Immediately I was forced to wrack my brain and test my IQ!

    My mother; Widow Lai; was one of The Elders and proving it as Chon and I chased after her!

    Now, when Chon had initially asked me about 'SS-CSP', I was genuinely none-the-wiser. That was until I'd pressed mùqīn and Cassius for more details of their private project...

    But what Chon and I had witnessed with the gifts was nothing to do with that. Nothing at all. Somehow, mùqīn had managed to keep something else secret from even me, and more than anything, I needed to know!

    Once we were in the dining room, mùqīn urged us to sit with a motion of her palms. Chon and I obliged her and docked around our large dining table. To note, it was a grand piece of furniture that was ultimately wasted and hadn't been used since the Reunion Dinner before last. It also looked like it'd been moved since I'd last sat around it...

    "Mùqīn, what's going on?" Chon asked - clearly as dumbfounded as me. "Why are we sat in here?"

    "Because, my child, I have one last gift to give..."

    Chon and I shared another look. Nevertheless, we sat still and waited for our mother's next prompt. "Chon; tell me; how are you and Sarah getting on?"

    Chon blushed a little but gave a truthful answer. "Well, with all things considered, really good. Great, actually. Why though, mùqīn?"

    "Chon, I have never asked you this before. But, do you see a future, with her...?"

    Surprised by the awkward enquiry, it was only natural that my little brother's words became fumbled. "Err, I haven't r-really, had the time to, give it much thought; but yes; I think I do..."

    "Good," she responded. "Very good, indeed." A second later, mùqīn twisted her wrist over, allowing her iDot to scan something built into the prosthetic wood of the table!

    Had she been taking covert lessons from O-Kenai or something? She'd clearly had it modified!

    While I writhed in my own bewilderment, a holo-hatch appeared in the middle of the table! Then surreally, a glass cylinder rose up out of it which rested on a horizontal mount and was encapsulated in some type of emanating energy field.

    Now mùqīn had started to scare even me.

    She continued her revelation. "Chon. This gift is for, Sarah, for the future..." the old woman explained. At the same time, she slowly pulled the cylinder from its glowing mount. "Chon, it will open when the time is right, and not before. Here, take it and together, both guard it. In the meantime, let us not speak anything else of these three gifts."

    I couldn't take the suspense any longer! "Mùqīn, please, just hang on a second," I interrupted. "Seriously, is that all you're going to give us?" My next words were frustrated repeats and flew out of my mouth in natural Mandarin - my homeland's dialect - which I thought I'd completely forgotten.

    "My sons, learn to maintain faith," she exhaled. "That is what your fùqīn and I always taught you."

    "Mùqīn, faith isn't important right now. What do these gifts mean?" Chon asked, clearly struggling as much as I was to keep a calm composure.

    "Just, be, patient," she then emphasized, trying to pull rank over us.

    "Mùqīn; I can't speak for Xen; but I can't be," Chon explained. "Especially when you show me weird objects, then mention Sarah in the same breath! Also, while we're here, perhaps you could answer me now. Do these things have anything to do with SS-CSP...? And be honest, māma. Now's your one chance to tell me the truth..."

    Knowing what SS-CSP meant; and not wanting to reveal its true meaning; I backed off. Shiftily, all I could do was wait to hear what mùqīn's response would be.

    "...Chon, as you know, SS-CSP is something that I have been working on privately. Moreover, it will benefit The Contingency and maybe one day, the entire world - if a second orbital program is ever embraced," she explained. "However, for now, that is all I can disclose."

    "Okay," Chon yielded, as he slid back in his seat and away from her. "Mùqīn; for fùqīn's sake; I just hope your elusive actions pay off."

    "Chon, my son, foresight tells me that eventually, they will," she concluded with confidence.

    With the mention of my father, thoughts took me back to how he and my mother met; how Chon and I came into being; and how The Father Of Dragons met his untimely demise...

    Before we'd ever existed as a family unit, a young climatologist named Laina Ang was making her way to Moscow. Later, she planned to go on to Siberia, then west of the Mongolian Plateau to do field research in the Altai Mountains.

    Laina had three main incentives for pursuing her earth science career.

    The first was to escape her persistent parents who'd desired for her to marry via arrangement - a desire she did not share.

    The second incentive was not wanting to waste her academic brilliance in the niche field of climatology.

    Meanwhile, the third was her desire to do something important about the climate destabilization of our time.

    Once in the mountains, Laina revisited published glacial research, cross-referencing it with ice core data from Baiko's - the last ever glacier. Based on her learning, finds, and what she shared, this got people talking the world over. And profoundly, the name she was making for herself was one that would be recognized internationally one day; earn her a Nobel Prize; and bestow the rank of 'Elder' upon her.

