"We are finally entering the far side of the Moon."
Upon receiving the report from Taisei, Jin and Elsa focused their eyes on the screen.
"Not much of a difference, really..."
Without sunlight to illuminate the surface, they switched to infrared, but the view was much like the near side—a desolate landscape of sand and rock.
"The side facing the Sun is heavily weathered and eroded, while this side is frozen solid with ice scattered everywhere."
Though it was referred to as ice, it likely wasn't water, but rather deposits of methane or dry ice.
"As suspected, it doesn't seem to be rotating... or rather, it appears to keep the same face toward the Sun at all times."
This meant it completed one rotation for every single revolution. Furthermore, it remained in a constant position relative to the Sun and Ars.
This only deepened the mystery of the Moon. It was a satellite, yet it behaved unlike any natural satellite should.
"I’d like to land and investigate it in person before long..."
The words escaped Jin's lips as an unintentional mumble.
"A landing is scheduled for a future mission."
It was only logical, given that this maiden voyage was meant to test the Adriana itself rather than conduct a full lunar survey. Even so, Jin couldn't help but feel that when the time eventually came for a landing, he wanted to be there in person.
"We will return to a satellite orbit for now to conduct a battery of additional tests."
They were going to measure the effects of cosmic rays, ultraviolet light, and other harmful radiation and electromagnetic waves. This data was essential for ensuring the safety of Jin, who was eager to venture into space himself.
Since the Watcher lacked such specialized experimental equipment, this was their first real opportunity to gather various data points.
"The first task is to confirm the durability of magical beast hide and ordinary animal leather. Second, we will deactivate the gravity magic to create a weightless environment within the ship to test the galley equipment and other systems. Third, we will shut down the primary power to see how effective the emergency facilities are."
Every single one was a point that needed to be thoroughly verified before Jin could ever set foot in space.
"Understood. I'm counting on you."
There was no sense in watching the tests play out for hours, so Jin decided to leave the command room for a while. Elsa followed him.
"Jin-nii, are you going to make something?"
Elsa asked while observing his profile. She had developed quite the talent for reading his moods.
"Yeah. I was thinking of building a zero-gravity room."
"A zero-gravity room?"
"Exactly."
Jin explained his reasoning to her. Instead of jumping straight into space, he wanted to create a terrestrial environment that simulated space for training purposes.
While modern Earth science had no way to generate true weightlessness on the ground, it was perfectly possible with the magical science of this world.
"I think I can just modify a section of the hangar."
Since the facility had been designed to house massive spaceships, there was more than enough room to spare.
"Reiko, I'll need your help too."
"Yes, Father."
Working through the rest of the day and into the next morning, Jin completed the zero-gravity room.
"So, this is that 'zero-gravity room' of yours?"
"Yeah."
"Heh, how intriguing!"
Standing beside Jin was Elsa, along with Reinhard and Saki, who had dropped by for a visit. Accompanying them were Bella and Aaru. The women had all made sure to change into trousers for the occasion.
"Come on, Jin, let's go inside!"
"Don't be in such a rush."
Jin knew the room functioned perfectly; he had already had it tested by Reiko—who possessed an internal force generator and had experienced actual space—as well as Pensee and Viola of the New Secret Mobile Unit (SP).
"Once we're inside, we just give the word to Laojun, and the room becomes weightless."
"Alright, let's go! Come on!"
Saki marched into the room, practically pushing Jin in from behind. Reinhard followed with a grin, his eyes full of curiosity. Elsa was next, and finally the three automata—Reiko, Bella, and Aaru—brought up the rear.
"Laojun, go ahead."
"Yes, My Lord."
As soon as Laojun replied to Jin's command, all four humans were struck by the sensation of their stomachs flipping over.
"W-Whoa!?"
Reinhard tried to steady himself, but the slight movement sent his body drifting in a straight line toward the ceiling.
"R-Reinhard!?"
Saki looked up at him, but the motion caused her own body to start tumbling backward.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
"Saki!"
Jin reached out for her and tried to take a step, but his body was launched diagonally forward as if he had kicked off a spring.
"S-So this is... zero gravity."
Unlike the vacuum of space, the air in the room provided resistance, meaning they would eventually come to a stop—but not before all three of them were left hopelessly dizzy.
Unable to watch any longer, Reiko and the other automata moved in to retrieve them.
Jin fared the worst of the three. He had always been prone to motion sickness, and it appeared that vulnerability extended to space sickness as well.
I say "the three," because Elsa had remained perfectly still. Having witnessed the unseemly antics of the others, she had avoided moving hastily and had, for all intents and purposes, been the first to adapt to the weightless environment.
"Heal <Verheilen>."
The three nauseous travelers finally settled down after Elsa cast her healing magic on them.
"Ha... haha... I didn't think it would be quite that difficult."
"Elsa, you're amazing. You've adapted already."
"Mm. The trick is to stay calm and keep your movements as small as possible."
"I see."
Elsa had excellent reflexes, but she also possessed "eyes" that could observe a situation calmly. When combined with the knowledge she had received from Jin, she was more than capable of handling this.
"Alright, let's try again."
Once Jin had the weightless state reactivated, he was careful to avoid sudden movements and gave the floor a very gentle kick.
"Oh, look at that. I'm floating."
Jin drifted slowly toward the ceiling. Due to the air resistance, his speed gradually dropped, but he still reached the ten-meter-high ceiling, where he grabbed a built-in handle to steady himself.
"Well done, Jin."
Saki followed suit. Perhaps because she kicked off with a bit more force, her ascent was faster, but she managed to catch a ceiling handle without any trouble. Reinhard did the same.
Next, the three used their arms to push off the ceiling and head back toward the floor. Once they landed, they kicked off again... with a bit more confidence this time.
Through these repetitions, the three eventually managed to get the hang of vertical movement. However...
"...Incredible."
"Yeah..."
By then, Elsa was already kicking off the floors, ceilings, and walls at will, darting through the zero-gravity room with effortless grace.
"...I'm getting a bit hungry."
By the time everyone had managed to move around with some degree of competence, it was already 3:00 PM. They had been so absorbed in the experience that three hours had vanished in an instant.
"Jin-nii, why don't we practice eating in zero gravity?"
"Heh, Elsa, that sounds like fun. Jin, what do you say?"
Clinging to the ceiling upside down, Elsa and Saki made the proposal.
"Good idea. Let's start with drinks. Reiko, could you fetch some?"
"Yes, Father."
Utilizing her force generator, Reiko reached the floor in a flash, opened the refrigerator installed in the corner, grabbed the contents, and returned in the blink of an eye.
She held packs of Persica juice that Jin had prepared earlier. They were packaged in tube-like containers made of soft magi-resin so they could be recycled. To drink, one removed the cap, put the tube to their lips, and squeezed.
After Jin demonstrated how to use them, the other three followed his lead and drank their fill.
"Mmm, delicious! Jin, this is a brilliant idea. What would happen if we didn't use the tubes?"
To Reinhard's question, Jin replied, "If I recall correctly, the liquid would form a sphere and just float in the air."
"I see, that makes sense," Saki said with a nod.
"Mm... like this."
Elsa used the water-attribute magic Condense to conjure a sphere of water in the air, nodding to herself as she watched it float.