Looking blankly into the empty vastness of space as the Astral Express Train started to grow more distant from the space station, I couldn't help but notice how small the station appeared from this far out. I turned around to see Stelle and March talking with each other. Judging from the smiles on their faces, they seemed content with their conversation. On the other side, I saw Dan Heng leaning against the wall with his eyes closed while Himeko was talking with Mr. Yang nearby.
I glanced down at my palms, feeling a smug grin form on my face as I saw the credits I'd managed to get my hands on. Heh. Quickly, I pocketed the money.
"Ahem."
I froze, startled by a voice behind me. I turned, only to find no one there.
"Down here," the voice repeated.
I looked down and saw....well if I were to put it simply. A standing rabbit in cosplay. At least, that's how it seemed to me. It was small, with two large fluffy ears that drooped instead of standing upright. It had dark gray and white fur, and blue eyes, and wore a hat and a red coat. Huh. You'd think you've seen strange things in life, but a talking rabbit? That's apparently within the range of normal standards.
"Hey, you over there looking dumbfounded," the rabbit spoke again.
I blinked, glancing around before looking back at it. "You talking to me?"
"Yes, Pom-Pom is talking to you. Are you Ethan?"
"Yeah," I nodded.
"Where's the girl? Himeko mentioned there were two of you. Pom-Pom is confused."
I opened my mouth in realization. "Hey, Stelle! Come here for a sec."
Stelle stopped mid-conversation with March and walked over. "What's up?"
"This, uh, talking rabbit wants to talk to us," I explained the situation. Stelle blinked as she stared at Pom-Pom.
"Pom-Pom is Pom-Pom, not a talking rabbit!" Pom-Pom huffed, clearly irritated.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Go on, Pom-Pom." I gestured for him to continue.
Pom-Pom gave me a pointed glare but continued, "Himeko told Pom-Pom about your situation. Now listen up, Pom-Pom will only say this once. You might think you're special, but on the Astral Express, everyone's got their secrets. You're not the only ones with something unique here, so you'd best remember that."
I glanced at the crew. Yeah, I could see that.
"Aye, aye," I responded casually, with Stelle echoing my agreement. I turned back to Pom-Pom. "So, what exactly do you do around here? Cosplay?"
Pom-Pom frowned. "I'm Pom-Pom, the Conductor, not a cosplayer!"
"Right, my bad," I chuckled.
Pom-Pom sighed. "Just come find Pom-Pom if you need anything."
"Aye, aye, Captain."
"Conductor!" Pom-Pom corrected before marching off, still grumbling.
I watched him—or her? Well, whatever. Pom-Pom's voice sounded male enough despite having some kind of girlish voice in between....as he went away.
"Pom-Pom looked angry," Stelle commented.
"Don't worry, he's just... excited, that's all." I shrugged.
Stelle nodded, seemingly accepting my explanation without any questions.
I then saw Himeko approaching us. "You two doing alright?" she asked, smiling.
"We're doing fine," Stelle answered simply on my behalf. I just gave a short nod to show my agreement.
"Then I hope the Express is to your liking," Himeko smiled as she added, "Anyways, we might as well get the two of you to your rooms."
"We got our own room? Do we have to, like… pay rent?" I asked, nervous. I was broke, goddamn it, well aside from the 20, 000 credits Dan Heng gave me and some spare credits I had in my bank. If in total, I would still be considered broke by normal standards. After all, I just left my job for these weirdos' protagonists.
Himeko chuckled. "Don't worry, Ethan, and keep that worried look off your face. It doesn't suit you. We won't charge you rent."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"Dan Heng dear, please assist the two of them to the sleeping compartment," Himeko turned towards the xianxia protagonist-looking guy.
"Oh, let me help!" March raised her hand.
"Of course, dear. Why don't you help Stelle here?"
"Yay!" I saw March grab Stelle by the arm. "I'll show you my room first!"
