In Mars' low orbit, the San Jacinto completes an orbit around the planet in just under two hours. During this period, it continuously conducts fighter deployment and retrieval operations, tests combat command and communications systems, calibrates sensor detection equipment, and trains personnel in system operation across all stations.
在火星低轨道上圣哈辛托号差不多不到两小时就会环绕火星一周,这段期间她不停地进行着收发战机,作战指挥通信系统测试,传感器探测设备测试校准,还有各个岗位士兵的系统操作训练.
Each day's schedule is executed with precision according to the timetable, and for the past three months, operations have proceeded smoothly without incident, suggesting the ship's facilities are in excellent condition. However, compared to the mechanical and electronic systems, the crew seems less reliable.
每天的日子都按照进程表精准执行,并且三个月以来顺利地没有什么差错,似乎这条船的设施状态很不错.但是与机械电子系统相比,人员似乎就不那么可靠了,At the mess hall tables, Brittany's favorite pastime was sitting in the corner with Lübeck, feeding him the latest soldier gossip over meals.
"That one, the blonde, Gassley—pretty, huh?"
在士兵餐厅的餐桌上,布列塔尼最喜欢做的事情就是和吕贝克坐在角落里,一边吃饭一边给他讲述士兵之间的八卦新闻,
"那个,金发那个,加斯丽,漂亮吧,"
"Hmm," Lübeck glanced over and agreed.
"嗯,"吕贝克看了一眼答应着,
She's already been through three boyfriends—that's an average of one every month.
"她已经换了三个男友了,平均一个月换一个,"
"Once you've chosen a partner, doesn't that mean you can't change?" Lübeck asked, somewhat puzzled.
"不是选好了伴侣就不许换了吗?"吕贝克有些不解地问,
Brittany giggled, turned to look at Lübeck, and declared proudly,
"They don't have my discerning eye for choosing someone as down-to-earth as you. They're all dry kindling and blazing fire."
布列塔尼扑哧一下笑出了声,扭头看着吕贝克,然后很自豪地说,
"她们哪像我这么有眼光,选择了你这么本分的人,他们都是干柴与烈火,"
"Oh," Lübeck replied with a smile. Seeing the look of contentment on her face, he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing he could bring her happiness and peace of mind.
"哦,"吕贝克答应着也笑了,看她那满脸满足的样子,自己也为能够带给她幸福与心安而感到欣慰,
"Besides, I'm faithful too. Don't you think we're a perfect match?" Brittany emphasized, turning to Lübeck.
"再说我也专一啊,我们是不是很般配,"布列塔尼一边强调着,一边询问吕贝克,
"Yes," he replied, setting down his fork and gently stroking her hand.
"是的,"说着,放下叉子,摸了摸她的手,
Lübeck always carried himself with an understated grace and a composed expression. He never made grand declarations of love, yet the gaze he directed at his partner was always so focused and deeply affectionate that Brittany could never bear to break eye contact with him.
吕贝克总是不显张扬的气质与冷静表情,没有什么轰轰烈烈的表白,但是他望向自己伴侣的眼神却总是那么专注深情,以至于布列塔尼总是不忍错过与他的深情对望,
"So, won't that affect the relationships among the soldiers?"
"那么,不影响那些士兵之间的关系吗?"
"It's okay, but I heard some people even got into fights over it. They're just full of hormones, what can you do?" After saying this, Brittany took a bite and grinned,
"I don't like people who are that rude."
"还好,不过听说也有为此打架的,他们都是荷尔蒙过剩,也没办法,"说完布列塔尼吃了一口,又笑着咧开了嘴,
"我可不喜欢那么粗鲁的人,"
"Why?"
"为什么?"
"They're unreliable. I just don't trust them," she said, chewing contentedly as she shot a satisfied glance at Lübeck.
"他们不可靠,我觉得他们不可靠,"说完一边嚼着,一边美滋滋地望向吕贝克,
"But you think I'm reliable, right?" Lübeck asked Brittany with a smile.
"我在你心里是可靠的是吗?"吕贝克笑着问布列塔尼,
"Yes," she answered firmly and happily, chewing with her mouth closed and a smile on her face, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.
"是的,"她坚定而又幸福地回答,闭着嘴嚼着微笑,眼睛笑得眯成一条缝,
"Did you know from the very beginning?" Lübeck asked curiously.
"你从一开始就知道吗?"吕贝克有些好奇地问,
"Hmm..." Brittany hesitated, rolling her eyes as she pondered for a moment.
"嗯..."布列塔尼有些迟疑,她翻着眼睛想了一会儿,
"No, back then I didn't know what kind of person you were either."
"不是,那时候我也不知道你是什么样的人,"
"Then how did you choose me?"
"那你是怎么选择我的呢?"
"Hmm..." She thought for a moment before saying,
"I guess you could call it love at first sight, right?"
