Chapter 819

The last part of the journey is always the hardest.

After more than ten hours of flight, the non-stop flight from Shangjing to the west coast of North America finally landed on the runway of Los Angeles International Airport.

As early as a day ago, this International Airport had been arranged in advance.

From the entrance of the VIP passage to the airport runway, the national flags of China and the United States were planted.

Local state lawmakers, representatives of civil groups, and white house and NASA officials from Washington, D.C., stood in a dark row beside the gangway, greeting astronauts returning tens of millions of kilometers away under the lens of media reporters.

"Welcome home, our warrior..." The vice president hugged the frosty astronaut and said to him in a heavy voice, "you've suffered for half a year."

"Thank you..." When he let go of the vice president, Johnson asked in a somewhat tired voice, "where's my wife?"

"Here she is, and your children."

With that, the vice president stepped aside.

The little guy with beautiful blonde hair came running up with his shins on and jumped into Johnson's arms.

"Dad!"

"Hey, my little guy Do you miss Dad Knead the little daughter's head, half squatted on the ground, Johnson, finally stretched a smile on his tired face.

The angel smile made him feel tired all over, and he was cured in a moment.

Looking at his wife and his two sons, who were half squatting on the ground, he stood up and gave his sons and the great woman a hug.

Lying in her husband's arms, Julian ridge whispered.

“…… You're back at last. "

Buried his nose in his wife's hair, Johnson took a deep breath and said in a slightly shaky voice.

"Sorry to worry you..."

Not far away, the cameras in the hands of journalists recorded this touching scene, and moved it to the screen of television, moving more American families.

But none of this matters to Johnson.

What's important is that the hardships along the way have not been borne in vain.

He finally went home

After loosening his wife, Johnson shook hands with everyone who came to meet him and hugged them.

Despite the failure of Ares' plan, no one will blame a hero who has challenged the forbidden area of his life.

Being able to return safely from tens of millions of kilometers away is a great thing in itself.

Both he and the rescued party.

Sitting in the limousine waiting outside the VIP aisle, Johnson leaned back on the chair and relaxed a little. However, just as he was waiting for his wife and children, he saw that it wasn't his family, but the director and vice president of Carson who followed him.

The door closed and the car started slowly.

Johnson asked, raising his eyelids and looking slightly at the vice president sitting opposite him.

"You're going to drive me and my family back to Arizona?"

"Of course not. We'll put you in a hotel in Los Angeles first. The flight to take you home will be in a week's time." The vice president smiled and put his hands together, then looked at director Carson sitting next to him. "I'm sorry to disturb your reunion with your family, but our Mr. Carson He wants to talk to you about something. "

"About the Moon Palace and Xiaguang And everything you see, "Carson added, squeezing a smile from his face," you know, there are things that are inconvenient to talk about on the Chinese channel. "

Johnson smiled and said, "it's not necessary I don't think the Chinese will care, or they won't let me back, will they? "

Director Carson and vice president exchanged their eyes, looked at Johnson, opened his mouth, and inquired tentatively.

"Maybe you need a rest now? If so, we can talk about it tomorrow... "

"No," Johnson shook his head. "Let's talk now. It won't take much time. I don't want to waste a whole day talking about it tomorrow."

"OK, thank you for your cooperation," director Carson clapped his hands and gave him an encouraging look. "Then we Let's start with the Xiaguang. "

Johnson nodded: "no problem, but I can only tell you what I saw And I hope you won't be too surprised next

After closing his eyes and remembering for a moment, Johnson slowly opened his mouth to the sitting vice president and NASA director Carson and talked about his own experience on the way from Mars orbit to the return to earth.

"The Chinese spacecraft is very large, with two pairs of outspread wings spraying with blue fire Or maybe it's not fire, xenon plasma? Probably this one. When we sit in the return capsule and look out, we feel like a lifeboat sailing beside a giant ship. They didn't have much effort to recycle us, and then they provided us with fresh water and food It's even a bathroom for personal hygiene. ""Xiaguang's cabin was probably rebuilt from the cargo cabin, but the facilities on it are quite complete. The most shocking thing is not this, but their attitude towards energy. There is almost no limit to the amount of energy available on nephew. At least no one reminds us how much electricity or water we can only use in a day. Apart from returning to the room at the appointed time, they hardly limit our freedom Compared to the tough environment on the BFS, it's like traveling on the Xiaguang. "

"The most surprising thing is not these, but the Moon Palace." When talking about the Moon Palace, Johnson's tired pupils showed a touch of shock, "it's like a fortress A castle floating in the sky. The open solar panel and radiator are like farmland. Standing in front of it, any spacecraft is just like a tiny dust floating in the universe... "

Compared with the Xiaguang, the Moon Palace shocked Johnson a lot.

In the remaining ten minutes, his narration is basically focused on the life of the Moon Palace.

Until he said the last word, the two people who sat opposite him and listened attentively did not speak.

The silence lasted for a long time in the car.

Sitting beside the silent director Carson, the vice president took a deep breath, took off his glasses with trembling fingers, took out his glasses cloth, wiped them, and whispered to himself.

"God It's unbelievable. "

If what the astronaut said is not exaggerated

The space technology of the Chinese people has been so strong that he can't imagine it!

Hearing this, Johnson gently pulled at the corner of his mouth and said with a self mocking smile.

"It's unbelievable..."

Johnson squinted a little and asked in a somewhat curious voice as he drifted out of the window, looking at the fleeting scenery along the way and the huge egg shaped building standing not far from the suburban road.

"What is that?"

The last time I came to Los Angeles, it was five years ago.

He didn't remember such a strange thing on the way to the airport.

"You say that? That's our national ignition device, the "artificial sun" in California, "said the vice president, with a smile and a recovery of spirit, looking at director Carson, who sat next to him in silence." well, my man, there's no need to be so upset. Despite the setbacks of Ares plan, the determination of the federal government and American people to space will not be changed. "

"The little California sun Is it? " Johnson smiled, with a kind of pessimism in his voice. "Maybe when we're done, they've moved the fusion device to the moon."

Although he didn't say who they were, the direction of context was obvious.

After hearing this, the vice president sitting opposite him was slightly shocked, and countered subconsciously.

"They can't do a nuclear test on the moon."

"Maybe," Johnson said casually, not interested in the debate, "but if they do, who can stop them? Is it our director Carson or Mr. President? Or the budget committee of Congress? "

I'm afraid no matter which one

It can't be done.