Chapter 265: The Formation of a Simple Chain of Suspicion_1

On the other side of the Sun, in the outer orbit of Saturn, yet before reaching Uranus orbit.

Starship Earth, "Natural Selection" Captain's Quarters.

Dongfang Yanxu said, "We must make things clear."

"Yes, every second we delay is dangerous," Vice-captain Lie Wen said.

Then, he and Inoue Akira both looked at Dongfang Yanxu, their meaning clear: You are the captain, you speak first.

Dongfang Yanxu lacked the courage.

But she had to take up her mission, so she made a smart choice: she didn't avoid the gazes of the two vice-captains.

By this time, language was no longer necessary, the eyes could convey all the communication:

Fuel!

Although Jiang Yu had topped off their fuel before departure, one-third had already been used up by the first acceleration.

The course was set, but the journey was still filled with unknowns; two patches of interstellar dust had been found along the way, and they would definitely need to accelerate two or three more times during the voyage.

These were the known interstellar dust clouds; they might encounter other obstacles as well, after all, humanity had never traveled such distant deep space before.

At the current speed of the spacecraft, it would take about eight hundred years to reach their destination!During these eight hundred years, all of the ship's energy needs would have to be met by their limited fuel!

It wasn't enough.

Far from enough!

The supply ship did have plenty of fuel, but it wasn't under the control of the "Natural Selection;" what if it refused to refuel the "Natural Selection" along the way?

Even if the supply ship was willing to refuel all the warships, the current fuel of Starship Earth was only sufficient for five warships to reach their destination.

But to be safe, it would only be enough for three ships.

Dongfang Yanxu said, "There's also the issue with spare parts!"

The "Natural Selection" had only two spare sets of key components; the set of components provided by Jiang Yu for the warship was quite comprehensive, but there was only one set.

There were five sets of spare parts on the supply ship, but Starship Earth had seven warships!

The preparations were really too insufficient.

Well, it wasn't that they were insufficient, it was just that before departure, no one had anticipated facing such a long-distance voyage.

It was possible to use the fully automated mechanical factory sent by Jiang Yu to manufacture new components, but some special metal materials were needed.

The "Natural Selection" did have these materials, but they were being used elsewhere and couldn't be touched.

Otherwise, it would be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The key components on all the ships of Starship Earth were mostly interchangeable.

After being retrofitted using the fully automated mechanical factory, the nuclear engine components could also be used.

Dongfang Yanxu then said, "Concentrate personnel on three to four warships?"

Impossible!There were too many people; neither the ecological circulation system nor the Hibernation System could accommodate them.

So now, it was clear.

A portion of people die, or everyone dies.

The three people were as if stunned by thunder from the depths of the universe, their souls trembling in fear.

Some people would have to be cast out; Eden could only hold a limited number of people.

We don't want to leave Eden.

So, don't give up!

Their eyes became resolute: subsonic hydrogen bombs!

At this moment, their spirits were on the verge of collapse: Too evil! We have become devils.

"But, what do they think?" Dongfang Yanxu asked softly.

They don't know what we're thinking.

So, let's assume they also know we're not devils.

The problem still lingered.

They didn't know how we thought about them.

They didn't know how we thought about how they thought about us.

Further down, it was an infinite chain of suspicion... How to break this chain of suspicion?

Communication?

On Earth, possible, but not in space.

Some die, or everyone dies.

This is the survival dead-end set by space for Starship Earth, an insurmountable wall, where communication is meaningless.

Dark, so damn dark.

Dongfang Yanxu declared resolutely, "We can't delay any longer!"

Now, with every second, the danger was growing exponentially.

Lie Wen immediately brought up the weapon system's control interface, intending to aim at the other warships, but found that those warships were already locked on by the weapon system!

The three of them, shocked, looked at each other and shook their heads simultaneously, indicating it wasn't their doing.

So, there was only one person left with the authority to directly lock onto targets and authorize an attack.

Dongfang Yanxu's vision blurred, "We're so stupid, after all, he is a man who's changed history twice!

"He was the first one to think of all this!"

At that moment, the warship's alarm blared, and through the communication system came Zhang Beihai's order, "Everyone aboard, put on your space suits within two minutes. After two minutes, the air inside the warship will be evacuated."

Dongfang Yanxu and the others immediately understood Zhang Beihai's intent, and they shouted while doing so, "Carry out the order!"

They took our space suits from the command center's emergency life support system and quickly dressed.

Putting on space suits is a compulsory course for every space fleet soldier who must train to be able to dress in a space suit within twenty seconds to be a qualified soldier.

Of course, just as Jiang Shiliu had predicted years ago, after the demand for space suits increased, the problem that troubled the "Star Warrior" project team was easily solved.

The space suits of today were very light, easy to put on just like a coat. It just took some time to put on the boots and helmets.

With the alarm sounding like a death knell, within just tens of seconds, Dongfang Yanxu and the others finished putting on their space suits, and then they immediately passed through the long corridor to Zhang Beihai's cabin door.

The scene from when the "Natural Selection" set off to escape ensued, as the cabin walls turned transparent, allowing them to see that Zhang Beihai had already put on his space suit and was now operating the weapon system!

Lie Wen shouted, "What are you doing?"

Just like the last time, they could only watch helplessly, unable to stop Zhang Beihai.

"Kids." Zhang Beihai's gaze was calm as water, "Let me do this!"

Tears welled up in Dongfang Yanxu's eyes, and she yelled, "Let me in, we'll go to hell together!"

Zhang Beihai completed the final step of the operation. Then, after evacuating the air from the ship, he said, "Dongfang, think about it, would we have made such a choice before?

"Absolutely not, but now we have, space has turned us into New Humans.

"A new civilization is being born, and new morals are forming.

"Looking back after a long time, what we've done may seem like a normal thing; we won't go to hell."

Having said that, Zhang Beihai firmly pressed the attack button.

Inside and outside Zhang Beihai's cabin, a maddening silence befell, the four of them not even daring to breathe too hard.

Seconds later, the weapon system displayed that all the infrasonic hydrogen bombs had hit their targets.

But immediately, the communication officer discovered that "Blue Space" wasn't affected by the infrasonic hydrogen bombs. Instead, it was concentrating fire on the "Ultimate Principle."

So there was only one explanation: "Blue Space" was in the same situation as "Natural Selection," with everyone wearing space suits and the air inside the warship evacuated.

The combat officer asked, "Should we continue to attack?"

Zhang Beihai hesitated for two seconds, "Continue to attack!"

The situation was now a matter of life and death; they could not afford to be hopeful.

Just then, the ship's communication system automatically received a transmission from Jiang Yu:

"I hope I'm not too late; if only an even number of warships remain, please refrain from attacking each other for the moment. Let me finish speaking!"

Zhang Beihai leaned back in his chair, feeling drained. "It's over!"