Chapter 6: A New Daily Life

Chapter 6:
A New Daily Life

 

MIMI’S MEDICINE worked like a charm. The deed went off without a hitch and by the end we were both resting, contented. Mimi passed out right away, understandably exhausted from the day’s events. She lay next to me, breathing gently.

I, on the other hand, lay awake contemplating the future. Today was great, but I needed a plan, a goal of some sort. I couldn’t just live for the sake of living.

It might be nice to get a real house on a nice planet somewhere. Not only might I be able to find my beloved soda in a situation like that, but maybe some day Mimi and I could call a place like that home. Maybe Mimi wouldn’t stay with me forever, but whether with her or someone else, I did hope to have a family some day. Well, if I survived long enough.

And what about my previous life? I mean, sure, if I could, I’d love to go back home. But I had no idea how or why I was here, let alone how to get back. I didn’t even know where to start. Besides, I had a pretty easy life here. I had a great ship, a job as a mercenary, and a decent amount of cash. I was doing pretty well for myself. Sure, I was a little homesick, but this was a whole new universe to explore—how exciting was that?

I mean, okay, I was kinda looking at only the positives. It’s not like there were no downsides to being here. As a mercenary, I’d be toeing the line between life and death constantly. This wasn’t a video game anymore; losing meant death. But losing wasn’t even the only negative outcome. If the Krishna took a ton of damage in some battle, I’d have to find a way to pay for the repairs or face the prospect of fighting in sub-optimal condition. Even if I somehow never took damage, though, I’d need to constantly save up money for regular repair and maintenance. Slacking on that could mean dying just from neglecting something the ship needed.

The danger wasn’t confined to space battles, though. Even just leaving the ship for food or any of the bureaucratic tasks that kept coming up could be dangerous, as I’d learned yesterday. This wasn’t Japan; I couldn’t walk around assuming I was safe. All it would take was some random lowlife catching me by surprise and I’d be done for. Plus, if I went and got myself killed, Mimi would be stranded and in a tough spot herself.

“Hmm…” Knowing her safety was tied to my own was a heavy responsibility. I needed a plan. Maybe I could talk to that guy from the merc guild tomorrow or the day after.

After Mimi’s vitals check tomorrow, we would go shopping. Everything had been too hectic to do the check today. Hopefully, nothing we’d done tonight would cause any blips. I couldn’t know until tomorrow, so I decided to get some rest. In the morning, I would shower, eat, and then get to the vitals check. With a solid plan in place, I closed my eyes and finally relaxed, enjoying Mimi’s warmth beside me. I would rest well tonight.

 

***

 

“Mmuh?” Something tickled my chest, rousing me from my sleep. I cracked my eyes open to find brown hair splayed across my chest. “What are you doing?”

“Bwah?!” Mimi startled and looked up at me. I met her soft brown eyes, setting my hand over hers on my chest. Someone was being naughty.

“Hmm? And just what were you doing?” I teased.

“Huh? I-I’m just, umm…”

“It takes two to play this game, Mimi.”

“Huh? Wha?”

I smirked and pulled her down to me. The morning wasted away while we flirted and played around, enjoying each other all over again.

“So, as for today’s plans…” I said eventually. We couldn’t just laze around forever, unfortunately.

“Yes?”

I told her the agenda over breakfast. We’d taken our time rolling out of bed this morning, but we weren’t in any particular hurry.

After the meal, I did some basic chores to get things started. Still had plenty of cash. Good. We’d need that. The ship’s self-assessment program reported everything in working order, too, so I didn’t need to worry about maintenance at the moment.

Still, we couldn’t just coast off that forever. I’d need to start making money soon, before there was any reason to panic or scramble. After breakfast, we would perform Mimi’s vitals check and leave to shop for daily necessities. Along the way, we would get her a handheld terminal and take her to the mercenary guild, where I could ask about her training. If anyone would know about merc training, it’d be the guild.

“That’s the basic to-do list,” I said.

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

“After we eat, we can rest for a bit. Then it’s time for your vitals check.”

“Yes, sir,” Mimi said.

We snuck in another thirty minutes of lazing around before I took Mimi to the medical pod for her check. The results came back fine—some mild exhaustion, but no illnesses or anything more serious. We were both relieved by that. Being healthy counts for a lot.

