The electronic voice completed the final report in an indifferent tone.
The meeting room was dead silent.
After a moment, a low sound of someone sniffing came from the corner.
Ren Zhong looked over; the sound came from Gao Ya, whose hair had turned white and whose face was covered with crowâs feet.
She quickly raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes.
At this moment, an unexpected voice echoed in the meeting room.
"We will arrive at the destination on time."
It was Ma Weiâan.
On the Falcon, Ahmed struggled to sit up straight and turned to Ma Weiâan, angrily saying, "You... how could you cut off the voice communication!"
Ma Weiâan turned his head back, "My dear Captain, please continue to rest. You only have twenty minutes of rest left. During this time, please hand over the control to us. Trust in our ability. As for why the communication was cut? Itâs because Iâm about to deploy all detection methods to illuminate the path for the journey ahead."
Finishing his speech, Ma Weiâan pursed his lips and said no more, only continued to focus intently on the projection screen.
In fact, he was thinking if the five survivors on Ship 997-27 could break the scientific logic of the human survival instinct, then maybe the Falcon could too?
No one incited him, and no one encouraged him. He didnât even know what he was thinking, just inexplicably felt his heart racing.
Or perhaps he finally found his own meaning of living from the actions of Huang Xubo and others.
So what if I have always lived for others?
Isnât life born collective?
If there was no civilization, no group, no Source Star Fleet...
If I was born on a completely isolated island without anyone else...
Could I speak, think, master this knowledge, or even complain that I shouldnât be a tool, isnât it precisely because I was born within this collective?
I am a tool of the collective, but is the collective not also a tool of mine?
We shape each other, thatâs why I became who I am.
Right?
So, even if itâs against my will, even if it doesnât fit my nature, I should try to burn bright just once.
At least, I should not let Captain Sammy and Huang Xuboâs efforts go to waste, nor the sacrifices of the hundreds of thousands who died throughout the work fleet.
The tail of the Willow Leaf-shaped Falcon spewed out a long trail, racing towards 997-27âs location in the perilous Black Mist Zone.
Twenty minutes later, Ahmed gradually recovered and took control.
At the distant Fleet Headquarters command room, everyone watched as this work ship, designed for a maximum cruising speed of 0.2 times the speed of light, continued to advance, and advance further.
In the distance, some vague black spots were rolling in from the side like waves.
This was an imprecisely torn force field of dark energy, also a ferocious beast devouring everything.
As these black spots drew closer to the Falcon, their contours became clearer.
This was the Falconâs detection equipment scanning more clearly for modeling as they got nearer.
Suddenly, someone in the meeting room gasped softly; the Falcon seemed to have inadvertently been swept into a fast-moving dark energy clusterâs force field.
Five seconds later, something unbelievable happened.
The Falcon was not drawn in; instead, it carved out a curve, moving forward at greater than 0.2 times the speed of light!
"This is utilizing the gravitational field of dark energy for slingshot acceleration. After multiple accelerations, the Falconâs cruising speed indeed has a chance to reach or even exceed 0.25 times the speed of light. Although the work shipâs low-power engine isnât enough to propel it to 0.25 times the speed of light, the shipâs structure can barely support that speed."
"Throughout this process, itâs crucial to control the shipâs entry angle, the distance to the dark energy cluster with extreme precision, and maintain the shipâs posture, always aligning its most stable structure face to the gravitational source, and control the movement rules and characteristics of the dark energy cluster to perfection. Indeed, this is the only plan to arrive at the destination within 16 hours. But there canât be a single error."
Among everyone present, the most excellent pilot, combatant, and academically knowledgeable Ren Zhong assumed the role of narrator, explaining the principle to others quickly.
In fact, if he personally took over the ship, he intended to operate it this way, but he might not achieve the perfect cooperation of Ahmed and Ma Weiâan as this did.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to witness the birth of a miracle, and I also believe this wonât be the last miracle from Source Star."
Ren Zhong spoke again.
Fifteen hours and forty-nine minutes passed.
The miracle Ren Zhong spoke of became reality.
The Falcon leaped over the impact zone of the dark energy outburst and successfully reached the designated area, smoothly connecting to the 997 data chain!
From then on, this tenuous, nearly breaking last data chain finally had double insurance.
However, the person reporting back to Fleet Headquarters was neither Ma Weiâan nor Ahmed but a strange voice.
The other side gasping said, "Reporting to Earl, this is Falcon. I am Reconnaissance Equipment Controller Zhang Hang! We have arrived! Weâve linked up! The ship has now switched to inertial flight mode, and we will arrive at Ship 997-27 in four hours!"
Ren Zhong murmured, "Well done. Your deeds will be communicated to all fleet members."
"Thank you, Earl! There is one more thing."
"Go ahead, Zhang Hang."
"Due to the use of the new Xing Tian Potion and Super Brain Potion, Captain Ahmed Sammy and Technical Officer Ma Weiâan have sacrificed themselves ten minutes ago. In their last words, they wanted me to place them with the other five martyrs in Ship 997-27, is that possible?"
"Approved."
People always fear loneliness; even if they die in the boundless universe, being buried with like-minded people is a kind of happiness.
This is the warriorsâ last longing for a small bit of happiness, and it should be given to them.
In Ren Zhongâs mind, Sun Ai sighed, "Sometimes I wonder, does the universe really have a god? Itâs as if we had divine protection; Ship 997-27 wasnât drawn into the dark energy cluster for the entire 16 hours, and the Falcon also achieved an impossible miracle."
Ren Zhong shook his head, softly muttering to himself, "There is no god in the universe; if there is one, it can only be people like Huang Xubo, Ahmed Sammy, and Ma Weiâan. God is merely a fictional refuge created by humans in their helplessness; in reality, those who create miracles are gods."
Sun Ai: "But the Empire doesnât think that way."
Ren Zhong: "Thatâs the Empire. We are us."