Chapter 280 The Mystery of Mars
October 10, 2040.
3:00 AM, Beijing, sky ladder project Headquarters.
Lin Mo stood by the window of the Chief Engineer's Office, having been standing there for two full hours.
Outside the window lay a sleeping city. The traffic on Changan Avenue had thinned, and the streetlights remained lit, dyeing the streets a warm orange-yellow. In the distance, Tiananmen Square stood silently, red flags fluttering gently in the night breeze.
But he wasn't looking at those.
He was looking at the night sky.
Low in the southeastern sky sat a red star, brighter than all the others. It hung there quietly, neither twinkling nor moving, like a silent eye.
Mars.
Fifty-five million kilometers away, that red planet was slowly rotating. It held the solar system's tallest volcano, deepest canyon, dried-up riverbeds, and frozen water ice. Humanity had sent dozens of probes there, taken countless photos, and analyzed countless samples.
Not a single trace of life had ever been found.
But now, those data points told him: there might be something on Mars.
Li Xiao's discovery from last night replayed repeatedly in Lin Mo's mind. Those two curves—whenever the Earth, Mars, and the source of that signal formed a specific angle, the signal strength would intensify. Five years, three instances, a correlation of 0.89.
It wasn't a coincidence.
The signal source was on Mars. Or there was a receiving device on Mars.
Whichever possibility it was, both pointed to the same staggering conclusion—
There were ruins of an alien civilization on Mars.
Lin Mo looked at that red star and murmured to himself:
"Just what secret are you hiding?"
The sound of soft footsteps came from behind him.
Li Xiao pushed the door open and entered, carrying two cups of coffee. She walked to Lin Mo's side and handed him one.
"Senior, you haven't slept all night."
Lin Mo took the coffee and took a sip. It was bitter and very refreshing.
"You haven't slept all night either," he said.
Li Xiao smiled. "I'm used to it. Aren't you awake too?"
Lin Mo didn't answer, simply continuing to gaze at that red star outside the window.
Li Xiao followed his gaze.
"Mars," she said softly.
Lin Mo nodded.
The two stood in silence, looking at the star.
After a long while, Li Xiao asked, "Senior, are you afraid?"
Lin Mo turned his head to look at her. "Afraid of what?"
Li Xiao thought for a moment. "Afraid that there really is something up there. Afraid that we aren't the only ones."
Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds before saying, "A little."
Li Xiao was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Lin Mo to admit it.
"But more than that..." Lin Mo paused, "I'm curious."
He looked at the red star.
"If there really is something up there, who are they? Where did they come from? Why are they on Mars? Was that signal sent by them? What do they want to tell us?"
His voice was very soft, but every question was like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
Listening to those questions, Li Xiao suddenly felt her heart rate quicken.
"Senior," she said, "are we really going?"
Lin Mo nodded. "We have to go even more now."
"Why?"
Lin Mo turned around and looked at her.
"Because if the answers really are up there," he said, "we have to go get them."
At 4:00 AM, Chen Xueming called.
His voice carried obvious excitement and a hint of nervousness. "Old Lin, I saw the data Li Xiao sent over. Is there really something on Mars?"
Lin Mo said, "It's not certain yet. But it's highly likely."
Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Old Lin, what do you think could be up there?"
Lin Mo thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe a base, maybe machinery, maybe... something even more complex."
Chen Xueming asked, "Are we still going then?"
Lin Mo said, "Yes."
Chen Xueming laughed. "I knew you'd say that."
He paused, his voice becoming serious. "Old Lin, no matter what's up there, I'm going with you."
Lin Mo held the phone, silent for a few seconds.
Then he said, "Alright."
At 6:00 AM, the sun rose.
An orange-red glow spread from the east, dyeing the entire city in warm colors. The silhouette of the Western Hills in the distance became clear, and the sound of people began to rise from the nearby streets.
Lin Mo was still standing by the window.
The red star had already vanished into the morning light, but he knew it was still there. Invisible by day, it would appear again at night. Day after day, year after year, it had always been there.
Li Xiao had already gone back to rest. Before leaving, she had taken away the cold cup of coffee and placed a hot one on the table.
Lin Mo didn't drink it. He just looked out the window, thinking about those questions.
The signal. Resonance. Mars.
And that star twelve light-years away, HD 107146.
Just what was the connection between them?
He remembered Wang Zhenguo's words: "If you want to go, then go. Don't leave any regrets."
He remembered Chen Xueming's promise: "No matter what's up there, I'm going with you."
He remembered the curiosity and fear in Li Xiao's eyes, Zhao Gang's silent protection, and all those who had walked this path with him.
There might be answers on Mars.
Then again, there might not.
But regardless, they had to go and see.
Because the reason humans are human is that they are forever filled with curiosity about the unknown, forever wanting to reach further places.
Lin Mo looked at the rising sun outside the window and said softly:
"Wait for us."