“Okay, let’s get going,” I said. “Wear the least revealing clothes you have.”

“Yes, sir,” she said.

“Come to the cafeteria once you’ve changed.” I was already dressed, so I waited while she went back to her room. Hmm, maybe at some point soon we’d need to talk about rules for living together here. We could tackle that later though.

“Sorry for making you wait,” she said when she returned.

“Not at all,” I said. “That was fast.”

She laughed. “All I needed to do was change, after all.”

I thought all girls took a long time to get dressed? Maybe she just didn’t have the extras, like makeup. I’d better buy her some. We headed for the shops. First up, the drugstore. It had just about everything we needed: snacks, candy, makeup, toiletries, even underwear. Oh, and medicine, of course.

“Okay, Mimi,” I said. “I’m gonna let you handle the more delicate items you might need. A female employee might be able to help you better than me. Just let her know you’re living on a ship now.”

“Y-yes, sir,” she answered.

“Listen up. Once you get on that ship and leave the colony, we won’t be able to restock for months, maybe even half a year. Don’t skimp or it’ll actually cause more trouble for us. Just get whatever you might need.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hopefully she could handle it or an employee could help. I really wasn’t an expert myself. I got some help from a different employee. After letting him know I was planning a long voyage, he recommended a first-aid kit and some medicines and materials to keep our medical pod well stocked. For myself, I grabbed underwear, shirts, and body wash. Finally, I’d need filters and disinfectants for the water circulation system back on the ship.

While I went over my purchase, Mimi returned. She was blushing, and the employee helping her was grinning about something. I distinctly didn’t like where this was going.

“She’s such a good girl. Have fun, you two!” the woman said.

Awkward silence descended after that proclamation. The moment I looked to Mimi she blushed and hid her face. Oh boy. I wasn’t dumb. It was clear what she must have bought. Still, I had to ask. “Whatever it is, it’s safe, right?” I asked. “No crazy side effects? Not addictive? She won’t develop a dependence on it or anything?”

“Don’t worry,” the employee assured me. “I can vouch for its safety.”

“Then it’s all good. She needs it, right?”

“Yes. It makes her monthly cycle much lighter.”

“I’ll take your word on it.” I was no expert, but I knew that a monthly cycle could be pretty painful, though it differed from person to person. Some women got it so bad they could barely do anything at all when it was at its worst. I’d even heard of pilots in this universe who made a mistake or crashed because of the pain. God, pain like that for days, maybe even a week or more—it sounded awful. Hopefully whatever Mimi got would help her avoid that. The medicine in this universe was pretty advanced; surely it was up to the task.

“Thank you, come again!” the employee said as she rang up all our stuff.

I used my terminal to pay and finish the delivery procedures. By the time we returned to the ship, all our purchases would be waiting for us.

Next up was the handheld terminal for Mimi. It didn’t take too long to find.

“Terminal and tablet,” I said as I presented Mimi with both.

“Y-you bought two?” Her eyes flew wide.

“I wanted a tablet for myself, so three.”

The terminal handled basic communication and wallet functions, while the tablet was for study, work, and entertainment. I planned to ask Mimi to train to become an operator, so she’d need a tablet of her own. She’d also be super helpful for managing my finances and all the bureaucracy with the guild and various governments.

We couldn’t just work, though. That’s why I got us both tablets with nice big screens we could use for videos, games, or whatever else we wanted.

“But they’re so expensive,” she said.

I understood her reluctance to drop that kind of money right away, but going cheap on necessary expenses usually ended up costing you more money in the long run. What if we were in the middle of space and discovered that these things couldn’t do what we needed or broke easily?

Maybe shopping for clothes next would be best? I got what I needed at the drugstore, but Mimi needed somewhere a little nicer. It would be more efficient to split up and let her get her clothes while I dropped in at the guild, but it would also be more dangerous. Better to stick together.

We headed for the clothing store, hoping for a quick trip, but then—

I stalled in front of the storefront display, stunned into silence.

“What’s the matter?” Mimi asked.

“Aren’t their outfits kind of…niche?” I said.

The mannequins in the display wore nurse uniforms, maid costumes, witch robes, bunny outfits, and more. Despite the little futuristic touches, it looked like a full-on cosplay shop—not that I was complaining.

