Chapter 658: A messenger (2)

There was silence in the room, briefly interrupted by the sound of a woman crying. In any other circumstance, this would be distressing, but here, it was an expected reaction as she had just received news of her husband's death.

It was the emperor himself who had shouldered the weighty responsibility of delivering the news of the Proxima Centauri exploration fleet's casualties.

Both he and Rina were sitting in silence, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation, allowing Rachael who was sitting in front of them to cry and process the devastating news for a moment, as the weight of the news warranted such a reaction in the first place.

"I'm sorry for showing this side of me, but I can't help Rachael attempted to regain her composure and apologize for her emotional reaction, but she struggled to control herself and soon resumed crying.

Nova rose from her seat beside Aron and moved to sit beside Rachael. She gently embraced her, offering a comforting shoulder to cry on. Rachael leaned into the hug, her crying intensifying as if a floodgate had been opened.

This continued for more than half an hour, with Nova providing unwavering and highly needed comfort to Rachael until her intense crying gradually subsided to a level where conversation could resume.

Throughout this entire period, Aron remained silent and respectful, his reverence for Rachael's grief evident, allowing her the time and space she needed to digest the heartbreaking news in her own way.

"I know this may not be much consolation during your time of grief, but I hope it allows you to mourn without the added burden of financial worries for yourself and your children.

Every imperial official on duty in hazardous conditions has a life insurance policy, and the lump sum payment will be deposited into your account by the end of today.

Following that, you will receive monthly payments from the Imperial Veteran's Affairs Department for the next century.

The official burial ceremony for those confirmed deceased will take place in two weeks, but we will coordinate further details when you are ready. The department responsible for managing these affairs will visit you soon to assist with organizing matters like work and other practicalities.

There are more details, but they are less relevant to your immediate situation. You can request more information whenever you are ready. I'm sorry, but this is all I can say for now. I want to emphasize that your husband's sacrifice was not in vain.

Thanks to such sacrifices, we have made a world-changing discovery, which will soon be shared with the public," Aron spoke in a compassionate tone. At the same time, Nova continued to comfort Rachael, who still rested on Nova's shoulder, listening quietly.

As previously stated, there was a comprehensive life insurance policy in place for imperial officials sent on dangerous missions such as exploration or military duty.

This ensured that families received a substantial lump sum payment to address immediate financial needs, allowing them to focus on mourning their loved ones. In addition to this lump sum, they would receive monthly payments ranging between two to four times the minimum wage for a period of a century.

Furthermore, additional benefits were extended to the children of the deceased. These included free public transportation, which, in the context of the empire, facilitated access to virtually anywhere as each completed city boasted comprehensive public transit networks connecting all parts of the city. Monthly allowances were also provided throughout their education, along with various other privileges directly administered by the empire.

These benefits were structured for two primary reasons. Firstly, they served as an incentive for individuals to join and serve in the imperial government. Secondly, they were designed to discourage recklessness and ensure that decisions resulting in fatalities were carefully considered, as each death incurred significant repercussions, both personal and societal. This approach aimed to minimize unnecessary loss of life and uphold the welfare of those serving the empire.

As for the heads of missions attempting to falsify or misattribute deaths to avoid the associated financial liabilities or investigations, such actions were virtually impossible to conceal. All individuals participating in these missions were equipped with nano implants that continuously transmitted real-time data to communication nodes of the empire, whether public or private. This data was meticulously cataloged and made available for scrutiny by Virtual intelligence systems tasked with verifying mission reports.

Furthermore, the writers of these reports were subject to scrutiny by their assigned memory virtual intelligence, which would analyze the intent behind the reports in light of the data collected by the nano implants. If discrepancies were found between the reported events and the objective data, investigations would ensue to ensure accuracy and accountability in mission reporting. Thus, the system ensured transparency and deterred any attempts to manipulate or misrepresent mission outcomes.

Aron spent the next half-hour with her, comforting and reassuring amidst the difficult news.

When the time came, he rose and bid her farewell, knowing he had to deliver this heartbreaking news a few more times before his duties for the day were complete.

He walked out of the house alone, leaving Nova to spend more time with the wife of the deceased as they awaited the arrival of some Aegis members who were sent to pick up her children from school and bring them home.

As he made his way out, Aron paused when he noticed a flagpole erected in the yard of the house. It was now flying the imperial flag, its colors replaced entirely with white, and adorned with the imperial seal—a symbol reserved for funerals. This solemn display indicated to anyone who saw it that someone inside had died in the line of duty.

"It's going to be a heavy day," Aron sighed after boarding the car, acknowledging the emotional toll of delivering such news.

Despite the system's previous attempts to modify his brain to alter his ability to feel, he fortunately discovered and managed to stop it and mitigate its effects. However, some remnants of those modifications remained, enabling him to handle heavy situations while still allowing him to feel the emotions pertaining to them.

{Better to be the one delivering it than the one receiving it}, Nova remarked as she materialized in a new body inside the motorcade, her other copy still consoling the wife.

"I don't even want to think of that," Aron replied solemnly. The thought of being on the receiving end of such news was something he dreaded, knowing it wouldn't end well for the one who caused the bad news.

He pushed the thought aside as they continued their journey to deliver the sad news to the other families.