Return to Base
After hearing what Ryan said, except for the three Bandners who were still in a dazed state, everyone else started to move and returned to their respective positions. In less than a minute, the starship started moving at the maximum speed, and the air was huge. Under the friction, the starship made a clanking sound as it was on the verge of disintegration. In the sound, the starship struggled to escape from Cranberry's atmosphere. Before it could escape its gravity, Jack shouted, "It's starting, get ready." ."
"Ah ah ah, wait, we haven't sat down yet!" Bandner yelled, his voice becoming distorted.
"Can't wait!" Ryan looked out the window. The cranberries exploded, and the entire space suddenly tightened. Once the energy was released, everything around him would turn into powder. If you were lucky enough to survive, you might be involved in greater dangers. . The usual relaxed smile on Ryan's face has disappeared, replaced by a heavy, "Jack, you can start!"
"Everyone, get ready!" Jack suddenly pressed the jump button, and then said after pressing it, "It's starting..."
You must be prepared for the cosmic jump. After all, the human body has not evolved into the iron-clad wall of Superman and Kryptonian. Being unprepared and jumping twice or more in a row caused very serious sequelae. For the time being, they only had two people with broken bones, one person with uncoordinated limbs, and one person with sensory confusion, which is already very impressive.
The person with sensory dysfunction is Harriet. She was injured before and her body is not in the best condition. She is now temporarily blind, her ears are ringing, and she has a big tongue when she speaks, "I didn't say I had to jump twice!"
Ryan's smile returned after escaping, "I told you, you will have worries in your heart."
"So Ryan said it quietly to me alone." Jack completed his biggest task and breathed a sigh of relief.
The ones with broken bones were Reni and Kelly, who were treated for their injuries with the help of Fan Huanting and Derrick. The limbs were uncoordinated and could only be adjusted slowly, so Bandner sat twisted on the sofa and asked what he had always been concerned about, "How do you have the coordinates of my starship?"
As the pilot for this trip, Ryan sat in the co-pilot seat, unfolding the star map in front of him to find the best route back. At this moment, he missed the original or code zero so much that he definitely didn't need to find the route by himself when he was with them.
"Your version of the star map is too old."
"If you are poor, make do with what you have. You still have what you should have." Bandner said, "You haven't answered my question yet!"
Ryan said: "Storm Star Territory, fuel."
Bandner, "..."
The star map owned by Bandner and his little broken ship was an old version from fifteen years ago. There were many new discoveries, newly explored routes and planets that were not marked. Relying on such a lame star map with a broken arm, Ryan forced himself to I drew a route, constantly calibrated and corrected the route during the voyage, and finally arrived near the Omega military base thirty days later. It took another five hours of sailing to reach the military base, and have a good sleep in a comfortable and fluffy quilt. Go to sleep.
"Finally we're almost here." Derrick set up a chair and sat astride it. He put his arms on the back of the chair and supported his head as he sighed, "If we don't get there again, my injury will be healed."
"After you go back and stay in the aerobic chamber for two hours, your slight after-effects of the jump will completely disappear." Harriet squatted behind Derrick and played Ludo with Fan Huanting, an interstellar version of flight. The chess game is holographic, and you can see real small planes flying, but the test of luck has always been the same. Her luck was not very good. After six rounds, Fan Huanting's small planes all flew out, and she only flew out. shelf.
Frequent jumps without preparation have a great impact on the body. Those who are not supermen have more or less suffered some injuries. Some injuries are visible on the surface, and some injuries are internal, such as slight bleeding of internal organs and digestive function. Temporary disorders, etc. After the voyage was stable, everyone had their bodies checked. Those with obvious symptoms were not counted. Even Ryan had slight stomach bleeding. He took a few pills as a short-term treatment and went to the base after returning to the base. The hospital conducts further examinations.
The target was in sight, and there was no need for Ryan to constantly calibrate the route for navigation. After speaking to Jack, who was driving the starship, he stood up, left the cockpit, and went to the rear kitchen to pour himself a glass of orange juice full of sunshine. , as soon as you taste it, you will know that it is sunny oranges produced on our own farm. Needless to say, the taste is quite good. Since receiving the compensation (Uncle Porter injected the compensation he received into the farm and became a small shareholder of the farm), my father has expanded the scope of his business. One of his flagship products is Sunshine Orange, and the sales have reached a storm. All large planets and some medium-sized planets in the star field.
