Die on Mars - Chapter 244

c242 Day 337 (1) Deadline

Tang Yue sat cross-legged on the floor of the experimental cabin, holding a can in his hand, his body bumping along with the car, like a migrant worker eating a box lunch on the train.

The canned beef is canned beef, and the beef is the best Qinchuan cattle beef. It is a breed specially cultivated by Northwest A&F University for the Mars landing plan. It is a special food that cannot be bought by outsiders. The meat is delicious, tender, juicy and nutritious. Compared with compressed biscuits and tomatoes, this is simply a fairy-like enjoyment. If it were two months ago, Tang Yue could have sold the old cat for such a can.

etc.

Trading an old cat for a can is a bit of a loss.

Let’s exchange for two.

Tang Yue took off the heavy Mingguang Armor. He only had a small amount of time to get rid of this airtight turtle shell every day during meals. The Mingguang Armor was covered with a fine mesh made of liquid-cooled hoses. The hoses Coolant flows inside to dissipate heat. If this network is straightened and connected, the total length can exceed 20 kilometers. In most cases, the inside of the Mingguang Armor is not hot, but if it is not hot, it is not hot, and the stuffiness remains the same. Boring.

The oxygen produced by the emergency oxygen production system always smelled like burning plastic. I didn’t know where it came from, and lithium hydroxide couldn’t absorb it. This smell gathered in the Mingguang Armor, and Tang Yue almost suffocated.

Tang Yue then tore open a pack of soft-packed cans of Kobe Wagyu beef. As we all know, Kobe Wagyu beef is the top ingredient in restaurants and is expensive. You have to find an 80-year-old shop on the streets of Tokyo or Osaka to pair it with the sake recommended by the shop owner. Just fry a few small slices and get them half-cooked. You can’t eat more. If you eat too much, you’ll get tired.

I don’t know which god of food also made canned wagyu. One pack was only as big as the palm of your hand. It was probably used as an embellishment for the meal, but Tang Yue had no sense of treating high-end ingredients. He tore open the package and poured it into his mouth. , after pouring it, I chewed it vigorously, as if abalone and loach were put together and stewed in a pot with tofu.

After dinner, Tang Yue licked his fingers. As he licked, he suddenly remembered that he had just cleaned Mingguang Kai’s urine collector. He suddenly stopped, with half of his ring finger still in his mouth.

Tang Yue thought for a few seconds.

Half a finger remains.

To lick or not to lick?

this is a problem.

·

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Tang Yue drank a large glass of orange juice and burped with satisfaction.

At this time, the Martian stray dog ​​swayed and stopped. Tang Yue looked out through the porthole and held down the earphone, “Old cat? Why did you stop the car? Is the wheel stuck in a pit again?”

“No.” The old cat replied, “Come down and take a look.”

Tang Yue put on the Mingguang Armor, put the garbage into a plastic bag, then opened the hatch and threw all the garbage out.

Old Cat had already gotten out of the car and was standing next to the front of the car, with his back to him. The Martian Stray Dog’s wheels did not sink into the pit, and everything was normal. Tang Yue stepped forward, “What’s wrong? Why did you stop? ”

The old cat raised its paw and pointed to the horizon ahead, “That’s our target.”

Then it turned around and pointed in the direction of the rover, “That’s Kunlun Station.”

Tang Yue nodded.

“What do you want to say?”

The old cat said nothing and drew a line on the edge of the wheel with his paws. “We are now one hundred and forty kilometers away from our destination and one hundred and forty kilometers away from Kunlun Station.”

Tang Yue was startled and immediately understood what this line meant.

This is the deadline.

Dead line.

This is the deadline before Tang Yue can go back on his word. This line is 140 kilometers away from the target location and 140 kilometers away from Kunlun Station. It is the central point connecting the starting point and the destination.

“Arrived so soon?”

“This shows that our attempt was effective. We have advanced a total of forty kilometers today.” Lao Mao nuzzled towards the Mars rover. They hung solar panels all over the body of the Mars stray dog, and at the same time greatly increased the speed of travel. Slowly, charging while moving forward to extend the daily travel distance.

Facts have proved that the calculations of Lao Mao and Tang Yue were accurate. The charging and discharging speed of the Mars Stray Dog battery has reached a delicate balance, and the power consumption speed of the battery has been significantly reduced. Although the walking speed of the Mars rover is now as slow as a turtle crawling, every time The total distance of the day’s advance was extended.

“Tang Yue…it’s too late to regret it now.” Old Mao turned around, “Turn around and go back here. Our remaining materials and supplies can last until we reach Kunlun Station. Once we cross this line, we will never be able to do anything again.” Maybe he’s going back.”

This is the midpoint, the midpoint of the total distance traveled, and the midpoint of material consumption. As long as Tang Yue says now that I regret and don’t want to go, the old cat will immediately drive back to Mars Stray Dog, and they will return together. Kunlun stood for a day of eating and drinking, no longer caring about envelopes or coordinates, let them all go to hell.

Tang Yue stood next to the old cat and looked at the shallow ravine under his feet.

As long as he takes this step, he will never be able to look back. The remaining supplies will not be able to support his return to Kunlun Station, and he can only walk to the dark side.

“Tang Yue, go back, forget that damn letter.” The old cat whispered, “No one will blame you if you don’t go. You don’t have to be responsible to anyone. Don’t wait for Godot anymore. Godot is waiting. Can’t reach it.”

Tang Yue said nothing.

“We still have enough survival supplies, enough food, enough fresh water, and enough electricity. You can live a comfortable and nourishing life when you go back. The plants in Kunlun Station are still waiting for you to take care of…”

Tang Yue clenched his fists and took a deep breath slowly.

“There is no hope if you go down this road. You can only wait for death silently in the wasteland. You will suffocate painfully due to depletion of oxygen. Do you understand?” The old cat seemed to be wavering when he saw Tang Yue, and he moved forward. He took a step closer and grabbed Tang Yue’s hand, “I don’t want to see you in such pain, let alone transport your body back.”

“Thank you for taking care of me, old cat.” Tang Yue opened the old cat’s claws, “But I’m just a wheel.”

The old cat was stunned.

“wheel?”

“I’m just a wheel rolling forward along with inertia. Have you ever seen a wheel like this that can turn around and turn back?” Tang Yue took a step forward, then another step, crossed the line, and then another step Go forward step by step.

“I am as free as the wind.” Tang Yue walked with his arms spread wide and shouted toward the sky, “My soul is as free as the wind.”

The old cat looked at the young man’s retreating figure, and suddenly understood that Tang Yue might have never cared about the authenticity of the letter, nor whether he could win the lawsuit or whether the earth could be restored. He was just doing it step by step. Move firmly and resolutely towards your own end and death.