Head in Sand

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

- William Shakespeare

——————————————————————

I follow Himeko through the corridors of the Astral Express, listening intently as she shares the lore behind the magnificent vessel. Her voice carries a mix of reverence and excitement, painting a vivid picture of the Express' history and its connection to the enigmatic Aeon, Akivili.

"The Astral Express was created by Akivili, the Aeon of the Trailblaze, to transport them and the Nameless across the galaxy," Himeko explains, her golden eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Legends claim that Akivili's heart powers the Express' core, although I've found no evidence to support that claim."

As we enter the main lounge area, I'm struck by the sheer grandeur of the space. The dark walls and ceilings are illuminated by tiered lighting fixtures, casting a warm, golden glow throughout the room. Red, curved couches are arranged in seating areas on either side of a central walkway, inviting passengers to relax and socialize. The flooring, a light-colored, reflective material that resembles marble, adds to the luxurious ambiance.

Himeko continues her story as we walk through the lounge. "Shortly after the fall of their Aeon, a loyal group of Nameless took Akivili's trailblazing legacy upon themselves. However, the star rail became overly obstructed as Stellarons began spreading across the galaxy, preventing the Express from running. It eventually fell into disrepair and was abandoned."

She pauses, a hint of pride in her voice. "Sometime later, the Astral Express crash-landed onto my home planet, where I discovered it. I successfully repaired the train after many years and began retracing Akivili's steps through the universe."

I nod, acknowledging how fucking impressive the feat sounds on paper by real-life standards if I'm interpreting it correctly. It's as if you told me Elon Musk managed to make it to Mars by himself without the behemoth of an infrastructure and platform that was SpaceX.

As we approach the far end of the lounge, Himeko gestures towards a doorway. "I think you'll appreciate the cafe on the rear side of the Express," she says with a smile. "It's a great place to unwind and—"

She stops abruptly, noticing that I've fallen a few steps behind. I stand near one of the large windows, my gaze fixed on the breathtaking view of the cosmos beyond. Stars twinkle against the inky blackness of space, and distant galaxies swirl in a mesmerizing dance of light and color.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Himeko asks, her voice soft with understanding.

"It is impressive," I reply, a tad of bitterness creeping into my tone. "Although..."

I trail off, unable to find the words to express the turmoil within me. It's undeniable, even to my eyes, that the view before me is the most breathtaking sight I've ever laid eyes on in my entire life. And yet, it doesn't inspire anything in me. I know I'm inside a world of fiction, a creation designed by a successful gaming company. No matter how real it feels to my senses, I can't bring myself to believe in its authenticity.

The feeling of disconnect is similar to what I felt when I first saw Himeko. She's gorgeous, with her fiery red hair, striking golden eyes, and buxom figure. Nonetheless, I've yet to feel any type of attraction to her. It's as if I've been clinically observing her, logically acknowledging her beauty without truly feeling it.1

It's especially jarring because, back in the real world, I made it a point to drown myself in work after beginning to date Summer just to avoid interacting with women outside of a professional setting. I have bad habits, God knows I do. I've been easily tempted by the occasional flirt. But here, in this fictional universe, those instincts seem to have vanished, replaced by a hollow emptiness.

I sigh, tearing my gaze away from the window and turning to face Himeko. "I apologize," I say. "I got lost in thought for a moment there. You were saying something about a cafe?"

Himeko studies me for a moment, her expression one of gentle concern. "Is everything alright, Xander?" she asks, her voice laced with genuine care.

I hesitate, unsure of how much I should reveal. The truth of my situation, the fact that I'm from a world where all of this is just a game, feels too heavy to share. And yet, a part of me yearns for someone to confide in, to help me make sense of this bizarre reality I've found myself in.

What the fuck are you even thinking about? Get your head in the game!

I nod, forcing a small smile onto my face. "I'm fine. I think I could really use a cup of coffee right now. I'm a bit of a harsh critic when it comes to it, so I'm curious to see how yours measures up."