“Really?” Mimi said. “I think they’re cute. Though they do look expensive.”

“Cute? Really?” I said.

“Yes?” Mimi seemed confused.

“Well, er… Whatever. Let’s go in.”

“Yes, sir.”

Despite the outward display, the shop was shockingly normal inside. Mimi buzzed with excitement. She didn’t seem put off by the weird costumes at all. I guess I’d have to go with the flow. Maybe cosplay was cutting edge fashion here.

“No way,” I muttered to myself. “This ain’t normal.”

“Hm…?” Mimi raised an eyebrow. Futuristic or not, the clothing on display here was definitely still cosplay.

Oh! Maybe the real clothing is invite-only? They must have normal options in the back. I mean, who in the world would walk around wearing this stuff? How is this place making money?!

“Welcome! How can I help you?” An employee appeared, wearing a smile and a high-tech rabbit-ear headband. Her whole uniform was a bunny suit, in fact.

“We’re here to buy her some clothes,” I said. “Uh… Do you have any normal, non-hobby clothes?”

“Yes, of course, sir.”

“Okay,” I said. “Mimi, go pick out some clothes and underwear with her. I’ll be, uh…”

“We have seats over here. Go on, don’t be shy!” the employee urged.

“Gotcha.”

“U-um…” Mimi hesitated.

“Don’t worry about the cost. Just buy what you need. Cool?”

“Yes, sir.” Mimi nodded. Good! That was much better than her being modest and missing out on something she needed.

“Aww, how sweet,” the employee said.

“Mimi here is learning to be a mercenary,” I said. “Or an operator, I guess. You know what I am based on my outfit, don’t you?”

“Are you a mercenary? Ooh, does that mean she’s on your ship with you?”

“Yup.”

“Oh ho ho…” The bunny girl looked back and forth between us. “Well! We have many things you might both like, from the modest to the sensual. Good job bagging her, buddy!”

“Can you just find something that looks merc-ish, maybe like an operator? The rest is up to her.”

“Yes, sir! Come, dear. Right this way!” She took Mimi’s hand.

“Huh? Oh, okay!”

They vanished into the back of the shop.

“Welp.” I was in for a long wait. Unfortunately, I couldn’t entertain myself by wandering around. They only had women’s clothing here, so I’d look weird as hell prowling around through it. Instead, I pulled out my terminal and started writing a message to Elma.

You really stirred up trouble, I wrote.

It helped you, didn’t it? Sheltered rich boys like you never make a move. Damn, her reply was quick! Was she that bored? Actually, she’d mentioned the galactic police killing some space pirates. Maybe she was stuck on standby. So, did you smash?

Please don’t say “smash.” But yes, we did.

If you said you didn’t smash, I’d come and smack you in the face right now.

Ooh, scary. Elma’s next message was a sticker of a cat punching a mouse. What a way to learn that the texting app had stickers.

So what? she wrote. Did you text me just to complain?

No, I wrote. I’m thinking of training Mimi to be an operator. I wanted to ask if the guild has any materials. You know, manuals, training apps, whatever.

Ask the guild, not me. But yeah, they should have stuff like that.

Do they? And would I have to go to the guild to get it?

I don’t know! All I’ve heard is that the merc training org that runs the guild has training stuff. Go there and ask them yourself.

Aye-aye, ma’am. I sent her a sticker with a penguin saluting. I kept texting with Elma while I waited, telling her about the vitals check and the shopping and all. Finally, Mimi and the employee returned. Neither of them carried any bags, so I figured the purchases must be on their way to the ship.

“Done?” I asked.

“Y-yes!” Mimi said. The bunny girl employee wore a positively diabolical grin. That’s not reassuring…

“What’s the damage?” I said.

“Your total is right here!” The bunny girl held out a tablet, which showed Mimi wearing a high-tech bunny suit. This application seemed to combine her bodily data with the clothes, giving a preview of what she would look like if she wore them.

Yeah, Mimi’s chest was downright dangerous. She was practically falling out of that little bunny suit, especially at the top. Oh boy.

“Oopsie! You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“You’d better delete that data,” I said.

The bunny girl nodded gleefully. Then she leaned in and whispered, “If you register as a member, we can recommend the perfect clothes by comparing her data with sister stores. If you’re interested, we have online ordering and new product alerts.”

