[Crossing] Beacon Fire Dragon Line

Arrive in Spoleto in the afternoon.

Where they were going seemed to be out of the way.Because of the air raid, the air was full of smoke and smog, and it was gray everywhere. Sheng Rui couldn't judge where he was in the city.

Crossing an open space like an abandoned square, and walking through a corridor with high walls on both sides, a square yellow-gray three-story building appeared in front of you.It seems that the place that was supposed to be a hotel or something is now requisitioned.There were seven windows with carved stone pedestals on each floor, but they were all shut so that it was too dark to see inside.A swastika flag hung high above the gate, and two SS soldiers holding Mauser K98k stood at the gate.

When Qi Han approached, the two guards slapped their heels together and raised their right arms in salute: "Heil Hitler, Herr Oberscharführer (Hello Sergeant)!"

Sheng Rui followed Qi Han cautiously like a follower.

I thought he would be interrogated to some extent, but it turned out that he seemed to be a transparent person. The guards looked past him and stared straight ahead, not to mention interrogation, they didn't even look at him.Perhaps they have become accustomed to obeying without thinking, to turn a blind eye to things that are not explained, and to keep silent.

Qi Han stepped on the high and narrow wooden steps.Sheng Rui was a few steps behind, and his eyes were level with his shiny military boots.Walking all the way, there is no mud on the boots.His steps are calm and regular, like a precision Swiss mechanical clock, every step is accurate to minutes and seconds.After watching for a long time, Sheng Rui even felt a little sleepy.

Turn around a stair landing to the second floor, facing a long straight corridor with a width of two meters.Inside, the building appears to be much larger than it appears from the outside.

A series of bare dark door panels are neatly arranged on one side, with no numbers or handles on them, like secret passages that lead to nowhere.The light is half-bright, and the color of the wall cannot be seen clearly, it looks like pink-yellow and light green.

Walking all the way to a door near the end, Qi Han stopped and took out a long-tailed copper key.The latch clicked and the door was pushed open.Even though it was broad daylight, it was dark inside.Pull down the light cord near the door frame, and the hanging lamp above the head lights up.

The room was about [-] square meters square, with a single bed against the wall, an iron-gray wardrobe, a table and a chair, and nothing else.There are no decorative objects on the walls, only a closed window.

Sheng Rui knew why it looked dark from the outside, because the inside of the window was tightly sealed with cardboard and tape, so no light could come through.This is for blackout at night to prevent detection by Allied reconnaissance aircraft.In case the logistics battalion is bombed into the sky, the combat troops will suffer.

"This is your room." Qi Han said, "I'll go to the restaurant to eat first, and I'll get you some food later." He pointed to the bathroom, "There is hot water, you can take a shower."

He closed the door and left.

Sheng Rui looked around the room, it was extremely ordinary and had no special features.Even if someone arrests him and tortures him now, he still can't tell where it is, as if he was brought blindfolded.No wonder there is very little information about the SS logistics units in later generations. No one can find out where these mysterious guys are hiding.

After taking a long-lost hot bath, Sheng Rui stuffed himself into the quilt.There must have been a lot of people living here, the mattresses have a faint smell of tobacco, and the lights make people feel sleepy and in a trance.He couldn't help but think of the youth hostel he stayed in a small town when he was backpacking with his friends when he was a student. It was such a feeling.

I don't know how long it took, but when he was about to fall asleep, he heard the sound of the door lock opening, and Qi Han came back.

"Sorry, I went to the battalion headquarters. I have some materials to write." He carefully placed the things in his arms on the table.Sheng Rui noticed that the uniform on his body was newly changed, and it was very starched.

"Will there be any trouble?" Sheng Rui was worried about the lost car and the two Gestapo.

"It's okay, I can handle it." Qi Han said, lighting a small Esbet heating stove, and put the dark green military lunch box on it.The food was cold and needed to be reheated.

After a few minutes, an aroma started to come out of the lunch box.Tender German sausages are sizzling with oil, fried golden onion rings are wrapped in soft mashed potatoes, and fresh bread is smeared with jam.

