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I sensed the tension in Li Squad Leader's words regarding Song Guilong. His concern seemed to go beyond the needs of the mission, as if he were using Liu Squad Leader to further investigate Song Guilong. Did Song Guilong possess something he wanted? My mind raced with thoughts, but the Severe Pain coursing through my body made it hard to concentrate. I had to fight to maintain my balance, as I was responsible for closing the Hatch at any moment; I couldn't afford to fixate my body in one position. The strain on both my body and mind was palpable. Yet, I would rather endure this torment than hear the command to close the Hatch, for that would signify death—there would be no turning back.
An ominous atmosphere filled the entire Escape Pod. Inside the Sealed Chamber, no one spoke. In contrast to the increasingly loud and chaotic sounds outside, the silence within the Sealed Chamber was suffocating. The heavy breathing and the crackling static from the microphone were clearly audible, as everyone awaited their fate.
Suddenly, a sharp and clear sound pierced through. It felt distant yet painfully jolted my eardrums. This strange situation left me at a loss, unsure of what to do. Deep down, however, I felt compelled to act, which only heightened my unease.
I sat in a row with Xiao Guolin, behind us was another Sealed Chamber. In front of us, between the Seats, there was a palm-sized porthole. Xiao Guolin quickly moved to a diagonal seat across from me; I knew what he intended to do.
He pulled a penlight from his jacket pocket, turned it on, and angled it upward toward the porthole. He was trying to observe what was happening above the Excavation Pit, but his Flashlight couldn't possibly reach the top of it. From his frustrated expression, it was clear he had found nothing, yet he continued to strain his gaze upward. At that moment, a beam of light shot through the adjacent porthole, prompting Xiao Guolin to turn off his penlight and look up at the white light.
"It's broken," he said in a panic.
I could no longer focus on my task of guarding the Hatch. I leaned over their legs for a better view; this angle provided clarity that sitting wouldn't allow. Under the white light, I noticed an additional horizontal beam at the top of the Excavation Pit.
Each Excavation Pit had a horizontal beam for hoisting items, installed vertically for maximum transport coverage. The sudden appearance of a horizontal beam spanning at least ten meters indicated that one of the beams from the Lifting System had broken. I realized time was running out.
As I turned around, Li Squad Leader's anxious voice came through the microphone: "Seal off the Sealed Chamber, secure yourselves."
His voice rang out clearly, but upon seeing that broken beam, I instinctively knew what needed to be done. So as soon as Li Squad Leader finished speaking, I closed the Hatch and secured myself in my seat. Simultaneously, Xiao Guolin returned to his own seat. The three of us donned our Breathing Masks, exchanging glances that appeared comical yet no one could muster a laugh. It was unclear who first noticed the extra Breathing Mask, but we all turned our eyes toward it. I didn't know what they were thinking; all I felt was a deep sense of sorrow.
Before long, Li Squad Leader's weary voice echoed through the microphone: "Report status from each chamber."
The reports came swiftly; each Sealed Chamber entered its final survival state as quickly as possible. Then came silence and waiting.
“Captain Song, you should be well aware of where this situation is ultimately headed. I believe you are unwilling to take this secret with you to another world. Why not share it? You seek peace in the end, don’t you?” The microphone crackled with the alluring voice of Li Squad Leader.
“Don’t hold onto false hopes. The sand-fixing measures above have completely failed. The sound you just heard was from a hoisting beam breaking; one end is still connected to the Lifting System support. This is just the first step. If the iron plate welded to the Ground is lifted even slightly, it will become a massive steel kite. We will soon be buried underground; this big metal canister is nothing but a gigantic coffin. You have no chance, and neither do we.
But each of us wants to know why you were in the Escape Pod and what exactly happened. These young warriors, these young lives, came here for you and sacrificed themselves for you; they have the right to know the truth. Come out, and it will bring eternal peace; otherwise, even in death, you will suffer torment in hell.”
I was stunned to the point of breathlessness. Li Squad Leader’s words contained too much information—some aligned with my suspicions while others completely contradicted my thoughts. However, due to my distrust of Li Squad Leader, I couldn’t discern which of his statements were credible and which were not; my mind was a jumbled mess. Clearly, Li Squad Leader’s words impacted not only me but also weighed heavily on everyone else. The soldier sitting diagonally across from me turned pale, revealing a vivid picture of despair.
Yet it was eerily quiet; neither my cabin nor any other Sealed Chamber made a sound. It felt as if everyone was digesting Li Squad Leader’s information or waiting to hear that secret. There was no secret, only silence. Li Squad Leader did not exhibit enough patience. After a moment, Li Lianzhang's voice came through again: “Except for Liu Squad Leader, all other chambers will close communication for five minutes.”
A communication indicator light on the cabin wall extinguished with Li Squad Leader’s words. Xiao Guolin shook his head and also turned off the communication switch.
Although I was dissatisfied with Li Squad Leader’s action, I felt powerless to influence his decision. Suddenly, I remembered that Cao Mingzhe was still in that chamber; I could find out what was discussed during these five minutes through him. But thinking about how this might be something I would never know—the truth might remain forever out of reach—made me feel despondent again.
When Xiao Guolin opened the microphone, the first thing that came through was Li Squad Leader’s voice directed at me: “Comrade Zhang, if possible, I will fulfill my promise to you. Of course, that opportunity may not come.” His tone was filled with desolation.
Various negative emotions did not linger long; sorrow became a luxury. Suddenly, I felt as if the Escape Pod had taken off, akin to the centrifugal force generated by a carousel or Ferris wheel, or perhaps like swinging on a swing set. However, the initial jolt was so sudden and violent that it felt like being struck hard. Immediately afterward, I sensed the ground spinning beneath me; then came weightlessness—I couldn’t imagine what state the Escape Pod was in now, and there wasn’t even time to think before I fell heavily onto the Ground. It must have been the Escape Pod crashing down because we were still inside it.
Strangely enough, the Escape Pod landed upright, and I found myself half-lying on Xiao Guolin. Fortunately, the seats and safety belts were sturdy enough that we didn’t get thrown around; otherwise, it would have been game over by now.
My thoughts were in complete disarray as I stared blankly at the other two people and noticed they remained motionless as if they were asleep. My eyes seemed unable to focus; everything I saw appeared hazy and double.
Then I felt as if the Escape Pod had been struck by an iron hammer; first, there was silence in my ears as if I were in the desolate void of space—silent as… hell itself.
I remember feeling a deep sense of emotion as I uttered the words, "It's so damn quiet."
Strangely, I didn't even hear myself say that. Then everything in front of me went black, and my mind froze.
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