Silin took an isolation suit from the medical staff and put it on before walking into the ICU.
After entering, Silin realized that only one of Engi's three pairs of hands was left. Engi was skinny to begin with, and now it felt like he was only supported by bones.
The medical staff had told Silin earlier that Engi's injuries were too severe. Coupled with Engi's gene rank, he might not be able to hold on for long. Even with the help of the medical equipment, he would only be able to hold on for two days at most. Most importantly, Engi had no intention of surviving.
Silin walked to Engi's side and sat down. He leaned forward to listen carefully to what Engi had to say. Engi was having difficulty breathing, and every word he said required a lot of energy. However, although Engi spoke very slowly and his voice was not loud, his pronunciation was very clear.
"Bring... the... diary... over..."
"I'll go get it right now!"
Silin got up and ran out quickly. Of course, Silin knew which diary Engi was talking about. Not long after, he brought Chamounidin's diary to Engi.
"The last... page..."
Silin flipped the diary to the last page. Although the middle of the notebook was mostly blank, there were words on the last page. It was a poem.
Engi looked in one direction. There was a shelf outside the ICU, and on it were some of the items that the patients brought with them when they were sent in. Among them was Engi's small toolbox.
Silin brought the toolbox over. The medical staff wanted to sterilize the box, but Engi waved his hand. "No need!"
When Silin brought the box closer, Engi raised his hand and grabbed it tightly. He touched the box lightly and opened it. He swiped his finger on a small compartment inside. After unlocking it, Engi took out a key from inside. It was the key to Engi's workshop. On the starship, very few people used keys instead of password locks.
Engi handed the key to Silin and placed it in Silin's palm. Engi didn't trust anyone else with the things in the workshop. Engi felt that only Silin would understand the preciousness of the things inside.
Engi had difficulty breathing due to the removal of the equipment on his head. Silin wanted to help him put on the device again, but Engi refused. "If I put on these things … I won't be able to hear."
Engi caught his breath and pointed at the notebook. He asked Silin, "I remember that you're from Sector X. Do you know Sector X's Sector language?"
Silin nodded.
A smile appeared in Engi's eyes, "It's been a long time since I've heard Sector X's language. Help me read the poem at the back of the notebook in Sector X's Sector language."
Engi's words were spoken calmly, but Silin felt that Engi was speaking with his last breath. However, his eyes were bright as if he could see the distant starlight.
Chamounidin was originally from Sector X, and his dream was to become a freelance poet. Later on, Chamounidin's hometown was affected by war, and he met the then Third B Squadron commander Nata. He was brought to the Third B Squadron by Nata and became a member of the Third Squad. Even after he arrived at the Third B Squadron, Chamounidin still wrote poems frequently. Every notebook and diary contained at least a few poems.
At the time, Engi and some people from the Third Squad listened to Chamounidin recite poems in his standard Sector X's Sector language.
However, those people had all died in the incident that year, and Engi had been transferred to the Sixth Squad before that. That was how he had avoided that disaster. However, if Engi had a choice, he would rather become a speck of dust in the universe with those people.
Enji's current age, according to the age of the Otopp people, was only a third of the average age. However, Enji was already satisfied.
Sitting beside Engi's sickbed, Silin flipped open the notebook and looked at the poem on the last page. Then, he began to read slowly.
"From heaven or heaven's vicinity,
And with the music that flows freely,
Pour out your heart with unpolished art.
Fly up, and soar higher,
From the ground you leap,
Like a cloud of blazing fire.
Through the blue heart of the sky,
Forever singing to fly, flying to sing.
The sun below the horizon,
Radiating golden lightning,
Rosy clouds steaming in the clear sky,
You soak in the sunlight,
Like an incorporeal joy just beginning a swift expedition.
Faint purple dawn
Melts around your voyage,
Like the stars in the day sky,
Though you can't see them,
Yet you can hear the strong sound of your joy clearly —
The music that is incomparably sharp,
Like a sharp sword of silver starlight,
Its strong light,
Dimmed in the morning light,
Until it's hard to distinguish, yet you can feel it in space.
… "
It was a very standard Sector X's Sector language. The medics didn't understand it. They weren't from Sector X, and they only needed to know the League of Stars's language to navigate the galaxy. Moreover, they had always thought that all languages other than their homeland's language and the League of Stars's language were awkward and awkward. But when they heard Silin's voice now, they felt an unusual feeling. It was like a cool breeze brushing across the sandy ground, sweeping up dust and blowing it straight into the blue sky.
The light in Engi's eyes was very gentle. It was as if he had met an old friend from many years ago.
Enji's Genotype rank was not high. The average Genotype rank of an Otopp person was Rank C. However, perhaps because he had been exposed to too many rays, Enji's Genotype rank was only Rank D. Moreover, compared to the usual robust Otopp people, Enji was pitifully thin. The happiest days of Engi's life were when he was carried by Chamounidin to sail within the galaxy.
So it had been almost fifty years before he knew it …
"…
As if in the desolate night,
Behind a solitary cloud,
The bright moon shines its light, and its clear splendor fills the universe … "
After reading the poem, Silin closed the notebook and looked at Engi, who still had his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. He bowed.
"Have a safe journey."
The heartbeat shown on the machine had stopped.
Silin walked out of Engi's ward. Ba Dao stood outside the ward for who knew how long.
Ba Dao felt that he couldn't understand Silin. From the moment Silin came to this floor, whether it was Eudy, Beaver, and the others in the ICU, Dias, who had already passed away but lost an arm, or Engi, who had just passed away, Silin had been terrifyingly calm. What was this person's true thoughts?
Ba Dao didn't think that Silin didn't care about their lives, but compared to Kari and Xiao Shang, Silin's calmness was creepy. There was no emotion on his face, but when he met that pair of eyes, Ba Dao couldn't help but feel the urge to retreat. Ba Dao remembered what his seniors had said: There is a kind of person, when their emotions reach an extreme, they will be no different from normal. If you encounter this kind of person, don't provoke them, or you won't even know how you died.
"Silin …" Ba Dao wanted to say something, but after two words, he couldn't say anything else.
"How are Eudy and Beaver?" Silin asked. His voice was so calm that not a trace of emotion could be heard.
"The medical staff said they're getting better. They just need to survive these two days. They have to rely on themselves. The medicine might have side effects, so unless it's the last resort, no one dares to use it."
Silin nodded and walked to Eudy's ward to take a look. The Miantuan was stuck to the wall. It looked like he hadn't eaten for a few days.
After looking at the situation, Silin walked out.
Description: The poem was extracted from Shelley's To the Skylark.
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