Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty Two

"Five missiles are flying over!" Dahl endured the abdominal discomfort caused by the dive of the spaceship, while trying hard to look at the surveillance information on the co-pilot's seat. "I know," said Kerensky. "Engine power is down to minimum," Dahl said. "We're almost out of fuel." "I know," said Kerensky. "Is there any defense?" Dahl asked. "It's a shuttle," Kerensky said. "Look at mine." He turned the rudder sharply.The missiles changed their course, scattered the original formation, and continued to bite.

A message popped up on Dahl's screen: "Three missiles locked on the target and hit in six seconds." Kerensky raised his head, as if shouting to heaven: "My God, I'm the protagonist! Don't let me die!" At this moment, a beam of light from the Intrepid destroys the nearest missile.Kerensky steered the rudder, avoiding the shock wave and missile wreckage from the explosion.The Dreadnought's pulse beam obliterated the other four missiles, completely destroying them. "Oh my god, it actually works!" said Kerensky. "Do you regret that you didn't know that you had cheated earlier?" Dahl said with interest.

The shuttle boat's communicator rang. "Kerensky, please talk back." Abernathy's voice came from the other end. "I am Kerensky, please speak." "We're pressed for time," Abernathy said. "Have you brought the carrier back yet?" carrier?Dahl thought about it, and then immediately remembered that Hearst carried an invasive cell in his body. The DNA of the cell was actually an encrypted piece of information, detailing the final wish and will of the right-wing leader of Fuershan Star. If this information is made public , it is likely to suspend the religious war in Fuershan, which is probably not what the leaders of any faction in the conflict want to see, so so many warships came to besiege, with the purpose of destroying this shuttle boat.

And then Dahl realized that, until that moment, these things were all on paper. But now, everything has become a reality. "Yes," said Kerensky. "We brought back the Carrierhurst crew. But he's very ill, Captain. We can barely keep him alive." On Dahl's passenger seat, a dial began to flash. "Three more missiles are coming!" Before he finished speaking, Kerensky had already switched the shuttle boat to a new evasion mode. "Kerensky, this is Chief Medical Officer Hartnell," said a voice never heard before, "the immune system of the Hurst crew has severely rejected those cells and has been affected Seriously damaged. If you don't get him aboard the Intrepid in time, the rejection reaction will be life-threatening, and those cells will die."

"We're under attack," Kerensky said, "and it's hard to get to the main ship!" Another pulsing beam from the Dreadnaught instantly wiped out the three missiles. "Kerensky, you just go for the Dreadnought," Abernathy said. "We'll take care of those missiles. Over." "Carrier?" Duval said in the backseat. "He carries an encrypted message in his DNA? This is so nonsense!" "Nick Weinstein didn't have a lot of time to write this episode," Dahl said. "Leave him alone." "He even wrote that?" Kerensky said, pointing to the display screen showing the space battle ahead of them. "If I still have the chance to see him, I will beat him up."

"Stay focused," Dahl said. "Our first priority is to get back aboard the Intrepid alive." "Do you think the soul of Paulson's son has successfully attached to Hearst's original body?" Kerensky asked. "What?" Darl asked. "Do you think the exchange between the two of them worked?" Kerensky asked. Dahl looked back at the body on the stretcher and said, "I don't know, maybe?" "Maybe is enough." Kerensky said, he stopped the evasion mode of the spaceship, then pushed the accelerator lever to the end, and rushed straight towards the Intrepid with all his strength.The surrounding Furshan spaceships collectively fired various missiles, beams and rockets at them.The Intrepid also opened fire like a Christmas tree, intercepting all the enemy's attacks as much as possible.

"This is really a bad idea," Dahl said to Kerensky.Kerensky stared at the front, still driving the spaceship towards the Intrepid without hesitation. "Live or die," said Kerensky, "stop talking so much!" "I still prefer you before you became a fatalist," Dahl said. A missile hit the starboard side, knocking the shuttle off course.The spaceship's inertial dampers flashed warning lights, and the force threw Hurst, Duvall, and Hansen back and forth. "Don't hit the gun!" Duvall yelled. "An opinion to the writer!" Kerensky retorted.