Stelle appeared hesitant, but due to the hyperenergetic pink-haired girl, she had no choice but to get dragged along. Somehow, I felt déjà vu about the whole scene.
Dan Heng approached me without me noticing, much to my surprise.
"Woah! How did you—" I paused, seeing him with his usual expression. I quickly changed my words. "So, room service?" I asked, smiling.
Dan Heng looked at me, clearly not amused. "Your room will be next to Stelle's," he said, walking past me.
"Uh, how about my bags?"
He didn't respond, just kept walking.
"Okay, fine," I grumbled and picked up my heavy bag, following Dan Heng. We headed to another part of the Astral Express train, just a door splitting the two sections. This section, on the other side, was a lot darker, more dimly lit, but I noticed there were a lot. I mean, a lot of rooms. Goddamn, they had space here. It looked like they were hosting a small hotel on this train. That got me wondering. How long is this train really?
"Here is your room," Dan Heng gestured at the door. Room 06. That was my room number, as I noticed. He slowly opened the door.
Once I saw inside, it was a regular old room like the one in my apartment back on Earth. It brought me déjà vu yet again. All alone, watching anime in the dark while eating cup noodles. Damn, was I really a damn NEET back then? The thought of it was depressing. I should have at least been more productive in my life back then.
"Thank you," I gave him a grateful nod, which he returned.
Dan Heng left shortly after, leaving me alone in my room. I breathed in the air of the conditioned room before simply packing my things out. I first put my clothes and hung them in the closet. And that was it. Perfect, I got everything ready. I slightly smiled, satisfied.
"Now, all I need to do is rest," I said to myself before another thought occurred to me. "Or…"
"Hey, Ai, Saips—uh, I should really get your name soon. You there?"
[Affirmative Ethan]
"Good, say… I did say I should name you. What about Jarvis? That okay for you?"
[Integrating Name to System…]
[Integrating complete]
[Name: Jarvis]
[Jarvis on Standby, Ethan]
"I did not say that was final but since you agreed with it then okay," I nodded and continued, "Okay Jarvis, since I have some free time, why don't you start lecturing about this watch power thing?" I pulled my left wrist, showing the watch in full view. I seriously looked at it on all sides before placing my hand on the dial case and twisting it, turning it clockwise. The element it showed was the fire element.
"What do I do next? Confirm this?" I asked, curiously looking over the watch once again to see if I could find anything akin to a button.
[Affirmative. In order to choose a specific Element, verification is needed to avoid any accidental activation.]
Good point. "Okay, so… what do I need to do, press it?"
[Negative. Ethan must shout the name of the Elemental to provide verification.]
"..."
"You're serious?" Disbelief flashed across my features. Not knowing whether to take that lightly or seriously.
[Affirmative]
"...."
"....Really?"
[Affirmative]
"...." I fell silent again, being contemplative for a few seconds before speaking again. "Alright, fine, how do I say it?"
[There isn't a specific direction. As long as Ethan mentions the name of the Element, it shall be enough.]
"So if I say Fire Element? That's it, I transformed?" Sounds simple enough.
[Negative. Ethan must choose words better.]
"...." Is this guy really messing with me right now? I sighed. I decided to play the good guy and decided to play along.
"Alright, I'll think of something…" I paused, humming as I began to think of a good power call. A couple of seconds passed before an idea hit me. "Okay, I think I know what to say."
[Jarvis never doubts Ethan.]
"Yeah, yeah, save the pleasantries for later." I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Elemental Form, Fire!" I shouted, raising my wrist upwards. I waited, feeling nothing change for the couple of seconds that passed. Oh well, that was fucking embarrassing. I could feel my cheeks burning. Thank goodness no one saw me. Here I thought my chuunibyou days were over.
But my moment of embarrassment didn't stop my anger from flaring. "Hey, what gives?!"
[The Fire Elemental is locked.]
"....." I was taken aback, not knowing what to say. It took me a moment to compose myself.
