The power line trembled slightly, then fell silent again.

Chen Hao stared at the wire for two seconds, then didn't move. His foot, which had been raised, also froze in mid-air. No one spoke in the cockpit; even their breathing was hushed. That tremor just now felt like a reminder, or perhaps a farewell—the system was working, and those who needed to leave should leave.

He put his feet down, turned around and walked to the storage cabinet in the corner, pulling open the bottom drawer. Inside was a small cloth bag, dusty and with slightly frayed edges. He took it out, squeezed it, and found the dirt was still there; it hadn't leaked.

“From the north slope,” he said, his voice not loud, but everyone heard him clearly. “It was windy that day, and the three of us crouched on the ground to shelter, with Nana standing in front to block the sand.”

Susan smiled. "You said this soil is so salty it's like it's been soaked in tears."

“That’s right.” Chen Hao stuffed the cloth bag into his bag. “Keep it. If the child asks what this place is like in the future, I’ll pour some out for him to see.”

Carl stood at the top of the gangway, his hand on the handrail, not going up. He glanced back at the base's main gate; it was closed, the lights off. They would never come back through that door again.

Nana walked to the control panel and swiped her finger across the screen. Strings of data scrolled up, the green text flashing rapidly.

"Power unit is normal."

"Navigation module is ready."

"Life support system on standby."

"The backup power interface is stable and without fluctuations."

She stopped and looked up at the three of them.

"All systems confirmed, the ship is ready to go."

Chen Hao took a deep breath, slammed his hand on the control panel, making a "smack" sound.

"Alright," he said. "We've fixed everything that could be fixed, checked everything that could be checked, and argued everything that could be argued. If we don't leave now, the base will be overgrown with weeds."

“It doesn’t rain here,” Carl said. “No grass can grow here.”

"Then let's grow mushrooms." Chen Hao waved his hand. "Anyway, I don't want to see the rocks in this lousy place again."

Susan, carrying her medical kit, slowly walked towards the passenger seat. She sat down very quietly, as if afraid of disturbing something. She placed her hand on her abdomen, paused for a few seconds, and then released it.

Carl was the last to climb the gangway. He walked slowly, each step firm and deliberate. Reaching the hatch, he paused, glancing back. The base stood silently in the morning light, like an abandoned iron box.

He didn't say anything, and stepped into the cabin.

Chen Hao stood in front of the driver's seat, watching as the three of them were seated. Susan fastened her seatbelt, Nana stood by the control panel, and Carl sat in the passenger seat with his hands on his knees.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

No one answered, but everyone nodded.

He reached out and pressed the takeoff button.

The sound of an engine came from beneath my feet, starting as a low hum and then growing louder, the vibrations sending waves up the floor. One by one, the securing cables were released and automatically retracted to their ground anchor points. The cargo door slowly closed and clicked shut.

The spaceship began to ascend.

At first, it was slow, as if afraid of scratching the ground. Then the speed gradually increased, and the wasteland receded outside the window, the rocks, sand, and wind-eroded gullies all turning into blurry patches of color.

Chen Hao leaned over the porthole, his head almost touching the glass.

“Look there!” he pointed into the distance. “Those words on the rooftop, ‘Karl was here!’ They’re fucking clear!”

Carl turned his head and glanced at it. "I didn't write it."

“The handwriting is yours,” Nana said. “Emotional analysis shows that you drank three bottles of electrolyte water at the time, were in a state of mild excitement, and had a strong tendency to mark your territory.”

“That’s a physiological reaction,” Karl frowned. “It’s not madness.”

“You’re so drunk you’re holding the welding torch upside down,” Chen Hao laughed. “And you insist it’s a new welding method called ‘reverse thermal fusion butt welding.’”

“That was a test of a new process,” Carl insisted.

"Then why were you singing 'Star Wanderer' while you were soldering during the process testing?"

“…The soundproofing isn’t good.” Carl looked down. “The wind is too strong, the sound travels far.”

Susan leaned back in her chair, watching the horizon outside the window curve little by little. The planet's outline began to become rounded, the sky changed from grayish-white to deep blue, and further up, it was already black.

She whispered, "Goodbye."

No one responded.

The spaceship shuddered as it passed through the clouds. A few thin clouds slid past the porthole like rags wiping glass.

Nana stood in front of the control panel, her gaze fixed on the external camera feed. The planet was shrinking, transforming from a vast expanse of land into a piece of continental land, and then into a single dot on the map.

Her gaze lingered there for seven seconds, 0.8 seconds longer than usual.

Then she blinked.

Karl placed his hands on his knees, staring at the starry sky ahead. There was nothing there yet, only darkness and a few bright stars.

“The orbit is stable,” Nana said. “It has escaped the atmosphere and entered the planned pre-jump cruise phase.”

Chen Hao leaned back, sinking into the seat.

“Finally,” he said, “I don’t have to eat nutritional paste for breakfast anymore.”

"We have enough food for thirty days," Susan reminded us. "Mainly compressed biscuits."

"That's enough." Chen Hao grinned. "As long as I have coffee, I can live for another thirty years."

“Only five packs left,” Susan said.

“Then I’ll drink half a packet a day,” Chen Hao said seriously. “I’ll take a sniff in the morning, lick it at noon, and dream about brewing a pot at night.”

“You will starve to death,” Carl said.

"I dream about hot pot." Chen Hao closed his eyes, "The red broth is boiling, the sliced ​​beef is cooked for three seconds, then taken out and dipped in sesame sauce, and then a bottle of ice-cold beer..."

“You’re drooling,” Susan said.

Chen Hao suddenly opened his eyes and raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth.

"No! It's because... the air conditioning is too dry!"

Nana brought up the navigation log interface and began recording boarding time, passenger status, and system operating parameters. Lines of data were automatically generated, and finally a prompt appeared:

[Departure Confirmed: All personnel on board, target coordinates locked, voyage officially commences.]

She did not close the page immediately.

Instead, he read that line of text again.

Then I clicked save.

The spaceship continued forward, with planets receding into the distance behind it. It hung silently against the dark backdrop, like a forgotten old battery.

Chen Hao suddenly sat up straight.

"Oh," he said, "did I forget to turn off the kitchen light?"

Carl turned to look at him.

"...The base doesn't have a kitchen."

"Oh right." Chen Hao scratched his head. "Then it's alright."

He leaned back and muttered, "I thought I could save some electricity."

Susan smiled and looked down. She placed her hand on her abdomen and moved it gently.

Nana's gaze shifted back to the porthole.

The planet has become as small as a button.

Carl adjusted his posture and reached for the toolbox latch. He checked it and confirmed it was locked.

Chen Hao stared at the ceiling, humming a song that was out of tune.

The spaceship glided silently toward an unseen future.