《Messages from Inner Earth》(EN)

Suddenly, I felt that it was time to eat and rest. Checking my phone, I saw that it was already evening. Being someone with a regular schedule (well, just a work schedule), it was about time for me to get ready for bed. half a day has slipped by without even noticing.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel sleepy at all; in fact, I felt more alert than ever. Not only that, I hadn't eaten lunch or dinner, nor had I taken a sip of water since arriving. Yet, I felt no hunger or thirst, and the air around me was always fresh, making me feel physically and mentally refreshed.

Remembering the nutrient drink Buweiro gave me at noon, I couldn't help but marvel at the benefits of advanced technology. If human scientists invented such a drink, it would save so much time, money, and effort—especially for me, as I could save a lot of money.

Although I felt physically energized, my mind was still a bit weary—today's experiences had been overwhelming. I really wanted to lie down and rest, but I felt a bit shy about asking Buweiro.

"Brother Ji Wufan, you want to rest, don't you? Take a moment to calm your mind; today must have been exhausting for you. According to Earth's nighttime schedule, you should rest, or you might feel unsettled. Stay here tonight and sleep as long as you need. If you need me, just call me in your mind, and I'll hear it." Buweiro said, noticing my expression and analyzing my emotions with the nano-chip in his body.

"But I feel so awake right now!" I gladly accepted Buweiro's suggestion, thinking a night's sleep would help me unwind from today's events. Scrolling on my phone before bed would be even better for relaxing. Unfortunately, I wanted to sleep but couldn't—the Alliance's nutrient drink was just too energizing!

"Don't worry, Brother Ji Wufan. Just tell the lounge what you need, and the Universal Energy Field will create a comfortable bed customized for you. Not only that, it will adjust your body's needs and calm your mind, helping you fall asleep quickly." Buweiro assured me.

His response left me astonished—I felt like my heart couldn't take any more shocks. He continued, "This lounge itself is an intelligent instrument, connected to the Universal Energy Field, which can create physical forms based on your requests. For example, if I leave and you find you can't sleep here comfortably, you could have the lounge transform into a replica of your home, with your entire yard, rooms, furniture, and atmosphere exactly the same.

Besides, you can request any environment you want—have fun however you like, as long as it makes you happy. No need to hold back, brother. The Alliance has abundant resources; even if you spent a year here, the resources consumed would still be negligible to us."

Gulp. That was the sound of me swallowing, feeling like I needed to be alone for a while, or I might just split in two.

"Alright, I'll rest here tonight. Please pass my thanks to the Alliance. I'll take tonight to organize my thoughts, and when I'm ready tomorrow, I'll call you. I have a lot of questions but need to gather them first. I'll think them through tonight and ask you tomorrow.”Once I decided, I didn't hesitate.

"Brother Ji Wufan, take a good rest. I'll leave you now, and you're completely safe here. I'll notify the Alliance to protect your privacy. Feel free to explore and enjoy yourself however you like—whatever you do here won't be visible to others, and the space will adjust to suit your wishes." Buweiro said, giving me detailed instructions before leaving.

As soon as Buweiro left, I looked around the lounge and thought, "Why not give it a try and see what happens?" I said out loud: "I'd like to lie down on a soft, big bed to relax." I was alone, and remembering that the Interstellar Alliance promise to protect my privacy, why not fully enjoy it? Otherwise, I'd be wasting their hospitality.

"Wow, wow, wow." As soon as I voiced my request, an invisible energy appeared before me, silently transforming into the big bed I had imagined, like magic from a fairy tale. The bed had a mattress, a blanket, and pillows, looking incredibly comfortable. The scene was like watching a 5D hologram, and I couldn't help but shout with excitement.

"This is so comfortable!" I exclaimed, taking off my shoes and lying down on the bed. It was even more comfortable than I had imagined, as if it had been designed precisely to my inner desires. I thought for a moment—perhaps the little chip in my body could read my thoughts and sent them to the Alliance's Universal Energy Field to create this for me.

"Turn into my home, including my yard!" Seeing how magical the Alliance's technology was, I couldn't help but feel playful.

"Wow..."

After a swirl of colors and shapes around me, suddenly it felt like a dream—I was back home, at night, lying in my own bed. The familiar scent was just like home, even down to the sound of crickets chirping in the yard. Curiously, I stood up and stepped outside, where the familiar smell of earth and the slightly damp scent of the countryside filled my nose. The sky was full of stars, just like it used to be—so many stars in the village night sky.