"Could you have said that first before I embarrassed myself?" I asked calmly.
[Argument: Ethan did not ask.]
"At least a little warning would be nice," I said, eyes narrowing dangerously.
[Affirmative. A warning will be provided next time.]
I sighed and turned the dial case of my watch again; a new elemental icon could be seen on the screen. It was blue in color.
"Water?" I asked for confirmation.
[Affirmative.]
"Locked?"
[Affirmative.]
With another sigh, I turned the watch again.
[Leaf Elemental Locked]
[Wind Elemental Locked]
[Earth Elemental Locked]
[Light Elemental Locked]
"....." Okay, why are there so many that are locked?! Am I not supposed to get at least one?!
I calmed myself. No, that couldn't be.
I turned the watch again and a familiar icon appeared. "Lightning," I mumbled. "Let me guess, it's locked as well?" If I remember correctly, isn't this the seventh Elemental? So if this was locked then that would mean all are locked. Fuck.
[Negative. Lightning Elemental is Unlocked.]
I blinked. And blinked again. It took me quite a while to process that. "Wait, seriously? You're not tripping me, are you?"
[Affirmative.]
I hummed in satisfaction. "Alright, time to test it out." I jerked my shoulders up and down, preparing myself. "Alright," I took a deep breath. "Elemental Form, Lightning!"
The next thing I knew, I felt a tingling sensation all around my body. Uncomfortable? Hell no, it had to be the best thing I ever felt. Like someone massaged my back for hours on end. I saw my body start to glow in a bright light. After the glow faded, I saw my entire shirt and pants change. Well, not drastically, but it was noticeable.
"What the.." I mumbled in shock, examining myself in the mirror. My white shirt had streaks of yellow resembling lightning bolts around it. My pants also had a similar color pattern.
"So cool," I couldn't help but put a grin on my face.
[Congratulations Ethan! You have entered your first Elemental Form.]
"So, how does this work?" I asked, pulling my hands up, palms shooting forward. "Does it mean I can shoot electricity?"
[Affirmative. Ethan can manipulate Lightning at will.]
I nodded, opening my palms to the front. I waited… waited.
"Okay, it's not doing anything," I said, feeling a bit disappointed. Should I say a word to trigger it?
[Focus. In order to manipulate the element, Ethan must have a clear conscience to have precise feedback.]
I hummed, thinking about Jarvis's words for a moment. "Hmm, let me try something." Clenching my fist, I took a deep breath, clearing my mind of all distractions. Focus, as Jarvis had said, was probably the key to manipulating the element. From everything I've learned from watching movies and anime, it was always important to keep a calm mind, especially during times like this. If Manipulation was the key point to control this power, then one must not hurry.
I exhaled slowly, opening my palms and eyes at the same time. My eyes widened slightly after seeing a spark of electricity flickering in my palms. "Okay, I'm feeling it." Now I just need it to go around my body. I closed my eyes, feeling myself one with lightning. Imagining some kind of pattern in my head to which the energy would flow through. Surprisingly, that bullshit idea worked as when I opened my eyes again, I could see static electricity flowing around my body.
Now, what should I do? I wondered. Shooting an electrical bolt sounded cool, but I didn't want to damage my room so soon. I needed another plan.
Lightning is fast, right? That means I can be fast too, right? I looked at the wall, measuring the distance between us. 'Won't hurt to try.'
I took a stance like an athlete at the starting line, my left leg back, right leg forward, leaning forward with my arms down, my head straight ahead.
"Okay, time to be the Flash." I pushed myself as the electricity around me grew stronger. The next moment, my face was flat on the wall instantly. The impact was large, hard as I could hear a loud bang as my face collided with the wall. I screamed in pain as I bounced off against the wall and tumbled backward, laying flat on the ground.
"OW!" The fuck was that? I couldn't even control it! It was like when you blink, you suddenly find yourself in a new place. It was so fucking cool yet fucking dangerous.
