Chapter 5 chapter Five

Rockby boarded Spaceship Ninety-Nine a day before launch, found an inconspicuous storage room in the fitness cabin, and placed the bomb in it.Then, he went down to the engine room and pretended to start his "inspection" work, listening to the reports of the engineers.Those reports on fuel reserves, nuclear fusion reactors, and quantum propulsion systems were full of professional jargon. To Roque, it seemed like a bible, but he pretended to understand and know it well.It was only when he finally signed the list of inspection items that he was really nervous for a while.The reason was that the big mechanic in charge of signing, named Anderson, wanted to chat with Rock, but Rock was afraid that he would not be able to answer, so he would reveal his secrets.

"It's almost a farewell, but I have to say goodbye to you! Do you think it's ridiculous?" Anderson enthusiastically stretched out a thick fleshy hand, wanting to say goodbye to Rock. It seems that he gave the signing Forget, "I've been here for 3 years and I'm waiting for a job change! Now I'm stuck here again..." Anderson complained.Rock hurriedly handed the pen to the other party.Anderson smiled honestly, didn't pay attention at all, and wrote his signature carelessly, and said, "Sorry for delaying you! Hey, isn't this going to be a complete farewell?"

"Good luck." Rock grabbed the other's hand and shook it hastily, and said, "God be with you." Such blessings were often said by Rock's dead old pastor father, but Rock himself never said them.He had never really blessed anyone in his life.Talk about it now, but deal with it.Even so, it made him feel uncomfortable. After getting the mechanic's signature, Rock hurried back to the elevator.He also needs to get the captain's autograph at the end.Once the captain's signature was obtained, Rock could disembark within an hour and return to Operation Space Seed headquarters in Las Cruces.There, after finishing the inspection report, he will be able to collect his salary.In addition, once the news that the spaceship was blown up is confirmed, Nanin will also serve him a celebration drink and pay all the remaining fees.

Seeing that 50,000 banknotes are about to arrive!At that time, find a decent seaside motel to buy and run it yourself.Without any effort, you can also earn a lot of money, which is more than enough to maintain your daily life.There is also free time to go fishing and have a chance to meet some new women. The central control cabin is located on the top deck and is a spacious vaulted cabin.A number of holographic surveillance screens were installed on the dome, showing the surrounding dusty desert, rolling distant mountains, snow-capped mountains, and the sky beyond.The man on duty today is Tony Cruz, a small, dark, thin man with a slightly foreign accent.

Cruz was sitting by the intercom, talking, frowning and shaking his head.Rock had to stand aside and wait.In order to hide his inner panic, he pretended to admire the scenery on the monitor screen until Cruz hung up the microphone. "As long as you sign this list, even if you have fulfilled all the preparation procedures, the headquarters in Las Cruces will allow you to launch." Rock said while handing over the list of inspection items. "Can you guarantee that there are no problems?" Cruz glanced at the list, then looked at Rock carefully with scrutiny, and asked. "Yes, sir, there's nothing wrong with that. Mr. Anderson has a good grasp of the quantum propulsion system."

"It goes without saying, of course he is sure." "As long as you sign..." "What the headquarters needs is the signature of the captain, and I will send the document to the captain himself." Cruz rolled up the list, inserted it into a metal tube, and threw it into the letter conveyor next to the elevator, then turned around and sat back in front of the intercom, concentrating on whispering something to someone, ignoring Rock.Rock had no choice but to bite his lip, looking at the scenery on the monitor aimlessly.All eyes are filled with various scenes outside the spacecraft: earth and rock bunkers on the ground, abandoned launch pads scattered in the surrounding desert, and so on.But the upset Rock turned a blind eye to all of this and didn't care to appreciate it.He waited and waited, and the list was never sent back.The communicator was still buzzing, and Cruz was still talking endlessly, seeming to have forgotten Rock's existence.Rock finally couldn't hold back anymore and shouted loudly.

"I'm sorry, sir! I have to tell you that I have to get the signed checklist." "I know, I know." Cruz replied with a little helplessness, "But Captain Steck just boarded the ship today, he needs to get familiar with the situation slowly, you have to give him time." "Then... well! All right." Rock grunted and complained.There was nothing he could do about it.His gaze turned blankly to the monitor screen again.In fact, he couldn't see anything, everything made him restless.After an unknown amount of time, I heard him yelling again. "Mr. Cruz, please. Can't you hurry? I have other things to do!"

