Emergency Broadcast 

"Family is the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter." – Brad Henry

__

The usual tingling of mana coursed through us as the teleportation effect took hold, and within a minute, we were transported from Silver Mist III to the 7th moon of Silver Mist VII.

Upon our arrival, the atmosphere in the restaurant was lively and cheerful. As my family approached the podium, the waitress greeted us, asking, "Do you have a reservation with us tonight?"

"Yes," my mother replied, "a reservation for six at 8 PM. We apologize for being a few minutes late; the teleportation was slower than expected." The waitress rolled her eyes and gestured for us to follow her. She waved away the mist with her hand and led us down one of the many hallways. As we walked, I overheard some business people discussing.

"Jim, how is the government even entertaining the idea of letting dirty electromagnetic energy into this solar system? We're doing just fine without the pollution and I understand that the government is having budget problems but..."

Their conversation was abruptly cut off as the waitress waved her hand, summoning the signature blue-white mist dragon of our solar system. It looped around the hallway in a flashy, swirling motion, seemingly showing off its agility, and isolated the tables within their own blue-white mists, muffling any escaping sounds.

As the dragon completed its circuit around the room, it returned to the waitress's hand and seemed to be absorbed into her skin.

"I do apologize for that, but we have arrived at your table," she announced, as a path to the luxury round table opened up in the mist before us. As we sat down, she asked, "Have you dined with us before, or should I go over the menu and the specials of this decade?"

"We've been here plenty of times, but thank you for the offer," my mom responded.

"I see. Well, just let us know if you have any questions," she replied as we all took our seats around the jade table. After we infused the table with mana, a miniature blue-white mist dragon materialized, circling swiftly above the table before it dissolved, revealing the restaurant's menus in front of each of us.

My dad then asked, "Will anyone be trying anything new tonight, or are we sticking to our usual?" A moment of contemplation fell over us as we scanned the menu. The familiar items caught our eye as we pretended to consider other options. Eventually, I looked around and realized everyone was thinking the same as me and responded, "I think we're sticking to our usual tonight."

As we each made our selections through the mist menus, casual conversation broke out around the table. My brother asked, "Have you decided yet on a cultivation method, or are you waiting until you're in the new galaxy?"

"I had access to so many different methods at school; now that I've left, why would I change my mind?" I responded.

"You know this will make it much harder for you. Everyone else will have a massive head start. Aren't you worried about being taken advantage of by people with stronger cultivation?" my brother pressed.

We've had this conversation repeatedly, and every time I responded with the same answer, "There's a strong likelihood that whatever element I choose won't be as dominant there as it is here, based on the last three times our civilization has done this."

"That sample size is far too small to draw any conclusions. Recent discoveries indicate that the new galaxy is very similar to our current one. There's no galaxy where the five main elements wouldn't have given you a head start, especially with the tutors from the school you graduated from," my brother argued.

"That is true, but no single Empire, Kingdom, State, or Country that exists today started with their own cultivations from the Black Eye Galaxy. I've also read that if you bring your old galaxy's cultivation to the new one, you could be punished by the heavens, and I don't want to risk instantly exploding upon entering the new galaxy."

"You need to stop reading conspiracy theories and just listen to science, which has found nothing of the sort has happened or will happen. I'm just trying to look out for you. I don't want you to die or become enslaved because of this foolish decision," he cautioned.

"Don't worry, Henry. I have everything under control. Have faith in your older brother," I reassured him.

"Okay, Sky, just stay safe. Even two weeks is enough to overpower people who don't have any cultivation. And what about the locals? They could instantly kill you if you're too weak. Or what about wild beasts? Even non-cultivator ones can easily maul you to death if you're too weak," 

As the discussion around the table continued, our younger sister, Elara, chimed in, injecting her own opinions.

"Actually, I think Sky might be onto something by waiting to decide," she began. "Choosing a cultivation method shouldn't just be about following what everyone else does or what seems the safest. It's also about what feels right for you, personally. Sky, you've always been one to carve your own path rather than just follow the crowd."

Henry looked skeptical, but he listened as Elara added, "Besides, sometimes the unexpected choice can lead to unexpected advantages. What if there are unique elements or energies in the new galaxy that we haven't even discovered yet? Sky's flexibility might actually be a strategic advantage."

"And while I understand the concerns about being underpowered or vulnerable," she continued, her gaze shifting between Henry and me, "isn't that the whole point of these adventures? To face challenges and overcome them, not to avoid them entirely? We should be embracing the unknown, not fearing it."

Her words seemed to weigh in the air, offering a balance to Henry's caution and my own stubbornness. "Elara has a point," Dad said, nodding appreciatively and smoothing the conversation before it could spiral into another argument. "There's more to this journey than just survival and power. It's also about discovery and growth and letting our Sky grow up. Let's not forget that."

With that, the tension growing in the air had eased somewhat, and the conversations shifted to other topics until they were interrupted by the mist door opening and the chef coming in and saying, "I apologize for the interruption, but the food is ready."

"Who ordered the Golden Carpaccio of an Earth Chimera, with a side of mashed potatoes?" the chef asked. "Oh, that's mine," my dad said.

"And the Mist Dragon Chili?" "That's mine," my girlfriend chimed in.

"The five-thousand-year-old Silver Trout with a side of rice?" "That's mine," I responded.

As the dishes were distributed, the enticing aroma of my food wafted up to my nose. I waited patiently, tuning out the rest of the meal descriptions; due to already knowing what everyone else had ordered.

Once all of the meals were served, we all immediately dug in, driven not only by the amazing smell but also because the graduation ceremony had lasted for 10 hours, instead of the scheduled six, and none of us had eaten during that time.

Halfway through the meal, my mom asked, "Are you excited? Afraid? Worried? What are you feeling right now?"

"I'm pretty chill right now, enjoying this amazing meal," I replied as I took another bite of salmon. "But I'm excited. This is a once-in-a-millennia opportunity, and I would be a fool to miss out. I'm a bit shocked that more people aren't jumping at the opportunity to put their name in the history books."

"Well, the likelihood of giving up everything you've known for an unknown place where there may not even be basic things like teleportation or weather control or self-cleaning clothing is such a massive change that people don't want to go," my mom explained.

"Also, don't forget that people have families and responsibilities here that aren't easily removed by just wanting to. For example, we were lucky your father's contract was only for 150 years, which was one of the shortest contracts that the factory would give."

"So, only people who could buy out their contracts or weren't in one in the first place could join this, which massively limits the number of people that can go," she continued.

"I understand that, but even still, I find it shocking that people aren't willing to take a bit of a risk when the reward is comparatively so big. Historically, even though records are hard to find, the last SIDI had at least 10 times to 100 times more people signed up compared to this one."

"Which makes me wonder if something bigger is at play. Like..."

"Sky, stop with the conspiracy theories! You don't know what you're talking about. The culture of past societies is just so different from the current one that stuff like that isn't comparable. If you want to survive, you need to think logically, not illogically," my dad responded.

Just as this happened, the planetary emergency broadcast system went off in the building.

URGENT PLANETARY EVACUATION ORDER

"Mandatory mass teleportation for all SIDI volunteers will commence in 5 minutes. Immediate relocation to the nearest teleportation location is required. This is a compulsory evacuation; non-compliance for SIDI personnel is not an option."