Chapter 13 Chapter Eleven The Dragon Comes

Even with today's technology, he doesn't believe it is possible.How many megabits (gigabits, is there really a big enough number to describe it?) of information accumulated over the past century, and in what media?Better to stop thinking about it and follow Indira's advice: "Forget that you're an engineer — just have fun." He is indeed having a good time now, but amidst the joy, there is almost overwhelming nostalgia.Because, he was flying at an altitude of about two kilometers (or so it seemed) over the spectacular scenery that was unforgettable in his youth.Of course, these views are all fake, because the pigeon cage is only 500 meters high, but the visual effect is full.

He flew around the large crater, remembering climbing up the rim in his former astronaut training.It is hard to imagine how anyone could doubt its origin, and whether it is named correctly or not!Even in the mid-20th century, though, prominent geologists were still debating whether it was volcanic.It was not until the advent of the space age that "reluctantly" it was admitted that all planets were still subject to constant pounding. Poole believes his optimum cruising speed is about 20 kilometers an hour, not 200 kilometers.However, the rules required him to fly to Flagstaff within 15 minutes.The dome of the Lowell Observatory, which reflects white light, is the place where he often went to play when he was young. The friendly staff inside undoubtedly greatly influenced his choice of career.He sometimes wonders what he would be doing if he hadn't been born in Arizona, so close to the origin of the enduring Martian legend.Imagination, perhaps, but it seemed to Poole that, not far from the giant telescope that had created his dream, he could see Lowell's unique grave.

What year and season was this video taken?He guessed it was from the spy satellites that watched over the world in the early 21st century.It couldn't have been much later than his time, for the city looked just as he remembered it.Maybe, if he flies a little lower, he will still see himself back then... But he also knew it was absurd, and he had discovered that it could only come so close.If you fly any closer, the image starts to break up, revealing the basic pixels.Better keep your distance, don't spoil this beautiful illusion. There!It's incredible!It is a small park where he plays with his middle school classmates.As water resources become more and more scarce, the fathers and villagers are always arguing about the park's waste.Well, at least the park is here to stay—no matter what year it is.

Then the memory brought tears to his eyes.Whether from the moon or Houston, as long as he can go home, he always walks along those narrow paths, takes his beloved hound, throws a stick and lets it pick it up, which is also the relationship between man and dog since ancient times. common game. Poole had hoped that when he returned from Jupiter, Ricky would greet him as usual, so he put it in the care of his younger brother Martin.When he faced this bitter fact again, he almost lost control and fell several meters before recovering.Be it Ricky or Martin, they have already returned to dust. When he could see clearly again, he noticed the dark, winding canyon looming on the far horizon.He has been struggling whether to fly over - he is getting a little tired - suddenly, he realizes that he is not the only one flying in the sky.Something else was approaching, and it was definitely not a trapeze.Although the distance is not easy to judge, the thing is too big to be human.

"Well," thought he, "I wouldn't be too surprised if I found a pterodactyl here--I've always hoped to have the chance to meet such a thing, and I hope it's friendly--or I might as well fly away .Ah, oops!" It is said that it is a pterodactyl, but it is not far from it. Maybe I have guessed eight out of ten.Slowly flapping its membranous wings and approaching Poole, it was a dragon that flew out of the world of mythology.And to make the picture more perfect, there is actually a beautiful woman riding on the back of a dragon. At least, Poole assumed she was beauty.But the traditional image is marred by a small detail: most of her face is hidden under a pair of huge pilot goggles, which may have been picked up from the uncovered cockpit of a World War I biplane .

Poole circled in midair until he was close enough to hear the flapping wings of the swooping monster.Even though the distance was less than 20 meters, he still couldn't tell whether it was a machine or a biological structure—maybe it was a mixture of the two. Then he forgot about the dragon because the knight took off the goggles. What's annoying about clichés, like some philosopher's remark (and maybe yawning while saying it), is that they're always so uninterestingly true. But "Love at First Sight" is not boring at all. Danny didn't know anything, but Poole wasn't counting on him anyway.The ubiquitous squire (who would have failed if he were a traditional valet) was so ineffective in so many ways that Poole sometimes wondered if he was mentally handicapped, which he didn't seem to be.Danny knows the functions of household appliances, he can do simple orders quickly and well, and he also knows the way in the tower.But that's all, there is no way to have any intellectual conversation with him, and if you ask politely about his family, Danny always looks blank.Poole sometimes wondered if he was a cyborg.

However, Indira immediately gave him the answers he needed. "Oh, you met the dragon girl!" "Do you all call her that? What's her real name, can you help me get her 'identity'? We're almost close enough to touch each other." "Of course—Ann." "Where did you learn it? Indira looked puzzled. "I don't know, some ancient books or old movies. Is it a good word?" "It doesn't count if you're over 15." "I'll try to remember. Just tell me what happened—unless you want me to be jealous." They are already very good friends now, and they can discuss everything straight to the point.In fact, the two of them used to playfully lament that there was no spark between them—though at one point Indira added: "If one day we were stranded on a desolate asteroid with no hope of rescue, we'd probably still be there." You can make do with it.”

"You tell me who she is first." "Her name is Aurora McAore, and she's the president of the Society of Rebirth, among many other titles. If you think 'Dragon' is surprising enough, just wait until you see the others—hmm , Creation—Let’s go. Like Moby Dick—Moby Dick—and many more dinosaurs than even nature could have dreamed up.” That's too good to be true, Poole thought.