"What a shitty excuse!" Duvall said.Another missile passed by, and the hull shook violently. The shuttle broke through the crossfire of the enemy ships and continued toward the Intrepid. "The hangar is aft," Dahl said. "We're going the wrong way!" "At this moment, I feel the author's great enthusiasm for me as a pilot!" After Kerensky finished speaking, he drove the spacecraft to dive towards the Intrepid on the trajectory of a reverse Fibonacci spiral.Dahl let out a groan as he watched the image of the Dreadnought spin and grow bigger on the screen.Missiles whizzed past the boat, and the shuttle boat staggered forward, almost being hit several times.Dahl was already convinced they were going to die head-on on the Intrepid when the ship crashed into the hangar and slammed into the deck.The hull made a harsh friction sound, and the external parts fell all the way.

Kerensky heaved a sigh of relief and turned off the engine. "It's a good show," he said. "I will never take your spaceship again," said Duval, who was sitting in the back seat. "Time is short," said Kerensky, suddenly transformed.Dahl felt he must have been manipulated by the plot. "We gotta take Hurst to the infirmary. Dahl, you and I carry the stretcher left. Duvall, Hansen, you two carry the right. Run, guys!" Dahl tore off the fastening buckle and grabbed the stretcher with such cleanness that even he couldn't believe it.Under the influence of the plot, Kerensky obediently used Hearst to refer to the person on the stretcher.

As they trotted down the walkway carrying the stretcher, there was the heavy explosion of the Dreadnought being attacked. "Now that we're on board, the enemy ships are targeting the Dreadnought," Kerensky said. "We have to hurry up." The spaceship shook even more violently. "We have been waiting for a long time." Medical Officer Hartnell said to the four people who rushed into the infirmary. "Even later, the infirmary will be gone. Maybe the entire spaceship won't be left." As the four of them set up the stretcher, Dahl heard himself say, "Can't we retreat?"

