5.1 The Bumpy Road to Welding the Spaceship's Keel
After the materials were collected, the stage of manufacturing core components began. This was a battle fought against continuous difficulties and accidents, where every step was fraught with challenges and accompanied by situations that were both hilarious and exasperating.
During the welding of the spaceship's keel, Lín Xuān adjusted the parameters of the oxyacetylene flame according to the Quantum Spirit's guidance, carefully piecing the keel together. As he injected the plastic adhesive, his eyes were fixed on it, terrified of uneven filling. His focused expression was like that of someone nurturing a newborn infant, allowing no room for error. ROB1 assisted greatly by passing tools and steadying the keel.
During the welding process, due to the irregular materials, the joints were difficult to align. He spent a lot of time adjusting, sparks flying, and nearly burning himself several times. "Why is this joint so difficult? If this continues, my hands will turn into braised pork knuckles! How can I be so unlucky!" Lín Xuān complained while struggling to adjust the joint. Sweat dripped constantly from his forehead, soaking his clothes. He wiped his sweat, accidentally smearing a streak of black ash across his face, making him look like a coal miner.
Once, while he was concentrating intently on welding, a gust of wind suddenly blew his hat into the welding sparks. Smoke instantly billowed out. He frantically patted out the hat, muttering, "Don't let this hat sneak off to space ahead of time. If you run away, I'll be baked into a charcoal brick!" His flustered appearance was quite amusing.
At this moment, Lín Xuān's heart was filled with anxiety and helplessness. He constantly told himself to stay calm, but faced with these successive accidents, his confidence began to waver. He worried he couldn't possibly complete this seemingly impossible task. However, when he thought of the terrifying scenes of the apocalypse, he gritted his teeth and persevered.
5.2 The Challenging Journey of the Chemical Power System
For the manufacturing of the chemical power system, Lín Xuān had to go to the junkyard to find old, large-displacement car engines. He would disassemble and clean them, replace parts, and then reassemble them. "Will this engine work? What if it 'goes on strike' in space? Then I'll be in real trouble!" Lín Xuān worried as he assembled, his heart pounding like a rabbit's. ROB1 helped by finding engines and assisting with disassembly and assembly, which put Lín Xuān's mind at ease.
In the junkyard, Lín Xuān tripped over a discarded car tire and fell face-first into the dirt. When he got up, his face was covered in dust. Just as he was feeling dejected, ROB1 discovered an engine. It emitted a loud, seemingly excited signal. However, the sound was so loud that it startled a flock of crows roosting nearby. A dark mass of birds took flight, nearly scaring Lín Xuān over again. "ROB1, are you trying to surprise me or shock me! You're so jumpy, my heart can barely take it!" Lín Xuān said helplessly, patting the dust off his clothes.
Although the manufacturing process was full of difficulties and accidents, Lín Xuān and ROB1 cooperated, finding joy amidst hardship, and moved step by step towards their goal. It was like walking through a dark tunnel towards a sliver of light; even though the road was bumpy, they never gave up.
While disassembling the engine, Lín Xuān found that the internal parts were severely damaged and needed replacements. He searched for a long time in the junkyard before finding suitable parts. However, when installing them, he realized the dimensions weren't quite right, and he had to meticulously grind and adjust them. During this process, his hands were cut several times, but he simply bandaged them and continued working, with only one thought in his mind: to complete the engine assembly as quickly as possible.
5.3 Precise Debugging of the Navigation System
While assembling a simple inertial navigation device from old electronic components, Lín Xuān was fully focused on extracting key components, installing them on a stable bracket, connecting circuits, and writing algorithms for precise calibration. His concentrated expression suggested that the entire world consisted only of him and the parts in his hands. ROB1 assisted with welding, installation, and circuit testing, ensuring the navigation system could operate normally.
This device required precise calibration. Lín Xuān adjusted it repeatedly, his eyes glued to various data. The prolonged concentration made his eyes bloodshot, resembling an angry rabbit. During debugging, a sensor malfunctioned. After checking, he discovered a loose connection, and after re-establishing the connection, the data returned to normal.
Just as he relaxed, he turned and accidentally knocked off a part. The part fell into a pile of debris, and he began another "part search." He muttered, "This tiny part is harder to find than a girlfriend. Do I need to get a magnifying glass to find you?" His anxious look was both exasperating and amusing.
While writing the algorithms, Lín Xuān encountered a problem: he couldn't get the navigation system to accurately locate. He racked his brain, consulted numerous documents, and even asked the Quantum Spirit countless times before finally finding a solution. At that moment, he felt a sense of accomplishment, but he also knew that more challenges awaited him.
5.4 The Difficult Renovation of the Life Support System
Manufacturing the life support system was also not easy. He modified a fish tank water pump into an activated carbon filter, and used a Kotsuzake distillation and purification device to produce oxygen. Controlling the distillation temperature and time became crucial. "Can this Kotsuzake really produce oxygen? Doesn't that sound unreliable?" Lín Xuān's heart pounded, but he proceeded according to the Quantum Spirit's instructions. ROB1 assisted with disassembly, modification, and transporting tools, working hard alongside Lín Xuān.
