Chapter 1050
Let me give it a try?
Meanwhile, at the International Space Station.
Outside the porthole, the Earth continued its slow rotation as always, with clouds, oceans, and continents passing against the tranquil backdrop of deep space.
Mark and Elisa looked out the porthole at the slowly rotating Earth and sighed in unison.
To be fair, the view of Earth from the front window of the International Space Station is indeed quite beautiful.
Clouds, oceans, and continents drifted across the tranquil backdrop of deep space. Just looking at this beautiful planet was enough to make Dandan feel refreshed and happy.
No matter how beautiful the scenery is, you'll get tired of it after a while.
For these two people, they have been looking at this scenery for nearly three hundred days and nights!
This scene, which most people would never see in their lifetime, had long lost its initial magnificence in the eyes of these two people.
This is the cage they live in; the beautiful scenery outside is merely a backdrop to this cage.
Despite their daily workouts lasting more than two hours, the two have been unable to stop their muscle atrophy and bone loss.
Compared to Mark, Elisa is in worse condition.
As an astronaut, Elisa can say that she doesn't belong to any ordinary person, whether male or female.
However, if we consider the same environment and conditions, Elisa's physical qualities and other aspects are still quite different from Mark's.
After nearly a year of being stranded, Elisa's body could no longer hold up.
Furthermore, after a recent video call with her family was released, the public could clearly see that Elisa's face shape had undergone a significant change.
This all demonstrates that prolonged stay in space has already caused irreversible damage to her body.
But he couldn't show any abnormality, and he had to maintain an optimistic demeanor when contacting his family on Earth.
The problems that occurred on the space station some time ago were quite significant, almost causing irreversible damage to their lives.
Fortunately, their homeland on Earth has not abandoned them and has sent several supply ships during this period.
Their necessities for daily life have also been replenished to a certain extent.
The robotic arm on the International Space Station has also largely regained some of its functionality, enabling it to support the simplest docking.
Overall, they don't need to worry about their food and survival for the time being.
But the day of returning home is still far away.
"Mark, Alyssa, how are you feeling today?"
It's time to make contact with the ground again.
Faced with questions from the ground doctor, Elisa forced a smile.
"It's the same as always, except... I kind of miss the feeling of my feet on the ground."
Mark chimed in from the side.
These videos will be edited and verified before being released to the public to prove that the two astronauts are in good health. Okay.
Therefore, Mark had to comply with the ground's requirements and try to make his voice sound more relaxed.
However, the nasal congestion caused by prolonged weightlessness made his voice sound muffled.
If someone were to compare his current videos with those from a few months ago, they would clearly see that his face shape and voice have changed considerably.
Compared to Mark, whose changes are merely cosmetic, Elisa's condition is worse.
Her medical examination results have begun to show worrying trends.
Elisa's red blood cell count is continuing to decline slowly, and signs of space anemia are beginning to appear.
More seriously, her vestibular system seemed to be having some problems, and she would occasionally experience mild dizziness even when she was in a fixed position inside the cabin.
Not to mention psychological problems and a whole host of other issues, big and small.
And to be honest, the food on the International Space Station is really not good.
The diet consists only of high-calorie compressed foods, plus vitamin packets that must be consumed strictly according to a plan.
These things are enough to sustain their normal survival, but they are definitely not enough to maintain a pleasant mood throughout the day through food.
Moreover, entertainment options on the International Space Station are already scarce.
If they didn't have someone to chat with, the two of them would probably have broken down long ago.
However, they are not completely without any entertainment.
For example, watching the changing seasons of the Earth through the porthole.
The psychologists still use the same old rhetoric: either they will receive immediate help, or they need to maintain a positive public image.
At first, they had certain expectations, thinking that no matter how long they stayed, they wouldn't stay for too long.
But as time went by, countless hopes turned into disappointments.
By now, Mark no longer asks when he will be rescued.
"Don't worry, we're working hard and will be able to bring you two down from the sky soon."
The doctor closed his notebook and said seriously.
Mark nodded listlessly.
It's highly improbable that such news would come from a doctor like him.
If they are indeed able to receive rescue quickly, then it shouldn't be just a mere psychologist announcing the news.
They are likely to be visited by a high-ranking executive, and they may even be asked to put on a show of gratitude.
……
Meanwhile, the international community's attention has also shifted.
It went from being an explosive news story at the beginning, to a recurring headline, and finally to being mentioned only occasionally.
Today, it seems that not many people are paying attention to the situation of these two people anymore.
Only when some big news breaks out will people come back to watch with a gossip-loving attitude.
With so many new things happening every day, many people simply scroll past the news even if they see it.
However, as time goes by, there have been more and more doubts lately.
It's not just the doubts coming from abroad; even voices of doubt from within the country are increasing.
Why couldn't the world's most powerful nation rescue its two astronauts?
"Is the space agency, which is supported by taxpayers' money, unable to even organize a single near-Earth orbit rescue?"
"This fully demonstrates that the Eagle Tribe has encountered huge problems in the aerospace field!"
This pressure from public opinion is also directly or indirectly affecting the economy of the Eagle Tribe.
Putting everything else aside, the fact that they haven't been able to organize even a single near-Earth orbit rescue after such a long time makes one wonder if there are serious flaws in the aerospace technology of the Eagle Tribe.
If not, why can't even this simple matter be resolved?
Soon after, the stock prices of several large aerospace contractors that had close cooperation with Eagle Tribe's aerospace company began to decline steadily.
