Having spoken his piece, Chairman Kemore departed. He offered no further instructions or parting words regarding the momentous decision to authorize Zhe Qiuhong and the Voyage organization to activate Project Fireseed.
This meant that the soon-to-depart "Fireseed" fleet would bear no tangible mission whatsoever; all they had to do was flee, survive, and explore on their own.
Zhe Qiuhong and her entourage were left standing where they were. The vast majority among them had originally belonged to Voyage. Because their dream had suddenly come true, no one spoke for a time.
Some were pleasantly surprised, thrilled.
Others were bewildered, hesitant, and uneasy.
Nearby, the mid-sized airship bound for the Miracle Space Station had completed its startup sequence. Its hull hummed as source energy currents surged within, resembling a colossal beast of steel struggling to suppress itself, still waiting for Zhe Qiuhong to board.
"Do we... activate the plan immediately?" Finally, one of the subordinates who had come to see her off broke the silence.
Zhe Qiuhong turned to look at him and gave a calm, unwavering nod, speaking in her capacity as Navigator of Voyage: "Yes. Go make the arrangements. Everyone is to immediately restore their organizational roster, take up their assigned posts, and coordinate with Azure's relevant departments as soon as possible to begin preparations. Once I return from the Miracle Space Station, we depart."
"Everyone? All of us?" someone nearby asked cautiously.
Although Voyage had ostensibly joined Azure through an en masse incorporation, the truth was that well before then, many of their members had already infiltrated Azure's ranks—and their identities had not yet been exposed.
Perhaps because Chairman Kemore's words had been so sudden and concise, a portion of the Voyage members present could not help worrying whether this was a trap.
"Yes, everyone. There is no need to worry," Zhe Qiuhong stated her judgment without explaining her reasons, then led the way toward the boarding ladder.
"Then," her subordinates said, their worries and hesitation dissolving into relief and delight, "shall we prepare and execute all procedures according to the original plan?"
The original plan was a long-standing expedition blueprint, compiled through decades of arduous research since the founding of Voyage.
"Yes, all of..." Zhe Qiuhong stopped with her back turned to them. In a rare moment of earnest hesitation, she changed her mind. "No. We need to alter our course."
"Alter our course?!"
"Change the fleet's navigation route?"
"Yes. Let's set out in a different direction." Zhe Qiuhong looked up at the sky and said slowly, "We must... stay away from the direction of Mars."
In Voyage's original plan, the Fireseed fleet was to fly toward Mars first... Zhe Qiuhong's change meant that an immense amount of work would have to be scrapped and redone from scratch.
It would be difficult to accomplish in a short time—strictly speaking, fundamentally impossible within such a tight window. Consequently, this change was bound to introduce immense uncertainty to the fleet's voyage.
"In that case, I'm afraid..." The subordinate meant that they would likely need more time, fearing they wouldn't make it and that the risk factor would inevitably soar.
"It doesn't matter. Let us try our luck," Zhe Qiuhong interrupted firmly. Then, as she continued walking forward, she lowered her head and muttered under her breath, "It was a gamble to begin with anyway."
She was calm, free of needless anxiety. In truth, over the past century, nearly every operation humanity had mounted against the Great Spike civilization's invasion could be considered a gamble to some degree.
Just as the ancient Huaxian adage went: Do what humanly can be done, and leave the rest to fate.
"But why do this?" Her subordinates did not ask aloud again, but wondered silently in their hearts, "Why suddenly change the course? What reason could there be to stay away from the direction of Mars at all costs?"
A young soldier in full combat gear stood expressionless beneath the airship's boarding ladder.
It was supposed to have been an ordinary guard shift, yet he had inexplicably overheard so many monumental decisions from the highest levels of Azure. By now, he was utterly bewildered inside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhe Qiuhong's figure pass by, followed by the sound of military boots plated with dead iron stepping onto the ladder.
"What do you think intuition—or a sixth sense—really is? A woman's, a man's."
The young soldier didn't realize right away that the question was directed at him. But what if it was?
Hesitating, he slowly turned his head toward Zhe Qiuhong.
Zhe Qiuhong was looking at him.
"I... I don't know," the young soldier answered blankly, his voice hesitant.
"Mm." Zhe Qiuhong nodded and continued, "Then do you think humanity's true nature is mostly pessimistic or optimistic?"
"I... don't know that either." The young soldier shook his head, conveying his utter bewilderment and innocence.
"Do you think humanity will ultimately be victorious?" Zhe Qiuhong asked next, her pace quickening slightly.
"Of course! We definitely will! Fight for humanity's victory!" Reciting Azure's new slogan, the young soldier snapped to attention, puffing out his chest with a bright smile. "From the first day I joined Azure, my comrades and I have been ready. We will all fight for humanity's ultimate victory, even if we fight to the death."
"You are all willing to fight to the death for humanity, but once you have all died in battle, will humanity truly win?" Zhe Qiuhong asked again, her expression serious and solemn as ever.
"Huh?" The young soldier's pupils quivered, and he lapsed into confusion once more. "I..."
"There really is no such thing as intuition or a sixth sense. Most humans are simply pessimistic by nature," Zhe Qiuhong murmured to herself, as if offering herself comfort, then turned and continued up the ladder.
The accompanying medical team personnel walked over and quickly completed boarding.
The airship lifted off and flew toward the Miracle Space Station.
***
Space on the station was limited, with most of it set aside for workstations. As a result, even Xin Yaoqiao's private quarters were pitifully cramped, fitting only a simple cot pushed against the wall.
She had been sitting on the bed for a long time. She had wept off and on for brief spells, but spent most of her time with her thoughts racing aimlessly, devoid of any clear direction.
Suddenly, hearing a knock on the door, she hastily wiped her eyes and opened it.
A colleague poked their head in to say that the medical team from the ground had arrived.
Xin Yaoqiao naturally knew that Zhe Qiuhong had arrived, having come specifically for her. She stepped out to welcome her, standing beside the space station's main airlock entrance. As Zhe Qiuhong stepped through the docking tube, Xin Yaoqiao waved and smiled at her.
Zhe Qiuhong smiled as well, walking over to stand beside her.
For a moment, neither spoke. Only the rest of the medical team carried crate after crate through the docking tube and filed past them. Guided by station personnel, they moved the instruments into the designated workspace and immediately began setting them up.
In a little while, Xin Yaoqiao would begin listening right here to that fatal recording suspected to have come from the Great Spike Miwang, attempting to decipher and translate it.
Prior to this, four of Azure's finest researchers in the Great Spike civilization's language had already died silently beneath this recording, showing neither warning signs nor any physical trauma.
Chapter 928