Qi Han sat beside him and watched him eat, seeming very happy.

After getting along for so many days, Sheng Rui has gradually learned to distinguish his expression.If his eyes are brighter than usual, he's in a good mood.If his lips are softer than usual, he's smiling.

However, that's about it.

The passage from his heart to the outside is blocked by something, it is difficult to understand what is going on in his heart through his expression.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by him, Sheng Rui swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Tell me more about you."

On the way to Spoleto, Qi Han briefly explained his origin and purpose.However, he hasn't said what Sheng Rui's time travel has to do with him, and what happened to prevent him from going back.

Qi Han was about to answer when he suddenly heard someone knock on the door of the next room.He got up immediately and went out.A door slams next door, followed by a conversation.

The walls here seem to be thin and hardly sound proof.However, the voices of both sides of the conversation were extremely low, and Sheng Rui could only faintly hear the "Imperial Mark".

After a while, there was the sound of pulling a chair, the door opened, and the sound of a single person's footsteps went away along the corridor. It seemed that the visitor had already left.Qi Han's footsteps moved around the room, opening and closing drawers.But after a long time, he didn't come here again.

After confirming that there was no one in the corridor, Sheng Rui slipped out of the room.

The door of the next room was ajar, and Qi Han was sitting at the desk, thinking.

Sheng Rui stepped in.

The furnishings in this room were exactly the same as his.There was a book on the table, and an open letter.

"Sorry, I was a little worried when I heard that someone was looking for you. Are you all right?"

"Ah?" Qi Han seemed to have recovered from some distant place, "Oh, it's okay. I'm sorry, I... I was thinking about something." He hesitated for a while, as if he felt the need to explain: "The one just now Man, I asked him to help me exchange some marks."

According to regulations, German soldiers are not allowed to hold civilian currency, so some people will exchange military currency and ration cards for Reichsmark for various purposes.

Sheng Rui didn't say much.Qi Han didn't explain why he did this, and he didn't want to ask.

Taking advantage of Qi Han's turning around, his eyes fell on the letter.

He is not someone who is interested in other people's private affairs, but the scent of perfume wafting from that letter suddenly made him a little indescribably concerned, and he couldn't help but want to sneak a peek.

The sender column stated an address in Hannover, Germany, and the name was Margaret Winkelmann.The plain paper is half-pressed underneath, and the signature on the last line can be seen: Greta.

This is Margaret's nickname.The woman who wrote to him should have a relatively close relationship with him.

He remembered that he had accidentally glimpsed that G. Winkelmann was engraved on the handle of the Luger P08.

That G is...Greta?

He suddenly had an unpleasant feeling in his heart, as if being grabbed by a wet and cold hand.

This feeling did not subside until after dinner.Even the interest in talking became dim, and they kept chatting about something, but finally had nothing to say.

In order not to be cold-hearted, Sheng Rui pointed to the book on the table and said, "Is that an Italian dictionary?"

Qi Han looked at his fingers: "Yes." Because of the intention to occupy Europe, Germany issued various teaching materials in the army for soldiers to learn foreign languages.This dictionary was given to him when he was stationed in Italy.

"Can you turn it over?"

With Qi Han's permission, he opened the book.The printing is exquisite, with illustrations and Italian words on the left column, and long German definitions and example sentences on the right column.

He didn't really want to read it, and scribbled through the pages.

While thinking angrily, it's better to just say goodbye and go back to sleep.While being reluctant, a voice told him that he and Qi Han would not spend much time together like this.

I accidentally saw a piece of manuscript paper inside, with a pencil drawing on it.It looks familiar.After searching in his brain for a while, he remembered that it was a picture in the "Codex Florentine", which depicted the scene of Aztec sacrifice: a young man was lying on his back on the sacrificial stone, and the priest holding the knife was holding the sharp knife. Hold it high.

"Did you copy this?" Sheng Rui asked.

"Ah."

"Interested in Aztec?"