    At the same time, someone else was also making his mark in the world. A Linguist named Tengfei Lai was working for the CPC - his permanent objective to verbally strengthen relations with other countries as China's economy grew alarmingly again and felt like a continuing threat to some. Especially after COVID-19 and 20...

    Tengfei had also frustrated his parents by resisting their desires for him to marry. He'd expressed his passion to find his soul mate in a partner, rather than just commit to any old woman through quick and thoughtless marriage. As a result, Tengfei continued to hone his craft, mastering other languages and was given regular opportunities to use them when traveling with legislatures. Specifically, these opportunities would present themselves at meetings, seminars, conferences and so on. In 2013, Tengfei found himself at a convention in Moscow, where he saw a beautiful young lady speaking about her scientific findings in the Altai Mountains. Laina was that young lady who Tengfei soon became acquainted with and later an awe-inspiring relationship developed between the two. As their relationship blossomed, Tengfei decided to give up his international position to cohabit with his new love. Subsequently, he chose a new path by becoming an ambassador for the Chinese embassy in Moscow and the two settled temporarily, followed by the acquisition of dual citizenship. Years began to pass and soon the two decided to settle back in Běijīng's Xīchéng District. Eventually, they married with the consent of both sets of parents, which allowed Miss. Laina Ang, to become Mrs. Laina Lai. Having saved intensively when he did work, Tengfei was able to purchase a fine and exclusive estate in The Promenade, which included acres of lush green garden and woodland, with a mansion and an observatory attic. Thereafter, the couple had two sons; myself and Chon; and gifted us with private education - a privilege which allowed us to venture into the bachelor, honorary and doctorate studies of economic politics and media.

    With regards to the end of fùqīn's life, it happened during a happy time... A few years ago, the intention was for all five of us - our orphaned cousin, Suki, included - to gather at the estate over Christmas. This was a time when we'd all make the effort to be together, despite our demanding careers and studies. By this time, Laina had retired too and was home cooking up a feast. Meanwhile, in downtown Xīchéng, Tengfei was on his way back. Kindly, he'd gone to Wal-Mart in his fancy Mitsubishi hover-convertible to pick up some Kavalan Soda for none other than me - a lover of the stuff. Tengfei had originally forgotten to pick up the drinks on his first morning visit to the store and was urged to get it by Laina, who was reminded by Chon. Once I arrived home, I greeted mùqīn and my Little brother, then asked after fùqīn, but to no avail. Then, after a two-hour wait, we dialed '110' repeatedly, to see if the police had heard anything. Later we were contacted by another emergency service, specifically, Beijing Union Hospital. We met Suki en-route and rushed to the intensive care ward. Once there, we got the update. A drunken man was speeding into downtown in the opposite direction until he lost control of his vehicle and hit a fancy-looking Mitsubishi head on. The rest of the story tells itself.

    For Suki, Chon, mùqīn and myself, this year was the most difficult - specifically, the year I'd planned to reveal The Solution, and the year I lost my patriarch. Without Tengfei Lai to guide and encourage me, I'd spiraled into a world of depression, drugs and sexual deviance, until scandal followed and divided us. Nevertheless, with a lot of help from my family and friends, I overcame it. No, 'we' overcame it. Furthermore, The Contingency of The Solution has brought us back together again.

    As I realized the truth and remembered all we'd been through, I humbled myself. Then I embraced my sibling, hoping he'd respect my epiphany. "Chon, despite the frustration, I hope you can trust in mùqīn, as you once trusted in me?"

    It took longer than I'd expected, but eventually a soft smile crested my little brother's face. "Okay, Double Dragon, I will trust you, the both of you, and keep us united - as one..."

    Pleased, I gave Chon another hug.

    Afterwards, mùqīn distracted us with more cups of tea and a worthy spread of light finger food. Once we'd finished, she moved to the second floor and we followed, albeit, slowly. "Come on you two and stop being lazy," she teased. "There is only one more flight of stairs to go. And if I can climb it, then so can you. It will also do your hearts some good."

    "Yeah, unlike O-Kenai Ashii," Chon grimaced. For a moment, he'd let negativity back in. "The thought of her spearheading The Contingency is enough to give anyone palpitations."

    Nonetheless, our matriarch embraced it. "Never mind her," mùqīn said with meaning. "Just remember the bigger picture. As I have said before, my sons, you two represent the Double Dragon which must soar above all such obstacles if we are to galvanize; evolve; and live among the stars."

    Uttering her words just as fùqīn would have, Chon and I embraced our mother one final time. Then what followed was the lighting of incense sticks and a heart-felt tutorial, with mùqīn using her beloved iScope to remind us of the omnipotent constellations above. In that moment I'd felt nothing but love among my kin and treasured a simple fact. There really was no place like home.