Deep Space Odysse Volume 1

Chapter 4 The First Lesson

To everyone's amazement, the class was led by none other than the dean himself, instantly stirring excitement among the students.

At that moment, someone finally realized they had been crowded together in noisy disorder, and quickly returned to their seat. The rest, as if waking from a dream, followed suit, hurrying back to their places.

The elderly dean stepped into the classroom and surveyed the students, saying, "Good day. It's a pleasure to meet the brightest minds of this year. You are the reason that, even with these old bones of mine, I stay here and have not retired. But before we begin our lesson, I want to ask you a few questions and talk about something a little off-topic."

His gaze swept across each face, and the kindness in his expression began to fade, replaced by sternness.

"Can anyone tell me why you are here? Is it for money? In the Federation, a starship captain earns no more than 1.8 million star coins annually. That income may seem impressive among ordinary people, but honestly, even a small business owner of a private cargo ship can earn ten times that amount per year. Those capable of becoming starship captains have the intellect and ability to lead fleets anywhere they choose."

"Is it for fame? To become a hero? Unfortunately, that too is a distant and unlikely dream. In even a minor regional war, soldiers are buried by the tens of thousands. In a full-scale interstellar war, casualties can easily reach the millions. Out of such vast numbers, only one or two are ever hailed as heroes. People's memories are limited, and they cannot hold on to the names of many heroes. After any given war, no more than three heroes tend to be remembered. So, the chances of you becoming a martyr far outweigh the chances of you becoming a hero. Personally, it seems much like another chance at birth, where millions of sperm race towards the finish, but only one succeeds."

"Is it for power, then? To command? While it's true that the captain of a starship is a powerful figure, commanding thousands of soldiers and hundreds of mechas in battle, is that really the reality? The starship belongs to the Federation, and so do its captains. You are all tools forged by the state, existing solely for the sake of victory. Anyone who believes becoming a captain will make them an untouchable figure is gravely mistaken. There are countless forces in this universe that will constantly remind you that your position is not as exalted as it seems, no matter how dazzling or difficult it was to attain."

"So, why have you come here? I want each of you to think hard about that question. Now, who can answer me?"

Marshall's question left the students exchanging bewildered glances. His words had just eliminated most of their motives, leaving them temporarily at a loss for answers.

Finally, a student raised their hand and said, "I want to become a captain because I love the feeling of soaring through space, gazing at the beautiful stars, and freely flying among them."

Marshall smiled. "I wasn't expecting a romantic poet among us. But let me remind you, boy, starships are born of war, and captains are the elite of soldiers. Soldiers and war are the most pragmatic creations of this universe. They don't accept romance, only cold, bloody reality. Also, the sea of stars is not beautiful. Most of the time, space is dark and infinite. In the universe, beauty always comes hand in hand with death. The sight of a supernova is magnificent, and so is the flash when a starship explodes."

The student was rendered speechless.

Sphereld, the bald student, raised his hand: "I love war. I love the feeling of bloodshed and battle. I was born in the Devil's Triangle Star System, where conflict is a daily occurrence."

Someone chimed in, "Then you should be a mecha pilot!"

The class erupted in laughter.

Sphereld shrugged. "A starship kills more people than a mecha, and the command division includes mecha training, too."

"An interesting reason, but I'll accept it," Marshall surprisingly nodded in approval.

"Anyone else?" he asked.

Reynolds thought for a moment and raised his hand. "My initial reason for wanting to become a captain was to kill the Starlight Pirate Fleet because they murdered my parents. But I know if I say that to you, you'll probably tell me two things. First, I won't be free to command a starship however I wish. On the contrary, if there ever comes a time when those pirates need to be wiped out, my personal grudge would likely disqualify me from the mission, as my anger and hatred would cloud my judgment. And second, if I kill all the pirates, then what will drive me to continue?"

Marshall spread his hands. "You've pretty much said what I would have."

"So, I've come up with a new reason."

"Let's hear it."

"Dreams. To soar through the stars and conquer the universe—that was humanity's dream even when we were still bound to Earth. It needs no justification. Every man should have such a dream and strive to achieve it. There's no need to question the meaning; the pursuit of a dream is its own meaning."

Marshall laughed. "I like that answer."

He addressed the whole class: "I have an answer, too. It is for the honor of the Federation, to protect our beliefs, to safeguard the dignity and pride of humanity. Yes, it may sound lofty, but it's the goal I've fought for my entire life. I urge you all to find a true reason for yourselves, whatever it may be, as long as you understand what you're pursuing. The path to becoming a captain is long and arduous. Without the support of a dream or the foundation of a strong belief, it will be difficult to reach the end."

"Welcome to the Alpha Military Academy's Starship Command Division, where more than 70% of you will be eliminated. You are about to embark on the most challenging six years of your life, which will determine whether you become one of humanity's elite or a failure."

With Marshall's speech, their intense academic journey had officially begun.

The Starship Command Division boasted a curriculum of 36 subjects, the highest in the entire academy, covering everything from starship structure to the functionality of every part of the vessel. Aside from three combat courses, all subjects were focused on foundational knowledge.

This portion of their education was the most grueling and tedious. Simply memorizing the information, understanding the data, and mastering the computational formulas was enough to give every student a headache.

As Marshall once said, wisdom, courage, and decisiveness are built upon a foundation of expertise. Without sufficient professional knowledge, bravery is nothing more than a synonym for foolishness.

Perspective, insight, and management skills were challenging to measure, but foundational knowledge could be quantified. The academy was ruthless in this area, force-feeding massive amounts of basic knowledge like ducks being stuffed with feed.

They weren't worried about creating bookish scholars; Alpha Military Academy wasn't the kind of place that only taught theory. Every student had to undergo a series of intense, practical combat drills before they could graduate.

As a result, every year, one-third of the students failed the basic knowledge exams alone. And bear in mind, these were the best students from their respective schools. Yet here, they couldn't even pass the simplest memorization tests.

Because of this, the Starship Command Division students were always the busiest in the academy. Their minds were constantly filled with mathematical formulas, celestial mechanics, the structure and functions of starships, the classification of different ship types, and various military protocols. The sheer volume of academic work nearly pushed each student to their breaking point.

Alpha Military Academy was renowned for its high-intensity study and training programs. Every student who qualified for the Starship Command Division was a genius, but the academy demanded geniuses among geniuses—the kind of prodigies who could endure hardship.

After the orientation ceremony, Reynolds became the most talked-about freshman in the academy's starship division. Wherever he went, people took notice.

But Reynolds had no time to bask in the glory. He hadn't come to the academy to add another qualification to his résumé; he came to chase a dream.

To become a starship captain. To freely soar through the stars. That was his dream.

And for that dream, he would strive, fight, and persevere.

In those vibrant and passionate years of youth.