It's too late to marry a cat [Interstellar]

Hear and see, no longer close your eyes and listen, and walk out of the glorious glass cover of the Star Alliance that has stood for 300 years.

This is what Yahuiquan's parents have pursued all their lives.

There is a very interesting phenomenon that at the beginning of an epoch-making change, the first to see the undercurrent surging under the calm surface and realize that the current system will bring oppression to people is not really covered by the cloud, covered in The person under the invisible giant hand.

People who live under the cloud for a long time will be assimilated by the environment. They don't know that the sky should have a free color, and the rules that have been implemented for a long time have gradually solidified and become a framework that is so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people that it is comparable to common sense.

Therefore, under this huge "boiled frog in warm water", on the contrary, people standing at the height of the frame look down, and they can see the unreasonableness and find that there are countless "stepping stones" piled up on the lower layer of the magnificent pyramid.

Yahuiquan rarely understands what his parents have done. The two names Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue are a little strange to him. He has always been too busy in the past, and his time is too tight for him. From the day when the accident happened at the age of ten, his life seemed to enter the "acceleration mode", which made him keep running forward without stopping for a moment. He seemed to be always busy to achieve the goal of the next stage, never free, and never tireless.

It takes so much effort to maintain life, and the information of those two people is either deleted or encrypted, who can force a child who only has an electronic housekeeper to find out something.

When Ya Huiquan grows up, he no longer has just an electronic housekeeper, but the mountain-like responsibility and the huge star field are pressing down on his shoulders, so he can only look forward.

In the busy years, people can only care about the things in front of them.

Not to mention that as the years passed, "parents" had become a noun as unfamiliar as their names in Yahuiquan, who had grown up.

He hadn't heard his parents mentioned like this for many years, and the two people mentioned by Vice President Ning were even stranger than he remembered, almost like two people with the same name and surname, who had nothing to do with his life at all. .

For this reason, Yahuiquan even feels a bit unreal.

Wo Xiu seemed to be touched when Vice President Ning said "I want to reconnect the faulty cultural species data", the opponent's hand tightened at that moment, and Yahuiquan's sense of unreality was just aggravated by the two points Clenched tightly, he held Wo Xiu's hand back without a word, and rubbed his fingertips on the opponent's hand to comfort him.

"They think the Covenant is like a glorious glass dome," Yahuiquan said.

This was the first time he participated in the topic after Vice President Ning mentioned Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue.

"That's right." Vice President Ning quickly glanced at him for his final utterance, and nodded at this statement.

The Star Alliance has been strong and prosperous for hundreds of years. From the beginning of its establishment, it has recruited the best talents and set up strict entry barriers. It is like a school that pays attention to merit-based admissions. The high-quality students who have passed the assessment open their arms, let the top students step into its resplendent gate, and then cooperate with these top students for a win-win situation, pushing each other to a higher and more secure pinnacle.

However, in the golden age when it was at its peak and seemed to have reached its peak, some people thought it was like a glass cover.

"Take the matter of pursuing decency as an example." Deputy Dean Ning tried to give an example, "'Pursuing decency' itself is not wrong, and decency is not a derogatory term, but nowadays, leaders in all walks of life are required to Excellent ability, professional and comprehensive strength, but also image requirements, overweight and baldness will be reported in the media, treated as a serious scandal, and may even affect career and industry reputation, isn't this an extreme And if this should be regarded as an extreme behavior, it is excessive and unnecessary, but why no one thinks it is wrong for so many years, but people have become accustomed to this requirement, and acquiesced to strict Strict image management should be counted in the evaluation criteria. By default, everything in front of the stage should be pleasing to the eye. Even the scars on the generals are not beautiful. They do not meet the standard of "good public image" and should be removed? "

When talking about the "scars on the generals", Vice President Ning took another look at Yahuiquan. He specifically mentioned a small point that is more empathetic in the example, hoping that it can better highlight the absurdity of the matter.

At that moment, Ya Huiquan withdrew his gaze, he seemed to glance towards Wo Xiu, and Wo Xiu's gaze was also falling on him, and they exchanged subtle glances.

Vice President Ning continued: "The solidification of this cognition is just a small part of the 'glass cover' quietly covering the public."

The Star Alliance has established a beautiful and splendid utopia. From the first galaxy to the fourth galaxy, they all pay attention to civilization, and the concept of freedom and equality is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

But if the bright light is too strong, it will blind the eyes of people, and if the voice of glory is heard too much, it will also numb the ears of people.

