Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-Seven

When Nicole first woke up, she was in a daze, her mind was blank and she couldn't remember anything.She suffered head injuries, severe back and leg pain, and did not know what had happened to her.She couldn't find her water bottle and couldn't drink water. "I must have a concussion." She thought in a flash, and passed out again. When Nicole woke up again, it was dark, but her memory was no longer blurred, and she remembered where she was.He was looking for the high shore, and fell into this deep well; Nicole remembered calling out to Frances, and falling painfully and terribly.She immediately picked up the communicator from the belt of her flight suit.

"Hi, it's me, Newton Expeditions," she said, slowly rising to her feet. "This is the astronaut de Jardin on the phone. I've been... Well, I can't say I'm in a bad situation. OK. I fell into a big hole and trying to get out. Sabatini knows where I am..." Nicole stopped talking, she waited.There is no response from the headset.She turned up the volume, but strangely, all she heard was some weird static.She thought: "It's already dark, it seems that the lights haven't been on for a long time this time..." Nicole knew that last time Rama's lights had been on for almost thirty hours.Had she been unconscious for so long?Or what new tricks did Rama change?She looked at her watch and thought to herself: "I've been here for 32 hours! Why didn't anyone come?"

Nicole tried to recall the last moments before she fell: they were talking to Walkerfield, and she rushed in to check the wells.Walkerfield could always locate them when they spoke, and Frances knew full well... Did all the team members encounter something unexpected?If not, then why no one found her?Laughing at her own fear and panic, Nicole reasoned, "Of course they've found me, it's just that I'm unconscious, so they decided..." Another voice in her head told her that this was wrong, if If they had found her, they would have rescued her from the deep well long ago.

Maybe she wasn't found at all, and for a moment, she was shaking with fear.Nicole forced herself to divert her attention and began to examine her injuries.She pressed her head carefully with her fingers, and there were several hematomas, one of which was quite large, on the back of her head.She figured it was the large lump that caused the concussion.But no fracture was found, and the bleeding from the skin wound had stopped long ago. She checked her legs, arms, and back. There were bruises everywhere, but miraculously, no broken bones.From time to time, the tingling pain felt from the lower neck made her realize that the cervical spine was misaligned and the nerve was compressed.Apart from this injury, everything else is fine and will recover soon.She was relieved to know that she had only suffered minor injuries.

Nicole began to observe her new place.She fell into a deep, narrow rectangular well.It is about 6 meters long from one end to the other and about 1.5 meters wide.After illuminating it with a lamp and measuring it with her arm, she estimated that the well was 8.5 meters deep. The well was empty except for some metal fragments.The metal fragments were about 5 to 15 centimeters in size and piled up at one end of the well.Nicole inspected carefully, there were hundreds of these fragments, and they were a dozen different things.Some are long and straight, some are curved, and some are connected together.Seeing these things, Nicole couldn't help but think of the garbage dumped out of the factory.

The walls of the well were straight, and the material of the walls gave Nicole the impression that it was a mixture of metal and rock.It was very cold, very cold, and there was no bump or gap to step on. Nicole didn't believe he could climb out.She tried to smash it with the portable medical device she carried with her, but she couldn't even knock out any marks. The walls of the well were hard, and Nicole couldn't help being discouraged.She walked over to the metal trash to see if there was anything she could use to make a ladder or a shelf or something.But the metal fragments were too thin, too short, and too few to be of much use.

When Nicole felt hungry and took out something to eat, her heart was even colder. Then she suddenly realized that the food and water she had brought were too little.When she set off, she only cared about bringing more medical equipment for Gao An, and reduced her own things to a minimum.Even with the minimum ration, she only had enough water for a day at most, and food for only 36 hours. She pointed the lamp upwards, and the beam of light hit the top of the "barn" and refracted away.Nicole recalled the series of incidents that happened before she fell into the well, and recalled the sudden increase of the emergency signal outside the "barn", she couldn't help thinking with great frustration: "It's wonderful, this 'barn' is probably The dead zone of the radio, no wonder no one heard my call."

She had nothing to do, so she fell into a deep sleep. Eight hours later, Nicole was suddenly awakened by a terrible dream.Just now, she was sitting with father and daughter in a lovely little restaurant in the French countryside.It was a sunny spring day, and the garden next to the small restaurant was full of flowers and colorful butterflies.The waiter had just handed over a plate of slippery snails wrapped in a thin vanilla butter sauce, which was placed in front of Genevieve; in front of Papa, there was a large plate of chicken with mushroom wine sauce; but the waiter gave himself an empty plate...