"Maybe." Qi Han thought for a while, "Sometimes I feel that everyone's life is a sacrifice. They are born to accomplish something."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's nothing, it just feels like this."

No more words.

After a long time, both of them were silent.A flying insect flapped and pecked at the lampshade, like a person banging on a wall in vain.

Sheng Rui stood up: "I'm going to sleep, good night."

"Good night."

He said he was sleeping, but he really got into the quilt, but he couldn't get out of sleepiness.

Sheng Rui started counting sheep, but after counting a few, he stared at the roof in a daze.Realizing that he couldn't fall asleep this way, he rolled over and pressed himself against the wall.

It's night now, and the surrounding area is getting quieter, you can hear a needle drop in that room.While listening to Qi Han's every move, he slowly closed his eyes.

A vast expanse of water as clear as glass appeared in front of my eyes.Row upon row of palaces and gardens on the water are like floating boats in the middle of the lake.

He walks on the street.The sense of omniscience and omnipotence peculiar to the dream made him know that this was the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan.

He didn't know where he was going, but the body in the dream had its own idea, and it didn't stop walking until it came straight to a temple.

In the center of the temple square stands a high platform that reaches into the sky, and the long and steep steps lead to the trapezoidal pyramid at the top.That was the Aztec sun temple.

Stepping up the stairs and looking forward, the road is covered with mottled dark red traces, which are the coagulated blood of the previous sacrificers.Step by step, he approached the top of the platform.A new sacrificer is already lying on his back on the sacrificial stone in front of the pyramid, his naked body covered with flowers.Four priests wearing feather crowns and richly dressed held down the sacrificer's limbs, stretching his chest along the curvature of the stone surface.

Sheng Rui couldn't see the face of the sacrificer, but he knew clearly that it was Qi Han.

A fish-shaped obsidian blade suddenly appeared in his hand, with a sharp tip like a sword.He himself is the priest holding the knife, and he wants to use this sharp weapon to cut open Qi Han's chest cavity, and take out his heart to offer to the Sun God of War.

The blinding sun fell on him like a scorching kiss, and there was a wonderful and cruel fragrance in the air.Warlocks danced mystical dances around him and sang Nahua songs, guiding the sacrificer to the gates of the kingdom of the gods.The priest holding the knife faced the sun and blessed the ancient prayers to Whitslope Hetley, the god of scorching sun and war, wishing all things to live forever and the universe not to die.

After praying, he walked to the sacrificial stone.Qi Han's face gradually became clear, and the pain in his heart gradually deepened.It was as if someone had told him in the dark: this was the moment he and he were destined for, and neither of them could escape.

Qi Han's eyes were empty.He gazed across everything in front of him, gazing at some distant unknown place invisible to the naked eye.And he seemed completely ignorant of what this body was about to endure, and he didn't seem to care.

The moment the blade fell, the dream suddenly changed.The sunlight turned into gentle moonlight at some point, shining on the spring forest like a fairyland.Qi Han's naked body lay on his back among the flowers and streams, like a sleeping Endymion, with an obsidian blade stuck in his chest.His heart left the branch like a ripe fruit and came to Sheng Rui's palm.It burns, becomes lighter and lighter, and finally soars into the sky, returns to the beginning, and meets the sun.And his originally empty eyes suddenly became lively at this moment.His eyes are like a deep pool, reflecting the starlight of the entire universe.

Sheng Rui eagerly cupped his face, wanting to ask a question.

But it was too late.The stars in his eyes suddenly dimmed.At the same moment, the entire universe also disappeared.Sheng Rui only felt a severe pain in his chest, as if his heart was being torn apart by life.

The pain was so real that he was shocked and woke up suddenly.

When I opened my eyes, the wall I saw before falling asleep came into my eyes.Qi Han seemed to be about to go to sleep, he heard a few soft creaking noises from the wooden bed in that room, like a fishing boat rowing in a small town in the south of the Yangtze River.

want to see him.

Wanted to make sure he was really there.

