Episode 14: The Maiden Voyage and the Flesh (Mechanical)

"I don't know, man. You start chasing 'convenience' and suddenly everything just loses its soul."

Taro muttered the words while staring at a monitor alongside Marl. They were standing in her old office—a workplace that had already been sold and would be occupied by some total stranger in a mere ten days.

"I agree with the sentiment, but what on earth are you talking about?" Marl asked, her hand pausing as she scrolled through the screen.

"Well, you know, when you pick up a mission like this... I feel like there ought to be a grizzled old guy behind a counter. You know the vibe? 'Hey, kid, ain't seen your face around here. This here’s an E-rank job for rookies. Try not to die.' That kind of thing."

Koume, currently perched at her usual spot on the tip of Taro’s belt, chimed in.

"Playing too many video games is detrimental to your health, Mr. Teiro. Besides, expecting a single elderly man to memorize billions of missions scattered across the Galactic Empire would be quite cruel. Logistically, you would need to station tens of millions of old men behind the counter to handle the data."

"That’s horrifying! Though, honestly, you could probably solve most of the galaxy’s problems with that many old guys!"

"Oh, you were talking about games," Marl said, letting out a sigh of relief. "For a second, I was worried that’s how things actually worked on Earth... Anyway, how about this one? Transporting chips from Alba Station to Ede Station. It’s toward Outer Space, and since they’re just chips, they won’t take up much room."

Taro leaned in to inspect the entry Marl was pointing at. Like all the other missions, it listed the objective, reward, duration, and order date, along with various contractual fine print. While these tasks didn’t directly involve their "corporate" responsibilities, they were essential for earning travel grease—specifically, the funds needed to find Earth. From here on out, Taro and the crew needed to be proactive about bringing in the credits.

"Ede Station is... let’s see, two Stargate jumps away? So about three light-years? Considering the edge of Outer Space is thirty thousand light-years away... wow. That’s a long road."

"Hehe, true. But it’s not a bad first step. Besides, our priority is information gathering, so we don't need to physically scour every inch of the frontier ourselves. Let's make reaching a super-large station our first major goal."

With that, Marl slammed her finger down on the acceptance button. A contract immediately zipped from the Neural Network to Marl’s terminal, which she promptly downloaded onto a Pulse Chip.

"Here you go, 'President.' Rising Sun Corp’s very first contract."

Marl flashed a mischievous smirk as she handed the chip to Taro. He accepted it with a look of pure, unadulterated ecstasy, thrusting both hands toward the ceiling.

"Excellent... Let this be the primordial step for our company! One day, our names shall thunder across the Galactic Empire! Witness the beginning of our reign!"

"The cargo is a bulk shipment of holographic porn chips for men, though."

"It’s porn?! God dammit! I mean, sure, it’s an important job—delivering dreams and all—but I have very complicated feelings about this... wait. Maybe I should test them? You know, for quality assurance. As the man in charge, I have a professional responsibility to know my cargo, right? It’s not because I’m horny! It’s definitely not a lewd thing! It’s a matter of professional ethics—"

"Might be a bit too hardcore for a virgin, don't you think?"

"I-I-I-I'm not a virgin! I'm a total player! I've been around the block!"

"Yes, yes, quite so, Mr. H Teiro," Koume interjected. "On a related note, it appears our newly purchased ship has been docked. Preparations for the handover are complete."

The two humans traded looks. In an instant, they were on their feet, sprinting toward the station’s high-speed transit lane.

"Oh man, oh man! I’m getting hyped! What’s she look like? Did they include the drill? Please tell me there’s a drill!"

"Didn't you look at the 3D blueprints a thousand times already? And what is it with you and drills anyway? Wait... did you say 'properly'? Did you actually make them install one?!"

"A drill is a man’s romance! Don’t you dare mock it, damn you!"

"Do you perhaps suffer from some form of drill-related trauma, Mr. Teiro?" Koume asked. "In the field of psychology, such fixations are often interpreted as phallic symbols... Ah, I see. So that is the root of it."

"Are you sure you're just an AI?!"

Reaching the zero-gravity zone, Taro and Marl grabbed the high-speed transit wires with practiced ease, accelerating toward the pier.

"But seriously, is this gonna be okay? Even to a layman like me, that design looked... reckless."

"You think? It’s a bit asymmetrical, but the designer is a pro. It’ll hold together. Besides, swapping a ship's core into a different frame happens all the time. The ship you were on was incredibly high-performance, so I wouldn’t worry."

"Koume also gives the vessel a seal of approval, Mr. Teiro. The BISHOP synchronization system on that craft is top-tier. In fact, wasn't that the reason you were so hesitant to sell it in the first place?"

A sudden silence fell over the group. "O-Of course it was!" Taro blurted out.

"...I’m surrounded by idiots," Marl sighed. "Koume, don’t take your eyes off him. There’s no telling what he’ll pull next."

"Don’t ask for the impossible! This is my first time handling a ship like this; I have nothing to compare it to!"

The trio passed through the Living Quarters, cleared the security gate, and followed the gentle curve of the pier until they reached the dock indicated on Taro’s BISHOP display.

"............Whoa."

Taro let out a breath of pure awe. Moored in the dock was a newly christened destroyer. It was a 320-meter-long mass of ochre-colored iron, but the most vital sections were reinforced with familiar Type IN Black Metal plating, creating a striking two-tone aesthetic. Two massive nuclear fusion engine thrusters dominated the rear, while four turret bays on either side formed a circular array. The ship’s batteries were already humming; windows and indicator lights glowed with a pale blue radiance, signaling that the vessel was primed and ready for its master.

