The beep signaled a new message, which Xu Qing opened: "New message from above… According to the expert team's comparison, several characteristics of this dust storm are highly consistent with previous major dust storms, and the possibility of it developing into a global dust storm is extremely high. Furthermore, the storm's diffusion speed is unprecedented; at the current rate, it will cover the surface of Mars in just seven to ten days!"
Her eyes widened in shock as she read the last line: "Possibility of alien interference cannot be ruled out?"
Looking up at Ou Zhanpeng, Xu Qing's eyes glinted with an unreadable light. "You guessed it."
"Not really," Ou Zhanpeng said with feigned modesty. "The situation was already so obvious."
There were only two people in the fighter jet. They spent day and night together, having established a mutually understood mode of interaction: only discuss work, never anything else, and maintain a deliberate safe distance.
It wasn't the best solution, but it was highly suitable for the current circumstances.
Deep down, Ou Zhanpeng secretly hoped something might happen, but when it came to action… *cough*, he had the desire but not the courage.
Xu Qing, on the other hand, found this arrangement quite agreeable; at least it didn't bring too much pressure.
Barring any unexpected events, this mode of interaction would undoubtedly dominate for a considerable time to come.
On November 15th, the sixth day after the Expedition left Mars, the dust storm, which had raged for seven consecutive days, had already engulfed more than half of Mars. Following the South II base, the North I base also fell under the dust's embrace, with dust heights reaching an astonishing over 60 kilometers, creating a vast expanse of white.
Except for a few faintly visible craters near the equator, all other areas were blurred into obscurity.
The dust storm's development was slightly slower than anticipated, but still far exceeded previous observation data. However, even at this point, there was still no evidence suggesting a connection between the dust storm and alien species.
The fighter jet once again flew over the sunlit side of Mars. Ou Zhanpeng yawned out of boredom, smacked his lips, and suddenly unbuckled his safety harness. "You watch for a moment, I need to take care of personal business."
Xu Qing grunted in acknowledgment, saying nothing more.
Taking care of personal business meant relieving himself.
Floating out of the cockpit, he found only a narrow space outside that could accommodate one person. The walls were lined with packets containing various supplies. Stepping out of the narrow space led to an equally narrow corridor, with two sleeping pods on either side – the left one vertical against the wall, the right one horizontal on the ceiling.
Ou Zhanpeng glanced back at the closed cockpit door, lifted the toilet cover, and activated the switch. Hearing a faint suction sound, he then took out his "little Ou" and aimed it at the collection port, preparing to relieve the burden accumulated in his bladder.
Since humanity ventured into space, how to handle personal hygiene in a zero-gravity state had always been an embarrassing problem, and it remained unresolved even today.
Although it was a topic not fit for polite conversation, in space, it was an unavoidable issue for everyone.
It was relatively easier on the Expedition, which had a larger space and was equipped with a fixed space toilet. This contraption had a shell; when a person sat on it, their lower body would be enclosed within the shell, ensuring their backside remained in the proper position and guaranteeing a smooth and stable process.
However, the Star隼 (Xīngsǔn) was different. The fighter jet lacked such space and could only accommodate an older negative pressure absorption device. Moreover, there was no dedicated cabin for it, so it had to be placed between the two sleeping pods.
The advantage was its small size and ease of installation, but the disadvantage was the inconvenience during use. If one person was sleeping in a pod, the other person would have to use the toilet… that scene was incredibly awkward.
With everything prepared, Ou Zhanpeng relaxed his muscles, and a small stream flowed into the collection tube.
But just as this process began, a shrill alarm suddenly blared inside the cabin. Ou Zhanpeng's hand twitched, and the collection tube nearly veered off course.
"Ou Fei—" Xu Qing's startled cry came from the cockpit. Judging by her voice, she had clearly opened the cabin door.
Ou Zhanpeng felt utterly mortified. Unsure of what had happened, he forcefully cut off the flow of urine and turned to float back into the cockpit.
On the screen, several red dots appeared near Phobos.
"What's going on!" Ou Zhanpeng quickly sat down and fastened his safety belt—this step was crucial; no matter how urgent, he had to secure himself first before handling anything.
"Alien species, likely enemy aircraft!" Xu Qing said.
His gaze shifted towards Phobos, and several strangely shaped alien fighter jets came into view. They were so simple, almost crude: an antenna at the front, serving as an anti-aircraft weapon for their bases, a thruster at the tail, and an open cockpit in the middle.
That's right, an open cockpit, much like the miniature submarines humans used, which required wearing a diving suit to operate.
Ou Zhanpeng clearly saw a colossal alien with its lower body hidden within the cockpit, its head directly exposed to the void.
How little did they care about the lives of their colossal species to design such an anti-human space fighter?
He immediately felt as if he had swallowed a fly. These things didn't even need to be destroyed; as long as they were exposed for a slightly longer period, those colossal aliens would be killed by the ubiquitous cosmic radiation.
But they didn't need to live too long, only long enough to function normally in space for a short while.
Without even needing to check the enemy aircraft's flight path, just by observing their position of appearance, he knew the enemy's target was the weapon module on Phobos.
Ou Zhanpeng made a rapid judgment and immediately activated the weapon module. A launch unit silently opened, and with a muffled sound audible only at very close range, compressed air propelled four anti-aircraft missiles outward. Then, another muffled sound, and another four missiles launched from the unit.
The eight close-range anti-aircraft missiles ignited in two batches, each selecting its target, accelerating along the surface of Phobos, and heading straight for the incoming alien fighter jets.
If those things could even be called fighter jets.
The enemy aircraft moved upwards from below Phobos, while the missiles flew rapidly downwards from above. Just as the enemy aircraft was about to emerge from the horizon, the missiles suddenly ascended, like sharp swords aimed at the enemy's vital points, hitting the enemy craft without suspense.
In a fiery explosion, the enemy aircraft disintegrated.
Ou Zhanpeng, holding his breath, finally exhaled upon seeing this scene.
He had genuinely feared that the missiles might be blocked by a suddenly appearing shield upon impact.
Fortunately, the enemy aircraft were too rudimentary to have such high-end preparations.
Alternatively, it was possible that the alien species had arrived on Mars too recently and had to prioritize survival, pushing defensive measures to a later stage.
After the explosion, the area around Phobos was littered with some scattered space debris and a few shattered colossal aliens.
Ou Zhanpeng asked with curiosity, "Where did they come from?"
"I don't know," Xu Qing replied. "They just appeared suddenly…"
Mid-sentence, she quickly turned her head away, giving a fake cough with a peculiar rhythm. Seeing Ou Zhanpeng unresponsive, she then reminded him in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, "You should clean yourself up quickly!"