Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The Fourth Wish
Researchers at the Energy Research Center said that the spacecraft was buried under the Sand City. After returning, System 05 has been looking for clues about the Sand City. However, not only Base No. 59, but everyone claimed that they had never heard of the name Sand City, nor had they seen a similar place.
The ship's chip should know its location, but Chen Mu had handed the leader over to the factory for research. The robot dog was still undergoing modifications and upgrades, so there was no carrier available for it. The summit day soon arrived. The base had been preparing for over two months, but the number of people arriving was greater than they had anticipated, nearly reaching the capacity of Base 59.
"No matter how many people come, the inspection and defense work must be done well." Chen Mu whispered.
Communication between bases is essential. Given today's technology and environment, online communication is extremely difficult. Therefore, the annual summit is extremely important and a tradition. This time, due to the spacecraft plan proposed by Base No. 59, it was moved here.
The day before the meeting, Ai, the leader of Base No. 1, finally arrived, bringing a large group of people. He was the last to arrive, and Chen Mu arranged special accommodations for him. Before the meeting officially began, there were also plans to tour the factory and other areas, but Ai declined.
The summit officially began the next day, and envoys from different bases filled the circular conference room.
The topic this time was very clear: the spacecraft plan proposed by Base No. 59. Chen Mu displayed the micro-energy station he had obtained. When the container emitting a deep blue light appeared in the conference room, everyone's attention could not help but focus on it.
"I believe you've all already heard of the spaceship plan to some degree. Here, I'll explain in detail its origins and feasibility." Chen Mu's dark pupils reflected a bright blue. He held his head slightly high, his limbs stretched, and spoke eloquently, "Viruses have existed on this planet for a century. The first large-scale outbreak occurred in 2070. Humanity was powerless against the virus until the first base was established in 2100. Since then, humans have lived in underground bases."
This is a piece of history that everyone knows, at least those sitting here know it. Some people's eyes turned to Ai. Over the years, many bases have disappeared, but Base No. 1 has never collapsed, and has always maintained its powerful strength with the largest population, largest area, highest technological level, and longer average life expectancy.
Chen Mu continued, "However, while building the base, the people at the time had another plan. They took some people off the planet and headed for the lunar base, leaving behind a spaceship, energy, and backup smart chips for the people of this planet. So far, we have obtained the micro energy station and smart chips. We just need to find a spaceship to head to the moon."
After he finished speaking, the entire conference room fell silent. Some people subconsciously looked up at the sky, but all they could see was the brightly lit ceiling light. The moon? It had been a long time since anyone had looked up at the moon.
The leader of Base No. 2 said, "What we've heard is just your one-sided account. Do you have any evidence?"
Chen Mu nodded slightly, then pressed a button, and a holographic projection screen appeared in the center of the conference room. After a brief delay, a woman in a lab coat appeared on the screen. She said, "This is the year 2100, the Third Energy Research and Development Center..."
When they were in the mountain city, he and System 05 were not prepared, so after getting the chip, they could no longer start the machine. This time when they went to the water city, he and System 05 thought that if the predecessors left behind a micro energy station, they might also leave them some words, so they prepared the corresponding equipment for screen recording before going.
After hearing the researcher's words, everyone's expressions changed subtly. Some were lost in thought, while others shook their heads. The leader of Base No. 2 said, "That still doesn't convince me. In all these years, we've never heard of a group of people going to the moon."
Chen Mu's expression was calm. "I'm not showing this to convince anyone, but to reveal the truth. I believe everyone should know what happened in the past and have a second choice."
His words were so persuasive that the leader of Base Two was momentarily unable to think of a rebuttal. He dismissed the spaceship project as a mortal fantasy, illogical, and unworthy of further discussion. Several other leaders of the higher-ranking bases disapproved of the spaceship plan, including Ai, the leader of Base One. But Ai remained silent, his pale face nearly transparent under the room lights, making it impossible for others to discern his thoughts.
The leader of Base No. 2 said, "Even if that's the case, can you guarantee that the people heading to the lunar base are still alive? Perhaps they died a long time ago, and when we get to the moon, all we'll see are graves."
Chen Mu smiled: "It seems that you are more optimistic than me. You are already thinking about what will happen after going to the moon."
