Chapter 60: The Pioneer! Magoo’s Diary
The cough did not get better over time. Instead, it gradually became worse, to the point that Su Mo was worried that the old man in the recording would cough his lungs out before it ended.
Luckily, after ten seconds had pa.s.sed, the sound of his coughing slowly eased and turned into a low groan. It seemed that he had managed to cough out whatever was bothering him.
“Urm… Can you hear me? h.e.l.lo? I’m Magoo. Hmm… Okay, let’s start recording!”
“Earthling? No! Huaxian?” Su Mo was slightly stunned at the recording’s opening line. A shocked look appeared on his usually calm face.
Did he just stumble across a fellow human in this alien world?
Moreover, it was even someone from his home country?
Before Su Mo could continue ruminating on these two questions, the radio buzzed noisily once again with Magoo’s voice. “If you’re able to activate this transportation tool, it would mean that you are either an Earthling or…of a high civilization. Ho, come to think of it, another being of a high civilization would not even look twice at this pile of rubbish built by me!”
“I guess you must have a lot of questions, but still I’d like to introduce myself first.”
“h.e.l.lo. My hometown is located in the far corner of the galaxy. It is the third planet of the solar system called planet earth.”
“My country is Huaxia! My name is Magoo!”
“I’m glad to get to know you in this way. I’m also quite comforted by the fact that someone has come along to inherit my a.s.set and continue down this road!”
Magoo’s voice sounded slightly downcast, as if phlegm was stuck in his throat. One could imagine how bad his condition was from the sound of his voice.
“h.e.l.lo, I’m Su Mo. I’m also a Huaxian from Earth. Glad to meet you.”
Su Mo mouthed those words silently after calming himself down.
This was not the first time he had met with something familiar from his hometown.
He had seen objects and structures that were exact replicas of those on Earth previously at Liangfang Town.
He had not expected that the underground ruins near the base were coincidentally left behind by a Huaxian from Earth.
“Today is Day 433 of the Doomsday Calendar, and it marks the 19th disaster I am about to face.”
“Oh ho, this is terrible. Can you imagine that, outside this shelter, the high-temperature radiation is measured at 55 degrees? I’ve almost run out of water and there aren’t enough Disaster Points for me to buy any more. It looks like I will end up staying in this world permanently.”
“Perhaps we were destined to experience death the moment the expeditionary army arrived in this world in ’99. It was just a matter of time!”
“Gah! I can’t take this!”
Magoo’s voice pitched between highs and lows. There were times when he was calm, and other moments when he seemingly went crazy.
Su Mo was speechless after listening for a while.
If what Magoo said was the truth, that a high-temperature disaster lurked outside those walls, and he did not have the supplies to tide him through, then it was no wonder that his mental state would rapidly deteriorate to this point.
Su Mo himself would never be able to accept death readily, and it seemed to be the case for Magoo as well.
After a while, Magoo finally calmed down from his hysterical episode.
His breathing came in gasps, like the breathy noise of an exhaust fan, and Su Mo could not help but worry that he would keel over and die on the spot the next second.
“If you were able to arrive at my base, it would mean that I’m already dead. Everything in this shelter now belongs to you. You can even combine your core with this shelter and turn it into your future base on one condition, that you do not mind that a useless person had died here once upon a time!”
“I’ve forcefully shut down the motor-pumped oil well. It would be very difficult if you plan to restart it again. This will depend on your own skills and attainments.”
“Oh yeah, look to your front. Counting from the front to the back, I left a diary in a secret compartment under the fourth piece of tile. If…”
“You are able to return to Earth and go home to Huaxia, please help me take it back to my family. Please!”
Magoo began talking faster and faster. He did not even give enough time for Su Mo to process his words, as if something was chasing after Magoo from behind.
Bam…
Chh chh chh chh chh chh chh..
The irregular sound could be heard once again, indicating that Magoo’s last words were almost done.
Su Mo did not get up. He pressed down on the radio again and listened to the recording carefully once again. He recorded the entire message into the dead man’s private messages before turning off the light and getting up to leave the buggy.
He shone a light and followed the mark on the floor tiles. Su Mo did discover something out of the ordinary under the fourth piece of tile.
A corner of the tile looked vaguely uneven. If one placed the edge of a shovel or an ax under it, the tile could easily be removed from the floor.
Su Mo followed this line of thought and took out an exquisite shovel from the storage s.p.a.ce. He placed it snugly under the uneven corner and pushed it in.
Using some force, he pulled the entire tile off the floor, revealing an unsecured iron box underneath the tile.
He placed his metal shovel back into the storage s.p.a.ce before focusing; summoning the System to scan the object. After ensuring that it was safe, Su Mo bent down to pick up the iron box.
As expected, the box contained a yellowed diary.
The front page of the diary had a line of words that were neatly written.
Year 99 expeditionary army, Platoon Leader of the 22nd Infantry, Magoo.