The "glass cover" may have been originally established for protection. The founders of the Star Alliance took over the most suitable star area for human gatherings. The star area is covered with countless habitable planets, large and small. However, the "lonely lover" style cut off communication , erecting a high wall to cut off communication, so that protection also becomes a shackle at the same time.

The shackles are the soil suitable for the growth of strange flowers. People who are gathered in a limited world live a life without worrying about food and clothing. All they hear are praises. Ordinary residents who occupy a larger number of citizens are raised to be neutral and kind. Become a sheep that is easy to fall into the "herd effect".

"Someone takes the lead in pursuit of 'a higher level of decency' and leads the wind vane, and the middle and lower classes follow suit one after another, following the wind in the same direction. This seems to be no problem at first, but it is just an ordinary conformity, which does not seem to be It's worth worrying too much about."

"But what if it continues? If 'follow the wind' seeps into the minutiae of people's lives, everyone starts to get used to unifying with others, and eventually takes this 'unity' for granted, and no one remembers that we could have What other options are there?"

Vice President Ning calmly talked about this point of view that would have been considered unfounded in those days, and his feelings were also very strange.

He was retelling the idea that the two old people had put forward in the past, and telling it to the other party—and he probably didn't know as much about the two people as he did, the other party's children.

"Your parents have been working so hard to do this not just because of their love for their own career, but because they want to connect cultures." Vice President Ning put down the teacup that had bottomed out, "They still want to Here, I want to open a window on the 'glass cover', so that people who are used to living in the cover can immediately accept outside voices, but at least they can take a look outside and discover the difference in the world through this opening .”

The little service robot next to him was very discerning, and found that the human beings he was serving had all emptied their cups, so they hurried over and stretched out their small robotic arms to add tea and water.

For a moment, the only sound in this reception room was the sound of hot tea rolling into cups.

Wo Xiu paid attention to Yahuiquan's expression, and the people around him showed no obvious emotions. General Ya seemed to be used to putting on a calm and cold face, and he could remain calm at any moment.

But just now, it was Wo Xiu who held Ya Huiquan's hand when he heard the "continuation of cultural species information". At this time, the two of them had turned around, and General Ya's hand had brushed against the back of Wo Xiu's hand to comfort him. However, this meeting was like a pliers that grew into the shape of a human hand, firmly clamping Wo Xiu's hand.

Wo Xiu knew that Yahuiquan was not at all calm on the surface.

"I don't quite understand something." Wo Xiu said on behalf of the person who couldn't say anything for the time being, "According to this, they choose culture as the entry point, which is already the most gentle and harmless approach. The effect is just to have good expectations, but not to insist on results.”

Then, the two people who have already chosen a moderate entry point, and seem to have not insisted on achieving any kind of results, who are in the way of their eyes, and why they still end up as "traitors".

Which step did they touch other people's "cake"?

Vice President Ning understood Wo Xiu's unspoken question, and he was not surprised that Wo Xiu was well-informed. He had already regarded Wo Xiu and Yahuiquan as the same front, which reminded him that Wo Xiu actually belonged to the foreign union. , It was a bit awkward when the official title was still the commander of the special forces. I vaguely felt that it was not right to talk about the "internal affairs" of the Covenant with such a number one person. But after thinking about it, this Commander Woxiu and General Ya were secretly legal partners anyway.

It is wrong to talk about "housework" with people from outside the alliance, but it is right and completely reasonable to let General Ya's "inners" listen to General Ya's own housework.

"As for the cake, we need to talk about group guidance and 'entry threshold'." Vice President Ning answered Wo Xiu truthfully.

He paused for about 2 minutes after this sentence, and took a moment to choose his words carefully.

"The so-called 'entry threshold' is a set of resident certification standards set by the first founders of the Star Alliance. This is not a secret to all people over the age of 150. In the official statement, it is for It was set for the better development of human civilization, because the establishment of a truly free and equal utopia requires the gathering of the best people, and we cannot allow 'defective products' to lower the overall quality of citizens."

Vice President Ning worked hard to change those unfriendly words, but also suffered from the fact that if some places were said too euphemistically, the core of the point of view of the first generation of founders would not be revealed, and some places could only be euphemistically very limited.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard Wo Xiuwei laugh at the phrase "defective", very unfriendly.

Vice President Ning tried to explain: "This does not represent my opinion."

"It's okay, I understand." Wo Xiu said, "I'm not attacking you, but just the point itself, including the person who first raised it."

Vice President Ning continued: "There is a widely recognized saying that links this high threshold system with college admissions. I think you may have heard of it."