"嗯..."她想了想说,
"我想说,一见钟情,可以吗?"
"Alright, thanks for your love," Lübeck said, running his hand over her thigh.
"好吧,谢谢你的爱,"说着吕贝克摸了摸她的大腿,
At first I wasn't sure either—I just wanted to get closer to you, not knowing what kind of person you were. Later I realized you must be a good person.
"开始我也不确定,就是想要接近你,我也不知道你是什么样的人,"后来我发现你应该是个好人,
How did you come to that conclusion?
"你是怎么得出这样结论的呢?"
"Because you're different from the others," Brittany blurted out, her mouth agape as she realized she'd said something she shouldn't have. She hurriedly explained,
"What I mean is, you're not like those frivolous guys. You have no idea how much we medics get harassed by male soldiers. They come to our department for any reason, spouting all these flippant, flirtatious remarks. I absolutely despise those people."
"因为你其他人不一样啊,"话一出口布列塔尼张着嘴,意识到似乎有些失言,急忙解释,
"我的意思是说,你不像那些男的轻浮,你不知道,我们医务兵是被男性士兵骚扰最多的人,有事没事地找到我们部门来,说着一些轻飘调戏的话,我讨厌死那些人了,"
"Oh, I see," he said, wrapping an arm around Brittany's waist, giving her a playful pinch on the butt, and smiling at her.
"哦,是这样,"说着搂了搂布列塔尼的腰,掐了她的屁股一把,微笑看着她,
Seeing that Lübeck hadn't taken offense at her earlier words, Brittany's delight remained clearly visible on her face.
见吕贝克没有因为自己刚才的话多心,布列塔尼的开心依然飘在脸上.
After a brief lunch break, Lübeck returned to his post to oversee bridge operations. This afternoon continued routine fighter launches and recoveries. Lübeck had never piloted the Interceptor fighters aboard the San Jacinto. He knew these craft possessed the ability to traverse space-time, likely derived from secret space program technology—possibly even directly alien in origin. He was aware the U.S. government had signed certain agreements, but that was the extent of his knowledge. The deployment and retrieval of these fighters followed orders from higher command. Once airborne, their pilots navigated not only through space but also through time. Lübeck could monitor their actions through the ship's electromagnetic and gravitational sensors, observing the disturbances they caused in the ship's surrounding space field.
午休时间的短聚之后,吕贝克又回到了自己的岗位,监督舰桥的操作.今天下午继续常规收发战机,圣哈辛托号搭载的拦截者战机吕贝克没有驾驶过,他知道那种战机有穿越时空的能力,应该是来自于秘密太空计划的技术,很可能就是直接外星来源的技术,他知道美国政府签过一些协议,但也就仅此而已.而对于这种战机的收发和部署,来自于更高阶的指令.那些战机的飞行员飞出去之后不仅要在空间中导航,还需要在时间中导航,吕贝克可以通过舰船的电磁和重力传感器查看它们的行动对这条船所在的空间场扰动.
The interceptor pilots were all young men and women, brimming with energy and a thirst for the unknown. Their missions remained classified even to the captain. Whether they adhered to operational protocols could only be verified upon their return by cross-referencing mission data. Yet they usually found justifications for any deviations during operations, and rarely faced repercussions.
拦截者战机的驾驶员都是些年轻的姑娘小伙子们,充满活力和对未知的探索,而他们的行动指即便对于舰长也是保密的,至于他们是否遵从了行动指令,只能等他们归来核对数据是否匹配,但是通常他们会找到一些理由,解释行动中出现的偏差,一般都不会被追责.
Today was no different. They were like pigeons set free, no one knew where they'd gone or when they'd return. Someone was always on duty, and Lübeck clocked out when his shift ended.
今天又是如此,他们就像放单飞的鸽子,不知道又去了哪里,什么时候回来,反正有人轮值执勤,吕贝克到了时间就下班了.
After dinner with Brittany, their stroll was no longer about sightseeing, though the ship did feature some miniature landscapes. Since this vessel was about to be deployed into deep space, Lübeck took her hand and walked along the passageways of every deck. He wanted Brittany to become familiar with these routes so she could evacuate correctly in case of an emergency. In days past, his Ruth had simply stayed home in the rear, waiting for his return. He hadn't felt much pressure then, for Lübeck had been fairly confident in himself. But now things seemed different. He had grown sensitive and cautious. Beyond taking care of himself, his greatest concern now lay with Brittany.
与布列塔尼的晚饭后散步不再是看风景了,虽然船上也有些人造小景观.因为这艘船就要部署到深空了,吕贝克拉着她的手沿着每一层甲板的通道散步,他希望布列塔尼能够熟悉这些通道,以便在有危机的时候能够正确逃生.在从前的日子里,他的露丝只是待在后方的家里等待他回去,他并没有感觉到什么压力,因为吕贝克对自己还是比较有信心的.可是如今似乎不一样了,他开始变得敏感谨慎了,除了照顾好自己,他更多的牵挂都在布列塔尼的身上.
