"They only gave her thirty minutes this time, but do you have any idea what that means?"
"Once she gains recognition, the entire global aerospace industry will benefit. That name from Cathan will be deeply ingrained in the mind of every top scientist."
"In the future, many countries will rely on her data, and countless top-tier collaborations will come looking for her and her alone!"
"She has drawn a circle for the world, and she is the center!"
"Joanna, you are also a scientist from Cathan, and you’re around the same age. Why didn’t a grand vision like this come from you?"
Elder Hawthorne’s voice was thick with disappointment.
Joanna Sherman clutched her phone, unable to stop her body from trembling.
Elder Hawthorne’s final question lashed her like a whip, leaving her numb and in agony.
’That’s right, why isn’t it me?’
’My path has been smoother, and my resources are clearly better!’
’Why wasn’t I the one who could be Old Master Sloan’s apprentice? Why wasn’t I the one to apply for time on the Hubble?’
"It’s nothing special! I can endure hardships, I can run experiments, I can dedicate myself to deep space technology too!"
Joanna Sherman tore at her hair, her eyes bloodshot.
’Right, it’s nothing special.’
’If I had decided to do it, I could have submitted an application too. I could have asked Elder Hawthorne for his endorsement, gotten those thirty minutes, and become the center of the world!’
’So why didn’t I do it?’
’How did I let Sophia Shaw beat me to it?’
Thirty minutes!
The center!
The center!
Thirty minutes!
Those two thoughts hammered at her mind like a tightening vise.
They pounded her until she was dizzy and disoriented, an incoherent, bloody mess.
No!
No!
This can’t happen!
’If Sophia Shaw becomes the center, then I’m finished!’
Joanna Sherman fiercely Nygard, her eyes suddenly bulging wide.
A moment later, her fingers stiffly dialed a number...
Phew!
The moment she stepped onto the plane, Sophia Shaw let out a long sigh of relief.
’I made it, finally.’
There was plenty of time. She would have two hours to get ready after landing.
Even so, Sophia Shaw quickly took out her tablet, switched it to airplane mode, and began running through her presentation.
A mother and son walked in. The man plopped down into his seat with a THUD, then patted the seat next to him and shouted, "Mom, sit here! Damn, I never thought I’d get to fly on a plane in my life!"
The woman sat down beside him, groaning dramatically. "Isn’t that the truth? And they say this is business class, too. Must be crazy expensive."
"What’s there to be afraid of! Next time I win the lottery, I’ll buy you a private jet!"
"Ooh, a private jet! How impressive."
The man slapped the tray table. "Waiter! I’m hungry. Bring me some food."
It was the first time the flight attendant had been called that, and it felt strange, but he maintained a smile. "Sir, the dinner service hasn’t begun yet. We appreciate your patience..."
"Wait, wait, wait for what?!" the man interrupted rudely. "I paid money to be served, not to wait!"
Looking embarrassed, the flight attendant could only bring the pair some small snacks.
The man took one bite and spat it out. "What is this crap? It’s disgusting!"
The woman nudged him. "Son, I’m feeling dizzy. Quick, open the window."
The man got up and fumbled with the window. When he couldn’t get it open, he started pounding on the glass with his fist. BANG! BANG! "What kind of crappy business class is this? The window is broken!"
"Open it for me, right now!" the man ordered, pointing at the flight attendant.
The flight attendant hurriedly explained, "I’m sorry, sir, but airplane windows cannot be opened."
"If you can’t open it, why call it a window? You think you can fool me just because this is my first time flying? Open it! I said open it, so open it!"
The man slapped his wallet down on the table with a THWACK.
"Let me tell you something, I’ve got millions. I’m not poor! Don’t you dare fucking look down on me!"
"We’re not looking down on you, sir, but you truly cannot open the windows on a plane." The staff member brought over a passenger safety card. "You see, it’s explicitly written in the regulations."
The man swatted the card away with one hand. "I’m not looking at that crap! I want the window open!"
The minutes ticked by, and the departure time was drawing near.
The staff member had no choice but to say sternly, "Sir, if you continue to cause a disturbance, we will have to ask you to deplane."
"Ha! So you’re trying to kick me off the plane, huh? You really think you can kick me off!"
The man kicked the service cart in front of him, sending it flying, then lunged at the staff member in a frenzy, shoving him.
The staff member was no match for his brute force and was viciously kicked to the ground.
With such a major incident happening on the plane, security personnel immediately rushed in, subdued the man, and escorted him off the aircraft.
When the woman saw her son being taken away, she shrieked, "My son! My son! How could you do this to my son!"
She immediately threw herself on the floor and started making a scene.
She wailed, "If you don’t bring my son back, I’ll die right here! Oh, my heart... I have a heart condition..."
With all this commotion, the plane obviously couldn’t take off.
All the passengers were evacuated to a temporary waiting lounge.
Sophia Shaw was pacing frantically. She went up to a staff member and asked, "Excuse me, when will we be able to take off?"
The staff member shook his head helplessly. "The mother from the pair causing the disturbance is still on the plane threatening to kill herself. No one dares to go near her. We don’t know how long this will go on..."
Sophia Shaw’s mind went blank with a BUZZ. "Can you arrange another plane?" she asked urgently.
"I’m sorry, we can’t arrange one at the moment. And... the next flight isn’t for another two hours."
Two hours later!
’If I wait that long, it’ll be over!’
Frantic, Sophia Shaw called Levin Sawyer and explained the situation.
"Is there any other way to get there?"
Lead Aerospace had its own private jets, but the paperwork to fly to Mador was extensive, so they couldn’t be used on such short notice.
Levin Sawyer could only try to arrange something else.
However, the news he came back with was the same as with Lead Aerospace’s jets: there was no way to get a plane off the ground so quickly.
As time ticked away, Sophia Shaw grew more and more anxious.
She had no choice but to call Old Master Sloan. "Teacher, is it possible to reschedule?"
"No!" Old Master Sloan said definitively. "And you only have thirty minutes. Whether you can convince them in that time is entirely up to you!"
Old Master Sloan had planned to tell her this in person, but he had no choice but to inform her now.
Sophia Shaw gasped.
’Thirty minutes! That’s not nearly enough time to explain my proposal clearly!’
"If you need a plane, I can make a call. But it’s a military aircraft, and it would have to fly through an extremely dangerous region. You might not come back!"
Old Master Sloan sighed deeply. "Sophia, the chances of success for this are extremely low. There’s no need to risk your life. You should just give up for now."
’Give up?’
She had certainly been shaken when Old Master Sloan told her she only had thirty minutes.
’But thirty minutes is better than nothing.’
She found that she simply couldn’t bring herself to say the words "give up."
"Teacher," Sophia Shaw took a deep breath and spoke with grave sincerity, "I’m not giving up. Please make the call for the plane."
Old Master Sloan was silent on the other end for a long time. Only the faint hiss of static flowed between them.
Sophia Shaw knew what he was worried about and said softly, "Teacher, I’m not afraid. The deep space sector is a path we must forge. If we lose this chance, neither of us will ever get another opportunity to apply for time on the Hubble in our lifetimes."
"I don’t want to have any regrets!"