When the starship entered a medium-sized planet to replenish supplies, Ryan saw sunny oranges, which were expensive fruits, and bought two. After opening them, they made juice, which not only replenished vitamin C and other nutrients, but also satisfied his taste buds. .
There were footsteps behind him, but Ryan didn't turn around, still looking at the scenery flying backwards outside the window, "Still worried?"
"No way!" Bandner said harshly. He poured himself a glass of juice, added more than half a glass of ice, raised his head and drank a whole glass before hesitantly walked to Ryan's side, "Cooperation can be successful. ?"
"As long as you are willing, why can't cooperation be achieved?" Ryan said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if it doesn't succeed, we won't execute you as pirates."
Bandner: "..." That's what he's afraid of! ! !
The closer the Omega military base was, the more scared he became. He thought in his heart that he believed in the soldiers and the army. As long as he set foot on the military base, he could complete the mission given to his ancestors by Emperor Qin Feng! But another voice told him that it would not be that simple. They were pirates after all. They might have been separated and sent to the torture room before they met the military leader, and they would be tortured in this way...
Ryan turned his head and blinked at Bandner, lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "I'm telling you, I have relationships with high-level military officials."
Bandner asked nervously: "What's the relationship?"
"The relationship between husband and wife." Ryan said directly without showing off, "I will protect you."
Bandner: "..."
Bandner: "!!!"
"You can't joke like this!" Bandner lowered his head in frustration, "Oh, if you torture me and ask me about the Starscream pirates, I will tell you everything without reservation."
"Haha, I'm not kidding." Ryan looked at Bandner and could vaguely see the shadow of his subordinate hundreds of years ago. In this way, he met the descendants of his subordinates and learned that the undercover mission was still going on. He said If you're not shocked, it's definitely a lie. After the shock, Ryan felt proud in his heart, and looked at Bandner differently. He was willing to help Bandner complete the tasks passed down from generation to generation, and also complete the work for Qin Feng Anderson.
Bandner was confused and asked hesitantly: "You really didn't lie to me?"
"What's the benefit of lying to you?"
Bandner thought for a moment, and there really wasn't. He had nothing but himself. No, cheating him could get the specific coordinates of the Starscream pirate stronghold... But this was the prerequisite for cooperation. It was up to him whether he was cheated or not. of. Bandner was confused, so he simply put it aside and started gossiping, "Which high-ranking person are you with? It can't be Admiral Tolkien."
Ryan: "...Why did you think of this person?"
"Oh, because the Omega Military Base belongs to the Legion of Glory." Bandenai sighed, lowered his head and looked at his toes, like the timid violinist on the Shakespeare, releasing the hesitant side of his heart, He acted in his true colors, "I don't have a personal terminal, so I can't access the Star Network. Otherwise, if I search for your name, I can directly find out which admiral you are with. How could I forget? It was on the Shakespeare with The one you traveled with was so young, Admiral Dalton!"
Ryan smiled and nodded.
Bandner wailed, "That's my idol, and he's actually married!!!"
I don't even recognize my idol when I see him, this fake fan.
"We have announced the news to the outside world for a long time." Ryan patted Bandner's shoulder comfortingly. If you don't have a personal terminal and can't access the star network, the news will indeed be delayed. "You will be able to see Auston when you get to Planet Omega. Soon. almost there."
Bandner nodded, and the excitement of meeting his idol spread into his heart, completely overpowering the nervousness and fear. Anyway, they were already on the starship. It was impossible to escape. Five regular soldiers could kill three of them. The group formed a ball together and kicked it around. Knowing that his idol, General Auston, was in the base, Bandner felt that the speed of the starship was too slow, "How long will it take to get there?"
"Four and a half hours, almost."
"so slow."
Ryan couldn't help laughing when he heard Bandner's voice, and then asked: "If you don't send the purchased items back in time, doesn't it matter who is waiting?"
