Chen Hao's hand was still on the control stick, his knuckles clenched. The spaceship had just plunged into the chaotic mass of asteroids, and the sound of the explosions behind it still made the bulkheads vibrate.
Susan slumped in her seat, panting as if she'd run ten kilometers. Carl looked down at the system panel, muttering something about weld pressure. Nana stared at the radar, her eyes fixed.
“They didn’t follow,” she said.
"You really dumped him?" Susan looked up.
“All three ships have stopped.” Nana nodded. “The main guns are on cooldown, and they have temporarily lost their pursuit capability.”
The cockpit fell silent. Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumped, and he leaned back in his seat.
"Finally..." he didn't finish his sentence.
The spaceship jolted violently, as if kicked from behind. Alarms sounded, and red lights began flashing.
"What is it now?" Chen Hao immediately sat up straight.
“The spatial density ahead is abnormal.” Nana’s speech quickened. “The gravitational field reading has jumped, and the coordinates have shifted by seventeen percent.”
"Did you bump into something?" Susan asked, gripping the handrail.
“No collision record.” Nana shook her head. “We’re entering a high-energy turbulence zone.”
“Turbulence?” Karl looked up. “The kind that can tear a ship to shreds?”
“That’s the kind.” Nana pulled up the data chart. “I suggest adjusting the attitude angle immediately to avoid resonance.”
Chen Hao gripped the joysticks tightly with both hands again. "Can this thing be manually stabilized?"
“We can try,” Nana said, “but the bumps will continue, and the equipment may break down one after another.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a muffled thud came from the starboard side, as if a metal plate had been flipped open and then slammed back in.
"The outer shell is vibrating!" Carl rushed to the engineering panel. "The sealing strip is cracking! If it keeps shaking like this, the pressure chamber will leak!"
"Then we mustn't let it leak." Chen Hao gritted his teeth. "Nana, are the stabilizers still usable?"
"Secondary stabilizer activated." Nana swiped her finger across the screen. "Releasing counterweight particle stream to balance attitude."
"Susan!" Chen Hao turned his head. "Can the gyroscope still be adjusted?"
"It's already being done!" Susan lunged at the control panel, ripped off the cover, and her fingers flew across the knobs. "Turn the damping to maximum!"
"There's a power surge on the main line!" Carl shouted. "The redundant modules must be disconnected, or the whole system will burn out!"
"You can cut it however you want!" Chen Hao stared at the distorted starry sky ahead. "Just don't turn off the lights."
The spaceship continued its forward charge, its hull shaking in waves. The numbers on the instrument panel jumped wildly, and the power output fluctuated wildly. Suddenly, a control panel sparked, and Susan reached out and ripped it off.
"This one's burned." She tossed it aside casually. "The backup line is connected."
"What about the power source?" Chen Hao asked.
“It’s still holding up.” Karl stared at the thruster’s status, “but the pressure leakage at the weld joints is getting worse, and the output is unstable.”
“I know it’s unstable.” Chen Hao’s palms were sweaty. “The problem is we can’t stop to fix it right now.”
“Nobody wants to stop,” Nana said. “The turbulence is quite extensive; the estimated crossing time is twenty-three minutes.”
"Twenty-three minutes?" Susan's eyes widened. "Can we really live that long?"
"Not necessarily," Chen Hao grinned, "but it's better than turning back to die."
The spaceship shook violently again, and one of the overhead lights flickered a few times before going out. Chen Hao felt as if his internal organs were shifting.
"This place is even more ruthless than the pirates," he muttered.
“The laws of physics don’t work rationally,” Nana said. “I suggest reducing engine output to minimize the risk of resonance.”
How much will it decrease?
"Forty percent."
“Then forty-five percent,” Chen Hao said. “I won’t do it for a penny less.”
He manually adjusted the thrust, and the spaceship slowed down. The turbulence lessened slightly, but before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp scraping sound came from the port side, like metal being slowly torn apart.
