Chapter 1: The Arein System’s Trading Colony

Chapter 1:
The Arein System’s Trading Colony

 

“HM, LET’S SEE,” Mimi said. “The Arein System contains two habitable planets, three research colonies, and one trading colony.”

She went on to describe how the system thrived thanks to export of its high-tech goods, made possible by its large-scale import of materials. This produced a steady stream of merchant ships, which, in turn, brought about a steady stream of space pirates. Even with the Empire protecting them, the Arein System was simply too large to shield completely. After all, it didn’t have large asteroid belts like the Tarmein System did. A few of those pirates always slipped through, and that was where we’d find our mercenary work.

“And that’s a summary of the Arein System,” Mimi concluded.

“Bravo!” She blushed furiously as I applauded. “So, what colony should we go to?”

“Research colonies typically do not admit people other than researchers and management, so we should go to the trading colony,” she said.

“If we ordered stuff at a trading colony,” Elma chimed in, “then we could visit a research colony while it’s delivered. It’s not exactly a party, though. Not much sightseeing to do in those places.”

“Sounds stuffy to me,” I grumped. “Do the people who live there hate fun or something?”

“Stations like that are full of brainiacs who enjoy researching,” Elma said.

“Eww.” I felt bored just imagining all those workaholics who saw research as a hobby. I wouldn’t last a day in a dull place like that. “Elma, let’s set our sights on the trading colony instead.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.” Elma, sitting in the copilot’s seat, wheeled the Krishna around to face the trading colony. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes until we’re there.”

“Gotcha. Let’s stay on guard. Mimi, keep an eye out for any strange signals on the radar.”

“Yes, sir!”

Mimi trained her sights on the hyperspace sensors. They kept working during FTL travel, unlike normal sensors. Don’t ask me how it worked; I didn’t really understand any of this hyperspace stuff. All that mattered to me was that those sensors gave us a good view of everything around us. We could pick up other ships, bits of debris, or even distress signals.

Which was exactly what Mimi found. “Excuse me, Master Hiro? I’ve located a distress signal.”

“Whoa, seriously?” I cried. “That’s super rare.”

“We need to go help them,” Elma said.

It might be fine to ignore mini events like this in Stella Online, but that wouldn’t fly here. We had a duty to rush to the rescue and a reputation to maintain.

“Right. Turn us toward the source of the signal,” I ordered. “We might have to fight, so make sure you’re ready.”

“Yes, sir!” Mimi shouted.

“Gotcha,” Elma said.

We pointed the Krishna right at the distress signal. I had no idea what we’d find. Such signals were extremely unusual and usually only used when a ship had a major malfunction or was under attack. We could be heading toward a simple tow job…or a full-on shoot-out.

“We’ll make contact soon,” Elma said. “Disabling FTL drive in five, four, three, two, one… Now!”

Boom! A roar rippled out as Elma shut down the FTL drive and eased the ship into normal space. Immediately, five ships popped up on the radar, one medium-sized with four smaller ones chasing it down. Welp, it looked like we had our answer.

“They’re under attack,” Elma reported. “It looks like the victim is a medium passenger ship.”

“That one sent the signal,” I said. “Let’s intervene. Mimi, scan them and make contact.”

“Yes, sir!” she replied. “This is the mercenary battleship Krishna. We’ve received your distress signal. To the ships of unknown affiliation attacking the passenger ship, we demand you stop at once.”

“They’re targeting us,” Elma said.

That was one way to respond to Mimi’s command. The unknown ships already had their weapon systems powered up. All they had to do was lock on to us, and we’d be toast.

“They’re definitely hostile,” I muttered. “Bring weapon systems online and increase generator output to battle mode.”

“Aye-aye,” Mimi said. “Weapon systems online. Increasing output.”

“Let’s go!” I shouted.

The ship whirred and shifted around us, deploying four weapon arms bearing heavy laser cannons. Two more cannons extended from either side of the cockpit, gleaming dully in the light from the other ships.

“All four of those small ships have bounties,” Mimi said.

“Then we can crush them without hesitation,” I said.

Two of the four small craft peeled off to charge our way. I launched the Krishna right at them, accelerating as we went.

“This guy’s fast!” one of them cried.

The second we got in range, I unleashed all four heavy laser cannons at the ships. They didn’t even get a chance to fire before their shields faltered.

“Gah? My shields?!”

I started my count. “One down.”

