Die on Mars

Tang Yue stared at the star on the monitor for a long time.

It was just a small point of light, dim and distant, almost stationary in the picture. It was hard to imagine that it was a huge object weighing 1.02 trillion tons, traveling among the stars at a high speed of 70 kilometers per second. Speeding, carrying the astonishing energy of more than 520 billion nuclear bombs.

From the looks of it, Tang Yue didn't even believe it could destroy him.

It's not even as big as your little finger, just a speck of dust in the vast universe.

The old cat held its two paws and sat on a chair on the side with its legs crossed. It lowered its eyes and was thinking about something. There was a computer keyboard and a stack of scratch paper in front of it.

"The United Space Station cannot avoid the impact, and the chance of survival is too low. We must prepare to take down Ophiopogon japonicus." Tang Yue's eyes left the monitor, "There are still more than forty days left, we must hurry up."

"Um."

The old cat responded calmly.

"The only thing that can be used is the Eagle spacecraft. Apart from this, we have no other chance."

"Um."

"In theory, the heat insulation tiles can survive the heat barrier, but stabilizing the attitude is a big problem. Without propellant and engines, the Eagle spacecraft cannot maintain the correct attitude when it re-enters the atmosphere, and it will definitely crash."

"Um."

"Can you say something else besides um um?"

"Then don't bother me. I'm thinking about a problem." The old cat got up and left the chair, walked to the wall of the hall, faced the wall, and leaned against it.

"Tang Yue, Mr. Cat, here is a part of the history of Western philosophy, which has been sorted out, all the way to Chernyshevsky, Marx and Engels, as well as a part of positivism, structuralism and existentialism... Hmm? Where is Mr. Cat? ?”

Maidong sent a document.

Although both the Joint Space Station and the Kunlun Station are facing disaster, the recording work cannot stop.

Of course, this task is mainly undertaken by Ophiopogon japonicus, while the self-rescue work is carried out by Tang Yue and Lao Mao.

Since Maidong can't help anyway, it's better to let her continue to record and sort out the history. She can write as much as she can.

"Your cat is facing a wall. Are you his wall-breaker?"

Tang Yue turned the camera around so that Maidong could see the old cat, who was pressing his forehead against the wall with his hands behind his back, motionless.

"Mr. Cat, Mr. Cat? The documents have been sent."

"Okay, I got it, but the Lord doesn't care."

The old cat replied calmly, without turning his head or opening his eyes.

"Mai Dong, when can you leave the cabin again?" Tang Yue twisted the camera back.

"Escape?"

"Yes, we need you to check the bottom insulation tiles of the Eagle spacecraft." Tang Yue explained, "We want to pick you up."

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Maidong was surprised at first, and then he was stunned for a long time.

She bit her lip, her eyes wandered for a moment, then returned to the communication system, and flipped her hair.

"But...but the Eagle spacecraft has been scrapped. Doesn't it have the ability to re-enter the atmosphere? Will there be no problems if we take it down?"

"Yes, it has been scrapped."

"Can it still be used after being scrapped?" Maidong was a little surprised.

"We found that its safety redundancy design can support one more entry into the atmosphere. This is the only chance."

"Then... what about the engine and fuel? We don't have a parachute, how will we slow down..."

"If there is any problem, Lao Mao and I will solve it." Tang Yue interrupted her, "You are only responsible for execution, can you do it?"

Maidong was still a little hesitant, but she was moved by Tang Yue's firm gaze. This young man was covered with a wrinkled blanket, his face was thin and unshaven, and he looked like a malnourished homeless man.

But there is a confident light and look in his eyes - looking at those eyes, even though you know that there is a high probability that this thing will not succeed, you still can't help but grab his outstretched hand.

Ever since the earth disappeared, Ophiopogon japonicus never thought that he could come down again.

The Eagle spacecraft is just a one-time aircraft. From its designers, manufacturers to users, no one has ever thought of using it to re-enter the atmosphere.

Because this is suicide.

One step forward is an abyss, and this man is shouting from below: Jump down, I will catch you!

Would you jump with your eyes closed?

Maidong looked into Tang Yue's eyes. She suddenly realized that she had never seen cowardice and shrinkage in these eyes. Whether it was the disappearance of the earth or the death of tomatoes, there were so many disasters and doomsdays. Tang Yue could be disappointed or despairing, but Never afraid and never flinching...what kind of person is this?

You watched him struggling through the dark storm, carrying the communication antenna and roaring. You watched him sitting in the cold hall, holding the dead seedlings in his arms with sad eyes. Now he is facing the most terrifying natural disaster. , the comet is about to hit Mars, and Tang Yue is still struggling to get up to find the last glimmer of hope. What is it that has supported him all the way to this point?

Have you never known what it means to be tired?

"Mai Dong, you have to believe us."

"Of course I believe you." Maidong leaned against the bulkhead, bumped his head against Ah Q's stomach, and sighed, "I really want to think about it, you guys have no way of experiencing so many things in the space station. What does it feel like?"

The girl wrinkled her nose, thought for a moment, and then added.

"It's simply hell on earth, okay? I really want to get out of the sea of ​​misery as soon as possible."

If you include the normal working hours before the earth disappeared, Maidong has lived in the space station for more than a year. She tried her best to modify the space station into a place suitable for living, and put brightly colored stickers in the bedroom and core module. Hang up stuffed toys and scattered small pendants, and play soft and melodious piano and light music on a loop to reduce the harsh, cold industrial and mechanical feel.

But no matter how many spliced ​​pipes are decorated, they can't change the fact that their space is small and the atmosphere is depressing. Music can't suppress the ubiquitous roaring noise. After all, the space station is not a place suitable for long-term living.

Sometimes when Ophiopogon japonicus floats in the core cabin, looking at the bulkheads and the densely packed buttons on the control panel, one feels like one is lying in a coffin.

The vast plains and endless world where you can run freely can only appear in dreams.

"Listen, girl, let's make a plan." Tang Yue said, "You can arrange the time. We need to leave the cabin again to check the insulation tiles of the Eagle spacecraft. This is our only hope."

"Okay!" Maidong nodded, "I will leave the cabin again."

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To check the condition of the Eagle spacecraft, Maidong went out to work.

After the last supply transportation was completed, the upgrade of the Eagle spacecraft was docked on the Silence multi-functional module. This is the dock where the Orion spacecraft is parked. It is the farthest from the core module of the Crystal. In order to facilitate Maidong's work, Tang Yue and Lao The Cat first had to relocate the Eagle spacecraft.

They are preparing to disconnect the Eagle spacecraft from the Silence module and re-dock it with the Hope experimental module.

"Old Cat! Old Cat is here to operate the super arm, do you hear me? Stop facing the wall! I am your wall breaker!"

"I know, but the Lord doesn't care."