Space.
Astronaut Hill took a quick look at his current location; it was indeed over North America.
This location isn't in the Imperial Capital.
It's unbelievable that someone here can receive my signal?
The other two astronauts, who were resting, floated over immediately upon hearing Hill's voice.
"Has someone contacted us from North America this time?" Padalka asked.
Mike whistled and winked, saying, "Looks like our luck is getting better; we'll be connecting with more and more people from now on."
"This means we can chat with the ground anytime, just like we used to call Houston."
Zhang Tianyuan on the ground smiled, took the microphone, and interrupted the three astronauts' reverie, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's me again who's contacting you this time."
"Oh!" Hill covered her face, shrugged, and feigned disappointment, saying to her companion, "So it's an old friend of ours."
Mike was completely floating, slowly rotating in space. He scratched his chin. "That's good too. It means our friends are now in North America."
Hill then realized the important point and exclaimed in surprise, "You've already arrived in North America?!"
"What a surprise!" Even Padalka, who was clutching his stomach, thought so.
"You're in a much better mood than during our last call. Last time, I almost thought I was talking to a bunch of lunatics."
Padalka leaned closer to the microphone, his voice still weak and listless. "If you stay up here for over a year, you'll look more like a lunatic than we do. We're already doing quite well; we've received professional training..."
Robert listened to the sounds from the sky and sensed the astronauts' emotions, he lowered his head and smiled from the bottom of his heart. He smiled happily, and tears inexplicably welled up in his eyes, falling drop by drop to the ground, as if he were trying to expel all the depression he had accumulated over the past year.
Zhang Tianyuan glanced at him and suddenly said, "Alright, I can introduce you to a new friend today. Maybe you can exchange ideas on how to deal with your psychological distress when living alone."
This gentleman had lived alone in New York City for a year and a half before we found him, which isn't much shorter than your time.
Zhang Tianyuan
These words piqued the astronauts' interest greatly, and they all wanted to talk to Robert.
Robert wiped away his tears with his hand, then wiped his hands clean with his clothes before taking the microphone from Zhang Tianyuan. He pursed his lips like a young girl on a blind date, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"My name is Robert Neville, and I'm a survivor living in New York..."
Robert himself felt a little embarrassed and couldn't help but laugh.
If he were only facing ordinary survivors, his performance would certainly not have been like this; his status as a former military Mutavore would have been enough to allow him to maintain his overwhelming dominance over ordinary people.
Unfortunately, the people he encountered today were all too unusual. First, there were Zhang Tianyuan and others of unknown origin, but who clearly possessed immense power. Then there were his former superiors.
Then there are the astronauts in space.
Frankly speaking, even before the apocalypse, these three groups of people were not people that a Mutavore like him could easily come into contact with.
This layered suppression of rank and position allowed Robert, who had become accustomed to freedom, to rediscover the feeling of society he once knew.
Moreover, he was at the very bottom of the hierarchy, being "comforted" by the big shots.
No wonder people feel uncomfortable.
In the end, it was Mike who livened things up, talking about the few interesting things that had happened to them that year. Robert also took the opportunity to talk about his solo car chase in the empty New York City.
The two sides chatted more and more happily, finding more and more common ground. After all, Robert and the astronauts above were not only from the same time and space, but some were even from the same country.
They even agreed to continue chatting the next time they passed overhead.
Zhang Tianyuan watched from the sidelines, not getting a chance to interject, and told the astronauts that a team of 2,000 people was currently traveling all over the world, visiting various space launch sites and research institutes, all for their sake...
However, given their intelligence, perhaps they should be able to guess it themselves?
"It's already five o'clock, it's time for us to leave the city. Robert, you should come with us." (Gu)
Robert was also very interested; after encountering the main force, who would want to stay home and hide?
He sleeps in constant fear.
He was afraid that the Darkseekers might wander the city at night and one day happen to find his house.
But he always felt that
He shouldn't have left with Zhang Tianyuan; it seems he's forgotten something...
"But there's a basement under my house, where there are lots of documents and lab mice..."
Perhaps this is something he's subconsciously worried about.
Zhang Tianyuan waved his hand, "We'll help you move it out. The Mutavore experts will help you with your research from now on."
"It's getting dark..." Robert thought that might be what he was worried about.
His subtext was that by the time they finished moving everything, it would be dark, and the Darkseekers would be out, making it unsafe.
But Zhang Tianyuan patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, they're just some monsters that are afraid of light; they're no threat."
"Let's go."
As Robert sat down in the command vehicle with Zhang Tianyuan, the feeling of being forgotten grew stronger and stronger.
He only realized it when the car started moving:
" Sam! My Sam!!!"
Ten minutes later.
Robert, carrying a cloth bag, raced down the street, dashing back to his car.
Sure enough, Sam was still waiting for him in the car.
No matter how smart a dog is, it can't possibly understand a series of complex commands.
It thought its owner meant they would come back at four o'clock in the afternoon to take it home.
Seeing his owner rush to the car window, Sam excitedly breathed on Robert's face and stuck out his tongue to wash it.
Then, looking aggrieved, it patted the watch on the seat with its paw, as if blaming its owner for being late.
"It's my fault, Sam!"
"Let's go home now!"
Robert hugged Sam for a while, then quickly got into the car, started the engine, and drove to the front of the armored convoy after turning a small bend, leading the way for everyone.
"This is it!"
The convoy stopped on the wide street. Robert pointed out his house to Zhang Tianyuan and the others, and subconsciously took out white vinegar and disinfectant from the trunk, intending to sprinkle them on the door to remove any traces of odor.
Until he saw Zhang Tianyuan and his group arrive at his door without any attempt to hide it.
Robert then realized that he was no longer the lone wolf of New York.
He no longer needs to live as cautiously as before.
Seeing Zhang Tianyuan waiting for him at the door, Robert smiled, revealing two rows of teeth. He put Sam down on the ground and jogged over.
"I'll open the door for you..."