Chen Hao stepped on a loose rock and fell forward. He braced himself with his hands on the ground, his knees scraping against the pile of rubble, and his backpack slammed heavily onto his back.
"Ouch, my back!" He grimaced as he got up and brushed the dust off his pants.
Susan, walking behind, rolled her eyes when she saw this: "Can't you be a little more steady? We've only been walking for less than twenty minutes."
“I can stay steady, but this road won’t let me.” Chen Hao looked back at the steep slope behind him. “This place wasn’t this slippery yesterday, but now there’s almost no place to put my feet.”
Nana walked from the middle of the group to the front, scanning the terrain ahead. Her mechanical fingers slid rapidly across the terminal screen, displaying data line by line.
“A new waterway has formed 100 meters ahead,” she said. “The water is flowing at a speed of more than two meters per second and is deeper than knee-deep, making it impossible to cross by hand.”
Carl, panting, caught up and switched the rope on his shoulder to the other side: "You mean we're stuck in a stream?"
“It’s not a stream,” Nana corrected. “It’s a landslide that caused the underground water veins to change course, and the loosening of the soil upstream created a new drainage channel.”
"That sounds pretty professional." Chen Hao scratched his head. "In layman's terms, it means—it's unacceptable."
The four continued walking and soon saw the river.
The water was swift, carrying mud, sand, and gravel downstream. The rocks on the bank were wet, reflecting the sunlight. The river wasn't wide, probably about six meters, but the bottom was full of rolling stones.
Chen Hao squatted down and reached out to test the water temperature.
"It's as cold as an icebox." He pulled his hand back and shook it. "And you can't stand in this water at all; you'll slip as soon as you step in."
Susan walked a few steps downstream along the riverbank, then turned back: "There's a cliff over there, and the water drops at least three meters, making it impossible to cross."
Carl then led Nana upstream to investigate for a while, and when they returned, he didn't look too good: "It's a bit narrower up there, but there are steep cliffs on both sides. There's nowhere to build a bridge, and there's no way to go around it."
"So we're stuck here now?" Chen Hao looked up at the sky. "The sun is still up, which means the weather hasn't gotten worse, but the road is gone."
“According to the original plan, we still have an 18-hour window.” Nana pulled up the timetable. “But we have already wasted 27 minutes. If we cannot resolve the river crossing issue within two hours, we will have insufficient time for subsequent operations.”
“In other words, we can’t afford to drag it.” Susan leaned against a rock and exhaled. “We can’t exactly swim across, can we? With all this gear on our backs, one wave could sweep us away.”
“I can give it a try.” Carl cracked his knuckles. “I used to practice wading in the rescue team.”
"What are you trying to do?" Chen Hao grabbed him. "Do you think this is a training ground? This water is full of undercurrents, and the rocks will roll on their own. They'll shift as soon as you step on them, and you'll fall and get seriously injured."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Carl raised his voice. "Just stand there and wait for it to dry by itself?"
"Quiet down," Susan suddenly said.
She stared at the opposite bank for a while, then pointed to a slightly flat area: "Isn't there a fallen tree over there? Leaning against the river?"
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed.
There was indeed a dead tree lying across the river, half submerged in the water and the other half resting on the rocks on the opposite bank. But the trunk was very thin, covered with moss, and looked like it could break at any moment.
"It's too brittle," Nana concluded after scanning. "Its load-bearing capacity is no more than 60 kilograms, and the connection points are unstable. Forcing its way through could cause it to break, posing a risk of falling into the river."
"Sixty kilograms?" Chen Hao glanced at himself. "I've been over that number for many years."
“You definitely won’t make it,” Susan said.
“Don’t even think about going up one by one,” Chen Hao shook his head. “If you really want to gamble with your lives, you might as well all go at it together and see if it breaks first or sends us flying.”
No one laughed.
The air seemed to sink for a moment.
Carl unpacked his backpack and took out a rope to check for wear. The nylon material was a bit fuzzy, probably from rubbing against a sharp rock earlier.
“This one won’t do,” he said. “If it’s used for fixing things, it can only withstand one impact at most.”
Nana stood on the shore, her finger constantly swiping across the terminal screen. She was accessing topographic maps in the geological database, comparing the changes before and after the landslide.
“According to the model, this waterway will continue to expand over the next six hours,” she said. “If we don’t act now, not only will we be unable to move forward, but our return route may also be cut off.”
"Does that mean there's no way out?" Chen Hao narrowed his eyes.
"yes."
“Then we have to keep pushing forward.” He stood up, dusted off his trousers, and said, “Any ideas? Build a bridge? Make a raft? Or should I lie down and be your stepping stone?”
"Stop joking," Susan frowned. "We don't even have any timber right now, what are we going to use to build this?"
“Aren’t there a few broken branches over there?” Karl pointed to a spot not far upstream. “They’re not big, but if we piece them together, we might be able to get some structure out of them.”
“Trees can’t support a person,” Nana said. “Unless we connect them with ropes to form a simple floating bridge frame.”
"Then do you have a way to design it?" Chen Hao asked.
“We can provide a structural solution,” she said, “but it will require at least eight hardwood timbers longer than two meters, three sets of stabilizing anchors, and connecting ropes of sufficient strength.”
“We only have two ropes,” Carl said. “And one of them isn’t even safe.”