As I swept past the first ship, I unloaded my flak cannons, punching through that unshielded ship. The high-speed, small debris of the flak cannons worked best at close range like this, turning the enemy into Swiss cheese after one brutal round of firing.

Elma shuddered. “Those shard cannons are as terrifying as ever.”

“Shard cannon is such a fancy way to say it,” I said.

“Fancy? What?”

Even while we chatted, I turned the ship to point all four cannons at the next unfortunate enemy to cross our path.

“Fire, fiiire!”

Lasers sliced through the pirate ship, melting its shields and thrusters.

“C-cut it out!” the enemy yelped.

“No.” Maybe they went on begging, but I wasn’t listening. Space pirates like these stole from transport ships, hijacked passenger vessels, slaughtered entire crews, and sometimes even dabbled in the slave trade. Trash like them didn’t deserve any mercy. I showered the pirate in heavy laser fire. Within moments, his ship exploded in a fiery bloom.

“That’s two. Next!” This was getting downright fun.

“Two ships left. Looks to me like they’re running away, though,” came Elma’s report. They must have gotten spooked by seeing their comrades so swiftly dispatched.

“Hey, you! Get back here!” I barked.

“Nah, I ain’t gettin’ near a monster like you!” one of the pirates snapped, beating a hasty retreat. He’d already put a good amount of distance between me and his ship.

“Space pirate ships have activated faster-than-light drive!” Mimi said.

“We’ve gotta catch them!” I punched the acceleration, dashing after the fleeing pirates. Just a little farther and they’ll be in laser range!

“Later!” the pirates said.

Boom! The pirate ships flashed into streaks of pure light. We could potentially still chase them, but it would leave that passenger ship stranded.

“Dammit!” I cursed. “They’re fast.”

“They sure knew when to quit,” Elma said. “I guess some of them aren’t complete idiots.”

“Well, I’d prefer if they were idiots.” If only they’d been in shooting range, I could have still dropped them. A longer-range gun, like an electromagnetic railgun, would have kept me on their tails. “Whatever. Get us connected to the passenger ship. If they think they’ll be fine on their voyage, we can start rummaging for loot.”

“We don’t have to escort them,” Elma reminded me.

Cold, but true. They hadn’t asked for an escort, just a rescue. We’d get a reward either way at this point. Receiving that distress signal obligated us to them, but it also meant they owed us our due reward. How much? Well, that depended on what they were carrying and who they were. Typically, a medium-sized ship like this one was a decent payout. Not two minutes in this system and already, we were making money. Nice!

A voice crackled over the communication line Mimi had opened. “We are a passenger ship under Inagawa Technologies: the Koueimaru. Thank you for saving us.”

Inagawa Technologies and the Koueimaru, huh? They sound like a Japanese firm. I wonder how you would write that name in kanji.

“I’m just glad to see you’re safe, Koueimaru. I’m Captain Hiro, mercenary. How’s your ship doing?”

“Our life support systems are safe, but our undercarriage is ruined. I’m sorry to ask you this, but could you protect us until imperial ships arrive?”

Protect them, huh? We might have been able to tow a smaller ship, but not one this size. Guess we were on guard duty now.

“Can we call that an official request?” I asked. “Do I get a reward?”

“Yes, of course. Inagawa Technologies will compensate you. We can negotiate the exact amount back at headquarters. I don’t have the authority to make that kind of decision.”

So he was the captain, but his power was still pretty limited. I glanced over at Elma, who nodded. Done deal.

“Understood. We will now begin guarding your ship, and we will be done once the imperial ships arrive. Inagawa Technologies will pay the rescue and protection rewards. Does that sound all right?”

“Yes, that will do.”

“Sounds good to us. Mimi, log that conversation just in case.”

“Yes, sir!”

I guess we might as well fish around in those wrecked ships, then. Though I doubt I’ll get much, since I crushed them before they could steal anything.

 

***

 

“Wooow, it’s so big!” Mimi marveled.

“That it is,” I agreed. “How many Tarmein Primes could fit in here, do you think?”

Elma scratched her head. “Um, I think they say five times as many people can live here? That doesn’t tell you much about the size, though.”

An enormous colony loomed ahead. The cuboctahedron rotated slowly, perhaps to create artificial gravity within that massive structure.

This big boy’s name was Arein Tertius. We’d traveled all the way out here for this colony in particular, just the third one ever built in the Arein System.

