novellhall Chapter 203 Is this place even fit for humans? [5000]
Chapter 203 Is this place even fit for humans? [5000]
Chapter 203 Is this place even fit for humans? [5000]
Catherine glanced at the time: "Five seconds faster than the allotted time, Chen, you have excellent balance."
Chen Xun's balance was developed in the dungeon by Cooper, who was rescuing equipment in a spinning spaceship.
Of course, there's nothing to say about it.
Even if he were to go to space now, given Chen Xun's current physical condition, there wouldn't be any problem at all.
Anne performed much better this time.
After she went up, the platform tilted to a 50-degree angle, but she walked steadily to the end without the box falling off.
After getting down, she breathed a sigh of relief: "I think I've found the knack."
"What's the trick?"
"Don't treat it like training, treat it like a game."
Annie's eyes sparkled as if she were thinking of her childhood: "It's like those tilt maze balls we used to play with as kids, where you had to predict the direction the ball would roll."
"That's a good analogy."
Anne Hathaway's favorability +3, current favorability: 79
Almost 80!
I wonder what other changes will occur after the 90s.
Chen Xun was full of anticipation.
But now is not the time to think about that.
After training, Catherine called them aside.
"Starting tomorrow, training will be intensified."
She pulled up the schedule on the tablet: "The platform's tilt angle will be increased to sixty degrees, the rotation speed will be increased by 50%, and we will also add interference factors, such as sudden flashes and noises, to simulate a spaceship alarm —"
"That sounds exciting."
Chen Xun was eager to try.
"It's so exciting!"
Catherine smiled and said, "But Director Nolan requires all lead actors to pass an audition, and if they don't, their roles might be adjusted."
This was said euphemistically, but the meaning was very clear.
If you don't practice well, your scenes might be cut!
Anne's expression turned serious: "I will approve it!"
"I trust you!"
Catherine put away the tablet: "That's all for today. Go back and get some rest."
Training days go by quickly.
Chen Xun already possessed Cooper's abilities; he only needed to adapt for a while before quickly getting into the swing of things.
Annie, on the other hand, had to put in a lot more effort.
I have to practice extra every day.
Sometimes, Chen Xun couldn't stand it and had to help himself.
After all, the coach they hired had never been an actor and didn't know what was more suitable for an actor.
Chen Xun was different.
He is both an actor and possesses these skills, so teaching him is naturally a breeze for him.
Soon Annie was able to perform the movements correctly and complete the training.
Anne Hathaway's favorability +1, current favorability: 80
After the balance training is over, the next step is the field visit.
Chen Xun and the other actors needed to travel to Iceland with the film crew.
This is a simulation of the environment of the Mann Ice Planet.
The cold of Iceland and the cold of a Canadian farm are two completely different concepts.
Standing outside Reykjavik Airport, Chen Xun looked at the gray world before him, and only one thought occupied his mind:
Is this a place fit for human habitation?
"Welcome to Iceland, the most alien-like place on Earth."
Anne, wrapped in a thick down jacket, exhaled breath that instantly froze into frost: "Nolan chose this place for location shooting because the glaciers and black sand beaches here look like alien landscapes."
"I think it's because this place can freeze actors into idiots, so they don't even need acting skills to act out scenes of despair."
Chen Xun pulled the scarf up a little.
The film crew's vehicle that picked them up was a modified off-road vehicle.
The driver was a local Icelander named Eric.
He doesn't talk much, but he drives incredibly fast.
"The training base is near Vik town, about a two-hour drive away."
Eric said in his Scandinavian-accented English, "There might be a blizzard on the road, hold on tight."
The car drove onto the highway, and outside the window was a desolate wasteland.
Black volcanic rocks were covered with white snow, the outline of glaciers could be seen in the distance, and the sky was a depressing leaden gray.
"Does anyone actually live here?"
Chen Xun looked out the window at the scattered farmhouses.
"Yes, and they're doing quite well."
Eric chuckled. "Icelandians are used to it!"
"By the way, the training base you're going to used to be NASA's polar research station. Later it was converted into a film shooting base. Director Nolan rented it for three months to shoot exterior scenes here."
"Three months?"
Anne exclaimed in surprise, "Just for filming a few scenes?"
"That's just Nolan's style of doing things, you know."
Eric shrugged: "He said CG can't create the realistic texture of an ice field."
Half an hour into the drive, it started to snow.
It wasn't the romantic snowflakes, but rather horizontal ice pellets that slapped against the car window with a pattering sound.
"A blizzard is coming, so there might be a delay."
Eric began to slow down.
Visibility quickly dropped to less than ten meters, and the car was practically groping its way forward.
