Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert.
This was a restricted zone of life.
Years ago, Academician Lu circled this area on the map. A six-lane road surrounded by planted trees was paved here. After the completion of a closed biosphere in the shape of an egg, there were finally signs of life.
The pen in Liang Youcheng’s hand stopped. He glanced at the cabin air pressure indicator on the workbench next to him, then closed the diary in his hand.
Four hundred days had passed since the biosphere was last open.
There were two things Liang Youcheng must do every day. One was to video call his wife and children, and the other was to write in a diary and record the bits and pieces of life in the biosphere.
This was the suggestion from the psychologist during training.
“… The environment on Mars will be worse than here. Long-term low gravity will put stress on the bones and organs and also cause stress on the mind. The former can be controlled by drugs, but you need to make psychological adjustments yourself. When you are bored, try to write in your diary. You can just write two sentences.”
Just like this, more than a year had passed. He felt that his diary was thick enough to be published as a book. He almost didn’t want this kind of lifestyle to end.
“Speaking of which, today is the day the biosphere opens.”
He took a deep breath and stood up from the console.
If he remembered correctly, he was the last shift. When the colleagues in the plantation section harvested the last batch of potatoes and corn, they could pack their bags, stand in front of the airlock, and wait for someone outside to open the door.
Someone said yesterday that, apparently, Academician Lu would come today.
Any astronaut would know of the chief consultant and chief designer of the Lunar Orbit Committee.
After hearing the news, almost everyone was excited. They wondered if this meant that the time for them to fulfill their mission was coming soon…
On the other hand, outside the biosphere.
Accompanied by several troops, a group of people walked on the concrete road in the research base.
Lu Zhou looked around at the neat concrete houses on both sides of the road. He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.
“Back here again.”
Director Li walked beside him. Director Li felt the same way, and he said in a rather emotional tone, “Yeah.”
Including this time, this was the third time he had been to this desert. Whether it was the site selection of the base or the recovery of the Lightning airborne capsule, he was with Lu Zhou each time.
Not just that, but every time he came here, he could see the obvious changes of this lonely fortress standing in the desert.
This time, the changes he saw were even more obvious.
It felt like a completely different place.
“This place has changed quite a bit.”
Lu Zhou smiled.
“Quite a bit? I can hardly recognize it anymore.”
When the Garden Project was first established, he remembered that this place was still a barren desert. The military group and scientific research workers transferred from various research units were stationed here.
The conditions at that time were very difficult. They slept in a mobile room converted from a shipping container and ate dry food that was easy to store. They drank water delivered by a water truck from a hundred kilometers away.
Several years had passed, and the Garden Project had taken over this desert. The biosphere research base had become a beacon that couldn’t be ignored in the China extraterrestrial colonization plan!
Professor Hu Yang walked beside Lu Zhou and Director Li. He had matured a lot since before.
The dry sand took away the youthful look of the young professor, who came from the Agricultural University, leaving wrinkles and dry cracks on his face.
No one would guess that he was only in his forties.
“Over the past two years, two research institutions have moved here, and members from international cooperation organizations have also moved in. With many people stationed here, eating and drinking have stimulated the local economy. Many locals who are around here saw the water tower built by the military and decided to build houses nearby. I am a little worried that the migration of so many people here will damage the local fragile ecological environment.
“After all, what attracts us to stay here is the dead life zone in the middle of the Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert. We are afraid that the locals will develop tourism here, and we will have to move out sooner or later.”
Director Li nodded thoughtfully and said seriously, “I will report the situation here with the organization and guide non-researchers who settle nearby to suitable places as soon as possible.”
Professor Hu Yang sighed and said, “Thank you.”
While they were talking, the group finally reached the deepest part of the research base.
Here was the core component of the entire Garden Project: Biosphere A.
From the last experiment to now, the biosphere had been operating stably for 400 days without the input of external resources. Now that its in-progress goals had been completed, today was the time for that gate to open.
Lu Zhou and the others saw the astronauts, who were about to head to Mars, in the lounge outside the biosphere.
“Hello, Academician Lu!”
A young astronaut in casual clothes stepped forward enthusiastically and shook Lu Zhou’s hand.
Lu Zhou shook his right hand back firmly and spoke with a smile.
“Hello, hello! Staying in the biosphere for more than a year, it must have been hard!”
Dr. Liang Youcheng said with a hearty smile, “Not hard! The automation technology in the biosphere is very mature, and our work is relatively easy! We only work six hours a day. We also have Internet access. The two months of going offline for psychological evaluation was a bit difficult, but the rest was fine.”
The so-called psychological evaluation was to test the astronaut’s mental endurance ability under extreme conditions.
For example, in the last simulation, the researchers simulated that the solar flares damaged the communication equipment outside the biosphere. They cut off the connection between the inside of the biosphere and the outside world for two months.
During that time, they could not talk to their family, nor read a single thing online.
For a person who had lived in modern society for 20 to 30 years, this was torture.
Lu Zhou looked at the young astronaut in front of him and spoke in a serious tone.
“The situation on Mars will be worse than that on Earth. It’s very likely that it will be a two or three years journey. Maybe when you come back, your children will have already graduated from high school… Are you sure about this?”
Liang Youcheng straightened his back. He raised his chin and said in a confident tone, “I made my decision the day I joined the aerospace brigade. As for my son, he will be proud of his father!”
Lu Zhou looked at the unwavering expression on the face of the astronaut in front of him. He cast an approving look at him and nodded lightly.
“It’s an honor to work with you.”
“Speaking of which, Academician Lu, I want to ask you something for my teammates. I wonder if it is okay?”
Lu Zhou said, “What question?”
“Are we… leaving soon?”
Lu Zhou looked at the eager expressions on the faces of the astronauts in front of him. Lu Zhou paused for a second. He then smiled and nodded.
“Yes.
“The Mars manned landing plan will be launched within a month!”
The astronauts had joy written on their faces. Lu Zhou cleared his throat and continued in a serious tone, “The reason I came here is to check whether the colonial capsule design meets the standard, as well as to review the warriors who are about to go to space…
“Which is you guys!
“Your performance was all outstanding, and you have exceeded our researchers’ expectations! Obviously, you have passed all the tests, and with your perseverance and courage demonstrated in the experiment, you have moved everyone, including me. I hope you keep what you have learned in the experiments and spread the beautiful and outstanding character to the distant starry skies for our civilization.
“Even though we are not the first to set foot on the land of Mars, I believe that we will accomplish what others have failed.
“In the near future, because of your bravery, our flag will forever float on the land of Mars.
“We will cultivate the wasteland into fertile fields and turn the desert into an oasis!”
