Dead on Mars

Chapter 216 - Sol Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven, The Final Sol
Chapter 216: Sol Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven, The Final Sol

“Lass!”

Tang Yue’s muscles twitched as he suddenly lifted his head.

It was already bright outside. The bright sunlight was penetrating the windows onto the ground. The air was swirling with floating dust particles. Tang Yue blinked his eyes as he surveyed the area. It was twenty minutes to ten in the morning. He was the only one in the Hab. Tomcat had likely headed out to move the solar panels.

Half of Tang Yue’s face was numb. He had drooled over the table. Clearly, he had slept the entire night on the table. As for Tomcat, that bastard hadn’t woken him up to sleep in the bed. Tang Yue recalled his last conversation with Mai Dong… She had asked him not to sleep regardless of anything, that he wait for her to return.

Upon realizing this, Tang Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

No good, he had stood her up.

Damn it.

From the current situation, it was obvious that he had failed to last until the space station left the no-signal zone. He had slept the entire night like a pig.

Tang Yue picked up the saliva-soaked scraps of paper and threw them aside. He then put in his earpiece and called out to the United Space Station.

He was wondering how he could apologize to her.

There was only static in the earpiece. Taking it off, he smacked at it, but there was still no signal. The communication quality between Kunlun Station and the United Space Station was deteriorating with each sol. Recently, even the most basic voice communication couldn’t be guaranteed… Tang Yue took a look at the time. It was possible that the United Space Station was in a no-signal zone at this time.

He had a quick wash and began having breakfast. Using this period, he needed to think of a good way of explaining himself to Mai Dong.

I’m sorry. I was just too tired, so I couldn’t hold out?

This is all the fault of my eyelids. They refused to obey the orders from my brain and closed themselves?

Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep. As compensation, all the lobster on the cargo spacecraft is yours?

As Tang Yue slowly chewed on the biscuits and waited for the space station to enter the signal zone, he wondered if lobster could placate her.

If lobster didn’t work, he would raise the stakes with canned fruit.

With a click, the airlock’s hatch opened. Tomcat walked in with heavy footsteps before locking the hatch. It turned to glance at Tang Yue without a word. It then walked straight to the wall and placed the tools hanging from its body on the rack. Then, it sat back down beside the table.

“The solar panels have been taken out?” Tang Yue asked.

“Yeah.”

“Is Wanderer working?”

“Yeah.”

“What work do we have to do today? Continue refining the rendezvous program?”

“Yeah.”

“The communications with the space station are worsening.”

“Yeah.”

Tang Yue shot a glance at Tomcat. The cat seemed more depressed than usual.

“Is the earpiece broken? It’s only emitting static the entire time. Can you fix it?” Tang Yue took off the earpiece and shook it.

“The earpiece is fine,” Tomcat said softly.

“Then there’s something wrong with the communications system?” Tang Yue frowned.

Tomcat looked up and stared at Tang Yue intently. It was hard to tell the look in its eyes. It looked like it was penetrating Tang Yue’s body, leaving him stunned and creeped out. “Why… Why are you giving me such a look?”

“Are you waiting for Miss Mai Dong?”

“That’s right…” Tang Yue nodded. “She’s likely in the no-signal zone. In a while, she’ll…”

Tang Yue was suddenly stunned as the rest of his sentence was stuck in his throat.

He had been waiting for Mai Dong since he woke up. He had washed, eaten breakfast, finished his daily chores, and even Tomcat was back. Yet, the United Space Station remained uncontactable.

If she were in the no-signal zone, she had been in there for way too long.

With a thud, the earpiece fell onto the table as Tang Yue suddenly felt at a loss.

“Don’t wait any longer,” Tomcat shifted its gaze away and said gently.

Tang Yue was confounded. He immediately understood what Tomcat was saying, but he couldn’t believe it. How was this possible? The United Space Station was clearly still at a safe altitude. It was clearly still at a safe altitude! Tang Yue sat down, switched on the computer and communications system. He crazily searched for the United Space Station’s signal, but his hands were trembling. Following that, his body began to tremble. When he moved the mouse to click something on the desktop, he needed to do it several times before hitting the icon.

“Don’t scare me… Don’t scare me… Lass, don’t scare me…”

Tomcat sat across him in silence, watching him doing everything possible to contact the space station.

It watched him slowly stop his trembling hands only to have them tremble again. It watched him trying to speed up his actions only to slow down. It watched him push away all the usable tools aside. Finally, it watched him sit on the chair, motionless like a statue.

“Wasn’t… Wasn’t it supposed to be eleven sols…” Tang Yue’s throat moved, his voice hoarse. He had never felt as helpless as he felt today. He looked around, but couldn’t find anyone he could seek help from.” Wasn’t it supposed… supposed to still be at a hundred kilometers…”

“Put in the earpiece.” Tomcat threw the earpiece over into Tang Yue’s chest.

