"Sir!"
Zhu Peter, fully aware of the gravity of the situation, burst through the office door and immediately activated his communicator to begin organizing the evacuation. While external communications with Earth and Mars were dead, the base’s internal network remained functional.
Yue Yuan pressed a red button on his desk and picked up a secure line. His voice was cold and decisive. "Man Yuemei. Highest alert level. Condition One Readiness."
"Minister Yue? What’s going on?" a woman’s voice asked from the other end, laced with confusion.
"That is an order!"
Yue Yuan didn't offer an explanation. "You are to take every soldier in the Security Department and secure all vital locations immediately. Ensure the base population is moved to the lower levels in an orderly fashion."
Callisto was a frontier outpost and the site of a massive secret; the people here weren't common criminals—everyone had a clean record. However, in the face of an extinction-level event, human nature was unpredictable. As the old saying goes, "Desperate times breed desperate measures." When survival is at stake, people are capable of anything.
Yue Yuan added a chilling postscript: "If anyone disrupts the order, you are authorized to use force. If they still refuse to comply, leave them in the upper levels to fend for themselves."
Leave them in the upper levels?
"Understood. The mission will be carried out," the voice on the other end replied, the shock in her tone replaced by sudden, grim realization.
"Wait..." Yue Yuan paused, then added, "One more thing. Detail a unit to prioritize the evacuation of scientists, researchers, doctors, and specialists from every field. They go into the ship first. The general population follows in order."
"Understood!"
He hung up and immediately dialed Peter back. "Peter, focus your teams on moving the life-support systems, starch synthesis units, and water processing equipment. Everything goes into the ship."
"Major General, we don't have enough manpower..." Peter replied, voice strained.
"Are you an idiot? If you don't have enough men, recruit them! Are the factories empty? Did you not hear a word Dr. Gan said? Do I really have to teach you how to do your job at a time like this?" Yue Yuan roared.
"Understood!" Peter barked back. Having served Yue Yuan for years, he had rarely heard the man use such a tone. The situation was truly desperate.
Yue Yuan turned back to the scientists in the room. "Dr. Gan, gentlemen... the time has come. Pack your essential belongings and head to the ship immediately."
"But... in such a crisis, how can we be the first to retreat?" one doctor asked.
"It’s not a 'retreat,'" Yue Yuan said, fighting his impatience. "We have nowhere to run. Besides, standing here in my office won't help anyone."
"Who says we can't help?" It was Gan De who spoke. He had regained his composure. "Major General, have you considered how you're going to convince the entire base to move to the lowest levels, let alone inside a damaged alien spacecraft?"
Yue Yuan caught Gan De’s meaning instantly. He strapped his sidearm to his waist, called for a dozen security guards, and led the group toward the media center.
Every screen across the base—from the mess halls to the research labs—flickered and switched to the live feed. Yue Yuan stood at the front, with the scientists lined up behind him.
[Citizens of Callisto, I am Base Commander Yue Yuan. Behind me are several faces I’m sure you recognize: the astronomer Gan De, Dr. Zhao Youqin of optics, Dr. Yu Nanfeng of engineering...]
[I am broadcasting to you now with news of a grave catastrophe. Minutes ago, through our telescope arrays and the final transmissions from Yinghuo Base, Guanghan Palace, and Earth, we confirmed a horrific event.]
[The Alpha Centauri triple-star system and our own Sun have undergone sudden, unexplained supernova eruptions. This is the last footage we received.]
[It is with a heavy heart that I tell you: our home, Earth, along with the Moon and Mars bases, has been destroyed. The primary Gamma-Ray Burst is currently heading toward us. We have been spared the initial hit only because Jupiter is shielding us.]
[However, Dr. Gan’s calculations show that the upper levels of Callisto are still in extreme danger. I am calling on everyone to cooperate with the Security Department. Move to the lower levels of the base immediately to escape this life-threatening disaster.]
[I know this sounds impossible. I know it is hard to believe. But when the data is this absolute, we must face reality. In this critical hour, I ask you to stay strong, follow the base’s directives, and move to the safe zones in an orderly fashion.]
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