After stabilizing the ship, William finally turned his attention to the viewers of the live stream. Likewise, after witnessing the shocking volcanic eruption, the audience was ready to listen to what he had to say.
"I need to go outside and assess the damage to the ship to figure out my future plans. But..."
His expression darkened. For the first time in ages, his typically confident face revealed a hint of discomfort. "What I can confirm is that my plan to return to Earth by myself has completely failed. Now I can only hope that the damage isn't too severe and that the ship can at least sustain my daily life on Mars until the support vessel arrives."
As William scanned the ship with his telekinetic powers, his face suddenly tensed.
The ship was no longer recognizable as a spacecraft. Instead, it looked more like a massive, charred rock encased in hardened lava. Apart from the top of the ship, which remained relatively clean, most of the hull was covered by layers of molten rock. Even the hatch was sealed shut, and he wasn't sure if it could be opened.
William didn't dare use the control panel to force the door open, fearing that breaking the lava seal could compromise the airtight integrity of the cabin. He could only rely on his telekinetic scan to gauge the situation and relay his findings to the Earth-based viewers while heading back to the cockpit. "Can you deploy the spherical probes?" he asked the onboard system.
"Affirmative, Sir."
Two spherical drones were launched through the ship's ventilation shafts. They floated outside and began scanning the entire ship.
As the viewers saw the lava-covered ship through the drones' cameras, a heavy sense of concern settled over the live stream. Although a few trolls mocked William's predicament as a consequence of his own recklessness, most people were genuinely worried about his safety. Watching a celebrity or billionaire get into trouble might be entertaining under normal circumstances, but few would wish for someone's death without cause.
"Well, folks, it looks like I'm temporarily trapped inside the ship," William said as he directed the drone toward the sealed hatch. "Normally, the ship's metal hull can withstand impacts from small meteorites without issue. But I'm worried that if I forcibly tear away the lava, the hatch itself might survive, but the internal mechanisms that operate the door could deform, compromising the ship's overall seal."
He pointed at the hatch area. "There's a second inner door beyond this one, which leads to a small decontamination chamber of about four or five square meters. However, if the outer hatch is damaged, I'll have to stay inside the ship in full space armor at all times. Worse, every time I enter or exit, the external temperature, which is around negative seventy to eighty degrees Celsius, would rush inside in just a few seconds.
"This would be catastrophic for the potatoes growing on the ship. The seedlings could very well die if the temperature drops to freezing."
William paused, deep in thought, before continuing with a conflicted expression. "Here's the dilemma: Staying inside the ship is safe for now. The top of the ship is still clean enough for the second batch of potatoes to get sunlight, so I should be able to harvest them without issue.
"But if I stay completely locked inside, it's like being trapped in a tiny enclosed space of just a few dozen square meters. It's even worse than being in prison. At least in prison, you have people to talk to and opportunities to move around."
The audience pondered his words and found them unsettlingly accurate.
Upon hearing that William wasn't in immediate danger but might be confined indefinitely, people on the internet began joking about his predicament.
However, what William said next sent chills down their spines and made them realize the psychological toll such isolation could take.
"Research has shown that a normal person, when left alone in an enclosed space like this, can begin feeling anxious after just three days. By the seventh day, symptoms of agitation and irritability can appear. After two weeks, without relief, the individual may start talking to themselves or even experience hallucinations.
"And after a month..." William's face turned serious. "After a month or a few months, I could develop severe mental disorders. My speech and behavior might become erratic. In more extreme cases, I could become suicidal or self-destructive. By that point, who knows what I might do.
"And all of this began because someone attacked the support ship being built for me. Someone wants me dead. Heh."
The audience could clearly see that, despite William's outward calmness, the deep lines on his forehead and the intense gleam in his eyes betrayed his anxiety and growing instability.
"So right now, I can tell certain people something very clearly: You'd better pray that the support ship reaches Mars before I lose my mind."
He smiled coldly. "This concludes today's stream. As for when I'll go live again..." He paused thoughtfully. "I don't know. From now on, I'll be dealing with a problem I've been avoiding:
"Just how many people out there don't want me to return to Earth? How many of them have already taken action or are preparing to do so?"
With a faint smile, William said, "It's a sobering thought, isn't it? But since fate has trapped me here, leaving me no way to return home on my own, I have no choice but to clear away every single obstacle standing between me and my path home. Not a trace of them will remain.
"Goodbye. Until next time."
With that, the live stream ended, and global public opinion exploded into chaos.
Although William hadn't explicitly threatened anyone, everyone understood his message. He had been pushed to the brink by a natural disaster, and now that his hopes had been dashed, he was under immense psychological pressure. His patience had run out, and he was ready to take drastic measures to secure his way back home.
Even if deaths occurred on Earth after this, William was on Mars and wouldn't be held legally accountable. His reference to "cleaning out the trash" wasn't concrete evidence of a crime.
Moreover, it had been over a month since the first support ship was sabotaged. Investigations had already identified most of the conspirators.
William had deliberately waited until now to act, using his current desperate situation as justification. Even if his retaliation was brutal, his allies and neutral observers would likely remain silent, knowing that survival is a fundamental right.
After all, William had initially chosen restraint, trying to find his own way back before seeking revenge. But now that he had no other options, no one could blame him for going on the offensive.
Those involved in the sabotage began sweating nervously as they watched the broadcast. They prayed that their involvement hadn't been exposed and hoped that William would hesitate to retaliate against powerful entities like the USA.
However, they were mistaken.
William had no intention of sparing anyone—not even American generals, CIA directors, or President Benjamin Arthur. After all, the United States had never hesitated to eliminate its own leaders when it suited their agenda.
(End of Chapter)
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