"Why isn't Mr. Captain busy?" Cruz turned his head and replied briefly, "He knows you are waiting, but he has more important things to deal with." Under the spaceship, workers are already dismantling the podium used by the captain to hold a press conference just now.The time for the launch of the spacecraft is getting closer.Rock stared straight at the workers who were busy, anxious like ants on a hot pot, and stood stunned like wooden stakes.Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder, and when he turned his head, he saw a security guard wearing a black cap standing beside him.Rock gasped unconsciously, he was scared out of his wits.

"Mr. Rock, please follow me." The security guard said. Rock was taken to the communication cabin and entered the security room.A female sheriff was already waiting at the desk, with the time bomb in front of her.The sheriff was a Negro, huge and fat, with a round, clean-shaven head.Sitting like this in the room made people feel that the room was too small. "This is Jonas Rock." The security guard introduced them, "This is Sheriff Reba Washburn." Rock caught a glimpse of the bomb on the table, raised his head, and saw Washburn's iron-like stern and ruthless face, already terrified in his heart.But he still pretended to be calm, straightened his back as much as possible, and pretended to be nonchalant and knowing what was going on.

"We're strangers now, but you'll get to know me soon enough," Washburn said at last. "My parents were missionaries and traveled a lot. They were first in Ghana...that's where I was born , and later went to Brazil, Peru and other places to preach. I followed them and experienced many things in the world.I have seen all kinds of disasters caused by climate change: floods, droughts, starvation and massacres. "My father also read Dr. Zilan's masterpiece and condemned everything that 'Operation Space Seed' does. He believes that if there is a devil, it is 'Operation Space Seed'; and to defeat this devil , to oppose their release of various quantum waves in the atmosphere. He hoped that I could fight this devil to the end. Later, I won a scholarship in biology and entered Georgia Tech. It is not God who changed my thoughts and destiny, It's this admission. I've been involved with Operation Space Seed for a long time, Mr. Rock, since I graduated from college. I'm here for nothing but to see the upper atmosphere: How the greenhouse effect caused by the various exhaust gases emitted by humans in the past 100 years has destroyed our home planet. I say this just to show that I understand the 'Space Seeding Operation' and understand the work they do."

