Initially, the captain was worried that the new astronaut candidates would be traumatized after witnessing their comrade's death in front of them. However, based on the results of the assessment, it seemed like he was overthinking things.
Considering that time was of the essence, everyone resumed their training in the afternoon.
According to the original plan, after the lunar lander training was the flight training. This time, however, there was no instructor sitting behind them to guide them.
After more than a month of intense training, the students were about to fly alone for the first time.
NASA had always attached great importance to flying lessons, calling them 'Aerospace Preparation Training'. There were many similarities between a pilot and a spacecraft pilot. For example, they had to constantly assess the current safety situation, mission priorities, weather conditions, fuel consumption, and flight routes. After that, they had to make all sorts of decisions in a short period of time based on the collected information.
Once the spacecraft malfunctioned or encountered other emergencies, the pilot had to make the correct response. At the same time, they had to keep in touch with ground control via radio.
Therefore, flight training had always been the most important part of their training. It was also the training that the players invested the most time and energy into.
However, it had only been a short while since the 'accident' in the morning. The culprit had yet to be found, and even NASA's accident report had yet to be released. Everyone could only guess what caused the crash of the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle and the burly man named Anthony.
Most importantly, no one knew how the culprit managed to pull it off.
Other than the young man who was accused of sneaking out at night, no one else seemed to have left the space center. Most of the time, everyone worked together. Logically speaking, no one should have come into contact with the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle in advance.
During training, Anthony was the first one to board the training vehicle. At that time, the other players were standing beside the captain. Since Zhang Heng's score was basically locked in first place, he didn't focus all his attention on the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. Instead, he spent some of his energy on the others. However, he didn't notice any obvious abnormalities.
Was it supernatural?
Considering that the players who entered the dungeon were all players, it was highly likely that they had brought game items with them. This was the most reasonable explanation. However, there were many other possibilities.
Zhang Heng could understand why the middle-aged man wanted to find the culprit so badly. If this matter wasn't solved, the Sword of Damocles would be hanging over everyone's head.
However, as long as the main mission was not completed, everyone had no choice but to continue training.
…
After all, a major accident had just occurred. The Cape Canaveral Air Force Base was also very nervous. The jet used for this training had also been repeatedly checked by the ground crew several times to ensure that there were no more mechanical problems.
Zhang Heng changed into a custom-made flight suit, put on a helmet and oxygen mask, and sat in the cockpit. To other players, this might be their first time flying solo, but he had done it many times in the previous transitional quests. In fact, when he was training with the T-38, the flight instructor sitting in the back had been praising him for his performance.
Zhang Heng's Level 1 piloting skills might not be as good as a professional pilot's, but it was more than enough for him to handle the current quest, especially after strengthening and consolidating his skills during this period. All he lacked was flying experience.
The youngsters and high school students at the front of the line had already completed their flight training, which allowed the remaining players to relax a little.
Zhang Heng was the third person to train. He fastened his seatbelt, pulled out the safety pin of the ejection seat, turned on the head-up display, the lower display, and the corresponding switch. He then connected the aircraft's radar, flight control, communication system, and engine system, started the APU and engine, and checked the instrument panel to make sure everything was in order.
After that, he made an 'OK' gesture to the ground crew outside, who helped him remove the ladder and the wheel block, and unplugged the power. Zhang Heng released the handbrake, letting the plane taxi out of the hangar and onto the runway.
It was still windy in the afternoon, but the weather was much better than in the morning. The most important thing was that the sun was shining brightly, making it very suitable for flying.
At 13: 45, Zhang Heng spoke to the control tower and requested to take off. After getting approval, he pushed the accelerator on his left hand to the maximum, accelerating the plane to 220 kilometers per hour. After that, he pulled back the joystick and completed a beautiful lift off.
The plane successfully left the ground. Zhang Heng glanced at the attitude indicator, confirmed the elevation and slope of the nose, and flew to the mission target.
This training required him to find a frigate called the Miller at sea and then return to the ship.
The mission wasn't too complicated, especially for Zhang Heng. All he needed to do was to be careful not to miss the target. After confirming that everything was in order, he even had the mood to enjoy the scenery outside the window.
He had to admit that this game had changed him in many ways.
Six months ago, no matter how crazy he was, he wouldn't have imagined what would happen today. Even if he was a rich second-generation heir, his excitement would only stop at the thrill of racing outside the Fifth Ring Road and fantasizing that he was Takumi Fujiwara. Now, he was piloting a fighter jet over the territorial waters of the United States.
At 13: 52, Zhang Heng spoke to the control tower for the second time, reporting his altitude and Mach number. At the same time, he also checked the plane's fuel level. Everything was normal, but the sun outside the window was a little dazzling.
It took Zhang Heng less than ten minutes to find the target frigate. At 13: 59, he spoke to the control tower for the third time, confirming that the mission was completed. Zhang Heng turned around and headed back.
However, he only flew for four and a half minutes when the fuselage suddenly began to shake violently. Through the cockpit glass, Zhang Heng saw the left engine of the fighter jet burst into flames, accompanied by billowing smoke.
A shrill alarm immediately rang in his ears, and at the same time, the voice of the control tower commander came through the communication channel. "David, what happened?"
"I might have hit something, a seagull or something," Zhang Heng said, and at the same time, he turned off the engine that was on fire.
"Can you fly back, David?"
Zhang Heng looked at the altimeter on the dashboard that kept falling. "Let me try."
Until now, Zhang Heng remained calm. In the transitional quest, he and Armstrong had practiced how to deal with situations like this. However, just as he regained control of the flight, before he could pull the fuselage up, the only engine left on the right side let out a loud roar.
The fighter jet lost all its power in just half a minute.
Shuke Ju website:
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