“Mimi, send a docking request,” I said.

“Oh! Yes, sir. I’ll send it now.” Mimi worked the console, providing our ship’s name, captain’s name, and reason for arriving. “We’ve been granted permission! They want us to go to the seventy-second hangar.”

“Gotcha.”

I switched on the auto-docking function and let the ship follow the guide beacons to our designated hangar. Such an enormous colony saw a ton of traffic, meaning any little collision could turn into a major disaster. Better to just let the Krishna handle this one.

“Jeez, auto-docking? That’s just heresy,” Elma said.

“I like things to be easy,” I said. Sure, I could show off, but why bother right now? With the auto-docking installed on the ship, the only real concern was some idiot barreling into us.

We eased into the dock and I switched our generator to anchored mode. No need to waste the power supply now that we were there.

“Well, here we are!” I said. “Now what? Should we go out for some grub first?”

“It’s a little early for that,” Elma replied. “I think we should just finish our routine tasks first.”

“Okay. So we sell our loot, visit Inagawa Technologies, and grab our bounties at the Imperial Fleet’s office?”

“I will take care of selling the loot.” Mimi clenched her fists eagerly. She’d become an expert on how to navigate her terminal and find the best prices by comparing markets.

“Cool, so Mimi can sell off our loot. Next, Inagawa Technologies.”

“We might be better off waiting for them to contact us first,” Elma said. “We have no need to rush.”

Fair enough; they knew how to contact us and our affiliation, after all.

“Then how about we go to the Imperial Fleet’s office to grab those bounties?” I proposed.

“Want me to go instead?” Elma said. I had no doubt she could handle the task, but it might go smoother if I did it just because I was the registered captain of this ship.

“Nah. It’s best if the captain goes,” I said.

“I’ll at least go with you,” she pressed. “It’s dangerous to go alone.”

“I’m not a kid…”

I don’t really know anything about this place, though. It could be risky to walk around on my own. Plus, two guns are better than one.

“Sure,” I said. “Let’s go together. We can take a look around the city too. Mimi, stay in the ship; this is the safest place for you to be.”

“Is this colony that dangerous?” Mimi asked.

“They have a lot of security,” I said, “but we don’t really know how safe this place is. There are clearly a ton of people coming and going. No guarantee they’re all good guys.”

“Yep,” Elma chimed in. “Typically, districts with more outsiders are inconsistent when it comes to safety. That’s all a part of gathering info.”

Mimi nodded. “I see.”

Elma and I would be fine when it came to self-defense, but little Mimi didn’t have experience in that area. She kept a laser gun with her, but she’d never had to use it in the heat of the moment.

“That settles it,” I said. “Elma and I will take care of this. We’ll call you if we think it’ll take a while, but if we do, you’re free to eat without us.”

“Okay. Be careful, you two.”

“Of course,” I replied.

“Yup,” Elma said. “See ya.”

Thus, Elma and I left the ship and headed into Arein Tertius.

 

***

 

I let out a laugh. “Ha ha. It seems a little different here.”

“Yeah, this place is way more urban than Tarmein Prime.”

A jungle of skyscrapers awaited us on Arein Tertius. High-rises packed the colony, streetlights marching down the alleyways between them. They provided all of the light for the colony. Due to Arein Tertius’s design, no natural light pierced this city of eternal night.

“It can’t be good for your health to have so little light,” I mused.

“I hear the people here take regular artificial sun baths,” Elma said.

“That sounds…well, actually, no. I guess we do that every day too.”

“Yep, in our medical pod.”

Living on a ship meant most mercs didn’t get much natural sunlight. Our medical pods not only performed vitals checks but also provided us with artificial sun baths. I assumed it was some sort of fancy ultraviolet light.

“Seems like it’d be a pain to walk on foot everywhere. How do people get around?”

“Look over there.” Elma gestured at an entrance that led downward. “There’s an underground transportation system that can take you anywhere in the colony. Remember the distribution system on Tarmein Prime? This is that, but on a large scale.”

“Oh, I get it.” Any time we went to a shop back on Tarmein Prime, our purchases always made it back to the ship before we did, thanks to that distribution system Elma mentioned. I had to wonder what it felt like to zip through that network of tubes. “Do we need to use it right now?”

“Nope. The Imperial Fleet’s post is very close by.”

“That’s a shame. Maybe I’ll get the chance later.” How close was Inagawa Technologies? Failing that, we’d need groceries and other essentials eventually. There’s still a chance!