Nicole had never tasted hunger, not even when he let the lion cubs take away the food in the African savannah, he had never really experienced it.She told herself to divide the food carefully, but when hunger began to bite her, and the pain in her stomach was like a spasm, the desire overwhelmed her reason irresistibly.Finally, with trembling hands, Nicole tore open the food bag and ate almost all the food in one go.Then she rewrapped the leftover crumbs and put them in her pocket.At this moment, she buried her head in her arms, and for the first time since falling, she burst into tears. At this time, in her opinion, starving to death is the most terrible of all ways to die.She imagined herself getting weaker and weaker, and finally completely numb and dead.It must have been a gradual process, with each stage becoming more and more dire? "In this case, let's end it quickly." Nicole cried out in despair.Her digital watch flickered in the dark, as if silently counting down the last days of her life.

As the hours passed, Nicole grew weaker and more desperate.She hung her head and sat in a cold corner at the bottom of the well.She was about to give up hope entirely and accept death.At this time, another voice full of confidence and optimism came out from her heart, refusing to give up.Yes, any time life exists, it is wonderful, precious, and a glorious miracle of nature.Nicole took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Even if I die here, I have to be a hero, showing the brilliance of my 36 years of life." In Nicole's heart, there was still a faint hope of being rescued.But she has always been a very realistic woman, and common sense tells her that her life may only be measured in hours.

