The progress bar reached the end, and the terminal emitted a short "beep".

The screen flickered a few times, the star map reappeared, and the coordinate data refreshed steadily. Nana stared at the main control panel, her voice very soft: "Firmware synchronization complete, positioning restored, error less than 0.03."

Chen Hao didn't move, his hand still hovering above the throttle valve, as if afraid that touching it would knock something over. He stared at the view window ahead, where the familiar outline of their home planet was visible, with a pale blue light emanating from the edges of the clouds.

"Is it really healed?" he asked.

"Alright." Karl stood up from the rear cabin and clapped his hands. "This time it's not a fake death, it's real life."

Susan let out a soft breath, her shoulders relaxing. She glanced down at the notepad she had been gripping tightly; her fingernail marks were still on the paper, but her hand could finally loosen.

Chen Hao grinned, leaned back, and sank into his seat. "Finally, we don't have to guess anymore. I always said that repairing this ship is more tiring than giving birth."

“You’ve never given birth,” Susan whispered.

“I was pregnant with a spaceship.” Chen Hao gestured with his hand. “I didn’t get a full night’s sleep for three months, and I was worried every day that it would break down.”

Nana didn't smile, but a green light flashed in her eyes, a habitual action when the system self-checked. She brought up the flight path map, swiped her finger across the screen, and marked a smooth path to the core city. "Signal stable, navigation available. It is recommended to maintain the current course. We will enter low Earth orbit in two hours."

"Okay." Chen Hao sat up straight and put his hands back on the control stick. "Then let's stick to the right path and stop flying around recklessly."

The spaceship gradually accelerated, the engine noise becoming smoother. The distant horizon slowly tilted, and the outline of the city cluster expanded in the field of vision. High-voltage towers, abandoned factories, and dried-up riverbeds swept past below, like an old, worn-out map.

Carl returned to the power supply box, disassembled the casing, and checked the grounding wire one last time. Susan picked up her water bottle and took a sip; her hands were no longer trembling. The atmosphere in the cockpit relaxed, as if a rope that had been stretched for too long had finally been cut.

Just then, the entire ship suddenly shuddered.

Chen Hao leaned forward, the seatbelt tightening around his chest. The warning lights on the control panel instantly flashed red.

"What's going on!" He looked up at Nana.

Nana was already standing in front of the screen, her fingers swiping rapidly. Her expression remained unchanged, but her speaking speed doubled: "A strong energy fluctuation zone has appeared 80,000 kilometers ahead, with a diameter exceeding 20,000 kilometers. The magnetic field strength is abnormal, and the frequency is irregular. It is speculated to be a high-energy particle cloud."

"Will it explode?" Chen Hao asked.

“It won’t explode,” Nana said. “But if you go straight through, it might cause the main control system to malfunction again, the shield to fail, and communications to be interrupted.”

"Let's go around it then." Chen Hao reached out and swiped on the flight path simulation screen. "Turn 15 degrees to port to avoid it."

The spacecraft began to slowly turn around, and the engine thrust was redistributed. The attitude indicator readings fluctuated, and the fuselage vibrated slightly, as if it were adapting to the new orientation.

Three seconds later, Nana spoke again: "A group of moving objects has been detected at the three o'clock position on the new course."

"Again?" Chen Hao frowned.

“A small meteorite belt.” Nana pulled up the radar image. “High density, average diameter of three to ten meters, relative speed of twelve kilometers per second, expected to enter contact range in thirty minutes.”

Chen Hao stared at the cluster of red dots on the screen, like a swarm of ants crawling towards them. He whistled, "I really didn't check the almanac before I went out today."

"What do we do now?" Susan sat up straight.

"What else can we do?" Chen Hao pushed the throttle valve forward a little. "Either we crash into the rocks or we get caught in the electromagnetic storm. Either way, it's a trap."

“We can deviate a little further.” Nana quickly calculated, “Seven degrees to starboard, increase the flight altitude, fly through the upper edge of the asteroid belt, and avoid the dense area.”

"How high would it have to fly?"

"Above 26,000 meters."

Chen Hao checked the engine status. "There's enough fuel, but it's shaking terribly. Are you sure you can accurately predict the trajectory of those rocks?"

“It can’t be 100% accurate,” Nana said, “but with the obstacle avoidance assist system, I can update the path in real time.”

“Okay.” Chen Hao nodded. “Then you report it, and I’ll hide.”

He gripped the control stick tightly, his eyes darting back and forth between the radar and the viewing window. The spacecraft continued to turn, its fuselage tilting, the clouds outside the window twisting and distorting.

Karl walked over from the rear cabin and stood in front of the energy monitoring screen. "The shield is 72% charged. Prioritize the front and bottom sections so it can withstand some damage in case of a collision with debris."

"We have to hold on even if we can't," Chen Hao said. "This boat gets expensive every time it's repaired, and I don't believe anyone will reimburse us next time."

Susan picked up the control panel for the side-mounted camera. "I'll keep an eye on the right. If anything happens, let me know immediately."

"Thanks." Chen Hao smiled. "I'll treat you to hot pot when we land."

“It has to be a legitimate store,” she said. “Not one of those smoky street stalls.”

"Don't worry, I can afford to treat you to a big hotel this time."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the spaceship shook violently again.

The alarm sounded, but not in red; it was yellow—a warning sign.

“Airflow disturbance.” Nana looked at the data. “The edge of the energy zone is affecting the upper atmosphere, generating unstable turbulence.”

"So, the closer we fly, the more it feels like dancing in a washing machine?"

“The analogy isn’t accurate,” Nana said, “but the logic is sound.”

Chen Hao snorted and adjusted the thrust output. The spaceship undulated slightly in the air, like a fat bird trying to fly against the wind.