It is true that an excellent environment and teachers should be good at educating people. What kind of waste materials can be excavated and turned into treasures, and turning waste into treasures seems to be a way to reflect the superiority of the environment.

It is possible to recruit better students, invest the same resources and energy, and the rate of return brought by excellent people is higher. Who would choose to bother and pull the waste materials, to waste the boss's efforts, and to pull them together? What about those who are not good enough, perhaps, to reach the level that good people casually reach?

What's wrong with wanting a richer return, and wanting to get rid of those "oil bottles" who have a chance of slowing down the development speed, what's wrong with it?No matter how strong the teaching staff is, a school must have high-quality students that match the resources in order to achieve a win-win situation of two-way promotion.

"This theory of 'selecting the best' sounds reasonable at first glance, and there is no problem." Vice President Ning said, "But as time goes by, and it is carefully considered, some people find that it seems to be unbearable. .”

The elites standing at the top of the wave at that time boasted of being far-sighted, condescending and setting boundaries. However, at the end of an era of great exploration, people began to look for a stable habitat for development. Who gave a small number of people to judge the genes of the majority? Pros and cons of power?

Why are those with vested interests setting the standard that seems to be tailor-made, and let them decide who is a treasure worth recruiting and who is a waste?

Moreover, the Star Alliance, which was built under the banner of "A Dreamland of Freedom and Equality", after so many years, has it really realized freedom, respect and equality as it preached at the beginning?

"If absolute equality really existed, the world would be a beautiful fairytale-like utopia, where everyone enjoys equal rights and all resources are shared equally. Why is Mount Monte called a 'club for the rich and powerful'? The development of the first to fourth galaxies Where did the gap come from?" Vice President Ning let out a long sigh.

Yahuiquan and Woxiu watched in unison.

"The classes that still appear under the Declaration of Freedom and Equality, the rules made by a few people, and the people who have been subtly influenced to follow the instructions." Wo Xiu accurately picked out the key points in Vice President Ning's words, and he whispered these After listing the most important information, Ya Huiquan still shook hands with him.

Speaking of the current step, the information disclosed by Vice President Ning is enough. None of them are stupid, and they have been able to pry into the answer hidden behind it.

A flock of sheep that can only follow instructions is better than a flock of sheep with too many independent thoughts.

The same person who was born at the top of the pyramid, wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the generous treatment at the top?Why do you want to move that hood and blow the long whistle that might wake someone up.

Without the masses who will follow the direction of the wind, who will set off the position of the spire is unattainable.

The power center solidified together with ideology and cognition may also be shaken by the open window.

As long as the shackles are firm and long-lasting, everyone enjoys "relative freedom" in what they think is a vast but limited area. The weathervane placed by the leader guides the flock again and again, and the thoughts passed down from the center become layers of imprints. , In the end, those who reject "common sense" and "obligation" become heterogeneous. Few people in the lower class deviate from the norms set by the upper class. Everyone is choosing what others want you to choose.

No need for any equipment, no technical means of brain intervention, an increasingly closed environment is enough for such a system to operate stably.

Whose cake did Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue touch back then, isn't it clear enough?

"They wanted to open a window." Ya Huiquan said, "but what those people saw was that they swung their axes and cut a gap at the bottom of the hollow tree root, so it was extremely unbearable, Extremely terrified."

In the interstellar era, genetic evolution has stretched the average life span too long, or prolonging the youth when people are most energetic and eager to be strong. A person from 25 years old to [-] years old can be counted as the "middle stage of life", and the long The prime of life also breeds people's desire for power. Once people have tasted the beauty of being in a high position, it is difficult to let it go, and they will only try to keep it for a long time.

"That's why your parents are called 'idealists in the elite club'." Vice President Ning repeated the title with a very soft voice.

He is also someone who has been fascinated by "Bright and Grand". Vice President Ning's full name is Ning Bolang. He was born in Montenegro. He is 14 years younger than Yahuiquan's father, Ya Yisong. They were in the Academy of Arts and Sciences back then, and they were considered close friends. predecessors.

In the whole circle of the rich and powerful of Monte, not everyone is so extreme in their pursuit of power and the so-called supremacy, but in general, everyone is also born well, and belongs to the category of people who "win at the starting line" in the eyes of others. Lack, life is free from worries.

When people are living well under the status quo, they usually don't like to accept changes, and they don't understand those people who have ideals for change.Not to mention how beautiful the future the "spire" depicts to those who are also at the top, human nature is also to go up, not down.

