In the autumn of String Light Year 52, six months had passed since Xiuxiu's departure. Mozi stood at the edge of the Luminescent Moss Forest in Marwth Vallis, Mars, holding an elegantly simple urn in his hands. Inside the urn were Xiuxiu's ashes, specially processed and mixed with nanoscale biochips recording her complete genetic sequence and biographical data. According to Xiuxiu's final wishes, her ashes would be scattered throughout the forest where she had devoted her later years, initiating an interstellar journey of life propagation through the mosses' unique reproductive mechanisms.
The Luminescent Moss Forest had now developed into an ecological miracle spanning thousands of square kilometers. Countless glowing mosses covered the valley like breathing gems, their light weaving dreamlike halos in Mars's thin atmosphere. At the forest's center, the cottage where Xiuxiu had lived remained perfectly preserved, surrounded by elegant light-formed arcades of moss, as if guarding this sacred ground.
"Begin," Mozi nodded to the scientific team beside him, his voice calm yet carrying unmistakable sorrow.
Lin Wei's technical team activated the long-prepared "Interstellar Seeding Project." The plan's core utilized the mosses' unique reproductive characteristics—they could produce microscopic spores capable of photosynthesis, surviving in vacuum and utilizing solar radiation pressure as propulsion for interstellar navigation.
First came the gene fusion ceremony. Technicians mixed Xiuxiu's ash nanoparticles with specially prepared moss spores, completing genetic sequence integration at quantum-level precision. This process lasted seven full days, during which the forest mosses displayed soft blue light, as if conducting a solemn farewell for their creator.
"Fusion complete," reported the genetic engineer. "Teacher Xiuxiu's genetic information has been successfully integrated into the interstellar spores' genetic code. Each spore carries her complete genetic sequence and digitized memories."
Mozi approached the observation window, watching those silver spores slowly rotating in the culture medium. Microns in size, they flashed with rainbow colors under special illumination—like miniature stars in the cosmos.
"She always wanted to see farther stars," Mozi said softly. "Now, she will realize this dream in another form."
Next came the mass cultivation phase of spores. In specially designed bioreactors, hundreds of millions of interstellar spores multiplied geometrically. They absorbed minerals from Martian soil, utilized artificial sun lamps for photosynthesis, and reached the required quantity within a single month.
Meanwhile, the engineering team deployed thousands of solar sail spore launchers in Mars orbit. These launchers resembled giant silver flowers, expanding to diameters of over a hundred meters when unfurled. Each launcher carried millions of specially prepared spores, awaiting the optimal launch window.
The launch window was selected at Mars opposition, when the relative positions of Mars and Sun most favored the spores' interstellar navigation. On the eve of launch day, people worldwide watched this unprecedented "Civilization Forest Burial" ceremony through the quantum transmission network.
At dawn, Mozi walked alone into the depths of the Luminescent Moss Forest. Holding the final container of Xiuxiu's ashes, he slowly scattered them toward the glowing organisms. The instant ash particles contacted the mosses, the entire forest suddenly erupted with unprecedented radiance—countless mosses flashed in synchrony, forming a portrait of Xiuxiu's smile.
"Goodbye, old friend," Mozi gazed at the gradually brightening stars in the sky, gently waving his hand. "This time, it's your turn to see farther scenery."
The moment his words fell, the orbital launchers activated simultaneously. Thousands of solar sails unfurled like blooming silver flowers, shooting spores carrying Xiuxiu's genetic information into deep space. These spores rode the "free ride" of solar radiation pressure, beginning their long interstellar journey.
Monitoring screens showed the first spore groups advancing toward interstellar space at three hundred kilometers per second. Their destination was no specific star, but the vast cosmos itself. Calculations indicated these spores would arrive at various corners of the galaxy over coming tens of thousands to millions of years.
"We designed a special protection mechanism," the propulsion systems expert explained to Mozi. "Spores enter dormant states during navigation, awakening only when approaching suitable planets. Moreover, their quantum communication units ensure continuous information transmission."
In the following days, observatories worldwide reported observing this peculiar astronomical phenomenon—countless tiny points of light dispersing through the solar system, like cosmic fireworks blooming. These spore groups reflected beautiful light under solar illumination, forming a silver halo encircling the solar system.
Particularly moving was that seven days after spore launch, the Martian Luminescent Moss Forest began new transformations. No longer emitting merely monotonous light, it started forming complex dynamic patterns. Astronomers recognized these patterns as distribution maps of the spore groups' current positions in the solar system. More miraculously, whenever spore groups crossed important astronomical boundaries, the forest mosses would flash in synchrony, as if bidding them farewell.
"Teacher Xiuxiu's consciousness indeed continues existing in some form," Lin Wei wrote in her analysis report. "The moss network not only preserves her memories and thought patterns but has inherited her longing to explore the unknown."
Three months later, when the first spore groups crossed the Kuiper Belt, a special celebration ceremony was held globally. At the ceremony, Mozi delivered a brief address:
"Today, we are not conducting a funeral, but initiating a great expedition. Xiuxiu's life continues in this special manner—her genes, her wisdom, her spirit now advance toward the sea of stars. Perhaps billions of years hence, in some distant galaxy, her life information will germinate anew in a new environment."