The number of red dots on the radar increased, and the boundary of the meteorite swarm was now clearly visible. Some fragments collided with each other, creating faint points of light that flashed and disappeared against the dark background.

“There are 25 minutes left until contact,” Nana said. “I suggest starting a full-band scan to lock onto high-speed individuals in advance.”

"Let's go," Chen Hao nodded. "So that some rock doesn't suddenly accelerate and give me a close-range kill."

Nana initiated deep-sea exploration, the screen splitting into multiple windows to display feedback from different frequency bands. Carl stood guard beside the energy node, ready to mobilize reserve power at any moment. Susan zoomed in on the camera feed to its maximum, her finger hovering over the alarm button.

Time passed second by second.

The spaceship had completely deviated from its original course and was now plunging diagonally into an open area. The energy zone was to the lower left, resembling a slowly churning gray-purple mist. The asteroid belt stretched ahead like an ever-approaching wall.

"The trajectory is currently stable," Nana said. "No sudden changes in trajectory have been detected."

"Don't say it too soon." Chen Hao stared ahead. "The person in the universe who loves to contradict himself and make promises he can't keep."

After he finished speaking, the control panel suddenly beeped.

It's not an alarm, it's a notification sound.

Nana's gaze immediately locked onto one of the windows. "An anomalous signal source has been detected."

"Huh?" Chen Hao turned his head.

“It’s not within the meteorite cluster, nor does it belong to the energy zone.” Nana zoomed in on the image. “It’s a small, independent moving object that’s moving extremely fast and is approaching us from the side.”

"Is it a meteorite?"

“It doesn’t look like it.” She pulled up the trajectory prediction. “Its trajectory is regular, not a natural drift.”

“What is that?” Susan asked.

No one answered.

The point of light was getting closer and closer on the screen, moving much faster than the surrounding debris.

“It’s 10,000 kilometers away,” Nana said. “Its shape is unrecognizable, its thermal signature is weak, but it has active propulsion characteristics.”

“Someone’s here?” Karl frowned.

“Uncertain,” Nana continued her analysis, “but it’s adjusting its course, and it seems… to be tracking us.”

The cockpit was silent for a few seconds.

Chen Hao chuckled: "Our beat-up ship, someone's chasing us? Surely not."

“Maybe it thinks we’re more like meteorites,” Susan whispered.

“Its eyesight isn’t good.” Chen Hao pushed the joystick a little to the right. “Ignore it for now, let’s get around these two big mountains first.”

The spacecraft continued to ascend, breaking the 20,000-meter mark. The outside temperature plummeted, and a thin layer of frost formed on the portholes.

"Ten minutes remain until contact with the asteroid belt," Nana said. "I suggest switching to manual serpentine maneuvering mode."

"Come on," Chen Hao said, cracking his knuckles. "Let Fatty do an aerial drift."

He gently pushed the control stick, and the spacecraft began to sway slightly from side to side, avoiding the high-risk areas marked on the radar. A rock about eight meters in diameter swept past from the right front, coming as close as less than two hundred meters from the wing.

"We almost kissed just now," Chen Hao said.

“It doesn’t have a household registration certificate, so it can’t get married,” Susan added.

Carl almost burst out laughing, but managed to hold it in.

Nana suddenly raised her hand: "Wait."

"What's wrong?"

"That moving object... accelerated."

Everyone looked at the screen.

The point of light was approaching at an astonishing speed, its trajectory perfectly straight, making no attempt to evade it.

“Five thousand kilometers away.” Nana’s voice tightened. “The relative speed is eighteen kilometers per second, and it’s cutting into our flight path.”

"Is it coming for us?" Susan asked.

“Very likely.” Nana pulled up the defense plan. “I suggest we change course immediately and create distance.”

Before Chen Hao could make a move, the spaceship suddenly shuddered.

It wasn't an impact.

It was some kind of invisible force that swept across the hull.

All the screens on the main control panel flickered, and the data was briefly frozen.

"Shield fluctuation!" Karl shouted, "Forty percent of energy absorbed!"

"That thing emitted a pulse?" Chen Hao gripped the handrail tightly.

“It’s not a weapon.” Nana quickly checked. “It’s more like a scanning beam, high-intensity directional detection.”

"Investigating us?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "Who's so free?"

“It doesn’t want to hide its intentions.” Nana stared at the screen. “The second scan is about to begin.”

The alarm sounded again.

A green beam swept in from the side, tracing the surface of the spacecraft like a searchlight.

This time, even the interior lights flickered twice.

"If this keeps happening, we'll have to switch to selling glow sticks," Chen Hao said through gritted teeth. "Nana, can you scan it back?"

“Sure,” she said, her fingers flying across the keyboard, “but it needs three seconds to lock on.”

"I'll give you five seconds." Chen Hao suddenly veered the spaceship to the right. "I'll shake it off first."

The spaceship spun sharply, its engines roaring. The green light missed its target, grazing past its tail.

At that very moment, Nana pressed the confirmation button.

"Reverse scan launch".

The light spot on the screen paused for a moment, then quickly changed color, from white to deep red.

“It’s been tagged,” Nana said.

"Fine." Chen Hao sneered, "Now I know who you are."

He pushed the throttle valve all the way down, and the spaceship surged forward.

But the next second, Nana's voice changed.

"The scan results are...not right."

"how?"

“No match in the database,” she said, “but the signal signatures indicate… it uses a military-grade identification protocol.”

"The military?" Karl was stunned.

“Not entirely.” Nana shook her head. “It’s an old version of the key that was discontinued twenty years ago and should have been completely destroyed.”

Chen Hao's expression froze.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Nana.

"What did you say?"

“That thing,” Nana stared at the screen, “uses the same identification code as the ‘Dawn’ that went missing back then.”