"She’s magnificent," Marl whispered. "It’s just a shame she’s currently a 'Porn-Mobile.'"

"You’re right, but could you please not ruin my emotional moment?!"

"She began her life as a Thunderbolt-class Destroyer," Koume observed, "but she has been transformed into something else entirely. Given that the core, the turrets, and the armor have all been replaced, that is only to be expected."

After admiring the exterior for a few minutes, they finally stepped inside. The interior smelled of brand-new iron and ozone under the brilliant LED lighting. The BISHOP display showed that all modular systems were fully operational. Looking around, Taro felt a deep sense of pride—this was where the vast majority of his wealth had gone.

"So this is the Central Command Room. Seems cozy enough."

They entered a bridge lined with the consoles necessary for deep-space navigation. This area had been constructed using the core of Taro’s original ship, ensuring that even if BISHOP’s automated control failed, the ship could be flown manually via direct-link panels. Most importantly, the bridge was located exactly on the ship’s rotational axis. No matter how violent a maneuver Taro pulled, the people in this room would be spared the worst of the G-forces.

"Yeah. Aside from the lack of a drill, she’s perfect. Though... having ten chairs for only two people feels a bit lonely. Think we should hire someone?"

Marl shook her head immediately. "Money burns up fast, Teiro. We don’t hire anyone until our income is stable. As a shareholder, I cannot sanction wasteful spending."

"Yeah, fair point." Marl had invested a chunk of her savings and the proceeds from their Junk Yard salvage to buy a 10% stake in Rising Sun Corp. She had every right to boss him around, though Taro probably would have listened to her even if she hadn't.

"When do we leave?" Taro asked, tracing his fingers over the helm.

"Tomorrow."

Marl’s answer was instantaneous. Taro blinked in surprise. "What about saying goodbye? Don't you have people to see?"

"I don't have a family, and I’ve already said my piece to my close friends. As long as I have the Neural Network, I can call them from the next star system over. It won't be much different from my life now. It’s not like we hung out every day anyway."

"I see... I get it. What about your stuff? Did you sell everything off?"

"Moving? What are you talking about? Your stuff is already moved in too."

"Huh?"

Koume’s voice cut in. "Mr. Teiro, the Living Quarters on the station are constructed as modular units. Ship architecture follows the same standard. To 'move,' one simply detaches the room from the station and slots it into the ship’s hull. There is no need for the primitive luggage-hauling found on planetary surfaces."

"Seriously? The future is incredible. So, since we aren't planning on settling down anywhere, this ship is basically..."

"Yep," Marl said with a grin. "It’s our home."

Taro felt a surge of excitement swell in his chest. Our home. He beamed back at her. "Heh, I like the sound of that."

Just then, a notification pinged on Taro’s BISHOP.

"Mr. Teiro, you have a delivery waiting at the pier. It appears to be a courier service. Did you buy something?"

Taro’s face lit up. "Oh! It’s here!"

"I’ll be right back! I gotta see if this was worth the credits. Papa Teiro is getting excited!"

Taro practically skipped out of the room. Marl watched him go, her face twisting into a mask of suspicion. "Koume... what did he do?"

"I cannot say, Miss Marl. He was being quite secretive, so I chose to afford him some privacy."

"Secretive? Now I’m worried. If he bought something like our cargo with company funds, a lecture won't be enough to fix this."

"I doubt that is the case, Miss Marl. I have been monitoring the corporate ledgers. If he made a purchase, it was from his personal earnings."

"His earnings? Oh, his wages for helping me at the shop? I guess that's fine then, but... I don't know. I wish he'd spend his money on something more productive."

"Miss Marl. Remeber, he is a virgin."

"Ugh, right. Well... I suppose I can’t judge him too harshly."

The two girls—if an AI counts—were right in the middle of a conversation that would have made Taro die of shame when the man himself returned, lugging a massive crate.

"Heh heh... It looks even better than the catalog. Hey, Marl? I’m not really sure how to use this thing. Think you and Koume could give me a hand?"

"G-give you a hand?! You idiot! Do that kind of thing by yourself!"

"Indeed, Mr. Teiro," Koume added. "And what, precisely, did you expect me to do? Are you suggesting I help because our shapes are similar? You absolute degenerate."

"I... uh... why am I being yelled at?"

Taro looked genuinely baffled. He shrugged off their hostility and began prying the crate open.

"Wait, hey! You can't just—!" Marl started to protest, but her voice died as she peered inside. Koume’s camera swayed as she looked on.

"...Oh. My mistake, Teiro. Hey, Koume? I think this is for you."

Koume, being only the size of a fist, couldn't see over the edge. "For me?"

"You bet," Taro said. He reached into the box and pulled out a mechanical mannequin roughly one meter tall.

"You’re always looking out for me, so I bought this as a thank-you. I couldn't afford a top-of-the-line latest model, so you’ll have to settle for this for now."

It was an older-model humanoid AI chassis, designed to resemble a young girl. It looked distinctly robotic, but the facial features were charming and the body design had elegant, sleek curves. It was, in Taro’s estimation, a fine piece of hardware.

"Mr. Teiro... I am ashamed of my conduct."

Koume’s green lamp blinked rapidly. Taro’s face fell. Did she hate it?

"Thank you, Mr. Teiro. I shall remember this kindness until the day my quantum circuits burn out. Now, please, transfer me into this body immediately! I shall show you that I can move far better than any 'latest model' ever could!"

Taro. A man who definitely buys books for the covers.