Episode 247

The crew of the Rising Sun decided to pack it in for the day. Considering the sensitive nature of The Facility, they left Phantom and Alan behind as a skeleton crew while the rest of them headed back to the station in the Delta Star System to figure out their next move.

"I’m heading back ahead of you. I’m worried about Admiral Sod," Bella announced.

The moment they docked at the RS Delta Star System Branch, she turned on her heel and vanished.

Admiral Sod was currently holding down the fort in the RS Alliance Territory, which meant he was likely drowning in all the paperwork Bella had left behind. While the man was reliable and his character was beyond reproach, he was still a relatively new hire—the RS Alliance had effectively poached his entire fleet and staff as part of a post-war reparations package—so leaving him unsupervised for too long was probably asking for trouble.

"By the way, it looks like Ryza is in the neighborhood. Koume went to pick her up. Apparently, she’s been heading up a massive logistics operation," Marl said, sinking into a plush seat in the branch’s ridiculously opulent President’s Office.

Since their main base was back in the Alpha Star System, this room usually sat empty, yet the terminals were pristine and the expensive houseplants were thriving. Someone was clearly being paid well to keep the place spotless.

"The Alliance Territory is suffering from shortages across the board because of the population boom. It’s not just us—anyone in logistics is getting absolutely slammed right now."

Taro, finding his usual seat occupied by Marl, decided to perch on the edge of the executive desk instead of hunting for a spare chair. It was a bit uncouth, but it wasn't like he had anyone to impress.

"……Hey. You don’t have to baby me. I’m fine now," Marl said, her eyes fixed on the display window.

The screen showed the bleak, monotonous surface of Planet Nuke. It wasn't much to look at, but at least the sandstorms offered more visual stimulation than the endless, empty void of space.

"What are you talking about? You were ghost-white earlier," Taro said, crossing his arms and giving her a skeptical look.

"Well, can you blame me?" Marl shrugged, her tone light but her smile a little forced. "It was a bit of a shock. I don't remember anyone doing anything weird to me, but considering who built that facility… still, it’s not like there’s any actual harm done, right?"

Taro watched her closely. She was definitely putting on a brave face, but she didn’t look like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I guess. No matter where you came from, you’re still Marl. But it’s gotta be eating at you, right?"

"……I mean, obviously. It’s my heritage. I used to lose sleep over it when I was a kid, even if I haven't thought about it in years. But honestly—"

Marl leaned forward, invading Taro’s personal space to poke him firmly on the tip of his nose.

"Your background is way more suspicious than mine! What is this 'Element 5' nonsense? Are you telling me you’ve just been napping since the Early Imperial Era?"

She squinted at him from inches away, her eyes brimming with suspicion. Taro, caught dead to rights, simply raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"You’ve got me there," he chuckled.

"Right, let’s get this over with so we can go home. Ryza and Mr. Clark are out there working their tails off while we sit around chatting."

Marl gave Taro’s nose a final flick and headed for the door.

"I’ve compiled a cheat sheet for the Mega Transport Ship currently under construction at the Gigantech Shipyard. It’s in Database D-48. You’re the one flying the damn thing back, so make sure you actually study it, okay?"

She paused at the door, gave him a pointed "Understood?" and waved her hand dismissively before disappearing into the hall.

"Aye-aye, ma'am. I'm on it… Wait, oh no. This is the bad kind."

Taro let out a groan as he saw the file size for Database D-48. It was significantly larger than any of the other entries.

"Well, I guess since Marl handled all the technical mumbo-jumbo, this is probably only a fraction of what it could have been. Time to grind."

Muttering to himself, Taro pulled out an electronic pen and a sheet of electronic paper. For some reason, his brain refused to retain information unless he was physically writing it down.

---

After leaving the office, Marl turned the corner, checked to make sure the coast was clear, and leaned back against the wall with a long sigh.

"I am me, huh?"

She whispered the words Taro had said back to himself. She’d claimed she wasn't bothered, but the warmth blooming in her chest told a different story. Deep down, she’d been terrified.

"Hehe… Yeah. I am me. That sounds about right."

Taro probably hadn’t even realized he was being comforting—he’d likely just blurted out the first thing that came to mind—but that was exactly why his words carried so much weight.

Feeling significantly lighter, Marl pushed off the wall and started walking, a little tune escaping her lips.

She kept humming right up until a passing subordinate chirped, "My, you’re in a good mood today, ma'am!" at which point Marl immediately turned bright red and tried to hide her grin behind a very professional-sounding cough.

---

"……Okay, looking at it again, this is ridiculous. 'Big' doesn't cover it. I've said the word 'big' so many times today that it’s starting to lose all meaning."

Taro stood before the Gigantech Corp "Titan Mark 2," feeling utterly dwarfed by the sheer scale of the vessel.

"In terms of mass and dimensions, it actually surpasses a small Space Station," Koume explained tonelessly at his side. "Total length: approximately 4,000 meters. Width and height: 1,000 meters. It utilizes a teardrop aerodynamic profile with a standard cargo capacity of two billion cubic meters. In Open Gate Mode, that capacity quadruples. While the original Titan-type suffered from flaws in its module transport routes, the Mark 2 has rectified these issues."