Having said that, the sheriff paused for a moment, and her sharp black eyes looked at Rock inquiringly, observing his reaction. "We have been looking for evidence that the launch of the spacecraft may have a substantial environmental damage effect, but found nothing. Therefore, Mr. Rock, the various accusations and subversion of the "Space Seeding Operation" by the 'Equilibrium' are slanderous and slanderous , is a criminal act, and this organization is also a criminal gang." Rock tried not to look at the bomb in front of him.He shook his head for a while, frowned for a while, and made a look of ignorance. The Sheriff lowered his voice and said seriously, "Anyway, I love Operation Space Seed as much as my religious parents loved God. As for you, Mr. Meet somewhere. Have you forgotten the oath you made when you became a spaceship launch inspector?" "Of course not!" he said loudly, with a hint of anger deliberately in his tone, "If you check my records, you will find..." "We have reviewed your official records earlier, Mr. Rock. However, your review will be upgraded now, and you will have to undergo a more stringent review. Because, just an hour ago, a strange man called anonymously , revealed to us a conspiracy of the 'Equilibrium Society'. It has now been verified that this person is named Mort Nanin, and has close contacts with the 'Equilibrium Society'." "I met Nanin, but what does this mean? What are you going to do?" Rock muttered. "After we got the call, we did a full inspection of the ship with a chemical sniffer and found this thing." As Washburn spoke, he pouted at the bomb on the table. "Are you accusing me?" "I'm not charging you, Mr. Rock, not yet, because we haven't found any fingerprints on the bomb," replied Washburn, shrugging.Under the bodysuit, the fat on her body was fluctuating: "However, there is evidence that you are carrying out a plan to kill us... In fact, you also have a criminal record for murder, but it was just an attempted murder." "Evidence? What evidence?" Rock asked loudly, looking full of anger. "You were the last outsider stranded on board. And, as Mr. Cruz attests, you appeared agitated while he was deliberately delaying you," Washburn said unhurriedly. Rock began to tremble. "I have my rights. If you suspect me, I will call a lawyer for myself." "No rights on earth shall be carried on any 'Operation Space Seed' ship, it is stipulated in the covenant on board. All of us have signed the covenant. Here, the rights can only be earned by themselves, not by Conferred by law." Washburn said word by word. "I want to see the captain!" Rock shouted in despair. "Captain Steck has something important to do right now, so he can't see you. He already knows about you, but he has to deal with it after the spacecraft is launched." The female police chief warned Rock. When Roque heard this, he was almost out of breath in fright, and suddenly felt dizzy and couldn't stand upright. "You can't!" he howled, "You let me go!" "It's too late, all the exits have been sealed." Washburn nodded to the security guard who was waiting on the side, and said: "Mr. Crick, please take him to the confinement room first, shut him down." stand up." Quarantining is not the first time for Rock.When he was serving his sentence in Hunterville Prison, he was tolerated by a group of black prisoners and was beaten violently.The prison authorities isolated him for his safety.Now when he heard that he was going to be held in isolation again, Rock's spirit collapsed, he staggered and couldn't walk.Creek grabbed his arm tightly and dragged him forward, finally got him back to the elevator and took him to the confinement room.The brig is a small iron cage located on the lowest floor of the ship, just below the machinery compartment.Crick took out the folder, wrote down Rock's name, then pushed him into the iron cage and walked away. The iron cage was about 4 square meters, and there was nothing in it except a toilet and an iron bed.Rock sat down on the iron bed, covered his face with his hands, and wiped his face vigorously.Nanin, Nanin, you bastard!In order to steal the remaining 40,000 U.S. dollars in remuneration, he sold me, Rock! Cold sweat dripped from Rock's face.He wiped the sweat off his face and sat there blankly, waiting for a miracle to happen and be rescued.However, no miracle happened.Except for the occasional sound of space boots being dragged slowly on the deck and faint voices, he couldn't hear anything.Later, when he was tired, he leaned over and collapsed on the iron bed, trying to sleep.However, the great fear gnawed at him, and he couldn't sleep no matter what.He couldn't help turning over again, pacing back and forth restlessly.The cage is too small, and it takes three steps to walk in circles. "Dang!" A bell rang.Goodbye to Chinese science fiction "Attention all! Attention all! The spaceship launches on time. The spaceship launches on time." The loudspeaker on the ship began to broadcast. Rock waited by the cell door, but no one came to let him out.He banged on the cell bars endlessly.Crick finally showed up. "The launch must be stopped!" Rock yelled, "I planted two bombs. As soon as you stop launching, I will tell you where the second bomb is hidden." "Shut up, Washburn won't be fooled by you." Crick sneered, "If you really want to have a second one, you're afraid you'll tell the truth, and you're still waiting to get it at this juncture?" "I want to see the captain and have something to say to him." "I have already reported to him about your being detained on the ship. However, I don't know if he sees you or not." Captain Steck finally did not summon him.He had to keep pacing up and down in that small space, muttering and cursing, cursing Operation Space Seed, cursing Nanin.Crick came again, brought a glass of water and a bowl of lukewarm chicken-flavored soybean paste, put them in the iron grate, and turned away.Rock doesn't eat.It wasn't until I was so hungry that I picked up the bowl and ate just to make do.It turned out that the thing was cold, sticky and hard to swallow.Rock hadn't finished eating when Crick came back to get his cup and bowl. "Pay attention to take-off safety, Mr. Rock. The countdown has begun." Crick said, handing Rock a pair of earplugs and a pair of goggles. Then, Crick took the leftover food from Rock, and left again, leaving Rock alone in the iron cage.He paced for a while, lay down for a while, got up and paced again for a while.The soybean paste he ate just now was slowly fermenting in his stomach.He began to randomly think about the situation of quantum wave state flight. What kind of situation is that?Rock couldn't imagine.In fact, no one has any way of knowing.Because none of the experienced ones returned.The lightning and the loud noise of the launch may or may not be there; earplugs and goggles may or may not work; flight may have an end or may not have an end at all; and so on.These questions, Rock can never think of a clue.However, Nanin ate him 40,000 yuan, which he knew clearly in his heart.