When Chen Hao opened his eyes, Karl was squatting next to the power box, holding a rusty metal piece in his hand, looking at it again and again under the light.
He didn't move, just stared at the crack in the ceiling. Yesterday, the crack was only as wide as a fingernail, but now it was almost wide enough to fit a finger.
"Is it fixed?" he asked.
Carl didn't even look up: "They replaced the control module with an old circuit board they found in the cargo hold. It'll last for a while, but don't expect it to run long distances."
"It's good enough." Chen Hao sat up, his neck cracking twice. "It's better than lying here waiting to die."
Susan leaned back in the passenger seat, still clutching a wrench in her hand. The bandage on her arm was a little yellow, probably because it hadn't been changed in a long time.
“What about the oxygen circulation system?” she asked.
“There was a leak, but I fixed it.” Karl stood up and patted his pants. “The pipes were old, and the joints were loose. The pressure is stable now, but the efficiency has dropped by half.”
"So that means the air we breathe is getting thinner and thinner?" Chen Hao grinned. "We'll have to be more careful with our words from now on, every word counts."
No one laughed.
Nana stood in front of the control panel, swiping her finger across the surface. The screen lit up, displaying lines of data.
"We have 7.6 percent of energy remaining," she said. "Our food reserves can last for ten days. The water circulation system is working properly, but the filter membrane needs to be replaced, otherwise the water quality will deteriorate in three days."
Chen Hao whistled: "Good heavens, we're so poor now that even air is being rationed."
“This isn’t new,” Karl said, leaning against the wall. “We’ve been living off our past achievements ever since we came out of the energy trap.”
“The problem is that we’re almost out of resources,” Susan said, looking down at her toolbox. “We need to find new resources.”
"Is there anywhere nearby where we can stay?" Chen Hao asked Nana.
She brought up the star map, and a flash of light revealed a hazy, gray area.
“There is an asteroid belt 370,000 kilometers ahead,” she said. “It is marked as an inert mineral belt and theoretically contains ferrosilicon, nickel, cobalt, and small amounts of rare minerals. Probe signals indicate exposed mineral veins on the surface.”
"Sounds like a buffet," Chen Hao leaned closer. "Can we dig some out?"
“Yes,” Nana nodded. “But there are high-frequency gravitational disturbances in this area, making passage risky. Three abandoned spaceships have already been confirmed to have crashed there.”
"So, going in might turn it into the fourth ship?" Susan frowned.
“It might be the only one to survive,” Karl suddenly said. “If we don’t move, we’ll cut off the power in eighteen days. If we do move, we still have a chance to snatch something back.”
"When did you become so enthusiastic?" Chen Hao turned to look at him.
“I’m not being proactive, I’m being clear-headed,” Karl sneered. “You think you can just lie there and wait for rescue? There’s no signal coming out of here, who’s going to find us?”
The cabin was quiet for a few seconds.
Chen Hao stroked his chin: "So now there are two paths. One is to wait to die where you are, the other is to move forward and seek death. Which one do you choose?"
“We don’t necessarily have to die,” Nana said. “We can approach tentatively, sending out drones for reconnaissance first.”
"Where did this drone come from?" Susan asked.
“Dismantle one that’s been scrapped.” Nana pointed to the corner. “There are two older models in the storage lockers in section B; the parts are still usable.”
"Then hurry up and dismantle it." Chen Hao waved his hand. "I dream of seeing a complete solar panel right now."
Carl crouched down to inspect the thruster wiring. He cut off a charred end of the wire and connected it to a conduit he had ripped from the robot.
“This thing won’t last long,” he said. “Don’t accelerate too hard next time, or we’ll really have to row.”
“Boating is fine too.” Chen Hao leaned back in his chair. “When I was a kid, I used to paddle boats in the park, eating grilled sausages as I paddled. It was wonderful.”
“You’re so fat now, the boat will sink if you get on it,” Susan glanced at him.
“That’s because I’m overweight, not overweight.” He patted his stomach. “I’m still floating.”
Nana has begun disassembling the robot. Her fingers deftly unscrew the screws, removing the internal batteries and sensors.