“There. The imperial post.” Elma waved at a building flying the flags of the Empire and its fleet. It looked more like an office building than any kind of military post.

“Not very imposing,” I commented.

“Yeah, this one’s pretty plain. Some posts have a bit more going on. When the colony can spare the land, they’ll even set up training grounds.”

This was definitely not one such post. There wasn’t even a guard at the door, just a turret-slash-security camera. I guess the Imperial Fleet likes to automate labor where they can.

A security gate stopped us the moment we entered the building. A bulky macho man stood imposingly before it with a laser turret behind him as backup.

“We do not allow visitors to bring weapons into this military post,” the clerk said. “Please leave them here before you enter.”

“Sure.”

“Already on it,” Elma said.

Elma and I handed over our laser guns and backup energy packs. The clerk put us through a full-body scan nonetheless and checked our identities on our handheld terminals.

“The check is complete,” the clerk said. “If you wish to collect bounties, head to that counter. If you need anything else, try the next one over.”

“Thanks.”

We headed to the counter. I was used to this kind of thing from my time on Tarmein Prime, but this time, there were no sentries with lasers at every entrance.

“Welcome to Arein Tertius. You seem to be new here.” A gentle-looking man greeted us at the counter. I guessed he was a bit older than me—maybe in his late thirties or early forties.

“Yeah, we just landed. I’m Captain Hiro, and this is my crew member, Elma. We have another crewmate named Mimi back at the ship.”

“Hiro and Elma, got it. I’m Sergeant Daniel, but my rank is of little importance to mercenaries, so Daniel or even Danny is perfectly fine.”

I shook my head. “Nah, I think I’ll go with Sergeant Daniel. Never hurts to be polite, right?”

“Sergeant Daniel sounds good to me,” Elma added.

“Is that so? Well, that’s perfectly acceptable,” Sergeant Daniel said. “Now, you must be here to collect bounties, yes? Quite the diligent workers you are, to come here immediately after landing.”

“We actually received a distress signal on our way to this colony,” I explained. “When we went to check it out, it was a ship from Inagawa Technologies being attacked by space pirates. We couldn’t let them get hurt.”

“Really? Inagawa Technologies? Is the crew safe?”

“We made it just in time. My ship couldn’t tow them, so we called some imperial ships in to do it. Since we got here first, we figured we’d have to wait a while.”

“I see. Well, as long as our ships are with them, they have nothing to fear. You’ve done well, Hiro.”

Sergeant Daniel’s pursed lips lifted into a smile as I spoke. I could already tell this guy could worm his way into anyone’s heart over time.

“Yeah. I’m just glad someone could help them. So, about those bounties…” I said.

“Oh, yes, of course. Hold on just a moment. You will receive…15,000 Ener for the two ships.”

“Jeez, that’s a lot,” I said.

“Those four ships have been terrorizing private crafts lately,” Sergeant Daniel said. “They like to hit and run, so we’ve had a tough time pinning them down. Now that you’ve taken out two of them, they may just lie low for a while.”

“I see…” This wasn’t quite adding up. The cargo of those pirate ships was pretty barren for such prolific pests—nothing but food and alcohol. Maybe they had a base nearby?

“The bounty transfer is complete,” Sergeant Daniel informed me. “Will you be staying here for a while?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan. A thriving colony like this has plenty of stuff to see, I bet.”

“It does, sir. We have high-tech businesses all over the place, and merchants stop by often. You won’t find any lack of recreation.”

“Really? Sounds like fun. Well, I guess we should get going.”

“Very well. Enjoy your stay.”

It seemed like we were well on our way to finding success in this colony. We recovered our lasers at the security gate and left the imperial post behind.

I turned to Elma as we headed back. “That guy was pretty pleasant, wasn’t he?”

“He didn’t look like the military type at all. Maybe he trained to have a job like that instead of being a soldier.”

“Really? So the military will actually train support staff?”

In my limited experience, the military’s organizational structure was utterly incomprehensible. In this universe, there was no need for armies suited to land, air, or sea. Every battle was fought in space, which probably meant a lot of reorganization from those older ways of waging war. I couldn’t begin to fathom how it all worked, let alone how support staff factored into the whole equation.

“Anyway,” Elma said, “you really have to wonder about what he said.”

“About the pirates we finished off? Their cargo was a little lacking, wasn’t it?”