Chen Xun glanced out the window, but could see nothing but a vast expanse of white.
Filming in this place is truly a nightmare.
This was the first time Chen Xun had ever seen such a spectacle.
"Does this happen frequently?"
Annie was a little nervous.
"Two or three times a week, I guess."
Eric remained calm: "Iceland's weather is like a woman's mood, it changes in an instant."
Chen Xun burst into laughter.
Eric completely disregarded the fact that there was a woman in the car.
The blizzard lasted for forty minutes before it subsided.
The car arrived at the training base at 3 p.m.
The base consists of several gray buildings built on an ice field, with glaciers visible in the distance.
Nolan is already waiting.
He was wearing a winter coat and holding a tablet.
"Was the journey smooth?"
"I almost got buried in the snow!"
Chen Xun looked terrified.
If the car hadn't been so heavy, he felt it would have been blown away by the wind.
Nolan pointed to the base: "For the next two weeks, you will be here for low-temperature tolerance training and anti-slip footwork practice. The ground in Iceland is very slippery, and you will need to wear spacesuits while filming to avoid falling."
How heavy is a spacesuit?
Annie asked curiously.
The spacesuits I used for underwater training were different from those used for outdoor applications.
"The training version weighs 35 kilograms, and the filming version weighs 40 kilograms."
Nolan pulled up the data: "Movement is restricted after putting it on, and maintaining balance on the ice is a challenge."
The base manager was a bearded Icelander named Olaf, who showed the two of them around the facilities.
"Low-temperature tolerance training is very simple; it just involves staying outside."
Olaf speaks frankly: "Start with a short time, gradually increase it, and the goal is to be able to work continuously for two hours in a minus twenty degree Celsius environment without getting frostbite."
"It sounds like abuse."
Anne whispered.
"It's abuse."
Olaf laughed: "But it's very effective. Many film crews come here to train. The actors cry and scream at first, but they can all adapt later."
On the first day of training, the outdoor temperature was minus fifteen degrees Celsius.
Chen Xun and Annie, dressed in basic winter clothing, stood on the icy plain.
The wind was strong, and it felt like knives cutting my face.
"First, stand still."
Olaf, holding a timer, said, "Ten minutes. You can move your arms and legs during that time, but you can't go inside."
"Ten minutes? That's not too difficult!"
Annie was eager to try.
Chen Xun also felt that it shouldn't be too difficult, after all, the time was very short.
"Simple?"
Olaf glanced at Annie and Chen Xun: "You two will find out soon enough."
At first it was fine, but after three minutes, Chen Xun felt his toes go numb.
Five minutes later, his face began to stiffen.
Eight minutes later, he found that his breathing had become shallow.
This is the body automatically reducing heat loss.
[Low Temperature Tolerance +3]
A blue attribute ball fell from his body.
Chen Xun quickly began to absorb the nutrients.
He was surprised to feel a warm current flowing through his body, which made him feel a little better.
Unfortunately, the warm current was too weak and disappeared in less than a minute.
Chen Xun felt his body stiffen again.
The situation is even worse for Anne.
She kept stamping her feet, her hands tucked into her sleeves.
"Don't stomp your feet."
Olaf shouted, "That dissipates heat faster; just keep the activity light."
Ten minutes later, the two rushed back inside.
The warmth enveloped my entire body.
For the first time, Chen Xun felt how wonderful it was to have heating.
"Twenty minutes tomorrow."
Olaf recorded the data: "Increase by ten minutes each day, until it reaches two hours."
"People will die," Annie said, rubbing her hands together.
She was even more exaggerated than Chen Xun, practically glued to the radiator.
The chill on my body began to evaporate.
This made Annie's face turn rosy.
"He won't die!"
Olaf handed her a cup of hot tea: "Icelandians have lived like this for generations. You actors only film for a few months and then leave. Just bear with it."
The next day, we practiced anti-slip footwork.
The training ground was a flat area covered with ice, so slippery it could be used as an ice rink.
Olaf demonstrates footwork.
Take small steps, keep your center of gravity low, and test the ground with your heels first.
Chen Xun tried to take a few steps and almost fell.
It looks simple, but it's actually quite difficult.
Chen Xun remembered the news he had seen about Harbin in his previous life.
Ice pit challenge.
Non-locals can't get back up once they go down!
There are many techniques involved.
"That's not the hardest part; the hardest part is doing it while wearing a spacesuit!"
Olaf pointed to the training suit next to him: "Wear the 20kg lightweight version today, and then wear the 35kg training version after you get used to it."