The upper deck was straightforward, housing standard facilities like conference rooms, crew recreation and living quarters, with the aircraft hangars flanking the central corridor. Lübeck led Brittany inside, greeting mechanics servicing the planes while explaining the procedures for launching and retrieving aircraft and operating the airlock doors. But she seemed uninterested—women, when it comes to matters of life and death. Lübeck resolved to explain things to her gradually later, for in the event of an accident or conflict, a medic might be needed anywhere on the ship. Compared to Lübeck's explanation of the ship's facilities, Brittany seemed far more captivated by the soldiers saluting the captain standing beside her. Lübeck returned the salute, his peripheral vision already catching her expression—that look of delight, even admiration, directed at him. Perhaps there was also a hint of pride in standing by his side.
上层甲板还好,都是些常规建筑,比如会议室,舰员活动和居住空间,舰载机的机库在穿线两侧,吕贝克领着布列塔尼走进去,跟正在维护飞机的机械师打招呼,顺便给布列塔尼讲解了收发飞机和气密门的操作程序,可是她似乎并不太感兴趣,对于这样性命攸关的事情,女人啊.吕贝克也只好以后再慢慢和她解释,因为一旦发生意外或者冲突,作为医务兵可能被需要出现在任何船上的地点.相对于吕贝克给布列塔尼对船上设施的讲解,似乎她更享受于士兵们对她身旁的舰长敬礼,吕贝克回礼的时候眼睛余光已经注意到了,她的表情,望着自己那样欣喜甚至有些崇拜的神情,也许还有那么一点站在自己身边的傲娇.
Perhaps it's a common trait among young girls—a tendency to blindly worship authority. Or maybe it's not quite right to put it that way; perhaps it's simply part of a woman's nature.
或许是年轻女孩的通病吧,迷信崇拜权威,也许不应该这么说,就算是女人的天性吧.
Back in the room, Lübeck asked curiously,
"Brittany, if I weren't the captain, would you choose me?"
回到房间,吕贝克有些好奇地问,
"布列塔尼,如果我不是舰长,你会选择我吗?"
She froze for a moment, taken aback that Lübeck would ask this question.
"Not entirely sure," she replied, pushed him to sit on the bed before carefully removing his outer garment. She stood there, watching him.
她开始有些愣,没想到吕贝克会问这个问题,
"不太确定,"说着,把吕贝克推坐在床上,然后亲手脱了他的外衣,站在那里看着他,
"Now you have no rank," she said, looking at him for a moment longer.
"现在你没有军衔了,"说着,她又看了一会儿,
"Oh dear, I still can't answer that. Things feel different now—we've both..." She paused awkwardly for a moment, then lifted her face, cupping her chin with her right hand as she rolled her eyes upward in thought.
"哎呀,我还是回答不了,现在的感觉不一样了,我们都已经..."说着略有些尴尬地停顿了一下,然后又扬起脸,右手掐着下颌,翻着眼睛往上看着想,
The first time I saw you, it wasn't your looks. No, not your rank either. Back then, I didn't know you were a captain-level officer. Actually, it was before I even met you—during the mission assignment. I heard your name, and for some reason, I just accepted the task without hesitation.
"我最开始的时候见到你,相貌?不是,军衔?不是,那时候我不知道你是舰长级别的,不对,应该是见到你之前,分配任务的时候,我听到你的名字,不知道为什么,我就应声接了这个任务."
As Brittany spoke, Lübeck took her hand, sat beside her, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
听布列塔尼讲述着,吕贝克拉着她的手,坐在了自己的身边,搂着她的腰.
"Back then, meeting you didn't feel particularly special. It was only through our interactions later that I gradually came to see you as someone I could rely on."
"那时候见到你好像也没什么特别的感觉,只是在后来的接触中,我慢慢觉得你是一个可靠的人,"
"Reliable enough to be a partner for the next twenty years?" Lübeck asked softly.
"可靠到可以作为未来二十年的伴侣吗?"吕贝克轻声问,
"Back then I wasn't sure either, and you're so frustrating—you didn't choose me, leaving me heartbroken for so long," Brittany said in a slightly reproachful, pouty tone.
"那时候我也不确定,还有你可恨,你不选择我,弄得我伤心了好久,"布列塔尼有点埋怨撒娇的语气,
Lübeck gently pulled her into his arms and said,
"Thank you for appearing before me that afternoon."
吕贝克轻轻把她搂进怀里说,
"谢谢你那天中午出现在我的面前,"
"Mm," Brittany replied, glancing up at Lübeck before pressing her cheek against his chest, savoring the warmth of his embrace.
"嗯,"布列塔尼答应着,抬头望了吕贝克一眼,然后把脸颊贴在他的胸膛,体会怀抱的温暖.