Himeko grins, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Oh, a harsh critic, huh? Well, challenge accepted! I'll have you know that my coffee is, in my own humble opinion, really good. Prepare to be impressed!"

As we make our way towards the cafe, I find myself lost in thought once more. My mind drifts to my years in Colombia while young, where I learned to appreciate the art of growing and producing truly exceptional coffee. The Colombians, along with the Brazilians, were some of the ultimate experts in the domain. Once I had moved to the States and achieved comfortable financial success, I made it a point to import my own coffee directly from the southern country.

The thought of my financial situation back home brings a bittersweet pang to my chest. If I am actually dead, at least my parents are set up to live the rest of their lives without the need for money. Worst come to worst, they could sell my house in Dallas.

Memories of my last conversations with each of them flood in, and I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, using the pain to ground myself and push away the depressive thoughts.

Himeko, seemingly unaware of the internal warfare raging within my mind, continues to chatter about her coffee-making skills as we approach the end of the lounge area. Just as we're about to exit it, a familiar voice calls out, stopping us in our tracks.

"Himeko! Are you and the crew ready to depart?"

I turn to see Pom-Pom, the rabbit-like creature I had seen in the game, approaching us with purposeful short strides. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I find myself at a loss for words. Knowing about Pom-Pom's existence and actually seeing them in person are two entirely different things.

It's like coming face-to-face with an alien. A cute, fluffy alien, but an alien nevertheless.

Himeko smiles warmly at Pom-Pom. "Hey there, Pom-Pom! We'll be ready as soon as the rest of the crew is situated. I'm just finishing up the tour for our newest member, Xander." She gestures towards me, and Pom-Pom's gaze settles on my face, studying me intently.

I shift uncomfortably under their scrutiny, still struggling to process the fact that I'm interacting with a sentient, non-human species. Pom-Pom tilts their head, their large ears twitching slightly as they take in my appearance.

Himeko glances between us, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Is this your first time seeing someone that isn't human, Xander?" she asks.

I nod mutely, unable to tear my gaze away from Pom-Pom. The conductor finally speaks, their voice soft. "My name is Pom-Pom, and I'm the conductor. It's a pleasure to meet you, Xander. Come find me if you have any trouble."

Shaking myself out of my stupor, I manage to find my voice. "Uh, yeah, likewise. Just call me Xander. I guess I'll be in your care from now on."

Pom-Pom nods, their expression unreadable. With a final glance in my direction, they turn and walk away, leaving me feeling slightly dazed.

Himeko chuckles, nudging me with her elbow. "Look at that, you can actually be nice when you want to be," she teases.

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Don't get used to it," I mutter, decidedly not thinking about the fact that I had to suppress the urge to reach out and pet Pom-Pom's fluffy fur.

——————————————————————

It hadn't been over 24 hours since I'd woken up in this nightmare and I was already feeling tired.

I let out a deep breath, my posture slumping as I shut the door to my room on the Astral Express, and leaned my forehead against it. Himeko had just finished with her tour, vowing to impress me with her next cup of coffee. Her first had been... well, I couldn't really tell.

"Disappointingly average," I had told her, but now, alone in my room, I wondered if that was fair. The coffee might have been fine—hell, it could have been the best damn coffee in the universe for all I knew. But in my current state, with this hollowness consuming me, I couldn't taste much of anything. It was as if my senses were muted, dulled by the surreal nature of my situation. Even Himeko's enthusiastic brewing couldn't penetrate the fog that had settled over my mind.

And it wasn't just the coffee. This numbness, this disconnect—it was affecting everything. My judgment, my actions, my very sense of self. My mind drifted back to the Space Station, to my confrontation with Herta.

"That was fucking reckless," I mutter to myself, the words barely audible even in the silence of my room. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but was that really the best course of action?

