Selene looked into Lena's eyes, exhaling in relief while realizing that not only did Lena know about the blood pact, but she also understood that William was likely not in serious danger.
"Nysa, you stay and protect Mrs. Lena. I'll go contact some people to ensure they're ready at a moment's notice."
"Understood," Nysa nodded, adding, "In a situation like this, only Carlos with the Cross and his son Wesley are completely trustworthy."
After considering for a moment, Selene nodded. "You're right. If things get urgent, I'll mobilize the combat robots stationed in Kensington and the countryside manor."
Watching Selene leave, Lena nodded in satisfaction. In a situation where the family's backbone—William—was absent, having sufficient firepower was far more critical than anything else.
Lena gave Abby a brief instruction to "carry on as usual" before finding a quiet place to sit, waiting for William's promised five-hour communication window.
She knew full well that until news of William's safety was relayed to the public, the London Space Center was the safest place for her to be. Skipping meals or drinks for five hours wouldn't be an issue. Besides, until William's safety was confirmed, even their sworn enemies wouldn't act recklessly.
As time ticked by, news leaked to the outside world that the spacecraft hadn't returned to London but was instead heading straight for Mars. Predictably, speculation and conspiracy theories exploded in the media.
Apart from Lena and William's inner circle, the group most desperate for William's safety turned out to be the English capitalists betting on falling gold prices. Now, they could do nothing but curse William while praying for a miracle, all the while preparing to sell their positions when markets opened the next day.
When the five-hour mark finally arrived, and the countdown hit zero without connecting to William, everyone at the London Space Center felt their hearts sink. Was it just a communication delay, or had something truly gone wrong?
Suddenly, William's face appeared on the main screen.
"Apologies, I got caught up adjusting the ship's resources and forgot about the delay in communications."
The moment his voice rang out, Lena and Abby embraced each other in relief, and the entire command center erupted in cheers.
"Thank you, thank you!" William discreetly made a hand gesture to his ecstatic mother before continuing with a cheerful tone. "The good news is, I've matched speed with the alien fighter chasing me. As long as the nuclear energy on board lasts, I'm safe for now. However…"
The crowd fell silent as William's tone shifted. Everyone watched him on the screen with bated breath.
"I've increased the ship's energy output to boost speed. At this rate, when I reach Mars, the remaining energy will only sustain another six days of flight."
This revelation caused visible tension across the room. William continued, "In other words, once I arrive on Mars, I won't have enough energy to return to Earth. That means I either successfully negotiate with the alien fighter and reach an agreement—which, I assume, you wouldn't oppose, correct?"
He turned to the high-ranking English officials and Cabinet members who had joined the emergency call, waiting to hear their response.
After a brief discussion, Prime Minister Richard and his colleagues replied, "We have no objection, as long as no human interests are compromised. You're authorized to reach any personal agreement with the other party."
"Personal agreement?" William smirked inwardly. If he hadn't needed to play the role of someone fighting to survive, he wouldn't have even bothered asking. He would deal with the Decepticons however he saw fit. Out loud, he added, "If negotiations fail, my only option is to carry out my plan to ensure mutual destruction. So, I'll need you to urgently construct a second spacecraft and send supplies to Mars."
"No problem, William," Lena immediately replied. "Abby and I will assign tasks right away."
She turned to Abby, her gaze firm. "How quickly can a new spacecraft be built?"
Abby thought for a few seconds before answering, "The first one took three months. The second should only take about two months."
"That's too long!" William interjected. "I've taken stock of the food and water onboard. Even halving rations, I only have enough for 60 days. At the absolute minimum daily caloric intake, it might stretch to 85 days. But factoring in two months of construction and one month of travel time, there's still a five-day gap where I'd have no food."
"Damn it! What are we supposed to do?" Lena paced back and forth in frustration before stopping and glaring at the screen, her eyes red. "If there's no other way, just focus on staying alive! You're my only son! I don't care about humanity's interests. Even if it means becoming a slave to the aliens, it's better than dying!"
She took a deep breath and continued, "And don't forget, William—you're the smartest human alive. You invented a spacecraft singlehandedly! Even if you end up as an alien's slave, you'd be more valued than anyone else. Who knows? We might even move to another planet and become alien citizens!"
"God, this woman has gone completely mad for her son," someone muttered under their breath.
"Hell, can you blame her?" another replied. "William Devonshire is a one-of-a-kind genius. Not only did he invent the spacecraft, but he also developed a compact and improved version of the Ark Reactor. And now, in a crisis, he's managed to boost his ship's speed beyond what even the alien fighter can achieve!
"If I were the aliens, I'd make him King of Earth just to bring him into my fold."
The room fell into a stunned silence. All eyes turned to the screen, horrified at the possibility of William surrendering to the aliens.
The smarter ones glanced at Lena, relieved that she was still on Earth. Surely William wouldn't abandon his mother unless he had no other choice.
"Sorry, Mom," William shook his head. "Let's save that discussion for another time. A more likely scenario is that the aliens lurking on Earth aren't as powerful as they seem. Like I told you before, once I reach Mars, I'll probably find a way to deal with them. Otherwise, how could they fail to catch up with my spacecraft?"
This statement jolted the English officials out of their unease. If the aliens were truly as formidable as feared, they wouldn't be struggling to catch William's ship or have remained hidden on Earth for so long.
Meanwhile, Lena racked her brain. What had William said about Mars before? His claim puzzled her for only a moment before she realized he had never mentioned anything about Mars to her.
Was this his way of leveraging the "secrets" of Mars to push for building a second spacecraft? Or was he pressuring Earth's powers to yield and let him reach Mars?
Lena's eyes gleamed with understanding. Playing along, she feigned exasperation. "Shut up, William! I told you not to mess with whatever's on Mars! Now look what you've done—dragging an alien fighter into this mess! Whatever's on Mars, it's not worth your life! Share it if you must, but stay alive!"
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]