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墨書 Inktalez
Since entering the Rift Space, Cao Mingzhe had been in a state of alternating clarity and confusion. Yet, inexplicably, he developed a dependency on Xiao Guolin, obeying him like a loyal dog. The anger that flashed across Xiao Guolin's face ignited something within him; if it weren't for Zhao Squad Leader holding him back just in time, I truly didn't know how we would have handled the situation. We couldn't just kick him to death.
Xiao Guolin's calming presence quickly quelled Cao Mingzhe's rage. I quietly returned to Xiao Guolin and said, "Xiao Team, keep an eye on him. And please, don't lose your temper again; this guy can't handle any more stress."
Xiao Guolin was clearly still fuming but dared not vent his frustration. He huffed, "What you did is criminal! How are you going to explain this when we get back?"
I forced a smile. "Xiao Team, we need to focus on getting back first, right? In these low temperatures, if we stay out here much longer, we'll all freeze to death. What good does it do to talk about going back? Without Xu Warrior's lighting, how are we supposed to navigate the water supply lines? Getting lost in there is no different from signing our own death warrants. If there’s another way out of this mess, I wouldn’t want to be the scapegoat. But if someone has to take the blame, let it be me."
Zhao Squad Leader showed no hesitation in supporting my actions. "Delivering water and staying alive is our top priority. Those logs will keep us alive. Captain Xiao, I stand with Brother Qiang on this matter."
He viewed that boat as nothing more than a pile of wood. Xiao Guolin was still angry but had regained some composure. He silently stared at me and the boat planks in my hands, his face filled with regret.
Xu Xinming looked around at everyone in confusion, unsure of what to say, so he chose silence instead. The dimmed flashlight occasionally shifted from one person's face to another before finally landing on Liu Squad Leader's face, which bore a faint smirk.
When the flashlight settled on him, he seemed to tone it down slightly but then grew annoyed as it remained fixed on him. "Do I have something on my face? Xu."
The flashlight moved away and illuminated the ground between us; its weak light reflected back, revealing everyone's faces in a blurred manner.
Liu Squad Leader continued, "There’s no need for debate here; even valuable antiques aren’t worth more than our lives. You might think about sacrificing yourself for these things, but most people here don’t share that sentiment—especially not the injured waiting for news from us. Just like Zhao Squad Leader said, it's just a pile of wood. Are you two acting? I refuse to believe you can’t see the danger we're in."
Liu Squad Leader's words cut like knives, each one drawing blood. Xiao Guolin's face turned as red as blood, yet he had no rebuttal; the situation was clear—no one would risk their life for that pile of wood. I doubted he was foolish enough to think otherwise; his earlier reaction must have been an instinctive response from an archaeologist. However, Liu Squad Leader's words were too sharp and wounded Xiao Guolin's pride.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Guolin relented and handed his penlight to Xu Xinming. "Shine the light on the boat; I need to sketch something."
Xiao Guolin had become increasingly silent. Liu Squad Leader's words had struck him deeply. Throughout the entire project, the Commander from the headquarters had always been polite when speaking to him, and the three captains from the Archaeology team held significant authority in this project, able to speak directly with One Commander. Today, however, Liu Squad Leader's remarks had pushed him to the depths of despair.
With Xiao Guolin not voicing his thoughts, Cao Mingzhe became even more reticent. The discussion was now led by Zhao Squad Leader, Liu Squad Leader, and myself.
The opinions on the earlier processes were quite unified. The only lasting light source was Xiao Guolin's penlight, which we had smashed into pieces of the ship's board to serve as supplementary lighting. The lighting issue seemed solvable, and we should be able to support ourselves until we reached the Escape Pod. To carry more water, he left his gun behind; there shouldn't be much danger on the way. The current topic of discussion was a suggestion I had made: if possible, let everyone come up to the Reservoir.
My viewpoint was that external rescue would not arrive anytime soon, a sentiment everyone agreed upon. We lacked the capacity to send out more water while searching this underground space, and of course, lighting along the way was also a major concern. It would be better to gather everyone near the fissure. This way, not only would the process of transporting water be significantly shortened, but if possible, we could also send a group to explore other passages, especially the one leading to the Yadan Landform Group. I knew this point would be particularly appealing to Zhao Squad Leader. Sure enough, this proposal immediately excited him.
As for the Escape Pod, I suggested that we leave our action plan behind so that if rescuers arrived sooner than we anticipated, they would know our location and could find us accordingly.
This suggestion quickly progressed from feasibility to execution. We knew nothing about the situation at the Escape Pod; if that critically injured person managed to pull through, the feasibility of this plan would increase significantly. The current issue was how to bring over as many supplies as possible; if severely injured individuals needed a stretcher for transfer, they would have to make two or more trips to move resources from the Escape Pod. To this end, we compiled a list of urgent resources.
First on the list were warming items. The temperature near the underground water source was too low; we also needed to conserve batteries for the Powerful Flashlight since it was essential for operating the Walkie-Talkie. Making some torches was urgent as well; textiles and alcohol were equally important. Tools for dismantling this ship were crucial too; currently, we could only rely on brute force to break apart the most damaged planks of wood while both the hull and keel were very sturdy. To obtain as much fuel as possible, we needed tools. There were demolition axes and Engineer Shovels in the Sealed Chamber for emergencies; we had to bring one over.
Medical supplies and equipment were next on our list—only the most urgent items should be taken. We needed all ropes, including safety belts from the Sealed Chamber. If possible, we should dismantle a set of lighting equipment as well; of course, batteries were necessary since fixed lighting would be very helpful above ground. Oxygen tanks and Breathing Masks were also part of our plan because no one could guarantee that we wouldn't need to go underwater.
We categorized supplies by urgency into categories A, B, C, and D and instructed Xu Xinming to bring back as much as possible in order. Afterward, Zhao Squad Leader began writing messages for any potential rescuers who might arrive. He was currently the highest-ranking military officer present here; with Xiao Guolin not participating in our discussions much anymore, this task fell solely on him. Liu Squad Leader and I prepared torches for Xu Xinming; there weren't many extra textiles available—everyone contributed a little bit. I tore off a foot-long piece from my sleeping bag; my legs immediately felt exposed as cold air wrapped around them.
I shivered but continued wrapping my torch without showing any signs of discomfort. Xu Xinming tied water bottles onto himself; they had to be secured tightly so they wouldn't hinder his climbing efforts. However, after deciding to relocate Base Camp, our water-carrying capacity was significantly reduced—only two bottles were taken along, making Xu Xinming's climbing much easier.
We watched Xu Xinming leave like mourners bidding farewell as his faint penlight flickered away into the darkness behind him.
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