“Definitely. They must have stashed the real goods somewhere else.”

“Yeah. But a four-ship squad…”

“They’re a small operation. I doubt we’ll find them.” Elma grinned wryly and shrugged. We might be able to ferret out a pirate base on an asteroid or something, but it was just as likely they threw their loot in a sturdy container and let it float somewhere in the vastness of space. That kind of thing was impossible to find without coordinates. “Meh, I say we forget about it. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Next time, they’re not getting away.”

“That’s the spirit. Wanna go back to the ship and eat? Mimi’s waiting for us.”

I was down for that. “Sure.”

We strolled back at a leisurely pace. We didn’t face any urgent need for work, money, or supplies. In fact, we could spend the next day or two just kicking back before we had to worry about work again at all.

 

***

 

“Welcome back!” Mimi greeted us.

“Yep,” I replied. “Back we are.”

“Hey, Mimi,” Elma said.

Mimi perked up from where she sat with her tablet in hand.

“Studying something?” I asked.

“Yes. I was looking for the medical center with the best reputation.”

“Gotcha. Did you find anything?”

“I’ve only just started searching, so not yet,” she said. “I’m trying to avoid thinking that more expensive equals better. Considering your situation, I was wondering if we should look for one that focuses on the nervous system or the mind.”

Ah, right, my “memory loss.” I was perfectly healthy aside from that little quirk. Well, probably. Unless my body back home in Japan was stuck in some sort of coma and that was how I’d come here. I still thought and felt like the Satou Takahiro of Japan. The Krishna should have been a figment of my imagination, a dream that humanity might someday achieve as we explored space.

“Sticking with that memory loss story, huh?” Elma twisted her lips in an expression of pure skepticism. In her mind, I was a spoiled rich kid just running away from home.

That belief was pretty much my fault. At some point, I’d asked Elma if there were any “normal” meat and veggies we could buy. You see, most people here ate synthetic food made of algae and krill. “Normal” meat and veggies were a luxury enjoyed by super-rich aristocrats, so it was only natural that she’d doubt me after that. I couldn’t exactly prove her wrong either. I had no idea how I ended up here, after all. Yes, it was like Stella Online, but it wasn’t the same. I just had too few memories to go by.

“Since my memories are all screwed up, I say we should get a comprehensive medical exam,” I said. “I don’t know if I’m missing vaccines or anything, so we should probably get everything checked out.”

“That is a good idea,” Mimi agreed.

“I’m fine,” Elma chimed in, “but you should get examined while we’re there, Mimi. There are lethal diseases out there that only affect humans. You both might need more vaccines.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine, Elma?” I said.

“I already have all of my vaccinations,” she said with a shrug.

But I shook my head and insisted. “I’ll pay, so let’s get you an exam too. It’s a captain’s duty to keep track of his crew’s health. Same goes for you, Mimi.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You sure?” Elma asked. “Well, if you’re paying, why not?”

Good. We can all get checked out this way.

It would be less lonely going as a group. Not that I was scared of hospitals or anything. Besides, like I said, it was my job to keep my crew members safe. If I could reduce their health risks just by spending a little bit of money, that was well worth the price.

“How much do you think it’ll cost?” I asked.

“I have no idea,” Elma said. “One person probably wouldn’t cost more than 1,000,000 Ener, I guess.”

“All right. That sounds okay to me.” Even if it cost 1,000,000 per person, I had 10,000,000 in savings. A painful expense, but one I could endure for the sake of everyone’s health. Still, that was something like 100,000,000 yen back in Japan. The fact that I thought of that as cheap kinda scared me.

“Master Hiro, 1,000,000 Ener is…” Mimi protested.

“You can’t just brush off 1,000,000 Ener with ‘sounds okay to me,’ y’know,” Elma said.

“Yeah, I know. As soon as I spoke, I knew it wasn’t gonna happen.”

“Good,” Elma replied.

Whatever the cost, I would be mentally prepared for it.

 

***

 

With the medical stuff aside, it was time for a good ol’ lazy day. We set up the Steel Chef 5 to whip us up a delicious meal, took turns in the bath, and just relaxed. Normally, I might have worked out before my bath, but today was for resting.

“Sooo sleepy…” I groaned.

Elma scoffed. “You’re such a lazybones.”

“That’s quite the thing to say when you’re resting on me.” I was lying on my back in bed while Elma leaned against me, toying with her terminal. A real battle of the laziest.