What the hell's wrong with me?

All that progress I'd made since crawling out of the slums? The whole "becoming a better person"? What happened to that?

Those good people I surrounded myself with, my parents' advice, the long nights hitting the books, working my ass off, praying, trying to stay on God's good side—all of it felt like a lifetime ago. A pang of guilt shot through me, but I pushed it aside.

Am I really so weak that one reality-shattering situation is all it takes to break me? Is it actually so overwhelming that I automatically fall back on my old ways—lying, manipulating, and strong-arming my way to the top?

Yes, you are weak. Yes, it is that bad.

I'm trapped in an unfamiliar universe, alone and without a guide. I don't have a place to call home. I don't have anyone I can trust. The people around me aren't even real—they are honest-to-God video game characters.

I can't continue thinking as I normally would, seeing things through my real-world-filtered lens. I need to get practical and pragmatic, plan the next twenty moves, then execute the next thirty to a hundred at a run.

There's no other choice.

Pushing off the door, I pace the spartan room, thoughts churning. The Astral Express crew sees me as a helpless victim engulfed in this Stellaron mess. They don't know the truth: I'm a man out of time and place, and I'll do anything to return home.

Even if it means going along with their hero's quest for now.

I glance down at my hands, remembering the searing pain as the golden light burst from my chest during the battle with the Doomsday Beast.

And wasn't that another can of fucking worms?

Back on the station, when Welt and the others briefed me and said they didn't know anyone who looked like the Trailblazer, I laughed. The alternative was breaking down and crying.

I was stuck as the game's protagonist. What a sick, twisted joke.

I had one thing going for me, though—the Stellaron. Ironically enough, just as it was my poison, it could also be my cure. If I could control it, harness it—if that was even possible—maybe, just maybe, it could help me get through the shitstorm I was to face before I met Kafka.

This is one of the reasons I confronted Herta in her office before she had time to think of what to do with me. In the original story, she's the one suggesting the idea of using the Trailblazer as a guinea pig for the Simulated Universe. By "stealing" her idea in advance and leveraging it against her as an incentive to help me, I'm in a much better position to deal with future events.

If the simulation works the way I think it works, I can't afford not to exploit it. I wouldn't make it out of Jarilo-VI alive otherwise. As it stands, right now, I'm woefully unequipped and unprepared to deal with the enemies of this universe.

My years of kickboxing, jiujitsu, and the occasional street fight don't mean anything here.

I also need information. I need to know everything there is to know about how the world works, about the Aeons and the Stellarons and whatever other cosmic fuckery is at play here.

And I need allies, or at least people I can manipulate to further my own goals.

Herta was, being honest, the best possible start. Rich, with an established presence across the universe, and well-connected to boot. The disgusting doll is as brilliant as she is arrogant, and I could see the hunger in her eyes when she looked at me. She wants to study the Stellaron inside me, unravel its secrets. I can use that. I'll just use her even more.

The Astral Express crew is trickier. They are, by all accounts, the good guys. But I can't afford to trust them, not fully. They don't know the truth about me and where I come from. If I reveal too much and somehow derail the story from its original course, I risk losing my only lead back home.

Kafka.

The name echoes in my mind like a lifeline. In the game, she brought the Trailblazer to the Herta Space Station. If anyone has answers about how I got here and why, it's her.

But finding Kafka won't be easy. The Stellaron Hunters are elusive at best. I bet I wouldn't be able to find them even with Herta's resources. Thus, my win condition is to ensure the story unfolds as it's meant to, meaning…

I will have to play the role of Caelus until our paths cross. I'm so royally fucked.

Putting that massive fact aside, getting intel out from Kafka will be a challenge. She's skilled, dangerous. Subduing her alone would be a monumental task. Doing it while she's in the company of other Stellaron Hunters like Blade or Silver Wolf? Near impossible.

My hand drifts to the inner pocket of my coat, fingers brushing against the cool metal of my cross pendant. I pull it out, holding it up to the light.