“Does it include that clothing preview software?”

“Of course! This is all made possible with our exclusive app.”

“Sold.” I registered as a member while I paid. It was not a cheap prospect. But hey, compared to flak shrapnel and my other ammo, it wasn’t really gonna make a dent in the finances.

With all that settled, we headed at last for the mercenary guild.

“Just so you know, the guy who works at the guild is kind of terrifying,” I said while we walked. “He looks exactly like what you’d imagine for a merc guild.”

“O-okay,” she replied.

“He’s a nice enough guy, once you get to know him. That place is like a government office, so you don’t have to be nervous.”

“Yes, sir!”

Her expression changed from fear to delight on a dime. Adorable. Still, she probably needed to learn self-defense to survive around here. Maybe even carry a weapon. I’d have to ask the merc guild guy what he’d recommend.

 

***

 

“That didn’t take you long, huh?” The receptionist frowned upon noticing Mimi peeking out from behind me.

“Hey, listen, a lot happened,” I said. “Either way, she’s staying on my ship now and I was hoping she could train to be an operator. Do you have documents or training manuals, maybe even an app, that might help train her?”

“I-I’d really appreciate it,” Mimi added.

The receptionist lunged around the counter, grabbing me by the collar all of a sudden.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

“I’ll tell you all about what happened, just let me go. You’re scary this close up.”

“Watch it,” he snarled.

“But it’s true! Look, Mimi’s trembling, too!”

“Urk!” The man shoved me away, sat down, closed his eyes, and took deep breaths to calm himself. He wasn’t the only one. I needed a few deep breaths myself.

“It’s a long story, just so you know,” I warned him.

“I’ve got time.”

“Okay…”

He clearly wasn’t going to take no for an answer—and I definitely didn’t want to be on his bad side—so I settled in and told him the whole sorry tale.

“This is unfair!” he growled. “You meet a girl your first day of mercenary work and I still can’t get a girl myself! Wanna guess how long I’ve been doing this? Fifteen years! Am I doomed to eternal loneliness?!” Abruptly, his anger shifted to despair as he cried at the heavens and fell onto his desk, weeping into his arms.

The commotion summoned a different employee, who came running at the sound of the receptionist’s wailing. She grabbed him and bodily hauled him off to the back as soon as she saw him. Well, see ya, I guess.

“Excuse my coworker’s rudeness.” After cleaning the receptionist’s tears from the front desk, the woman smiled awkwardly at us. I couldn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t feel awkward in that position?

“So, uh, should I tell the whole story again?” I said.

“If you wouldn’t mind, yes. You may spare the details, though.” The woman bowed deeply, and I gave her a summary of events. “I see. Then you require a passenger registration for her, along with materials for operator training.”

“Guess so,” I said.

“I-if you’d please,” Mimi added.

This woman proved far more efficient than her coworker. In no time she completed the paperwork and handed us educational materials to install on Mimi’s tablet. The program looked pretty high-tech. An AI would teach Mimi everything she needed to know, and an additional app would help compile things like ship status and finances all in one place.

“An information gathering and display application is included,” the new receptionist said. “Be sure to learn it like the back of your hand.”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Mimi replied.

“You’ll be a real help if you can learn procedures and all that stuff, Mimi. Do your best,” I encouraged her.

“Understood!” Mimi exhaled triumphantly, her newly powered-up tablet in hand. Together, we might just make it. This universe was full of complex procedures that the game mercifully omitted, so hopefully Mimi could handle that while I focused on piloting.

“Oh, right,” I remembered. “I was also hoping she could learn self-defense or how to use a weapon.”

“Hmm, that would be difficult,” the new receptionist explained. “It’s impossible to learn self-defense overnight. Same goes for learning to use a weapon.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. However, whether she can use it or not, just carrying a gun might work. The threat of the weapon itself will help keep ne’er-do-wells away.”

“I see.”

“Should I prepare one for you?” she offered.

“That would be great.”

Did the mercenary guilds handle weapons, too? Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen a weapon shop in all my time here. Seemed the mercenary guilds and government organizations handled all that. Mimi got to test out a laser gun in the shooting range before we left. It was… Well, let’s put it this way: It’d probably help if she kept her eyes open when she took a shot.