I rubbed my nose, feeling a slight pain sensation that somehow faded shortly, much to my surprise. It was like I had a shot of pain reliever straight to my body.
[Due to being in the State of Elemental Form, Ethan's physical traits are greatly improved.]
"Eh, that's very... nice," I smiled widely at that revelation as I got off the ground. "So that means I won't be killed that easily in the near future." My chances have now risen. Raised, I tell you.
I looked at the door and noticed a bump at the center. Though small, it was noticeable if one looked closely. Hopefully, I don't have to pay for property damage.
I turned to look at my body again. Seeing I was in my lightning form, I couldn't help but ask, "So how do I exit this form?"
[Deactivating the State of Elemental Form requires only thoughts and will. When combined, Ethan will be able to revert back.]
I hummed. "Alright, I think I get it."
I closed my eyes. The next moment, when I opened them once again while looking in the mirror, I noticed that my clothes were back.
"Neat, pretty neat," I said to myself, feeling satisfied that I managed to do it on the first try. "So, about the other elements—"
"Ethan!" The door suddenly slammed open with a loud bang, earning a somewhat girlish scream from me.
"Stelle?!"
"What are you doing?" Stelle asked, not even showing any expression from barging into my room like that.
"I should be asking you that!"
Stelle didn't flinch from my outburst as she grabbed my hand tightly. "Pom-Pom wants us to go back to the main hall."
"For what?" I struggled to let go of her grip. Damn her.
"The train is about to use a warp jump," she replied, pressing her lips into a thin line.
"A what?" I asked, confused. "You mean like a hyperspace?"
Stelle tilted her head. "Hyperspace?" It was her turn to be confused.
I shook my head. "Never mind, you'd probably never heard of it. Come on, let's go. Better not keep him waiting. But first, can you let go of my hand?"
Stelle tilted her head but, in the end, she didn't let go of me as she proceeded to drag me back to the main hall.
+++====++++
"Ahem, Hi, Hello! Attention all passengers. Attention all passengers. The express is about to conduct a warp jump. All passengers please gather at the main hall. Thank you"
Arriving at the main hall, I saw the rest of the Astral Express already there, present. Aside from Dan Heng who was not around for some reason.
"There you guys are," March greeted us as she approached.
"Hello, March," I said.
March smiled brightly. "This is your first trip, right?"
We both nodded simultaneously.
March's smile widened as she clasped her hands together. "So that should double the excitement, right?"
"Probably," I shrugged, uncertain about how to feel.
March's eyes narrowed at me. "Hey! What's with that attitude?"
I forced a smile. "Yes, I'm excited to go!" I paused, my smile fading as I added, "Happy now?"
She stared at me for a few seconds before letting out a cute "Hmph." "Anyway, I was super excited the first time I experienced a warp jump, but now I'm used to it." Her smile returned. "Don't worry, you two will get used to it too. Before you know it, you'll be mature and dependable passengers, just like me."
I almost snorted at that. "So what's the first step, oh wise and dependable passenger?" I asked with a smirk.
March puffed out her chest in pride. "The first step is to grab hold of the root of your anxiety."
Stelle nodded firmly. "Okay, got it."
Really? I glanced at Stelle before turning back to March. "And the second step?"
"The second step is to focus all your anxiety on that point," March continued, raising a finger.
I raised a brow. Before I could speak, Stelle eagerly replied, "Okay, I'm ready for step three."
March beamed. "Seems like you're a natural! It's not easy to reach this level of excitement. Now, step three: Yank out that anxiety and cast it away with all your might!"
"Wait, that's just a psychological trick you read from a book, isn't it?" I stared at her.
March averted her eyes, which was all the confirmation I needed.
"I've cast out all the anxiety now!" Stelle declared.
"Really? I've never been able to do it successfully myself," March said, genuinely surprised. "What does it feel like? Like all your worries have been swept away?"