“Fair enough. I guess it’s not bad to rest once in a while.”

“Absolutely.”

To be honest, it was more than “once in a while” for Elma. She almost treated me like a big dog. If I sat down, she’d put her head in my lap. If I was lying around, she’d come snuggle up beside me, always seeking that casual affection.

I had to admit, I liked it. Elma seemed calm at those times, more relaxed. It felt nice just having her there at my side.

“Looks like we’ve got a buyer for the stuff Mimi put up for sale,” she announced.

“Ooh, nice. How much did we get?” I said.

“Subtract the handling fee, and we get 4,500 Ener. Adding that to the bounties makes a total profit of 19,500 Ener.”

“Okay. 3 percent of that makes your portion…585 Ener?”

“And Mimi gets 98 Ener.”

“Dang, that’s not much.”

“That’s just how it is,” Elma said. “We’re not gonna rake in 8,000,000 Ener every battle. Your cut is 18,817 Ener.”

“Nice. By the way, don’t worry about rushing to pay me back.”

Elma blinked down at me. “Aren’t you supposed to want it back as soon as possible?”

“Meh. I’d really prefer having you here over the money.”

I really did value having Elma around, and not just thanks to her beauty. She helped round out the Krishna’s crew and provided much-needed support when I was in the captain’s chair. Plus, she and Mimi had grown close as well.

“Don’t worry about that,” Elma reassured me. “We’re in this for the long haul, buddy. I gotta pay you back, and I need the money to buy a whole new ship.” She flopped onto my stomach.

Nice try, but I’ve been hitting the training room every day. You might be expecting squish, but there’s a six-pack under there.

“Hey, I feel you flexing,” she grumbled. “I can’t sleep here if your muscles are hard.”

“Oh, my bad.”

“Mm, there you go. That’s good.” Evidently, Elma wasn’t a fan of rock-hard abs. She snuggled in closer, content with the softness. “For real, though…”

“Hm?”

“You’re lying about the memory loss, right?”

“Nooope.”

“Jeez, you’re not even trying anymore.” She shook with laughter. “I’m not gonna pry if you don’t want me to. Should I stop asking?”

“Hm… It’s not like that. More like, you’d think I was insane.”

“What’s that mean?”

I guess it’s not that big of a deal. It’s not like telling Elma I came from another universe would make anything bad happen. She might think I’m a little crazy, but surely she won’t send me off to get vivisected or whatever.

“If you really want to know, I’ll tell you,” I said. “Just be warned that this gets weird.”

“This is starting to sound scary… But sure. I wanna know.”

“Really? Okay, well, where do I begin? Do you know about parallel universes and junk?”

“The concepts, sure. Beats me whether they actually exist or not, though.” Elma shrugged, still using my stomach as her pillow.

“Yeah, so, I think I came from one of those. Same with the Krishna. At least, that’s how it seems to me.”

Elma went very still and very quiet.

I hurriedly continued, “Do you remember when we went to the mercenary guild for the first time, and the guy said I had no docking history? It makes sense now, right? Tarmein Prime was the first place I docked after I came to this universe.”

“He did say that, didn’t he? But that’s still just… A parallel universe? Is that even possible?”

“What do you mean? Like in terms of the Krishna’s parts being compatible with things found here?”

“Yeah,” she said. “If you came from another universe, then it’s kinda weird that the Krishna is compatible with equipment made with this universe’s tech. I guess technology could’ve progressed in the same way in both universes, but I’ve never seen any other ships like this here. Plus, based on your skills in battle, you’re a top-notch mercenary, not some random newbie who just showed up here.”

My face flushed at the praise. “I’m tickled to hear you say that.”

Elma barreled on. “This doesn’t explain your complete lack of common sense, though. If your universe has similar battleships and mercenaries, shouldn’t the shared wisdom be similar? It doesn’t add up.”

“Well, yeah, maybe,” I said. “This might confuse you even more, but…I’m not even a mercenary in my universe. I’m just a company employee—a salaryman—with a love for video games.”

“A salaryman? So you just work for some corporation? Did you at least work in their battle department or something?”

“Nope. I’d never even shot a gun before coming here. I was a totally normal person. Not a whiff of violence.”

“Huh?” Elma sat up and cocked her head.

I guess never shooting a gun sounds pretty crazy from her perspective.

