Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Three

Jane’s voice suddenly woke him up. "Nick! Nick. Jenkins! Do you hear that?" He didn't answer, still hating her. "Are you hurt, Nick?" Her voice echoed in the helmet.He slowly realized that he was not blind, the tugboat reddened by the sun was floating in the air very close to him. He still didn't want to answer. "Nick!" she yelled again, "I know you're alive. I see the beam on your helmet and hear you panting. Come on up to the cabin. I don't know how to pilot a spacesuit , but I really want to help you, Nick." He was still floating weakly, motionless.After a long while, he asked painfully, "Has your space bombing started?" His throat felt a pain again, and the phlegm he spit out was bloodshot.

"Not yet. If you can show me the way, we may be able to fly out of the minefield in time. The Board of Trustees has issued an order to bomb the Liberty Star. Your uncle said the fleet has already departed from Albania." She Haven't you resigned from CT company? What's the relationship with Brian?Did she really resign?He thought about these problems, but the pain was so bad that he couldn't think of anything.He heard Jane's pitying voice again. "Sorry, Nick." "I'm sorry?" He wanted to cry, but his throat hurt even more, "Why?" "I mean it," Jane said quietly. "Come on, Nick. I know you're hurt, I see the blood in your helmet, and I really want to help you. Before we bomb, we have to hurry up." Point. You will forgive me when you know the truth about your uncle and the fake war."

"Impossible!" He still felt unbearably thirsty, and his limbs spasmed rebelliously in the restraining spacesuit.He hated Jane, hated the narrowness and blindness of the whole human being, but he didn't want to die alone. Numb, swollen fingers finally found the steering column, and he flew toward the tugboat, opened the outer door, climbed up with difficulty, and closed the door again.The air came in, and in a trance, he must have opened the inner hatch. Jane came over, her face turned pale with fright when she saw his appearance, she decisively took off the splattered helmet for him, and helped him step out of the space suit.She seemed to be fighting back the nausea, and asked in a low voice, "Nick, what's the matter with you?"

"CT radiation." He paused in pain, his throat dry and sore, "I was injured in the first CT blast like everyone else." "You, you," she gasped, "did you know this all along?" He nodded weakly. "Since you want to destroy the transmitter," he demanded hoarsely, "why bother to help me!" "Shut up, Nick. Show me the way, and we'll go to the Warrego Clinic." "There's nothing he can do!" "Please, Nick!" Jenkins was unable to stand still, and Jane hurriedly supported him, "I have always liked you. If you know Brian's conspiracy, you will forgive me. I must take you to Obama Nia, show me the way."

"So you can find your way and lead the fleet?" Jenkins' eyes were full of hostility. "Don't say that, Nick!" Her lips trembled. "If you have the strength, take the wheel yourself." "I can do it!" But his weight seemed to be an unbearable burden, and he reset the anti-gravity equipment, reducing the gravitational field to 0.2G, and the cabin was almost in a state of weightlessness. Jenkins struggled up the ladder and into the cab.He drank a little water in the kitchen and was immediately sick again. After washing his face, he staggered to the bridge.

Now, the bombing has not yet started, the CT generator is still running, and huge electric energy is still continuously emanating from the transmitter. He frowned weakly at Jane and motioned her to turn away from the bridge.He was always in a trance and couldn't concentrate.At one point, he fell over the steering wheel.Jane hurriedly grabbed him, and finally woke him up. The spaceship has drifted off the course, but luckily it was discovered in time.He made a detour, trying to make the passage as complicated as possible, making it hard to remember.He was shaking, and the blood from his nose was flowing faster and faster. Finally, he bypassed the last CT indicator.

"We're out!" he said. He wanted to ask Jane about his uncle's conspiracy, but his throat hurt too badly.He tried his best to find the Star of Liberty in the observation device, wanting to see if the bombing had started, but all he saw was darkness, the endless darkness surrounded him, and finally completely submerged him. When he woke up, he found himself lying on a hospital bed.The room was dimly lit, and his eyes felt much more comfortable in the darkness.He heard low voices again, light footsteps, and a pair of hands lightly grasping his arm. It turned out that a nurse was about to give him an IV.Dr. Urego stood beside her, watching her search for the location of the vein. Finally, he impatiently took the needle and inserted it skillfully.

Jenkins wanted to ask himself if there was any hope of living, but he already knew the answer.He wanted to ask Liberty Star, but he still couldn't speak out.He was so weak that he couldn't move at all, he just quietly watched the yellow liquid in the glass bottle flow down drop by drop.He thought how long it would take for him to go blind.Before he knew it, he fell asleep again. When he woke up again, he found Jane and Brian standing beside the bed, and his uncle was still smiling and full of ambition. Wondering what exactly Brian was up to, Jenkins looked at Jane, hoping she had come alone.After seeing her pale face, that question was thrown to the back of his mind.he asked with concern.

"Are you injured? From radiation?" "A little." She shrugged, "but Dr. Urego said I'd be fine soon." She moved closer to him, persuading, "He told you not to talk until your voice got better. ' It's not going to be good, Jenkins thought to himself. "Don't worry, Nick." Brian tossed his hair back confidently, and his voice was kind and warm, his gray eyes sparkling. I’ll be able to get out of bed later.” A well-intentioned lie, Jenkins reminded himself, that Jane might still benefit from the therapy, and that he had already gambled away his chances of survival in order to realize the doomed dream of the Fifth Freedom.

