Dead on Mars

Chapter 219 - Sol Three Hundred and Thirty-Two, Come Out
Chapter 219: Sol Three Hundred and Thirty-Two, Come Out

“Spade.”

Tomcat crouched down at the hatch, its brows furrowed. It extended its paw like a surgeon.

Nurse Tang crouched beside it, putting the spade into Tomcat’s paw.

“What… is this?” Tang Yue whispered. “A postcard? An envelope? An advertisement pamphlet? Which planet’s delivery system is that ridiculously advanced? It even managed to send something all the way to Mars?”

The airlock didn’t have the Martians as he imagined, but there was a flat white card on the ground. It looked more like a postcard or envelope. It sat silently to the side of the hatch’s sill, but in Tomcat’s eyes, it was as terrifying as a nuclear bomb.

Clearly, it didn’t belong to anyone from Kunlun Station.

“It’s probably not. Have you seen delivery people send pamphlets? They would usually print their telephone numbers on the wall. From the way they knock on the door and run, it’s likely a pamphlet for sexual services.”

Tomcat carefully used the spade to lift up the suspicious card. Flipping it onto the other side, there wasn’t a striking delivery notice, nor was there a sexily-posed female green-skinned alien. This made Tang Yue and Tomcat heave a sigh of relief. If human civilization’s first contact with aliens was by such an advertisement, it would be such a harrowing experience. Having a Star Destroyer appear would make more logical sense.

“It’s an envelope,” Tang Yue said.

Tomcat nodded. Upon scrutiny, it was indeed an envelope. There just weren’t any words on it, nor was there a stamp. In this day and age, envelopes were rare antiques. This was because no one used primitive means like mail for communication. Only the postal service still maintained the business of delivering letters.

“Specimen bag.” Tomcat raised its paw again.

Tang Yue handed it the plastic specimen bag.

Tomcat stuffed the envelope into the specimen bag and placed the bag into a box. Tomcat was rather cautious when it came to handling a suspicious item of unknown origins. Even as a robot cat, it had worn an IVA suit. Unfortunately, Kunlun Station didn’t have a bullet vest; otherwise, Tang Yue believed it would have worn one.

“Before confirming that it’s absolutely safe, no one is to directly make contact with it,” Tomcat said. “A safe distance needs to be maintained.”

Tang Yue nodded.

He was the only one on Kunlun Station now. How could there be anyone?

Tomcat carried the specimen box and left Kunlun Station, heading straight for the garage. It wanted to carefully analyze the origins of the envelope. Perhaps the instruments in the Mars Wanderer’s experiment module could be of help.

Tang Yue also followed it. Tomcat had originally wanted him to stay as far away as possible, as no one knew what material the envelope was made of. It could bring with it lethal viruses or high radiation. It could even be formed of antimatter. If the envelope contained antimatter weighing about ten grams made contact with any matter in the Universe, that bit of mass when converted to energy had the might of ten atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima.

Therefore, Tang Yue didn’t run.

It was useless running.

If the alien civilization had the ability to casually seal antimatter and allow it to stably exist, destroying him was just a matter of a snap.

Tomcat sealed itself in the geolab. Before closing the door, it warned Tang Yue that the work that followed could be annihilative. If he didn’t wish to die, it was best he left as far as possible. However, Tang Yue refused to leave. Tomcat eventually allowed him to do as he wished in exasperation.

After the geolab closed its door, the light lit up. Tomcat started work in full battle order. Tang Yue leaned against the garage as it watched Tomcat’s shadow.

Tomcat took over three hours. Just the time taken didn’t make it seem simpler than surgery. It eventually pushed open the door and jumped out. It had one paw holding its IVA suit helmet and the letter in the other.

Tang Yue had been sitting outside for three hours. The moment he saw Tomcat exit, he rushed over. “What is it?”

Tomcat pushed him.

“Let’s talk when we are back.”

…

Tomcat and Tang Yue each held a torchlight, resembling archaeologists who were studying some ancient relic.

The envelope was left on a plate. The specimen box and bag that sealed it had been removed. The envelope was placed on the table looking completely normal.

“What material is it made of?” Tang Yue asked. “What’s its origins?”

“Based on analytical spectroscopy, it’s main components are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It’s mostly made up of hydrogen, and has almost equal amounts of oxygen and carbon,” Tomcat replied. “There are also extremely tiny amounts of sodium and sulfur.”

“Speak human.”

“Sugar,” Tomcat said. “It’s mainly made up of sugar, a type of carbohydrate.”

“Sugar?” Tang Yue was alarmed as he subconsciously asked, “You mean this thing can be eaten?”

“Eat? Why is the only thing on your mind eating?” Tomcat shot a glance at him. “This is cellulose, a type of saccharide. It’s the main component of wood from plants. Would you eat tree bark? In common parlance…”

Tomcat pulled out a used piece of paper from under the table, waved it and smacked it beside the envelope.

“Both of them are made of identical materials. There’s almost no difference. Cellulose is the main component of pulp… This envelope is the most commonly seen and most ordinary paper envelope on Earth. There aren’t any viruses or radiation. Nor is it antimatter.”

Tang Yue was somewhat surprised.

He had just encountered the second most bizarre encounter in human history. The first was when Earth vanished.

Therefore, Tang Yue was already mentally prepared. Regardless of how strange and crazy it was, he wouldn’t be surprised. However, Tomcat was now telling him that it was just a very ordinary envelope, no different from the paper-based envelopes he had seen back on Earth.

“Identical to the envelopes on Earth?”

“Yes.” Tomcat nodded.

He was taken aback as he hurriedly jumped up. He didn’t even care that he had knocked down a chair.

“Tang Yue?”

Tang Yue ignored Tomcat as he pushed open the airlock’s hatch and staggered as he charged out.

“Tang Yue! Tang Yue!” Tomcat grabbed the envelope and ran out.

Tang Yue was wearing the heavy Radiant Armor as he pushed open the hatch. As he stood in front of Kunlun Station, panting. He faced the pitch-black desert and the starry sky above the horizon.

“Hey—!”

Tang Yue took a deep breath and roared.

“Come out—! Come out—!

“I know you are there—! Come out—! F*cking come on out—!”

Tang Yue shouted hysterically.

“Come out—! I’ve found you! Don’t f*cking hide! Come out—! I beg you… I beg you to come out…

“Please… I beg you…”

Tomcat stood inside the airlock, looking at the man desperately shouting, trying hard to transmit his voice to the whole world. But his shouts didn’t go far before being drowned out by the thin, cold air. Tang Yue slowly bent his back, his face flushed red as he gasped for breath. Finally, he sat on the hatch’s sill.

“Please… I beg you…”

Tang Yue muttered to himself as tears streamed down.

Tomcat sighed before walking over. It patted his shoulder and handed him the envelope.

Tang Yue turned his head over.

“Open it… Whatever is inside is probably for you.”