As soon as it was light, Chen Hao squatted at the warehouse entrance, munching on compressed biscuits. While chewing, his eyes were fixed on a pile of tools spread out on the ground, and he held the sketch that Susan had drawn the day before in his hand.
Nana stood to the side as the robotic arm scanned the inventory list in the backpack, cell by cell.
“The detector’s circuitry is aging and it can’t start,” she reported the first problem. “The cutting blade has cracked in three places, and the rope is damp, reducing its tension by 60 percent.”
Chen Hao swallowed the last bite of his dry rations and wiped his mouth: "So the three of us aren't going out today?"
“It’s not that I don’t go out.” Susan walked up behind him, an old tool bag slung over her shoulder. “It’s just that I need to fix the tools before I go out.”
She bent down, opened her bag, took out a rusty metal sheet, and then pulled out a few small parts and placed them on the ground. "These are resistor pieces I took off earlier; they should still work."
Chen Hao glanced at the scrap metal and grinned, "These aren't spare parts, they're probably the bottom of the bucket at the junkyard!"
"As long as it works." Susan ignored him and handed it directly to Nana, "Check the compatibility."
Nana took the part, the camera flashed slightly, and she began comparing it with the database information. A few seconds later she said, "The model is similar, but the welding point position needs to be adjusted. The success rate is estimated to be 80%."
"Eighty percent is fine." Chen Hao slapped his thigh and stood up. "I'll disassemble the detector, and you teach me how to replace the module."
He turned and went into the warehouse, pulled out a bunch of electronic parts, and almost tripped over the threshold when he came back carrying the motherboard. He steadied himself and caught his breath: "This thing is heavier than me."
Susan bent down to inspect the cutting blade, then casually pulled out a whetstone and began sharpening it. "You're in charge of the equipment, I'll fix the blade. Who's going to soak the rope?"
"I'll do it." Nana had already put the rope into the bucket of water. "Soak it for thirty minutes, then re-weave the knots."
The three of them got busy with their own tasks.
Chen Hao held the welding torch, his hands trembling as if they were cramping. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he carefully connected the wires, watching the instructions projected on Nana's screen. Just as the solder joint was made, the probe beeped, and the screen flickered.
"It's lit up!" he shouted.
"Don't be too happy yet." Susan said without looking up, "Just because it can turn on doesn't mean the signal is stable."
Nana took the equipment and tested it. After a moment, she nodded: "The reception range has recovered to 75% of the standard value. It's usable."
"It's enough." Chen Hao stuffed the instrument into his backpack. "We can't expect it to guide alien spaceships."
After sharpening the blade, Susan forcefully slashed it across the wooden board, producing a crisp "snap" sound. Satisfied, she put away the whetstone: "The knife is fine."
Nana then finished processing the rope, re-tying it to reinforce it, and tested it three times without any signs of breakage.
"All repairs are complete," she said. "The equipment is safe to carry."
Chen Hao checked everything one by one, then slung the backpack over his shoulder and said, "Alright, let's go!"
"Wait a minute," Susan stopped him. "The supplies haven't been fully allocated yet."
"It's just bringing some food and drinks," Chen Hao waved his hand. "Three days' worth is enough. We'll come back once we find what we need. It's not like we're going to settle down here."
“The risks in unknown areas are uncontrollable.” Susan opened the locker and took out two packs of spare water purification tablets and extra dry food. “Prepare at least five days’ worth.”
"Five days?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "What if we get nothing? The three of us will either starve or be worked to death!"
"Better safe than sorry." Susan stuffed the supplies into his bag. "You don't want to go without water in the middle of the night, do you?"
Chen Hao muttered, "I just want to travel light..."
Nana pulled up the data projector: "Weather monitoring shows that the area ahead is sunny today, but there may be rain tomorrow afternoon. The terrain is quite steep, and the average walking speed is 3.2 kilometers per hour. Calculated one way, the round trip will take more than 36 hours."