"Assembly is expected to be completed in two hours," she said. "The reconnaissance range is 500 kilometers, and the transmitted images are accurate to the centimeter level."
"That's enough." Chen Hao nodded. "Charge when you see a mine, retreat when you don't. It's simple and clear."
“The premise is that we can fly in alive.” Susan stared at the star map. “The gravitational turbulence in that area is too strong. If you deviate even slightly, you will crash into rocks.”
"Then don't veer off course," Chen Hao laughed. "We're not novice drivers; we can still hold the steering wheel."
“This isn’t driving,” Carl looked up. “This is dancing in a minefield, blindfolded.”
"We still have to jump." Chen Hao stood up and walked to the control panel. "You say we can't move, so we just stay here and wait for the oxygen to slowly run out? Wait for the food containers to be emptied one by one? Then we take turns lying in the hibernation pods and pretend we can still live until rescue?"
No one spoke.
He knew what they were thinking.
He was afraid too.
But he was more afraid of the feeling of slowly dying.
Like an oil lamp, the flame grew smaller and smaller until it finally went out with a snap, unnoticed and forgotten.
“We’ve weathered the storm and shaken off those five bastards,” he said. “Now we’re afraid of a rocky outcrop?”
“It’s not the stone that’s the problem,” Susan said softly. “It’s what if we go in and can’t get out?”
“Then don’t let the boat in,” Nana suddenly said.
Three people were looking at her at the same time.
"We will only use drones to establish safe waterways," she continued. "Once the route is determined, one person will drive a small shuttle boat to collect samples, while the others will remain on the main ship. In case of an accident, the main ship will immediately detach."
"Sounds promising," Chen Hao nodded. "Who's going?"
“I’ll go,” Carl said. “I’m familiar with mechanics and can operate with high precision.”
“You still have to fix the equipment; nothing can go wrong.” Susan shook her head. “I’ll go.”
“Your arm isn’t fully healed yet,” Chen Hao stopped her. “Besides, you almost crashed into a meteorite last time you were driving the boat. Let’s find a different driver.”
"I will be careful."
“I can drive too.” Chen Hao raised his hand.
“You?” Susan glared at him. “You can’t even back into a parking space.”
“That’s a matter of Earth’s driver’s license,” he retorted. “Space has no gravity, you can just float around, that’s so much freedom.”
"Freedom to the point of drifting into a black hole?"
"It's not that bad."
Nana interrupted them: "The selection can be made later. Now we need to confirm whether the route is feasible."
She laid the disassembled parts on the table and began welding the outer casing.
Chen Hao leaned closer to look: "Your skills are becoming more and more like a human's."
"What's the meaning?"
"I used to be very meticulous in everything I did, but now I'm more of a cobbler," he laughed. "Did you learn that from us?"
“Learning ability is a basic function,” she said. “Adapting to the environment is the key to survival.”
"That sounds a little heartbreaking."
"I'm just stating the facts."
After checking the last set of lines, Carl stood up and stretched.
"The powertrain is stable for now," he said. "Short-distance travel is fine, but don't expect continuous acceleration."
"That's enough." Chen Hao patted his shoulder. "As long as you can move, there is hope."
“Hopefully it’ll be free,” Carl sneered, “but the resources won’t.”
Susan opened the supply cabinet and counted the remaining compressed biscuits.
“Nine and a half days,” she said. “If everyone eats one less bite each day, we can last until the eleventh day.”
"Why be so stingy?" Chen Hao said. "It's better to eat your fill and then figure out how to make money."
“We can’t earn that now.” She closed the cabinet door. “We can only pick up scraps.”
“Collecting recyclables is a skill too,” he grinned. “Look at those old scavengers, they can earn over ten thousand a month.”
That's Earth.
“Now we’re practically interplanetary scavengers,” he said, shrugging. “Who knows, we might even make the news someday—‘Humanity achieves first-ever waste sorting in the asteroid belt.’”
Susan snorted and couldn't help but laugh.
Nana looked up: "The drone is 60% assembled and is expected to launch in an hour."
"Okay." Chen Hao sat back down. "Wait for news."
The cabin quieted down.
