Chapter 253 Half a year

  Florida, USA, Cape Canaveral Launch Site.

  Since the first launch of a rocket code-named "Corporate" in July 1950, the Cape Canaveral launch site has become one of the important bases for space launches in the United States.

  The latitude here is low, and launching rockets eastward can take advantage of the additional speed of the earth's rotation, which is helpful for satellites to enter orbit. Hundreds of hectares of vast flat open space along the sea area can meet the needs of multiple units of old space silo devices on a large scale.

  In the past forty years, almost all missions launched to geosynchronous orbit in the United States have been included.

However, just a few years ago, the former Federal Space Launch Base, which is located on the seashore and has a large area, has been completely bought by the Howlett Group. Except for some launch missions belonging to the "Earth United Aerospace Forces", it is more used for Related space research work within the Group.

  X-3 experimental area, one of the three largest comprehensive test sites in the entire launch base.

  A saucer-shaped blue-black spaceship lay crouching on a field the size of a stadium of nearly 10,000 people.

  Compared to the standard flight equipment of the Howlett Group or the "Whip of Order" team, this spaceship is not only extraordinarily large in size, but also very similar to the "flying saucer" style name for alien spaceships in traditional science fiction stories.

  A dozen mechanical arms are built around the alloy platform, rhythmically spraying light blue light on the outer shell of the spaceship, and they are doing the final inspection of the outer deck.

  Suddenly, there was a roar of "muscle" full of mechanical power, and the latest Harley-Davidson "Fat Boy" drove into the experimental area without hindrance, swinging its rumbling thick exhaust pipe.

  The tall and strong motorcycle rider took off his helmet and jumped out of the car with his legs raised, revealing short dirty golden hair.

  Chewing gum, ran up the stairs in a few steps, and ran into the spaceship with the staff laughing and laughing along the way.

"Susan, I'm now more and more suspicious of Howlett Group's vision in terms of hiring employees, of course not your dear, but your brother Johnny, huh, there are only three days left before the launch mission, look at him How late are you now!"

With a loud voice, Ben Graham glanced casually and handed over the final summary of the spaceship calibration data to Reed Richards, who was immersed in his own research world, writing and drawing, holding his arms Tilt your head.

  The bald, bull-eyed, stout Ben Graham looks more like a tyrannical night fighter. On weekdays, he and Susan's "Flower Peacock" brother complain and confront each other.

  Susan Stone smiled sweetly, even the loose study clothes could hardly conceal her bumpy figure, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons and said softly:

"Hehe, Ben, the group only cares about the results and completion of Johnny's mission. If something goes wrong, they will fire him without mercy. Fortunately, Johnny has done a good job in launching missions in the past few years, but it's a pity. What's more, the previous special selection was brushed down, if—"

   "—Thirty-one extraterrestrial flights and countless extravehicular operations, excellent results! Su."

Johnny Stone, who looked like a typical high school team captain, took his sister's words, threw the lambskin luggage bag off his shoulders, and lay on a few chairs with his head resting on the leather bag, with his legs raised carelessly. , pulled out a notebook-sized metal tablet and continued to speak casually:

"Hey, although the pay for the pilot job of the weird selection mission is extremely good, and there is a stable 'wolf gold', but it is definitely not a commercial job of the group, it is more like the army. Something is not right, Su, you don't have it Some behind-the-scenes news?"

Snapped!

  The pink bubble gum balloon exploded and stuck to the corner of his mouth. Johnny continued to chew and retract it quickly, staring at the electronic screen in his hand with bright eyes, and didn't pay attention to Ben who walked beside him with an angry face.

   "Then it's no wonder you couldn't be selected. When I was in the navy, when I dealt with a prickly boy like you, I always starved for three days. What is this, a video game?"

   stared at Johnny Stone, who was almost two hours late and still dared to lie down leisurely without feeling ashamed.

  Ben wished he could grab his collar and throw him out of the experimental cabin, but while he was speaking, his eyes widened and glared at the electronic screen in Johnny's hand, with pictures of spaceships or fighter planes flying across it one by one.

  Based on the instinct of an astronaut, Ben Graham was subconsciously curious.

   "Ha, I haven't seen it before. The 'shopping' list can only be seen by the special talents of the Howlett Group. Look at this god, I am willing to work for it for three years, no, I will not touch girls for half a year!"

   "Well, you mean these things are, are they real? Available for purchase?"

  Ben Graham squatted down hesitantly, leaned over Johnny's head and looked at a silver-gray model of a biplane shuttle, and asked in disbelief.

  Susan on the other side seemed to be used to the boys' obsession with cool machines, she shook her head helplessly, swayed her waist and walked towards Reed Richards, checking the details of the experimental research three days later.

"...Of course it's true, you bald head! This is the latest model of the 'Rocking Star' series of space shuttles. It is said that it is equipped with epoch-making space navigation technology, but the specific details are kept secret for the time being. As for buying... Hehe, you think you can Buy it in dollars?"

