Carl suddenly stopped humming and looked up.
"You said..." he began, "what if there are even more people later on?"
Chen Hao didn't answer immediately. He looked down at the hand-drawn panoramic map of the base on the table, and drew a circle with his finger around a blank area outside the wall.
"Having a large number of people isn't a problem," he said. "Having enough resources ensures stability."
Susan looked up at him.
“We can’t just stay here and guard this little piece of land.” Chen Hao put down his pen. “We have to look outwards—the ocean is the only way to survive.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Nana stood up, walked to the control panel, and swiped her finger across the screen. A few seconds later, a projection unfolded and hovered in mid-air. It showed structural diagrams of three types of ships.
“We have retrieved the shipbuilding engineering database,” she said. “Option 1: Flat-bottomed barge, with a large carrying capacity and deep draft, suitable for short-distance transportation, but slow to turn; Option 2: Pointed-bow small boat, fast and maneuverable, but with poor wave resistance; Option 3: Catamaran raft, with high stability, simple structure, and can be disassembled and repaired, suitable for the current conditions.”
Carl leaned closer to look for a moment, then said, "I choose three."
“Me too,” Susan said.
Chen Hao smiled and said, "That's it then."
“Let’s begin,” Nana said.
It was just dawn when they left the control room. The wind was strong, and the treetops were swaying violently. The four of them walked along the west side of the base into the woods. There were quite a few fallen trees; the previous rains had loosened the roots of the old trees, causing many to fall.
“These will work.” Carl crouched down and touched the cross-section of a broken piece of wood. “They’re almost dry and won’t crack.”
“It’s long enough to be the main beam.” Nana stood beside her, her eyes scanning the entire log. “I suggest cutting eight sections, each three and a half meters long, for the frame connection.”
Susan took an old measuring tape out of her pocket, unfolded it, and began to measure.
Chen Hao couldn't move the heavy things, so he directed from the side, "Put this section in the middle, and leave that section for support!"
Carl swung the saw, sawdust flying up and sticking to his cuffs. As he sawed, he said, "Your instructions are practically just shouting nonsense."
“This is a strategic deployment,” Chen Hao said, leaning against another tree. “You are the execution level, and I am the decision-making level.”
"Then you decide what to have for lunch." Carl wiped his sweat. "I'm hungry."
"Once the ship is built, there will be plenty of seafood."
"Don't think that far ahead," Susan said. "Let's get this pile of wood back first."
They made makeshift sleds out of scrap metal and dragged the timbers one by one to the open space. Nana drew the assembly outline on the ground, marking the position of each node. Carl was in charge of drilling holes, Susan reinforced the structure with nails, and Nana adjusted the angles in real time. Chen Hao passed tools back and forth, occasionally straightening a crooked beam.
I didn't eat lunch, so I just drank some water.
"This is called a combat readiness meal." Chen Hao finished the last mouthful. "To compress time and improve efficiency."
“You’re just lazy,” Carl said. “You’re making excuses for not wanting to cook.”
"This is called the spiritual motivation method."
By the time the sun began to set in the afternoon, the basic framework of the hull was complete. It was a catamaran structure with a platform in the middle, and provisions were made for mast positions and storage compartments.
Only the last section of the crossbeam remains to be installed.
When I compared it to the other side, it was bent. It wouldn't fit into the mortises on either side.
“It’s ruined.” Karl threw down the piece of wood. “Get a straight one.”
“There’s no more,” Susan said. “This is the last piece.”
Chen Hao kicked the piece of wood. "Can't you just straighten it?"
“Pressing it hard will crack it,” Carl shook his head. “It has to be baked.”
"Roasted?"
“Wood can be shaped when it’s wet, and it can also be softened by baking.” Karl looked at Nana. “Can you calculate the temperature and time?”
Nana nodded. "Calculating." She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. "I suggest baking over an open flame for fifteen minutes, turning it three times during this time, and fixing it in the mold while it's still hot to cool."
Do you have any molds?
"It can be built using discarded iron frames and stones."
They got right to work. They built a small fire in the open space and put the wood on it to roast. Smoke billowed up, and the smell was pungent.
Chen Hao squatted down and fanned himself, saying, "This smells like roasted cockroaches."
"Have you smelled it?"
"Imagined."
Twenty minutes later, the wood softened. They quickly lifted it onto an iron frame and weighed it down with stones to set its shape. Once it cooled down, they would then proceed with the assembly.
With a click, it fit perfectly.
"It's done." Karl clapped his hands.
The ship is now intact.
They pushed it into the shallow waters of the beach. The tide gently lapped in and receded. The boat rocked slightly, floating.
The setting sun cast a reddish glow on the wooden planks.
Chen Hao stood on the shore without moving.
“Our first ship…” he said softly, “is finally here.”
Susan went over to check the securing ropes, pulling on each one to make sure they were firmly tied.
Karl brushed the sawdust off his hands, walked around the boat, and tapped on the side of the boat to listen to the sound.
Nana opened the record mode. "Construction completion time: 5:03 PM today. Total time: 11 hours and 42 minutes. Materials used: 23 pieces of recycled wood, 17 sets of metal connectors, and 5 meters of natural fiber rope. A waterproof coating and buoyancy device need to be added later."
She closed the recording panel. "The data has been synchronized to the main control system."
"Let's do the coating tomorrow," Susan said. "Let's try it with resin and mortar first."
“Where’s the sail?” Karl asked.
"I'll alter the bed sheets," Chen Hao said. "Anyway, I don't wash the blankets."
"You never wash anyway."
"So I've been saving up fabric for several years."
"nausea."
"practical."
Nana suddenly looked up and said, "A slight rise in tide level has been detected. It is recommended that the boat be temporarily anchored to a higher beach area."
“I’ll pull it.” Carl grabbed the end of the rope and walked towards the shore.
Susan helped. The two towed the boat to a safe location and re-pile it in place.
Chen Hao didn't move. He was still looking at the sea.
The wind picked up.
“I used to think the sea was the boundary,” he said. “Once you crossed it, there was no road left.”
"And now?" Susan asked.
"Now I feel," he smiled, "that it's a new beginning."
“Don’t be so quick to judge,” Carl patted him on the shoulder. “You haven’t even been to sea yet.”
"The first step has already been taken."
"The second step is to avoid capsizing."
"The third step is to avoid starving to death."
"The fourth step is to avoid being eaten by the fish."
“The fifth step,” Chen Hao said, “is to come back and tell you that there really is an island out there.”
After Nana finished recording, she turned and walked towards the control room.
Susan tidied up the remaining scraps and piled them into a small heap.
Karl crouched down, picked up a small piece of wood from the ground, and held it in his hand.
Chen Hao took one last look at the boat, then turned and followed.
It was getting dark when we got back to base.
They gathered around the control panel, looking at the 3D model Nana had brought up. It was a replica of the ship they had just seen, with each joint labeled with a number.
“We can print out the blueprints,” Nana said, “so they can be easily copied later.”
"Keep it for now," Chen Hao said. "If it gets lost, we can still make a replica."
“It won’t get lost,” Susan said. “I’ll keep an eye on it.”
"You can't keep an eye on it for ten years."
"I can."
"You'll have to sleep sooner or later."
“I can work shifts.”
"You are not a robot."
"I'm more meticulous than a robot."
Carl placed the wood chip on the table. "I said..."
He paused for a moment.
"Are we really going to go to sea?"
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