Bandner sighed, "Every purchase is not very smooth. It can take as short as four or five months, and as long as more than seven or eight months. They won't wait. As you can see, our starship is lagging behind. , you spend a lot of time on the road. Because you are a black house, you cannot enter the regular planet to buy things, and you can only go to places where pirates often go. As soldiers, you should be familiar with these gathering places, and the Cranberry Planet It's almost the same. Where human nature is indulged, frank transactions require a strong middleman. To hire such a middleman, you have to pay a lot of money. We are not rich, so we can't buy things just by going to a gathering place. We often go to three or four places. You can buy the supplies you need, but you also have to worry about pirates trying to do something."
Such a life is difficult, but you must grit your teeth and persevere in order to survive.
The planet they live on has a harsh environment, it is difficult for plants to grow, and there are many ferocious beasts raging. They are also attacked by scattered Zerg every few years. The Zerg use their stronghold as a breeding ground and will never eat up all the people on it.
"We call the place where we live called the Wild Planet, a primitive, backward, hopeless planet." When mentioning the place where he lives, Bandner's tone became obviously heavy, "There are a total population of thirteen thousand on the planet. There are many people, only about 3,000 of whom prefer me. We live together on a mountain. Even though we are called the logistics of Starscream, I am still a logistics officer, but I don't have any real power. I am often bullied and oppressed. Once I step out of the village, I have You might be caught by them and become a slave. We don't have enough weapons. We have to guard against both wild beasts and people. Life is too difficult."
Ryan pursed his lips, looked at the boundless universe outside the window and sighed. In such a harsh environment, there is a family that has persisted in a mission for hundreds of years. "Everything will be fine."
"Well, Emperor Qin Feng's will is to support our spiritual power in resisting darkness. He said to my ancestors, 'Everything will be fine.' I think his tone must be similar to yours." Bandner thought for a while. , thinking carefully about Ryan's tone, he said in surprise: "Really, it feels like your tone is similar to the tone I imagined the emperor would have. It's either solemn and righteous, or gentle and encouraging."
Ryan turned to Bandner and said: "Qin Feng said to your ancestors before, now it's me, remember how you feel now, and tell your children in the future."
Bandner rolled his eyes, "Don't take yourself too seriously. Also, be sure to add the honorific when mentioning the emperor's name."
Ryan smiled and said nothing.
Bandner: "Hey, hey, you know, the Emperor is a very sacred existence to us."
"Okay, I got it." Ryan's voice was a little careless. Who talks about his honorific name all day long? It's so embarrassing.
Time passed unknowingly. Bandner looked at the approaching planet. He was nervous and frightened but also curious. It was the first time he came to such a formal military base and he didn't know what it was like inside.
At the docking port of Omega Military Base, after receiving the news that Ryan and the others were coming back, Alston had been waiting there early, looking at the sky calmly, with nothing on his expression, but the eagerness in his black eyes. His inner state has been exposed. Three groups of people were sent out, and the other two groups came back one after another half a month ago. They did not bring back any useful information about the Starscream stronghold. Now all eyes are focused on the third group of people, hoping to bring back the specific details of the stronghold. Coordinates, let the joint action not go bankrupt and fail. While others were concerned about whether the mission was completed, Auston was more concerned about Ryan's safety. Although Ryan repeatedly said that he was fine, Auston still had doubts in his heart when he couldn't see the real person.
All kinds of chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind. Auston's expression did not change at all. He looked up at the sky and saw an old starship that he had seen before landing. His tightly pursed lips relaxed slightly. He opened his mouth, raised the corners of his mouth, and finally showed a smile.
"I don't know what Ryan and the others brought back."
"It's not like they reported to work," Auston said.
After receiving the news, Tolkien approached slowly and said: "The content of the report is ultimately invisible and intangible. Only when you see it with your own eyes can you rest assured."
The audible and intangible "clue" finally entered the docking port. With Ryan's encouragement, Bandner took Renee and Kelly and left with Admiral Tolkien's adjutant. Bandner turned back three times with each step, his eyes lingering on Allston, and found that Admiral Allston in military uniform was indeed much easier to recognize than on the Shakespeare. He was still so handsome and still so dazzling. , still so eye-catching... He fell into deep doubts. Why didn't he recognize that the young man walking with Lane was Admiral Oston when he was on the Shakespeare?
