The civilian docks of the commercial colony, the Transaction Hub.
The moment we passed through the gate and she laid eyes on my "workplace," Mina froze in her tracks.
"…This?"
"Yeah. My ship, the Sperm Whale."
Mina’s gaze swept over the massive hull, as if trying to memorize every bolt and seam. Her pupils constricted, and her rat ears twitched with restless agitation—a clear sign of shock, or perhaps utter confusion.
"…It’s huge. I’ve never heard of a transport ship built on an assault landing ship frame. And those moving parts… is that concealed weaponry?"
For the record, people often said it looked like an assault landing ship because I’d configured the front ramp to its maximum size just to make the ship look as much like a sperm whale as possible. Could it actually function like one? Probably. But that didn't matter right now.
Mina continued her inspection, muttering under her breath. Instead of heading up the ramp, she crouched down to peer at the ship's underside.
"The internal volume is unnatural compared to the size of the concealed hatches. If it’s using kinetic weapons, it’s taking up way too much space for magazines. If it’s energy-based… there’s no way a standard generator could power this many mounts. How is this even possible?"
"Oh? You know your way around a ship. You’re clearly more than just a scavenger."
When I probed for more, Mina quickly averted her eyes.
"…I just had the chance to study. A long time ago."
With life-extension treatments being what they were, a person’s appearance rarely told the whole story. That went double for Biomorphs. I decided not to pry.
Looking like she wanted to drop the subject, she scrambled up the ramp. Lucia and I followed close behind.
Once inside the ship, Mina’s confusion reached a whole new level of astonishment. I led her to the section of facility units connected to the ship’s central management console—the area I’d dubbed the "Craft Area."
There, alongside 3D printers and heavy machinery, sat a literal mountain of tools mounted across the wall.
"…No way. Is this the Latest Tool Set? The one from the catalogs? Why is it just sitting here out in the open…?"
"They aren't for decoration. Everything here is functional."
"I don't believe it. You could buy a whole house for the price of this set."
Mina picked up a wrench with trembling hands, a look of pure rapture on her face. However, the expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She turned serious and dragged me toward the armament booth.
There, exposed pipes and wiring were tangled together like a mess of spaghetti.
"…This is a disaster," Mina groaned.
"You have a liquid nitrogen cooling line running right next to the Main Power Pipe. The thermal efficiency is garbage, and you’re begging for a rupture from thermal fatigue in an emergency. And the drive system for that turret? It’s pathetic."
Mina pulled open a control panel without asking and pointed at a component inside.
"Your energy charging efficiency is down by seven percent. When was the last time anyone adjusted the capacitor balancer? You’ve got top-tier parts, but your maintenance is incredibly negligent."
I hadn't touched the interior myself, so I couldn't argue, but it seemed there were plenty of issues. Maintenance Drones were fine for general upkeep, but they didn't handle delicate internal servicing. Fine-tuning and heavy maintenance were definitely the domain of a specialist.
"A normal mechanic would take one look at this and give up. They’d try to force it to match the manual's specs, fail, and end up breaking it for good."
"And you?"
Mina met my question with a sharp glare, then gave a dismissive snort.
"I can handle it. …But I’ll need time to wrap my head around this insane layout and recalibrate everything."
"You’re hired. I’m glad I can count on you."
It seemed I’d successfully lit a fire under her professional pride.
Mina continued her tour, eventually popping her head into the Bridge. She scanned the pilot’s seat and the secondary operator’s station.
"…So, how many crew members do you have?"
"Just me and Lucia for now. You’ll make three."
"What? Two?" Mina’s voice went up an octave. "You’re joking. A ship this size needs at least ten people. Navigation, fire control, engine management, scanning… there’s no way two people can manage all that."
"Well, she’s exceptionally capable." I jerked a thumb at Lucia.
Lucia remained expressionless and gave a polite bow. "Through Parallel Processing, this unit is capable of managing the operations of up to twelve individual crew members. However, the ship only functions effectively due to Master’s command abilities, which utilize my capabilities to their fullest."
"…Her specs are insane. Who are you people? Some kind of special forces unit from the regular army?"
Mina narrowed her eyes. She clearly thought we were suspicious. If I said the wrong thing now, she might actually bolt.
"I’ll explain the details eventually. For now, just know we aren't the type to be crossing lines that get us put on a wanted list."
"…I suppose that makes sense. If you’d stolen this ship, two amateurs wouldn't even be able to get it out of dock. Only an owner with legitimate access and full system control could push automation this far."
Mina nodded, appearing satisfied with her own logic. It was a relief she was so pragmatic. In reality, it all came down to "game mechanics," but her explanation saved me a lot of trouble.