Regarding Ya Yisong, Ning Bolang remembered that he didn’t understand at first, but he was shaken later, and because of the human nature of protecting himself, he finally chose to remain neutral, and became silent with another part of the “neutral” spectators.

They want to see how far Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue can go, and how they can push this matter forward, before deciding whether they want to add bricks or tiles.

In this day and age, everyone is used to refinement and self-interest, and has concerns of one kind or another.

None of them would have thought that Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue, who seemed to be the same as everyone else, who were perfectly in line with the "Monte Celebrities" from birth to where they stood, were wrapped in elite skins who truly belonged to The heart of an idealist.

"Everyone wants to wait for someone else to come forward, and in the end everyone is held back by the wait—that's what your mother said many years ago."

"Then your father said, let's go."

Many years ago, Ning Bolang thought about the friendship between his predecessors, and he vaguely felt the wind and rain hidden in the calm, so he took advantage of the convenience of his work to find an opportunity to persuade Ya Yisong and Yu Jianyue.

This is what those two people said at that time, he still remembers it vividly, and he can only repeat it to Yahuiquan many years later.

"The death of your parents caused the first shock to the central circle." Ning Bolang rubbed the teacup in his hand back and forth, carefully checking the expression of Yahuiquan, trying to judge whether his words need to be adjusted, or whether to continue speaking Some are too fast and need to give the other party more time to digest.

Yahuiquan's face was expressionless, as if his expression had froze shortly after the conversation started, showing no emotion or anger.

Ning Bolang didn't see anything, he glanced at Wo Xiu for some reason, Wo Xiu motioned him to continue, so he continued: "But after all, as of that year, the system established with the birth of the Star Alliance has existed for three years. Over the past hundred years, spanning an unknown number of generations, it is 'same age' as the Star Alliance, a shock only made some people start to waver, and made others respect the system even more, lest they become the next target of sniping."

A group that has dominated for too long, even if the inside is rotten and completely hollow, there is still a huge shell, and interests bind the people firmly together, and it is not so easy to completely shake it.

Unless there is an opportunity for a second shock.

"Fortunately," Ning Bolang said, "The trial friendship movement on the Star Alliance died down for a while, but the Outer Territorial Alliance took the initiative somehow."

Wo Xiu paused lightly.

Ning Bolang realized that there was another "Scarlet Angel" witness in front of him. In addition to being the joint commander outside the territory, Wo Xiu was the "legal insider" of General Ya, and also the child of another relative who died in order to promote the trial.

Vice-President Ning skipped the rest of the content, and only said: "The second shock was initiated by a joint cultural trial outside the region as the starting point, and it broke out completely during the war."

War is the best shuffler.

Any seemingly unbreakable alliance will be forcibly broken by the long knife of "war" in a bloody way.

The chaos of war makes the alliance have a chance to turn against each other, and makes it possible for those who deviate from their ideas to gradually get closer in the chaotic years, and finally even stand together, reconcile in the endless smoke and confusion, and understand the path the other party is looking for.

Yahuiquan's parents—and maybe Woxiu's parents, they were the light chasers in the long night, they groped to open the way in the chaotic situation, the original vision was ideal and beautiful, and they all wanted to achieve it with the least harm Maximum peaceful communication.

But in the end, they all stopped on the exploration road, and they were pathfinders who were blocked by the overturned boulder.

Ya Huiquan and Wo Xiu came from the flames of war. At the beginning, neither of them thought about being friendly, nor did they think about "reducing damage" to their enemies.

But the fate is so wrong, they marched forward recklessly under the cannon fire, but went through the part of the road that their parents could not complete.

It seems that there is still some guidance in the dark, and it is also like a silent and invisible blessing.

"I have a list here." Ning Bolang said, "After the war, the original system was completely broken, and large and small groups were reorganized. This list covers all the people at the same level that I know, including their foundations back then. The division of positions can be regarded as my "vote certificate".

Yahuiquan received the list and saw that the file was loaded on his personal terminal immediately, but he did not open it immediately.

"I'm also the 'other person' you mentioned." Ya Huiquan said suddenly, not going back to the village or shop. His eyes were hanging on the terminal screen, staring at the "100%" progress bar, but his movements were meaningless. "They In my mind, I am also a 'template elite', someone who will strictly build themselves according to the standards of a 'Monte gentleman'."

General Ya raised the corner of his mouth slightly, he often made a sarcastic expression, but this time, he rarely gave himself the ridicule.

"It turned out that I didn't know them very well."