" Adjusting the propulsion system…"
"Chang'e 3 Satellite, prepare for your final mission..."
"Let the landing begin!"
"Hiss ~ Hiss ~"
The large screen displaying Chang'e 3 Satellite rapidly descended as it was pulled in by the Moon's gravitational force. Gas was then expelled from the bottom of Chang'e 3 Satellite , which helped in slowing down its landing speed.
As the descent rate slowed down less significantly than expected, Chief Engineer Yang quickly commanded, "Increase the thrust."
Under his remote control, the Chang'e 3 Satellite made five adjustments before finally achieving the proper landing speed.
"Boom!"
The Chang'e 3 Satellite successfully landed without making any sound, although although everyone expected there to be one.
"Okay, let's adjust the cameras as I instructed," said Colonel Chu, not wanting to let everyone else dwell on the emotion of the moment.
The screen was quickly split into eight sections, each displaying a different image.
"Everyone, pay attention. If anything seems out of the ordinary, report it immediately!" Colonel Chu said loudly.
Colonel Chu's gaze was fixed on the third screen, which showed the landing site of White Rabbit Nine.
"Will this actually work?" Chief Engineer Yang, questioned skeptically.
He doubted that aliens would be foolish enough to fall for such an obvious trap. After all, Chang'e 3 Satellite was purely an electronic device without any signs of life. It might not be able to attract aliens.
Despite his doubts, Chief Engineer Yang turned his attention to the fifth screen where the camera was aimed upwards, revealing a vast expanse of black outer space and a long, faraway horizon.
Thirty minutes passed.
"My eyes are getting sore…"
"How much longer do we have to watch?!"
The team was quite energetic at first, but as time passed without any change on the screen, they began to feel exhausted.
Colonel Chu furrowed his brow, seemingly dissatisfied with the team's attitude. He continued to stare at the screen, "Hang on for another half an hour. If there are still no changes, I will call someone to take over."
At that moment, Chief Engineer Yang felt there was a movement on the screen in front of him.
"Something's up! Quick, look at the fifth screen!" he shouted, staring intently at it.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the fifth screen.
On this screen, where outer space and the ground intersected, there was a black dot that seemed to be moving.
"What is that?!" asked Colonel Chu, adjusting his glasses and stepping forward to get a better look. He was afraid of missing any crucial information.
After over thirty seconds, the black dot on the screen finally grew to the size of a mung bean, and the group was able to see what it truly was.
"A rock?!" Chief Engineer Yang was confused. The screen displayed a rolling black dot that was just an ordinary-looking rock.
Assistant Little Wang muttered, "It should be a meteorite that has just been sucked into the ground."
With no wind on the moon, the movement of the giant rock must have been affected by gravity.
"It shouldn't be a meteorite. I've been staring at the screen, and it didn't appear from outer space, but from the horizon..."
Chief Engineer Yang denied the meteorite's explanation and said, "It's a typical Falling moon rock phenomenon, caused by rock movement due to moonquakes..."
After knowing that it was just a rock, he felt a little disappointed. After all, as a staff member of the Space Administration, he had seen such a phenomenon many times.
"A falling rock?!" Colonel Chu doubted it and continued to stare at the screen without blinking.
On the screen, the rock grew larger and larger until it took up a fifth of the lens, but still had some distance between it and camera.
It became clear that it was a massive rock with a diameter of at least ten meters.
"Wait, what is that?!"
Suddenly, someone pointed at the screen with horror on their face.
Everyone watching the fifth screen noticed something strange.
The camera of Chang'e 3 Satellite captured a perfectly square hole that had suddenly appeared on the surface of the giant rock.
Then, something like a tentacle emerged from the opening.
"Beep!" The camera flickered with a faint red light before all eight screens went black.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Why did it go black?!" Colonel Chu turned to Chief Engineer Yang, who looked just as horrified as he was.
"Is that some kind of signal jamming device?!" Chief Yang asked incredulously.
Colonel Chu nodded, his expression turning from horror to excitement.
"Okay, everyone. Back up all the video data captured by Chang'e 3 Satellite onto this USB drive," he said, pausing briefly before addressing the entire room with a stern tone. "I need to make it clear that everything you're about to see is confidential and cannot be disclosed to anyone outside of this room."
He knew that this may not be enough, so he pulled out an old-fashioned flip phone and dialed a number. With just one press of a button, the call connected.
"Seal the area!"
The three words were all that was needed. After hanging up, he was confident that the person in charge would arrive soon to sign confidentiality agreements with the space agency.
Colonel Chu represented a powerful force, and within minutes of the call, a large group of people arrived to secure the area.
As Chief Engineer Yang observed the intimidating crowd, he realised the severity of the situation.
Feeling uneasy, he asked, "Colonel Chu, if it's proven to be an alien, what should we do?!"
"You don't need to worry about that...," Colonel Chu thought for a moment before asking, "How many spacecraft capable of carrying humans to the moon are currently available on the ground?!"
"What?!" Chief Engineer Yang exclaimed. "White Rabbit Nine is the only spacecraft currently in service. There's also an experimental backup, but it's uncertain whether it can be launched..."
Colonel Chu nodded and patted Chief Engineer Yang's arm. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he said, "Prepare the experimental spacecraft for launch. Find two skilled astronauts who can operate the spacecraft and have them ready to launch at a moment's notice."
This request overwhelmed Chief Engineer Yang. Outer space missions were usually planned a year or even several years in advance. How could they just launch on a whim like this? Suddenly, he realized something.
"Wait a minute, you're not thinking of going up there yourself, are you? We still haven't heard from the three astronauts on White Rabbit Nine!!"
"If there's a chance to negotiate with aliens, why not?!" Colonel Chu's lips curled up. It was as if he didn't care about his life at all.
Chief Engineer Yang could hardly believe his ears. "This man is a lunatic!" he thought.
As they couldn't come to an agreement, they remained silent for a while.
As the silence continued, Chief Engineer Yang cleared his throat and asked, "Shouldn't we inform other countries about the aliens? It's not just a matter for our country."
"Not for now! Let me talk to the aliens first, and then I'll decide whether to inform the other countries," replied Colonel Chu calmly.
"But what if you disappear like the three astronauts?" Chief Engineer Yang was worried.
"Ha!" Colonel Chu smirked. "That will be the signal to inform other countries."
Chief Engineer Yang was initially confused but quickly realised Colonel Chu's intention.
Colonel Chu wanted to go to the moon first and talk to the aliens. If the negotiations were successful, it would be a great opportunity for Great Xia.
If not, the worst-case scenario would be to disappear from everyone's sight like Zhang Tao and his team.
This also meant that Colonel Chu was willing to sacrifice his life to determine whether the aliens on the moon were an opportunity or a danger for the Great Xia Kingdom.
Chief Engineer Yang's emotions were mixed, and he looked at Colonel Chu with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
After a long pause, he finally said, "If you meet Zhang Tao at the alien base, can you pass on a message for me?"
Colonel Chu asked curiously, "What message?"
"Tell him that the little punk who climbed onto his balcony to meet his daughter, the one he wanted to break the legs of, is my son."