Chapter 141

"..."

"..."

The silence stretched between them, thick enough to suffocate a vacuum. Taro did his level best to ignore the soft, feminine sensation of Marl pressing up against him, but it was, of course, a complete waste of effort. His brain was firing on all cylinders, and none of them were programmed for sleep.

"...Hey, you awake?"

Marl’s voice was a tiny whisper right at the back of his head. Taro felt the goosebumps erupt across the nape of his neck.

Like I could actually sleep through this! he screamed internally.

"…I don’t really get the whole 'family' thing," she said.

Her tone wasn't particularly sad or hollow; she sounded like she was merely reading a weather report. Taro debated how to respond, opening his mouth only to click it shut again. Silence was probably the safer bet.

"I was alone by the time I was old enough to know what was going on, and I just assumed that was normal. I had a legal guardian, sure, but they were just a name on a screen that checked my medical results and my grades. I think years went by before I ever actually saw a face."

She sounded almost nostalgic. Taro shifted his head slightly. "The 'program' you mentioned... was that BISHOP?"

"Mmh, no. The Special Learning Program. I mean, BISHOP is part of it, but the government throws subsidies at any kid who shows even a spark of talent. I was in BISHOP’s mechanical engineering branch."

"A scholarship, then. Advanced education for the overachievers, free of charge."

"More than just free. The Galactic Empire bankrolls everything. Food, housing, life—they even make sure you live pretty comfortably. Honestly, if it weren't for that, I can't imagine where I’d be. Probably stuck as some grunt doing menial labor, never knowing any better... just like those kids."

At Marl’s words, Taro looked up toward the corner where Sophia and her siblings were curled up. He felt the rustle of clothing against his back; Marl had likely followed his gaze.

"Do you know why their parents aren't around?"

"Nope," Taro replied. It was actually the first he’d heard that they were gone for good.

"They went to the city to find work four years ago and never came back. The kids are still putting on a brave face, waiting for them, but Sophia and Rammy seem to suspect the worst."

"The worst? I mean, there’s always a chance, isn't there? Maybe they got held up or—"

"There isn't. They’re dead."

Taro’s mouth snapped shut. That was the grim reality he’d been hoping to avoid.

"Bella looked into it for me. A transport ship was hit by the WIND four years ago. Their parents' names were on the manifest."

"I see... well, yeah, she would check. But why don't the kids know? You’d think someone would have sent word."

"Someone? Who?"

"I don't know! The company that owned the ship? Or at least the government or the local authorities?"

"They aren't Imperial Citizens, Teiro. You don't get 'services' like that without a family registration. Besides, the guy who owned the ship was a sole proprietor. He checked out at the same time his ship did."

"Oof... that’s just bleak."

Taro let out a long sigh, a cocktail of aimless anger and exhaustion. After another stretch of silence, he finally spoke up.

"So, is that why? Are you feeling a bit of family-envy?"

"...No, it’s not that. Well, maybe a little, but that’s not the main thing."

Marl sounded uncharacteristically hesitant. She cleared her throat softly. "Don't laugh, okay?"

"I'm listening."

"I'm scared of them. Those kids."

Her voice was so small he almost missed it. Taro jerked in surprise. "Scared?"

"Yes," Marl whispered. "It’s not just them, really, but right now... people are scary, Teiro. You’re completely defenseless when you sleep, right? Being in the same room as someone else in that state... it’s terrifying. I can't stand it."

"Uh... I mean, I get being a little anxious, but 'terrifying'?"

"It is... Hey, did you know? The average Galactic Empire citizen only meets another person face-to-face about four times a year."

"Four?! Holy crap. That’s not a civilization, that’s just a galaxy-wide gaming marathon in a dark basement. Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. You call it being a 'shut-in,' but to us, it’s just life. But yeah, looking back, I was definitely a shut-in. I had a major case of social anxiety, and as you can see, I’m still a mess."

"Come on, Marl, that’s not funny. You’ve been perfectly normal at the office. I’ve never seen you look scared."

"Because I don't show it. Besides, if it’s for work, I can handle it. I can stay sharp, keep the mask on. I’ve had plenty of practice by now."

"Ah, the old persona trick? Look, Marl, if it’s that painful, you can stay on the Plum starting tomorrow. There’s no reason to force yourself through this. I’m the one who dragged you along, anyway."

Taro started to turn around to face her, but Marl stopped him. "No."

"I know I’m not in a good headspace. That’s why I want to use this to overcome it. I just... I can't do it all at once. I have to do it bit by bit."

"I get it. Alright. If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. I’m your man."

"Pfft, thank you. But it’s okay. You’re already doing plenty for me, Teiro."

Marl giggled, a genuine, lighthearted sound. Taro tilted his head in confusion. "Doing what?"

"When I first met you, it was the first time I’d seen a human face in two years. If you hadn't come along, I’d probably still be rotting away in that Junk Yard."

Marl pressed her head firmly against his back.

"I’m grateful, Teiro. Other people are still scary, but sometimes... sometimes it’s actually fun. And that’s definitely because of you."

