Chapter 342: Star Wars? No, It’s Skynet!
“Two days after the mission began, when the oxygen tank exploded, at first Aldrin, Jack, and Jim didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation.
When the explosion occurred, the astronauts knew that this moon landing plan had failed, with remaining fuel insufficient to support landing on the moon, but they didn’t realize the danger of this accident.
This wasn’t the astronauts’ fault, because the previous three moon landings, Gagarin’s one, and Aldrin’s two, had made the astronauts lose their vigilance.”
Lin Ran sat in the guest seat and spoke eloquently, the audience below held their breath, being able to hear the professor explain the behind-the-scenes story live was much more interesting than just watching news reports.
Plus the natural speaking ability that Washington senior politicians possess, even though Lin Ran didn’t need to run for election, he still had this ability.
The audience below was already listening intently.
Big T remained vigilant inside, maintaining a host’s keen sense of smell, knowing he needed to create program effects: “This all benefits from your success halo, professor.
There have always been rumors that you weren’t in charge of this Apollo 13 moon landing, that all your energy was focused on the Star Wars Program, so such an accident happened.”
Lin Ran didn’t answer directly, but said: “Regardless of whether I was in charge of Apollo 13, I have to take corresponding responsibility for its failure.”
Old traditional thinking has too strong a sense of responsibility.
Lin Ran continued: “Aldrin quickly realized that most of the spacecraft was actually useless, they told the control center at Cape Canaveral that now famous line repeated by the media: Cape Canaveral, we have a problem.
Fully three fuel cells and two oxygen tanks failed, the computer on the spaceship also failed at one point, although we had given the astronauts various simulation training on Earth to train their ability to handle emergencies.
But we had never simulated training for such a perilous situation.
For a full five days, the crew on Apollo 13 and the experts on the ground together dealt with one crisis after another, rationing food and water quantitatively, dealing with loss of heat in the cabin, even using the lunar module as a lifeboat on the way back to Earth.
It was a difficult process, but fortunately we succeeded in the end.
When President Johnson was interviewed, he attributed all the credit to me, I think that’s biased, the astronauts’ bravery and resilience were equally indispensable.
If they lost the will to survive in it, or if their usual training wasn’t serious enough, this rescue operation might not have gone so smoothly.”
After Lin Ran finished introducing, led by Big T, the audience below applauded together.
Big T said in a slightly exaggerated tone that sounded a bit like an aria, “After the oxygen tank explosion forced the astronauts to hide in the lunar module, a safe return seemed impossible to the outside world, almost all newspapers were saying the astronauts were ten to die without survival.
Experts on TV programs predicted, just as the professor said, that the astronauts definitely never simulated this kind of emergency in training.
Because everyone knows that if the explosion destroys your spaceship, all power and oxygen disappear, you’re definitely dead.
It’s like taking driving courses, practicing how to respond if your car plunges off a cliff, what’s the point?
But the Apollo 13 astronauts survived, they lived, they successfully returned to Earth, even after encountering such a perilous situation.
This was largely due to the extraordinary technology and navigation proposal conceived by the professor.
And the rest, as the professor said, was due to the astronauts’ extraordinary calmness, Aldrin is indeed our country’s treasure, he always accomplishes seemingly impossible tasks.”
After listening, Lin Ran thought to himself, people really do change, people really do grow.
Now Big T, in the process of hosting the program, effortlessly uses various long complex sentences.
In his impression, this one, during campaign speeches, would casually say Great, terrible, using simple words when possible, keeping speech vocabulary at the level of China university level 4, no higher, Hilary mocked Big T for being uncultured many times during the 16 campaign, saying his speech content was empty, only knowing to say Great.
University level 4 level is what Lin Ran thinks, Donkey Party camp media said his speech style was third-grade level.
But now Big T’s language style is completely different from the Big T in his impression.
“Professor, so when the explosion happened, what was the situation at the control center, how did you recover from the shock?” Big T asked.
Lin Ran said: “At that time, President Johnson and I were in the viewing room, when NASA’s employee came to notify me, Mr. President was very shocked, I was okay, because although we hadn’t experienced this before, I was mentally prepared inside.
Life is full of too many uncertainties, tomorrow and accidents, you never know which will come first.
Since the accident came first, we just bravely face it, the design we did on the spaceship’s safety redundancy was to prepare to welcome this day.
So I wasn’t shocked, I was only thinking at the time about how to solve the problem.
Mr. President was a bit tense, after all, in this year, we experienced too many accidents, every accident was a harm to America, people from different positions attacking and accusing each other.
This year, for every American, there were too many accidents happening.