Chen Xun put on the training uniform and felt like he was carrying someone on his back.
It's even more difficult to walk.
But it was actually a bit more stable once it was on the ice.
The weight increases friction.
After putting it on, Anne's movements became noticeably stiff.
"Relax your body, don't resist, imagine you're walking on the moon. It's okay to go slowly, but make sure every step is steady."
Olaf slowly guided the two.
After practicing all morning, Annie had basically mastered the footwork.
Chen Xun, on the other hand, is already able to walk normally!
Seeing this, Olaf increased the difficulty level in the afternoon.
Walking on the slope.
"The filming location has an ice slope; you need to be able to go up and down it."
"Remember, use the balls of your feet going uphill and your heels going downhill. If you fall, don't use your hands to brace yourself; land on your buttocks. The spacesuit has extra padding in the buttock area."
Chen Xun tried going uphill once, but slipped and fell halfway down.
"Your center of gravity is too far back. Lean forward a little. Trust your shoes."
Olaf shouted from behind.
Chen Xun succeeded on his second attempt.
He climbed to the top of the hill and looked back at Anne.
She was still struggling on the hillside.
"Do you need any help?"
"No need!" Annie gritted her teeth. "I can manage on my own."
She adjusted her posture and slowly moved upwards.
When I was almost at the top, my foot slipped.
Chen Xun instinctively reached out and grabbed her.
The training clothes were thick, and he was actually holding onto the fabric at her arm, but he managed to keep his balance.
Anne Hathaway's favorability +1, current favorability: 81
"Thanks~" Annie said, panting.
"polite!"
The training intensified on the third day.
Walking with a heavy load.
This training suit has added weight, totaling 30 kilograms.
Chen Xun felt like he was wading through mud when he walked, but it was still bearable.
The changes in his physical fitness resulting from the improvement in his physical abilities were not just for show.
Annie had a much harder time.
She stopped halfway there, holding her knees and panting.
"No, it's too heavy!"
"Take your time, I'm with you!"
Chen Xun walked back.
The two walked side by side, very slowly, but at least they didn't stop.
Olaf watched from the side.
After walking around the lap, Annie was sweating profusely.
"You have amazing stamina, how did you train?"
Anne took off her helmet.
"I learned it while filming!"
"We're filming action scenes every day!"
When Chen Xun thought about it, he realized that most of the movies he made were action movies.
"That's different. That's explosive power, this is endurance."
Anne was panting.
"It's all physical labor!"
During a training break, the two sat in the rest area drinking hot cocoa.
Outside the window is an ice field, with the occasional aurora borealis flashing across the night sky.
"I heard Nolan is going to film the aurora borealis on location."
Annie looked out the window.
"How long will it take?"
"In Iceland during winter, it happens almost every night, it's just a matter of intensity, and the actual footage would definitely look amazing."
Annie took a sip of cocoa, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Chen Xun nodded in agreement, "The effect of live-action shooting is indeed better than that of CG."
"You seem to be quite comfortable with this kind of training."
Annie turned to look at him: "Low temperature, heavy load, anti-slip—you mastered all of these very quickly."
"Perhaps I have a special talent."
Chen Xun was joking.
Just then, Olaf walked in, looking rather unwell.
"We just received a notification that there may be a severe blizzard tomorrow. Training will be suspended for the day. Everyone should stay at the base and not go out."
"snowstorm?"
Chen Xun was a little curious.
"Wind speeds could reach 30 meters per second, with zero visibility."
Olaf paused for a moment: "In this weather, you'll lose heat after just ten minutes outside. You all stay indoors and don't go anywhere."
As expected, a blizzard struck that night.
The wind howled like a wild beast, and the buildings trembled slightly.
Chen Xun stood by the window, looking at the chaotic white outside.
The blizzard raged through the night, and the world seemed to be filled only with the sound of the wind.
He suddenly remembered the scene in the dungeon where Cooper was in danger on the icy plains, in freezing cold, with oxygen about to run out—
The wind was getting louder and louder.
Chen Xun stood in front of the transparent plastic window, staring outside.
Visibility was less than five meters; all that could be seen was the swirling snow and a few blurry flashlight beams flickering in the distance.
"Who are they saving?"
Annie also came over to take a look.
"I don't know, it seems like some tents were blown over."
Chen Xun squinted, barely able to make out the tent in the distance with one corner lifted.
Several people wearing orange winter coats were trying to hold it in place, but the wind was too strong, and one of them was nearly blown over.
"Should we go help?"
"Annie asked."
Olaf said, "Stay put."
Chen Xun said that, but his foot had already moved towards the door.
Given the situation outside, we definitely need manpower.
