"Report!! The scout team has returned completely. Everything is normal on the target island. There is no abnormal time and space disorder described by the Governor, and there is no danger. Five fresh water resources have been found so far. This is a living island!!"
Brigadier General Roves, standing under the awning, turned his head to look at the floating airship in mid-air. The Governor of Hope Island was watching from above.
He frowned and thought for a few seconds, then said to the adjutant in front of him: "Land on the island! According to Plan No. 3, send engineers to build a stronghold and a dock!"
Without the maintenance of the 010 bubble, the various buildings of the foundation on the island became extremely fragile, and would even shatter into powder with the slightest touch.
It's not just the buildings, it also includes the cars on the roadside, the searchlights that were previously used to illuminate the surface gate, and the long and narrow elevator tunnel.
Although the building has disappeared, the flat foundation is still there, which provides a lot of convenience for the engineering construction base.
Looking at the crowd of people crawling like ants on the island below, Anna asked Charles, "Not bad, 010 is gone, and you have one more island in your territory."
With a frown on his face, he held the railing with both hands and looked up at the wide-open cave entrance. "Islands are worthless now. There are as many unowned islands as you want in the entire Earth Sea."
Anna looked down and thought for a while, then said, "Well, it's settled then. The name of this island will be Ancha Island."
Charles turned his head and looked at her, "Okay, you have the final say, let's go back, we are leaving for the surface now."
Although Charles' tone was very calm, his trembling hands betrayed his inner feelings.
"Are you in such a hurry? Aren't you going to wait until the island outpost is built?" Anna's straight white legs bounced lightly on the iron plate and she jumped directly onto Charles' back.
Charles did not answer the question and walked towards the interior of the airship with Anna on his back.
Following the governor's order, the airship, towed by a huge airbag, slowly flew towards the huge dark cave.
As we entered the metal door, the warm and deadly sunlight slowly disappeared, and darkness enveloped the airship again.
The other people in the fleet breathed a sigh of relief and took down the black cloth covering the windows. Compared to sunlight, they were more accustomed to darkness. At least darkness would not kill people.
"It's okay. The Earth Sea is definitely very far away from the surface of the earth. The difference between the two can even be several kilometers. It's reasonable that the sunlight from above cannot penetrate below." Charles explained to Anna on the side.
Anna gently held Charles' trembling right hand with both of her hands and looked at him with amusement. "What are you explaining? I didn't ask you this question."
Charles gave her a forced smile and looked out at the dark space outside the glass window.
Bright searchlights shone towards the surrounding gray metal walls, and all kinds of strange and incomprehensible inscriptions on them kept lighting up and disappearing.
Time passed second by second. Charles had never felt time passing so slowly. Now he finally understood what it meant to feel like a day lasts a year.
After experiencing so many hardships, he suddenly realized that the long wait was the most torturous.
"Hmm~Hmm~..." Anna hummed the familiar lullaby softly, her voice so soft that only Charles beside her could hear it.
Charles lay on his side, resting his head on Anna's thigh, and recalled the entire fourteen years in his mind.
Only he himself understood the pain, despair and fear. Scenes flashed through his mind and an indescribable emotion surged in his heart.
He was afraid, afraid that this was not the same ground he had been on before. Although he always had various reasons to convince others, he could not convince his own heart.
The various anomalies in Earthsea are so different from the surface that it is very likely not a modern society.
The lullaby stopped, and Anna looked down at the scarred face in front of her. She gently tucked her long hair behind her head with her hands, and then kissed him.
"Don't worry, this time is different from last time. No matter what happens above, I will stay with you this time."
Anna looked at Charles in front of her with helplessness in her eyes, and her fingers gently stroked the scar on his face, finally reaching Charles' ear.
A tentacle with black scales stretched out from the ear hole and gently wrapped around Anna's fingers.
Charles had a beautiful dream. In his hazy state, he felt very happy and joyful, as if his whole body was soaked in warm water.
I don’t know how much time passed, but Anna’s gentle voice slowly made Charles wake up.
"Charles, Charles, wake up, we are here."
He looked at his lover blankly. After he said it a second time, he came to his senses and realized that he had reached the surface.
"Let's go!" Charles pulled Anna towards the door of the airship. For the first time in many years, a happy smile appeared on his face, the kind of joy that came from the bottom of his heart.
However, just as he walked to the airship and stood on the stairs leading to the ground, the smile on his face froze.
Purple was his first impression of the earth's surface. In the sky above, there was no sun, no moon, and no stars, only a vast expanse of purple fog.
It was snowing on the ground, and the gray goose-feather snow fell slowly, landing on Charles' hair and on the corners of his slightly trembling eyes.
"Where is this?" Charles looked at the desolate surroundings.
Judging from the surrounding terrain, it seems to be a desert, but Charles obviously didn't want to ask about this.
"Where is this?!" Charles asked again in a suddenly raised voice.
Whether it's the purple fog or the gray snow, this doesn't look like the original Earth at all.
Charles stumbled down the stairs, looking blankly at the unusual scenes around him.
Anna chased after him, opened her arms and gently hugged Charles, and said with a serious expression: "Gao Zhiming, look at me, look into my eyes."
Charles took a deep breath, returned to the stairs and sat on them, staring at the ground covered with gray snow with a painful expression.
"It's okay, I'm okay, I can hold on, I just want to be quiet now..."
Anna looked at Charles who was pinching his head with both hands. She frowned slightly and walked up the stairs back to the airship. With her quick command, the airship fleet immediately began to move.
"Da da da da~" As the sound of propellers turning continued to sound, a squadron of propeller helicopters flew in all directions.
It won't be long before they quickly explore the surrounding terrain.
Anna returned to Charles and sat down next to him.
"That shouldn't be the case! You know, it's clearly written in the contents of the Foundation that their surface headquarters is in Boston! And before, as long as their members passed the review, they could also return to the surface!"
Charles was very confused about the scene in front of him, even if this place was full of walking gods, that would at least be easier to understand.
"Wait a minute. Once the helicopter comes back, we'll know whether this place is on the surface or not."
(End of this chapter)