Chapter 728: Chapter 533: A Place Farther than the Universe_2 Chapter 728: Chapter 533: A Place Farther than the Universe_2 Meanwhile, Duanmu Huai had found the captain and begun his duties.
“I have to say, you guys are really lucky.”
Captain Lark was a loquacious man. Even facing Duanmu Huai, he had a big smile on his face.
“There’s been calm weather recently, a rare window period. Before you guys, only one other expedition had this kind of luck.”
“You’re saying, someone got here before us?”
Hearing this, Duanmu Huai raised an eyebrow and stared at Captain Lark, who nodded his confirmation.
“Yes, I recall they were also an expedition from Europa. They asked me to prepare to set off for Antarctica immediately, but the weather wasn’t favorable at the time. I wasn’t willing to risk my crew, so they hired another ship. Surprisingly, the weather improved shortly after they set sail. If I had known there would be such fortune, I might have been the one cashing in.”
“Do you know which research station they went to?”
Antarctica in the 20th century wasn’t like in the 19th, open to everyone. It’s now viewed as a shared global resource, with many countries having established research stations here. These research stations are deserted most of the time. They’re only used when summer arrives, and, when the window for suitable weather closes, nearly everyone leaves. Without supplies or communication, it’s basically like being on an alien planet.
Typically, expeditions stay at research stations established by their own countries. For instance, the team Duanmu Huai sponsored will stay and set up camp at the Queen Elizabeth Station, and then continue to explore deeper areas of the Antarctic continent.
So which research station is hosting the other team?
“Um… I think it was the German Georg Station. Once we get to Antarctica, I’ll have to contact them to ensure everything is okay. This freaking weather has a significant impact on communications…”
It’s the harsh reality in Antarctica. Like on an alien planet, a disaster can strike a research station, with communications cut off due to a blizzard, leaving everyone clueless about what’s happening.
The journey to Antarctica is never smooth sailing. Giant waves are a constant, and the temperature plummets gradually. But for Duanmu Huai, this isn’t a problem. What is a problem, however, is that Lorena gets seasick–yes, the girl gets seasick!
It was new to Duanmu Huai, too. Lorena gets seasick!
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that in their travels together, Lorena had tried every mode of transport except sailing.
Anyway, the normally energetic priestess girl was now sprawled in the cabin like a corpse, her face green.
“Uh… Miss Lorena, are you okay?”
Looking at the girl in front of her, pale and listless, Miss Mary couldn’t help but ask anxiously. Lorena turned her head, silently staring at Mary.
“Ugh… I didn’t realize that sailing could be so nauseating… It was okay at first, but suddenly I started feeling dizzy and lightheaded… don’t you feel sick, Miss Mary?”
Faced with Lorena’s question, Mary felt a bit guilty. She didn’t know why, but she wasn’t feeling seasick at all.
“It seems like I need more training…”
As she spoke, Lorena struggled to get up.
“I’ll run a hundred laps on the deck now, and it should help… ugh…!”
“Miss Lorena, hang in there!!!”
While Lorena was feeling wretched in the cabin, the Orion passed the last current and arrived in Antarctica–this most ancient, seldom-tread land, completely covered in ice and snow.
The icebreaker hit a thick ice layer. The force of the impact caused the entire ship to shake, breaking through the sturdy ice as it continued to move forward.
Inside the cabin, Captain Lark heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Duanmu Huai.
“Alright, sir, everything seems to be going smoothly for now.”
“Yes, that’s as good as it gets.”
Duanmu Huai nodded, then left the cabin. He went up onto the deck, where Professor Palmer was standing, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds.
The professor sighed in admiration, then turned to Duanmu Huai.
“Heh heh, the real sky is always the most beautiful. Honestly, after being in Masters College for so long, I’d almost forgotten what the real sky looked like… Actually, many students haven’t even seen the blue sky for the first time.”
Duanmu Huai nodded. He’d also seen the expressions of those students when they left Fog City and saw the blue sky. Even Mary looked shocked and bewildered–which was normal. If you think about it, they had spent their whole lives under a gloomy sky. Unless they left the country, there was no way to see what the real sky looked like.
Maybe in their eyes, the sky has always been like that.
However, Duanmu Huai didn’t come here to chitchat with Professor Palmer.