Chapter 28

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"Two hundred... eighty... million credits?"

280,000,000crd.

It was a digit count Taro had never even dreamed of. Usually, even with the recent spike in shipping rates and the "hazard pay" bonus for hauling goods through a war zone, a single transport run netted maybe a million credits. For context, the entire budget to buy the Plum had been just under forty million.

"Hunting the WIND netted eight million... the non-disclosure fee, including the hush-money top-off, adds another eighty million... and turning over the kids is a cool two hundred million. That settles it. Those kids are connected to the government or the military. Not that I have any intention of prying, mind you."

"[HM. A WISE JUDGMENT, MISS MARL. FURTHER PRYING WOULD BE... UNWELCOME.]"

The voice from the comms unit responded instantly to Marl’s remark. Taro let out a dry, nervous chuckle. “Unwelcome” is putting it mildly, pal.

"[I DOUBT ANY FURTHER EXPLANATION IS NECESSARY, BUT PER REGULATION, I SHALL CONFIRM VERBALLY: YOU WILL NEVER DISCLOSE THESE EVENTS TO ANYONE, NOR WILL ANY QUESTIONS BE PERMITTED. THE CONTRACT IS EXECUTED IMMEDIATELY. FOR SECURITY REASONS, THE ENTIRE BREAKDOWN WILL BE CATEGORIZED AS “TRANSPORT COSTS.” NO PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION HAVE BEEN SPECIFIED, BUT A HIGH-PRICED ASSASSINATION MISSION WOULD LIKELY BE ISSUED AGAINST YOU. HAVE YOU GRASPED THE ABOVE?]"

"You bet. But hey, has anyone with an Iron Heart ever actually said 'no' to that deal?"

"[HEH. YOU ARE AN AMUSING MAN. ADMITTEDLY, A HUMAN CAPABLE OF REFUSING THAT... WELL, PERHAPS THERE IS ONE.]"

Taro’s ears perked up. "Oh?"

"[A MAN NAMED PHANTOM ONCE THRUST A “NO” IN OUR FACES. HE CERTAINLY DOESN’T MIND KICKING THE EMPIRE’S SHINS. THERE SHOULD BE A FORMER IMPERIAL SOLDIER ABOARD THAT TINY SHIP OF YOURS. YOU SHOULD ASK HIM. VERY WELL, THE CONTRACT IS SIGNED.]"

As the communication cut out, the ship’s systems were released one by one.

"[THE STARGATE IS ACTIVE. ONCE YOU JUMP, YOU ARE FREE. HOPEFULLY, FOR THE SAKE OF BOTH PARTIES, WE SHALL NEVER MEET AGAIN.]"

Taro’s vision turned electric blue and began to blur.

"I totally agree, man!"

In a sensation akin to losing consciousness, Taro screamed his final farewell. By the time the sound left his lips, he had already been blinked across the void into a different sector of space.

"...Right then. Let’s head home."

Taro’s voice was a weary rasp as he confirmed the Stardust had successfully followed them through. Marl and Koume both hummed in tired agreement.

[DOCKING COMPLETE. WELCOME TO DELTA STATION.]

To the tune of the standard automated announcement, the Plum eased into its assigned pier. Bystanders nearby gawked at the absolute wreck of a ship, their eyes wide with curiosity at whatever cosmic meat-grinder could have produced such a mangled hunk of metal.

"Welcome back, President. But boy, you really did a number on her this time... even a toddler in their 'terrible twos' would come home in better shape than this."

One of the employees waiting at the Station Gate greeted them with a look of pure, unadulterated exasperation.

"I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t ask," Taro replied. "A man’s gotta have a secret or two he can’t tell anyone."

"Yeah, yeah, real 'hard-boiled,' Teiro. I can’t say a word because of the NDA, but don't sweat it," Marl added with a wave of her hand. "We’re all safe, and we didn’t take a hit to the wallet."

"Thanks for the half-hearted comeback!"

The trio made a brief appearance at the office, but after some rushed greetings, they retreated to their private quarters. In terms of literal distance, they had traveled so far it felt surreal, but thanks to Taro’s ability to use the Jump Drive as a Corp, the trip had taken less than two days. The adrenaline of battle was still humming in his veins, and he had promised himself he’d do nothing but rot in bed once they hit the station. However...

"...I’m bored."

Taro sat alone, watching a futuristic comedy program where he couldn’t figure out where the jokes were supposed to be. Between the cultural gap and the alien humor, he just sat there blankly. Since he spent almost all his time living on the ship, the apartment he’d rented near the office was basically an empty shell.

Honestly, I don't even need this place... I should probably cancel the lease.

He had lived on the station for months now, yet he still rarely ventured out alone. Part of it was his natural "shut-in" disposition, but mostly it was because he had zero survival instincts for space-station life. It wasn't just once or twice that he’d accidentally wandered into a high-speed transit lane and nearly been turned into a red smear.

"Everything in this station is so lifeless. Transport is just windowless pods, and shopping is all done via the web. There’s no color."