"What's your role in all of this?" I whisper, my voice raw with emotion. "Am I just another Job2? Are you testing me? Am I just imagining all of this?"

The pendant remains silent, offering no divine insight or comfort.

I scoff, shaking my head. "I hope you're having a good laugh out of this," I mutter, pocketing the cross again.

I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. I need to focus on the here and now. I glance around the room, taking in the sparse furnishings. A bed, a desk, a chair. It's not much, but it's mine.

I sit at the desk, pull out a notebook and pen from my coat's inner pockets, and begin writing down names and mapping out diagrams.

For now, it's time to make plans. When the time comes, I'll face Kafka and the Stellaron Hunters head-on.

——————————————————————

I sit on one of the couches in the lounge area of the Astral Express, my notebook open on my lap. The pages are filled with my scrawled handwriting, a mix of Spanish and English. I've been jotting down everything I can remember from my time playing Honkai: Star Rail, trying to map out the game's narrative and key events.

It's a precaution, writing in Spanish. Browsing the net using my new smartphone, I wasn't able to find any mention of it, unlike this universe's rendition of English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. All the languages in this world seem to have different names even though they sound similar, at times identical, to the ones from my own. It's a strange bit of game logic, but I suppose it makes sense if the history of language development differs here.

On an unrelated note, Apple would kill to have the device I've got in my hands now. The tech is that insane.

I'm so engrossed in my notes that I don't notice March 7th approaching until she plops down on the couch beside me, her usual cheerful grin on her face.

"Hi, Xander!" she chirps, leaning over to peek at my notebook. "Whatcha doing?"

Internally, I can't help but be annoyed at the interruption. March's constant enthusiasm and peppiness grate on my nerves, but I force a neutral expression onto my face.

"Just writing down key memories," I say, half-lying. "I've forgotten some things from my life after I woke up on the Herta Space Station. I want to make sure I don't forget anything else."

March's eyes widen, and she nods eagerly. "That's a great idea!" she exclaims. "I wish I could do the same, but..." Her expression falls, and she looks down at her hands. "I don't remember anything from my past life. Nothing at all."

I raise an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

March shakes her head, her voice growing soft. "When I first woke up after being rescued from the ice, I could see clusters of stars in front of me. I reached out for them automatically, but they turned out to be carriage ceiling lights."

She laughs, but there's a hint of embarrassment in her tone. "The whole crew was watching me — it was pretty embarrassing. They looked at me like I was some kind of weird alien! I don't really blame them for being curious though. They had no idea where I came from."

March leans back against the couch, her gaze distant. "You might not believe it, but before all this, I was stuck in a huge block of ice drifting through space."

She continues, her voice contemplative. "Himeko and Mr. Yang and… who was it again? Anyway, they figured out a way to melt the ice and saved me. Who I am, where I'm from, my name… it's like everything was erased from my mind. "March 7th" was the day they found me, so it stuck. Ever since then, I've been hanging out on this train and following it to whatever destination it decides to stop at. I'm hoping that one day, I can find my past."

I close my notebook, a sigh escaping my lips as I turn to face March. Her story is a familiar one. The exploration of her origins is something that's slowly but recurringly sprinkled throughout the game as the player advances the narrative.

She's trying to empathize and emotionally connect with me, feeling that our situations are similar…

"I'm sorry to hear about your memory loss," I say, my voice neutral, bordering on sarcasm. "It must be tough not knowing who you are or where you come from."

March nods, her eyes wide and earnest. "It is," she agrees. "I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to bring down the mood."

She leans forward, trying to peek at my notebook again. "What about you, Xander? What kind of things have you been remembering and jotting down in there?"

I snap my notebook shut, tucking it away in my pocket. "Oh, you know," I say casually, "just little things here and there. Like your nose, for example."

March blinks, confusion written all over her face. "My nose?"

