Chapter 103: Fortress
A total of 15 people stopped at the same time, silently waiting.
Time passed minute by minute and second by second. 20 minutes later, Zhao Jianguo’s voice came from the communicator: “Report to No. 1, no abnormalities detected on our side.”
Jiang Yang suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
This time, the spacesuit was equipped with corresponding detection equipment. If the astronaut suffered corrosion, even if it was so slight as to be invisible to the naked eye, it would definitely be immediately detected by the detection equipment.
And at this moment, Zhao Jianguo and the other had already been there for 20 minutes, yet the equipment still had not detected any abnormalities.
This meant that the corrosion very likely did not exist at all!
His speculation from his previous life had truly come true!
Jiang Yang was excited in his heart, while Tong Zheng remained cautious.
“Everyone, advance 300 meters, continue on-site observation and vigilance!”
“Yes!”
Jiang Yang knew that this life was different from the previous ones.
This time, the astronauts had plenty of time.
The supplies transported from Earth to the Moon were enough to sustain a total of 15 astronauts, including himself, for ten days. If used sparingly, it could last up to 13 days.
The apocalypse had already happened anyway, and there was no need for them to rush into anything. It was better to proceed steadily.
Under these circumstances, after advancing 300 meters, they paused for another 20 minutes. After confirming everything was still normal, the team advanced again.
At this moment, the two assault troopers had already penetrated 5000 meters into this passage, and the team core where he was had reached a depth of 4500 meters, completely surpassing the previous life.
But ahead was still a deep, sloping downward, bottomless passage, still as flat and straight as before, without any change.
When the assault troopers reached 5500 meters depth, the team paused again, then 6500 meters.
At that moment, Jiang Yang suddenly heard a report from Zhao Jianguo.
“There’s light ahead!”
Tong Zheng did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered: “Turn off the lights!”
In an instant, all lighting lamps on the 15 astronauts were turned off, and the passage instantly became pitch black.
“No. 2 and No. 3, move forward to observe, be careful!”
“No. 2 understood.”
Jiang Yang leaned against the rock wall and squatted on the ground, with a defensive line formed by eight astronauts’ bodies ahead.
No matter what danger lay ahead, as long as these eight did not die, Jiang Yang would certainly not die.
Regarding this, Jiang Yang had no pretensions and accepted it calmly.
It was not that his life was more precious than others’. Rather, for the greater good, he must be the last one to die!
There was no sound from Zhao Jianguo or the other assault trooper in the communicator, not even breathing.
Jiang Yang knew that according to previous training, in this situation, Zhao Jianguo and the other would enter radio silence to ensure they were not exposed as much as possible.
After checking the situation and withdrawing to a safe place, they would turn on communication.
If they never turned on communication, it would obviously mean they had encountered an accident. This in itself was a way of passing information.
In the darkness, everyone was silently waiting. Although there was no communication or exchange, Jiang Yang suddenly felt that the surrounding vacuum seemed to become heavy.
Various thoughts began to uncontrollably emerge in his mind.
Had they already encountered an accident? Just like the first time entering this passage, when that group of astronauts inexplicably sacrificed here…
What kind of accident would it be? Claw-waving aliens, or some abnormal phenomenon we cannot understand?
It felt like a long time had passed. Jiang Yang looked at the time and saw that only five minutes had gone by.
According to training requirements, loss of contact exceeding half an hour could be considered an accident.
Five minutes…
Suppressing the unease and fear in his heart, Jiang Yang continued waiting.
It was already 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes…
At the 22nd minute, a burst of static suddenly came into his ears.
Jiang Yang instantly perked up.
This was the sound of the communicator turning on!
Zhao Jianguo and the others had not lost contact! They had not encountered an accident!
Sure enough, the next moment, Zhao Jianguo’s solemn voice came into his ears: “Report to No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 have completed the reconnaissance mission.
There is a glowing floating fortress ahead, no danger detected yet.”
Floating fortress? Glowing?
Jiang Yang’s brain froze for a moment. Just from this description alone, he could not imagine what it was.
Tong Zheng’s voice came again: “No. 2 and No. 3, hold position. No. 4 and No. 5, continue forward to probe, stay vigilant!”
“No. 4 received, understood!”
“No. 5 received, understood!”
Jiang Yang knew that the word “vigilance” in Tong Zheng’s words was not just for the current environment.
It also included Zhao Jianguo and the other.
After all, no one could be sure whether something like mental consciousness being controlled by unknown means would happen here.
In the silent wait, another 20-plus minutes passed. The voices of No. 4 and No. 5 astronauts came into Jiang Yang’s ears again.
“Report to No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5 have completed the reconnaissance mission, no danger detected.
There is indeed a floating fortress at the end of the passage ahead!”
Tong Zheng took a light breath and said solemnly: “No. 2, 3, 4, 5, maintain on-site vigilance. The rest, everyone, advance! Stay vigilant!”
“Yes!”
One hand holding a grenade, the other carrying a gun, after joining the two astronauts responsible for rearguard, a total of 10 astronauts advanced at a neither fast nor slow speed, maintaining a formation that surrounded Jiang Yang completely.
After walking a while, Jiang Yang also saw that glow.
Just like driving on Earth and approaching the end of a tunnel, at this moment, a soft, not blinding light appeared at the end of this passage.
This is…
Jiang Yang’s heart began to pound uncontrollably, and his footsteps quickened a bit, but the next moment he was blocked by the human wall formed by the astronauts and had to maintain the previous neither fast nor slow speed.
As the distance shortened, the light ahead became more obvious. By that light, Jiang Yang even saw the figures of Zhao Jianguo and the other three maintaining vigilance there.
Advancing another few dozen meters, Jiang Yang finally saw the glowing object ahead clearly.
At this moment, it was as if a sledgehammer had smashed into his brain. Jiang Yang’s eyes widened instantly, and he almost forgot to breathe.
A scene beyond previous imagination, only vaguely seen in the wildest fantasies, appeared before Jiang Yang.
There was indeed a floating fortress there!
A floating fortress suspended in mid-air with no support below, covered above with various large and small buildings of strange styles and shapes!
Jiang Yang saw no lighting lamps, but the fortress emitted a soft yellowish-white glow, completely illuminating this space.
