Remembrance of Earth's Past, #3
Death's End
by Cixin Liu
Contents
Part II — Deterrence Era, Year 12 Bronze Age (Chapter 13)
Overview
Bronze Age nears Earth after years away, and the crew’s joy at seeing home returns them emotionally to the life they feared lost. Their hopes for family, children, and solid ground contrast with the trauma of space and the memory of humanity’s fleet being destroyed.
The chapter also reveals that after the surviving ships cut contact with Earth, Bronze Age continued receiving transmissions only until Earth abruptly fell silent in Crisis Era Year 208. That unexplained silence hangs over the crew’s homecoming and shifts the scene from celebration to ominous uncertainty.
Summary
As Bronze Age approaches the Solar System, Earth becomes visible to the naked eye through the ship’s view window. During the final deceleration stage, the stellar drive creates increasing artificial gravity, drawing off-duty crew members toward the stern portholes.
The crew gather against the glass as the portholes effectively become the floor. Feeling the return of one Earth gravity, they respond with excitement and relief, interpreting the weight as a physical reminder of home after years in space.
The returning crew imagine ordinary lives restored: seeing children again, having children now that shipboard birth restrictions may end, reuniting with loved ones, retiring from space, and living on solid ground. Their conversations reveal both hope and lasting trauma from their voyage.
The narration then recalls the larger context: fourteen years have passed since Earth’s combined fleet was completely destroyed. The surviving ships fought separate battles of survival in the darkness of space and then cut off contact with Earth.
For about a year and a half after leaving, Bronze Age still received Earth transmissions, mostly surface radio with some messages aimed into space. Then, in early November of Crisis Era Year 208, every frequency from Earth suddenly went silent, as if the planet had been switched off.
Who Appears
- Bronze Age crewReturning survivors who gather to view Earth and dream of resuming ordinary lives.