Deep Space Fleet

After all the fuss, everyone was ready to rest. This is a camp at an altitude of 5,900 meters. Since a large amount of supplies are carried by robot guides, the three of them didn’t really spend much energy, and they still had a little energy to chat and laugh.

A full moon hung in the sky, looming under the cover of clouds and mists. Breathing the cool and thin air on the top of the mountain, Zhang Yuan suddenly found that he recalled less and less of the world of Kunlun Mountain.

This cherry blossom world... how should I put it, it's pretty good - if you're used to this kind of leisurely life. It is difficult for one person to completely change the entire era. There is no perfection in the world. Since you are here, you should spend your life well.

For unknown reasons, the average lifespan of human beings here can only reach 110 years, and there are not many life-extending technologies, and there is no so-called hibernation technology.

Human life is only once, how to spend it more meaningfully is a complex philosophical question.

"It's even hard to explain how to define 'meaning'."

In such a daze, Zhang Yuan fell asleep, breathing evenly.

When I woke up the next day, I saw Wang Nana's smiling face as soon as I opened my eyes. This girl who was a few days younger than him was always so energetic.

"Good morning!" Wang Nana greeted.

"Good morning!" Zhang Yuan responded.

Ma Mingtao, on the other hand, didn't seem to have slept well. He was disheveled and was breathing oxygen with his head covered. His chest heaved and he could barely breathe.

"Spicy chicken!" Wang Nana laughed.

"Get out! Don't let me carry you!" Ma Mingtao squinted his eyes, and with the help of a large amount of oxygen, he quickly breathed out.

"Go away, it's Zhang Yuan's back! Those who can't climb the mountain are pigs!"

"Then let's talk about it..."

Zhang Yuan squinted his eyes, enjoying this kind of equal family relationship very much, "Speak less and save some effort, I won't recite it when the time comes, tell her to recite it!"

He pointed to a robot girl with green eyes.

The entire process of climbing Mount Everest will take a total of 4 days.

Camp 1 is a physical "supply station" before heading to the Westcombe Cirque and Camp 2, before heading to Camp 3, Camp 4.

In the past, the mountaineering team usually looked for Tibetan guides and carried the materials on their shoulders to the fourth camp at an altitude of 7,950 meters.

But now there is no need for it. The robot guide has plenty of strength and carries a lot of oxygen and various heat preservation equipment, which undoubtedly reduces the difficulty of mountain climbing.

The next Westcomb Ice Cirque is U-shaped, like a large valley, covered with ice, and is the boundary between Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nubute Mountain.

Everest is located in the north, and Lhotse is straight ahead, and Nubute Mountain is in the south. Although the Westcombe Cirque is flat, it is still dangerous.

"First of all, it is difficult and high temperature. In this highland above 6,000 meters above sea level, because it is surrounded by "high walls" of ice and snow, once the sunlight on the plateau is reflected, the temperature can easily reach as high as 37 degrees Celsius, followed by the hypoxic reaction. , and the risk of physical exhaustion.”

"Do you know what the climbers in the past saw the most here?" The robot guide is a young and lively girl who can still chat at an altitude of 7,000 meters.

But Zhang Yuan felt that he was already out of breath. At this altitude, the oxygen content was only one-third of the normal level, which was definitely a huge test for his body and mind.

"What is it?" Ma Mingtao asked tremblingly, "I feel like I'm going to die, and I really want to go home."

"...It's a human corpse!" The tour guide explained to herself: "In the past, climbers lost strength, lacked oxygen, or encountered a sudden change in climate, just fell down suddenly, and then died silently. And their The companions also don't have enough strength to carry a corpse down the mountain, so they can only throw the corpse in the snow."

"These corpses have become ice sculptures, and they will not rot for ten thousand years. As a result, with the accumulation of time, more and more corpses on Mount Everest have become a kind of ecological pollution."

Zhang Yuan shivered all over, feeling like listening to a horror story. He wiped the sweat off his face, looked around, but didn't see the so-called corpse.

The girl tour guide said: "...In the past, almost every mountaineering team climbing Mount Everest had Sherpa guides. They are a special ethnic group in the high-altitude mountains at the southern foot of the Himalayas. Climbing ability. Many times, their job is to carry a dead body down..."

"Of course, this is for money..."

The next thing is of course simple. With the progress of the times, the Sherpas have also lived a prosperous life, and there is no need to work for money.

The related corpses were all cleaned up by the robots. These poor explorers were buried for thousands of years and finally returned to their roots.

In the end, even the names of these explorers were forgotten.

"It's not worth losing your life because of mountaineering. Is it to prove the courage of human beings?" This question has been lingering in Zhang Yuan's mind.

Sometimes when he is out of breath, he will feel regret like Ma Mingtao. This is human instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, just wanting to escape this kind of difficulty.

There is also a related small city at the foot of the mountain. The social support system is similar, but the culture is very different.

Mountaineering, in this city, is a belief of the people.

I also met several climbing teams along the way. When the two sides passed by, they greeted each other very kindly, and even asked friendlyly if they needed help.

The robot guide in front gave Zhang Yuan and the three of them a sense of security, otherwise it would be quite difficult to rely on them.

The official summit rush started at midnight. Starting from Camp 4, we started climbing the cliffs on the southern slope of Mount Everest. After arriving at the 8,384-meter-high ladder, we turned to the west side of the summit. Through this, we can go to the southern slope of the roof of the world. Initiate the final ascent.

Zhang Yuan felt that he was out of breath and had to stop to inhale oxygen every few steps. This climbing had become a pain. All the mild symptoms of altitude sickness came up, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness. He felt that his eyes were staring at gold stars, and he might faint at any time.

If you really faint, you may directly ruin your life.

This is also the most dangerous place, and there are many climbers who have fallen here.

As for Ma Mingtao and Wang Nana, their faces were also terrible and ugly. Wang Nana, who was always lively, had stopped talking for a long time, but her face was livid, and she tried her best to preserve her strength. Although the robot guide helped her a lot, she was still a little bit overwhelmed.

"I regret it for no reason. People are so fragile and want to go home." Taking advantage of the last rest, Ma Mingtao sighed with emotion in a low voice.

"Yeah, once you're in pain, you'll regret it."

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Then, you turn around and go down the mountain. After you feel comfortable, you regret not going up the mountain. This kind of regret may last for decades, or even a lifetime."

"No, you are wrong." The girl guide said: "Knowing your limit is a wise choice. If everyone has the courage to go down the mountain, the number of deaths will not be so many. This girl may I've reached my limit, it's better to take some oxygen first."