Carl leaned against the wall, resting with his eyes closed. Susan checked the seal of her gloves. Nana's fingers moved back and forth across the circuit board.
Chen Hao stared out the porthole.
The haze outside had thinned out a bit, and a few stars could be seen in the distance.
It's not as scary as before.
But this does not mean it is safe.
He knew that the real trouble was just beginning.
"Do you think there's really something in that mineral deposit?" he asked Nana.
“The detection signal is present,” she said, “but the exact reserves cannot be confirmed.”
“As long as there’s something, that’s fine,” he said. “Even if we dig up a piece of sheet metal, we can use it to exchange for a meal.”
"The premise is that it can be dug up."
"Then let's give it a try."
"The cost of trial and error is very high."
"Not trying will cost more."
Nana stopped what she was doing and looked at him.
"You always choose to take risks."
“Because I have no other choice.” He smiled. “I’ve gotten used to living a lazy life, and now that I want to be conservative, my body won’t allow it.”
She didn't say anything more and continued welding.
The solder joints emitted a slight crackling sound, and a spark flashed and disappeared.
Chen Hao leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
He knew how difficult things would be ahead.
They also knew that they would likely return empty-handed on this trip.
They might never be able to come back.
But he knew one thing even more clearly—
Those who don't move will never win.
An hour later, Nana pushed the drone into the launch bay.
“Ready,” she said. “Automatic ignition in three minutes.”
"Target area locked?" Chen Hao asked.
"Coordinates have been entered."
How much is the communication delay?
"Forty-seven seconds one way."
“Then let’s wait for the signal.” He sat up straight. “Everyone keep your eyes glued to the screen.”
The countdown has begun.
Three, two, one.
The launch hatch opened, the micro-thrusters ignited, and the drone silently slid out of the hull, flying toward the distant asteroid belt.
Inside the main control room, four pairs of eyes were simultaneously focused on the monitoring screen.
Everything was normal at first.
The orbit is stable, the attitude is balanced, and the image is clear.
Until twenty minutes later.
The screen suddenly jittered.
“The interference has increased,” Nana said. “We’ve entered the gravitational perturbation zone.”
"Is it still under control?"
"Yes, but the signal may be interrupted."
Sure enough, in less than five minutes, the video started to cut out.
Finally, the image freezes on a blurry frame.
On the surface of the rock, a crack gleamed with a faint metallic sheen.
“That is…” Susan leaned closer.
“The ore vein has been exposed,” Nana confirmed. “Preliminary analysis indicates it is an iron-nickel alloy with high purity.”
"It was worth it." Chen Hao slammed his fist on the handrail. "This trip was definitely worth the wait!"
“But the waterway is still uncertain,” Nana cautioned. “Currently, only one potential passage has been discovered, less than fifty meters wide, with high-density rock formations on both sides.”
"It is a bit narrow," Chen Hao squinted, "but our ship isn't wide either."
“It will be difficult to get through,” Carl frowned. “A slight deviation will cause us to get stuck.”
"Then let's slowly rub past it," Chen Hao laughed. "Treat it like a scrub, to get rid of bad luck."
No one responded.
They all understood what this meant.
An extremely dangerous attempt.
But the resources are right in front of us.
No one said "wait and see" anymore.
No one mentioned "waiting for reinforcements in place".
Because everyone knows in their hearts—
Waiting will only make things worse.
Chen Hao stood up and walked to the control panel.
“We need to develop a plan,” he said. “When to go in, how to go in, and who will go to collect the samples—all of that needs to be decided.”
Nana nodded, her fingers sliding quickly across the panel.
The star map unfolds again, and flight paths begin to be marked.
Susan picked up a pen and recorded the parameters.
Carl stood beside her and pointed to a turning point: "This needs to be adjusted manually, otherwise the autopilot will crash."
“Then let’s do it manually,” Chen Hao said. “It doesn’t matter who drives, as long as we can bring the goods back.”
He turned to look at the porthole.
That asteroid belt floated silently in the distance, like a pile of silent graves.
It's like an unguarded treasure trove.
He took a deep breath.
"Ready to depart."
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