"The engine is down because of the attack," said Hartnell. "We have nowhere to go. If we don't get information from him soon, we're all going to die. Go!" They lifted Hurst and put the He is placed on the operating table.Hartnell tapped the data pad rapidly, and Hurst's body suddenly became stiff. "Well, his physiology is temporarily suspended," Hartnell said. "Until we finish the mission, he will remain the same." He stared at the data pad in his hand and frowned. "These fractures and traumatic brain injuries what is the problem?" "We've had a rough ride back," Kerensky said. Hartnell looked at Kerensky and wanted to say something, but then the whole ship tilted, and everyone except Hurst fell on the deck. "Oh, it's really not a good situation," Duvall said. Hartnell's communicator rang. "This is the captain." Abernathy's voice came from the loudspeaker, "How is the carrier?" "The Hurst crew is still alive and frozen," Hartnell said. "I'm going to sample the invasive cells and start decoding." There was another violent shock. "You've got to go faster," Abernathy said. "We're under attack that we can't afford. We're going to get the decoded information now!" "It's not possible right now," Hartnell said. "What's the longest time frame?" There was another shock, and all the lights started to flash. "I can only give you ten minutes," Abernathy said, "don't use them up." Then the captain cut off the communication. Hartnell looked at the crowd and said, "We're dead." Dale couldn't help laughing.I can assure you that the sentence just now was not made him say by the plot, he thought to himself. "Andy," Hanson said, "the box." "Oh yes," Dahl said, "the box." "What's a box?" Hartnell asked. "Give me a sample," Dahl told him. "Why?" Hartnell asked. "I took it to the Alien Biology Lab and decoded it there," Dahl said. "Here we have the same equipment—" Hartnell said. Dahl glanced at Kerensky for his support. "Let him go, Hartnell," said Kerensky, "or you'll kill us all." Hartnell frowned, but stuck his sampler into Hearst's arm, and handed the vial to Dahl. "Here you are. Then please explain to me what the hell is going on." "Andy," Hansen said, "the way to get to the alien biology laboratory from here must be through deck six." "Yes," Dahl said, turning to Kerensky, "please come with me." "Who's going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Hartnell asked again.Dahl and Kerensky rushed out of the gate into the passage. "What happened to deck six?" Kerensky asked as he ran. “It always seems like there’s going to be an explosion there when we’re under attack,” Dar said. “Like this.” "So you're using me as a talisman again, right?" "Not exactly," Dahl said. There was an explosion on deck six and it is now in flames. "The aisle is blocked!" exclaimed Kerensky. "Come here!" Dahl said, breaking open a door leading to the cargo aisle.A heat wave and shock wave from an explosion immediately poured into the door.As soon as Kerensky came in, Dahl slammed the door shut when another explosion exploded outside. "Go this way." Dahl said, and then they bypassed one after another material carrier, filed forward in the cargo lane leading to the other deck, and finally returned to the main passage again. Captain Collins looked unhappy to see Dahl. "What are you doing here?" she said.Dahl ignored her, went straight to the storage room, and took out the box. "Hey! You can't use this thing in front of Kerensky!" Collins walked over to stop Dahl. "Take her away. Keep her out of here," Dahl said to Kerensky. "Understood," said Kerensky.Collins stopped abruptly. "Get her datapad," Dahl said.Kerensky complied. "How long is left?" Dahl put the box in the sensing area. "Seven minutes," Kerensky answered. "Enough." Dahl said, put the sample into the box, and pressed the green button.He walked over to Kerensky, took Collins' datapad, logged out of her account, and logged into his. "What now?" Kerensky asked Dahl. "wait." "How long?" "See how long it takes for dramatic results." Kerensky stared intently at the box. "So when I was infected with the Merovian plague, it was thanks to this thing that I didn't turn into a puddle of water?" "Exactly," Darl said. "Absurd," said Kerensky. Collins stared at Kerensky dumbfounded. "You knew?" she said. "You shouldn't have known that." "Now I know more than you do," said Kerensky. The box made a "ding" sound, and a large amount of analytical data flowed into the data pad.Dahl glanced casually and said, "Okay, let's go back to the infirmary." So he and Kerensky rushed out of the alien biology laboratory, walked through that passage and returned to deck six. "We're almost there," Kerensky said, and they drilled out of the cargo lane to find deck six already in flames. The spaceship shook violently, and the main passageway on the sixth deck collapsed, hitting Dahl, and a piece of jagged metal pierced his liver.Dahl looked at the shards silently, then looked up to Kerensky and said, "You have to say 'almost there'." He wriggled his lips and whispered intermittently, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. "Oh! My God! Dahl!" Kerensky exclaimed, trying to get the pieces out. "Stop it," Darl said.Kerensky did not listen to him. "Don't move!" Dahl repeated with greater force.Kerensky stopped.Dahl handed Kerensky the data pad he was clutching tightly in his hand. "No time. Take these results and import them into the computer in the infirmary. Ignore Hartnell's arguments. After the data transfer is complete, the plot will come to an end. Everything will come true. But get there