It was as if if he didn't, he would disappear into nowhere like a dream.

Sheng Rui put on his clothes and walked out of the room.

☆、Future Chapter: Night of Thousands of Machines

〖Sleep is sweet, and being a rock is even more bliss.

Not seeing or not hearing, ignorant and unconscious, is my greatest happiness.

— Michelangelo

【AD 21×× Year】

At the beginning of the 22nd century, astronomers discovered that the sun accelerated the rate of red giant star formation.This process, which was originally thought to take 50 billion years, may be shortened to one part in 500 million or less.

Since then, the United Nations has been cultivating new forces for the space age, for the "Dark Blue Dot" program.The color of the uniform is based on the color of the host planet: sulfur red for the Martian Legion, sandy yellow for the Jupiter Legion, dark blue for the Uranian Legion, and so on.

And there is a class of people whose uniforms are black.

Black symbolizes the boundless and vast universe.

Double sword X epaulets, representing "eXtremDeepField (extreme deep space)".

Their destination is more distant realms.These people are called "Deep Space Knights" because their way of life is just like the famous oath of the Teutonic Knights-"Poverty, Chastity, Obedience".The comments they get are: program-like execution and mechanical-like high consistency.In short, it is four words: from one to the end.

——What strength do they rely on to support their hearts?

Chi Xin looked at Qi Han who was sitting across from his desk, trying to find the answer to this question from that young and resolute face.However, those dark green pupils are like a mirror, reflecting all the inquiring gazes from the outside world.

"The reason why I called you so late is because I just got some news." Chi Xin leaned back in her chair, clasped her hands on the table, slowly said her opening remarks, and handed over a formally signed document.

"Dark Blue Dot - Project Endymion", No. 001-GJ1214b.

After Qi Han finished reading, Chi Xin looked at his watch and tapped his knuckles on the table: "It's 45:15 pm. The start time of this plan is [-] hours and [-] minutes later. In other words, after you complete the leap The mission is to start preparing for this immediately."

After saying this, he looked at Qi Han's face.The latter's expression remained the same, unchanged at all.He couldn't help admiring the young man's psychological endurance from the bottom of his heart.Normal people would have a nervous breakdown when they heard such news with only a dozen hours left. The "Knights of Deep Space" really lived up to their reputation, a group of emotionless humanoid machines.

He added specifically: "In addition, this plan is still not declassified, please don't tell anyone."

At 19:00, Chi Caifan paced back and forth anxiously in the office of the officer on duty, repeatedly tugging on her uniform skirt.

She happened to be on duty with Qi Han again tonight.This time it was really a coincidence, if she was the one who arranged the duty schedule, she would not have put him on duty when there were only three hours left before the transition plan.

If anyone wanted to murder Qi Han, it would be easy in theory, because his time and place of haunting and haunting were basically fixed every day, with few changes, and could be used as a clock.

Today, however, he was unexpectedly a few minutes late.

She wasn't in a hurry, instead, she was a little sweeter because of waiting, and the routine duty became more and more like a romantic date.

Today, today must be able to say it.It's just an invitation, not a formal confession, so it's useless to back off like this.She cheered herself up so much.

"Sorry, there was something else just now."

"The jump plan will start at ten o'clock, right? You need to take a break." The jump is executed very quickly, no matter how long the jumper spends in another time and space, it is only a short time for this time and space Son.But she has deep concerns about it, and for good reason.

Involuntarily, she made the sofa for him: "I told the dispatcher that I will wake you up when the laboratory starts to prepare. You can rest assured to sleep and refresh yourself."

"Then it's hard work for you." Qi Han lay down with his clothes on.He was really tired. He stayed up all night last night. From this morning until now, various things happened one after another, and he didn't even have time to eat.

When he fell asleep, Chi Caifan carefully sat down beside him, trying his best to get him closer, and then closer.His hand was right next to hers, she could feel its temperature, but she dared not hold it for fear of waking him up.

He was so beautiful sleeping, she couldn't help but secretly took a photo with her mobile phone.

