Chapter 305 Reply
Chapter 305 Reply
After the passengers’ evacuation and self-rescue training before departure, the Explorer let out a
resounding horn, officiallymencing its voyage. The air on the shipwaas filled with lively cheers.On
the deck, everyone seemed full of excitement and curiosity about the journey ahead, except for me.|
felt like a lonely outsider. Everywhere | looked, couples andpanies strolled hand in hand, be
theylovers, friends, or family members. Everyonehad someone by their side, but | was alone.The
only person who had wanted to apany me was driven away by me.Never before had |
anticipated feeling such aprofound sense of destion. Perhaps | had underestimated the impact of
my surroundings.
Having been a lone wolf since childhood,|lwas ustomed to solitary ventures andadept at handling
things on my own. But it became increasingly difficult to endure thedarkness once | had glimpsed the
sunlight.
The cheers and merriment around me felt likenoise.
Thankfully, | had developed copingmechanisms to deal with loneliness over time.
Navigating through the crowd, | sought outCaptain Mike P. Rothwell, the person incharge of this
expedition, as directed by theship''s staff.
Cruise travel differed significantly from othermodes of transportation. Once aboard theship, the
captain held the highest authority.Despite having previously discussed mydeparture ns with the
travel agency''srepresentative, it was ultimately up to thecaptain to permit me to disembark when
thetime came.
"Hey, Captain Rothwell, | am Olive Woods.
I''m wondering if Mr. Dan, the representativefrom the travel agency, has informed youabout my
situation."
Captain Rothwell was an imposing figure, tand robust, with a perfectly tailored uniformthat
entuated his muscr physique. Hisextensive experience at sea had bestowedupon him a
weatheredplexion, adornedwith countless creases and lines. As the
captain, he exuded amanding presence.Fortunately, having spent considerable timewith Aaron
in the past, | had beustomed to dealing with this level ofintensity.
"Dr. Woods?" Captain Rothwell scrutinizedme with an impassive expression."|
remember you. Dan mentioned your situation. Your parents are biologists who have beenworking in
the South Pole for a long term. You want to visit them, so you want todisembark and depart from the
rest of thejourney upon reaching Ross Ind."
"Yes." | breathed a sigh of relief,"I''m sorry Ican''t continue the entire journey with your team, but |
haven''t seen my parents in manyyears."
"No need to apologize to me, Dr. Woods, pletely understand your situation."Captain Rothwell
reassured, lowering his
hand from the air."Our nned route already includes passing through the Ross Sea. If theweather
permits, we will arrange a visit toScott Cottage on Ross Ind. It''s close to the McMurdo Station,
and there are driveways for easy transportation.”
"That''s great!" | immediately felt a weightlifted off my shoulders."| can wait there formy parents to
pick me up."
“However, it is the South Pole after all, andthe weather there can be unpredictable. If the weather
conditions in the Ross Sea are unfavorable, | won''t risk forcing andingwith the entire ship on
board. | hope youunderstand.”
“| understand. Thank you very much, CaptainRothwell.”
After bidding farewell to Captain Rothwell, my steps became light and brisk.
| knew it! Aaron was excessively concerned, bringing all those mountaineering and wilderness
survival gear. Turned out theExplorer would dock directly at Scott
Cottage, and | wouldn''t even need to climbany mountains
Back in my cabin, | opened myptop andchecked my email.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Several days had passed since | sent the emailinforming my parents about my journey to theSouth
Pole, but they still hadn''t replied.
"Wait." | didn''t have much confidence atfirst, but to my surprise, there was an unreademail in my
inbox.
It was a reply from my mother, Kirsty!
| clicked on the email immediately, but thesmile that had just formed on my lips frozethe moment |
read its contents.
"I''m so sorry, dear, but | think you shoule at a different time, like in March. It''scurrently the peak
season for penguin
hatching and nurturing, and your father and Iwill be very busy. We might not have enoughtime to
spend with you."
Penguins again!
In their eyes, their daughter couldn''t evepare to a group of penguins!
Astrong sense of absurdity washed over me,anger and sadness intertwining and igniting azing
fire within my heart. | nced at thetimestamp on the email - just one minute ago!
| immediately clicked on the reply button, myfingers swiftly tapping on the keyboard.
"But I''ve already boarded the Explorer cruiseship, and we''ve set sail! I''m sorry for readingyour email
sote, but the captain has agreedto let me disembark at Scott Cottage. Theitinerary is already set.
Don''t worry, it won''tdisrupt your penguin-watching ns!"
After sending the reply, | slumped in mychair, curling my legs up and hunching over.
This was a disaster!
plete disaster!
My heartless and irresponsible parents, mymessed-up life, and this whole damn world! Itwould be
better if everything was destroyed!
The Explorer gently swayed on the sea as Inumbly refreshed my email.
Five minutes passed, and there was still noresponse from Kirsty.
Ten minutes passed, then half an hour..
I sat in the room for an hour, motionless, untildarknesspletely enveloped the sky. Thegrowling
hunger in my stomach urged me toleave theputer and head to the ship''srestaurant.
Although the Explorer was only a four-starship, the interior decorations were quite luxurious, and the
service was impable.| didn''t have much of an appetite and orderedsome food to appease my
hunger.Surprisingly, the food on the ship tasted good.
“At least there''s one thing that can make mehappy," | said, finishing a ss of juice andself-
deprecatingly muttering to myself.
"It''s you again, the kissingdy," a somewhatfamiliar voice approached from a distance.
It was the photographerdy who tookpictures of Aaron and me.
"You look a bit down." The photographedy came up to me and held out her hand,"Ross Sweeney,
an amateur photographer."
"Olive Woods." | shook her hand politely.
“Are you missing that man?" Ross came andsat down beside me.
"No, I''m just..." | hesitated for a second, thendecided to be honest."I''m not here for avacation. My
parents are biologists, and they''ve been studying penguins at the South Pole for a long time. |
wanted to go and seethem, but they just replied to my email,saying it''s the peak season for penguin
hatching, and they''re busy."
"I''m sorry to hear that," Ross''s smile fadedfrom her face."So, are you still nning togo and find
them?"
"If they had told me an hour earlier, maybe Iwould have given up. But now, I''m already onmy way!"
Perhaps it was because | was
talking to a stranger that many frustrations Icouldn''t express in person came pouring outso easily.
"| paid tens of thousands of dors to boardthis ship. Am | just going to waste my moneyin vain?"
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