The news of William's successful landing on Mars quickly spread after his brief communication with the London Space Center. Even if the center had wanted to keep the information under wraps, they couldn't have stopped the news from leaking.
Just half an hour after the official announcement, Abigail, representing the Devonshire family, publicly confirmed the news to ensure no one sabotaged the construction of the second spacecraft.
To the general public, William, as the first person to set foot on Mars, was a hero. Any political figure attempting to obstruct his return would risk their career.
However, the real dangers often didn't manifest publicly. Behind the scenes, numerous schemes were undoubtedly already in motion.
Within hours, the world's attention converged on London. Hundreds of reporters and dozens of broadcast vehicles gathered outside the Space Center, eagerly awaiting William's promised live broadcast.
At precisely 3 p.m. London time—when the Martian surface was at its brightest—William's delayed signal finally appeared on the massive screen in the center's conference room.
"Hi, good afternoon! This is William Devonshire, broadcasting live from Mars," William announced with a cheerful smile.
Clad in his Mark IV space combat suit, he appeared exhilarated. His demeanor brought the room to its feet in applause, with some people shouting, "Long live William!"
William paused to acknowledge the applause, smiling and nodding in gratitude. Once the room quieted down, he continued.
"I'm currently inside my spacecraft. I'll briefly explain my situation before taking you outside to see the surface of Mars' northern hemisphere with your own eyes."
He lifted his helmet and a spherical camera drone before stepping out of the control room into the cargo bay, which measured about 20 square meters.
After providing a basic overview of the ship's interior, William's tone grew more serious.
"While the journey to Mars was smooth overall, I made a decision that now seems incredibly foolish," he admitted. "I wanted to test the spacecraft's maximum speed, so I increased its output by 70%, pushing it to 170,000 kilometers per hour.
"However, after manually inspecting the ship post-landing, I discovered that the energy consumption exceeded the system's monitoring threshold. By the time I landed, the ship had used up nearly 70% of its energy reserves."
This revelation caused a stir worldwide. Most people immediately realized what this meant—the spacecraft didn't have enough energy to return to Earth.
Only a select few insiders understood the real reason for the accelerated journey: Starscream's relentless pursuit.
Of course, only William knew that the entire ordeal had been a setup to justify his request for the Tesseract.
Feigning fear, William added, "That's right. With the remaining energy, the spacecraft can't make the return trip to Earth."
After pausing to appear reflective, he forced a smile. "But not all the news is bad. As long as I stay on Mars, I have enough energy to sustain my operations here.
"Meanwhile, the second Mars spacecraft began construction 22 days ago, before my departure. It will take 31 more days to complete, followed by a 21-day journey to Mars.
"In 52 days, the second spacecraft will arrive with supplies and energy, ensuring my rescue. It will also allow us to establish a temporary research station on Mars."
This announcement left the reporters in the conference room astounded. One shouted, "God, does this mean the spacecraft's technology will now be shared openly?"
Hearing this, William hesitated, his expression conflicted.
"Protecting the technology is important," he admitted, "but it's secondary to ensuring my survival. Let's be realistic: my supplies…"
Before he could finish, the video feed abruptly cut off. The director of the Space Center, now in a state of panic and frustration, yelled into the microphone, "What the hell, William! Are you out of your mind? How could you reveal such things to the public?"
Unfazed by the rebuke, William was secretly pleased. Supplies? He had no concerns. If necessary, he could open a portal and return instantly.
Moreover, with Starscream's energy core in his possession, he could easily fabricate a story about developing a new energy source to power the spacecraft for its return journey.
He could even repurpose the escape pods into cryosleep chambers, enabling him to "sleep his way back" to Earth.
But William wasn't about to reveal any of this. By leaking the "shortage of supplies," he hoped to provoke those who didn't want him to return into sabotaging the second spacecraft.
If the spacecraft's construction was delayed or the mission disrupted, he could then use the excuse of insufficient nuclear power for the engines to demand a higher-grade energy source—namely, the Tesseract—from Alexander Pierce at S.H.I.E.L.D.
The abrupt end to the broadcast, coupled with William's mention of limited supplies, caused an uproar worldwide.
Even the most obtuse individuals could infer that William's resources might not last long. If his food ran out, he would starve.
This gave his enemies, particularly those with grudges or fears of England's resurgence, a golden opportunity. Many began plotting to ensure that William would not return.
Feigning regret, William apologized with a pained expression before claiming he needed rest to avoid further mistakes. He then ended the broadcast.
As soon as the video feed cut off, Sunday reported, "Sir, the materials and engineering robots for the Mars base are ready. We're awaiting your instructions for the base's construction coordinates."
"Hm." William studied the 3D map of Mars' southern hemisphere displayed by Sunday.
"I recall that Olympus Mons, the highest volcano on Mars, has evidence of glaciers on its western slope?"
"Yes, Sir. Based on Earth's surveys, there are traces of glaciers, but their exact condition would require on-site investigation."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's check it out," William said.
He opened a portal to transport Starscream's remains to Planet X17 before excitedly firing up the spacecraft and setting a course for Olympus Mons—the tallest mountain in the solar system.
(End of Chapter)
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