Taro thought back to the shops Alan and Marl had dragged him to. In a world where open space and real plants were the ultimate luxuries, he vividly remembered his shock at discovering that a few minutes in a park cost as much as a session with a high-end massage therapist.

If it’s a choice between a park and a massage, I’m taking the massage every time... maybe I’ll actually go.

Taro hauled himself up and stepped into the ultraviolet sterilization unit. Once he’d been scorched for the manual-mandated duration, he hopped into the shower. It was set to cut the water off after exactly five minutes, and he used every precious second. He desperately wanted to soak in a tub, but water was a liquid gold on the station.

"Al-righty! This old man’s gonna treat himself... Wait, do I need a reservation? Lemme Google it... Wait, is 'Google' even a thing? Search, search... Oh right, the neural net is down. Maybe the Star System Network is up?"

"The Solar System Net is working just fine. Going somewhere?"

"Yeah, just heading to a massage par—wait, what?"

Taro slowly turned toward the voice. There stood Marl and Koume, looking down at him with entirely neutral, nonchalant expressions.

"I just wanted to talk about something, but if you're busy, it can wait. By the way, I don’t mind you turning around, but your tiny d—"

"AH! AH! CAN'T HEAR YOU! NOT LISTENING!"

Taro clapped his hands over his ears, still standing there buck naked. Marl gave a theatrical shrug and plucked a pair of underwear out of his closet. She tossed the garishly colored garment to him and flopped onto the large sofa in the center of the room.

"Why do you know where my underwear is, Koume-san?" Taro asked, twisting his upper body toward the android while keeping his lower half shielded.

Koume tilted her head. "I am unsure, Mr. Teiro. However, I grasp Miss Marl's intent. She likely wished to cover an offensive object. Specifically, your short di—"

"LALALA! THE GUY WHO BUILT YOU WAS DEFINITELY A FREAK!"

Taro scrambled into his underwear, his face burning a bright crimson. He thought he heard Marl mutter something about him being "disgusting," but he chose to ignore it for his own sanity.

"Marl-tan, I think a maiden is finished once she loses her sense of shame."

"I agree, but are you talking about me? Seeing and showing are two very different things."

"I... I have no comeback for that! Fine, whatever. What do you want? I'm bored anyway... I’ll make some tea."

Taro wondered why he was suddenly using polite speech, but he busied himself with the one machine he actually understood: the electric kettle. He poured hot water into cups for everyone.

"Oh, that smells lovely. You drink black tea? I’m surprised," Marl said, narrowing her eyes as she accepted the ceramic cup. Koume took her cup with a look of mild curiosity, mimicking Marl’s sniffing gesture. She didn't actually need to drink, but Taro felt it would be cruel to leave her out.

"I don't really know the brand. Some guy at the last delivery stop... wait, I shouldn't call him a guy. The president of one of our clients gave it to me as a 'local specialty.' From Baku Station, I think?"

Marl’s hand froze mid-air.

"Baku tea...? You mean these are real tea leaves? Not synthetic?"

"U-Uh, yeah?" Taro stammered, intimidated by the intensity in her eyes.

"Sigh... fine. Just be careful outside so people don't think you're some nouveau riche prick, okay? This cup probably costs about two hundred credits."

Taro nodded while doing the mental math. Prices were weird compared to the Earth he knew—industrial goods and metals were dirt cheap—but for daily living, 1 credit felt like roughly 1 dollar. Or about 100 yen.

Wait... two-hundred-dollar tea? Crap. Now that I know, I can't even taste it. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?

"Such a waste of good Baku tea... Anyway, right. That money. I was wondering if you’d thought about what to do with it, Teiro."

"The three hundred million? I was just gonna buy a new ship for the company."

Taro said it as casually as if he were buying a loaf of bread. Marl’s expression shifted into something complicated.

"But... that doesn't all have to be company revenue. You're allowed to take a cut as personal income, you know?"

Taro shook his head.

"Honestly, my salary as President is more than enough to live on. Having more pocket money doesn't really sound fun. Back on Earth, I used to pray to God for enough money to retire and do nothing forever, but I guess a change in scenery changes the man. Right now, watching the company grow is more entertaining."

Taro gave a small, distant smile. There was a hint of humility in his voice, but it was his honest truth. Being useful to people gave him a weird sense of satisfaction he’d never felt before. Marl looked genuinely impressed.

"Huh... well, fine. So what's the plan? 'A ship' is a broad category. Another combat ship?"

Taro gave her a sharp thumbs-up.

"You bet. I’m thinking of buying a Cruiser this time."

Silence filled the room. Marl opened and closed her mouth several times like a fish out of water, before finally sighing in defeat.

"Fine. You usually have a plan, so I’ll trust you. A Cruiser will probably run us about two hundred million... Hey, Teiro. I have a suggestion for the remaining hundred million."

Marl leaned in close, holding up a finger. Taro blinked, a bit flustered by the proximity. "What is it?"

"Why don't we use it as capital to start trading? Instead of just hauling cargo, we actually buy and sell the goods ourselves. We... or rather, you... have specialized knowledge. It’s a waste not to use it."

Taro tilted his head, processing her roundabout pitch. Then, it clicked.

"I get it. Military surplus."