life. He soon confirmed that he was indeed on an alien planet—these species, though similar in some ways to Earth’s, were unmistakably different. What clinched his conclusion was that he could not find a single species from Earth. After covering nearly eighty kilometers, night fell, and he had no choice but to set up his inflatable thermal tent and camp on the grassland.

Because he was in a completely unknown and potentially dangerous environment—and had nearly lost his life to the ferocious giant bird earlier—he did not stow away his laser gun but kept it slung over his left shoulder throughout the day’s march. After pitching his tent, he set up infrared alarms at the four corners, fifty meters from his shelter, to guard against nocturnal attacks by other creatures. Concerned about threats from above as well, he installed a small directional radar detector atop the tent, capable of warning him of intruders within two kilometers overhead.

Once all his precautions were complete, he lay on the grass outside the tent as he had on so many journeys before. But this time, his mood was heavier than ever. In the past, no matter how far he traveled, he always knew he could return and how to do so. But if his theory was correct, he might never go home again. How could he verify his hypothesis? For now, all he could do was keep moving, searching for new clues. Of course, the best outcome would be to find intelligent life on this planet—then perhaps he could learn the truth.

But if he truly was not on Earth, what then? Could the technology of this new world send him home, or at least do so within his lifetime? After pondering for a while, he looked up at the night sky. It remained as beautiful and profound as ever. But soon, he noticed something was amiss—the starry sky was utterly unfamiliar. Since childhood, he had observed the heavens and later studied astronomy in depth. He might not have known every detail, but he was intimately familiar with all the constellations visible to the naked eye.

A formless dread crept into his heart. When two moons slowly rose over the horizon, his spirits sank to rock bottom. The alien sky and the appearance of two moons left no room for doubt—he was not on Earth, but a strange, distant world. According to humanity’s years of exploration of the nearby universe, there should be no life within a hundred light-years of Earth—at least, no intelligent life. This confirmed theory plunged him into profound confusion and sorrow.

He might never return home. Though he was reserved by nature and often preferred solitude, this did not mean he was devoid of feelings or did not need affection. On Earth, though he had few friends, there were still some he missed dearly—friends, colleagues, and relatives—not to mention the woman he had loved for years, with whom he had planned to marry after this mission, and the mother who had raised him single-handedly. He felt deep affection for them all.

Only now did he truly understand why his mother had so adamantly opposed his becoming an astronaut. Though she had always admired his father—himself a brave and outstanding astronaut—after his father’s accident, she could no longer bear the thought of losing another loved one forever. To her, he and his father were the two most important men in her life; now, both were gone. He could only imagine the pain she must be enduring. At this thought, silent tears slid down his cheeks—tears of grief, perhaps, or regret, or longing.

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