Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Kiss of an Angel

Kanton’s single-pilot spacecraft streaked across countless star systems, traversing the vast reaches of the cosmos, and soon he would arrive at his destination. Thanks to the highly intelligent system, Kanton needed little thought—he simply operated according to the procedures drilled into him during training.

Meanwhile, on the native planet of Quartpa, Chief Aibert’s body was manifesting various signals of renewal. All the high-level departments were busily preparing for the transfer of authority from the current chief to the next. In the opulent palace drifting above the planet, the chief’s personal medical staff closely monitored every change in his condition, providing the finest medical care so that, when his body fragmented, the new lives emerging from those pieces would have a greater chance of survival.

In stark contrast to humanity’s attitude toward birth, aging, illness, and death, the Quartpa people greeted the end of their lives with joy and anticipation. They regarded it as an opportunity to bury past errors and regrets. Once they reached adulthood, regardless of whether death was natural or otherwise—so long as the body remained undamaged and uncontaminated—it would naturally fracture into numerous pieces, each of which would become a new life, emerging anew into the world.

On Quartpa, a planet without an atmosphere, all life was devoid of gender, love, and maternal instinct. The continuation of life depended solely on the automatic fragmentation of the corpse after death; each fragment would naturally develop into a complete new being, inheriting many behavioral traits and partial memories from its predecessor. This was why Quartpa’s intelligence had grown ever higher through evolution. These new lives required no care from adults, for their food was simple: a proboscis-like mouthpart, similar to a bee’s straw, was used to absorb a unique liquid substance (M-liquid) found on Quartpa. This liquid never became gaseous or solid, regardless of temperature extremes. After consuming M-liquid, they relied on the absorption of stellar light to drive photosynthesis and promote metabolism. Quartpa’s biosphere exhibited near-perfect mimicry in its evolutionary chain.

Their extraordinary empathy and superior capacity for understanding others enabled Quartpa people to dispense with familial bonds. Any two strangers, upon meeting, could immediately read each other’s thoughts; their life forms differed radically from those on Earth, for Quartpa lacked the genetic capacity for deception and was the only species in the galaxy without tribal conflict among its own kind. Every concept formed in their minds was instantly transmitted to compatriots as electromagnetic waves. Their empathy and understanding were so profound that they could grasp problems beyond the reach of most intelligent life. Their judgment and logical thinking were also exceptional: where Earth’s guitar was seen as a mere musical instrument, Quartpa people discerned from its structure greater mysteries about matter and space. Quartpa was the most evolved, most successful, and most distinguished advanced intelligence in the galaxy.

A medical attendant asked, “Would you like some entertainment, Chief?”

Chief Aibert replied, “I’d like to see how Earthlings play the guitar, and even more, to hear an entire piece composed and performed by humans.”

Given that Quartpa was over 37,000 light-years from Earth, it was impossible to bring an Earth guitarist to Quartpa to play for the chief—the time constraints alone made it unfeasible. The task was therefore delegated to the mantis-like researcher who had accompanied Kanton on his Earth mission. This mantis had used advanced technology to capture hundreds of thousands of human brainwaves and download their memories. By combing through these memories, he sought to find any recollection of an Earth guitarist performing, with the hope that Quartpa’s scientists could recreate a realistic performance scene from those memory images, eliminating the need for a journey to Earth.

The chief’s luck held. During the mantis’s search of the Earthling memory database, he discovered a memory of a guitar performance. The data was processed and rendered as a hologram, presenting a vivid, tangible scene to the public: a young, beautiful Indian woman, who once played an Indian composition entitled “Kiss of the Angel” at the Vienna Music Concert.

It was not only the chief who was deeply moved and captivated by this solo; all the Quartpa people present listened in rapt joy, some even feeling a touch of sorrow. Possessing immense empathy and insight, Chief Aibert discerned layers of human philosophy and cultural meaning in the Indian composition—subtleties that even Earthlings themselves could not perceive.

Another mantis entered the hall where everyone was enjoying the guitar performance. He addressed a guard: “Director Yanan of the Space Administration wishes to see the chief.”

The guard relayed the message, and the chief said, “Bring him in.”