"The left-side heat pipe is loose!" Carl exclaimed, watching the monitor. "The connection is coming loose!"
"Can we solder it back?" Susan asked.
“It’s a vacuum outside, and the turbulence is still there.” Karl shook his head. “Going out now would be suicide.”
“Then we’ll reinforce it internally,” Chen Hao said. “We’ll use a spare support frame to hold it in place.”
"I'll go find some tools." Susan got up to leave.
“Wait a minute,” Nana suddenly spoke up, “We’ve detected increased energy fluctuations, which may be electromagnetic interference caused by turbulence.”
"Will it affect navigation?" Chen Hao asked.
“It’s already having an impact.” Nana pointed to the screen. “The heading has shifted by five degrees. It’s automatically correcting itself.”
"Don't expect it to handle it by itself." Chen Hao turned the steering wheel. "Turn it back manually."
The spaceship slowly turned and just as it stabilized, a loud "thud" came from the bottom.
“Bottom deck impact!” Carl checked the sensors. “We don’t know what it hit, but the structural integrity has dropped by eight percent.”
"Can it still hold on?" Chen Hao asked.
“There’s no rupture yet.” Carl stared at the data. “But if another impact of this magnitude were to occur…”
"Don't talk about 'what ifs'," Chen Hao interrupted. "What we lack most right now is 'what ifs'."
Susan returned carrying a pile of metal brackets, squatted down beside the port side pipe, and tightened screws with a wrench. Her hands were trembling, but she didn't stop.
"Can this thing really hold up?" she asked.
"At least let it stay in place for the next twenty minutes." Carl handed over a fastener.
"Twenty minutes?" Chen Hao chuckled. "Right now, every minute feels like an hour."
The spaceship continued to navigate through the turbulence. The alarms sounded intermittently, and the lights flickered on and off. A piece of ceiling collapsed, landing on an empty seat.
"What if the driver's seat falls off next time?" Susan looked up.
"Then you'd better pray I react quickly," Chen Hao said.
“I think you should lose weight,” Susan said. “Being lighter will make the boat rocking less.”
"Discussing this now?" Chen Hao rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten who rescued you from the pirates?"
“I haven’t forgotten.” Susan tightened the last screw. “I’m just reminding you that being fat isn’t a fighting force.”
"My fighting power comes from my brain," Chen Hao patted his head, "though I don't usually use it."
Nana suddenly spoke up: "Attention, the temperature of the energy core is rising."
"Again?" Karl looked up.
“Turbulence is causing a decrease in cooling efficiency,” Nana said. “The current temperature is 12 percent above the safety limit.”
"Should we shut down the non-essential systems?" Susan asked.
"Turn them off," Chen Hao said. "Turn off the air conditioner, the entertainment screen, and the bathroom light."
"Turn off the bathroom light too?" Susan was stunned.
"You want to go to the toilet while the train is bumping along?" Chen Hao asked back.
“…Never mind.” Susan shook her head. “Pretend I didn’t ask.”
The systems shut down one by one, and the light inside the cabin dimmed. The temperature of the energy core finally began to drop.
"Let's hold on for now," Nana said.
"What do you mean by 'temporary'?" Chen Hao asked.
"It means it might rise again in the next second."
"Can't you say something that will put people at ease?" Chen Hao sighed.
“I’m telling you the truth,” Nana said, “so you’ll know how dangerous it is.”
“We’ve known all along,” Carl said in a low voice. “We’ve known since the day we boarded the ship.”
The spaceship shook violently again, and Susan nearly slipped off the ground, managing to steady herself by grabbing onto a pipe. Chen Hao gripped the control stick tightly, his arm muscles tense.
"How much longer?" he asked.
“Eighteen minutes,” Nana said.
"Why has it decreased?"
"It's because we slowed down."
"How about speeding it up?"
"This could put more stress on the ship's hull."
"So it's a question of whether to die slower or faster?"
"almost."
