Zhang Heng kept thinking about the middle-aged man named Einstein that he met earlier. He wondered if the "magnificent desolation" that Einstein mentioned was intentional or just a coincidence.
That was exactly what Buzz Aldrin, who went to the moon with Armstrong, said when he stepped out of the lunar module and saw the scenery on the moon.
But he couldn't find the latter. Einstein was obviously a pseudonym. Zhang Heng only knew that the middle-aged man was a researcher working in Area 51. But because of the nature of Area 51, he wouldn't be able to meet him again unless he came looking for him.
The latter was like a sandstorm at dusk, appearing and disappearing all of a sudden.
Early the next morning, Zhang Heng paid special attention to Jia Lai and Bruno's expressions. Judging from their expressions, nothing special happened last night. Apparently, they didn't see the guy who claimed to be Einstein like Zhang Heng did. However, Zhang Heng could only put this matter aside for the time being. Next up was the field survival training.
This training would also determine the final candidate to board Apollo 11, but it might not be in the way NASA expected.
…
After breakfast, Zhang Heng and the others changed into spacesuits, and Area 51 sent a car to the training site. There was a simulation cabin that had been placed in advance. It was planted in the yellow sand to simulate the command module that would separate from the service module when returning to Earth.
The simulation cabin and the command module were built in a one-to-one ratio, and the configuration inside was the same as the command module, containing all the items needed for survival in the wild.
The military truck pulled the three to the simulation cabin, and the driver left after the three got in.
The captain and the NASA staff were observing the situation with binoculars from two kilometers away.
NASA had learned their lesson from the previous incidents. This time, the medical team and emergency rescue team were on standby nearby. Helicopters and off-road vehicles were also on standby. In addition, the Area 51 Air Force Base not far away promised to provide assistance if necessary.
With such preparation, there would be almost no accidents.
The space in the simulation cabin was very small. In fact, the entire spacecraft was strictly designed. Take a modern rocket as an example, for every 1 kg increase in weight, it would require about 50 kg of fuel.
In order to ensure that the spacecraft had enough escape velocity, on the one hand, the launch vehicle had to have enough thrust, and on the other hand, the spacecraft had to be as light as possible.
So after ensuring functionality and safety as much as possible, they had to sacrifice part of the flight experience.
The three of them were now squeezed together in a crowded simulation pod. Their bodies were pressed against each other, and this was somewhat ironic for them, who all wanted to kill each other.
Bruno's breathing quickened, and no one knew what he was thinking. On the other hand, Jia Lai and Zhang Heng were much calmer, especially Zhang Heng, whose breathing hardly changed.
The cabin was too cramped, and everyone was wearing thick spacesuits. There was not much space to move around, so even if they had any ideas, they could not realize them.
They didn't know how much time had passed, during which the three of them remained silent until they heard the sound of the radio. The captain told them that they could begin training.
Jia Lai, who was closest to the door, was the first to climb out, followed by Bruno. Zhang Heng was the last to step out of the simulator. Stepping on the soft sand, he took off his helmet and felt like he had returned to the outside world.
Looking around, it was a desolate scene. Apart from some sparse shrubs, there was only a monotonous hue.
But then they faced another awkward problem, and that was how to take off their spacesuits. Spacesuits were designed to be used in space, and once they landed, they would become a burden. There was no way they could move with such a heavy set of equipment on them, and it would consume a considerable amount of energy.
So when the command module landed on the ground, the first thing the astronauts did was to take off their spacesuits.
However, even after so many rounds of training, it would take a lot of time to remove all the things on their bodies if they relied on themselves. If they had the help of their companions, the process could be greatly shortened. However, the problem was that the three of them were on guard against each other, and none of them wanted to let the others recover first.
In the end, it was Zhang Heng who said to Jia Lai, "Let me help you."
There was a flash of surprise in Jia Lai's eyes, but he still nodded. Bruno suddenly regretted his decision. He and Jia Lai were nominal allies, and he should have stepped forward to help first. He did not expect Zhang Heng to take the initiative. In fact, NASA's people were observing them from afar. Even if they wanted to kill Zhang Heng, it was unlikely that they would do it now.
After Jia Lai took off his spacesuit, Bruno helped Zhang Heng do the same. Finally, Bruno was freed from his spacesuit and changed into NASA's ground uniform.
During this time, Zhang Heng returned to the simulator once more and took out food and water from the storage room. Other than that, he also took out some equipment that might be of use.
According to the training plan, the three of them first used long-distance communication to report their approximate location to the control center. After that, they began to build a survival bunker.
Zhang Heng had done this countless times in the first round of the quest. This time, however, he didn't need to scavenge for materials. NASA had considered all kinds of situations during the return journey and had prepared in advance. All they needed to do was to drag out all the materials and assemble them in order.
Jia Lai had to admit that as a teammate, Zhang Heng was probably the ideal type. He was calm, versatile, and reliable … but as an opponent, it wasn't a good thing.
This also meant that it would be more difficult for Jia Lai to kill him. Once he made a move, he had to kill Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng wouldn't give him a second chance. Fortunately, Jia Lai had always been a very patient person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pretended to be a harmless, cute puppy at the beginning of the quest. He waited until Zhen Xiong and Bruno joined forces to kill all the other players before revealing his fangs.
He was like a venomous snake, always looking for the best time to hunt.
Therefore, at the beginning of the survival training, he was very cooperative. After the call for help ended, he actively joined in the construction of the bunker. The three of them worked for a quarter of an hour, setting up a canopy to block the scorching sun above their heads.
Due to the training requirements, none of them had breakfast. Zhang Heng took out some food from the storage room and gave it to the other two. Although he was already hungry, Jia Lai didn't rush to swallow. Instead, he gave Bruno a look.
The latter knew what Jia Lai meant. With a bitter face, he opened a bag of dehydrated food, mixed it with water in a sealed bag, and put it into his mouth.
Little Dumbo said.
Take a guess at Einstein's identity. His position in the previous chapter was actually quite clear.
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