Chris and his three companions then boarded an express train on the Space Elevator, heading for the final stop of their trip... Atlantis Spaceport!
As the train pierced the clouds with the momentum of a spear thrust into the heavens and headed toward space, a special send-off ceremony was underway inside the spaceport.
Dock No. 1 had been sealed off. Ordinary tourists were barred from entering, and cargo ships had been diverted to other docks.
Berthed at the dock was the first true "crewed spacecraft"!
Beside the crewed spacecraft, named the New World, fifty astronauts of various ethnicities stood in neat ranks in white spacesuits, presenting themselves for inspection by dozens of representatives from different countries.
"You are not the first humans to set foot on the moon, but you will be the first to become its permanent residents! For human civilization as a whole, this step is more meaningful than landing on the moon! As fearless pioneers, you will be remembered by history and by the new lunar cities of the future..." Albert delivered his impassioned speech from the podium as the designated speaker.
Ever since Albert had issued his world-shaking "Doomsday declaration" during the bomb incident, his popularity had briefly been unrivaled. He had been bestowed with titles such as "Earth's vanguard," "the glorious holy warrior," and "the unyielding defender."
Without quite understanding how it had happened himself, Albert had become Earth Civilization's spiritual leader in its resistance against alien invasion...
The American government was quick to seize the opportunity. Seeing the surging tide of public support, it went with the flow and fashioned Albert into an American hero who, despite lacking superpowers, was every bit the spiritual equal of Batman, Spider-Man, and all the other superhero types. It barely managed to find a fig leaf for its