“Then let’s disassemble the equipment.” Chen Hao opened his backpack. “The hydraulic struts can be used as support columns, and the cutter’s casing is metal, so we can add weight to balance it. Anyway, we brought these things over to dismantle things, so using them now is just as good.”
“We can cut open a waterproof bag and use it as a connecting strap,” Susan thought for a moment. “Although it will compromise the seal, it’s better than doing nothing.”
“Okay.” Chen Hao nodded. “Let’s do it this way. First, find the materials, then build the scaffold.”
“The problem is time.” Susan looked at her watch. “From now on, we only have seventeen hours and thirty-three minutes left. Building the bridge, crossing the river, repairing, evacuating—every step must be flawless.”
"Then let's not make any mistakes." Chen Hao smiled. "This isn't the first time we've done something stupid like this."
He turned and walked towards the area of broken branches upstream, his footsteps making a splashing sound on the wet ground.
Susan followed and bent down to pick up a slightly thicker branch. The wood was a bit soft, but still quite sturdy.
“This one will work,” she said, “but you have to peel off the outer skin, otherwise it’s too slippery.”
"Give me the tools." Carl handed over a folding knife.
The three began to clear out usable materials, dragging branches of varying lengths to the shore.
Nana stood still. She was calculating the optimal construction method, and structural simulation diagrams kept popping up on the screen.
“I suggest using a triangular support structure,” she said. “Use the existing struts as the main beams, arrange the branches horizontally to increase the friction surface, and bind the ropes in a crisscross pattern to enhance the overall integrity.”
"It sounds like building blocks," Chen Hao said, wiping his sweat. "Could you draw a diagram?"
"The message has been sent to the handheld terminal," she said. "Note: The bridge is expected to last no more than forty minutes. When crossing the river, maintain a safe distance to avoid concentrated stress."
"Forty minutes is enough." Chen Hao looked at the other side of the river. "As long as I can get the person across, I'll accept it even if the bridge collapses."
He looked down and rummaged through his bag, found a marker, and marked each piece of wood with a number.
“First, assemble the framework,” he said. “Karl and I will handle the main body, Susan will tie the nodes, and Nana will keep track of the time.”
"Understood," the three replied.
They began to assemble the first section of the structure.
The support pole is placed at the bottom and secured at both ends with rope. Branches are laid out horizontally and wrapped tightly with strips of cloth cut from waterproof bags. The process is slow because each wrap must be tightened to prevent loosening.
Chen Hao's fingers quickly turned red from rubbing.
"This job is more tiring than working out," he muttered. "I should have practiced my hand strength more."
"It's no use regretting it now." Susan finished tying a knot. "Let's continue."
The first section of the frame was completed, about two meters long. They carried it to the riverbank and tried to set it up near the shore.
As soon as it was placed on the surface, the water flow pushed one end downwards. The structure wobbled and almost capsized in the water.
"No!" Carl quickly steadied it. "The base isn't secured; it'll be swept away."
“Then let’s add anchor points.” Chen Hao looked at the rocks on the shore. “Let’s find a place where we can tie the rope.”
They spent five minutes finding two protruding stones on either side and tied them securely with rope through the gap.
In the second attempt, one end of the bridge was fixed to an anchor point. This time it was more stable, but the middle part was still suspended in the air, too close to the water surface, and people walking on it would easily touch the water.
“It needs to be raised,” Nana said. “I suggest adding temporary support pillars in the middle of the riverbed.”
“But how do we put it?” Susan asked. “Nobody can go into the water.”
“I’ll do it.” Chen Hao took off his coat. “I’m heavy enough. If I move slowly, I should be able to stand up.”
"Are you crazy?" Susan grabbed his arm. "Going down there is suicide!"
"Then what do you suggest we do?" he countered. "Wait for it to grow legs and stand up on its own?"
“We can use a hook and line to deploy it remotely,” Nana said. “I have a magnetic grappling hook that can secure the bottom of the support pole.”
"You know quite a lot," Chen Hao laughed.
Nana took out the device, adjusted the angle, and fired at the center of the riverbed.
The grappling hook flew out and snapped into a crevice in the rocks. She pulled the rope, slid the spare pole down the line, and successfully erected it in the middle of the riverbed.
"Beautiful!" Chen Hao gave a thumbs up.
They rebuilt the bridge structure, placing it on top of the struts in the middle. This time, the structure was significantly more stable.
"Testing the load-bearing capacity," Nana said.
“I’ll go,” Karl said, stepping forward.
He stepped one foot onto the bridge and slowly shifted his weight. The wooden frame creaked, but didn't deform.
He walked to the middle, and the bridge sank a few centimeters, but it was still within a controllable range.
“It works,” he said. “But don’t run or jump.”
“Nobody wants to dance on this,” Chen Hao said.
He looked across the river and took a deep breath.
“Prepare to cross the river,” he said. “Karl and I will go first, Susan will bring up the rear, and Nana will be the last. Call a halt immediately if there are any problems.”
Carl nodded and stepped onto the bridge.
As the first step was taken, the bridge swayed slightly.
The second step is that the water flows and washes over the bottom of the bridge.
Thirdly, his shoes slipped on the wet, slippery surface of the branches, and he lost his footing.
He reached out and grabbed the rope beside him to steady himself.
"Slow down," Chen Hao reminded him from behind, "Take it one step at a time."
Carl regained his footing and continued forward.
The moment Chen Hao stepped onto the bridge, the entire makeshift bridge emitted a muffled thud.
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