Time passed unhurriedly, and Nicole's memory suddenly opened up like a treasure trove.Several times she thought of those happy times in the past, remembered those bitter and sweet days, and she let her tears flow freely, because she knew that this might be the last chance in her life to relive those happy and joyful memories. She wandered unrestrainedly in the memories of her life, dimly, all kinds of experiences in her life were ups and downs, appearing and disappearing in her mind.Nicole seemed to be living it all over again, her concentration so intense that the old events were richer and more glamorous. In her memory, her mother holds a special place.Nicole was ten years old when her mother died. In her memory, her mother would always be a queen and a goddess.Alavi Tiasor is indeed a beautiful queen, she is as slim as a jet statue.She is an extraordinary African woman.In Nicole's mind, the figure of her mother bathed in soft light. She remembers, in Cherry Mazar, her mother beckoning her to sit on her lap in the family living room.Every night before going to bed, the mother would read to her daughter. They were all fairy tales about princes, castles and many beautiful and happy people who had gone through all kinds of difficulties and overcome all kinds of difficulties.Mother's voice was tender, loving, and full of emotion; and she sang hypnotic songs that made little Nicole's eyelids heavy, heavy. Childhood Sundays are even more special days.In spring, they came to the park to play games on the green grass, and my mother taught her to run.In the eyes of the little girl, no one is more beautiful than her mother. Her mother is also a female long-distance runner of international level. Her figure running across the grass is so elegant and beautiful. Of course, Nicole still vividly remembers that unforgettable trip to Ivory Coast in Africa with her mother.Mom cuddled her to sleep the nights before the Paro ceremony, helped her drive away her fears, told her many, many stories of how other girls had overcome dire odds, and patiently answered her question after question . Nicole recalls fondly the conversation she had with her mother about her passing through the Paro the night before returning to Paris. "Am I doing everything right, mother?" the little girl asked tentatively. Mom was in tears. "Are you doing everything right? Are you doing everything right?" Mom wrapped her arms around her daughter and lifted her above her head. "Oh honey, I'm so proud of you." Nicole also hugged her mother tightly, and the mother and daughter hugged each other, laughing and screaming for 15 minutes. Nicole lay on her back at the bottom of the well, the past passing through her mind like a dream, and tears streaming down her cheeks.For more than an hour, she kept thinking about her daughter, thinking about all the important events that had happened to her from birth to now.Nicole recalled the days when their daughter traveled to the United States three years ago when her daughter was 11 years old.How close and in love they had been during that time!Especially in the days when they hiked through the Grand Canyon together. Nicole and Genoviève stopped wherever they went to study and appreciate the masterpieces of nature that are millions of years old.They climbed to the top to get a bird's-eye view of what remains of the weathered plateau.During the day, they had lunch on the top of the mountain; at night, they unpacked their backpacks, spread their blankets on the ground, and slept next to each other.The Colorado River flows violently beside them.They held hands all night, talked quietly, and shared the sweetness of dreams together. "I wouldn't have taken that trip if it wasn't for my father's encouragement," Nicole mused. "If there's anything else you want to do, it's time for you to do it," Dad said.In Nicole's life, her father was like a sledgehammer, giving her infinite and enthusiastic support.Dad was her friend as well as her mentor and brain trust.From birth, he was by her side during the important moments of her life.Lying at the bottom of the cold well in Rama, what she misses most is her father.She really wanted to talk to her father about her last thoughts. Memories flow quickly, scene after scene like a movie.Their lives also have misfortunes and unhappy times. She vividly remembers them standing in the wilds of Africa, watching Mommy disappear into the African twilight in the funeral flames, Dad holding her tightly in his arms. From then on, until the third year of Nicole University, the father and daughter lived together in Beauvais and depended on each other.This is a leisurely day.Nicole rode her bicycle home from school through the forest that surrounded the village while Dad worked on his novel in the study.In the evening, Margaret made dinner and rang the small bell to invite them to eat. At this point, her work for the day was considered complete, and then she left the father and daughter and went back to her home. In summer, Nicole traveled to various European countries with his father, visiting those ancient towns and castles full of medieval style.Dad's novels are based on these places.Nicole thus knows more about French and European historical figures than about contemporary political figures. In 2182, Papa won the Marie Reynolds Award for historical fiction.When the award was presented, Nicole sat in the front row of the hall, wearing the dress her father bought for her, listening to the enthusiastic praise of the presenter, feeling very proud and honored of her father's achievements. At this moment, Nicole still remembered Papa's words clearly.At the end of the speech, Dad said: "People often ask me, as an elder, is there any wisdom accumulated from life that can be shared with the younger generation?" Dad looked at Nicole in the audience. , "I want to tell my dear daughter Nicole and all the young people in the world, I have only one simple experience. In my life, there are only two things that are priceless treasures: knowledge and love. Besides Besides, so-called fame, so-called power, so-called achievements are meaningless, but passing clouds. At the end of your life, if you say: 'I have acquired knowledge', 'I have loved' .Then you can say: 'I am happy'." "I'm happy." Nicole said silently, and tears welled up in her eyes, "Because I have you, Dad. You never let me down, even in my most difficult times." Thinking like a tide, Nicole thought of that summer in 2184, her life was like a boat drifting with the wind, out of control.In six weeks, first won the gold medal in the Olympic Games, and then experienced a fanatical but short-lived love with the Prince of Wales.When she returned to France, she told her father that she was pregnant. The events of that period are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.These were the happiest days of Nicole's life.She stood on the podium in Los Angeles, with a gold medal hanging around her neck, and the voices of thousands of people cheered her one after another.This is her moment.Her picture was on the front pages of newspapers, and she was a television and radio superstar. After a television interview next to the Olympic Stadium, a young Briton with a charming smile introduced himself as Daley Hawkins and handed her an invitation to dine with the Prince of Wales.The prince will soon become King Henry VI of Great Britain. "It was an incredible dinner," recalled Nicole, momentarily forgetting her present peril at La Marie. "He was well-spoken and charming. The next two days were even more fascinating." But,39 When she awoke hours later in Henry's bedroom in Westwood, her fairy tale came to an abrupt end.Her prince suddenly became morose and impatient, and until then he had been so affectionate and solicitous.The inexperienced Nicole was puzzled.Slowly, it became clear that her love affair was over. "I was just a trophy, a prey of impulse, and any long-term relationship was out of my reach." Nicole recalled. Nicole will never forget the last words the prince spoke to her in Los Angeles. As she hurriedly packed and he walked around her, wondering why she was so upset, Nicole ignored him and refused his embrace. "What do you expect?" he asked at last. "You want us to grow old together? Come on, Nicole, face reality. You must know that the people of Great Britain will never accept a half-breed woman as their queen." Nicole runs away before Henry sees her tears. "So, my dear Genevieve," Nicole said to herself at the bottom of Rama's well, "I left Los Angeles with two treasures: a gold medal and a wonderful little girl inside .” Nicole's recollections quickly skipped over the anxious weeks that followed.For the next few days she felt hopeless and alone, but finally she found the courage to tell her father what had happened. "I...I don't know what to do," Nicole said bewilderedly to Papa that September morning, "I know I've let you down...and I hate myself...but I Wanted to ask you. I don't know if it's right, I mean, I want, Dad, can I stay here and..." "Of course, Nicole." Papa cut her incoherent, and wept softly.It was the first time Nicole had seen her father cry since her mother died.Dad took Nicole into his arms. "I'm so lucky," thought Nicole, "that no matter what I did wrong, he accepted it without complaint. He didn't even ask me. When I told him that Henry was the father and I didn't want to He promised to keep it a secret when it came out to others, including Henry himself and the children. He really kept his word." The lights came on suddenly again.Nicole stood up and surveyed the small cage again.Only the middle of the well is lit, and both ends of the well are in shadow.At this point, all her fears were relieved, which surprised her, but also pleased and encouraged her. Looking up at the top of the "barn", the indescribable sky of Ramana is covered by it.A sudden impulse came over Nicole.She hadn't said her prayers for 20 years, and now she knelt down in the middle of the well where there was light, and said, "Dear God, I know it's a bit late, but I want to thank you for giving my father, my daughter , my mother, and thank you for all the wonderful things I have in my life." Nicole looked up at the roof with a smile in his eyes, "Now, dear God, I have a little Little fun."