overnight stay
1179 Words
Looking out from the porthole, a vast panorama unfolds before the eyes, with stretches of flat land between.
The soil here takes on a tawny hue, and upon closer inspection, one can discern its surface covered in cracks, forming a series of intricate patterns.
However, there are no traces left behind by any signs of life.
Sparse trees grow wildly in this area.
They exhibit a peculiar and extraordinary posture.
The trunks of these trees are twisted, almost without any discernible pattern; some look like winding pythons coiled on the ground, while others resemble frenzied swirls twisting towards the sky.
...
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Fan suddenly sat up, furrowing his brow and said in a deep voice:
"Something's not right; I feel like the external environment is a bit off, as if something is missing."
"It's a bit... too quiet."
According to the textbook descriptions, rainforests have diverse plant and animal communities, making them the richest and most complex ecosystems apart from the oceans.
However, from the time the spacecraft landed until now, approximately half an hour has passed, and Lin Fan hasn't seen even a single bird, let alone any animal communities.
"Perhaps this planet has never harbored life from the beginning, of course..." Ji Xuanwu's tone changed: "If this place is the territory of fierce beasts, other creatures naturally wouldn't dare to linger here."
"Not ruling out the possibility of intelligent beings..." Sarah whispered in agreement.
"What did you say?" Ji Xuanwu didn't hear it clearly.
"Nothing," Sarah shook her head, smiling, and asked, "Captain, what should we do next?"
"Wait..." Ji Xuanwu nodded slightly, then pointed to a box of supplies: "And have a meal."
Lin Fan was surprised.
Sarah turned around: "Do you know what's most important when carrying out a mission?"
After pondering for a moment, Lin Fan, who had been part of the exploration team for almost half a year, had heard the most about the dangers outside.
Combined with the experience of his parents, he was deeply aware of it.
Therefore, Lin Fan confidently answered, "Safety is the most important!"
"No no no," Sarah extended a slender white finger, gently swaying it: "Eating is the most important. If you're too hungry, it will affect your performance."
...
Ji Xuanwu initially took out a few military canned foods, but then patted his forehead: "Forgot that we can't make a fire on the spacecraft; these canned foods can't be heated..."
Saying that, he took out a few energy bars and compressed biscuits, distributing them to Lin Fan and Sarah.
Lin Fan nibbled on an energy bar, silently thinking, "The captain is indeed reliable."
The effect of these energy bars was indeed as Ji Xuanwu had described – very obvious. As soon as it entered the throat, the body instantly filled with vitality and energy, fatigue and hunger swept away, replaced by a satisfying feeling of fullness.
However, the taste could only be described in four words.
Tastes like chewing wax!
Ji Xuanwu sat in the pilot's seat, nibbling on the energy bar, occasionally tilting his head towards the porthole, seemingly observing something.
Suddenly, he saw something, stood up, and looked towards the lush rainforest in the distance.
Above that rainforest, a dark shadow silently swept over, quickly flying towards the direction of the spacecraft.
"It's here!"
"Huh?" Lin Fan instinctively reached for the electromagnetic pulse gun on his combat belt.
Just as he was thinking whether to draw the gun, he heard Ji Xuanwu's calm voice: "Don't be nervous; it's the drone I released."
On the other side, Sarah looked up for a while, then withdrew her gaze, and continued to eat the energy bar leisurely.
Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief and released the grip on the gun.
As it approached, Lin Fan finally saw the appearance of the drone that the captain mentioned.
The drone was only the size of two adult palms, with a central fuselage installed with various sensors and cameras.
Below the central fuselage, four extension arms extended outward, and these arms were equipped with engines and propellers for power and steering.
The drone circled the spacecraft a few times, rotating, ascending, and descending.
After a while, a storage compartment on the side of the spacecraft slowly opened, revealing a dark space.
The drone lingered at the storage compartment for a moment, then slowly flew into the compartment.
...
A topographic map was projected inside the spacecraft.
Mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and other terrain features were all visible.
Lin Fan and Sarah exclaimed at the same time, "What is this?"
"A detailed map of the entire rainforest," Ji Xuanwu calmly replied, pointing to a red marked point on the projection: "This is the final destination.
"It's located at the center of the rainforest, and because of the dense vegetation and complex terrain around it, the spacecraft won't be of any use."
From the projection, it could be seen that the area near the red marked point was full of tall trees, coupled with rugged and complex terrain, steep mountains, deep valleys, and raging rivers.
There was simply no open space for the spacecraft to land.
Sarah looked at the projection and said, "So, we'll have to walk there."
"Exactly." Ji Xuanwu spoke calmly: "It's about three hundred kilometers from our current position, and with our pace, considering the complex terrain of the rainforest, it'll take about a week to get there."
"Of course, if we encounter dangerous situations, it will definitely take more time."
"That's roughly the situation. Any thoughts from you two?" Ji Xuanwu looked at Lin Fan and Sarah.
Sarah shrugged, "Listen to the captain."
Lin Fan naturally had no objections.
Ji Xuanwu looked out of the porthole, nodded slightly, and said, "It's getting dark. We'll rest on the spacecraft tonight, and tomorrow, as soon as it's light, we'll set out."
Don't forget to instruct Lin Fan, "After it gets dark, visibility is low. Although we have tools like night vision goggles, they also have limitations, namely a small field of view."
"This will make it difficult for us to detect potential dangers hidden in the darkness in advance, which is quite fatal. A single mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire team."
Lin Fan nodded solemnly.
During the conversation, the environment outside the porthole gradually dimmed.
The golden sunset spilled on the ground, slowly fading away, and the sky's color gradually darkened, transitioning from bright blue to warm orange.
As time passed, nightfall began, and everything was engulfed by darkness, leaving only a faint silhouette.
"Didn't expect the nights here to be as black as on the spaceship, just the same." Lin Fan suddenly remarked.
"Is it the same?" Sarah had a different opinion: "Look up; there
is no ceiling above us here!"
Just then, the moon, previously hidden behind clouds, gradually revealed itself.
Silvery moonlight cascaded like threads through the porthole, filling the cabin and illuminating Lin Fan's face.
"Not the same!" Lin Fan gazed at the myriad stars, his eyes gradually brightening: "The sky here is vast!"
- Writer