  The veins on both sides of his forehead were throbbing. Ben gritted his teeth and swallowed Johnny's taunts and naughty nicknames for him, thinking about the authenticity of the aircraft model in this electronic light screen.

  Through half a year of cooperative research, he knows that the Howlett Group has too many cutting-edge technologies and equipment products that are not known to the outside world, or even the scientific community.

   It is no secret that the commonly used lightweight one-man supersonic vehicles belong to some extraordinary institutions, but small spacecraft that can navigate in space. Such a technological leap is too scary.

Johnny's upturned calf was shaking proudly. He clicked on his account page, pointed to the dark golden wolf head gold coin pattern showing the number 7, tilted his head and spit out the bubble gum in his mouth, and almost got it on Ben's account. body.

".Wolf gold, you've always heard of wolf gold! Whether it's the most 'low-end' secondary vibration gold equipment, secondary Edman gold or their original top quality, all kinds of supersonic aircraft and even evolutionary serum, They can only be exchanged for the wolf gold obtained by completing the special missions of the group. Well, things like blood serum seem to require additional identity permission to be exchanged.”

  Johnny gave Ben the information about the extraordinary channels within the Howlett Group. Rather than saying that he was kind, looking at the beaming look on that handsome face, it seemed more like Okimoto was showing off his unique sense of superiority.

"...You who have only been in space four or five times in your life don't know! I have flown more than 30 times over the years, and only earned seven wolf gold, but this time the mission is good , can get two more, this thing really has to be exchanged for US dollars, heh, a fool would do that!"

The light curtain interface in his hand switched back to the only space shuttle model in the collection of coldness and elegance. The three zeros displayed at the end of the number behind made Johnny and Ben understand that they probably would never have the chance to change in their lifetime. to such a baby.

   "The 'Cosmic Storm' project can also get paid like this! Why didn't I know?"

  Johnny tilted his head strangely and glanced at Ben, who was asking in a very surprised and rough voice:

   "What does it have to do with you? You are not from our group."

  While the two were talking, the crisp crackling sound of a pair of leather heels stepping on the metal ground quickly approached. Victor Doom adjusted his tie woven with gold thread, and said loudly with interest:

   "Wolf gold for US dollars? Who wants to change it? The price I give must be better than the price on the outside market!"

  Mr. Dum looked at Johnny with a mouthful of delicate and beautiful white teeth, and seeing that Johnny kept his lips tightly shut, he shrugged his shoulders and walked straight to Susan and Reed beside the central laboratory table.

   "Su, my dear, I believe that you and Reed are still cooperating as tacitly as before."

   Didn't shy away from the relationship between Susan and Reed on campus. Dum caressed Susan's arm generously, as if swearing some kind of sovereignty, but was quietly avoided.

"Victor, I haven't promised you anything yet. There is no doubt about Reed's scientific research ability. He has finally approved the near-earth node and time of 'Cosmic Storm'. I think the research operation will go smoothly, yes Not Reed!"

   "Ah? Yes, yes, yes, hi, you are here in Doom, and you corrected a small error just now. If you don't find it, you may have misjudged the best storm time for nearly an hour!"

  Mr. Richards, who finally raised his head from a pile of data and models, looked at Susan next to him in a strange way, rolled his eyes, shook his long golden hair and turned away.

   Reed scratched the back of his head, still didn't understand what happened, covered his mouth and nose, cleared his throat and continued to ask:

   "How about Doom, are you interested in taking the spaceship up with us, 'Space Lab' is simply awesome!"

  After the initial construction of this interstellar spacecraft named "Skylab", Reid almost never returned home, wishing to live in the spacecraft every day.

  Howlet Group's extraordinary technological strength, unparalleled emerging space industry system, and world-leading manufacturing technology have enabled Reed Richards to complete the "storm-resistant experimental cabin" that was several times higher than expected.

  This dish-shaped spacecraft can not only meet the energy collection and research tasks close to the cosmic storm, but also an interstellar spacecraft that can fly freely in the outer space.

  It can be lifted into space without any traditional rocket booster, and even equipped with the latest curvature engine technology.

  The perfect multi-field scientific research equipment makes it a mobile high-precision laboratory, which can meet various sample collection tasks. No scientist can refuse the temptation of doing scientific research while swimming in the galaxy.

   All of this was completed within six months from the preliminary design to the construction of the experimental spacecraft, as well as various space testing tasks.

  Victor Dum hugged his shoulders, looked around the spaceship cabin, smiled and shook his head.

   "If this time is an experimental plan that puts all my wealth into it, of course I need to go there in person, but... hehe, anyway, this spaceship belongs to the group's property, and there will be plenty of opportunities to experience it in the future."

  Dum patted Reid on the shoulder, and finally said in a tone of superiors and subordinates:

   ".It's your old classmate. After finishing this job, we will say goodbye to it. Enjoy it."

  (end of this chapter)