第104章 第104章

**Chapter 104: The Crisis Unfolds**

程星's pacing paused as she turned to face the engineer, her eyes burning with a fierce intensity. "You're telling me that the universe is on the brink of collapse, and you're just now mentioning it? What have you been hiding from us?"

The engineer's expression remained stoic, but a flicker of guilt danced in his eyes. "I'm sorry, 程星. I didn't want to alarm anyone until I had more information. But now that you know, we need to act fast."

程星's gaze narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The engineer hesitated before speaking. "The collapse is not just a theoretical possibility. It's a reality. I've been monitoring the cosmic background radiation, and the anomalies are becoming more pronounced by the day."

程星's mind raced as she processed the news. She thought back to her initial discovery of the strange signal from the Scorpius constellation. Could it be connected to the impending collapse?

Suddenly, the control room's comms system beeped, signaling an incoming transmission. The engineer's eyes darted to the screen, and his expression turned grave.

"What is it?" 程星 asked, her voice low and urgent.

"It's the Jinan Space Station," the engineer replied, his voice strained. "They're reporting a catastrophic failure in one of their reactors. The entire station is on the verge of meltdown."

程星's eyes widened in shock. "How did this happen?"

The engineer shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to act fast. If we can't stabilize the reactor, the entire station will be destroyed, taking countless lives with it."

程星's anger and frustration from earlier gave way to a sense of urgency. She knew that every second counted.

"What do we need to do?" she asked, her voice firm and decisive.

The engineer's eyes locked onto hers. "We need to send a team to the Jinan Space Station, pronto. We can't afford to lose any more time."

程星 nodded, her mind racing with the implications. She knew that this crisis was just the tip of the iceberg. The universe was collapsing, and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

As she turned to leave the control room, a faint whisper echoed in her mind: "What secrets are we still hiding from each other?"

The chapter ends with a sense of urgency and uncertainty, leaving the reader wondering what lies ahead for 程星 and humanity. Will they be able to save the Jinan Space Station and uncover the truth behind the collapsing universe? The fate of human civilization hangs in the balance.