Year 4667 of the Unified Imperial Calendar:
Fourth Month, Day 9. (3:12 PM)
◇Astra's POV ◇
Okay. Now if you were in my situation, what would you do?
It goes like this:
You travel underground with a tiger—an intelligent one—as it orders you around, and you can't do anything about it. Next, you suddenly find something strange in this rocky underground, only to later find out it was just an elevator.
In order to relieve you of the stress you accumulated, along with the frustrations of the incomprehensible events happening around you, what would you do?
-
Question number one:
-
Would you curse?
-
Question number two:
-
Would you curse?
-
And the final question:
-
Would you curse loudly?
-
Oh! You don't have to tell me your answer! It's because were thinking the same thing!
"Fuck!" I cursed loudly.
Crazie looked at me like looking at a retard. "Any problem, slave?" she asked coldly. "Or have you gone crazy?"
You're the crazy! Your entire family's crazy!! I've even named you as Crazie!
"Ahem..." I cleared my throat. "I was just surprised." Yep, it was just surprise. I mean, in a world with Gundams, there naturally has to be elevators right? Even Valkyria's hatch had something similar.
Crazie, who heard my excuse, raised a brow. "Oh?" She then approached me closely as our face neared. She then stopped when we were about three steps from each other as she looked directly into my eyes.
"Do you know what this is, slave?" she asked. Her face fully serious.
"Uhh...an elevator, maam?" I answered as my eyes darted from place to place, trying to avoid her gaze. It's damn scary after all.
But still, does she think of me as an idiot? As a high school graduate—though I haven't enrolled to college because I got isekai'd— I at least had gone inside an elevator...about once or twice. But hey! Elevators are abundant in movies!
Crazie's eyes widened for an instant, but then reverted back to its blank expression the next. She then held the collar of my clothes, and shoved me inside the elevator.
"I'll let you operate it." She said.
I smiled wryly at her. At the very least, she had the humanity in her to let me operate an elevator. Something I've never done before, and something I've always wanted to.
"You're not coming?" I asked. "This should fit us both though."
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't like I was scared of being alone in an elevator from the middle of nowhere. And it was definitely not because I wanted to show her I could operate it. Because I can...probably.
She entered at my suggestion, as I then pressed a number on the panel. The door closed, and I felt the elevator move.
Yep, I was awesome now.
Crazie who saw the spectacle had a faint look of surprise on her face. Her brow was raised a bit, as she muttered, "So you really can do it..."
No. Seriously, I would have been an idiot for not being able to operate one. Even a monkey knows how to press a button...
In any case, we simply waited until we reached our designated floor. From what it seemed, there apparently is 15 floors that this elevator can go to, but for now, I picked the one leading to the top. After all, the top floors mostly had important places or information in there. At least that's what it is in the movies.
The elevator vibrated as it went upwards, as we both waited in silence. It was mysterious, really. The elevator was probably the only place where silence wasn't boring. How does that work?
Nonetheless, the silence and waiting continued for about 5 minutes, and we finally reached our destination. And when the door opened, I was greeted by a shocking sight.
◇◇◇ Third Person POV ◇◇◇
After a while of going around the place, Reyshia didn't see anything that resembled a laboratory.
She sat on a random seat in order to rest her body. It had been way past her mealtime, and she wasn't used to missing her meals. Her stomach made rumbling noises as it protested and reminded her she was hungry.
She sighed. Perhaps what she was looking for wasn't in here, so maybe the power source was the only thing she could use in this place. However...
"Where is the power source, and what is powering this place?..." She muttered as she looked around.
Indeed. She didn't know anything about this place, and she couldn't find out as it used foreign letters for its signs too. It was already starting to annoy her.
She leaned her back onto the surprisingly soft seat that she sat on. And as she did, she was even more surprised. It was soft. Softer than her Luxury Deluxe brand seat that she mounted on Valkyria. She wondered what kind of person might have lived in this place, for everything she saw seemed luxurious.
The mirrors—which she already pocketed a small one—were so crystal clear that it perfectly reflected her face. Seats were comfy. The tables were wide. The floor was shiny, for unknown reasons. And most of all, the air was very conditioned.
As she leaned onto the couch, she didn't notice consciousness slowly go drowsy, as awhile later, she fell asleep. It seems she had been more tired than she thought.
To the point she didn't even notice that the door to the room had opened about 15 minutes later...
◇ Astra's POV ◇
The moment the elevator doors opened, we were greeted by the sight of a sci-fi kind of rectangular passage.
There we lights that lit up the passage located at certain intervals, and they glowed in a gentle blue light. It was a futuristic as it could get as I swear I could hear some sort of whirring sounds in there.
However, was shocked me was the fact that I had an inkling that this place was a bit...familiar?
Now that was strange. I, as an Earthling can confidently say that I was born and raised within the comfortable era of the 20th century AD, on the third planet closest to the sun of the Solar System. There was no way I could have been to this place before.
Crazie, who saw my expression, spoke up. "Does your stomach hurt?" she asked. "You look like in pain?"
I glanced back at her as I frowned. "Do I?"
She nodded.
Hmm...Why would I look like I'm in pain. There's no reason to, nor did I feel like I am. Maybe she was just making a joke? Well, in any case, it doesn't matter. We still needed to find Lady Reyshia.
Yeah, so I can finally clear my name...
I sighed, for unknown reasons. I then looked towards the passage
"Anyway, can we go on now?"
Crazie looked at me with raised brows. "Did you grow some balls?"
"Ugh!" I groaned at her question as it poked right where it hurt. I turned towards her like a rusty machine and spoke. "H-Hey, do you hate me?"
She smiled at my question. It was a genuine smile(I think?) as she answered with a melodic "Yes".
I see. Screw my luck.
Letting out a hollow laugh, I walked along the passage as Crazie followed along. I felt like she did something while I wasn't looking, but it was probably my imagination.
We continued our walks with occasional jokes—mostly just to spite me—until we finally reached a door. It was a normal semi-futuristic metal door. Rectangular, cross shaped pattern—probably because it looked cool—, and it had glowing blue linings along its frame.
Crazie, who for some reason is staying behind me ever since the time from the elevator, glanced at me. "So? wanna continue your bravado?"
"Actually, can I stop now?"
"Please go ahead and check first for traps."
Damn it. So she was staying behind to make me a meat shield. And to think I was even thinking of this girl in a better light...just damn it.
Without a choice, I went in front of the door. The door opened as it slid along to the side, with a soft and gentle whir. It seemed safe, so I looked at what was inside the room, and saw something interesting.
I stood rooted on my spot, as Crazie who deemed it safe too, stood beside me and looked only to be dumbfounded.
It was Lady Reyshia, and she seemed sleeping...
...as she hugged some sort of robot like a body pillow.