Yanan spoke, “Respected Chief, though the main fleet of the Tark Alliance has long departed the solar system and is en route to Quartpa, the Tark garrison remains protected by their pyramids. Our remaining forces cannot breach their pyramid defenses. However, a frontline communications technician with considerable physics knowledge has discovered a way to break through the Tark pyramid system: we can easily destroy Earth. Awaiting your approval, Chief. If you permit, annihilating Earth and its people is within our grasp.”

Before the chief could reply, a curious mantis interjected, “What is this method? Tell us all about it.”

Yanan fixed his gaze on the chief, seeing his eagerness for the truth.

Yanan explained, “Earth uses a somewhat primitive radio telescope to constantly emit powerful electromagnetic waves into space. We can use these waves as carriers and launch our new microwave weapon in reverse along their wave cones, thereby evading Tark’s pyramidal interference and striking Earth at high speed. Doing so would easily destroy Earth’s magnetic field, after which the atmosphere would be swept away by the intense solar wind. Without its atmosphere, all life forms the Tark wish to exploit would vanish. Alternatively, our microwave weapons could directly target Earth’s nuclear arsenals, causing Earth’s own weapons to destroy it.”

Chief Aibert patiently clarified, “Judging by intelligence and physiology, humans lack the strength and potential to threaten Quartpa’s existence. The real cause of today’s crisis is not Earth or its people, but the Tark and the Celt. Humans are innocent and have their right to exist. Furthermore, our longstanding principle is respect for diverse life forms and cultures. This is why Quartpa civilization is so revered throughout the galaxy. We have no interest in Earth’s species, genes, or its people. Earth’s rare and fragile life is of no use to us; it is the Tark who covet Earth and its inhabitants. The current crisis arises because the Celt, who have no stake in the war, are pursuing two gaseous planets inside the solar system and, with Tark’s help, aim to destroy Quartpa utterly. Our earlier plan—to avoid attacking Tark’s homeworld and instead destroy Earth—was meant to minimize direct conflict with Tark civilization. But now, the situation has fundamentally changed: the Tark king has abandoned Earth, leading his alliance directly against us. We should never have focused our attention on Earth and its people…”

Perhaps influenced by the Indian composition “Kiss of the Angel,” Chief Aibert revised his previous definition of humanity as “pests” and chose instead to sympathize with them. The gentle, non-aggressive Indian people, through their music, inadvertently saved the entire planet.

Soon, the soon-to-be newborn Chief Aibert ordered Commander Sade to recall the remaining warships near the solar system back to Quartpa for homeland defense. Intelligence indicated that the Tark Alliance fleet was advancing rapidly, targeting Quartpa’s homeworld. Although Sade’s agent Kanton was piloting an ultra-light-speed craft toward Celt for a covert strike, there was no guarantee of success. Even if Celt were destroyed, the formidable Tark Alliance fleet might not surrender, but rather launch a suicide assault on Quartpa. Sade was now fully committed to a decisive battle.

Considering all factors, Chief Aibert abandoned the plan to destroy Earth; humanity escaped disaster, at least for now. But the Celt and Tark might not be so fortunate, as the chief would not spare them.

Quartpa finally approached its most pivotal moment. Chief Aibert’s life reached its end. Unlike Earth’s attitude toward life and death, the whole of Quartpa erupted in celebration when the chief’s life concluded, for the end was not death but rebirth. Large crowds from the medical, scientific, religious, and political spheres gathered around Aibert’s remains to hold various festivities. According to Quartpa’s religious doctrine, when life ends, the body must be returned to their “Body God”—that is, their planet. Religious officials placed Aibert’s remains in a small vessel, orbiting Quartpa seven times before gently landing on the surface. The body was then lowered into a natural “pool” (containing the planet’s special M-liquid, a mixture akin to methane and petroleum on Earth, and the sole food source for Quartpa people). From this point, no human interference was permitted; all proceeded according to natural law. On this atmosphere-less world, Aibert’s remains received spectral irradiation from their “Soul God” (the Quartpa home star), providing energy until the body fragmented, each piece becoming a new life. These new beings began to consume M-liquid provided by the “Body God” and grew without adult care. On this planet, all life perpetuated itself in this way.

Dear readers, if such life forms as “Quartpa people” truly existed on another world, how would you regard them? Compared to Earth’s life forms, which do you believe is superior?