I nod, my expression serious. "Yes, your nose. It was in my business again. Kindly mind yours, March."

She's taken aback by my blunt words, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. But before she can formulate a response, Pom-Pom's voice echoes through the lounge.

"Attention all passengers," the conductor announces, "the Astral Express has reached a safe distance from the Herta Space Station. We'll be jumping to our next destination in approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Miss March 7th, please remain seated, as the ride may get a bit bumpy. Thank you."

March rolls her eyes, a hint of exasperation in her voice as she looks up at the ceiling. "Um... thanks, Pom-Pom. But did you really have to remind me? I'm not a newbie, you know..."

Pom-Pom's deadpan voice fills the air. "Well, it wouldn't be necessary, but Miss March 7th likes to challenge herself... and falls over every time."

March grins, a mischievous glint in her eye. "That's just called never giving up! Hehe!"

As Pom-Pom's voice cuts out, March turns to me, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Xander. I didn't mean to be 'nosy', no pun intended, about your personal life. I just wanted to… you know, help."

I wave off her apology, my tone dismissive. "It's fine. Just... stay seated, okay? We don't want you falling over, like Pom-Pom said."

But March is having none of it. She leaps to her feet, a determined look on her face. "Nuh-uh," she declares, planting herself in the middle of the lounge. She closes her eyes, bracing her knees as she begins to chant under her breath. "I won't fall down, I won't fall down, I won't fall down..."

Pom-Pom's voice crackles over the speakers once more. "Hello? Hello? Hello? All passengers, please return to your seats. The train is about to make the jump. Hold on, everyone."

I lean back in my seat, closing my eyes as I brace myself. It can't be that bad, right? Just like the take-off when boarding an airplane.

"Five, four, three..." Pom-Pom counts down.

The Astral Express begins to accelerate, its form engulfed in ethereal blue flames. I feel the immediate shift in the atmosphere, my hair ruffling with the sudden increase in speed.

For a moment, I think I'm fine.

…

Who am I kidding? I'm actually scared shitless.

"Two, one..." Pom-Pom continues.

Space itself seems to stretch thin as the Astral Express accelerates to beyond-faster-than-light speeds in less than a second. The very fabric of the universe warps around us, shortening the distance between our current location and our destination.

In the blink of an eye, the Astral Express has traveled to another remote part of the galaxy.

I open my eyes, blinking as I take in my surroundings. The jump was surprisingly smooth, with only a small bump and recoil from the acceleration. As expected, March lies on the floor, groaning in pain.

"Ouch!" she exclaims, rubbing her backside. "Next time, I'll finally get it!"

I stand up, making my way to the window. Across the vast expanse of space, a planet that looks eerily similar to Earth comes into view. But unlike the vibrant blue and green of my home world, this planet is frozen, its continents buried under a thick layer of white snow.

Jarilo-VI.

I'm entranced by the view, having never seen Earth from this perspective in the real world. Photos and videos don't do it justice.

Himeko joins us, her eyes widening in surprise as she takes in the sight before her. "After all those millennia..." she whispers, her voice filled with a mix of awe and sadness. "Is this what Jarilo-VI has become?"

March's confusion is evident in her tone. "Huh? So that snowy planet is our destination this time?"

Himeko nods, a hand raised to her mouth as she ponders the situation. "Yes... Looks like this trailblazing expedition won't be easy."

Suddenly, Pom-Pom appears just behind us, their sudden presence startling me. I'm taken aback by how fast and quiet the damn thing can be. "Spatial readout anomaly!" they announce, their voice urgent. "Star rail stability is down to 12%. Schedule alteration: Seven-day stopover time extended indefinitely."

March turns to Pom-Pom, her brow furrowed. "Anomaly?"

Himeko takes a step forward, her expression serious. "The complex locality of this world has been... affected somehow. The star rail has been blocked off by something." She pauses, searching for the right words. "Take an ordinary train as an example: It's like the tracks up 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?"