More fatally, compared to the political figures assassinated this year, this time the ones facing the accident were astronauts, astronauts like Aldrin who are heroes in the minds of people from different positions, such an accident, once it happens, the harm to the public is undoubtedly huge.”
Big T has gradually matured, in the past he would definitely mock Lyndon Johnson a couple times, but now, now there’s no need, doing so would only give people the feeling of kicking a man while he’s down, and offend Lyndon Johnson’s supporters.
He just smiled slightly mockingly, thinking to himself, worried about the public? More like worried about his own reputation, “So professor, in this process, you provided ground guidance to the astronauts, like a lighthouse in the universe guiding them back to Earth.
The ship’s own navigation ability is certainly important, but without the lighthouse, the ship can’t dock.”
The screen began playing an animation, the real-time footage of NASA’s control center at the time, faithfully recorded by cameras: the first few minutes were chaotic, everyone shouting, trying to understand what happened. Then the professor walked in front, President Lyndon Johnson following behind, after the professor appeared, the chaos on site instantly disappeared, the entire scene was reorganized.
“Audience friends, look, this is the professor’s influence at NASA, if NASA is a top orchestra, then the professor is the only conductor who can command this top orchestra, when the professor appears, no matter how difficult the situation, NASA immediately regains combat power to face difficulties.”
Regarding propaganda of his own prestige at NASA, Lin Ran had seen a lot, he knew some were spontaneous from the media, after all mentioning him attracts audience, others were deliberate operations by the huge propaganda machine of Hearst.
The combination of these two firmly bound NASA and him, making even the president unable to shake his position at NASA.
Even Lyndon Johnson couldn’t do it, future increasingly weak presidents would be even less able.
Big T then asked: “Professor, what do you think was the key thing the ground did to successfully rescue the astronauts?”
Lin Ran’s eyes narrowed, after recalling for a moment he said: “I think it should be the carbon dioxide filter, we solved this life-and-death problem with everyday items.”
Then Big T pulled out a prop model from under the table, a plastic bag and can wrapped with tape.
Lin Ran took it from his hand: “Exactly like this, Big T.
The filter in the command module is square, but the slot in the lunar module is round, we couldn’t let carbon dioxide accumulate, otherwise the astronauts would be poisoned.
On the ground we improvised with things on the spaceship: lithium hydroxide can, plastic bag, tape, even astronauts’ socks!
We guided them step by step via radio to assemble it.
The ground simulation product looked ridiculous, like children’s science experiments, but it was effective.
After assembly Aldrin reported: ‘It’s sucking air, like a vacuum cleaner.’
That was the most critical moment in my view, this proved that engineering doesn’t need to be how perfect, improvised creativity can also solve problems.”
At this time, watching the live broadcast in front of the television, 13-year-old Jobs paced back and forth in the living room, muttering repeatedly: improvised creativity, maybe solving problems and gradually improving is a better path than perfection.
Big T countered: “Professor, isn’t re-entry into the atmosphere the biggest risk, after all if the heat shield is damaged, they might disappear in a fireball.”
Lin Ran said easily: “This is certainly also a problem.
Because when the astronauts jettisoned the excess modules of the spaceship, they reported the explosion damage, panels twisted, like being hit.
But this could be solved, it just needed simulation calculations for re-entry angle, ensuring precision within 0.5 degrees, calculations were never a problem for me.
The black barrier period, that is, three minutes of radio silence, was actually not tormenting.
Everyone was praying, but behind the prayers was data, no one doubted the accuracy of my calculation data.
I had fully simulated and verified the heat shield’s integrity, ensured backup battery power was sufficient, so when I told Buzz: ‘Trust the system, it will bring you home.’
Buzz wasn’t panicked at all, Buzz trusted me completely.
Big T then asked some specific details, the audience below and in front of televisions listened with great interest.
Finally Big T summarized:
“Audience friends, the Apollo 13 story is over, but it will go down in history forever.
It proved humanity’s resilience, facing the unknown, we don’t retreat.
We pay tribute to the professor, to Aldrin, Jack, Jim, to all participants.
Thank you for watching Apprentice, see you next time.”
Background music played, the audience’s screens showed splashing celebration footage, the studio disappeared, falling into brief silence.
Afterwards, Big T discussed with Lin Ran in the studio lounge: “Professor, I’m very confused now, I found it’s hard to win in New York State, but if I go to other states I have no resources, have to start over.”
Big T fell into confusion, his dream of being the youngest senator, congressman, and president shattered in his first election, he found he couldn’t win in New York State at all.
Lin Ran thought to himself, no wonder you can’t win, although you’re a native New Yorker, but here they never liked you, even Jenny who grew up locally in New York pinches her nose when she sees you, it’s like stinking ten miles against the wind.
