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墨書 Inktalez
Wenke always ate with great enthusiasm, the crisp sound of his knife and fork making Fan Qing quite uncomfortable. "Wenke, you seem to have a great appetite," he remarked.
Wenke looked up, his large eyes making him appear rather comical.
"Of course! Here, aside from work, there's only eating and fun left, right? And today I've made significant progress at work. I discovered that what we have in front of us isn't just some ordinary comets; around the chaotic comets, there exists a strange, weak gravitational field. Given the size of the comets, the gravitational field shouldn't be that strong. It seems I'm on the verge of a new discovery!"
Wenke said excitedly. Unfortunately, Fan Qing paid him no mind; her gaze shifted from Wenke to Reynold.
"Captain, I have something to tell you. I know this might ruin your appetite, but for everyone's sake, I think it's better to let you know as soon as possible. Otherwise, I won't be able to enjoy my meal."
"Is that so?" Reynold looked up. "What's going on, Fan Qing? It sounds serious."
"Yes," Fan Qing replied hastily. "I’ve realized that our situation is not optimistic. There are numerous chaotic comets surrounding us; they are too dense. During the three hours I spent working outside the ship this afternoon, I personally witnessed several rogue comets nearly collide with Shield."
"That's not a big deal," Wenke interrupted Fan Qing. "The ship has an automatic evasion program. Besides—Shield is meant to protect the ship. If we were flying in open space, we wouldn't even need Shield."
"No, I'm not talking about the necessity of Shield but its reliability. And Wenke, you yourself told me that according to your calculations, chaotic comets would increasingly gather in this area."
"Well... yes, I did mention that. Just a moment ago, right?" Wenke thought for a moment and said seriously, "But I believe that even if a collision were to occur, our Shield should have enough defensive capability against these fragile bodies until we leave here."
"Then you must know about the energy distribution of Shield? The connection points on the wings and the base of the antennas are where Shield's energy is weakest. This shouldn't be an issue since the surface area of the hull is far greater than those vulnerable points. Moreover, those weak points are not as fragile as they seem. The problem is that in the current B1T2 area, the density of comets exceeds astronomers' estimates. They frequently cross above and below us and from side to side; do you really think that if a collision were to happen, it would still be close to zero for it to occur at one of those weak points?" Fan Qing turned to Reynold. "Captain, I believe you understand my point best. In case we encounter an event we are desperately trying to avoid, I'm worried..."
Reynold listened intently to Fan Qing's statement, nodding slightly as his gaze focused on the knife and fork in his hands.
"Are you worried that those dirty snowballs might damage our spaceship? Create a few dents in it?"
"That's not the worst of it," Fan Qing replied, looking at Reynold. "At least the robot pilots will do their best to repair everything, ensuring every circuit is restored. But… if the comet carries unknown pathogens, it could very well breach our spring-like, temperature-controlled spaceship without us being prepared. Our doctors would likely be overwhelmed."
At this point, Fan Qing smiled lightly. "The robot pilots will certainly continue to work energetically, but who among us can guarantee a safe return to Earth? — Wenke, what do you think?"
"Hmph." Wenke opened his mouth a couple of times, displaying a somewhat dismissive expression. But then he playfully stuck out his tongue at Fan Qing, showing a childlike innocence. In truth, he was acutely aware of the importance of space safety.
"I don't think some things are worth making a fuss over, but—" he looked at Fan Qing and affirmed seriously, "what you said could indeed happen."
"I think it's best if it doesn't happen," Creson interjected. "Does anyone actually wish for the spaceship to face such misfortune?"
"At least I wouldn't wish for that," Reynold said with a heavy tone. He seemed to be contemplating. "What Fan Qing mentioned is certainly not to be ignored. Although the Shield can buffer and repel foreign objects, its original design was meant for meteoroids, not comets. To prevent such a situation from occurring, I believe we have only two choices, both leading to the same outcome. Right, Creson?"
Reynold's tone carried a deep sense of helplessness, and Creson suddenly grasped Reynold's implication… they must return to orbit early.
There was no need for further discussion; everyone present understood this point. However, only Reynold knew that this was precisely what Creson dreaded most and found hard to accept.
"Yes. Creson, my suggestion is to return early."
Creson's eyes became clouded as he tried to hide his reluctance and unwillingness beneath that haze.
The body of the Dream Seeker suddenly vibrated. A distinct collision was immediately felt by everyone, raising their alertness as if something had shattered. A sharp grinding sound echoed, and coffee splashed out of cups onto the table. Fortunately, this quickly became a thing of the past. After a few seconds of exchanging glances, everyone snapped back to reality.
"It seems the hull has been struck by something!" Reynold was the first to dash toward the control room. Creson hesitated for a moment but quickly followed. Fan Qing glanced at Wenke and said, "We might be in trouble!"
The results of the inspection came out swiftly.
The robotic technician began automatic repairs on any potential damage.
"It's a comet," Reynold said, his face darkening as he surveyed the group. "It's quite massive, but fortunately, it passed above our hull. There’s no substantial damage; at most, we have some minor scuff marks. However—our antenna is somewhat deformed, and repairs will likely take some time… I didn’t expect it to come so soon." The last part seemed to be more of a musing to himself.
"What about the Shield? Is it down?"
"Fan Qing already mentioned that the Shield isn't infallible. The energy from the Shield in vulnerable areas isn't enough to block an object of such mass, especially considering its considerable speed."
Fan Qing picked up the thread, "Moreover, similar dangers may become increasingly frequent."
"Indeed, automatic evasion can't succeed every time," Reynold affirmed Fan Qing's viewpoint. "If possible, we should leave this area as soon as we can."
"This was just an accident," Wenke complained somewhat. "Fan Qing, you’re overcomplicating things and making them sound worse than they are. I used to have a sense of beauty and reverence for the universe. Now look at what you've done; it's all ruined. And—"
Fan Qing shot him a glare. "You should know I'm not here just for sightseeing. I have my own work to do, and honestly, my schedule is much tighter than yours. We can get things done without it becoming a problem. Of course, the final decision rests with our Captain and First Officer."
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