Pom-Pom nods in agreement. "If we try to force our way ahead, there could be a hefty price to pay."

March sighs, her shoulders slumping. "This again... Don't tell me, it's gotta be..."

"A Stellaron," I interject. "What else could it be?"

"Right on the money," Welt's voice interrupts, walking up to join us. "The results of the preliminary analysis are here. The anomaly stems from, as Xander kindly put it, a Stellaron."

Himeko nods, her expression reassuring. "Don't worry, Xander. It's not the first time our route has been obstructed by a Stellaron. While we don't fully understand them, at least we know how to neutralize their influences."

Welt adjusts his glasses, his brow furrowed in thought. "There must be an inextricable connection between the Stellaron we're dealing with here, and Jarilo-VI becoming a frozen planet."

The red-haired navigator resumes, her voice firm. "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 disaster."

I nod, the name slipping from my lips before I can stop it. "Nanook."

Himeko blinks, surprise evident on her face. "Correct." She tilts her head, curiosity in her eyes. "How did you personally come to that conclusion, though?"

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's easy to paint the picture when you have context over Aeons as a whole and at least understand the basics of their Paths. Nanook's whole schtick is the destruction of the universe." I pause, organizing my thoughts. "If you are aware of how Stellarons appear throughout the cosmos at random and know the things they cause, it's relatively logical to assume something must be behind them, Aeons right at the top of the list of potential culprits. Nanook is the most obvious one because, again, destruction."

Himeko nods, seeming to mull over my assessment. After a moment, she speaks, her voice determined. "Xander, I'd like to entrust this trailblazing expedition to March, Dan Heng, and you. The objective is clear: Find the Stellaron responsible for the disaster and the spatial distortions, and bring it back to the Express. Welt and I will deal with the rest."

Her expression turns softer. "By helping us, it's possible you'll find more information on the Stellaron residing within you. While you're down there, I promise to look up information about your homeworld. I have some contacts I can call who could help us track down its location. Be sure to leave me a text message with any information that could be of help."

I just nod again, not trusting myself to speak.

She won't be able to find anything.

March raises her hand, a question on her lips. "Why aren't you joining us on the expedition, Miss Himeko?"

Himeko smiles, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Someone has to stay on the train, or Pom-Pom will get lonely. Not to mention, Nanook threw us a glance just now. If we're targeted by the Antimatter Legion, then things could go south fast."

Welt clears his throat, drawing our attention. "Xander, March, if you two are ready, why not go and find Dan Heng? He's probably already started collating the ecological data and survey results for Jarilo-VI."

Sensing that Welt wants to speak with Himeko alone, I turn towards the door. "Come on, March. Let's go find our lance."

As luck would have it, the man was just entering the lounge himself. March and I walk up to him, meeting him halfway.

Dan looks at me, his expression neutral. "Are you doing okay after your first jump?" he asks. "Dizziness or retching are normal reactions. You'll feel better once you get used to it."

I shrug. "I feel fine."

Dan raises an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice. "So you have high compatibility with the Express. That's good."

I flinch at the statement, but it goes unnoticed. Dan continues, "I went through the Express's database, and it seems the environment of Jarilo-VI has undergone drastic changes in the past few centuries. It was not a frozen planet to begin with…"

March chimes in, her eyes wide. "Mr. Yang said it was caused by a Stellaron."

"He said so? Hmm… considering the spatial obstacle that the star rail has encountered, it's highly possible."

Dan pauses, organizing his thoughts. "I've conducted a preliminary survey and found that there's one area with relatively normal temperature on the surface of the planet. By 'normal,' I mean a temperature that just about allows for human survival. If I had to choose a site for the initial investigation, that would be it."

"Any other additional data you've glimpsed from your analysis?", I ask.

He shakes his head. "Beyond more general information about the ecology and geography of the planet, not much else."

