Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 24 The Feathered Bomb
Option 16.7 is 5.6%, option 61.1 is 16.7%, option [-] is [-]%, and option [-] is [-]%.

……

【Option [-]】

【Student Wang】

[Skills: marine biology, handling, rugby]

……

People who are good at doing things can always get twice the result with half the effort.Classmate Wang, who has the best physical strength among the crowd, doesn't feel tired from knocking, so he will do it faster.

"Can I ask you to do it?"

After Zheng Zhuo expressed his inadequacy, everyone finally decided that classmate Wang would be in charge of knocking rust.

"Okay. There is less wind at the stern of the boat, so it's more comfortable to stand there."

The parties readily agreed.

……

The next day.

The deck crew went from three to two.Classmate Wang took the place of the sailor today and went to the stern early.Zheng Zhuo recorded the flying fish jumping out of the water on the deck. He could see the water line of the high-pressure water gun splashing out of the deck from time to time at the stern of the ship and falling into the sea.

Rust knocking is much more leisurely than the deck crew's inspections, documentation and validation - just waving a water gun.However, the working hours are longer.Classmate Wang went earlier than the deck team, but at four o'clock in the afternoon, when the deck team finished their work and returned, he still had a small piece to deal with.

That looks like another two or three 10 minutes.Zheng Zhuo and others greeted him, and then went back to the cabin to eat.

While trying to deal with those canned shrimps, peas and yellow peaches day after day, Zheng Zhuo met Chu Huairen again.

"Zheng Zhuo, you are here too."

He greeted Zheng Zhuo.

"How is the deck today?"

"How about... the same old way."

Zheng Zhuo said.

"It's just that there are too many birds."

Today is a cloudy day.Probably due to the weakening of the light, flocks of pelagic birds can be seen circling in the sky from time to time in the distance since the morning.

Zheng Zhuo confirmed it with [identification] skills, and the birds in the flock were all Atlantic puffins, fulmars, and skuas with [aggressiveness] between 10 and 30.

Seen from a distance, the birds were nothing more than flocks of tiny dots.However, there are quite a few.

"Basically they are far away from the ship." Zheng Zhuo said to Chu Huairen, "They occasionally fly towards [Beautiful Future]. I was also hit by a flying puffin once in the morning."

"The radar map also shows that there are more active birds." Chu Huairen scooped up a spoonful of yellow peaches, "For this season, it is quite abnormal. Professor Lin Wen said that it may be due to the increase in ocean current temperature in recent years." resulting in an increase in the number of

"Is that so..."

Zheng Zhuo looked out the window.

Under the dark clouds, dark flocks of birds are gathering.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that the flock of birds seemed to be closer to the "Beautiful Future" than a few hours ago.Those seabirds were circling, and many of them were already very close to the ship.Some of them rested on the deck, while others flew low over the portholes of the ship's buildings.

"Whoa. Feels like they're going to fly in."

The sailor sitting at the table in front muttered and got up to close the window next to him.

They are indeed a little too close.Zheng Zhuo also reached out to close the window.

at this time.

"...?"

He heard a "buzz" from behind the boat.Immediately afterwards, the surrounding became quiet for a moment.

He didn't understand what was going on at first.After a few seconds, he heard someone shouting.

"Hey--"

It was classmate Wang who was in charge of knocking rust on the stern.Zheng Zhuo got up and walked quickly to the stern.He pushed open the porthole and saw classmate Wang waving below.

"Yes—Jaeger—stuck in the water gun pump—!!Which part needs to be removed—anyone help—"

It turned out that the surrounding area became quiet because the high-pressure water gun stopped!

"Me neither! Let me ask for you—"

Zheng Zhuo shouted against the sea wind. He turned his head and was about to find suitable crew members, but from the corner of his eyes, he saw those dark flocks of birds approaching the scientific research ship at an unusual speed.

"bird--"

……

【Identification】

【Atlantic puffins, fulmars and skuas】

【Attack: 100】

……

Swipe la la la la la!

In an instant.

Thousands of seabirds pounced on the [Beautiful Future], submerging this thousand-ton ocean-going scientific research ship in feathers and sharp beaks.

"What's the matter—there's a bird! There's a bird coming!"

"Close the window!"

