The old cat turned around and went on directing the work, and the predicted area of more than 28 million square kilometers was meaningless to it.

Tang Yue stared at the map on the screen.

For the past few days, Tang Yue's heart has been hanging in mid-air and unable to land, the comet named Tomcat-Tang-Mai hangs above his head like a sword of Damocles, he feels that he is a criminal waiting for a sentence, the court may open the net to pardon him, or it may issue a death sentence, so Tang Yue is uneasy.

Now the verdict has finally come down.

But the verdict said let's roll the dice, and you will be released from prison if you have an even number, and you will eat peanuts if you have an odd number.

On the map of Mars, the Ihidi Plain is a small plain near the equator, with a radius of 700 kilometers - the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars are very different, the northern hemisphere is dominated by smooth and low-lying plains, but the northern and southern hemispheres are potholed highlands, covered with countless craters, with a pockmarked face, and the Ihidi plain is a small piece of the northern hemisphere's great plain protruding south.

To the west of the Ishchi Plain is the famous Syrtis Major Planum, which appears pink on the elevation map because it is more than 1,000 meters above sea level, but in field photographs it is actually a large dark area, which is due to the exposed basalt.

To the west of the Great Certis Plateau is the vast Sabea Terra, one of the largest plateaus on Mars, with a diameter of 4,700 kilometers from east to west, and a dense network of meteorite impact craters.

Further west of the Sabah Highlands is the equally wide Arabia Terra.

According to the computer prediction of the Kunlun station, the possible impact site of Comet Tomcat will be here...... A massive ellipse with a semi-major axis of more than 3,000 kilometers spans the entire Sabah Highlands, from the Arabian Highlands to the west and the Ihidi Plain to the east.

"The road of life is to the left, and the road of death is to the right."

Tang Yue clasped his hands together.

"God of fate, you have to be reliable! Be sure to cast me a six. ”

"Has the comet's impact site been predicted?" Mai Dong's voice rang out.

"The prediction was predicted, but the computer gave us a forecast range of 28 million square kilometers." The old cat shrugged, "There is no guidance. ”

"Mr. Cat, what if...... I said what if Kunlun Station was destroyed by a comet in the end? ”

The old cat paused for a few seconds.

"This decision is in your hands, Miss Mai Dong, now there are only the two of us left in the world, no one can force you to do anything, I respect and follow any decision made by you and Tang Yue, if the comet really smashes on top of our heads in the end, then you will not survive if you land."

"You can drop the landing option, I'll always have a Plan B to choose from." The old cat continued.

“Plan B？” Mai Dong asked, "Is there any other choice?" ”

"Get out of orbit around Mars." "Orion II still has enough propellant to send you out of Mars' low-Earth orbit and into orbit around the sun, away from this deadly comet," the old cat said. ”

"Mr. Cat, you're going to let me run away alone?"

"It's not an escape." The old cat was expressionless, and said word by word, "In the face of irresistible natural disasters, I have the obligation and responsibility to do everything in my power to protect your lives, Miss Mai Dong, you also have the obligation and responsibility to do your best to protect your own lives." ”

"Then I refuse."

Mai Dong couldn't imagine what a lonely and desperate life would be if she really abandoned Tang Yue and the old cat on Mars and entered the universe alone to drift forever.

Compared with this dark and dead second half of life, death is more acceptable.

"I will never abandon you and run away alone, I will not leave, Mr. Cat, it is a big deal that we die together, I am not afraid of death."

"I know you don't fear death, Miss Maidon." The old cat smiled, "In this kind of situation, it really takes courage to live." ”

Mai Dong floated silently in the service module, which had no portholes and was surrounded by soft white linings, she dimmed the lights and held a copy of the "Mars Joint Space Station System Maintenance Manual" in her hand, which was one of the few paper books on the space station.

If she does leave the low-Earth orbit of Mars, then the Orion-2 spacecraft will henceforth become a satellite orbiting the sun, flying aimlessly forever, and Mai Dong will become a person with no place to come and no place to return, and then die without anyone knowing.

The girl shuddered.

This was the worst result, the Kunlun station was destroyed by a comet, and Orion perished in the vast depths.

"Mr. Cat." Mai Dong's tone suddenly became serious, "You said that you would respect and follow all the decisions I made. ”

The old cat was stunned, "Yes, as an assistant at Kunlun Station, my job and responsibility is to assist the crew in their normal work and ensure their safety if necessary." ”

"Then I ask you, no matter what, at any time and under any conditions, you are not allowed to tamper with the flight control program of the Orion-2 spacecraft without my knowledge, so that it can be removed from the low Earth orbit of Mars." Mai Dong jumped out word by word, biting the words clearly, trying not to make loopholes, she spoke to the old cat for the first time in this tone of official business, "I am not allowed to override my authority without my knowledge, and directly manipulate the spacecraft out of Mars' low earth orbit." ”

After Mai Dong finished speaking, he thought about it carefully to see if there were any loopholes in what he said.

"Moreover, Tang Yue has no right to ask you to violate the above requirements I have made, and you are absolutely not allowed to manipulate the Orion-2 spacecraft out of Mars low-earth orbit without authorization......"

"Okay, okay, I know, Miss Mai Dong, you don't have to stress this again and again." The old cat was stunned when he heard this, "I respect your opinion, if you don't want to leave, then no one will force you to leave, you only need to be responsible for yourself, I will not cross you to manipulate Orion." ”

Mai Dong breathed a sigh of relief.

She was very worried that the old cat and Tang Yue would operate the Orion II spacecraft without authorization in order to save their lives, and they might wake up one day and not see Mars outside the window.

"Silly girl." The old cat sighed secretly, "Miss Mai Dong, can't you trust me?" ”

"Of course I can trust it."

The old cat smiled, "Since you can trust it, do you need to explain it so formally?" ”

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cat."

"The comet may not hit us overhead, the chances of survival at Kunlun Station are very high, we have been unlucky all the way, we should be lucky, right? As long as Lady Luck isn't a facial paralyzed, it's time for her to smile at us! Tang Yue said loudly on the other side of the table, "As long as this dice keeps rolling, then one day, there will definitely be six points!" ”

"Did you hear that?"

"I hear you." Mai Dong nodded, "Mr. Cat, let's hurry up and modify Orion and get this done as soon as possible." ”

"OK, OK, but this matter can't be rushed...... We have to do it step by step, step by step. The old cat nodded, and stood the Orion model at hand on the table, "Landing with the Orion II spacecraft is a high-risk thing, and if you don't pay attention to it, there will be an accident, Tang Yue and I both hope that you can come down safe and sound...... Do you need a break? This was followed by extravehicular operations. ”