37 The lonely watchman

"On the day I got the 'Invincible' command, in order to calm you down, I converted the N-particles into my body and used the 'Invincible' command on myself at the same time, so your bullets didn't work against me...... Since then, every atom in my body has been in an N-particle state. Lucien said calmly, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

When Miller heard this, he stared at the other with wide eyes, but quickly lowered his eyelids again...... As if to say, "You're causing me trouble." ”

"It's hard......" Miller complained.

"No, there is a way." Lucien said suddenly, and Miller looked up again when he heard it.

"What can you do?"

"Haven't you explained my story to the fugitive fleet or Earth?"

"Yes, they think you're dead...... I was going to explain it to them when we arrived at the fugitive fleet. ”

"Are the people on the space station not aware of my specific situation?"

"For the most part, only Gao, Shilka and Americans know."

Lucien clapped his hands: "It's okay! My plan is that when you board the rescue ship and stay for a certain amount of time, I will maneuver the space station into a wormhole...... Make all the N particles in the solar system disappear completely! ”

Miller didn't believe his ears a little: "You...... You repeat? ”

Lucien repeated.

Miller covered his face with his hands and said, "As much as I would love to say you're crazy, it's really the best way to compare—I should say...... But I think you can stay and cover up the fact that you have N particles on you, and leave the rest to the AI......"

"This is a risk, you know that decision-makers can't give up easily, they will use all their resources to find N-particles, how can a mere 21 space station members evade their inspection?"

"Can't be eliminated from the body?"

"There's no way."

"There's really no way to fool around?"

"Impossible."

……

The conversation between the two continued for another three hours, analyzing and arguing many times about how to destroy the N-particles and whether Lucien's decision was worth it, but in the end, Miller had to admit that it was still the best option for Lucien and Minerva to fall into the wormhole together.

Miller could never have imagined that Lucien, who had quarreled with him and even launched a mutiny over the number of places for his family's escape, was willing to sacrifice himself and the future of reuniting with his family at this moment to strive for mankind not to fight each other because of N particles in the future.

……

"There's no better option than that." Lucien was confident that he had convinced Miller.

There was still silence, but Lucien had won the game, and Miller had to stand up and slowly and solemnly reach out and take the other's hand—

"I ...... On behalf of all the members of the space station...... And thank you to all peace-loving humanity! ”

"You don't have to be so polite...... This is the price I have to pay. ”

……

After Miller left, Lucien locked the hatch of the research room, and in one corner of the room he was in, he began to cry, tears floating in the research room, reflecting the crystal light.

……

Fast forward to July 2nd, less than two weeks before the rescue ship arrived, and Miller began to wake up the hibernating people as planned. Since it was a short-term hibernation, there were no accidents from the last one, and everyone was unharmed.

Almost immediately, Miller found Goyal, Ryan, and Shilka and recounted his conversation with Lucien. All three expressed admiration and regret for Lucien's decision—was it really worth it for the heroes who saved human civilization to make such sacrifices in the end to curb the ambitions of a few?

Eventually, everyone was unified to say "Lucien disappeared from the destroyed Research Room 3 after the rain of debris", which is basically the same as what the rest of the space station members knew.

For the rest of the day, the trio involuntarily slowed down each time they passed by the closed hatch of Laboratory 2, as if in this way they greeted their fellow comrades who had fought together – and at the same time paid homage to the heroes of humanity.

Until the day of separation finally came-

……

On July 12, the rescue spacecraft "Nightingale" docked with the Minerva and began to transfer the crew and salute one after another. As the commander, Miller was the last to be transferred, and he stopped several rescuers who wanted to board the ship for a detailed inspection on the grounds that "there are still high-risk areas on the space station" - Miller certainly knew what their purpose was, so he informed them that the research room and the nearby corridors and rooms were at risk of collapse, disintegration and explosion, which obviously made these "curious" rescuers retreat.

The next day, the Nightingale rescue ship disconnected from the Watcher and headed for the fugitive fleet, which was expected to arrive at its destination in three or four months.

Watching the Nightingale depart, which gradually turned into a star-sized point of light, Lucien left Research Room 2 and returned to his room. Lucien and Miller agreed that they would not quickly manipulate the Minerva into a wormhole after the crew transfer, which would definitely arouse the suspicion of the decision-makers, so he would live on the Minerva for at least three months or so, by which time Miller and the others should have arrived at the fugitive fleet, and the engineering ship that took over the Minerva was probably halfway through, so it must be the best time to do so.

Lucien carefully dug out the small wooden box in the cupboard, which was a box of Cuban cigars that Miller had given him before parting, and he was probably reluctant to smoke it himself, and only one was missing from it.

I lit one, the aroma of tobacco filled the room, gently opened the PDA, looked through the photos of myself and my family, and memories and sadness came to my heart...... Before he knew it, he began to play a sad and soulful old song on a loop - "Christmas Eve Without You".

……

Christmas without you and without joy,

The sad days are coming again,

I still hear the wind crying in the distance,

How I wish you could be here.

……

Tears poured out, staining the placket, staining the curtains, staining the pillowcase, wetting the glass and screens......

……

Listen only to the songs of joy and the heavens,

I'm alone.

……

Nothing is left alone,

Happiness is gone.

The fire of the furnace is extinguished, and the dream is empty,

Christmas is chilling without you.

……

On October 27, 2104 AD, Minerva crashed into a wormhole in Jupiter's orbit due to an accident of unknown cause, presumed to have suffered a meteorite shower.

On 30 October, the Nightingale arrived at the fugitive fleet with the remaining 20 crew members of the Minerva.