Is he really a fake fan?
It's not because of the StarNet that the personal terminal can't connect to. If he could always access the Internet and pay attention to the general's news, he wouldn't be able to recognize people.
The informant they brought back had already left. Ryan and the others who had returned from the successful mission couldn't wait to be praised and went to the hospital for a physical examination. External injuries are easy to recover from, but internal injuries require a period of conditioning. Can the superficial bleeding in Ryan's stomach be treated? Neglect, the doctor said, you must take medicine for a period of time to repair it, and at the same time, you must pay attention to your diet.
"I also want to make a big meal when I come back." There is no leisurely eating and drinking when performing tasks. How to get back as soon as possible is what needs to be considered.
Auston said: "No, at least not in the near future."
The advance personnel of the Golden Cross Army were in the room on the first floor of the accommodation building at the Omega military base. Ryan, who was ordered by Auston not to be allowed to go near the kitchen, sat on a chair, facing the door of the kitchen, watching Auston in the kitchen. Busy inside. Auston learned a few dishes, especially scrambled eggs. After that, he learned and used all the dishes in the series. He learned it, but he was still a novice. He had to use 120,000 points of attention when he was busy. , as if it were a novice who had boarded the mecha to operate it for the first time, full of enthusiasm and expectation for a pot of millet porridge.
Millet porridge nourishes the stomach, and Auston thinks it would be better for Ryan to eat this now.
But Ryan wanted to eat big fish, meat and barbecue. Superficial bleeding in the stomach formed an organic protective film after taking the medicine. The doctor said it was okay to eat without overeating, but Auston just didn't listen. ah.
Under Auston's focused gaze, the millet porridge gradually became thicker and ready to eat. He breathed a sigh of relief. His hands were raw after not touching the kitchen utensils for a while. First, he served a bowl of thin rice soup to Ryan. Auston looked at it expectantly, "Try it, how does it taste?"
Ryan took a sip and said, "Sweet?"
"I put a little bit of sugar. Grandma said it tastes good this way." In order to make millet porridge, Auston specifically sent a message to ask his grandma who was far away in E69 Zhongxing. After receiving master-level guidance, he successfully mastered a method. With some tips on making porridge, Ryan will definitely be able to experience Auston's unprecedented enthusiasm for making porridge in the next period of time.
Ryan thought the taste was good, "I just can't eat the pickles." It was sweet and salty, and the combination of flavors would make people uncomfortable.
Auston didn't take this into consideration and made a suggestion, "Then I'll make a new pot without sweetness?"
"No, no, it's good to eat now." Ryan turned around and patted the chair next to him to motion for Auston to sit down, "Let's talk."
Auston smiled, "Okay."
Ryan talked about what he saw and heard in the Cranberries, complained about the backward version of the star map of Bandner's small starship, and he also talked about the century-old undercover. He pinched his forehead, and the fatigue that he had suppressed along the way finally finally Crazy, he said: "I didn't expect that the task I assigned at that time would still be in execution hundreds of years later." He was also lucky that in this world he could still share his past experiences with Auston, and he was shocked. and the ability to express complex emotions.
"Ryan, the tasks you assigned back then are now completed by you. This is a perfect closed loop."
Ryan said helplessly: "Not many people know this joy."
"But I know."
"Yes, you know." Ryan stretched out his hand towards Alston, and after holding the other's slender and powerful palm, he smiled and said: "It's great to have you, otherwise who can I tell you about my feelings..." After saying the last In one word, after spending too much energy on the task, he finally couldn't resist his body's reaction, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
This sleep didn't last long. It wasn't even half past eight when Ryan woke up. In his ears, he heard the sound of milky milk. Sometimes he called for daddy, and sometimes he wanted to hug him. The sound of the child was so beautiful. Ryan opened his eyes and saw Auston sitting by the bed and having a holographic call with Tuantuan. Tuantuan kept jumping into Auston's arms, over and over again, trying to get into his father's arms. However, physical contact is not possible in holographic calls, and Tuantuan's attempts will fail over and over again, but Tuantuan does not get discouraged or give up. For him, this is a game he often plays recently.