Really, really beautiful.Like a prince who cannot wake up under a spell, waiting for the love that can wake him up. ——Until many, many years later, she still felt so.

At 21:15, the voice of the dispatcher came from Chi Caifan's intercom headset: "Caifan? Is he with you?"

"Yes."

"Please ask him to come to the laboratory, we can almost start preparations."

"Ok."

Turning off the microphone, Chi Caifan leaned over and nudged Qi Han: "Han, wake up, they are calling you." Dear dear dear.She felt like a wife who had to wake her new husband to go to work, and her whole heart was filled with mournful tenderness by the imagining.

She suddenly decided to tell the invitation now, because she somehow felt that if he agreed, it would be a good omen, and there would be some kind of power protecting him when he returned smoothly, instead of being like her brother. .

While he was washing his face, she pretended to mention it casually: "Well, my narcissus is blooming. I plan to hold a party at home in a few days, and I have invited many friends. Uh—how about you coming too?" She intentionally To put it lightly, it hides full expectations.You must agree, there is a special surprise specially prepared for you.

"Thank you. I won't go, unfortunately I have other business." He said.

This answer was within her expectations.He didn't like to be sociable, and she didn't expect him to agree.

"Don't do this, it will be very interesting." She put on a slightly coquettish tone, "It's rude to refuse a girl's sincere invitation casually."

Based on what she has known about him for many years, as long as she uses the trump card of "it's rude to do this", he, who doesn't understand the world, will believe it.

Unexpectedly, this time things were unexpected.

"I'm sorry, I really can't go." His voice was gentle, but his attitude was unquestionable.

She noticed that this time he said "can't go" instead of "not going".This is a very firm refusal, and there is almost no room for negotiation.

She froze for a moment in bewilderment.Although I also considered the possibility of being rejected, I never thought that he would be so direct.

"...Yes... Is there any other arrangement? Well, the time hasn't been set yet, it can be changed... Uh, otherwise you can say someday..." She was so anxious that she was almost incoherent.

"No, it's fine," he said.

How can it be okay. ——No, it really doesn't matter to him.To him, she's just someone who doesn't matter.

She pinched her palm fiercely with her nails, holding back tears.Can't cry.Can't cry.Hold back.Be sure to hold back.

After he left, she struggled to finish her shift, returned home, and chatted with her friends online, as if nothing had happened, even though there was an extra photo of him in her phone.She deliberately didn't think about him, the jump plan, or everything related to him.

It's just that at night, when she curled up under the quilt with her mobile phone in her arms and opened the photo, she couldn't bear it anymore.In the blurred vision of tears, fingertips caressed his lips on the screen, as if he could feel the warm breath of his breath.

In Greek mythology, the beautiful man Endymion was bestowed with eternal youth and handsomeness by Zeus at the cost of eternal sleep.The goddess of the moon is deeply in love with him, but she can only climb to the top of Latmos every night, staring sadly at her sleeping lover.

If the one you love does not love you, then to you he is Endymion who sleeps forever.You can never enter his world.

The spring day is late, and Qi Qi is picked.The woman's heart is sad, and she will return with the son.

In 1957, a dog named "Laika" was sent into space by the Soviet Space Agency, becoming the first human sacrificed life for the cause of spaceflight.

Later, astronaut Gagarin said: "Am I the first man in space, or the last dog?"

After finishing all the preparations, Qi Han waited to enter the transition cabin.

At a certain stage—not necessarily related to age—people reach a certain balance with their own experiences, accepting everything that happened to them.As for whether this mentality is good or bad, he can't say, because he has already accepted whether it is good or not.

Similarly, he has accepted the Endymion plan.

This project has been in the works for many years.To put it simply, it is to select some habitable planets within 24 light-years from the earth as spare homes for human beings, and send people to open up wasteland in advance.The list of executors is highly confidential and will only be secretly notified [-] hours before launch.

His target planet is the planet GJ1214b in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus.At twelve noon tomorrow, the capsule type single-person rafting cabin carrying him will be launched.