Stelle nodded.
"Well, that's good! See, Ethan? It all works out," March said, turning to me with a smug grin.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. Never doubted you for a second."
"You better not."
I just shrugged.
"You guys took long enough, but at least everyone is here now!" Pom-Pom's voice cut in. I turned around and saw him approaching.
"Sup, Captain," I greeted, only to be met with a harsh response.
"Pom-Pom is not a captain!"
"Right, conductor," I corrected with a smile, barely resisting the urge to rub his cheeks. I wondered how soft they were.
"Anyway, take these," Pom-Pom said, handing something to both me and Stelle. I had to kneel down due to the height difference. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was 50,000 credits.
"Just a little gift from the conductor to the passengers. Think of it as an investment in your future growth," Pom-Pom said with a smile.
I couldn't resist any longer. This adorable, generous creature was too cute, and after giving me credits, well, he had it coming. Without warning, I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around him. He let out a surprised yelp, clearly caught off guard by my sudden embrace.
"H-Hey! Cut it out!"
Oh my god, he was so soft!
"I'm not soft!"
Oh crap, did I say that out loud?
"But you are," I murmured, nuzzling my head into his soft fur. It was like the best pillow I'd ever had.
"Stop!"
I sighed, reluctantly letting go. "Fine."
Before Pom-Pom could breathe a sigh of relief, Stelle lunged at him, hugging him tightly despite his protests.
March looked at me with a deadpan expression, as if to say this was all my fault.
"...Yeah, okay, fair point," I muttered, unable to disagree.
++++=====++++
I sat on the couch, waiting for the train to warp out of space. Stelle was beside me, seemingly gazing upward with her right hand raised.
"You okay, Stelle?"
That seemed to snap her out of her trance, and she lowered her hand. She nodded. "I'm just confused about the Stellaron inside me. It's..."
"You're worried?"
She nodded again, a frown etched on her face.
I sighed and leaned back on the couch. "Well, I can't blame you. Even I'd be afraid of something inside me that could potentially destroy worlds and civilizations." I noticed her expression worsening, so I quickly backtracked. "Not that it's all bad. You've got to look at the bright side. You're practically saving our lives here since, uh, you've contained it pretty well with your body. And if we count its destructive properties, then you've got some seriously strong powers."
Stelle seemed to consider my words. "It would be pretty cool."
"See? There you have it," I said with a smile.
She smiled back and raised her hands again. "The future is in our hands," she mumbled under her breath. I heard it clearly and couldn't help but want to question it.
"Are you trying to catch the stars?" March suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling me enough to jump a bit on the couch.
"I've done stuff like that before," she hummed, walking right past me and sitting down next to me. "What about you, Ethan?"
"Uh, no," I replied.
March pouted. "You're no fun." Her smile then faded as she continued, "Though it wasn't stars for me... It was lights."
I blinked. Wait, why is the atmosphere getting serious?
"When I first woke up after being rescued from the ice, I saw clusters of stars in front of me. I reached out for them automatically, but they turned out to be the carriage ceiling lights." The way she said it so seriously unnerved me. It was strange seeing her like this. It felt sad and heavy. Not the March I know for certain.
Wait, did she just say ice—
"The whole crew was watching me... It was pretty embarrassing." A chuckle escaped her lips, lightening the tense atmosphere.
"March," I called out. She looked at me. "You said ice... What was that about?"
March's lips flattened. Oh, did I trigger some past trauma? I thought nervously.
"Oh, well, before all of this, I was stuck in a huge block of ice drifting through space," she replied.
"...What?" I looked at her in shock as she continued.
"Himeko, Mr. Yang, and... someone else, who was that again? Ugh, anyway, they figured out how to melt the ice and saved me."
"So how did you get frozen exactly?"
"I... don't remember. In fact, I didn't even remember anything before getting frozen. It's like all my memories of my past life were erased." She gave a sad smile. I found myself at a loss for words. "Who I am, where I'm from, my name... I don't know any of it. March 7th was the day they found me, so it stuck." She chuckled.