If the tent is completely overturned, the people inside will suffer from hypothermia within minutes.
"If you go, I'll go too."
Anne started wearing winter clothes.
"You stay here, I'll go alone."
"On what grounds?"
Anne zipped up her jacket: "I trained for two weeks, and it wasn't for nothing."
Chen Xun glanced at her.
Her expression was serious; she wasn't joking.
"Okay, but you have to stay close to me and don't wander off."
The two put on their gear and opened the tent door.
A gust of wind rushed in, almost tearing the door off its hinges.
Chen Xun braced himself and squeezed out to the side.
The outside temperature was estimated to be minus twenty degrees Celsius, and the wind felt like sandpaper rubbing against my face.
Visibility was even worse than from inside; the flashlight beam could only illuminate two or three meters ahead.
"Hold on tight to the rope!"
Chen Xun handed the securing rope next to the tent to Annie, while he held onto the other one.
The two of them bent over and walked forward, as if swimming against the current.
The staff members in the distance saw them, and someone waved for them to go back.
"Go back my ass!"
Chen Xun cursed, but his voice was swallowed by the wind.
Halfway there, Annie slipped and almost fell.
Chen Xun quickly grabbed her arm.
"Are you alright?"
"It's okay, the ground was just too slippery!"
The two continued to move forward.
The tent that was lifted was an equipment tent, containing some photography equipment and a generator.
Now one corner of the tent has been completely torn open by the wind, and snow is pouring in.
Three workers were trying to pull a tarpaulin to cover the gap, but the wind was too strong and the tarpaulin was blown away as soon as it was pulled up.
"Do you need any help?"
Chen Xun shouted as he approached.
A staff member turned around; it was Olaf.
His face was covered in frost, and his eyebrows were white.
"What are you doing out here? Go back!"
"Many hands make light work!"
Chen Xun took a corner of the waterproof cloth: "This cloth isn't heavy enough; it won't hold up!"
"What should we do then?"
"Find something heavy to weigh it down!"
Chen Xun looked around.
There was nothing but snow, and no stones or wood nearby.
Then Annie pointed inside the tent: "Use the equipment cases! Those metal cases!"
Several aluminum cases containing cameras, each weighing over ten kilograms.
"clever!"
Chen Xun rushed into the tent, picked up a box, and dragged it out.
Annie followed her in, and the two of them went back and forth three times, carrying out six boxes.
Olaf and the other two pressed the box against the edge of the tarpaulin and secured it with rope.
"They should be able to hold on!"
Olaf breathed a sigh of relief after checking the anchor points: "You two go back quickly, you can't stay in this awful weather for too long."
""
"And you?"
"We'll pack up and head back to the main building of the base. No one can stay in the equipment tents tonight."
Chen Xun nodded and pulled Annie back.
The way back was even more difficult because the wind was blowing in our direction, making it easy to be blown over.
The two practically jogged back to their tent.
After crawling inside, Chen Xun immediately closed the door and locked all the latches.
"call----"
Annie took off her winter coat and plopped down on the bed: "I can't feel my fingers at all."
Chen Xun sat down as well, rubbing his hands together. "It's probably minus twenty-five degrees outside."
Although it was warmer inside the tent than outside, it was only a few degrees above zero.
The heater was humming in the corner, but it wasn't powerful enough.
"Do you think those devices might break?"
Annie looked out the window; the wind and snow continued.
"The metal box should be fine, but it's hard to say about the electronic equipment. Low temperature and humidity can easily cause problems with the circuit boards."
"What about training tomorrow?"
"Let's talk about it tomorrow after the blizzard stops; there's no point in thinking about it now."
Chen Xun took out a thermos from his backpack, poured a cup of hot water and handed it to Annie: "Drink some, warm yourself up."
"
"Thanks."
Annie took the cup and held it with both hands.
As the steam rose, her face appeared somewhat blurry in the mist.
The two remained silent for a while, with only the sound of the wind and the heater.
"When you rushed in to move the boxes just now, I was thinking about something."
"Annie suddenly said."
"What?"
"Would you feel the same way in a real mission?"
"What?"
"Ignore the danger and solve the problem first."
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "Probably. Cooper is that kind of person. He's a pilot by training, and he's used to putting the mission first."
C
"And what about you? Chen Xun himself."
"I?"
Chen Xun laughed: "I'm just an actor, I get paid to do things, and I try my best not to mess it up."
"I don't believe it!"
Anne took a sip of water: "You could have stayed inside the tent; it would have been much safer."
That's because—
Chen Xun got stuck.
He didn't really think that much about it; he just felt he should help.