Chapter 509 - 336: The Lovebird Flew Away l
Everything in this timeline was good, except for the way people procreated, which had become extremely utilitarian and annoying.
Even when they were initially controlled by the ” Song of the Wilderness,” it was better; at least “Mom” was straightforward and fought openly, making things simpler.
Harrison wondered, now that people’s hearts are free, why is their view of love still distorted?
Why can’t we just enjoy life?
Isn’t that joyous?
Don’t people get tired and need some time to rest and recharge?
Who told you that sex is only for the purpose of producing offspring?
That’s just crazy!
Man proposes, God disposes.
Mr. Clark is left speechless.
He begins to seriously reflect on where the problem lies.
He has a vague feeling that it has something to do with him.
A thousand years ago, he himself was too saintly when it came to sex, ignoring the numerous offers thrown at him.
Indeed, he had no descendants.
Besides, under his influence, the music created by Carrie Thomas, Avril Green, and other musicians of the time generally had lofty themes.
Leaders in the music industry rarely wrote love songs, and even if they did, they were grand love songs with sweeping, majestic views of the starry sky – nowhere near intimate enough to be romantic.
With leaders paving the way, followers flocked in.
Under Harrison’s unwitting guidance, after the mid-21st century, love songs, an essential genre of music, almost faded away.
The impact of this phenomenon gradually spread from music to movies, TV shows, live theater, animation, games, painting, literature, and other fields, permeating every corner of human civilization.
During the following two hundred years of the great artistic revival, humanity’s overall level of artistic creation did continue to rise, but the themes surrounding love and affection gradually dwindled away.
In the 23rd century, love-themed art began to make a slight comeback.
But by the 26th century, after surviving the painful Great Extinction Catastrophe, the pressure of survival overshadowed everything else.
Harrison Clark, a lifelong struggler who left no descendants, was ultimately enshrined as a revered sage, causing love-themed art to suffer once more, never fully recovering by the 31st century.
Before this, Harrison didn’t think there was a problem.
He had always had a deep-rooted prejudice against love songs.
He thought that not having love songs was a good thing, as the human civilization under this artistic context showed unprecedented resilience, even managing to resist the invasion of the Z Bacteria and pass on their hard-fought legacy.
What could be wrong with that?
But now, Harrison realized that this was a new problem.
Love, such an essential emotion, was suppressed too harshly that most people were lost in lifelong struggle and forgot to stop and appreciate the scenery around them, eventually leading to the highly utilitarian atmosphere of procreation and partnership today.
Even though “Mom” had already developed romantic feelings, her sense of mission still completely overshadowed her desires in that area, and she firmly believed that artificial combination was the perfect method of reproduction.
Maybe “Mom” didn’t even know how wonderful sex could be.
Or maybe even if she did know, she wouldn’t want to waste time indulging in such “low-level” pleasure.
Being without love, such an important bond, is terrifying.
One’s ability to perform in the moment is directly proportional to their willpower.
Without this strong emotional drive, one’s sense of mission becomes isolated in history, losing passion for those around them and the experiences they share.
This kind of mission is actually quite utilitarian, with a rootless, drifting quality.
For example, a warrior defending civilization can exert 100% of their fighting capability on the battlefield.
But if the warrior’s beloved spouse is behind them, they would be able to fight with 200% capability.
Protection based solely on the defense of history and heritage is not the most steadfast.
Because humans are both social animals, influenced by society, and individual life forms with independent thought.
While struggling for civilization, people also need to find a unique sense of purpose for themselves.
Lovers and family members are the easiest sources of fighting spirit in this world.
Even Harrison himself was truly ignited by the regretful tear shed by “Mom” when she saw the explosion of the Particle-interference Bomb in person, as well as by the farewell words “the embryo has implanted successfully” and fought till now.
In essence, isn’t that the power of love?
Once the true nature of this phenomenon is recognized, Harrison no longer blames others but himself.
He accepts his fate.
He concludes that if they lose this time, they should give proper importance to love songs next time.
It’s too late now, so forget about it.
What can he do?
He can’t just admit his feelings.
He can’t outright say that he wants to have sex with her.
Try to seduce her?
“Mom” has already fallen in love with Harrison, but she’s just not interested in that aspect!
Harrison decides to withdraw for the time being and come up with a strategy later.
“Alright, I should go now.”
“Harrison, wait.”
“What’s up?”
“Here’s a commander’s manual that I hope you would take a look at.”
“No, thanks. I have some personal matters to deal with. I haven’t taken my annual leave yet, have I? Goodbye.”
Harrison rejects the offer outright and turns to leave.
Feeling dejected, he doesn’t even have the mood to continue participating in the War God Plan, and he just doesn’t care anymore.
Nora Camp, looking at Harrison’s retreating figure and checking the “D-Class” details of the War God Plan execution in her retinal display, feels her eyelids twitching uncontrollably.