Tang Yue was stunned as he wore the earpiece.

There was no longer static in the earpiece. It was very silent, with the light breathing of a girl.

Tang Yue felt a current run through him as he jolted in pleasant surprise and looked at Tomcat.

Tomcat shook its head and pointed at the computer. “It’s a recording.”

Before Tang Yue could say anything, he pressed down on the earpiece and held his breath, waiting for the earpiece to produce a human voice.

“Mr. Cat.” Mai Dong began speaking. It was still that familiar clear voice. Tang Yue’s body palpitated.

“Miss Mai Dong.”

It was Tomcat’s voice.

“Is Tang Yue asleep?”

“Yes. He’s sleeping on the table. He’s dead asleep,” Tomcat said. “I gave him three slaps and even kicked him in the ass, but he’s still sleeping like a dead pig.”

The girl gave a wry laugh before sighing. “Then let him sleep. He’s tired.”

“Got it.”

“Tang Yue said that he wouldn’t sleep, but he ended up sleeping. He still owes me many stories,” Mai Dong said. “Things like; was the class monitor who beat up the teacher in his secondary school expelled, did his physical education teacher and art teacher end up together? There’s also the question of whether the school guard is the principal’s relative… He didn’t tell me the answers.”

“There will be a chance in the future.”

“Mr. Cat, it’s the seventh sol.”

“Yes.”

“The space station’s lifespan is coming to an end.”

“No, the space station’s remaining lifespan is seven to eleven sols…”

“Mr. Cat,” Mai Dong cut it off.

Tomcat fell silent. It wanted to say something but was unable to say anything.

It was useless no matter what it said.

“I’m looking at Mars beneath me now. I can feel it getting closer to me. I’m on the space station, and being on it for so long, I know best,” Mai Dong said softly, her tone faint but stable. “This is a tiny boat that’s about to sink. It’s an elder who’s old and suffering from a terminal disease. Every day, I watch its life pass bit by bit. Like us, it has been working hard to live…”

“Live…” The girl’s stable voice suddenly cracked.

“Live…

“Live… Live…” Mai Dong’s voice was trembling.

“Live on.” She bit her lip as she tried hard to hold back her tears, finally succeeding in finishing her sentence. “But Mr. Cat… I… I also wish to live on… I really do. I really want to meet you. I wish to marry Tang Yue. I wish to have my own children…

“Why… Why can’t I have my own life… Why must I face such a fate…” Mai Dong could no longer control her emotions as she hugged herself tightly, breaking out in a sob. Her body trembled as she cried, her tears floating and tumbling inside her glass helmet. “What did I do wrong… What did I do wrong… that something like this would happen to me…”

Tomcat was silent.

“Damn it! Damn it… Damn… it…”

Mai Dong struck the Crystal’s inner wall as her body turned limp from her crying.

Tomcat remained silent. It was indeed a b*stard. Likewise for Tang Yue. All of humanity were b*stards. There were so many people, such a massive civilization; yet, they couldn’t protect the happiness of a young lady.

Mai Dong had never cried like that before. The irrepressible sorrow was heavy, so heavy that it could crush.

After some time, the girl’s weeping gradually calmed down.

Mai Dong sniffed and composed herself. “Sorry, I was such an embarrassment, Mr. Cat.”

“No, I should apologize. Tang Yue and I should apologize to you.” Tomcat shook its head. “Sorry, Miss Mai Dong. We couldn’t save you.”

We couldn’t save you.

There was a long silence over the comms.

“It’s not your fault, Mr. Cat.” Mai Dong raised her head amidst the sunlight. “I feel sad for Tang Yue… Tomorrow when he wakes up and learns of this news, what will happen to him… You will take good care of him, right? Mr. Cat?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m assured,” Mai Dong said. “Please take good care of him.”

“Miss Mai Dong, do you have anything you would like me to say to Tang Yue?”

Mai Dong leaned against the core module’s wall. She could sense the intense vibrations of the Crystal. The truss was already beginning to produce sharp cries. At this altitude, the adiabatic compression of the air was beginning to rip the space station apart. The girl looked at the distant Sun which was about to set. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Mr. Cat.”

“I’m here.”

“The Sun is about to set. I’ll be entering the no-signal zone again.” The golden sunlight landed on the girl’s face. “Do you think I’ll get to see the next sunrise?”

“Yes, you will. Miss Mai Dong,” Tomcat replied, “you definitely will.”

The communications came to a halt.

The recording ended.

On the seventh sol after the United Space Station’s accident, the space station crashed.