Grumble…
A thunderous sound echoed through the Bridge. Mina turned bright red and clutched her stomach.
"…Ah."
"Right, I forgot you were starving."
I gave a dry chuckle and headed for the kitchen area—which, currently, was only good for producing hot water. I pulled a few dehydrated rations from the storage shelf, heated them, and peeled back the seals. A cheap, savory aroma filled the air.
"Eat up. It’s just a temporary fix for now."
"…Thank you."
Mina took the spoon and cupped the steaming container with both hands. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth, then timidly took her first bite.
"…Mmh!"
Mina’s rat ears stood bolt upright. She chewed the hot risotto with quick, frantic breaths before swallowing hard. In that instant, her scowl melted into a look of pure bliss.
"…It’s so warm…"
After that, she was a whirlwind. Her spoon moved frantically as she shoveled the food in, eating ravenously yet appearing to cherish every single grain. Salt, fats, and carbs—I could practically see the mass-produced flavors soothing her empty stomach. Her ears flickered constantly; if she’d had a tail, she’d likely be wagging it.
After scraping the container for the very last drop of soup, she let out a long, contented sigh.
"Phew… thank you. I haven't eaten something this good in ages."
"…"
I couldn't help but frown at that. Mina looked like she was in heaven, but I couldn't accept it. She called that bland, processed sludge "good"?
"…Are you actually satisfied with that?"
"Eh? Yeah! It was amazing. I mean, an 800-credit hot dog is a pipe dream for me. This is way better than the expired rations I usually have to scavenge."
"Your palate is dead. Listen, Mina, that was an industrial product designed solely to provide calories and nutrients." I pointed at the empty container, my voice full of conviction. "Real 'delicious food' has the flavor of actual ingredients, the depth of a proper broth, and the soul of the person who cooked it. Don't let yourself be satisfied with something that was just rehydrated."
"…You’re a very strange man."
Mina looked at me with exasperation, but I wasn't finished.
"I want to eat real food. This ship exists for that purpose, and I’m going to make sure you eat it too." I folded my arms and made my declaration. "Granted, installing a commercial-grade kitchen and finding sources for real ingredients are luxuries that won't happen overnight. I don't have the funds yet, and I don't have the connections. I haven't even found a lead."
I turned to Mina and gave her a sharp grin.
"But with an elite mechanic on board, I can take on the high-paying jobs with confidence. The more we earn, the faster we reach the path to the perfect meal."
"…So, in the end, your whole motivation is just your appetite?" Mina sighed deeply.
"Hey, you can be as unimpressed as you want, but I’m going to expect results. Here."
I pulled out my terminal, pulled up an employment contract template, and handed it to her. This wasn't just a verbal agreement in an alleyway; this was the real deal. When she saw the proposed salary, Mina’s eyes went wide.
"…Are you sure there isn't an extra digit in here?"
"I told you I’d pay well. This is just the base pay, but once things are on track, there will be bonuses. Plus, you’ll get a cut of the salvage whenever we strip down pirate ships."
"…The terms are incredible. But…" Mina gave me a suspicious look. "I know that if I joined a regular transport fleet, the base pay alone would be higher than this."
I beat her to the punch before she could finish the thought.
"You knew that, and you're still offering this?"
"I’m not trying to take advantage of you. It’s just that my current capital isn't that stable yet. But listen—"
"If I get a better offer, can I leave? I heard spacers don't ask too many questions about why people move on."
"No. Even if you get scouted, you’ll stay here. I have two reasons why." I held up two fingers, radiating confidence. "One: this ship is going to be making a lot more money very soon. With our skills, we’ll leave those corporate engineers and their fixed wages in the dust."
"…That’s a lot of groundless confidence. And the second reason?"
"Two—and this is the big one. An engineer on a 'proper' ship doesn't have the kind of freedom you want." I pointed toward the modified weaponry throughout the ship. "At a big company, you follow the manual. Period. Custom modifications are forbidden. But here, as long as we have the budget, you can tinker to your heart's content. You can treat this ship as your personal laboratory."
"…!"
Mina’s ears twitched. Money was one thing, but for a true technician, freedom was the ultimate aphrodisiac.
"…That’s logical. Especially that second point. It’s… extremely tempting."
"Right? So prepare yourself, because I’m going to work you to the bone."
"…Understood. What should I call you? Captain?"
"Akito is fine."
"Got it. Nice to meet you, Akito."
Mina registered her biometric data on the terminal. A soft chime confirmed the contract was finalized.
"Contract signed. Welcome to the Sperm Whale."
With a master mechanic now part of the crew, Akito’s journey toward the "ultimate meal" was now on solid ground… probably. Or maybe he’d just added another mouth to feed and someone else to judge his eccentricities.