I glanced at Stelle, who also had a sad, pitying expression aimed directly at March. Sitting between the two of them, I felt awkward.
I cleared my throat. "So, uh—" I didn't get to finish as March added more.
"Ever since then, I've been hanging out on this train, following it wherever it decides to stop. I'm hoping that one day, I can find out about my past." She shook her head, a different kind of smile replacing the sad one. "Ugh, what am I even talking about? Way to bring everyone down, huh?"
"I... it's okay, March. It seems like you really needed to get that off your chest," I said, trying to be reassuring.
"Yeah, we're sorry," Stelle added.
"Ahaha, don't be. It's fine since I was the one who brought it up." March scratched the back of her head. "Hey, cheer up. It's not every day someone gets to ride the Astral Express. And ah, here comes the conductor."
True to her word, Pom-Pom approached us.
"The Express has reached a safe distance from the space station. We'll be jumping in about ten minutes. Please take your seats, everyone. It's going to get bumpy," Pom-Pom announced.
March decided to speak up. "Uh... thanks, Pom-Pom. But did you really have to remind me? I'm not a newbie, you know~"
Pom-Pom stared at March with a deadpan expression. "Well, it wouldn't be necessary if Miss March 7th didn't like to challenge herself... and fall over every time."
"That's just called never giving up, hehehe," March said with a sheepish smile.
"More like reckless—OW! Hey!"
"Hmph, that's what you get."
I stared at March, confused. For what?!
+++=====++++
"Everyone, we're jumping in five minutes! You can have something to drink when it's over"
"But I'm thirsty now!" Whined March as she argued back and forth with Pom-Pom.
With that, Five minutes passed by in the blink of an eye, and Pom-Pom was nowhere near to be found as he headed off elsewhere. I stared at March strangely after seeing her standing up, bracing for something. Is she serious?
"Hello. Hello? Ahem, All passengers please return to your seats. The train is about to jump. Hold on everyone" Pom-Pom announced through the speakers.
I noticed Stelle scurried over close to me.
"Nervous?" I asked.
Stelle scratched her cheek "Maybe…a bit"
"Yeah, that's understandable" I nodded as she scooched even more closer. For some girl who fought the goons of Antimatter Legion and a freaking world destroyer dragon, she's scared of this? Huh, life is just full of surprises.
"5" The countdown began
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"
I closed my eyes.
"Take off!"
Then I felt it, a rapid boom making my entire body shake with discomfort. I felt like I was pushed back by something but thankfully did not fall over. When I opened my eyes again I saw March lying flat on the ground groaning in pain.
"Aww, I fell again!"
I sighed at her behavior.
Stelle suddenly rose and moved toward one of the glass windows. Curious, I followed her.
"What are you looking at—whoa, holy shit," I exclaimed, catching sight of a massive planet in full view for the first time in my life. I stared in awe.
"After all those millennia, is this what Jarilo-VI has become?"
I turned to see Himeko standing beside me, her gaze fixed on the planet.
"Jarilo-VI? Is that the name of the planet?" I asked, curious.
"Indeed. It was once prosperous, but I didn't know it had turned out like this," Himeko frowned, her eyes still on the planet.
"So that snowy planet is our destination this time?" March asked, sounding almost disappointed.
"Yes. It looks like this trailblazing expedition won't be easy," Himeko nodded.
"Special readout anomaly! Star Rail stability is down to 12%!" Pom-Pom announced as he approached us. "Schedule alteration: Seven-day stopover time extended indefinitely."
"Anomaly? What anomaly?" I asked, worried. Was it dangerous? Is this train going to blow up? All those thoughts swirled in my head until Himeko spoke.