Stock price is actually the best reflection of people's confidence in a company.
Why do some companies' stock prices surge continuously, while others' stock prices plummet overnight?
To put it simply, people's opinions about this company have changed.
If the public perceives a company's future as hopeless, its stock price will continue to plummet, regardless of the company's true situation, unless its public relations department can regain public confidence.
A drop in stock price will directly affect the interests of all shareholders.
How could those big businessmen possibly sit still once their core interests are harmed?
Moreover, this has directly or indirectly affected some of the Eagle Tribe's external cooperation projects.
Some of Eagle Tribe's international partners have become hesitant about subsequent space cooperation projects, and a wait-and-see attitude is gradually spreading.
……
Inside the white house, the atmosphere in the oval office grew increasingly serious.
The chief had laid out before him the latest technical assessment report from the aerospace department.
The result... can only be described as still unsatisfactory.
This is already the eleventh technical assessment report issued by the aerospace sector.
This technical assessment report is largely the same as the results of the previous ten assessment reports.
If the space station's docking system fails partially, attempting a docking rescue could potentially lead to catastrophic consequences.
It could even directly lead to the crash of the International Space Station!
If they were on the ground, these two would be insignificant figures.
Let alone any issues with their physical safety, it wouldn't be difficult for those powerful men across the country to make them permanently disappear from the world on a whim.
But now, the world’s attention is focused on the two astronauts on the International Space Station.
If not handled properly, it could directly affect... no, in fact, the interests of these two astronauts have already been seriously affected by certain individuals.
"The conclusion of the eleventh program evaluation meeting is that the existing manned spacecraft is currently unstable on the space station..."
The director of the space agency was still reading the report word by word when the chief suddenly slammed his hand on the table, the precious mahogany making a dull thud.
"enough!"
"I'm here to get a solution, not your risk assessment report!"
"The same words have been said to me many times over the course of so many meetings."
"It's always the same thing, I don't want to know how high the risk is now!"
"I only have one ball. Get those two damn idiots off that damn International Space Station!"
"Nearly a year has passed, and our nation's dignity has been trampled under the global gaze. Every day of delay further damages the stock market, public opinion, and the confidence of our allies..."
"Do you know how much cost this delay, every single day, has to pay?!"
He looked around at everyone in the office.
"I don't want to hear 'no,' 'too difficult,' or 'too risky' anymore. All I want now is a feasible solution, and I need it right now!"
There was dead silence in the conference room.
Whether it was the traditional aerospace giants that had long cooperated deeply with the Eagle Tribe, or some large and small partner companies, no one dared to stand up and speak out.
Just then, a somewhat abrupt voice rang out.
"Your Excellency, Great Chief..."
A middle-aged man in a casual suit stood up.
His name is Reeves, and he is the founder and CEO of Deep Space Frontiers.
As a relatively new private aerospace company, this company is not yet very well-known.
However, this company's style and approach are quite well-known in the industry.
They are known for their radical innovation, cost control, and repeated disruptions to traditional spaceflight models.
However, this company's size is still somewhat insignificant compared to these traditional aerospace giants.
To put it bluntly, he owes his presence here today to countless connections.
The numerous aerospace giants in the conference room looked down on this young man who was willing to take the lead.
A small aerospace company, lacking money, manpower, capital, and technology...
What makes them think this guy can solve a problem that so many of them can't solve?
Reeves' voice was very calm, yet it carried the confidence unique to a tech geek.
"Perhaps we can try a different approach."
The chieftain glanced at his assistant, who immediately leaned down and whispered something in his ear.
Reeves, however, was not in a hurry at all.
He knew that with his current fame, he was simply not good enough to catch the eye of these big shots.
Someone of the Great Chief's caliber would be even less likely to know him.
Clearly, the chief's assistant was introducing him to the person who dared to stand out in front of everyone.
A moment later, the chieftain raised his head, his eyes filled with scrutiny and doubt.
What makes you think you can solve this problem?
The chief spread his hands and turned to look at everyone in the conference room.
"Can anyone tell me how this guy managed to sneak in?"
A soft chuckle escaped from the meeting room.
Everyone wore a perfectly gentle smile, but only when you were actually in that environment did you realize how much meanness and contempt those seemingly harmless smiles actually contained.
Even though Reeves had prepared himself mentally, he still felt embarrassed at this moment.
But those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles, and Reeves quickly adjusted his mindset.
Since no one dares to speak up, why don't I give it a try and introduce it?
Reeves gave the people in the conference room a provocative look.
"Since no one is willing to take responsibility for the consequences, then I will."
"Oh?"
The chieftain looked at Reeves with an unfriendly expression.
Although he was very dissatisfied with Reeves' attitude, there was really no solution at the moment, so he might as well let the guy give it a try.
"I'd like to hear your opinion, but if your answer doesn't satisfy me, I'll have you thrown out."
"I'd better never see you again."
The chieftain smiled contemptuously.
The reason why the Great Chief treated this young man who was willing to take responsibility so badly was simple: it was because Reeves was not a true member of the Eagle Tribe.
That's right, Reeves is actually a descendant of immigrants, and not even a pure Anglo-Saxon.
To put it bluntly, it's because his bloodline is lowly and not noble enough.
Such people are often at the bottom of the social hierarchy in the Eagle Tribe.
Even if you rise to a very high position, within the same social circle, you'll still be looked down upon by those traditional, old-money types. (End of Chapter)