Chapter 25: Into Darkness (2/2)

Ye Chong, an athletic looking young man, appeared skinny before the huge Mu Shang. The pair sat side by side on the peak of a trash mountain closest to Ye Chong’s home. Behind them was the towering structure of the Pulse Signal Relay Station. It was evening, and the orange-yellow radiance from the nearest star lent vitality and warmth to the desolate planet.

The duo sat quietly, just like that, unwilling to spoil the rare moment of peace and quiet!

The last of the star’s shining rays vanished beyond the horizon. Mu spoke up, “The energy cells are charged! It’s time for us to move!”

Ye Chong nodded. Although the most important step was finished, both of them still had plenty to do.

Ye Chong sat in the pilot’s cabin. The initially spacious cabin was packed with all kinds of energy cells, till Ye Chong could not even move in his seat. With his helmet on, the outside view came clearly to his mind.

Suddenly, Ye Chong was hit with a pang of dismay – it was here where he and Papa had lived for more than a decade; he knew every nook and cranny of this place, and every trash mountain held traces of his many adventures.

Ye Chong let out a long, heavy breath.

No matter where he went, it was all for survival!

Ye Chong gave a long look at the place where he grew up in, and spoke hoarsely, “Mu, let’s go!”

Mu Shang slowly rose to a low altitude, and abruptly accelerated vertically towards the sky.

Ye Chong watched as the Pulse Signal Relay Station beneath him grew smaller and smaller, until it became unrecognizable. Ye Chong was mesmerised!

Mu was fast. A thin layer of surging plasma enclosed the entire surface of the mech, and occasionally sparked due to friction with the air at high velocities. With Mu’s speed, they would soon escape the gravitational pull of the trash planet and enter space!

Ye Chong took in the sight of the deep, dark space against the brilliant colours of the nebula - with silky faded reds and swirling smokes of blue, the nebula swam amongst the stars speckled across the infinite darkness of space. The sight was truly intoxicating!

Although this was his first time in space, Ye Chong was not interested in the view before him.

Mu spoke up, “Ye, active the pilot shield system, it’s the green button on the third row from below your right armrest!”

Ye Chong acknowledged with an “Alright,” and obeyed. A transparent screen came up from his seat and wrapped around him. Ye Chong touched the screen curiously, wrapped in an oval egg-like protective shield. The screen was soft and elastic, like some kind of rubber. This was his first time touching something like this.

Mu’s voice rang, “Ye, no sudden movements now, we’re going to accelerate!”

Ye Chong, “Accelerate?”

Mu Shang’s reply was placid. “Yes, a space jump is only possible beyond a certain speed threshold. I only have a 41% chance of passing that threshold, and that was only in theory!”

Ye Chong was indifferent. “I’ll follow your lead, it’s not like I have a choice right?”

Mu Shang’s engines roared to life, and they flew into the infinite darkness ahead!

What future awaited them ahead?