Chapter 805: Unfavorable First Contact

It had been 24 hours since the Lunar Orbit Committee announced their response plan.

Once the plan was published on the Lunar Orbit Committee website, the world held the plan in high regard.

A United Nations emergency meeting was held in New York. Representatives, senior political figures, and big-name experts from various countries attended the conference.

Before the conference began, Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson stood up. He began reading his speech in a solemn voice. This marked the beginning of the conference.

“For a long time, we knew very little about life outside of Earth. We believe that we are not the only lucky planet in the galaxy. However, we have yet to receive any evidence that there is life outside of Earth.

“Clearly, that has changed. From what happened to the Ares program colonists, we know that we are not alone in the solar system.

“However, the first contact is not always optimal. I believe everyone sitting here has discussed this issue with relevant experts. The bacterium from Mars is tough. It can survive through hundreds of degrees of temperature change and is resistant to background radiation.

“It is foreseeable that their arrival will have an unpredictable impact on our ecosystem.

“Once again, I’d like to emphasize that this is a global crisis! Solving this problem should not be the responsibility of just one country, it should be the responsibility of humanity!

“Thank you.”

The crowd erupted in applause.

Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson nodded and slowly sat back down.

After the opening remarks, the emergency United Nations meeting officially kicked off.

Various representatives put forward their own opinions on how to deal with the crisis.

For example, the United States’ proposal was to establish a completely enclosed area in the Sonoran Desert. The astronauts would be placed there, and their physical conditions would be observed.

Others suggested asking the colonists for their own opinions on whether or not they would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of humanity. Even though two of the astronauts were Americans, it would be a time-saving and cost-saving method.

After all, if the colonists were to die, all of the problems would be solved. They could slowly research the remaining bacteria samples.

However, everyone knew that this was not a realistic plan.

Other than the US, the one that received the most attention during the conference was China.

After all, the colonists were on the Moon Palace. Regardless of what the UN’s decision was, it would still depend on China to execute it.

The Chinese representative stood up and spoke slowly and calmly.

“Our position is clear.

“Before confirming the bacteria is not a risk to the Earth’s ecosystem, we will not allow the astronauts to return to Earth.

“Our proposal was announced by the Lunar Orbital Committee. We will build a research facility on the surface of the moon. The astronauts will be safe there.”

“How do you plan on ensuring the safety of the three colonists?” the US representative said. The US representative stood up and said aggressively, “Long-term exposure to low gravity will cause unpredictable effects on the human body! Don’t you think this is a violation of human rights?”

Without missing a beat, the Chinese representative replied, “Did you think about their human rights before sending them to Mars?”

Whispers were heard in the venue.

The American representatives opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say anything.

The Chinese were right.

The Americans had no right to take the moral high ground.

If they considered these factors in advance before hastily launching the BFS spacecraft to Mars, they wouldn’t be in so much trouble.

The Chinese representative looked at the American representative and said, “Not to mention, we have solutions to your problems.

“In order to ensure that the lunar facility can operate with sufficient funds, we welcome all countries to contribute to the common interests of humanity. At the same time, we also welcome scholars from all countries to participate in the study of life on Mars!”

After some heated debates, the United Nations eventually decided to adopt the Chinese solution.

After all, the Chinese had the final say in the matter.

Even if the United Nations chose another solution, the Chinese could refuse to implement the solution “for the sake of the overall interests of the international community”.

Moreover, looking at the votes, most of the countries agreed with China’s solution.

This was mainly because of China’s reputation in aerospace technology…

The second half of the conference was mainly focused on research funding, participating researchers, as well as participating research institutes.

The conference went from 10 am to 3 pm.

The emergency conference finally ended.

After Director Owens of the European Space Agency had a quick chat with NASA Director Carson, he left the UN building and walked toward the parking lot.

Deputy Director Ferrian of the European Space Agency was walking behind him. Ferrian suddenly said, “Sir.”

Owens didn’t stop talking. He asked casually, “What?”

Ferrian paused for a second and said, “1.2 billion euros… Do you think this is worth it?”

“It doesn’t matter if it is worth it. This crisis has to be addressed by the international community.” Owens paused for a moment before adding, “From a practical point of view, to be able to join in on China’s lunar development and participate in the life of Mars research is extremely meaningful.

“1.2 billion euros is definitely worth it.”

…

Hundreds of kilometers away, inside the Moon Palace.

The three colonists were inside their living capsules. Zhao Shuxuan gave them their routine physical examination.

Travis finished his blood test and sat down on his bed. His wrists felt sore from the gravity-free blood collection device. He began talking to the Chinese researcher…

“Hey, what’s our situation like? Can you at least tell us… What did you find on our bodies? We have the right to know.”

Zhao Shuxuan filled in a form and said with a blank expression, “You are in good physical shape. Don’t overthink this. Because there are many uncertain factors, we need some time to double-check everything. I promise that when everything is over, you can go home.”

Travis made a helpless expression and said, “Okay then… Can you let me access the Internet then? Surely I’m allowed to go on a computer, right?”

“The bandwidth fee here is very expensive. I’m afraid I can’t allow you to do that. However, your game console will arrive soon.” Zhao Shuxuan flipped over the form and asked, “How are you feeling?”

Travis: “Everything is great, amazing. However, being in a weightless environment for a long time isn’t comfortable. I feel like my muscles are shrinking.”

Zhao Shuxuan: “That’s just an illusion. Your bones and muscles are in perfect condition. Also, there is a special cabin on the Moon Palace that can simulate the Earth’s gravitational environment. If you feel unwell, you can go take a bath or something.”

He paused for a second and continued, “By the way, how long did you sleep last night?”

Travis thought for a while and answered, “Eight hours. There isn’t much else to do other than sleep.”

“Eight hours, right?” Zhao Shuxuan said as he recorded the data. He frowned and asked, “Do you feel discomfort anywhere?”

“I told you, I’m feeling fine. It’s just weightlessness.” Travis stood up from his bed and said, “The inspection is over, right? Stop bothering me, I’m going to drink some coffee. Life here is so boring.”

Zhao Shuxuan: “We have unlimited coffee here, but it’s all the same kind… By the way, are you feeling sleepy?”

“I’m always a little sleepy,” Travis said. “Flying in space is so boring, there isn’t even a bar here. It feels like a jail here.”

He floated past the Chinese researcher and floated toward the hatch.

As Zhao Shuxuan watched Travis float away, he frowned.

His guesses were correct.

The little bacterium from Mars was more complex than he had imagined…

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