He blew off the dust on the diary and returned to the front of the buggy. Su Mo then used the flashlight to begin reading Magoo’s diary.
The date on the diary’s first page was from many years ago. Su Mo saw the words February 13, 1999.
“Today is February 13, 1999.”
“The Alliance of World Security Service detected a signal coming from deep s.p.a.ce. The signal was different from that of a star dying naturally. It was a signal that had a pattern.”
“Someone silly from the NASA headquarters received the signal and was somehow possessed to respond to the signal before actually reporting it. The reason he gave was that, as a scientific researcher, his instinct and experience told him that the owner of this signal was a friendly one.”
“Come to think of it, six hours after responding to the signal, an alarm sounded from the defense platform at low Earth orbit, indicating that an unidentified object had arrived close to Earth through s.p.a.ce.”
“Everyone initially pa.s.sed it off as a joke, because it was impossible that something could ever go past the frontline base on Europa. Even if it was the remnants of a launcher in s.p.a.ce, it would be destroyed when coming into the twenty-thousand-meter radius of Europa’s s.p.a.ce.
“However, something happened that day.”
At this point, the writing became messy. There was even an entire page torn off from the diary that was missing.
“Today is August 2, 1999. It’s also Day 6 of the Doomsday Calendar. The first disaster has taken place.”
“A strange game has been guiding everyone’s actions, but luckily for us, there’s a place for us to convey messages. It’s known as the ‘World Channel’.”
“What a huge snowstorm. I’m lucky to have been wearing thick, cotton-padded clothes when I came here. It’s times like these that I’m extremely grateful to my Infantry commander. He had such foresight…”
…
“Today is March 6, 1999. It’s also Day 22 of the Doomsday Calendar. The second disaster is here.”
“This d.a.m.n weather is so strange. The ground is clearly covered with thick snow, but the sun is s.h.i.+ning brightly and the temperature is 30 degrees. The snow is starting to melt and many are celebrating the weather turning warm again. All creation is being revived, but something tells me that a disaster might arrive at any time.”
“What an insane flood! I’m lucky that I chose to build my shelter on high ground. Even though the flood struck, the water only barely reached inside the shelter. Luckily I moved my supplies up beforehand. I should be able to make it through…”
…
“Today is September 21, 1999. The earth calendar seems to be something long forgotten. Many of the others only remember that today is Day 199 of the Doomsday Calendar.”
“Oh, right, I’ve created a small-scale thermal weapon device. This is good stuff. I’ve managed to exchange many supplies using the weapons I’ve created with it. I’m living a much more comfortable life than others…”
“I’ve even managed to exchange a bottle of something they call ‘Young Cola’. Sigh, what a wonderful feeling it was to drink it in one gulp!”
…
Today is January 1, 2000. It’s also Day 301 of the Doomsday Calendar.”
“It’s the millennium year. Happy New Year to my beloved Manman. This is the first new year that celebrates crossing the threshold of a century. Your Big Brother Magoo won’t be able to return to accompany you. I hope that you have a happy celebration even if you’re all by yourself.”
“This world is huge, much larger than our Earth. Of course, with it being so large, all of us won’t be able to get together to celebrate the new year…”
“Although this is a celebration, I hope that I will be able to continue surviving on this wasteland. I’m also wis.h.i.+ng that the remaining 73 million Earthlings will be able to return home one day.”
…
“Today is May 10, 2000… It’s also Day 432 of the Doomsday Calendar. The tenth disaster has arrived.”
“I’m sorry, Manman. I might not be able to get through this disaster. The temperature out there is still rising continuously. According to this d.a.m.n game’s update, the temperature will rise above 60 degrees and stay that way for 24 hours before it ends. F*ck this d.a.m.n game. Why doesn’t it experience for itself what it feels like to be under 60-degree heat!”
“My water supply is about to reach its end. I’m so thirsty and it feels like I’ve contracted something. My entire body has been s.h.i.+vering. Would anyone be able to come and save me…”
…
“Today is…Day 433 of the Doomsday Calendar.”
“I’ve just recorded my last words, hehe.”
“Only 2.2 million people are left this time from the billions of people that came over from earth. At least I’m considered to be among the best and I haven’t embarra.s.sed my family…”
“I’ve heard them say that those who have died will have their memories removed. That they will return to our home planet to continue with their lives and forget about everything here.”
“Hahahahaha, I’m laughing so hard that my tummy hurts, but I’m so thirsty that I can’t produce a single tear.”
“It was a great gesture for whoever it was that made up this lie. Unfortunately, he will never know that I would rather use the opportunity to see you once again.”
“My mind is beginning to get muddled. I understand that I’m really about to die, but the fear within me lessens as each day pa.s.ses.”
“I think I’m now able to accept the p.r.i.c.kly word known as ‘death’.”
“Although, there’s something I haven’t quite figured out yet…”
“Tell me, when exactly did I die?”
“When I left you, as a 20-year-old… I was already dead…”