I walked around the yard, checking everything. Everything was exactly the same. Then I went into the kitchen to see if there was anything different, and then to my parents' room; though they weren't there, the furniture was exactly as it should be. Finally, I went to my own room, opened the wardrobe to check, then rummaged through the drawers.

"Damn." This virtual home didn't have a single flaw—not even the tiny secrets I had hidden away, things only I knew, had been missed. It seemed the Universal Energy Field had scanned my home inside and out to recreate it here with absolute accuracy.

"Alright, since the Universal Energy Field is so powerful, then I'll..." Suddenly feeling an urge to have some fun, I said, "Turn into my fire station dormitory, with my teammates." In less than three seconds, I was already standing in the dorm. Everything was there—the bunk beds, daily essentials, tables, and wardrobes. Since it was nighttime on the earth surface, my teammates were already lying down to rest. Seeing me suddenly appear, one teammate asked in surprise, "Wufan, what are you doing here? Didn't the boss give you two months of medical leave? Your time isn't up yet—missing us already?"

"Hahaha." As he finished, the others in the dorm joined in with playful teasing. For a moment, I felt a jolt in my heart—as if I wasn't so grounded in my senses, I might have truly believed I was back with the team.

"This replication design is almost creepy!" I muttered to myself. Quickly, I greeted everyone, "Yeah, it's been over a month since I last saw you guys. I missed you all, so I thought I'd stop by tonight." Saying this, I walked over to Da Zhuang's bunk and reaching out to examine him.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on, Wufan? It's been a month, but come on—if you keep touching me, I'm throwing you out." Da Zhuang wasn't happy with my hands-on inspection; his personality and temper were exactly the same as in real life. The others were also looking at me, puzzled.

I chuckled, then lay down on my own bed, took out the phone and opened Da Zhuang's WeChat. I typed a message: "Are you asleep yet?" A moment later, Da Zhuang replied: "Just finished washing up, about to go to bed. How's your injury? The guys were thinking about driving over to visit you."

Meanwhile, the other "Da Zhuang" next to me wasn't on his phone and was getting ready to sleep, making me realize that the one messaging me was the real Da Zhuang.

I quickly typed out a reply to Da Zhuang: "No need to go to the trouble, brothers! Let everyone know I'm recovering well. It's a long way up here, so don't worry about coming. I really appreciate the thought. If you miss me, you can all treat me to a meal when I'm back."

Ding! Soon, Da Zhuang replied: "Got it. We had a long day of training, so I'm off to sleep. You should get some rest too; we're all waiting for you to come back."

"Goodnight!" I replied. At that moment, I felt an urge to video call Da Zhuang. If he saw the scene around me—with another version of himself right here—I wondered how he'd react. The real Da Zhuang would be shocked, and I'm sure we can develop some funny emoticons for him.

But then I thought better of it; this was too bizarre. If I scared Da Zhuang to the point of giving him a shock, I'd feel guilty.

Let's change the scene!

"That nurse I met at the hospital over a month ago... she was so kind and gentle. I'd love to talk to her again." I suddenly thought, feeling a lingering fondness for that girl. The surroundings shifted, and I was back to over a month ago, lying on the hospital bed with the nurse I had admired standing beside me.

"Mr. Firefighter, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call your doctor?" Her familiar, sweet voice and gentle presence instantly eased my mind after today's overwhelming experiences.

"No need. I'm all healed up. Could you sit and chat with me for a while?" Emboldened by the virtual setting, I made the request, knowing I'd never have the nerve to flirt like this in real life.

"Of course, Mr. Firefighter! I really admire brave and strong heroes like you who keep people safe. You make me feel very secure. I'm free to chat with you right now." she replied, perfectly in tune with my thoughts. And so, we chatted on and off for a while.

......

Time flew by with her company, and before I knew it, two hours had passed. Realizing it was late, I reset the surrounding to how it was before. I lay back on my comfortable bed, responded to a few messages, and let my friends know that I'd be too busy to video call for the next few days. Putting down my phone, I started reflecting on today's experiences, processing everything, and searching online for answers to things I hadn't fully understood.

To save on mobile data, I asked Xiaomeng if it could connect me to Wi-Fi. Xiaomeng quickly set it up, and my phone was instantly connected to a strong signal—no need for a password, it was amazingly fast.

I thought I might not be able to sleep tonight, but as I reflected on everything that happened during the day, I drifted off without realizing it. Today's experiences had such a profound impact on me that falling asleep was probably the only way to truly relax.