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The Last Man in the Universe

A man with a unique name, Ue (spelling; Yu), decides to accept an offer to join a program called 'Into The Hole' because he is bored with his life. The program requires someone to be flown and enter a Black Hole which for thousands of years has always been a mystery to scientists. This program is sponsored by Hidetoshi Akimura, who spent his entire life dedicated to studying a Black Hole which they named the Black Eye, somewhere in the Norma Arm, Milky Way. While Ue is on his mission to the Black Eye, there is chaos on Earth, a catastrophe that nearly wipes out humanity. The disaster was caused by the Healer serum, a serum previously touted as a miracle serum and highly revered by the public, now become a deadly serum that wipes out more than two-thirds of the Earth's population. Can Ue complete his mission? And what about the fate of the remaining human beings on Earth? Find the answer in this novel.

Ando_Ajo · SF
レビュー数が足りません
172 Chs

Earth-like

Alina gently pushed the wheeled table closer to the special chair. Then she reached for the injection device which was still sealed, the syringe filled with a yellowish liquid.

The doctor looked at Yu who also looked at her with hopeful eyes, hoping that the doctor would fulfill his request which could be one last request before he carried out the suicide mission.

Alina sighed softly, she smiled while shaking her head weakly.

"Tell me," Alina said as she waited for the man to calm down, "what's the point in expecting loyalty if we don't do the same ourselves?"

Yu was speechless. Alina's words are very true, he thought. Oh my God, I have been selfish with my problems and made Alina an outlet for it all.

"I'm sorry," Yu took a deep breath to calm his feelings.

"Calm down, Yu," Alina smiled as she brushed the alcohol cotton on Yu's right hand. "I'm not judging you. I totally understand your situation. You know," she continued as she injected the liquid into Yu's hand. "Wise people say, you can't achieve everything in this world."

Yu smiled faintly. Again and again, she was right, he thought. At least, that's what his late parents used to say.

"If one thing or another could be achieved easily," said Yu, "then all beings on Earth would want the same thing."

"You see?" said Alina. "You're very smart."

"Thank you," said Yu. "You're the first to say that—I mean, besides my mom and dad."

Alina laughed softly as she placed the empty syringe on the stainless steel table.

As usual, Yu tried to calm down for about fifteen minutes after receiving the special injection.

Yu closed his eyes, controlling his breathing as normally as possible. And in the next sigh, when he opened his eyes, he was already in a different state.

"Wow…!"

Alina glanced at the man. "What is it that amazes you like that, Yu?"

"Th—This…, so beautiful!"

"Yu?"

"Aah, I'm sorry," Yu laughed softly.

"Where are you now?" asked Alina. "What kind of beauty do you see?"

"I'm on a planet."

"Okay?"

"E-Earth? Who knows!"

"Explain to me!"

"Blue—aah, no, green…" Yu was bewildered by the sight of such a beautiful planet in front of him.

Indeed, the planet is very similar to Earth. The blue color is the color of the ocean or the bright green color that exists on every continent. Also, the visible white clouds move slowly in the layers of the atmosphere.

"So much like Earth."

"Is that so, huh?" said Alina. "Are you sure you're not looking at Earth?"

"I'm absolutely sure!" said Yu who tried to fly closer to the planet. "Indeed, this planet is very similar to Earth at a glance. The ocean, the clouds, the land… but, there is something strange about this planet."

"Strange?" repeated Alina. "What kind of strange do you mean?"

"Hmm… the position of each continent and its islands is different from the picture on a globe I know."

"Is that so, huh?" said Alina while watching the large and thin screen on Yu's left. "Then?"

"I think, there are only three continents and thousands of small islands."

"Yup! Definitely not Earth."

"I don't know," said Yu with a long sigh between his admiring gazes. "How about I go down there?"

"Of course," said Alina. "You are free to explore the planet, Yu."

"All right then."

"Hey, remember," said Alina. "You should avoid the slightest dangerous thing. You get what I mean, right?"

"I get it, my beautiful Doctor Alina!"

"Oh my God…" Alina smiled with a slightly blushing face.

Yu chuckled as he flew lower to be able to enter the atmosphere of the planet which at a glance was similar to Earth.

"Hmm, the parent star looks pretty bright, like our sun."

"Aah, I see," Alina nodded. "It's very likely that there is life on that planet. Hey, is the parent star a yellow star like our sun, or is it red?"

"I think yellow is like our sun."

"All right, that means it's the same classification as our sun, the Yellow Dwarf."

"Oh, I see, huh?" Yu chuckled. "Sorry, I'm blind to the intricacies of outer space."

"That's okay," said Alina. "You've entered the layers of the atmosphere?"

"Well, I guess I'm already inside the layer of the atmosphere."

"You guess?"

"I mean, I felt my body fall even faster."

"Have you used your jet pad?"

"Yeah, maybe it's the gravitational pull of the planet itself."

"Jeez, you just made me worry!"

Yu laughed softly. He was happy about it, about the girl's concern for him. This makes him feel like someone special. Although, Yu knew very well that this was just his imagination.

"Be careful, Yu. Anything can cause damage to your body's tissues."

"I know!"

Yu controls his flight with a jat pad that fits into his astronaut suit. The closer he got to the surface of the planet, the more Yu was amazed.

Right, he thought. This planet is very similar to Earth except for the differences in the number and shape of the continents and islands. But that rumbling sound from the surging ocean below, which was heard even though he knew he was wearing a special soundproof helmet, it all sounded like he was on Earth. Also, the atmosphere itself.

"Really," Yu said with a smile on his face. "Ocean conditions on this planet feel like I'm on Earth."

"Oh, I see?" Alina smiled to see the real face of the man lying on the special chair so happily.

"Wait a minute!"

"What is it?" said Alina who immediately looked at the large transparent screen on Yu's left.

"I think I saw something!"

"What?"

"Is that a whale troupe?"

"You are the one who should have told me!"

Yu laughed. "A moment, please!"

Yu accelerated his flight, trying to get close to several large figures that seemed to be swimming so close to the sea surface in one group.

"How's it going, Yu?"

"Hmm, I don't think so!"

"So?"

"I don't know…" Yu tried to fly even lower closer to the sea level. "At first glance, it looks like an orca troupe."

"Orca?"

"Yes, but without the white," Yu replied. "Besides, they have tufted fins."

"Hey, you're not approaching that creature, are you?"

Yu chuckled.

"Good grief!" Alina shook her head. "You didn't heed what I said!"

"Relax, Alina, I can keep my distance well."

"Alright, alright… don't cry if something bad happens to you later!"

"Oh my God," Yu laughed again. "You expect me to have bad luck instead."