I let out a yawn. Waking up was one of the worst moments to start the day, especially on a Monday. Whether it was a workday or a school day, my bed always seemed to become the comfiest when it was time to wake up. However, that reason didn't typically apply to my situation right now. So, to explain...
I've been isekai'd.
So, unfortunately, I arrived here. Unfamiliar place, unfamiliar people, and did I mention that I was in a spaceship? Yeah, pretty much, I'm not on Earth anymore.
Did I die? Yes. How? I choked on the cup noodles I ate in my apartment. I was the only one there, so I got no help and just died. Sad? I would be if I'd known my parents. I was an orphan. Not that life was bad back on Earth; it was meh. I'd give it a 50/50. Though I did miss my few close friends, probably the only friends I had that didn't bother me that much. Hey, it's not like I can do anything about my situation. Find a way back home? That would be a fool's dream. I had a new chance in life and might as well take it. If it turns out for the better or for the worse, soon I will know.
As I stretched every part of my limb, I cracked my neck and headed to the bathroom. There I saw myself in the mirror. My face was the definition of an improvement over my old one. I was younger, probably under 18 years old, with jet-black hair and eyes. My nose appeared to be smaller. Not that I was ugly in my previous life but rather a normal, decent-looking guy on Earth. Never had any girlfriends though; I tried a few times, rejected all times. My old name was John, now my new name is Ethan Almiyers. Aside from my new body, I also had a strange watch attached to my wrist. It was round in shape and had orange and black stripes for the straps. Attempts to pull it off all failed when I first noticed it.
Was this my cheat for going here? That was honestly the first thought I had on that day when I found out. But after numerous attempts to figure out how to use it, I eventually gave up and just considered it a normal, broken watch since the screen was just black. Well, aside from the disappointment, I feel more bothered that I couldn't get this watch off my hand. Like seriously, it was starting to freak me out.
I sighed, cupping water in my hand and splashing it down on my face. As I got done, I changed into my uniform. It was more like an oversized coat, but it was strangely comfortable. The color was largely blue but had a few streaks of white in it, and I wore a white glove on my hand. This reminded me of what NPCs wore in a video game.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by a bunch of people walking down the corridor. One of them, I knew.
"Morning, Ethan."
"Morning, Abraham," I greeted back as the said person waved at me. Abraham was one of the people I considered a friend. Though we didn't talk with each other that much, I still enjoyed his company most of the time. However, I did find his paranoid characteristics to be… unique.
I put a smile on my face and proceeded to go my way to my station, which is the Storage zone. I had to take the elevator since the office I was assigned to was on the second floor. Did I mention that this space station I was in was big? Like no joke. It was larger than I expected it to be when I first arrived here. It's like I was on a cruise ship. Granted, I never typically went on a cruise ship, being poor and all, but I still had a feeling of being on a cruise ship due to its large space. I wouldn't even be surprised if this was some sort of mini-city.
When I arrived at my station, I was greeted by my co-worker Emily, whose words were blunt and cold as she greeted me, but I didn't mind, unlike some people. I eyed those people who purposefully looked away from her.
"Hello to you too, Emily," I greeted her back.
Emily nodded, a smile on her face as soon as I spoke those words, but she soon succumbed to her work as her attention was placed back on her computer. I sat down in my seat and prepared to do my daily job, which was monitoring the space station and all the collections being stored in this place. If one collection goes missing, who is to blame? Me, of course. That's why I took this job seriously; I could not afford to get kicked out of this spaceship not knowing what was out there. I would rather stay here where I want to be safe.
Don't get me started on our boss, Herta. That was her name… I think. From what I remember, she was rather rude, arrogant, and had a bossy attitude that made her co-workers divided in opinions about her. I never met her, so I stayed neutral on the matter. All I knew was that she had a lot of puppets around the station monitoring some places. Her real body was another question altogether. None of the employees here seemed to have ever met her in person.
Minutes turned to hours, and hours turned to the end of my shift. I let out a yawn, feeling tired. I leaned back on my chair as comfortably as I could. I looked to the side and noticed that Emily had already left.
"Hey, Ethan, want to come and get some drinks with us?" Another co-worker of mine by the name of Alexander said. Behind him was the rest of the co-workers, basically his friend group. If I were to describe Alexander, well, he was nice, not the bully I was expecting him to be. I wasn't judging based on his appearance or anything.
"I think I have to refuse, Alex." That was the nickname I chose for him since I found his full name a bit too long. No offense to the Alexanders out there. "I think I'll hit the hay; I'm pretty tired." I yawned again to emphasize my words.
I lied, yeah. Basically, I don't like beer that much, or any alcohol for that matter. It may be my taste buds, but I don't like the taste at all. Might sound childish, but I don't care. I always wondered why people liked to drink so much, especially back at home. It seemed that this was the case here too.
"I see. This is the fourth time you've rejected our offer, Ethan. I can't help but feel hurt," Alex said, frowning.
"I know, but next time, maybe I will. But don't you guys feel tired too?" I asked.
"We are, but a few beers will get us right back up," Alex replied.
I quirked a brow. Like I'd believe that. "I see. Well, good luck with that." I bid them farewell as they left without saying another word. I feel like they don't like me that much, especially his friends whose smiles were obviously forced. Well, you get some, you lose some, I guess.
After a few minutes passed by, I stared into some random spot on the ceiling for no apparent reason. When I was done with it, I proceeded to go back to my room. As I made my way back, I heard a few people gossiping.
"Hey, is it true that the Astral Express is coming here?"
"Yeah, I heard some rumors about it too."
"It's true, guys, believe me. I overheard Miss Asta talking about them."
"Wait, how did you know that? Did you stalk her?"
"Eh?! No, it's not like that!"
Miss Asta, huh? The rich girl that everyone admired and wanted to be. I mean, who wouldn't? She was, in fact, the richest person in this space station, if I remember correctly. If my information on the intergalactic web was correct, then she was the daughter of some wealthy family. God, I wish I was as lucky as her in this life. I would kill to get a family like that.
The Astral Express. They were a group of people known as Nameless, responsible for saving planets by sealing a Stellaron. Stellaron basically functions like a destructive bomb with a timer; the more it spreads its effect, the more dangerous it is. And guess what? It was created by the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook. Basically, Aeons are some sort of gods in this world that have followers in line with their path. My path? I have no idea.
When I got back to my room, I immediately changed into my normal clothes. My idea of normal clothes is a plain white shirt and short pants. I went to the bathroom for a bit, shut the lights off, and immediately smashed myself down on the bed. I closed my eyes and quickly drifted to sleep.
"Warning, Red Level Alert! I repeat, a Red Level alert! Antimatter Legion forces detected. All personnel, please proceed to the evacuation zones."
I opened my eyes, and when I heard what the alarm was about, I cursed. "Ah, fuck me."
The Red Level alert was the highest alert in the space station. It means that the station was under attack. And the ones who attacked us had to be them.
Ah, right, did I forget to mention that the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook, has an intergalactic army responsible for billions of deaths and the destruction of civilizations? Yeah, I forgot.