Yuan Xi hugged the terrified Xian inside the main passenger cabin. The large screen in the cabin also showed what Captain Dharma and his colleagues were watching from the cockpit.
Of course, this brought the same fear on the faces of the captain's daughter and wife. So did everyone else in the cabin. Some of them can't even watch the destruction of Earth through that big screen, choosing to lower their heads is better even with flowing tears.
Ely tightened her grip on Aldi's arm.
"There's no more place to stand on Earth after this…" Aldi muttered. And it could be heard by everyone which increased the tightness in each other's chest.
Xian hugged her mother tighter. "Mom…"
Yuan Xi didn't know what to say other than a hug that she hoped would give her only child some peace, with a little warmth she hoped.
Witnessed by all the survivors, the Earth slowly changes shape. The surface looks very much different. Then, red hues appeared one by one at several points of the giant ball that was nearing its death period. The red hue that comes from volcanic eruptions in various corners of the Earth, continues to connect to form a red veil that covers the entire surface of the Earth.
The hideous blanket is seen in the eyes of those who watched it all from the outer side of Earth's orbit. Not a single mouth can speak. The longer it turns the blue color that is still left from the reflection of the surging ocean surface to reddish with its enormous tsunami waves.
And all the heads watching that from their respective spaceships knew one thing for sure was going to happen.
Captain Dharma quickly pressed the bar with the speaker logo on the large screen in front of him.
"Ryan…!"
Ryan and everyone else in the main engine room was still struggling with the warp machine. And the captain's voice calling over the intercom added to the tension.
Those inside the main engine room did not witness the horrors of the changing shape of the Earth's surface. There were no monitor screens that they could see in there—except for one or two small monitors that functioned specifically to display data about the main engine and the warp engine itself.
So, whatever the form of anxiety in the captain's voice just now, it could at least be a reason for them to finish what they were doing as soon as possible.
"Hurry up…!" cried Captain Dharma.
"Don't shout at me like that, Cap…!" Ryan snorted as he remained focused with the wide gadget in his hand.
"If you don't finish it quickly," said the captain. "I'm afraid we won't all be able to survive the massive electromagnetic waves that are about to happen!"
"What does it mean?!" said Fraya.
Everyone inside the main engine room looked at each other. Ask each other in their hearts. Even though they could easily guess what the captain meant just now. It's just that their minds are rejecting reality. At least, there was still some hope that everything would turn out well, especially on Earth itself.
"Hurry up…!" the captain shouted again. "Or just leave it! Reinstall the warp engine. Make it faster…!"
Meanwhile, one by one the spaceships that are outside Earth's orbit are slowly moving farther and farther away from Earth itself.
If the Earth were to be destroyed, it would be created a huge explosion due to the disruption of the planet's gravitational field, and there would be a huge wave of energy that would sweep away anything close by.
Who can predict how far the radius of the explosion will be? And that is what everyone, including Captain Dharma himself, is afraid of.
If Earth's gravity becomes chaotic or disappears altogether, the entire atmosphere will likely be disrupted. The entire atmosphere that has been loyal to protect the Planet of Life will disappear.
"How much longer, Cap?!" Quinn asked, shivering as she watched the horrors unfold across the Earth's surface.
The reddened surface of the Earth was enveloped in the aura of the lava flowing out from within the bowels of the Earth itself. Occasionally spouting long tongues of fire. It made the bodies of those who witnessed it shiver violently.
Hyker smiled faintly. "I don't mind if I have to die," he said. "This apocalypse is probably the best Mother Earth can do."
"Don't talk nonsense, Hyker!" Captain Dharma glared sharply at Hyker.
Meanwhile, Pical and Oryza didn't know what to do or even to say. The two of them could only hold their hands to their chests with unblinking eyes watched the fury of Mother Earth in front of them.
"Ryan…!"
"Shit!" Ryan cursed because his concentration was slightly disturbed by the great anxiety of the captain's voice. "Just give a minute! Hold on for a bit, Cap!"
"We don't have time!" said Captain Dharma through the intercom. "Earth will explode. Just put the machine back in! Now…!"
"Shit-shit-shit…!"
While Ryan swore, and his hands still moving wildly over his virtual keyboard, the others there were getting more and more anxious. The problem is, they won't be able to do anything if the man doesn't finish what he's doing right now. And this is not a pleasant situation.
"Hey!" said Guntur to Ryan, to everyone in the room. "We'll just install the engine first. Or all of this will be for nothing!"
"Give me a second, God damn it…!" Ryan exclaimed without taking his eyes off his gadget screen. "Just a moment!"
"You heard yourself!" said Guntur. "We don't have any more time!"
"God damn it," Ryan cursed. "Be patient, will ya!"
"Yan," said Cinnong. "They're right. Just stop it first!"
"God damn it, Ryan…!" again the captain's voice.
Ryan no longer ignored all the anxiety and curses that were directed at him. He remains focused, struggling for the desires that must be achieved with the gadget in his hands.
Just a little more, Ryan screamed in his heart. "And… done!"
Everyone in the main engine room cheered when Ryan managed to upgrade the program on the warp engine.
"Put it back!" Fraya shouted to all her colleagues. "Faster…!"
Outside, the reddish glow from the Earth's blanket is getting brighter and brighter. And then, it suddenly dimmed rapidly.
Captain Dharma and the other four in the cockpit just stared wider and wider. Can't help it, terrible things are going to happen in a matter of seconds, thought the captain. And then, he screamed, until everyone in the spaceship sank even more into intense fear.
"Ryan…!"
"Go-go-go…!" cried several mouths in the main engine room.
They reassembled every part of the warp machine.
"Done!" exclaimed the last man who managed to connect the large cable from one part of the machine.
"Leave, Captain…!" Guntur shouted.
"Hyker!" Captain Dharma yelled.
Only one or two spacecraft were seen adjacent to the SC45 spacecraft controlled by Hyker, others have already left.
Hyker swiftly turned on the plane's four main engines. Meanwhile, Captain Dharma returned to his seat next to Hyker himself. Oryza, Pical, and Quinn alike returned their focus to the large monitor in front of each of them.
"Leave…!"
TO BE CONTINUED ...