“That doesn’t make sense,” she said. “You said you won that gun in a shooting tournament somewhere, right? That didn’t sound like a lie. I’ve seen you fire a gun too—you don’t look like an amateur.”

“That’s true, but…okay, I’m just gonna say it. Me getting the Krishna, me getting that gun, me having my skills as a merc…all of that happened in a video game. From my perspective, it’s like I just dove straight into a video game universe.”

“Like a virtual reality video game?”

“Do they have those here?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “but not a lot of people play them since you need to have a port installed near your spine. They’re more for medical use, anyway.” Elma shrugged. “Though there are some people who get really into the full-immersion VR stuff. Maybe you’re one of those people. Apparently, if you experience battle in virtual reality, it affects your real-life capabilities as well.”

“Nah. My universe is way behind this one. The games I played were on a stationary console, if that makes sense. Maybe that’s like an antique in this universe? We didn’t have interstellar travel either; in fact, we hadn’t even colonized other planets yet.”

“You hadn’t? Jeez, you might as well have been barbarians. Well, it does sound like a crazy adventure. Jumping into a video game world is like something out of a classic novel.”

Were transported-into-another-world novels classics in this universe? Was I experiencing their equivalent of Gilgamesh?

I laughed. “Yeah, sure. It’d almost be more realistic if I did lose my memories in an accident and made up the memories I just told you about.”

“But all of that was the truth, right?”

“From my perspective, yes. I guess we can’t know if it’s true without sucking my memories out and taking a look inside.”

“Nothing’s impossible, but I don’t think we have to go that far.”

“Nothing’s impossible? That is mildly terrifying. Is it actually worth it to try something like that?”

“If you’re worried, you might be better off doing it. Do you have any big questions or problems right now?” Elma said.

“Not especially.” I mean, sure, I wanted to know what happened and how I’d ended up here, but I wasn’t desperate for the information. It wasn’t like I was champing at the bit to go home.

“Then what’s the problem?” Elma asked. “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

She nodded firmly. “I am.”

“Oh, is that so? You don’t have anything else to say?”

“Not really. No matter what you think of yourself, it doesn’t change how I see you. Well, except for the fact that ‘cringey teenager who kept being cringey into adulthood’ just got added to my mental description of you.”

“Hey, stop that. That’s way too close to the truth.”

Elma giggled. I could feel the little vibrations of her laughter from where she reclined against me.

“Y’know, you’re a good woman,” I said.

“Yeah, duh. Who did you think I was?”

“A sad little space elf.”

“Okay, buddy, you’re on.”

“Whoa, cut it out!”

Elma launched into a tickle attack and we scuffled on my bed, fighting for dominance. Heh heh heh. Do you think your tiny little arms can beat my trained muscles?

“Grah?! You know the ude-hishigi-juji-gatame arm lock?!” I blurted.

Elma outmaneuvered me, pinning me down and tickling me until I cried from laughter. It’d be nice to have some tender, loving affection here. Seriously…

 

***

 

Elma and I spent the rest of the night roughhousing and counterattacking. In the morning, I headed straight for a bath and then hit the training room for a workout. After that, I washed off again. Even when I’d finished all that, Elma was still sleeping peacefully in my bed.

I found Mimi in the cafeteria in workout clothes.

“Good morning, Master Hiro,” she said. Her skin was already slick with sweat.

“Morning, Mimi,” I said. “Did you just finish working out?”

“Yes. I was just about to take a bath.”

“Good timing. I’ll go ahead and get breakfast ready while you wash up.”

“Sure, thanks! I’ll be right back.” Mimi grinned and trotted off to her bath. She could have just come in while I was washing, though I suppose our baths would have taken a lot longer that way…

Elma finally poked her sleepy head into the kitchen while I was still preparing breakfast. “Mooorning…”

“Hey, good morning,” I said. “What the heck are you wearing?”

“I just wanted to try on one of your shirts.” She padded out, dressed in one of my T-shirts. Although it hung large on her, it barely covered her butt.

Definitely distracting.

“Mimi’s in the bath right now,” I told her. “You can go in after.”

“Mm.” Elma wasn’t much of a morning person, especially if it was a rest day. Maybe not the best quality to find in a mercenary, but Elma reliably switched to “go” mode when necessary.

“Elma, good mor—” Mimi started, but stopped short. “Oh, my. You look rather…”

“Mornin’. I’m gonna go take a bath.” Elma yawned and waved at us as she headed off to the bathroom. Mimi remained rooted in place from shock.

