Dead on Mars

Chapter 115: Sol Hundred and Thirteen, Martian Agriculture

Chapter 115: Sol Hundred and Thirteen, Martian Agriculture

Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon

While holding his toolbox and carrying a huge roll of electric cables, Tang Yue returned to Kunlun Station.

Mai Dong had finally finished singing the song.

“How was my singing?” the girl asked.

“That’s not a question you should ask me.” Tang Yue closed the hatch to the airlock, turned around and waved his fingers. “You should ask Voyager 1 about that.”

Mai Dong was taken aback, completely confused as to what he meant. “Why?”

“It’s because you were so out of tune that tone has gone all the way to the Kuiper belt.” Tang Yue shrugged as he detached the life support system on his back and got out of the Radiant Armor. “Congratulations Miss Mai Dong, your singing has crossed a distance of 30 AU in two minutes. It’s 114 times faster than light. It’s definitely the fastest in the Milky Way.”

Mai Dong’s face flushed red as her embarrassment turned to anger. With a slam, she switched off the camera, and the communications system instantly turned black.

“Mai Dong?”

There weren’t any replies in the earpiece.

“Mai Dong? Mai Dong?”

Tang Yue cut a portion of the electric cables in Kunlun Station, before dismantling the electric control panel. He needed to modify the circuitry in Kunlun Station, and bring the high-pressure sodium lamps inside. Their system operating voltage was incompatible with the Kunlun Station’s power system, preventing him from directly plugging them in. Thankfully, the required modifications were exactly what Tang Yue was trained in. He was a very skilled electrician.

Tang Yue was not going to touch anything else, especially the OGS or the computer systems.

“Mai Dong? Mai Dong, say something.”

From the looks of it, Mai Dong was determined to ignore him for some time, but Tang Yue knew that this lass was around because he could hear her breathing over the comms. She was probably waiting for his apology.

“Mai Dong? Say something? It was my bad. I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that your tone went so off-tune that it went to the Kuiper belt. In fact, you didn’t go that far off-tune. It probably only reached Uranus’s orbit… Mai Dong? Mai Dong? Mai Dong?”

Tang Yue unscrewed the front of the control panel, revealing the complicated circuitry inside. Faced with the plethora of colors, he shook his head, turned around, and took out the Kunlun Station’s maintenance manual from a drawer.

The girl was still ignoring him.

Tang Yue scratched his head. Coaxing a girl was truly a centurial problem.

“Comrade Mai Dong. How’s the search with the satellite photos? Please report your progress immediately. Have you found Tomcat? I repeat, please report your progress immediately! Have you found Tomcat?”

“… No.” Mai Dong finally spoke, sounding infuriated. “Isn’t this cheating? Using official matters to get me to speak is really unfair and just abusing your power!”

…

Tang Yue coiled the electric cables on the antenna frame before leaving the lamps hanging from the top.

The high-pressure sodium lamps could provide sufficient illumination, aiding the plants in photosynthesis and providing them heat to maintain the ambient temperature.

“Hey, Tang Yue,” Mai Dong asked. “Was… my singing really that bad?”

“It’s actually not bad. Your voice is nice, just that the tone wasn’t precise.” Tang Yue knelt on the ground, adjusting the height of the lampstand. After confirming that the tomatoes got most of the light, he said, “You have a good foundation. Your voice is very clear, so you just need is to practice on your tone.”

“That sounds more reasonable.” The girl grunted. “Don’t install the illumination lamps too close to the plants, or the heat might just bake the sprouts. A distance of a meter to a meter and a half is more suitable.”

Tang Yue turned the knob, raising the antenna frame high as he gently placed a bulb into its socket.

With that, the greenhouse was basically done. The high-pressure sodium lamps hung at the tent’s apex, and beneath it were two water troughs with the tomato sprouts. In a while, Tang Yue would connect the power source to verify that the bulb worked properly. He would be finished if the bulb lit up, and there weren’t any problems with the circuitry.

“Can this keep the temperatures warm?” Mai Dong asked. “Even if it’s okay in the day, will it last through the night? Especially in the middle of the night when the temperature plunges.”

“With the RTG and the light bulbs, the source of the heat should be guaranteed. In a while, I’ll also add a few layers of clothes to keep it warm.” Tang Yue crawled out of the greenhouse, draped the blanket over him, and circled around the fruits of his labor. He had set up a tiny plastic tent in the middle of the Hab. It was a traditional agriculture technique used on Earth. It was very primitive, but also very effective. The plastic sheet could be used for heat insulation, and the high-pressure sodium lamps could provide enough light. The RTG would emit heat to maintain the temperatures.

To plant tomatoes, Tang Yue had mobilized every possible resource.

“Next, let’s see how it all works. I hope the bulb doesn’t explode.” He walked to the side of the wall and switched on all the power.

At the instant the electrical circuit was closed, the high-pressure sodium light bulb under the plastic sheet flickered before emitting a blinding white light.

Everything was working normally. The bulb was working normally, and the electrical cables didn’t burn out. The Kunlun Station’s power system didn’t break, and all indicators remained in an ordinary range.

“Nice!” Tang Yue clapped as he walked into the tomato greenhouse in excitement. “God said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light!’ Look at this resplendent light…”

Tang Yue suddenly fell silent. His body began to tremble violently as his facial muscles writhed. He kept repeating the same word in an indistinct manner, “Power… Power… Power…”

“Tang Yue?”

Mai Dong was alarmed seeing Tang Yue convulsing as if he was having a fit. He had been fine just a moment ago.

The girl immediately imagined that Tang Yue had been electrocuted because of a mistake. He had been modifying the circuits in Kunlun Station, throwing all kinds of electric cables around. These electric cables might have reached all kinds of places with thousands of voltage running through them. If Tang Yue hadn’t cleared them up in time, he might have stepped on them. And one of them might have exposed.

But why didn’t Kunlun Station’s circuit breaker trip? Could it be that Tang Yue’s modifications had caused the safety switch to be ineffective?

Mai Dong didn’t have the time to consider the reasons. Tang Yue’s limbs were shaking violently as he was unable to move away. Clearly, the electric current had numbed his muscles and nerves. Tang Yue rolled his eyes as his mouth couldn’t even close.

“Tang Yue—! Tang Yue—!”

Mai Dong lunged towards the screen as she screamed. Tears immediately welled in her eyes.

Tang Yue suddenly lifted his leg. His mouth wasn’t twisted anymore; neither were his eyes rolled back nor his limbs trembling.

“Tang…”

The girl was stunned.

“I was pulling your leg.” Tang Yue stuck his tongue out at her. “How was my acting? Great, wasn’t it?”

“Tang… You… You… You f**king…” Before Mai Dong came to her senses, she paused for a few seconds before realizing that the b*stard had pulled a prank on her. She immediately burst out into laughter, feeling both surprised and angry. She had even used vulgarities.

“How can a girl use vulgarities?” Tang Yue waved his hand. “It’s too uncivilized. You are now representing all the females on the globe.”

Mai Dong reached her hand out to switch off the video.

“Wait—!” Tang Yue took one big stride forward, reaching out as though he was trying to stop her. He bellowed, “My fair lady, we can always talk. Don’t switch off the camera!”

Mai Dong’s hand paused.

There were a few seconds of stillness as both parties locked their gazes as they fell silent.

Mai Dong was the first one who burst out laughing. Her eyes were red from crying. Tang Yue also laughed out loud as the laughter was contagious. Finally, the two of them were laughing while holding their bellies.

“Hahaha… Tang Yue, you *sshole… Why didn’t you get electrocuted to death? Hahahaha…”