165: Chapter 165 The Long Night Before Departure

The invitation from Greenland was like a block of ice dropped into the lake of his heart, stirring up persistent and cold ripples within Alex.

He did not rush to a decision; instead, he spent two full days digesting the "burn after reading" extreme environment protocols, reviewing a vast amount of public geological and meteorological data regarding the target area in Greenland (an area on the edge of the ice sheet, far from standard research routes), and even anonymously consulted two polar expedition safety advisors through The Architect's channels.

The conclusion was clear: the risk was extremely high.

Extreme low temperatures, potential crevasses, sudden blizzards, communication difficulties, and the vaguely described "atypical effects" in the protocols.

This was by no means an ordinary field recording trip.

However, the precision in the wording of the Spirit of the Wasteland, along with the hints regarding the possibility of a "source," attracted him like a magnet.

The ability of Energy Perception seemed to be faintly resonating, as if beneath that frozen silence, there truly existed some kind of "sound" worth "listening" to, one vastly different from the ordinary world.

On the third evening, Alex decided to discuss it with Taylor.

He did not hide anything, candidly telling her the core content of the invitation (omitting the specific coordinates and the identity of the Spirit of the Wasteland, describing it only as "a highly classified frontier acoustic research project"), the known risks, and his own interest.

Taylor listened in silence for a long time.

Only a floor lamp was on in the living room, casting soft shadows on her face.

She put down the teacup she had been unconsciously rubbing, raised her head, and her eyes were clear and firm.

"It's very dangerous," she stated the fact.

"Yes," Alex nodded.

"But you want to go."

"...I cannot deny its attraction. It might... be the key to understanding certain things," Alex chose his words carefully.

Taylor took a deep breath and held his hand; her palms were a bit cold.

"I know I can't stop you, just as you would never truly stop me from pursuing the musical explorations I deem important."

She paused, her voice very soft yet powerful, "But I need you to promise me three things."

"Go ahead."

"First, accept the most rigorous professional polar survival and rescue training, even if the project organizers say they have safeguards. I want to maximize the probability of you coming back alive."

"Second, maintain a minimum level of safe communication, even if it's just sending a preset safety signal at regular intervals. I need to know if you are... still there."

"Third," Taylor's eyes reddened slightly, but her gaze did not waver in the slightest, "come back safely. And then, no matter what you hear, see, or feel, you must tell me. Don't carry it alone."

Alex felt a warmth in his heart, squeezed her cold hand back, and promised solemnly, "I promise you. All of it."

After reaching a consensus, the actions became efficient.

Alex replied to the Spirit of the Wasteland, indicating his agreement in principle but adding conditions such as the requirement to undergo designated special polar survival training and to carry backup communication and safety equipment confirmed by both parties.

The other party replied almost immediately: "Reasonable. The training schedule and equipment list will be delivered within 48 hours. The estimated preparation period is three weeks."

Meanwhile, the spotlight of the real world did not dim due to this secret plan.

The premiere date for city of instantaneity was officially announced, set for one month later.

As the sound narrative consultant, Alex would walk the red carpet with the creators.

The promotion entered a white-hot phase; in the second official trailer released for the film, the sound design segments for "Data Torrent" and "Ark of Consciousness" were highlighted, and Alex's reputation in the industry and among fans soared once again.

The submissions for the "Silent Movement" challenge of Echo Puzzle and the "Sound Archaeologist" challenge of Echo Blind Box closed one after another, resulting in a large number of profound and historically rich outstanding works.

Before leaving for training, Alex seized the time to complete the live commentary and awards for these two sessions.

During the awards segment for "Sound Archaeologist," he paid special tribute to those contributors who worked hard to preserve "disappearing sounds" and announced that Echo Vision would establish a small "Sound Heritage Digital Archiving Fund" to support the systematic recording and protection of those unique environmental and cultural sounds that are on the verge of being lost.

This move won widespread social acclaim.

The special polar survival training took place at a professional base in Alaska and lasted for two weeks.

The courses were so rigorous they were almost cruel: ice sheet trekking, crevasse rescue, equipment use and maintenance in extreme cold weather, emergency medical care, and psychological resilience training.

Relying on Comprehensive Physical Enhancement (Third Stage) and tenacious willpower, Alex completed all subjects excellently, even surprising the instructors in certain physical fitness and cold tolerance projects, which they attributed to "astonishing talent and preparation."

During the training, he also quietly tested the stability and range of Energy Perception in extreme low temperatures and open environments, and the results were satisfactory.

During training intervals, he kept in touch with Taylor via satellite phone.

Usually, it was a simple check-in to say he was safe, occasionally sharing interesting stories from training or the magnificent polar scenery (without involving his location).

Taylor would tell him about the new developments on the platform or the progress of her new songs.

The voices over the radio waves became a warm bond connecting two vastly different worlds.

After the training ended, he returned to Los Angeles for a short break.

There was one week left until the scheduled departure date.

Alex checked the items on the final equipment list sent by the Spirit of the Wasteland, which had been confirmed by both parties: specialized cold-resistant recording equipment, clothing with special shielding layers, various backup power sources, and a small, tightly sealed signal generator labeled "For Emergency Use / Do Not Touch Unless Under Extreme Circumstances."

All equipment had been repeatedly checked by him and his technical staff to ensure there were no hidden trackers or components with unknown functions.

On the night before departure, Alex and Taylor did not plan any activities; they just stayed at home.

Taylor cooked herself, preparing a dinner that wasn't lavish but was made with great care.

After dinner, the two sat in front of the fireplace, not speaking, just quietly snuggling, listening to the crackling of the burning firewood.

"I've finished writing my new song," Taylor suddenly spoke, her voice exceptionally clear in the silence, "It's called 'Echoes Beneath the Ice Sheet.' It's for you... and also for myself."

Alex felt a jolt in his heart and held her tighter.

"I will record it well," Taylor continued, her voice very calm, "and wait for you to come back to be the first listener."

"I will definitely be the first," Alex promised, pressing a kiss into her hair.

The night was deep, but Alex had no intention of sleeping.

He went alone to the soundproof studio, turned on the vintage Nagra tape recorder (he had specifically requested to familiarize himself with this model during training), inserted a blank cassette, and pressed the record button.

He did not speak, just closed his eyes, fully activated Energy Perception, and at the same time, in an extremely gentle, almost silent manner, hummed a very simple tune without any specific melody, purely expressing the intent of "existence" and "connection," while focusing his mind on his fingertips, gently brushing over the microphone windscreen of the recorder.

He wanted to see if, in this state of high concentration, his energy field and intention could leave a tiny, purely personal "imprint" on this special analog medium that transcended physical sound waves.

This might be, in another sense, a "safety signal" left for Taylor.

The recording ended.

He stored this small cassette separately and wrote a note: "If... listen to this. Everything I am is in it." He placed it in a secret location that Taylor knew about but wouldn't usually touch.

After doing all this, he walked to the window and looked at the never-extinguishing lights of the city in the distance.

The unknown ice sheet was calling; there were silent threats there, and perhaps also the secrets of the world.

But behind him was the industry he had poured his heart and soul into, the expectations of countless people, a warm home, and a beloved waiting and watching.

He was no longer alone, nor was he running only for survival or to become a god.

His path already carried much more.

Alex took a deep breath, his eyes becoming sharp and calm once again.

He was ready to go listen to what lay beneath the frozen ice, whether it was the whisper of truth or the howling of nothingness.