Lín Xuān took apart his home's fish tank water pump and modified it into an activated carbon filter. He ground the activated carbon and packed it into the water pump bit by bit, getting his hands covered in black carbon powder that wouldn't wash off. Looking at his blackened hands, he joked, "Now I can be a coal miner. Maybe I'll even win a 'Best Black Hands Award'!"]
To produce oxygen, he poured Kotsuzake into a pot, ignited it, and heated it, his eyes fixed on the thermometer. Suddenly, a strange smell emanated from the pot. He thought it was going to explode and jumped back in fright. It turned out he just hadn't controlled the temperature properly, a false alarm. His panicked reaction was like that of a startled fawn, darting around.
During this process, Lín Xuān deeply realized the importance of technology in survival. Without the seemingly absurd but scientifically based methods provided by the Quantum Spirit, he couldn't even imagine how to sustain life in the apocalypse. At the same time, he felt a sense of awe towards technology. Common household items, through scientific modification, could play such a huge role. He muttered to himself as he worked, "I used to think science was far removed from ordinary people, but now I know it's our lifeline!"
5.5 The Precise Manufacturing of the Rocket Engine
For the rocket engine manufacturing, he processed metal tubing into a combustion chamber and nozzle, then welded and sealed them before filling them with solid propellant and making a simple ignition device. ROB1 assisted with processing and stirring the propellant, and every step was critical.
The production of rocket propellant was key. The Quantum Spirit instructed Lín Xuān to use potassium nitrate, sugar, and some waste vegetable oil to make a simple solid propellant. Lín Xuān first mixed the potassium nitrate and sugar in specific proportions, then continuously stirred and boiled them in a makeshift heating device. The pungent odor made him cough repeatedly, and his eyes stung from the fumes. "This smell is going to do me in! I feel like I'm being smoked into jerky!" Lín Xuān coughed, waving the stirring rod in his hand, trying to disperse the acrid smell, but it clung to him stubbornly.
While stirring, he accidentally dropped his spoon into the pot. When he fished it out, the spoon was covered in the sticky mixture. He said helplessly, "This spoon wants to taste space. Maybe it'll get to space before we do!" His resigned yet witty remark was quite amusing.
When adding the waste vegetable oil, even a slight deviation in proportion could affect the propellant's performance, so he had to operate with extreme caution. Once, during stirring, the mixture almost caught fire due to excessive temperature. He frantically shut off the heating device and covered it with a wet cloth to prevent a fire. However, this made him even more cautious. Every stir was done with complete concentration, constantly monitoring the temperature and the condition of the mixture, like walking a tightrope, careful not to make a single misstep.
Lín Xuān knew clearly that the rocket engine was the key to their escape from Earth. Failure would render all their efforts futile. This immense pressure made his palms sweat profusely as he worked, but he constantly encouraged himself, "Lín Xuān, you can do it! You've come this far, you can't stumble now!" He also deeply realized that technology was not just theoretical knowledge but practical application requiring continuous experimentation. Each successful problem-solving instance deepened his understanding of the power of technology and strengthened his resolve to survive using it.
5.6 The Perilous Process of Assembling the Spaceship Systems
With the core components manufactured, the next stage was system assembly and debugging. This was a tough battle testing patience and skill, where every step was crucial. Any small mistake could lead to the complete failure of previous work, and during this process, problems continued to arise.
During the spaceship system assembly, the keel structure had to be fixed onto the main spacecraft frame, ensuring it was stable and centered. This was like laying the foundation of a house; there was no room for error. Lín Xuān directed ROB1, the two acting like surgeons performing a delicate operation as they carefully lifted the keel. "ROB1, one centimeter to the right. That's it, hold steady, hold steady!" Lín Xuān's forehead was beaded with sweat, his eyes fixed on the connection point between the keel and the frame, not daring to breathe.
But just as the keel was about to be precisely positioned, ROB1's robotic arm suddenly vibrated strangely, and the keel almost slipped. "My god, ROB1, what are you doing!" Lín Xuān's heart leaped into his throat. He rushed forward and used his body to support the keel until ROB1's robotic arm stabilized, finally averting disaster.
At this moment, Lín Xuān's heart rate remained elevated. He leaned against something, panting, and secretly rejoiced, "Glad nothing major happened. If it had fallen, all our previous work would have been for nothing!" He looked at ROB1 and couldn't help but complain, "Listen, buddy, your robotic arm needs to be steady. We're doing something big here!"
He knew the importance of constructing the main body of the spaceship, which was the foundation for installing other systems. It had to be foolproof. Any slight deviation could cause significant problems in space. Thinking of this, he regained his spirits, carefully checked the fixation of the keel, and only after ensuring there were no hidden dangers did he proceed to the next step.