The progress bar on the screen finally finished, and the last cell was filled.
The words "[Preliminary Resource Requirements List V1.0]" popped up, followed by a dense list of items that scrolled until the bottom was nowhere in sight. Nana exported the data, the printer hummed for half a minute, and a piece of paper floated out.
Chen Hao reached out and caught the paper, which was still slightly warm. He glanced at it, then looked up and said, "It's here."
Susan looked away from her notebook, and Carl stopped twirling his pen. Both of them looked at the paper in his hand.
"Let's begin." Chen Hao stuck the paper on the clipboard on the side of the control panel and casually pulled out a marker. "Go through it first. If you have any opinions, raise them now. Don't wait until we're moving things."
Nana stood in front of the information screen, and the light module flashed slightly. "The list content has been synchronized, and the weight evaluation system can be started at any time."
"No rush." Chen Hao tapped the first line with the tip of his pen. "Let's listen to what people have to say first."
Susan took a half step forward. "I looked at it, and the vitamin list only includes the basic ones, and the dosage is insufficient. Long-term B vitamin deficiency can cause nervous system disorders, and D deficiency can affect calcium absorption. Dietary fiber isn't mentioned at all."
She paused. "We're not machines; we can run without eating. But if a person's spirit collapses, they won't have the strength to repair a ship."
Carl immediately said, "Then bring fewer clothes. The escape hull only has twelve cubic meters of space. Every extra kilogram of soft materials means one less kilogram of solder. Instead of bringing ten sets of underwear, you should bring a caulking gun."
“I’m thinking of everyone,” Susan said, raising her voice slightly. “It’s not just about comfort. Malnutrition can weaken the immune system, and the anti-radiation medication will be less effective. The weight you save now might have to be paid for with your life later.”
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Carl retorted. "We only have one spare set of oxygen regeneration filters, the circuit board is severely worn out, and the cutter motor has already jammed twice. If we don't bring all of these, who will fix them if something goes wrong on the road?"
“I’m not against bringing tools,” Susan said, staring at him. “But I can’t watch people go hungry and wear smelly clothes for three months. It’s just as important as repairing the ship.”
“But this isn’t a vacation,” Carl’s tone hardened. “It’s a fight for your life. When you’re running for your life, nobody cares if your socks are clean.”
“But people aren’t parts.” Susan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was steady. “You can fix the problem by replacing the motherboard, but try replacing it with a person who’s having a breakdown?”
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
Nana's screen went dark for a moment, and the data refresh paused.
Chen Hao glanced at Nana, then at the two of them, and suddenly smiled. "You're both right."
Susan frowned. "What kind of answer is that?"
“It’s true.” Chen Hao leaned against the console. “One says that people should live like human beings, and the other says that you can only talk about other things if you’re alive. Both are right. The problem is—” He picked up a pen and drew a box at the top of the list, “We’re listing things we ‘want’ right now, not things we ‘must’.”
He turned to face the screen. "Nana, could we reclassify the list? For example, the first layer is for survival: air, water, medicine, power; the second layer is for maintaining function: tools, spare parts, repair materials; and the third layer is for improving quality of life: clothes, cleaning supplies, seasonings, etc."
Nana nodded. "We can build a three-level weighted model, where each resource is scored according to its necessity for survival, and the average score is taken after multiple people score independently."
“This is it.” Chen Hao wrote “Level 1: Essential for survival” on the paper and drew a line. “We’re not competing to see who’s more ruthless or more particular. We need to figure out what’s missing that will prevent the ship from taking off and what’s missing that will prevent people from reaching their destination.”
Susan didn't say anything, but her shoulders relaxed a little.
Carl stroked his chin. "Alright. Let's go with the actual needs then."
"Let's begin." Chen Hao handed the pen to Susan. "You start by scoring the medicines."
Susan took the pen and brought up the rating interface on the tablet. She clicked on the antibiotics category and gave it a score of 9.8. "This must be fully administered. Once infected, there is no alternative."
Carl glanced at it and nodded. "Agreed. But the dosage can be reduced to three servings, not five."
"Currently, only four people have registered that they are willing to leave," Nana added.
“Then let’s make a four-person dose.” Susan changed the numbers. “But the anti-radiation drug scored high, the environmental data has been deteriorating, and we’ve passed through at least two strong radiation zones on the way.”
“I’ll give it 9.5,” Carl typed into his terminal. “But the storage volume is large, so the priority can be lowered a bit, unless a concentrated formulation can be found.”
Chen Hao circled the two items on the projector and wrote "high quality".
Next up is the water purification module. Carl gave it a 9.7 out of 10. "Without it, I would be dehydrated within three days. And the efficiency of electrolyte recovery directly affects fluid balance."
Susan hesitated for a moment, then gave an 8.3. "Technical skills are important, but the compressed biscuits we brought have a built-in moisture regulation function, so the initial pressure won't be too high."
