"Gone?"

Jinling Space Launch Center.

When Lu Zhou heard the report about the seismic structure, he was so surprised that he almost didn't get up from behind his desk.

Facing the surprised expression on Lu Zhou's face, Director Chang Hezhi nodded with a somewhat strange expression.

"That's right...... According to the updated mission logs of our Mars research station, our scientists sent a rover to the target area, but when they arrived at the fault structure, they found that there was nothing there. ”

"It's like...... Disappeared overnight. ”

A fractured structure more than a dozen meters deep disappeared overnight?

Lu Zhou had never heard of such an unbelievable thing.

"Was there a sandstorm that night?"

"Sandstorms happen all the time on Mars, but even sandstorms can't bury a fault structure more than a dozen meters deep overnight...... These are the exact words recorded by Dr. Fan in his work diary. ”

Lu Zhou said.

"Just tell me what else he said."

Director Chang Hezhi shook his head and said, "There is nothing else, he has said so much about that fault structure. In addition to this, it is about the application for publication. He hopes to make a public announcement of this astonishing geological discovery, so that more people can analyze this amazing phenomenon. ”

The scientific research funds of the Landing Program mainly come from China, and the scientific research results produced by all scientific research activities on Mars nominally belong to the Manned Landing Program Office, so if you want to publish the scientific research results, you must apply to the Manned Landing Program Office and get approval.

However, in general, this kind of research project that does not involve sensitive experimental content is just a formality. Of course, the Office of the Manned Landing Program wants them to produce more valuable results so that their investment in the Mars project is worth it.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhou nodded.

"Just do as he says."

Although Lu Zhou felt that it was too hasty to publish this discovery now, and it might be more rigorous to wait until more clues were obtained, there was some truth in Dr. Fan's proposal.

After all, a person's strength is small, and the methods that one head comes up with are not as reliable as tens of millions of heads together. Only when more people are involved in this field can there be hope that the problem will be solved.

Looking at the work log in his hand, Lu Zhou's gaze stayed on the coordinates of 14.7 degrees south latitude and 128 degrees west longitude, and his index finger gently swept down this line.

"Speaking of which, what's the name of the mountain range next to this fault formation?"

Director Chang Hezhi: "If I'm not mistaken, according to the name of the International Astronomical Union...... Its name seems to come from a work of art. ”

"A work of art?"

"The Gates of Hell, written by Auguste Rodin......" After a pause, Director Chang Hezhi thought for a moment and continued, "Translated, it's called the Gates of Hell." ”

Gates of Hell......

It's a bit of an unlucky name.

chewing on this word repeatedly, that hint of foreboding resurfaced in Lu Zhou's heart.

"This name is not very auspicious," picked up the pen from the table, and wrote a line of text next to the copy of the work log, Lu Zhou handed it to Director Chang Hezhi, "I will change the name in the work log in the future." ”

"128 anomalies?"

"Well," looking at Director Chang Hezhi, Lu Zhou continued succinctly, "Raise the priority of this research project to A-level, and report to me immediately if there are any new discoveries." ”

……

Since the failure of the "New Virginia" project last time, NASA has suspended more than 90% of its Mars projects due to pressure from public opinion and funding.

But while the launch program left NASA with a lot of feathers, and it hasn't slowed down even now, it doesn't mean that they willingly gave up their desire for Mars.

It's just that everything has returned to the realm of reason.

NASA High Resolution Imaging Science Laboratory.

It is the command center for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Curiosity, and is one of the few research teams in the entire NASA that still focuses on Mars.

"Up-to-date research."

Dropping a document on his desk, Professor Astak looked at the middle-aged man with glasses sitting behind the desk and continued, "I don't know if you've read it, but I suggest you take a look. ”

"Up-to-date research?"

Muttering the words, Professor Cholmiton reached for the document and glanced at it cursoryly.

However, it doesn't matter if he doesn't look at it, when his gaze follows the two lines of this information, especially after seeing the color photos attached to the text, the whole person's expression suddenly becomes strange.

"Seismotectonics...... Disappear after appearing? How is this possible. ”

"I also think it's very ...... It's incredible," Professor Astak continued, looking at Professor Chamiton, "but planetary geology is not my area of study, and I wonder what you think about it. ”

"What do I think? What else can I see, only they are there, and they have the final say on everything...... If they're right, we're mistaken. The geological activity of Mars is still quite active, and the Earth's core has not yet cooled? There seems to be only one explanation, and there could be a special local tectonic movement there that allowed the faulted structures that had already formed to heal overnight? Hiss...... It sounds like a paranormal event. ”

Pushing the glasses on the bridge of his nose and sitting up straight from his chair, Professor Carmiton continued with a frown, "Honestly...... These two comparison charts, are they really not P out? ”

The fact that the geological activity of Mars has ceased is not an empty phrase of imagination, but a conclusion based on rigorous scientific analysis based on thermal radiation images taken by NASA.

All clues point to the complete cessation of geological activity on Mars, and the complete cooling of the magma in the Earth's core.

This is a dead planet, and there is no possibility of any tectonic plate movements, let alone any earthquakes or cracks caused by earthquakes.

At least in the last few billion years is unlikely.

It's not that he spends the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain.

It's just that the operations of falsifying research results, such as P charts and compiling data, are really not a very rare thing in the academic world.

"I have already asked a third-party testing agency to analyze it, at least according to the electronic files updated on their official website, there are no obvious traces of modification on the photos...... Of course, it is not excluded that their methods are too clever for us to see. ”

"It's unbelievable anyway," Professor Chamiton sighed after pondering for a long time as he placed the research materials on the table, "It would be nice to be able to go and see it on site." ”

A bitter smile appeared on Professor Astark's face.

Go to Mars and have a look......

The idea sounds a bit whimsical.

But it has to be said that this seems to be the best way to do it than to stand on the earth and guess from a distance of tens of millions of kilometers.

However, just when the two of them were looking at this information and had a headache, a sentence suddenly came from the door.

"Actually, it's not impossible."

Hearing the sound coming from the door, the two of them looked up at the door in unison.

I saw Director Carson standing there and walking into the office.

"I'm sorry, I'm no doubt eavesdropping on your conversations, but you're too loud, and I happen to be here again to find Professor Chrmiton for something......"

In the face of the inquiring gaze of the two, Director Carson shrugged his shoulders and coughed lightly and continued, "For well-known reasons, the White House intends to repair relations with China, and from what I have learned, the two sides have reached agreements on many aspects, including historical issues...... Of course, we don't need to worry about these things, the key thing is that China agrees to reserve about 1 or 2 places for international cooperative scientific researchers in the next batch of people who go to Mars. ”

Professor Astak was stunned and hesitated.

That is to say...... Can we take a Chinese ride to Mars? ”

"That's fine, but I'd like you to think of it as a kind of scientific collaboration, and the kind of ...... that is good for both parties."

Coughing heavily, Director Carson, who had forcibly ended the topic, continued to look at Professor Camiton with a serious expression.

"I just heard that you seem to be interested in the study of the geology on Mars?"

"That's right......"

Looking at Professor Camiton, whose face was gradually showing a hint of hesitation, Carson did not give him any more time to think about it, and then opened his mouth and threw out his proposal.

"Professor Colmiton, then."

"Would you like to go to Mars for the sake of the long-term friendship between the two countries?"