After listening, Chen Hao remained silent for a few seconds, then took another bag of compressed food from the shelf and stuffed it in. "You're right. This isn't just wandering around aimlessly; it's scouting the area."
He turned to help Susan adjust the strap: "The strap on your bag is about to break, you should replace it soon."
"It'll do alright." Susan gave it a try. "We'll save the materials for repairing the base."
“Our base is pretty sturdy now,” Chen Hao laughed. “After the insulation on the east wall is finished, the wind doesn’t blow in at night anymore. If you still want to grow vegetables, you’ll have to build a greenhouse sooner or later.”
“As long as there’s light and water, we can give it a try.” Susan slung her bag over her shoulder. “Even if only one tree survives.”
Nana turned off the system notification sound and performed a final scan of the signal source direction. "No abnormal disturbances in the path, you may proceed."
The three stood at the entrance of the base.
The little house behind them stood quietly, the heat insulation board on the windowsill still in its place, and next to it was an iron box containing some damp soil. Those were the traces left from their discussion about planting vegetables yesterday.
Susan glanced at the room, then turned and walked forward.
Chen Hao took a deep breath and grinned: "Maybe we can even find alien technology on the road? Make a fortune."
“There are no aliens,” Nana said calmly.
"Just kidding!" Chen Hao shrugged, but his steps had already caught up.
The sunlight dappled the path through the woods, and the fallen leaves rustled underfoot. Chen Hao walked in the middle; his backpack was a bit heavy, but he didn't complain. He would occasionally glance back at Nana to make sure she hadn't fallen behind.
"You think this place really has resources?" he asked Susan.
“Signs of someone’s presence.” Susan looked ahead. “Abandoned camp, transport tracks, and burnt-out fires.”
"It sounds like a dumping ground for junkyards."
“You can find useful things even in the trash,” she said. “Batteries, circuit boards, metal frames—they’re all treasures.”
"If I could find a power bank, I'd give it a good beating right here and now." Chen Hao patted his chest. "My phone died during my time travels, and the screen has been black for half a year."
“Your phone has been broken for a long time,” Nana said.
“I know,” Chen Hao sighed, “but I still press the power button every day; it’s become a habit.”
Susan's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything.
They passed through a patch of low bushes, where the road narrowed. Nana cautioned, "The slope increases in about ten meters; I suggest you slow down."
"I understand." Chen Hao grabbed a branch from the side to support himself. "It would be great if I had a hiking pole."
“Next time,” Susan said, “use a metal rod with a non-slip mat.”
"You can make this too?"
“I’ve made trap supports before,” she said. “The principle is similar.”
"Then you're truly an all-rounder," Chen Hao laughed. "From now on, you can make whatever our team needs. I'd even like to give you an award."
What is the prize?
"Choose any flavor of compressed biscuits for one week."
“Not appealing,” Susan shook her head.
"Then... shall I treat you to the tomatoes I grow in the future?"
"The prerequisite is that you can survive."
"I believe I can keep a plant alive!" Chen Hao declared confidently. "I won't forget to water it this time."
“I hope so,” Nana interjected, “otherwise the team’s diet will be deficient in vitamin C for a long time.”
"Look!" Chen Hao pointed at the robot, "Even the robot is worried that I'll hold it back!"
Susan quickened her pace and walked around a large rock: "There's a gentle slope ahead; the first marked route is up there."
Chen Hao looked up. The slope wasn't too steep, but it was still difficult to climb with his bag on his back. He moved uphill, panting, stopping twice to rest.
Finally, we reached the summit, and the view opened up a bit.
In the distance, layers of trees overlapped, sunlight shining through the canopy and reflecting a soft halo. A barely visible path wound its way forward, as if it had been trodden countless times.
“This is the road,” Susan pointed ahead. “Follow this path, and you can reach the first destination within half a day.”
"It's finally about to begin." Chen Hao stretched his shoulders. "I'm a little nervous."
"What are you nervous about?" Susan asked.
"What if we really find a bunch of good stuff? How are the three of us going to carry it all back?"
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