He didn't want to ask about the Liberty Stars, they certainly didn't want to tell him the truth.He tilted his head slightly on the pillow and looked at Jane.She was beautiful despite her morbid pallor, but she was a spy for the Star Corporation!He frowned. "Come on, Nick!" Brian said cheerfully. "We're here to reassure you. Dr. Urego said you looked depressed. Really, you have nothing to worry about." "Where's the Star of Liberty?" Jenkins asked hopefully. "Forget it, Nick." Brian glanced at his watch. "The fleet should be here now, and the transmitter will be blown up soon."

Jenkins wanted to hate Jane for sending a signal to the managed fleet, but couldn't.After all, she had saved his life twice, twice the Fifth Freedom she wanted to destroy. "Don't even think about it," Brian whispered. "When you leave the hospital, you're free, and I'll arrange for you to be dismissed. Since the merger agreement was signed, the high commissioners have done what I want. They You know, otherwise we'd have a new commissioner." Jenkins stared in amazement at his uncle, the idol of his youth who was now his grinning, triumphant enemy. "Don't be so distressed, Nick," Brian said quietly. "I'll forget about your robbery on Tor. I'm still in CT—StarCorp has a job as an engineer for you." See Jenkins looked surprised, and Brian happily explained: "Nick, the merger agreement has been signed. Interstellar is afraid that if it does not buy CT technology, it will face a brain CT war. Through this agreement, I have control of the new company . "He finished and laughed. "Great job! Nick, as ingenious as your can of deadly potatoes. You know, the Trusteeship government still can't figure out who the mysterious attackers are, and no one knows the identity of the 'Stone Brothers'. Free Space He sponsored and single-handedly planned the poor little uprising of the party." Jenkins froze: "Is that you?" "Adam Gast." Brian said excitedly, "He used my money to support them and acted according to my instructions. He is really the most astute lawyer in the trusteeship! The Star Corporation never dreamed that it was him!" Jenkins closed his eyes.The scene when the tank ran over the dying man, Karen's injured arm, and O'Baliang's grief-stricken eyes appeared before his eyes... and these were brought by his uncle! "What about Lagerina?" "Ours, too. I'll tell you everything so you can rest easy. The whole thing is just a little bit of politics—economic engineering, you know." Jenkins lay on the bed, feeling blank. . "CT Corporation is only a temporary institution. The success of CT research on Liberty Star poses a threat to both CT Corporation and the merger plan. Lagerina is a capable engineer. He and I have worked on several projects on other planets. , I know how to use him. I sent him on the Liberty Star to see how Drake's research progressed. And you, Nick, as my nephew, were just a false target to cover my ears and make Derek Lake doesn't doubt anything about me." A bitter taste rose in Jenkins. "The CT Invader is an ore carrier I bought from Venus and refitted it with guns from Mars at a secret base in the asteroid cluster. Gast alias 'Brother Stone' takes over With O'Brien's Free Space Party, we have enough manpower for our operation." Such is the fate of those who believe they are fighting for freedom, Jenkins thought sadly! "La Gerina feigned a nervous breakdown and took the opportunity of vacation to bring back a map of the minefields and meteor showers around the Star of Liberty. Later, when he saw the time came, he opened the Amidine cartridge and turned off the Your signal, go signal the Intruder. Everything is going well, and now, you come back on a CT bull." Brian smiled a little dissatisfied. "You broke almost everything, Nick. At first, we didn't intend to hurt anyone, but Lagerina saw that you were trying to chase them, so she released a CT missile to cover herself and escape." Brian was gentle Smiling, "Fortunately, your injury is not serious." Jenkins lay on the bed, motionless. "That's pretty much all there is to it." Brian smugly said, "Gast, as 'Brother Stone,' ordered the asteroid uprising to cover up our other important business. The Intruder launched several CT missiles, just to demonstrate the existence and value of CT technology. We then gave StarCorp administrators a private tour of those same missiles and asked them to sign their names on the merger agreement." Bry Eun smiled excitedly, "Just a little bit of engineering well done, what do you think?" Jenkins shook his head. "I'm sorry if you've been hurt." Brian's face suddenly turned serious. "You're young, Nick. You'll be as quick as I am to abandon those illusory ideals. You'll grow up." , and realize that our civilization is far from mature enough to withstand the effects of CT energy." Jenkins protested silently. "I'll leave that engineer job to you," Brian promised, "and you can even keep playing CT, in private, of course, if you want. The planets are withdrawing their interest in uranium and thorium It is impossible to accept the impact of the Fifth Freedom before the huge investment of the Chinese government." Jenkins didn't want to answer, his throat was too sore, and he was shocked and disgusted by what his uncle did, and the anger was beyond words table.He looked back at Jane again. Her hair was as bright as the sun, and her eyes were clouded with pain.Seeing her, he felt his throat hurt even more. Under her beautiful appearance, there was a cold and cunning heart hidden. He suddenly suspected that she was his uncle's lover. In his memory, his uncle always liked blonde girls, and women like Jane were very much to his liking. He tried to calm down the sudden surge of anger in him.He no longer has the right to be jealous, and he can't take her with him when he dies.However, he couldn't help his psychological fragility, and tears welled up in his eyes. "Nick!" She must have read the reproachful look on his face, as if hurt, "Don't...don't..." A nurse came in and interrupted her: "You have to go now, Mrs. Jenkins Tired." The uncle casually took her arm and went out together.At the door, she turned her head and smiled again, her face pale.Jenkins suddenly didn't hate her anymore, and began to recall her lovely face.Tomorrow, he may never see again.