"Dad, wecome home~ Tuantuan was tired from flopping around, so he sat on the ground, raised his head and looked at his father eagerly.
Auston raised his hand and touched Tuantuan's little head in the air. Although there was just a ball of air under his hand, his movements were serious and gentle. Tuantuan raised his head and rubbed it, narrowing his little eyes, as if he could feel his father in it. of warmth. Auston: "Daddy and Daddy have work to do and can't go home now. You have to be good, you know?"
"Dafu, eat it." Tuantuan felt aggrieved. He had obviously agreed that Dafu had eaten all the strawberries, and his father and dad had gone home, but now that they had all been eaten, they did not go home.
Auston: "Tuantuan, I'm sorry, the work situation is very complicated. Dad and Daddy can't come back at the agreed time. This is work. When Tuantuan grows up, you will know that work changes at any time, and it is very important." There may be some minor situations that delay the process."
Tuantuan blinked, not quite understanding.
"You'll understand when Tuan Tuan grows up."
Tuantuan pouted, "I hate it."
Adults always use the excuse that they have grown up to excuse children, but how can children remember what happened when they were young? When they meet and understand it later, the fragments in their childhood memories will fade away and disappear.
"Tuantuan hasn't seen daddy for a long time." Auston pointed to Ryan, who had been awake for a while but had not disturbed him. "Tuantuan, look, daddy."
Ryan looked at Tuantuan expectantly, unable to get enough of it. His eyes greedily looked at Tuantuan's body, capturing every change in Tuantuan's emotions.
Tuantuan looked at Ryan with hesitation in his expression, and then turned his head decisively, pretending he didn't recognize him.
The old father's fiery heart was a little cold, and he lay down on his back helplessly. The question "Who am I? My son doesn't recognize me anymore?" was swirling in his mind.
"Dad?" Tuantuan shouted in confusion.
Auston coaxed, "Didn't Tuantuan call for daddy yesterday? Dad is here, why didn't Tuantuan call for daddy?"
The little fingers were digging into the ground, and the expression on the fleshy little face was a little tangled. After holding it in for a while, he said, "It's not daddy."
"What's wrong?"
Tuantuan rubbed his face, his vocabulary was sparse and he couldn't express himself. Tuantuan looked at his unknown father, then at his father, and suddenly an idea struck him. He puffed up his chubby face, touched it with his little hands, and said, "Daddy." Then his cheeks shrank inward, and Tuantuan raised his fingers and pointed. Ryan, blinking.
Ryan and Auston looked at each other and understood. After this mission, Ryan was obviously much thinner than when he was at home, and his cheeks were sunken (due to stomach discomfort, he only ate some liquid food during the journey, Lost four or five pounds of meat). In Auston's eyes, Ryan is still Ryan no matter how he changes, but in the eyes of the child, the lost father is no longer his father.
"Daddy just lost weight." Ryan sat up and poked the air with his finger, "You little nuisance doesn't even know daddy. You know, don't hate daddy."
He poked and prodded, and he already felt a familiar look from Ryan, "Oh, it's not annoying."
The old father shed tears of relief, looked at Alston and said, "My son."
Auston looked at Tuantuan, who was unhappy with his bulging face, and then looked at Ryan, who was suddenly in a state of excitement. Forget it, he wouldn't tell Ryan. Tuantuan said he didn't hate Tuan Tuan just to refute Ryan's words of "Tuan Tuan is a little annoying." .
The time at Omega Military Base was almost synchronized with that of E69. The holographic call had to end at nine o'clock because Tuantuan was already yawning all day long. Mother Perry came over and picked up Tuantuan and forced the child to sleep, leaving Ryan and Os. She was silent for a while, feeling disappointed that the child was gone.
After a moment of silence, Ryan took Alston's hand and said, "I miss you."
"Yeah." For no reason, Auston felt a little blushing.
Ryan lay down and rolled Auston into bed with him...