Less than three minutes after the spaceship detached from the glowing metal pillar, Nana reported the change in speed.
"Currently, propulsion efficiency has increased by 23%, and trajectory correction error has been reduced to zero."
Chen Hao was hunched over the control panel, munching on half a compressed biscuit, his cheeks bulging. He didn't look up, only mumbled a reply: "That's good, saves electricity."
Susan stared at the main screen, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest. The highlighted flight path on the screen looked like a straight line, plunging into a dense cluster of lights in the distance. She suddenly sat up straight.
"Wait, that star... isn't it a G-type yellow dwarf?"
Nana nodded: "The spectral analysis shows a 98% match, consistent with the characteristics of our home planet, the Sun."
"We're in?" Carl poked his head out from the back cabin, still holding the antenna box he'd only half-disassembled earlier. "We're already at our doorstep?"
“The gravity readings indicate that we have crossed the Kuiper Belt boundary of our local galaxy.” Nana pulled up the coordinate map. “Our current location is about 4.7 light-years from our home star, and the estimated travel time is 67 hours.”
The cockpit fell silent for a few seconds after he finished speaking.
Then Chen Hao slapped the cookie crumbs on the corner of the table, suddenly stood up, and his chair slid out and crashed into the wall.
"Damn! Are we really going back?"
Susan covered her mouth, her eyes shining slightly. She pointed to the fleeting outline of a planet in the lower right corner of the screen: "Is that the Southern Ring Star? When I was little, my dad took me to see its conjunction of the two moons, and I couldn't sleep for three whole nights."
Carl grinned and threw the tools in his hand onto the table: "My old telescope on the roof is still sitting on the balcony. The glass is cracked, and I haven't replaced it."
"I want something to eat." Chen Hao plopped back down. "Not this kind of nutritional paste that even dogs wouldn't eat, but freshly baked beef ribs, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sprinkled with black pepper, served with fried potato wedges, and a big glass of iced soda—by the way, can I still order takeout now?"
“It should be possible.” Susan laughed. “I remember that old shop in the east of the city is still open. Their cheese sauce recipe hasn’t changed in ten years.”
"I'm going to order ten servings in one go." Chen Hao slapped his thigh. "After I finish eating, I'll lie flat and won't get up no matter who calls me."
Carl shook his head: "I just want to take a hot shower, real hot water, not the lukewarm kind from the refrigerated filters. The bathroom mirror also needs to fog up so I can draw on it."
“I want to hear the sound of rain,” Susan said softly, “the kind that drips under the eaves of my old house, pattering on the tin roof.”
"I want to sleep on the floor." Chen Hao leaned back in his chair. "No safety harness, no anti-floating bed, I can just lie naked on the wooden floor and I won't float away even if I turn over."
The group started talking, one after another, and their voices gradually grew louder. The control room suddenly felt like it was filled with the presence of real people.
Nana stood in front of the data panel, not joining the conversation. Her fingers swiped rapidly, bringing up the ship's overall operational log.
Suddenly, she pressed the alarm mute button, which emitted a short beep.
"Three Level 1 equipment anomalies were detected."
The laughter stopped abruptly.
"The deformation rate of the nozzle of propulsion array group b is excessive, currently at 18.3 percent, exceeding the safety threshold."
Chen Hao frowned: "Wasn't it already fixed last time?"
“It’s a temporary calibration.” Nana pulled up the 3D model. “Long-term overload operation has caused metal fatigue, and microcracks have already spread inside.”
"Two micro-leaks were found in the main power conduit, located at engine compartment connection sections c and d."
Susan immediately sat up straight: "Won't this affect the power supply?"
"The current leakage is extremely small, but if a sudden pressure change occurs during the deceleration and orbit insertion phase, it may trigger a chain reaction of fluctuations."
"Third item: The gyroscope response delay of the attitude control system has increased to 320 milliseconds, which exceeds the standard range."
Carl whistled: "If this thing malfunctions, we might flip over when we land."
“Therefore, we must conduct an inspection.” Nana closed the interface. “All critical modules need to be checked on-site; otherwise, we cannot guarantee the safety of the final orbital insertion.”
Chen Hao's smile vanished completely. He stood up, walked to the control panel, pressed a few buttons, and brought up the repair list.
“Let’s do it,” he said. “We’re almost there anyway, let’s not stumble at the last step.”
He turned to the three of them: "Karl, go to the engine room and check the internal crystallization and duct interfaces of the thrusters; Susan, come with me through the life support lines, especially the oxygen circulation nodes; Nana, keep an eye on the navigation and communication links, and call for help immediately if there is any signal fluctuation."
