In the screen, Meng Xiao seemed to be saying something, but the signal interference was too severe, and she quickly vanished from view.
No!
I lunged toward the control console, my fingertips rapidly striking the cold metal keyboard.
I had to hear her voice!
Sweat blurred my vision.
"Activate auxiliary power... Force signal amplification... Bypass security protocols..."
I whispered the commands to myself.
The backup power of the tower emitted a low hum, and the screen lit up again, countless snowflakes dancing wildly, accompanied by a piercing static noise.
"Meng Xiao!"
I shouted into the communicator.
"Can you hear Daddy? Meng Xiao!"
All that responded was a chaotic crackle of noise.
A sharp pain suddenly gripped my temples.
Here it comes again.
Every time I attempt to forcibly interfere with time, it arrives as expected.
The control panel before me began to distort, and the snowflakes on the screen seemed to come alive.
The lights in the tower flickered erratically, and the clock hands on the wall spun wildly, shattering into countless shards of light.
My body felt as if it were being torn apart, and my ears were filled with a cacophony of noises—the roar of the plane, the buzzing of instruments.
“Dad... hold...”
It was an illusion!
I clenched my teeth tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms.
I cannot fall!
Meng Xiao is still waiting for me!
I forced myself to open my eyes wide.
My gaze focused on the center of the screen, where a pulsating number represented the signal frequency.
Capture it! Stabilize it!
I summoned all my mental energy.
Sweat had already soaked through my back.
Calculate! Analyze! Calibrate!
My movements quickened, fingers deftly adjusting parameters on the control panel.
Buzz—
A soft sound echoed.
The static on the screen suddenly diminished, and that pulsating number finally stabilized!
"…Zi…Ba…"
It was Meng Xiao!
A shiver ran through me.
“Meng Xiao! Daddy is here! Can you hear me?”
“...Zzi... Dad... Daddy...”
“...It’s so dark... I’m scared...”
“Don’t be afraid! Meng Xiao, don’t be scared! Tell Daddy where you are! What’s happening?”
A loud rumble echoed through the speaker.
And a sharp alarm blared!
“...The plane... Zzi... is going to... crash...”
Crash?!
She really is on the plane!
“Meng Xiao! Stay calm! Listen to Daddy! Try to save yourself! Report your situation!”
“...I can’t... The cockpit... Zzi... has lost control...”
“...There are people...”
"Someone has tampered with... the black box..."
What?!
The black box?!
The incident... wasn't an accident?
"Meng Xiao! Explain! Who tampered with the black box? What did you see?"
"...I... zzzzz..."
The connection... is lost!
"No!!!"
I pounded on the control panel in a frenzy.
The communication was cut off once again.
I slumped back in my chair.
The crash... the black box had been tampered with... Meng Xiao...
Who is it? Why tamper with the black box?
Who wants this plane to crash?
I took a deep breath.
Meng Xiao's last words are the key clue.
Time is running out.
I must figure out what happened within thirteen minutes!
But… how do I do that?
I looked at the screen filled with static snowflakes.
Meng Xiao! Wait, Dad!
I closed my eyes again, recalling the fluctuations of the connection parameters, trying to find a pattern.
"Initiate…"
My voice was dry and hoarse.
"Signal... capturing..."
Fingers pressed down, hitting the first button.
Buzz—
The sound of electricity surged again, and the snowflakes suddenly stirred.
Screech—
The sharp noise nearly pierced the eardrum.
"Ah!"
Comment 0 Comment Count