December 24, 2026, Earth Calendar, Western "Christmas Eve." After day and night of intense struggle, overcoming countless difficulties, the spaceship and rocket finally completed all construction and debugging.
Although these escape devices appeared rudimentary, they embodied countless hours of hard work. It wasn't just Lín Xuān; the numerous scratches on ROB1 were a testament to this arduous journey.
This small rocket stood about 20 meters tall, its body constructed from lightweight alloy, with a rough surface and mottled welding marks—proof of round-the-clock work under limited resources. Its propulsion system utilized a liquid fuel engine, with a fuel mixture of modified liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. While not as efficient as state-of-the-art aerospace technology, its advantage lay in the relative ease of obtaining and refining the raw materials. Its peak thrust reached 500 kilonewtons, capable of breaking free from Earth's gravitational pull in a short period.
As for the escape ship, it was oval-shaped, about 3 meters in diameter. The interior space was compact, barely able to accommodate essential survival equipment, spaceship repair tools, and related supplies. It was equipped with a simple navigation system that relied on the Quantum Spirit to access star map data obtained from the satellite network for positioning and route planning.
Despite falling far short of mature aerospace vehicles in performance and specifications, it was a beacon of hope in their desperate situation, carrying the exploration of the unknown universe and the belief in survival.
Lín Xuān stood in the open space of the base, gazing at the ship that carried his and ROB1's hope for survival, and the rocket that would send them away from Earth. His eyes instantly welled up, an ineffable mix of excitement and disbelief surging through him. His hands trembled slightly as he gently touched the cold exterior of the ship, as if caressing a miracle.
"We... we actually did it?" Lín Xuān's voice was choked with emotion, barely believing it was real. What once seemed harder than climbing to heaven had actually been achieved after countless failures, numerous injuries, and countless moments of wanting to give up. The days of painstakingly searching for materials in the ruins, the pain of burns and cuts, and the despair when facing technical challenges—all of it now transformed into an immense sense of accomplishment.
The Quantum Spirit's voice echoed, "Yes, Lín Xuān, we succeeded." The Quantum Spirit was calm; to it, this was merely following a predetermined process.
Lín Xuān's face broke into a brilliant smile. He jumped up, waving his arms excitedly, and shouted, "We succeeded! ROB1, we really succeeded!" ROB1 seemed to sense his joy, emitting a series of cheerful electronic beeps.
Recalling the beginning of the construction, his shock and apprehension when he first heard the Quantum Spirit's insane plan, thinking it was an impossible mission. But now, this seemingly absurd plan had become a reality. The countless moments of self-doubt in the face of adversity, the tense sprints against time—all vivid in his memory. Lín Xuān was filled with gratitude towards the Quantum Spirit and ROB1; without their assistance, he could never have accomplished this feat.
"This is like a dream, a crazy and beautiful dream," Lín Xuān murmured, his eyes shining. Although the journey ahead was full of unknown dangers, at this moment he felt nothing but boundless courage and hope. Yet, after the excitement, a trace of worry crept into his heart. Space was filled with unknown perils; could they find a new home in the vast universe? But he quickly cast these worries aside, clenched his fist, his gaze resolute: "No matter what lies ahead, we will face it bravely. This is humanity's hope, we cannot retreat!"