Hello.
There was no answer on the walkie-talkie. Chen Hao pressed and released the button repeatedly, water dripping down the earphone cord and leaving a small wet patch on the ground.
He looked up; the ventilation duct was still swaying, like a nearly broken bone hanging in mid-air. Rainwater leaked from the cracks, hitting his face and making him feel numb with cold.
"Karl!" he shouted on a different channel, "Sector C can't hold out anymore, bring men over!"
Three seconds later, the reply came: "Received, coming right away."
Chen Hao didn't move. His feet were already white from being soaked, and the soles of his shoes made a squelching sound as he stepped into the puddles. He stared at the rickety section of pipe, thinking that if it really collapsed, he would probably be bedridden for a few days. But being bedridden for a few days was better than the entire cable being destroyed.
He turned and walked to the tool rack, dragging out two sandbags. The bags were soaked and heavy, as if they were filled with stones. He gritted his teeth and piled them up at the top of the stairs, then tore open a roll of waterproof cloth and nailed it to the wall to block the water.
The water level has not risen any further for the time being.
Five minutes later, Karl burst in with three men, soaking wet and covered in mud.
“It’s about to collapse,” Carl said, panting. “We just used supports to prop up the ventilation ducts, but it’s not safe; we’ll have to weld them.”
"There's no time to weld," Chen Hao shook his head. "Let's reinforce it with bolts first, and see how long it lasts."
“Okay.” Carl nodded, then turned to his men and said, “Go get the toolbox and that hydraulic strut.”
The two ran out. The remaining one squatted on the ground, inspecting the cable boxes. He opened the lid, glanced inside, and frowned: "They've flooded. At least two boxes."
"Is it still usable?" Chen Hao asked.
"It depends on the situation; it needs to be dried," the man said. "It will burn if it's plugged in now."
"Then let's cut off the power first." Chen Hao took out his walkie-talkie. "Nana, cut off the power to the underground level of Zone C, and isolate all lines."
A few seconds later, a voice came through: "Executed. The main control panel is switching to the backup circuit. Operation will not be affected."
“Okay.” He put away the walkie-talkie and looked at Karl. “You go and direct the reinforcement upstairs. I’ll handle these boxes down here.”
"Your feet are rotten and you're still trying to move them?" Karl glared.
"It's still movable even if it's rotten." Chen Hao grinned. "Besides, if I don't move it, who will? You're all twenty pounds lighter than me, and you still have the nerve to let me rest?"
Carl didn't say anything, glanced at him, and turned to climb the ladder.
Chen Hao bent down to pull the innermost box of cables. It was too heavy for one person to move. So he simply sat in the water, leaned against the frame, and used his shoulder to push the box out. The water was above his knees and icy cold.
Finally, they moved to the dry area. He then went back to get the second box.
After all four boxes were rescued, Carl came down from the top.
"It's stable for now," he said. "The pole is in place, so it should hold until dawn at least."
"That's good." Chen Hao stood up, his legs trembling slightly. "Let's go to the control room and check on the situation elsewhere."
The two waded through the water to get out. The rain had lessened a bit, but the wind was still blowing. As they passed the energy station, they noticed a crack in the roof from which water was dripping. Carl jotted it down on his wrist terminal: "Fix it tomorrow."
In the control room, Nana stood in front of the control panel, her finger sliding across the screen. Various data were displayed on the screen.
"The power system is stable," she said. "Communications are normal, and the drainage system has resumed operation."
"What about casualties?" Chen Hao asked.
"No new injuries. The medical team reports that everyone is in stable condition."
"Where is Susan?" he asked again.
"Take inventory of supplies in the living area." She paused. "She wants you to come in and talk to her."
Chen Hao and Karl exchanged a glance and went into the next room.
Susan sat in the chair, her hair still dripping wet. A notebook lay open in front of her, and she was writing something.
"All the medicines were saved," she said. "The food was moved too. It's just that two boxes of compressed biscuits got wet and had to be discarded."
"It's nothing," Chen Hao waved his hand. "As long as no one is hurt."
"Do you still feel pain?" She looked up at him. "Your feet are all swollen."
“A little.” He looked down, “but it doesn’t hinder my walking.”
"We'll change the dressing later," she said. "Don't wait until it festers and breaks through before you feel the pain."
"Okay, okay, okay." He agreed readily, "After we're done with this."
The three remained silent for a while. The wind outside gradually subsided, and the sound of raindrops pattering on the metal roof also slowed down.