"The door, the door!"

In the dining room, many crew members are eating.The sudden attack of the flock of birds immediately exploded here.Everyone scrambled to block everything they could, blocking the feathered bombs.

"Birds are attacking us!" Zheng Zhuo pushed hard against the porthole, and shouted down, "Little Wang! There are too many birds! Are you okay? Come back!"

"I—I'm fine—! But, but—"

From below came the voices of classmates Wang.He covered his head and face with one hand, and pointed upwards with the other.

"They're crashing! The dish antenna and the transceiver tower on the top of the ship will be smashed!"

"You first--"

A gust of wind with the smell of birds overwhelmed Zheng Zhuo's words.More seabirds swooped down on the ship.Zheng Zhuo saw that Student Wang dropped the high-pressure water gun in his hand and rushed to catch it in the air.After a few failed attempts, he managed to catch a skua.

Classmate Wang threw the skua upwards vigorously. It seemed that he wanted to prevent those birds from attacking the antenna.But unfortunately, it's too high up there!He couldn't even drop the bird half way up.

At this time, the sound of other crew members running quickly came from behind.

"Here comes the tarps! Make room, everyone—we're out and covering the important stuff!"

A number of sailors in helmets and goggles ran down the corridor dragging heavy tarps.Zheng Zhuo hurriedly followed.He stepped onto the deck with his front and rear feet, and his eyes were full of flying seabirds, and the sky was blocked by them.

"You are here!"

Classmate Wang is standing by the cable at the stern.Covering his face with one hand, he held a petrel in the other and waved it in the air to disperse the birds trying to get close to the cable.His head, body, and hands were littered with beak and claw wounds, but he was so strong that the wounds didn't seem to have much effect.

"Get into the cabin!"

Sailors ran past him, covering the cables.Once secured, they climbed the ladder again, placing the tarp over the dish and transceiver tower.A sailor took advantage of the gap to repair the high-pressure water cannon and activate it, but this time, the water cannon also had no effect on the fanatical seabirds.

Everyone had to retreat indoors and closed the windows and doors on the ship.The antenna was blocked, and the satellite image turned into a snowflake.All we can do is wait.

The commotion brought on by the bird weather continued for another hour.As night fell, the seabirds finally stopped.They scattered and disappeared under the fading cobalt blue sky.

……

"We need to speed up the process."

After the sailors took off the tarpaulin in the dark, the first mate said.

He looked at the console.The satellite image has recovered a little bit.It flickers on and on, showing snowflakes and band lines, only occasionally returning to normal for a few seconds.

"The satellite dish got hit by those birds. Luckily, it's not completely out of function. We're going to get there as soon as possible and give them a complete overhaul. Depending on the boat and fuel conditions, I think we can do it a day earlier." Arrived—arrived the day after tomorrow."

He asked the captain to order an increase in speed.However, the second officer took a different view from him.

"That's too dangerous. The professor's miniature deep-sea probe is broken and can't survey the bottom of the sea. It can only be repaired the day after tomorrow: that's the day we are expected to arrive at the island. If we arrive a day earlier, we will be too late." Release the detector. The ocean currents in the sea area where the island is located are relatively complicated, and there is no record of other large ships docking before. If we dock directly without surveying in advance, there will be great danger."

"But! If we delay another day, we can't guarantee that those crazy birds will come back again! If they completely destroy the antenna, this ship will become a drifting coffin!"

"Can't we fix it directly?"

"Are you trying to consume the birds until they leave during breeding season?"

……

The first mate and the second mate insisted on their own opinions, and the scene reached a stalemate for a while.The captain frowned, lost in thought.The sailors and classmates whispered, some of them supported the first mate's statement: arrive as soon as possible, so as not to have long nights and dreams;

At present, it seems that the supporters of the two programs are almost the same.

Which one should be supported?

Zheng Zhuo rubbed his chin and opened [Subconscious Voting].

……

【vote】

【Attacked by seabirds!Next, how should a voyage plan be developed? 】

【Option [-]】

[Protect the antenna, arrive as soon as possible]

【Option [-]】

[Pay attention to the situation on the bottom of the sea, arrive as planned]

　After [Option 1] and [Option 1], you can leave a message in the form of [This chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/11/14日中午12：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)