Beep beep beep...
The computer beeps and keyboard clicks rang incessantly, and the information on each small screen kept changing.
The staff's fingers flew across the keyboard, almost leaving afterimages, as commands pierced through the clouds and were continuously sent into the sky hundreds of kilometers above.
But there was no sign of relief on their faces. Instead, everyone's expression was tense, as if someone had bandages wrapped around their faces, making it hard for them to breathe.
The experts directing the operation on-site were equally tense as they watched the data on their computers and screens. They would occasionally steal glances at the serious-looking inspectors behind them, their breathing and heartbeats were extremely rapid, and their tightly clenched palms were soaked with sweat.
Beep beep beep--
Finally, after reaching a certain limit, the computers on site issued alarms one after another, and a red warning window popped up.
Even a blind person can sense that something is wrong now.
"How is it, Dr. Tony...?" one of the examiners asked first.
The expert, known as Dr. Tony, adjusted his glasses, his eyes fixed on the operators' computer screens, which were covered in red error messages...
Dr. Tony gasped for breath and said in a trembling voice, "I... we've done our best, but for some reason, the ground control system seems to have malfunctioned, Endurance isn't receiving our commands."
"They might have used signal jamming!" Another expert pointed to the information displayed on the screen. Cooper's spacecraft and the Endurance were very close, and docking was estimated to be just a matter of ten minutes or so.
This launch-to-docking speed has broken all previous records.
At this distance, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Cooper is practically following right behind the Endurance.
As it turns out, these experts were right.
Upon entering orbit and spotting the Endurance, Cooper immediately activated the signal jamming device targeting the Endurance.
This was developed urgently using information provided by Professor Brand and his team; once activated, it can disable most of the Endurance's signal receiving devices.
In this situation, although NASA bases can still receive information transmitted from the Endurance, they are no longer able to transmit information to Endurance.
The signal has not conveyed any instructions.
The NASA base could even receive live footage from the Endurance spacecraft's external cameras, watching the spacecraft behind them get closer and closer... m.
The docking is about to take place.
The experts were nearly in despair and began to hurl insults at Professor Brand.
They're in big trouble now!
The inspector was standing right behind them!
Whether they were just shirking their duties or the Endurance was truly being blocked from signals, that's a question that needs to be answered!
As they cursed, they were filled with resentment, either for not choosing to join Plan C or for Professor Brand not taking them with him...
The insults continued until the Cooper spacecraft and the Endurance docked perfectly.
At this time, the base could still see the data transmitted back by the Endurance. The "naive" Endurance did not even realize that the one connected to it now was not its original partner.
Confused, it confirmed the other party's shape and size, and received the electronic information injected into its body, then gladly opened its hatch!
Click!
Silence reigned in space, but the experts at the NASA base who witnessed this scene were heartbroken.
Some experts experienced a sudden blackout and fainted.
The remaining people also expressed their indignation against this behavior and hoped that the country could take back the Endurance as soon as possible!
However, just as they were busy expressing their stance, new changes appeared in the surveillance footage transmitted back by the Endurance.
Cooper, wearing a spacesuit emblazoned with the logos of the Mutual Aid Society and the United Government of Wandering Spacetime, floats aboard the Endurance.
Then, with practiced ease, I took out the user manual, flipped to a specific page, and started working according to the instructions recorded therein.
The experts who watched this scene through the surveillance footage were astonished.
"He! He! He!"
"This person is trying to disconnect our signal!"
First, disconnect the software connection, then modify the hardware. This way, even if NASA has left any backdoors, they won't be effective.
At this moment, everyone in the control room could only watch helplessly as Cooper cut off their connections one by one and prevented them from reconnecting.
Monitoring system, power system, life support system...
The base's authority was quickly and completely lost.
The experts hung their heads.
They have completely lost control of the Endurance, and it is likely permanent.
Given the current situation, it's unlikely they can break through the signal jamming and re-establish a connection.
In the sky.
After Cooper completed his first task, he was also joined by his partner.
This is a man with an Asian face.
Although floating in space, the man still managed to give a salute, Cooper quickly returned, before taking the translation headset handed to him by the other person.
"You can wear this; it will make communication easier."
"Hello, I am Liu Peiqiang, an aerospace engineer from the United Government No. 3 Spacetime, stationed on the Navigator Space Station."
Hello, hello!
Cooper shook hands with Liu Peiqiang, then immediately got to the point. He brought out a package and instructions from the back of the spaceship. "Our next task is to complete all the modifications within a week."
Speaking of this, Cooper was a little intimidated; he didn't know how capable his partner was.
If he relied solely on his experience repairing radios, solar panels, and tractors on the farm, he didn't know how long he would have to keep going.
Liu Peiqiang took the task sheet handed to him, glanced through it briefly, and quickly smiled, "It's not a big problem. Just follow my instructions, and if the two of us work together well, we can finish it quickly."
Although both the Endurance and Navigator Space Station possess rotating gravity, their sizes differ by more than one order of magnitude.
For the Navigator, the Endurance was just a small station, and the work there wasn't anything particularly complicated.
Seeing Liu Peiqiang's confidence, Cooper felt relieved and quickly said that he would follow orders completely from now on.
"Then let's start by activating the rotational gravity system on this space station..."
On the ground.
Liu Peiqiang and Cooper took the initiative to connect to the space base's signal and quickly transmitted the monitoring footage.
Zhang Tianyuan watched from next to Zhou Kun, thinking that as long as Liu Peiqiang was just asked to repair the space station and not to operate it, there shouldn't be any problems, right?