I pretend to turn pensive. Meanwhile, March bounces on her heels, excitement evident in her voice.

"Oh, Dan Heng!" she exclaims. "Miss Himeko wants you, me, and Xander to go to Jarilo-VI together!"

He just deadpans, his voice dry. "…As I expected. Even after he's arrived, I'm not being liberated of my duty."

He turns to me, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Before you came, whenever March wanted to go anywhere, Himeko would make Mr. Yang and me go with her. I assume…"

Dan trails off, noticing the look in my eyes. "Is something the matter?"

I meet his gaze. "We can't go down to Jarilo-VI yet."

March blinks, confusion written all over her face. "We can't?"

I sigh, rubbing my temples. "We don't have enough information," I explain, my voice patient. "What happens if we stumble upon civilization where Dan Heng mentions there's still good enough temperature for humans to live? How will they receive us? Will they take kindly to strangers or just about try to kill us on sight? It wouldn't be a far-off possibility — we'd be aliens to them."

I pause, letting my words sink in. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Can we find any records of civilization on this planet before it froze? If so, what was their culture like? Were they a very globalized society, or the entire opposite? What of their government? Was it a monarchy, or a dictatorship perhaps?"

I lean back, crossing my arms. "We need to prepare for any worst-case scenarios."

Dan raises an eyebrow, curiosity in his voice. "What would be a worst-case scenario for you?"

"Cannibals." I add in afterthought, my tone deadpan, "Or zealot communists."

March shudders at the word cannibals, but her confusion quickly takes over. "What's a communist?"

I ignore her question, already walking back towards Himeko and Welt. March and Dan follow behind, the former's voice echoing in the lounge.

"Hey, hey Xander!" she calls out. "Don't leave me hanging you meany. What's a communist? Xander!"

I continue to ignore March's questions, stopping a few feet away from Himeko and Welt. I explain what I've just discussed with my new "teammates", getting them up to speed.

"Himeko," I say, "I'm aware you mentioned you can look up information for us, but I'd like to request that you let me do it instead."

She raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"

I gesture towards the floating blue crystal in the corner. "I'll use the Space Anchor to pay a visit to Herta. Knowing her, the station likely holds records of Jarilo-VI that could be of help."

Himeko thinks about it for a moment, her expression contemplative. "Alright," she finally says. "Why not take March and Dan with you?"

I shake my head. "The Astral Express can't move from where it is. You said it yourself: Nanook glanced at us. The Antimatter Legion could attack in just about any moment. The more people left on the Express to defend it, the better."

I meet her gaze, shaping my voice to be as sincere as I can make it to be. "I promise to come back as soon as possible."

She observes me closely, thinking it thoroughly. After a minute, she exchanges a glance with Welt, both nodding.

"Alright, Xander. I accept your request. Be careful out there."

——————————————————————

Experiment#71619453: Get the simulator ready. Arriving at the office in 5.

Herta's eyes widen as she reads the message on her smartphone, a mixture of surprise and amusement flickering across her features. She can't help but snicker, the sound echoing in the empty office.

She had expected Xander to return to the Station after a couple of days, not mere moments after leaving with the Astral Express.

"Madame Herta?" Asta's voice pulls her from her thoughts. "Did you receive good news? You seem happy."

Herta turns to face her assistant, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Indeed, I did," she admits, her tone laced with a hint of mischief. She rises from her seat, smoothing out the creases in her dress as she walks towards the door.

"Asta, continue monitoring the progress of the repairs," Herta instructs, her voice firm. "I want regular updates on how quickly we're fixing the damage left by the Legion's attack."

Asta nods, her expression serious. "Of course, Madame Herta. I'll keep you informed."

Herta pauses at the doorway, glancing back over her shoulder. "I've got a new toy to play with," she says, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Make sure I'm not disturbed."

With that, she steps out of the office, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she makes her way towards the simulator room.