“Big T, do you know why your dad could win, but you can’t?” Lin Ran asked.
Big T had obviously thought about this question for a long time, he said without thinking: “Because my dad is older, so voters trust my dad more than me.”
As expected of Big T, this thinking is simple and crude.
Lin Ran wagged his finger, “Yes and no, your dad could win, largely relying on novelty, in the past voters hadn’t seen a politician who spoke so directly unafraid to offend colleagues.
So he could win.
But you’re different, although your speech appeal is stronger than your dad’s, but you’re too young, the political concepts and speech content you showed in the campaign, are they substantially different from your dad’s?”
Without waiting for Big T to answer, Lin Ran already answered for him: “No!
So, why would New York State people vote for you?
They’ve already seen one round, for you to win your dad here is too hard.
With Fred to choose, why choose Fred Young?
Same style, Fred performs in Congress, while you perform every day on Apprentice, people can even buy tickets to the Apprentice site to watch you perform.
What reason do you have to get voters to send you to Washington?”
Lin Ran’s analysis was incisive, actually this wasn’t his analysis, it was Lyndon Johnson’s analysis, at Cape Canaveral, Lyndon Johnson had mocked Big T.
Mocking Big T for wishful thinking, still wanting to run for senator?
When Lin Ran asked him why, Lyndon Johnson answered like this.
Analysis from a Washington living fossil, an old-school politician who couldn’t be older, shocked Big T at once.
He fell into contemplation: yeah, why would voters choose me, what’s the difference between me and my dad? I even have the disadvantage of being young, not even thirty yet.
Looking at Big T like this, Lin Ran said after a moment: “Big T, I’ve chosen a good place for you to start over.”
“Where?” Big T’s originally dejected heart came alive again.
Huntsville Longzhong Plan, with Nixon’s election, this matter was exposed by Robert Finch, Lin Ran’s signature at Nixon’s 1960 campaign fundraising dinner was also exposed.
Including the campaign strategy Lin Ran gave to Nixon, publicized by the media as one of the greatest campaign strategies of this era.
American media naturally wouldn’t call it Longzhong Plan, they call it Huntsville Trojan Horse.
Meaning, the 1964 election, seemingly wanting to send Fred to the White House, actually Nixon repairing his own reputation.
Big T as a political talk show host definitely knows this story, he even had an episode specially inviting his dad Fred to discuss it together.
Because he knows, Big T has expectations inside, the professor giving me advice, how could the advice be bad?
I could return alive from the Vietnam War frontline to New York, also thanks to the professor’s guidance to me.
Big T was very devout, staring at Lin Ran with a serious face.
Lin Ran stood up, walked to the American map in the lounge, pointed to an area in the central south: “Texas.”
“Richard, congratulations on finally getting what you wanted, becoming president.”
Because Lin Ran applied for a full month as his vacation, he wouldn’t attend Nixon’s presidential inauguration ceremony.
To avoid the media saying Lin Ran and himself are at odds, also to fully understand the Star Wars Program, and also to consult Lin Ran on some geopolitics problems, Nixon put their first meeting in New York.
During the Huntsville Longzhong Plan, Nixon looked haggard, dazed, now the whole person radiant, six years passed, but the other looked younger.
Power is indeed a magic potion, able to keep people forever young.
“Professor, it’s all your credit, Robert Finch in an interview deliberately let the words out, this is my statement to the media, without you, there would be no Nixon today!” Nixon said firmly.
This was stating his attitude.
Lin Ran is very important.
What Lyndon Johnson left him was undoubtedly a mess.
Lyndon Johnson spent a full six years and still couldn’t find V’s traces, could he find them?
Nixon wouldn’t hold expectations for such a low-probability event.
Then if V comes out again stirring trouble, and takes out big figures in Washington, what then?
Politics is made of people, even Hoover could be taken out, what about other congressmen? White House senior officials?
How much security force?
Nixon got a headache just thinking about it.
If V’s killings continue and still can’t find the person, his term is 100% unfinishable.
So he thought of a solution.
“Professor, we’ve known each other for so many years, no need for much small talk.
I want to consult you on a question, that is, is it possible for us to build Skynet?
At least Skynet to cover the Washington area.”
After hearing, Lin Ran was somewhat puzzled, “Skynet?”
Nixon nodded: “Right, install high-definition cameras on satellites, so V will have nowhere to hide.
Since Star Wars is possible, then based on the Star Wars Program, ten thousand satellites, we first build Skynet covering Washington.
I believe no congressman will oppose this proposal, no matter how much budget it costs.”