“That’s only in the short term,” Carl shook his head. “Once the filter gets clogged, the purification rate drops by forty percent. If you don’t fix it, you’ll be drinking dirty water.”
“So it should be moved to level two,” Chen Hao wrote down, ““Function Maintenance Class at the top.”
When it came to clothing, controversy arose again.
Susan gave the thermal blanket an 8.1 out of 10. "Hypnosis is faster than starvation in cold environments. Plus, it provides a sense of security and reduces anxiety."
Carl only gave it a 5.2. "If the escape pod's temperature control system is working properly, it's not needed. Unless the system breaks down, but in that case, we should be fixing the system, not relying on blankets to stay alive."
“But what if it can’t be fixed?” Susan asked.
“Then accept your fate,” Carl said. “But we can’t cramm a bunch of useless stuff onto the ship just because we’re afraid of dying.”
Chen Hao listened and suddenly interjected: "Are there any lightweight models that can be used in emergencies? Like the aluminum foil type, which is less than one square meter and weighs less than three hundred grams."
Nana retrieved the inventory. "We have three rolls of emergency thermal insulation film available, each roll can be divided into six pieces, with a total weight of 1,200 grams. We recommend carrying two rolls."
"Then bring it." Chen Hao noted it down. "It's not a lot, but it'll give me a backup plan."
Susan nodded and didn't argue anymore.
Next, let's talk about food. Susan suggests bringing some seasonings. "Pure protein powder is hard to swallow, and long-term consumption can lead to anorexia. Adding a little salt or hot sauce can increase intake by 20%."
Carl rolled his eyes. "In order to make people enjoy the food, why bring an extra kilogram of seasoning? It's better to bring half a box of energy paste."
“Appetite is fighting power.” Susan persisted. “If you make someone eat tasteless food for thirty days in a row, they will either go crazy or vomit.”
“Then you can bring small packets,” Chen Hao interrupted. “Nana, check if there are any compound seasoning packets, the military standard kind, five grams per packet, enough to make a cup of soup.”
“There are forty-seven bags in stock, originally intended for use in medical liquid diets,” Nana replied.
"Bring them all," Chen Hao wrote on the list. "They won't take up much space."
Karl snorted, but did not object.
The tools are progressing smoothly. The cutter, welding torch, and spare battery pack are all in the secondary high-priority range. However, when it came to the replacement filters for the oxygen regeneration unit, Carl requested two sets.
“You can only bring one set,” Susan refused outright. “I need the space in the other set for vitamin C effervescent tablets. Vitamin C deficiency can cause bleeding gums and affect eating.”
“Without a filter, the air is toxic.” Carl’s voice turned serious. “If the carbon dioxide concentration exceeds one percent, you will lose consciousness within two hours.”
“We can take turns monitoring and switch to manual filtration mode as needed,” Susan said. “And the old filter cartridges can last for a while longer; they’re not immediately scrapped.”
“But I can’t guarantee it.” Carl stared at her. “You’d bet your respiratory system?”
“I don’t gamble,” Susan looked back, “but I can’t watch someone succumb to scurvy.”
Chen Hao raised his hand. "Stop. Nana, check the maximum usage time of the filter and the onset cycle of vitamin C deficiency."
“Based on historical data,” Nana responded, “the filter can run continuously for 110 hours under overload conditions. Vitamin C deficiency symptoms usually appear after 21 consecutive days of deficiency.”
"Is the time difference enough?" Chen Hao asked.
“Theoretically, there is an overlapping risk,” Nana said. “If there is a delay along the way, both risks may be triggered simultaneously.”
Chen Hao thought for a moment. "Then let's do it this way: bring one set of filter cartridges, halve the amount of Vitamin C tablets, and prioritize ensuring the daily intake of key personnel. Other members will maintain their health through trace amounts added to compressed biscuits."
Susan seemed to want to say something, opened her mouth, and finally nodded. "Okay."
Carl tacitly agreed.
The discussion continued. Sanitary napkins, toiletry bags, spare glasses, small planting lights... each item was broken down, analyzed, scored, and its priority was adjusted.
The atmosphere gradually changed. It was no longer about who could dominate whom, but about finding ways to ensure that each other's needs could be met.
Chen Hao crossed out line after line on the projector, circling new combination schemes. Susan occasionally flipped through the inventory log, while Carl whispered to Nana about a replacement model for a certain resin adhesive. Nana's screen continuously refreshed with changes in the ratings.
The clock on the wall points to eight o'clock in the evening.
The control panel lights were on steadily, and the machine was running smoothly.
Chen Hao took a sip of his now-cold tea and pointed to the last item on the projector. "There are still seven items left to decide. Should we bring spare LED strips for lighting?"
Susan was about to speak.
Carl suddenly looked up. "Wait."
He stared at a notification in the corner of the screen.
The backup power supply is under abnormal load, and the voltage in the right cabin piping is fluctuating.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com