"Choose the slower one," Chen Hao said, "at least let me curse a few more times."
He adjusted the engine output again, and the spaceship accelerated slightly. The turbulence intensified, but the course finally stabilized.
Susan returned to the console and checked the gyroscope data. "The damping is still working, but the bearing is nearing its limit."
"Can you hold on?" Chen Hao asked.
"I don't know," she said. "It's up to fate."
"I've been having good luck lately," Chen Hao said. "I just shook off the pirates, so maybe I can get away with it this time too."
“Luck won’t always be on your side,” Carl said.
"That depends on how you use it," Chen Hao smiled. "For example, I've decided now—not to look back."
He glanced at the rearview radar, confirmed that the pirates hadn't caught up, and then cut off the signal.
"It saves electricity," he said.
"You might miss the warning," Nana cautioned.
"Anyway, we can't worry about what's behind us now," Chen Hao said. "The situation ahead is tough enough already."
The spaceship continued forward. The turbulence showed no signs of abating; in fact, it grew stronger. An external sensor detached and flew into the darkness.
“We’ve lost one monitoring point,” Nana said. “The blind spot on the right side has widened.”
“Then look to the left,” Chen Hao said. “You can navigate the boat with just one eye.”
"Have you ever driven before?" Susan asked.
"I've driven a tractor."
"No wonder you drive like you're tilling the land."
"Thank you for the compliment," Chen Hao said. "At least I didn't capsize the boat."
The words had barely left his mouth when the ship suddenly tilted, as if grabbed and flung away by an invisible hand. Everyone was thrown violently, and Chen Hao's hand nearly slipped off the control stick.
"Attitude out of control!" Nana shouted. "Stabilizing wing failure!"
"Reboot!" Chen Hao roared.
"Trying!" Nana quickly replied. "Three seconds required!"
Three seconds later, the stabilizer reactivated, and the spacecraft barely leveled out.
"Almost." Susan rubbed her forehead.
“Very bad.” Carl stared at the structural report. “The damage to the hull has accumulated to fifteen percent. If this continues, the ship will fall apart.”
"Then let's not let it disperse." Chen Hao gritted his teeth. "Nana, is there any way to get around this turbulent flow?"
“No,” Nana said. “We’re surrounded on all sides.”
"So the only option is to force our way in?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go for it." Chen Hao took a deep breath. "No one is allowed to close their eyes."
He increased the thrust, and the spaceship accelerated again. The turbulence intensified, and things flew everywhere inside the cabin. A control panel completely detached and crashed to the ground.
Susan gripped the handrail tightly, while Carl half-crawled on the floor checking the wiring. Nana stood in front of the control panel, her eyes scanning the constantly fluctuating data.
"The core energy temperature is rising again," she said.
"How much will it be promoted this time?"
"Exceeding the safety line by 18 percent."
"Can it still hold on?"
"uncertain."
“Then just try to hold on,” Chen Hao said. “Tell me what to do.”
"Reduce output, or... sacrifice part of the system to save the core."
Which one should be sacrificed?
"Life support can be downgraded by one level."
"No," Chen Hao shook his head. "People are more important than machines."
"Then we can only gamble on the engine."
“Then let’s gamble.” Chen Hao stared at the distorted space ahead. “Anyway, we’ve always been gambling.”
The spaceship struggled forward through the turbulence. Alarms blared and lights flashed. Chen Hao's hands remained firmly on the control stick.
His clothes were soaked, and his face was covered in sweat. Susan's lips were a little pale, and there was blood seeping from Carl's forehead, from where he had bumped himself.
Nana's voice rang out again: "A stronger gravitational disturbance has been detected ahead."
How strong?
"Enough to change the spaceship's orbit."
"Is it possible to avoid it?"
"We need to turn around immediately."
Chen Hao pulled the control stick. The spaceship began to turn with difficulty.
Just as the ship began to tilt, a piercing metallic snapping sound came from the port side.
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