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On the way back, when the dinghy was within three hundred thousand kilometers of the Earth so that there was essentially no delay in communications, Cheng Xin called AA and told her about the meeting with Wade.

“Do as he said,” AA said without hesitation. “Give him everything he asked for.”

“You…” Cheng Xin stared at AA in the information window, astonished. She had imagined AA would be the biggest obstacle.

“He’s right. You don’t have the capacity for this. The attempt will ruin you! But he can get it done. This bastard, devil, murderer, careerist, political hooligan, technophilic madman… he can get it done. He has the will and skill for this, so let him! It’s hell, so step aside for him to jump in.”

“What about you?”

AA smiled. “I would never work under him, of course. Ever since they proscribed lightspeed ships, I’ve grown afraid, too. I will take what I deserve and go do something I enjoy. I hope you do, too.”

—————

Two days later, in the transparent conference hall at the top of the Halo Group headquarters, Cheng Xin met with Wade.

“I can give you everything you want,” Cheng Xin said.

“Then you’ll go into hibernation,” Wade said. “Because your presence may affect our task.”

Cheng Xin nodded. “Yes. That is my plan.”

“We’ll awaken you on the day we achieve success, which will be your success as well. On that day, if lightspeed ships are still against the law, we’ll accept all responsibility. If such ships are welcomed by the world, the honor will belong to you…. It will be at least half a century, or even longer. We’ll be old, but you’ll still be young.”

“I have one condition.”

“Speak.”

“If this project ever has the potential to harm the human race, you must awaken me. The final decision is mine, and I have the right to take back all the authority I give you.”

“I can’t accept that.”

“Then we have nothing to discuss. I’ll give you nothing.”

“Cheng Xin, you must know what path we’ll be taking. Sometimes, one must—”

“Forget it. We’ll go our separate ways.”

Wade stared at Cheng Xin. In his eyes were feelings rarely seen in him: hesitation, even helplessness. It was as unexpected to see these things in him as it was to see water in fire. “Let me think about it.”

He turned and walked over to one of the transparent walls and gazed at the metropolitan forest outside. On that night three centuries ago at the plaza in front of the UN, Cheng Xin had also seen the back of this black figure against the lights of New York City.

About two minutes later, Wade turned around. Still standing at the transparent wall, he looked at Cheng Xin from across the room. “All right. I accept.”

Cheng Xin remembered that three centuries ago, after turning around, he had said, “We’ll send only a brain.” Those words had changed the course of history.

“I don’t have many means to enforce our deal. I can only trust your promise.”

That smile, like a crack in the ice, spread across Wade’s face. “You are perfectly aware that if I break my promise, it will actually be a blessing for you. But unfortunately, I will keep my promise.”

Wade walked back and straightened his leather jacket, which only caused more wrinkles to appear. He stood in front of Cheng Xin and solemnly said, “I promise that if, during the process of researching lightspeed spaceflight, we discover anything that may harm the human race, regardless of the form of the danger, we’ll awaken you. You’ll have the final say and can take back all of my authority.”

—————

After hearing about the meeting with Wade, AA said to Cheng Xin, “Then I’ll need to go into hibernation with you. We have to be prepared to take back the Halo Group at a moment’s notice.”

“You believe he’ll keep his promise?” asked Cheng Xin.

AA stared straight ahead, as though looking at a ghost Wade. “I do. I think the devil will do as he says. But just like he said, that’s not necessarily a good thing for you. You could have saved yourself, Cheng Xin, but in the end, you didn’t.”

—————

Ten days later, Thomas Wade became the president of the Halo Group and took over all operations.

Cheng Xin and AA entered hibernation. Their consciousnesses gradually faded in the cold. It felt as though they had been drifting for a long time in a river. Exhausted, they climbed onto the shore, stopped, and watched the river continue to flow before their eyes, watched as the familiar water flowed into the distance.

While they stepped briefly outside the river of time, the story of humanity went on.

PART IV

Bunker Era, Year 11 Bunker World

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Александр Владимирович Мазин , Андрей Иванович Самойлов , Василий Вялый , Всеволод Олегович Глуховцев , Катя Че

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