The planet GJ1214b is 99.93 light-years away from Earth.The maximum speed the capsule can reach is 40 percent of the speed of light, and it will take a little over [-] years to get there.

但这只是漂流舱内经过的时间。根据狭义相对论，地球上经过的时间是40/[√（1-0.9993^2）]≈1069年。

In other words, when he arrived at the planet GJ1214b and woke up from the frozen state, he was still as young as yesterday, but he had been separated from all human beings for more than 1000 years.

From then on, he will be stationed alone on this barren water planet, preparing the infrastructure for the humans who may arrive thousands of years later: adjusting the atmosphere, transforming the geology, purifying fresh water and so on.In his lifetime, he will never see another of his kind, and he will only be accompanied by artificial intelligence—this is his field of expertise and one of the reasons why he was selected.

Therefore, this is a journey with no return, leaving is a farewell.

Including GJ1214b, there are a total of 300 habitable planets initially selected for human beings, so [-] people will be sent to the vast space.Compared with a romantic name like "Endymion", this plan should be called "Three Hundred Warriors of Sparta".

He saw his own reflection on the glass, and the X logo with two swords on the right shoulder patch of the uniform glowed coldly.From the moment you wear this epaulette, your destiny has been decided.The years that follow, whether long or short, are but an extension of that moment.Just like the young people selected by the Aztecs as sacrifices through astrology, their entire lives exist only for the day when they step onto the altar.Beyond that, there is no other life, no other future.

A new batch of selected "Deep Space Knights" is being reviewed on the wall display screen at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York.Just like them back then, these teenagers from all over the world have the same facial expressions although they have different hair and skin colors.

He wasn't the first man, nor was he the last dog.

At 22:00, everything is ready.

In the past few hours, Xue Yuan was extremely busy.It's like staying in an ant's nest, and all kinds of troubles are continuously sucked in by the worker ants like food.

It was only when he saw Qi Han that he breathed a sigh of relief.Only this factor can make people feel at ease, Qi Han never makes mistakes, he is much better than those stupid and mediocre people around him.

One second before starting, Xue Yuan suddenly had a strange premonition and wanted to check the equipment again.But he has no reason to do so. The equipment has been repeatedly debugged by the technical department, and it has been kept top secret until this moment. It is absolutely foolproof.

The system emits an electronic voice:

"Target area locked."

"The 10-second countdown of the transition procedure."

"The jump program is started."

……

The jump is complete.

Xue Yuan didn't dare to relax at all, and a more serious task was yet to come - recycling.Like launching a spacecraft, recovery is the more accident-prone part.

The operator reported: "Lieutenant Xue, the positioning device reports an error, and the link is disconnected."

"чёрт (Damn)!" Xue Yuan cursed.What the hell are you afraid of?He didn't dare to delay, and immediately ordered: "Take it back immediately!"

Jumping is like throwing a ball on a string into a river.The jumpers are the balls, and the links are the lines.If the thread is broken, as long as the ball has not left the initial position, it can still be retrieved.

Unexpectedly, the system sent back the message "Search failed, cannot be recovered".This means that Qi Han has left his initial position.It was like a stone had sunk into the sea, and it was almost impossible to find him again.

This time, not only the operator, but even Xue Yuan's face changed suddenly: "Try again!"

The result is still the same.

Xue Yuan's cold sweat dripped down.

——Don't make such a joke with me!The basic common sense of jumping, after arriving at the target time and space, first check the equipment, if there is any abnormality, immediately stop all actions, stay where you are and wait for recovery.Did you forget even that, you bastard!

It wasn't until Xue Yuan hurriedly analyzed the four-dimensional coordinates of Qi Han's initial location that he realized why he couldn't stay where he was: he arrived in Cologne, Germany in the early morning of May 31, [-].

That night, the Royal Air Force was fully dispatched, and 47 bombers flew over Cologne, dropping 450 tons of bombs on the city.

This is the first night of "thousand aircraft air strikes" in human history.