Taro raised his hand like a student in a lecture. "Uh, Professor Koume?"

"Yes?"

"Two billion cubic meters means nothing to me. Can we get that in Kokeshi units?"

"That would be approximately 500 billion boxed Electric Kokeshi, Mr. Teiro. You could satisfy the entire galaxy’s demand for adult novelties in a single weekend."

"Whoa, seriously? The Titan is a beast!"

Marl, standing nearby, let out a soul-weary sigh.

"Of all the units of measurement… why Kokeshi? You could have used two billion tons of water, or sixteen billion tons of iron. Anything but that."

"Nah, I can’t visualize that. It’s like when people try to measure things in 'Tokyo Domes.' I have no idea how big that is."

"A what? Is that some kind of tourist trap in Little Tokyo?"

"No, I’m pretty sure it was a traditional unit of volume back on Earth…"

"Whatever. Must have been a very famous landmark," Marl said, clearly bored. She turned to Koume. "Anyway, where’s Ryza?"

"I have already escorted her here, Miss Marl. See? Right there."

Koume gave a polite little bow and gestured grandly toward the pier wall. There, leaning against the metal, was a single wooden plank.

"What is this? Wait… is it actual wood?" Marl picked it up. It was a small, flat board that fit easily in her hands. She examined it with genuine curiosity.

"Yo, Ryza! Let’s get a move on—wait, this is a literal cutting board."

Taro didn't even look as he delivered a swift smack to the back of Koume’s head.

"Oh, my mistake. I didn't notice. My deepest apologies, Miss Ryza… wait, no. This is, in fact, a cutting board."

Koume bowed deeply to the piece of wood. Taro’s eyebrow twitched; Marl just looked confused.

"Come on, Koume. Even Ryza has her limits. Right, Ryza? …Wait, no, I'm talking to the cutting board now."

"I don't think it looks anything like her," Marl mused, "but it’s made of high-quality wood. Is it supposed to capture her 'vibe' or something?"

"No," Taro said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It’s a perfect 1:1 replica of Ryza’s most alluring physical features. Some guys are really into that 'streamlined' look."

"Physical features? Oh… Oh. Damn, you guys are brutal. Right, Ryza? …Whoops, sorry, forgot. Just a cutting board."

Marl playfully stuck out her tongue, joining in on the bullying. Taro and Koume both grinned and gave her a enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"Ah—hello, Brother. It’s me. It seems I’ve found three volunteers who are dying to spend their afternoon polishing the beam lenses on some very old, very temperamental turrets. Do you think we could find a ship for them that’s prone to accidental discharges?"

Ryza’s voice drifted in from behind them, cold as a vacuum.

The trio froze. In perfect synchronization, they dropped to the floor and performed a flawless, high-speed kowtow.

"We are incredibly sorry! We had no idea you were actually here! We assumed you were still busy commanding the fleet!" Taro shouted with the frantic politeness of a man facing execution.

Ryza let out a sharp, haughty sniff.

"The fact that I wasn't here wouldn't have made it any better. This single ship has more cargo capacity than my entire fleet combined. It’s inefficient to fly it empty, so I decided it would be more economical to just park the entire fleet inside this thing."

She pouted, her arms crossed.

"Entirely reasonable!" Taro agreed from the floor.

Ryza glanced down at her own chest for a fraction of a second, then marched over to Marl.

"I truly do not understand what is so appealing about a redundant lump of fat," she muttered, reaching out and poking Marl squarely in the breast.

"It… it sank in," Taro whispered in awe. Beside him, Koume was busy trying to shove her own fist into her chest cavity to see if she could achieve the same depth.

"……Could you perhaps share some?" Ryza asked quietly.

"E-Eh? I mean, if it were possible, I’d love to, but…"

Ryza seemed to reach some internal conclusion and turned away. "Forget it. Let us go."

The trio scrambled to their feet, rubbing their sore knees, and trailed after her.

"Hehe. That was a close one, Mr. Teiro. I believe my 'clumsy girl' routine is really starting to land," Koume whispered.

"If she’s actually there, tell me! You’ve been acting way too human lately… and stop with the smug face. You’re not as funny as you think you are."

They stepped onto the high-speed moving lane that ran the length of the pier. Even as they zipped along, the entrance to the Titan seemed miles away, finally giving Taro a true sense of the ship's gargantuan proportions.

"It really is massive… If it’s four times the length of the Plum, that’s sixty-four times the total volume. God, it’s huge."

It wasn't just a ship; it was a flying city. Taro stared up at the hull in wonder. "What the hell am I going to name this thing?"

"How about the 'Cutting Board,' Mr. Teiro?" Koume suggested.

Taro sensed a murderous presence from the front and immediately ducked. He watched as Ryza reached back and forcibly pried Koume’s hands off the moving lane’s safety rail. Taro offered a crisp salute as Koume was swept away into the distance behind them at high speed.

What should I name it?