As time progressed, the spore groups' journey brought more surprises. They propagated not only Xiuxiu's life information but collected precious scientific data during navigation. Each spore functioned as a miniature deep-space probe, measuring interstellar radiation intensity, dust density, magnetic field variations, and transmitting this data back to Earth in real-time through quantum entanglement channels.
This data provided unprecedented perspectives for human understanding of the galaxy. Scientists discovered that interstellar space was not as empty as imagined, but filled with complex structures and movements. Images transmitted by spores showed that in seemingly void cosmic vacuum, minute particle flows and energy ripples existed—discoveries that even proposed new validation directions for Yue'er's field theory.
More astonishingly, the spores displayed some collective intelligence during navigation. They could autonomously adjust trajectories to avoid dense asteroid belts; cooperate mutually to withstand intense cosmic radiation; even form specific patterns in interstellar medium through group behavior. These behaviors far exceeded ordinary microorganisms, seemingly proving that Xiuxiu's consciousness indeed influenced these tiny life-forms in some manner.
On the first anniversary of spore launch, the farthest groups had reached the outer edges of the Oort Cloud. Looking back from here, the Sun had become an ordinary member of the stars, while Earth was too minuscule to distinguish. Yet at such distant remove, the spores maintained quantum communication with Earth, continuously transmitting precious scientific data.
Meanwhile, the Martian Luminescent Moss Forest underwent new evolution. It began producing new spore types carrying not only Xiuxiu's genetic information but other crucial human civilization data—Yue'er's mathematical formulas, Mozi's financial models, and the essence of human art. These new spore groups were subsequently launched into deep space, expanding this life propagation movement into an interstellar seeding plan for entire civilizations.
"We are making history," wrote a young astronaut in his log. "When some future civilization discovers these spores, they will recognize that in this distant galaxy, there once existed an intelligent race that dared to dream and explore."
Particularly noteworthy was that these spores' navigation trajectories were not entirely random. A considerable portion headed toward the Andromeda Galaxy, as if responding to that mysterious civilization which once asked humanity "Are you happy?" Astronomers calculated that if all proceeded well, these spores would reach Andromeda in four billion years, when the two galaxies might already be colliding and merging.
On the second anniversary of spore launch, Mozi returned to the Martian Luminescent Moss Forest. The forest was now vastly different from two years prior—new mosses displayed richer colors, their light forming a galactic star map with flashing points marking all spore groups' current positions.
"Look," Lin Wei pointed at the star map. "The farthest spore groups are about to break through the Sun's gravitational sphere."
Mozi quietly contemplated the star map, his gaze following those points representing spore groups. At one moment, he seemed to see Xiuxiu's youthful figure in the light, standing on the far shore of the stars, waving to him.
"She finally realized her dream," Mozi said softly. "Reached places we can never arrive."
At that instant, all mosses in the forest suddenly shifted color simultaneously—from their usual blue-green to warm gold. So pure was this golden light, as if containing infinite blessings and hope. Meanwhile, the monitoring station received a special signal from the farthest spore groups—they had just crossed the solar system's boundary, officially entering interstellar space.
This signal instantly spread throughout the solar system via the quantum network. Worldwide, people spontaneously looked up at the stars, sending blessings to these brave interstellar travelers. In many cities, public luminescent moss artworks synchronously emitted golden light, responding to the Martian forest from afar.
In subsequent years, the spore groups' journey continued. They traversed interstellar cloud after cloud, passed countless stars—some captured by planetary gravity, others continuing toward the galactic center. Every important milestone was recorded and celebrated in the Martian Luminescent Moss Forest.
Mozi spent most of his later years observing these spore groups' journeys. He established a dedicated monitoring center, checking the spores' latest positions and transmitted data daily. For him, this was not merely scientific exploration but a special form of dialogue with his old friend.
When the first spore groups transmitted detailed images of the galaxy's spiral arms, Mozi was already one hundred twenty years old. Looking at those star maps drawn by the spores, he showed a gratified smile.
"She saw," he told his attending caregiver. "She saw beauties we never witnessed."
At the final moment of Mozi's life, he requested the monitoring screen be positioned facing Mars's window. The screen displayed the spore groups' latest positions—they had dispersed to every corner of the galaxy, like countless tiny lighthouses illuminating the dark universe.
"Continue forward," Mozi said softly to the screen. "Carrying our dreams, continue forward."
As his words fell, the points of light on the screen seemed to grow brighter. And in the distant depths of the cosmos, those spores carrying Xiuxiu's life information, propelled by sunlight, continued resolutely toward the endless sea of stars.
This interstellar expedition, beginning as a funeral, ultimately became human civilization's most beautiful poem. It tells every successor: life's meaning lies not merely in existence, but in propagation; not merely in possession, but in sharing. In the vast universe, perhaps it is precisely such beliefs that allow minuscule life to touch eternity.