Her voice was slow, calm, and steady. Soon, the rhythmic sound of quiet breathing drifted from behind him. She was out. Taro carefully sat up, making sure not to wake her, and gave her head a single, gentle pat.

When I was lonely, or scared, or anxious... I feel like someone did this for me once, too.

---

When the announcement dropped regarding the massive relocation policy for the stations on the border of the Old Enzio Region Space and EAP Region Space, the public went wild. The message was clear: the new Alliance was dead serious about developing the Frontier. Except for shipbuilding, military stocks plummeted across the board, while infrastructure and equipment companies saw their shares go to the moon.

"RS is building a whole new market in the Frontier! Don't miss the bus!"

Businessmen screamed into their comms and scrambled to the Frontier in their personal ships. Of the two proposed development sites, one was a total mystery to everyone, but the other was a goldmine of untapped resources. The Enzio Alliance had its eye on the place for years, but their bloated military budget had never left enough room for actual development.

"There’s gotta be something in the other sector too! Knowing that leader of theirs, he’s sitting on info we don't have!"

The other candidate site was ancient, dating back to the early days of the Galactic Empire. It had been stripped of every notable resource centuries ago, and no one could figure out what its value was supposed to be. But that didn't stop the crowds. Driven by rumors and wild guesses, people flocked to the systems anyway.

"Report for you, Mr. Teiro. The capacity for the planned development sites is already hitting the redline. The relocation is moving way faster than we projected."

"It’s only been two weeks! Slow down, people..." Taro rubbed his temples. "I mean, I expected more pushback. This is basically a forced migration, and everyone’s just... fine with it?"

"It makes sense, Mr. Teiro," Bella replied. "When you move an entire Block Module, the only thing that actually changes for the residents is the position of the stars outside their windows. Why would they resist? If anything, having the RS Alliance United Fleet guarding them makes them feel safer than they ever were back home."

"When you put it that way, I guess it’s not that big a deal. And Marl did say Imperial Citizens are basically professional shut-ins. If the inside of the box is the same, who cares where the box is?"

A few people—mostly the negotiators and some local bigwigs—were fuming that the Demilitarized Zone was a 'humiliating defeat' for the RS Alliance. The actual leadership of the RS Alliance, however, didn't give a damn. The area was likely to be seized by the Empire when they eventually moved in anyway; having a legitimate excuse to move the population out now was actually a stroke of genius. Plus, it acted as a pressure valve for the EAP’s ego.

"The EAP diplomatic corps was so giddy they forgot how to act professional. Those morons seriously think they won the round," Alan said, looking utterly exasperated after his latest meeting with them.

From the EAP's perspective—ignoring the impending Imperial advance they knew nothing about—it was a massive victory. Taro actually felt a little bad for them.

Well, just a little, he thought. Pity is free, and it doesn't leave a paper trail.

He was determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Enzio Alliance—a group that, in his eyes, had gotten a lot of people killed through sheer incompetence. He kept a cool head, never overestimating his own genius, and actively leaned on the council’s opinions.

Part of him wanted to warn Rin or the EAP, but he couldn't. The EAP had the money, and now they were funneling it into their military. If left unchecked, they’d become an unstoppable monster. It was one thing if you had an absolute power like the Imperial Government keeping the peace, but having one faction suddenly tower over the others was a recipe for disaster. What happens when they get greedy?

The ideal setup is the Three Kingdoms, Taro mused. RS, EAP, and the White Dingo... though Dingo himself is the wildcard.

The White Dingo had been suspiciously friendly lately, which only made Taro more nervous. The treaty between the Rising Sun and the Dingo’s group had shifted into a standard Non-Aggression pact. Behind closed doors, it had been settled that a chunk of the Old Enzio Territory would be handed over to the White Dingo as post-war reparations. Dingo seemed to consider this a total win.

They had already signed several trade agreements, some of which were actually more favorable than the ones being drafted for the EAP. The Rising Sun leadership had crunched the numbers and concluded that Dingo had likely realized RS wasn't going to expand its military for a while. That man had a nose for that kind of thing. No one in the room was foolish enough to underestimate Dingo’s foresight or his lethality.

"In the right circumstances, we might even find ourselves fighting alongside that Dingo," Bella remarked.

No one disagreed. If the EAP grew too big, too fast, it was a very real possibility.

"I know being busy is a good thing, but this is getting ridiculous..."

Marl’s face twitched as she looked at the mountain of data chips detailing the various problems across Alliance Territory.

"Look on the bright side, at least we have a council to help. Now, let's put our backs into it!"

While Taro and the others enjoyed a relatively peaceful domestic life with Sophia and the kids at the Dormitory, their daylight hours were consumed by a murderous schedule. Before they knew it, a dedicated High-speed Moving Lane had been built leading directly to their office in the Commercial District. Rising Sun and its subsidiaries were snapping up the surrounding module blocks like they were going out of style. It had basically become the 'Rising Sun Frontier Branch.'

"It’s like we’re staging a slow-motion coup of the station. Mr. Smith isn't complaining, though—the tax revenue has him grinning ear to ear. But this is just the beginning. The real fun starts now."

Taro stood in his small office, gazing at the star map glowing on the wall.

The Great Age of Pioneering was finally here.