An older geologist sighed, speaking up to advise Loyce, "Ms. Lonsdale, it's absolutely not that you lack the ability. The Admiral just doesn't want you risking your life alongside him. The route we planned last night is practically a suicide mission. Before he left, he specifically ordered us to make sure you stay in the safe zone no matter what. He said that if your brother needs emergency medical attention, you must be the energetic, peak-condition doctor, not someone exhausted or... met with a tragic accident on a dangerous road."
"He took on all the danger just to protect you," a meteorologist said, handing Loyce the written plan from last night's discussion. "This route is too treacherous. Mudslides haven't settled under the heavy rain, and the climate shifted to a blizzard. The terrain is just too dangerous. The men Admiral Shapiro brought are all individuals without families who have already left their final words. Please don't blame him."
Everyone who had attended last night's meeting knew the well-intentioned pain this man was hiding. They didn't want the girl he cared so much about to misunderstand him.
Loyce listened to everyone's explanations, the dissatisfaction in her chest gradually replaced by a sour warmth and a much heavier worry.
She silently took the heavy plan document, her fingers tracing the risk assessment data and the red line winding through the death zone.
She stopped questioning, walking silently to the main console, her eyes locked on the glowing dot moving stubbornly through the dense fog and blizzard on the screen.
The technicians and experts around her returned to their intense work, occasionally calling out environmental data.
"Visibility under ten feet!"
"New minor avalanche signs detected in Area A!"
"Magnetic interference increasing, comm signals are unstable!"
Time passed by, every second agonizing. Luckily, there were minor scares but smooth progress overall.
By nightfall, the blizzard worsened, and visibility dropped further. Frozen cliffs appeared one after another. Even seasoned soldiers in heavy protective gear struggling through the mountains all day were finding it hard to cope.
They needed rest.
Lucian continued to lead. He checked the satellite positioning, stopped after moving forward a bit more, and shone his high-beam flashlight in two different directions. He halted and told his panting team behind him, "Rest here. The air is clear in this zone, you can take off your helmets and grab some food."
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