first. Hurry up .” "Dahl—" Kerensky hesitated to speak. "That's why I want you to come with me," Dahl said, "because I know that no matter what happens to me, you can make it right. Go away. Make a big comeback, Kerensky, make a big comeback." reverse." Kerensky nodded, took the data pad, and rushed forward. Dahl was lying on the ground enduring the severe pain of his wound. Before he lost consciousness, he kept thinking that Hearst should be able to survive, the entire spaceship could be rescued, and his partners would not have to spend time under the ravages of the plot. the rest of their lives.All it takes is the dramatic death of one more character to achieve a happy reunion.His dramatic death. It's a good deal, he thought, trying to pull himself together to see it all come to an end.Good deal.saved his friends.Saved Matthew Paulson.Saved the Intrepid.Really good deal. But as the field of vision gradually dimmed and finally became pitch black, a thought took over what was left of his consciousness. To hell with it, I want to live!It says so. But everything was swallowed by darkness.
"Stop acting!" said a voice. "We know you're awake." Darl opened his eyes. Hearst was standing in front of him, with Duvall and Hansen beside him. Dahl smiled at Hester. "It worked," he said. "It was you. It really worked." "Of course," Hurst said, "why can't it be successful?" Dahl smiled weakly, tried to sit up but couldn't. "You're immobilized in a medical chair," Duvall said. "Your liver is regenerating, and then there's a lot of burnt skin and damaged sternum to repair. You wouldn't want to move if you knew what it was like to move." gone." "How long do I have to stay like this?" Dahl asked. "Four days." Hansen said, "You are really miserable." "I thought I was dead," Dahl said. "You're really doomed if no one saves you," Duvall said. "Who saved me?" Dahl asked. Another face came into view. "Jenkins!" Dahl whispered. "You fell just outside the door of the cargo aisle," Jenkins said, "and I just saved it." "Thank you," Darl said. "No need to thank me," Jenkins said. "I'm only doing it for myself. If you're dead, I'll have no way of knowing if you got the message across." "I conveyed it," Dahl said. "And then?" Jenkins asked. "Things are going well," Dahl said. "I should give you a kiss in her place." "Well, let's talk about it later," Jenkins said. "What are you two talking about?" Duvall interjected. "I'll tell you later," Dahl said, turning to Jenkins again, "so you're out of your hiding cave back into the sun." "Yes," he said, "the past is the past." "Great," Darl said. "And I'll tell you, we've all become heroes," Hurst said, "and that 'message' was taken out of my body and broadcast by the Intrepid, ending the religion of Furshan. War. What a stroke of luck." "It's amazing," Dahl said. "Of course, it doesn't make any sense if you get to the bottom of it," Hurst said. "It never made sense." Later in the day, when Dahl's mates were leaving, he had yet another visitor. "Jin science officer." Dahl greeted. "Lieutenant," King said, "are you feeling better?" "That's what the doctor said," Dahl said. "Captain Kerensky told me that it was you who deciphered the code, so that the last wishes and last words of the right-wing leaders can be made public," Jin said. "I think so," Dahl said, "though I can't take credit for it with a clear conscience." "Anyway, for your bravery and self-sacrifice, I have written to my superiors to recognize your exploits," Kim said, "and if recognized—and there should be no suspense—you will be promoted. So please let me To say to you in advance, congratulations, Captain." "Thank you, sir." "One more thing," Jin said, "A few minutes ago, I received a top-secret message from the Yulian High Command. I was authorized to read it to you in person, and only you could listen to it." "No problem. Sir," Dahl said, "I'm all ears." Jin took out his communicator, pressed the button on the screen, and read the text on it. "Andy, I don't know if these words will get to you. Nick wrote the script for the scene and we filmed the scene, but obviously, it's not going to be shown on TV. I don't know it's just filmed Is it enough, and I don't think you have a way to tell me if everything is going as planned. But if the plan works, I want you to know two things. First, I'm so sorry for what you just went through— —Nick felt we had to write this scene like this, or the audience would question the script. Put yourself in the shoes, maybe that reason seems very weak to you, but at this moment, we can only do so. "Second, I cannot express how grateful I am to you, Jasper, and all of you for doing so much for me and my family. You brought my son back to me and my Everything is brought back. We will abide by what we finally agreed to. We will do everything that was said. I don't know what else to say, just want to say again: Thank you for making us live happily. We will do the same for you. Sincerely, Charles Paulson." "Thank you." Dahl said to Jin after pondering for a while. "You're welcome." Jin said, putting away his communicator. "That's a strange message." "I guess you could think of it as a ciphertext," Dahl said. "Can you report to your superiors what's inside?" Kim asked. "It's a message from God," Dahl said, "or from a being that is closest to God in our view." Kim looked Dahl up and down. "Sometimes I also feel like there's something going on on the Intrepid that I don't even know about," he said. "I think that's one of those things." "With all due respect, sir," Dahl said, "you have no idea how true you are."