Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Ninety-Nine: Rescue

Here was a world awash in blue—a boundless expanse where, save for the infinite stretch of azure, no other color existed. Gazing into the distance, one might discern the outlines of structures rising and falling within the sea of blue: some large, some small, their heights varied, forming a restless silhouette against the monochrome backdrop. Yet all these buildings shared a single trait—they were all cast in shades of blue, as though the profound indigo was the sole melody of this place.

Drawing closer, it became clear that these myriad buildings coalesced into a miniature city. On its streets, many people moved to and fro in a constant, gentle bustle.

At the far end of one such street, inside a certain building, several figures in white lab coats worked in unceasing motion. Some fixed their eyes on substances within test tubes, others monitored data across the instrument panels before them, dutifully noting their findings. If one were to describe it, this place resembled nothing so much as a high-tech scientific laboratory, saturated with the spirit of discovery.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, shattering the tranquility.

A cold, synthetic tone declared, “Signs of life detected intruding. Do you wish to investigate?”

Upon hearing this, the busy workers barely paused before returning to their tasks, untroubled and focused. Only one among them—a middle-aged man with greying hair and a beard as white as his coat—set aside his work and replied, “Investigate.”

“Yes, Doctor,” the electronic voice responded, and a projection flickered into being.

The image displayed a vast, endless blue sea. Upon its surface, a massive spaceship lay adrift, listing to one side, as though struck by some catastrophic malfunction. It was unmistakably the very craft piloted by Ye Junze and his two companions.

The one addressed as Doctor, upon seeing the ship, gave an order: “Scan the interior.”

“Commencing scan.” The synthetic voice, so instructed, began an internal probe of the vessel.

As the investigation progressed, the projection shifted: the ship filled the entire field, its layers peeled back one by one, until at last, the figures of Ye Junze, Qi Yi, and Wenyu emerged within. There they lay, unconscious upon the vessel’s floor, eyes closed, utterly unaware of what had befallen them.

The Doctor’s gaze grew thoughtful as he considered the scene. “How could a perfectly sound ship suddenly end up like this?” he wondered. “Wait, if I recall the dates... Could it be...?”

He muttered, “Is it possible these people ended up stranded for this very reason? Should I intervene and rescue them?”

Having made up his mind, he nodded, struck his right palm with his left fist, and declared, “Let’s bring them in and see—after all, human life is paramount.”

He then issued a command: “Pass the word—assemble the rescue team and initiate emergency recovery at once. Ensure the safety of these individuals at all costs.”

“Yes,” the electronic voice answered, relaying the Doctor’s orders.

Almost immediately, the adjacent room to the laboratory stirred; a dozen or more individuals, outfitted in full gear, filed out in perfect order. Each wore a mask reminiscent of a gas mask—their purpose unclear—marking them unmistakably as the Doctor’s rescue team. Led by their captain, they boarded their respective craft and sped toward the downed ship.

...

Leaving the city behind, it wasn’t long before the rescue team, piloting their vehicles, reached the site where the spaceship had fallen.

Staring at the capsized vessel, their captain issued swift instructions: “Everyone, prepare for rescue. Let’s first try to right the ship.”

“Yes, Captain!” came the unanimous reply.

Without delay, they maneuvered to strategic positions around the ship, left their crafts, and, astonishingly, hovered above the sea’s surface.

“Three, two, one, begin!” the captain commanded.

At his words, each extended an arm, and from their hands sprang forth beautiful, blue beams of light.

Once the beams were summoned, the rescuers exchanged glances, nodded, and aimed the radiant streams at the ship. When more than a dozen beams converged on the hull, something extraordinary happened: the vessel began to move, as if stirred by an unseen force. Recognizing success, the team’s eyes shone with shared joy before they refocused on their task.

They held the beams steady, bathing the ship in blue light. Gradually, the vessel, once overturned, began to tremble and then to rise, rotating until it floated upright, perfectly balanced upon the waves. Only then did the rescuers cease, retracting the beams.

With the ship restored as ordered, one team member asked, “Captain, what now?”

“According to the information from the Doctor, there are three humans aboard—our rescue targets,” replied the captain.

“Should we extract them now?” the same member inquired.

“Let’s wait. Judging from the ship’s design, it won’t be easily breached. Besides, they’re actually safest inside for now.”

The team nodded in agreement. The captain’s caution was well founded; this environment differed greatly from the outside world, and rushing to remove the survivors could pose unforeseen dangers.

“Shall we proceed, then?” another asked.

The captain considered for a moment, then said, “Let’s not be hasty. I’ll check the situation myself before deciding.”

“Yes, sir,” they answered respectfully.

With that, the captain floated over to the ship’s hatch. Upon reaching it, he tentatively pressed against the sealed door, but, as expected, it did not yield. He pushed harder—still nothing. The hatch remained unmoved, impervious to force.

After several attempts, the captain shook his head and abandoned the idea of breaking in by brute strength.

He announced, “As I thought, it’s no use. We’ll bring the ship back and let the Doctor handle it. I’m sure he’ll have a way.”

The team nodded in unison. “We’ll follow your lead, Captain.”

“Good. Let’s all pull together and get this ship home. This is a direct order from the Doctor himself—if we mess up, it’ll be our reputation on the line.”

“Don’t worry, Captain, we understand,” they responded as one.

With a smile, the captain said, “Excellent. Let’s not delay—let’s get moving.”

“Yes!” rang out the collective reply.

They returned to their vehicles. The captain did likewise and commanded, “Initiate transport mode.”

At his word, the vehicles emitted beams of light, linking each craft together in a glowing network. These beams then extended and coalesced behind them, forming a radiant curtain that enveloped the ship. A broad, resplendent shaft of light now connected the team’s vehicles to the encased vessel.

Seeing their preparations complete, the captain ordered, “Well done. Let’s head back.”

“Yes,” came the immediate response.

At once, with the captain leading, the team retraced their path toward the city.

...

This return journey took a little longer, given the burden of towing the ship, but at last, they arrived safely. The ship, however, was far too large to be brought directly into the laboratory.

So, at the city’s edge, the convoy halted. The captain announced, “Wait here—I’ll fetch the Doctor.”

“Understood, Captain,” they chorused.

He nodded and strode off toward the laboratory.

Before long, he reached its entrance. He tapped on the door, and the familiar synthesized voice intoned, “Restricted area. Unauthorized personnel prohibited.”

“Hello, I am Wu Jiang of the rescue team,” he replied. “Please inform the Doctor that we have completed the rescue mission as ordered, but his presence is required to inspect the situation.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a red beam scanned him from head to toe.

“Identity verified. Please enter,” the voice said, and the laboratory doors slid open.

Inside, the other researchers paid him no heed, remaining absorbed in their work. Only the Doctor approached.

“You’re back? How did it go?” the Doctor asked.

Wu Jiang replied promptly, “Doctor, we have completed the rescue as instructed, but we did not remove the people from inside the ship.”

“Oh? Why is that?” the Doctor inquired, curiosity piqued.

Wu Jiang answered respectfully, “The hatch was sealed tight, likely due to an emergency protocol. I feared that forcing it open might endanger those within, so the team and I brought the ship back, trusting that you would have a solution.”

The Doctor nodded. “I see.”

He continued, “There’s no time to lose. Take me there at once—saving lives comes first.”

“Yes,” Wu Jiang replied, leading the way. “This way, Doctor.”

The Doctor nodded and followed Wu Jiang out of the laboratory.