Chapter 279 - Dinner and the Multi-Axis Trainer (1/2)

Chapter 279 Dinner and the Multi-Axis Trainer

The portly fellow named Anderson spoke in mandarin. Although speaking in a hushed tone, the players could clearly hear what he was saying. He looked at the people around him with pleading eyes. “Err, you… anyone has an idea how to work this d.a.m.n thing?”

The only answer he received was silence.

The Apollo Program was in operation from 1961 to 1972, and it had been around for fifty years. It was an early s.p.a.ce project, where at that time, the United States had just completed the first human s.p.a.ceflight program, the “Mercury” project, successfully sending astronaut Alan Shepard into s.p.a.ce. Back then, training facilities were very different from the current ones.

Those interested in astronaut training would have perhaps heard of centrifuges and neutral buoyancy laboratories. Still, a facility with a piece of multi-axis training equipment was rare – it was also Zhang Heng’s first time encountering such a contraption. From the instructor’s description, it seemed that the machine was an uncomfortable experience. Very. Those who paid attention would have noticed that he employed the term ‘victim.’

Since Zhang Heng confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his hearing, it could only mean that the training wasn’t going to be easy. Considering that everyone had just entered the quest, they still hadn’t quite made sense of the situation that they were really in.

Typically, the first person chosen from a line of new recruits would undoubtedly be in the most disadvantageous position. Thanks to the guinea pig of a tubby man, the players were never more eager to gauge how the instrument worked and see first hand how severe the simulation would be. Lab rat Anderson was probably the only one who didn’t think that way. When he saw the instructor, already at the ready, looking a little impatient, he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He had no other option. Realizing that no help was coming, and with no other players willing to take his place, he dragged himself to the instrument and sat down.

An a.s.sistant quickly fastened Anderson into the seat, then retreated to the control panel before the nervous trainee could protest.

Sweat soaked the chubby man’s collar, and he gulped. “I… Can I…”

“Whatever it is, save it for after the training,” the instructor interrupted coolly before signalling the a.s.sistant to flip the switch.

Accompanied by a loud mechanical grinding, multi-axis training device whirred to life and began to rotate. Zhang Heng and others now understood what the instructor meant by ‘like a cat thrown into a was.h.i.+ng machine.’

The chubby man strapped into the seat looked terrified as the machine began to rotate on its axis, tossing and turning his body in the air. That, however, was only the beginning. Half a minute later, the instructor said, “Speed up.”

Anderson was so dizzy that he lost all orientation, unable to recognize his bearings. It was a hundred times more exhilarating than being tied to the front of a roller coaster, not in a good way, of course. He had already forgotten his reason for being there, and now, his instincts had taken over. All he wanted to do was to get through with the torment as quickly as possible.

However, things only got worse for the poor sould. The instrument didn’t stop, and instead, the tumbling became more and more intense.

When Zhang Heng saw this, he took two steps backward. At that moment, everyone’s still had their attention locked on the training device. No one noticed Zhang Heng’s discreet movements, except for a girl in gla.s.ses who also retreated with him.