"The complex locality of this world has been... affected somehow. In short, the Star Rail has been blocked by something," she explained calmly. "Take an ordinary train as an example. It's like the tracks ahead have suddenly snapped, and the way forward leads straight into a collapsing abyss. The only sensible thing to do would be to brake hard, right?"
I thought over her words, and then Pom-Pom spoke again.
"If we try to force our way ahead, there could be a hefty price to pay."
"This again... Don't tell me it's..." March's worried expression was clear on her face.
"A Stellaron" I took a guess aloud after deducing what the problem could be.
At the mention of the Stellaron, I noticed Stelle appeared uncomfortable.
"Ethan's right," came a voice from behind.
"Mr. Yang?" March called out as he approached us.
"The results of the preliminary analysis are in. The anomaly stems from a Stellaron, as always," Welt said, adjusting his glasses.
"Stellaron…" Stelle mumbled, her head lowered.
"Yes, just like the one placed in your body," Welt said to Stelle.
"Ahem, that said, do you all have any idea what exactly a Stellaron is?" I asked, to which Himeko gladly answered.
"Stellarons are clouded in mystery. Even Herta can't fully understand them. But there's no need to worry. This isn't the first time our route has been obstructed by a Stellaron. Even if we don't know much about them, at least we know how to neutralize them."
I remained silent as Welt continued Himeko's explanation.
"The only thing we can say for sure is that their arrival causes massive changes to civilizations and ecosystems. They also generate distortions in space, such as Fragmentum. There must be an inextricable connection between the Stellaron we're dealing with here and Jarilo-VI becoming a frozen planet."
"Our current theory is that Stellarons are seeds of disaster planted by a certain Aeon throughout the universe. We can't continue to trailblaze without removing the source of the destruction," Himeko added.
"So we're like a chivalrous band of cosmic knights?" Stelle guessed.
"Right! You finally get what we're all about. Pretty cool, huh?" March chimed in.
"'Dangerous' would be a better word," I said flatly.
"Dangerous and pretty cool," March restated with a smile.
Himeko looked at us. Somehow, I had a bad feeling.
She smiled. "I'd like to entrust this trailblazing mission to March, Dan Heng, Stelle, and Ethan."
"Eh?"
"The objective is clear: find the Stellaron responsible for the disaster and the spatial distortions, and bring it back to the Express. We'll handle the rest."
"Eh?"
"Awesome! We get to work as a team again!" While March seemed thrilled, all I could feel was dread. Are they basically sending me on a suicide mission? I'm starting to regret joining them.
"Why us?" I asked, trying to keep the frown off my face.
"You're not coming?" Stelle questioned.
"Because I trust you all are fit for the job. And to answer your question, Stelle, someone has to stay on the train, or Pom-Pom will get lonely. Not to mention, Nanook gave us a glance just now…"
'What glance?' I wondered, looking around, bothered by the comment.
"...If we're targeted by the Antimatter Legion, things could go south," Himeko pointed out with a frown.
"So it's still not our turn," Welt said, disappointment clear in his tone.
"I know you really want to go, but we should give the youngsters a chance to get out there on their own. It'll be a good opportunity for them to bond," Himeko assured him. Welt seemed to be obliged as he nodded.
I, on the other hand, wanted to protest. Like, seriously? I really don't want to go if I can avoid it.
"March, if you three are ready, why not go find Dan Heng? He's probably already started analyzing the ecological data and survey results for Jarilo-VI. It's always good to know more about the destination before you start the journey."
Well, it seems the decision is final, I thought, holding back the urge to groan.
"I have a question," I raised my hand.
"Please ask away, Ethan."
"Can I bring a jacket? Or some gloves? Because I know it's going to get pretty cold down there."
Himeko and Welt stared at me blankly for a moment. Welt shook his head while Himeko smiled, amused. "Of course you can, Ethan. No need to ask."
I smiled back, "Thanks." At least I won't die of hypothermia. One less problem to worry about. I thought at the back of my head as I followed Stelle and March as we headed to Dan Heng's room.