"Did we hold out?" Susan asked softly.
"We held on," Chen Hao said. "Although it was a bit of a mess, we managed to protect everything that needed to be protected."
Carl leaned against the wall and suddenly spoke up: "The maintenance area scaffolding didn't collapse, the power station didn't flood, and the main control panel has been online the whole time. To be honest, it's better than I expected."
"Of course," Chen Hao laughed. "You think I worked all night for nothing?"
“That’s not what I meant.” Karl shook his head. “I meant… we’re really starting to get stronger. In the past, the base would have been paralyzed long ago in this kind of weather.”
Susan closed her notebook: "So it's worth continuing now?"
“Of course,” Chen Hao stood up. “What else? Lie down and wait to die?”
No one responded. But the atmosphere changed.
The sky began to turn gray. The rain had mostly stopped. A few rays of light pierced through the clouds, shining on the wet ground.
Chen Hao walked out of the room and headed towards the platform along the corridor. Carl and Susan followed behind.
Standing on the platform, you can see the entire base.
The scaffolding in the maintenance area is still there, though the edges are slightly warped; the lights in the power station are on, and the generator is humming; sandbags are piled up at the entrance to the storage room in the living area, but the inside is dry and safe. Those places that were once overturned by the tsunami have now been rebuilt, the pipelines have been replaced, and even a few new windows reflect the morning light.
“Look over there,” Carl said, pointing to the exterior wall of the newly built warehouse. “It’s a bit crooked.”
Chen Hao squinted at him: "Is it serious?"
“The structure is fine,” Carl said. “It’s probably just that the foundation hasn’t been fully compacted yet. We can adjust it in a few days.”
“That’s not a big deal,” Chen Hao said. “What’s the big deal if the house is a little crooked? As long as the people aren’t crooked.”
Susan smiled and said, "You make it sound so easy."
“It’s not difficult to begin with.” He shrugged. “As long as the things are still there and the people are still here, it doesn’t matter how many times it’s repaired.”
They stood there for a long time. No one suggested taking a break, and no one complained of being tired.
Back in the control room, Nana was organizing the data.
"The storm is over," she said. "The current wind speed is six meters per second, and the rain has stopped. The atmospheric pressure is rising."
"Are there any questions we missed?" Chen Hao asked.
“The ventilation ducts in Zone C still need to be completely replaced.” She pulled up the image. “The existing support structure is expected to last no more than seventy-two hours.”
"I've got it." Chen Hao nodded. "We'll start dismantling it when it's fully light."
“In addition,” she paused abruptly, “a weak disturbance was detected in the ionosphere, with an abnormal frequency, lasting for eighteen minutes.”
The three of them fell silent at the same time.
"What do you mean?" Susan asked.
“I’m not sure,” Nana said. “Similar signals appeared before the last storm.”
"So, it's possible we could do it again?" Karl frowned.
“The possibility exists,” she said. “It is advisable to remain on alert.”
Chen Hao didn't speak. He walked to the window and looked at the wet buildings outside. The wind blew the remaining raindrops, which pattered against the glass.
“Then let’s keep guarding.” He turned around. “Anyway, nobody can sleep.”
He turned to Carl: “You go get two hours of sleep, then it’s your turn to work. Susan, you do the same.”
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Susan asked.
“I’ll keep an eye on things,” he said. “When you wake up, there might be new work to do.”
Carl patted him on the shoulder: "Okay, hang in there."
After the two left, only Chen Hao and Nana remained in the room.
He sat down and turned on the monitor. All areas were quiet, except for the drainage pumps which were still running.
"Are you sleepy?" he asked Nana.
“I don’t need sleep,” she said. “But I can lower the energy consumption mode.”
“Don’t reduce the power,” he said. “Keep it at full capacity. If it happens again, we won’t have the energy to work all night again.”
"clear."
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the screen. His eyelids felt heavy, but he dared not close them.
The sky outside was gradually brightening. A bird flew over the rooftops, landed on the clothesline, and shook its wings.
Chen Hao reached for the kettle on the table, unscrewed it, and took a sip. The water was cold.
He put down the pot and saw a red dot flash in the lower right corner of the screen.
"Nana".
"exist."
"Did that signal appear again?"
She didn't answer immediately. She traced a few lines on the panel with her fingers.
“Yes,” she said. “At the same frequency, the intensity increases by twelve percent.”
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