"Understood," the three responded simultaneously.
Carl grabbed his toolbox and headed toward the hatch. As he passed Chen Hao, he whispered, "Count me in for the beef ribs you mentioned earlier."
"More for the same price." Chen Hao waved his hand. "I'll treat you to three days of meals after we land."
Susan opened the access panel at her feet and crawled into the passage below. The metal ladder rattled slightly. She turned on her handheld scanner and began scanning the pipe joints section by section.
Chen Hao followed him down, hunching over and inching forward in the cramped space. His size always put him at a disadvantage in such places, and his clothes got covered in dust.
“This sealing ring is badly aged.” Susan stopped and pointed to a dark-colored joint. “It has almost no elasticity and deforms easily when pressed.”
"Replace it." Chen Hao took out his clipboard. "Write this down. The first thing to do after landing is to restock."
"And here, there are slight signs of oxidation at the valve connection."
"Mark it in red first, then deal with it when you get back."
The two continued crawling forward, the light from the ceiling lights appearing intermittently at intervals. Instruments beeped, each beep corresponding to a data reading.
On the other side, Carl had already dismantled the thruster casing. He crouched down in front of the nozzle and shone his flashlight inside.
There was a thin layer of white deposit on the inner wall, like salt frost. He gently took a sample with a scraper and placed it into the test tube.
"It really is crystallization," he muttered to himself. "Fuel impurities precipitate out at high temperatures, blocking the airflow channels."
He took out a wrench, preparing to disassemble the secondary deflector. Just as he loosened the first screw, a small splash of liquid touched his wrist.
"Tsk, I missed." He shook his hand. "I should have worn gloves."
Nana paced back and forth in the control room, monitoring the real-time data streams from four areas. Her gaze lingered on a set of voltage fluctuation curves.
"Chen Hao".
"Hmm?" A muffled sound came from the communicator.
"There is a poor connection at the backup power terminal of the navigation module. It is recommended to address this issue first."
"Received." There was a pause on the other end. "We'll turn around immediately."
She glanced at the time again.
There are still 66 hours of travel time to reach our home planet.
The repair work is 70% complete.
Carl wiped his liquid-covered hands on his trousers and continued tightening the screws. A slight clicking sound came from inside the thruster, like the panting of some old machine.
Susan opened the third inspection port, and the detector immediately sounded an alarm.
“There’s a crack here,” she said. “It’s not big, but it goes through the pipe wall, and condensate may have seeped in.”
"Take photos for record-keeping," Chen Hao said from behind. "Seal it with emergency tape first, then replace the whole section when we get back."
"good."
Nana switched to the engine compartment view. The monitor showed Carl skillfully removing the spoiler.
She pulled up the thruster design drawings and compared them with the current dismantling progress.
“Karl”.
"What's wrong?"
"The third fixing bolt needs to be rotated counterclockwise; your current direction is wrong."
"Huh?" Carl looked down at the wrench. "Damn, I really turned it upside down."
He stopped to adjust his posture.
Chen Hao and Susan slowly backed away in the manhole. The space was too narrow, and the two could only move sideways.
"Do you think we'll be able to land smoothly this time?" Susan asked.
"I don't know," Chen Hao said, catching his breath, "but we have to give it a try."
"What if it gets stuck outside the atmosphere?"
“Then keep repairing it,” he said. “Repair it until it can be laid down.”
They climbed out of the passage and back into the main cabin. Chen Hao took off his gloves and threw them on the table; his face was covered in sweat.
Nana handed her a bottle of water.
"Thank you." He unscrewed the cap and took a sip. "What's next?"
“The communication array coupler,” Nana said, “has reduced the signal gain by five percent, which could affect ground communications.”
“Then let’s go.” Chen Hao wiped his face. “Don’t let our family think we’ve disappeared.”
He walked towards the rear cabin passage, his steps a little heavy. Susan followed behind, carrying the testing equipment.
Carl was still in the engine bay, squatting on the ground removing the last spoiler. He neatly arranged the removed parts beside him.
Nana stood in front of the control panel, looking at the four people's positions marked on the ship's layout map. Three red dots were moving, and one was flashing.
She pressed the record button.
"The seventeenth full-ship inspection is underway."
Chen Hao pushed open the rear cabin door, and the corridor lights flickered on and off.
He stopped and looked up at the ceiling.
"This light bulb needs to be replaced."
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