The leader of Base No. 2 raised many more questions. After proposing the spaceship plan, Chen Mu first encountered questions from the Internal Affairs Department and within Base No. 59. They had already debated this countless times, so the questions raised by the leader of Base No. 2 were expected. These questions, as well as those raised by the leaders of other bases, did not go beyond the scope of their internal debate.
"I admit that the biggest problem right now is that we haven't found the Sand City yet. This is exactly where we need everyone to work together. The more people willing to participate, the easier it will be to find the Sand City."
The leader of Base No. 2 was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How big is that spaceship? How many people can it carry away?"
This was the only question Chen Mu couldn't answer. It was obvious that the spaceship couldn't take everyone away. He whispered, "At least it can take away everyone who is willing to leave."
The leader of Base No. 2 scoffed, shook his head, and pointed at the micro-energy station. "Since the micro-energy station is a gift left to us by our predecessors, I believe it doesn't belong to you, but to everyone. According to that woman, I think it would be better for us to use it for other purposes rather than on that ethereal spaceship."
Chen Mu nodded slightly, looked at him, and asked, "So where do you want to use it?"
"For example, research on drugs..."
"Do you really think medicine can save humanity?"
The leader of Base No. 2 paused, looked at Ai again, and asked, "What do you think?"
Base No. 1 was the first base built, so it stored a large amount of information. Since the establishment of the base and the trip to the moon were carried out at the same time, it must have the most information.
It was at this time that System 05 walked into the conference room. He held the newly upgraded robot dog in his arms and walked to Chen Mu. However, everyone's eyes were on Ai at this time, so few people noticed him.
"There are no outsiders here. Everyone should be frank in this meeting." Ai straightened up, but he still didn't stand up. "We all know that humanity doesn't have many days left to live."
When he said this, everyone in the room was shocked. Even though the leaders in the conference room had vaguely had such thoughts, it was the first time someone said it so bluntly. It was like being hit on the head with a stick while walking forward with your ears covered. The conference room was silent, but the eye contact between people was extremely excited.
Chen Mu and System 05 exchanged a glance. They didn't expect Ai to be so outspoken. System 05 quickly glanced at the members in the conference room. Most people's thresholds were between 98 and 99, and occasionally some people had reached 100. Once infected with the virus, there was no cure.
Ai made a gesture and stood up. Behind him was a box that was carried in at the beginning of the meeting. It was two meters high and took up a large area. Ai signaled his men to open the box.
Inside the box is something similar to a freezer compartment. It is transparent and filled with liquid. There are many interfaces and wires inside. The overall shape is oval, with an aesthetic that is out of touch with this era.
"This is a virtual cabin," Ai explained. "It can isolate viruses. As long as it's filled with nutrient solution, it's enough to keep the body alive for over fifty years. Once inside, you can upload your consciousness into the virtual world. Inside, people's minds can be completely free. There are no viruses, no death, no poverty, and everyone is the master of their own world. If you're afraid of loneliness, different people can communicate with each other."
Everyone looked at the virtual cabin in astonishment, with incredible expressions on their faces.
Ai smiled slightly and said, "This is my plan. I call it spiritual immortality."
"Now, I can let someone try it." Ai pointed at one of his subordinates at random. The subordinate did not show any reluctance at all. He took off his coat excitedly and entered the virtual cabin. After some operations, he quickly entered the virtual world with a happy expression.
"It's easy to leave," Ai said. After a while, the man opened his eyes, a look of confusion and pain flashing across his face before regaining consciousness. The virtual cabin opened, and he emerged. Ai asked him what he'd been through. He replied, "I've always wanted to be an artist, and I just spent my entire life in this place. Many people admire my work..."
As he spoke, his face turned red: "I also met someone who loves me..."
Ai didn't let him continue. "Neither drug development nor spacecraft development can save humanity. As long as we live in this body, we will always suffer and die. But our spirit is free and can live forever."
"Base No. 1 has been preparing for the Spiritual Immortality Project for years. Now, virtual capsules are ready for mass production, and they're sufficient to provide everyone with a completely free spiritual world... The only problem is a potential shortage of energy. However, the leader of Base No. 59 has conveniently provided us with a micro-energy station, filling this last gap."
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