“Do you want one of my shirts too?” I asked.

“Can I really have one?!”

“Yeah, I guess.” Are my shirts worth being that happy about? I mean, it certainly would make me happy. Even though Mimi was shorter than Elma, my T-shirt would be just as risqué on her, especially around the chest, if you catch my drift. Heh heh. “Anyway, let’s eat. Want the daily special?”

“Sure!” Mimi chirped.

I got the Steel Chef 5 up and running. Mimi took a regular-sized serving while I opted for a large one. It was nice to see her upgrading from small portions. At first, she’d had trouble eating enough, but as she started training aboard the ship, it seemed her body was adapting and needed the extra fuel.

“Did you see how out of it Elma was?” I said. “She’ll be in the bath for a while. Let’s go ahead and eat without her.”

“Yes, I suppose.” Mimi hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed.

When Elma hit “rest” mode, she hit it hard. She could be in that bath for more than an hour, but hey, whatever it took to recharge her batteries.

“Welp, let’s eat up.” I put my hands together, and Mimi followed suit.

“Yes, let’s.”

Today, the Steel Chef 5 had served up steamed rice, salmon, rolled omelets, and potato salad. I mean, sort of. None of those things were real. They were all artificial. But the food cartridges could almost perfectly imitate the real thing using just algae and krill.

But why does it mix potato salad in with Japanese-style rice and rolled omelets? They all taste fantastic, but the Steel Chef makes some strange decisions.

Mimi got porridge, grilled beef, and salad for her meal. Judging by her hums of pleasure, it wasn’t half bad either.

“Mimi, can I have some?” I asked. “I’m curious about the taste.”

“Oh, absolutely. Go ahead.” Mimi scooped up some of the porridge and offered it to me. Not exactly how I planned to eat it, but I swallowed my pride and accepted it.

Hmm… It’s a little sweet. Sort of like a mellow soup? I detected a tinge of cheese and honey as well. Is this a dessert?

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Mimi said.

“It’s not bad,” I replied. “Sorry, I’ve just never tasted something like this, so it’s hard for me to judge. If nothing else, it makes me want another spoonful or two. Here, how about you have some of my imitation omelet? Say ‘ahh.’”

“Ahh.” I scooped up a small bite with my chopsticks and fed it to her. The faux omelet was soft and sweet, so Mimi was sure to love it. When she took a bite, her face lit up. “Mm, that was yummy! Here, your turn. Say ‘ahh.’”

“Ahh.” Mimi spooned me another scoop of porridge. Mmm, exquisite. The tastes of cheese and milk mixed perfectly, granting it a delicate touch of sweetness. What a strange food.

“Seriously, guys?” Elma stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at us.

“Good morning, Elma,” Mimi said.

“Morning again, Elma.”

She sighed. “Yeah, good morning. If I’m bothering you, I can just go back to my bath.”

“Um…?” Mimi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What, do you wanna get fed too? Open up, babe.” I plucked up another piece of omelet and held it out to her, but she just snatched it with her fingers, popping it into her mouth. She made a show of licking her fingers clean after, which I was more than happy to watch.

“Look at you being all lovey-dovey in the morning,” she said. “Well, whatevs. I guess it’s your turn, since I had him all to myself yesterday.”

Mimi smiled impishly, her cheeks turning pink. “Hee hee!”

Elma chuckled to herself and went to order breakfast from the Steel Chef.

“Why don’t you go out on a date or something?” Elma suggested. “I’ll stay here at the ship, so I can let you know if Inagawa Technologies calls us. Oh, and make sure you stop by the mercenary guild. We didn’t get to do it yesterday, and it’s best if we let them know we’re here.”

“Okay, sure,” I said. “Does that sound good to you, Mimi?”

“Of course!” Mimi wrung her hands together and huffed in excitement. “I already finished my research yesterday!”

“Someone’s eager,” I said.

“Looks like it,” Elma agreed. “Make sure you show her around, okay?”

“I didn’t do any research myself, so I doubt I can,” I said. “Sorry about that, Mimi. But hey, at least I can protect you while we’re out there.”

“Good enough.” Elma plopped down with her breakfast in the chair next to me.

Elma, you’re eating that thick artificial steak and a whole heap of potato salad first thing in the morning? That’s quite the appetite you’ve got there… Not that it was my place to judge.