The next day found us still at the colony.
A space storm, apparently.
Solar activity was flaring up, releasing massive amounts of energy. Between the electromagnetic waves and the various other particles raining down, we couldn't set foot outside. Ships were built to withstand it, of course, but the risk of an accident was never zero.
Consequently, our departure was postponed.
There was nothing to be done about it. It was even predicted that the colony itself would suffer blackouts. Since the gravity was expected to become unstable, even training was off the table.
And so, we were granted a day of rest.
We ended up staying a few more days at the hotel we’d checked into. Unlike the colony’s main lobby, the hotel was strangely ancient. It was probably meant to be a business hotel, but it was run-down. Despite the exterior, the rooms themselves were actually quite clean.
My wife and Cyrus were staying at a grand hotel reserved for VIPs. I’d been invited to join them, but I turned it down. It wouldn't sit right with me if I wasn't receiving the same treatment as the others.
I could understand my wife, Prince Cyrus, and the Imperial Guard having separate accommodations. But for me? No way. My wife was the VIP; I was just... me.
Which is how I ended up in the game corner of this dilapidated hotel.
Even though this was just a colony in a Baron Territory, it felt surprisingly urban compared to our Marquis Territory. It felt like a regional hub city. Back home, we didn't even have hotels.
By the way, I was strictly forbidden from going out because the area was packed with "adult" establishments.
The game corner had gone to the trouble of sourcing actual retro games. I’d come to check it out, but I didn't recognize a single title.
Well, they are old, I thought. Can't be helped.
The space was cramped, and there weren't many machines to choose from. I worried they might be too dated to be any fun. I figured I’d probably get about five minutes of entertainment out of it.
...Ten minutes later.
"Hyahhaa!"
I was completely hooked on the Coin Drop.
Before I knew it, the other boys had shown up and started a match of air hockey. The gun shooting game was also surprisingly decent.
Kevin watched me and muttered under her breath. "Idiots... I’m surrounded by a pack of idiots..."
"Kevin," I said, "the secret to a happy life is fully committing to being an idiot."
"Leo, you spend way more time as an idiot than as anything else, don't you?"
Meanwhile, Melissa was focused on a dance game.
"I shouldn't have underestimated these old games," someone remarked.
As we were all enjoying ourselves, a facility-wide announcement chimed.
"Due to the effects of a solar flare, gravity control will be deactivated. Gravity will become unstable; please take precautions to avoid injury. Use your safety belts when sleeping."
Huh?
Suddenly, the world flipped. Heaven and earth swapped places in an instant. My precious medals went "falling" toward the ceiling. The game cabinets began flickering and shutting down with error messages.
"W-What!?"
Kevin drifted upward with a soft poof.
Fortunately, she just ended up floating. The gravity device had cut out completely. Medals were now drifting through the air of the game center like tiny metallic bubbles.
Despite the chaos, we remained relatively calm. We were spaceship crews, after all. We’d been through indoor zero-gravity training several times. Besides, bikes and transport ships didn't have gravity devices anyway.
Glancing to my side, I saw Melissa tangled in the safety belt of the dance game.
"Melissa, you okay?"
"Captain, I’m kind of... stuck."
I quickly reached out and untangled her. Melissa really did seem to draw the short straw more often than not.
Next was Kevin. "Kevin, you still alive?"
I saw her struggling frantically. Ah, right. Her body shape had changed so drastically that she didn't know how to "swim" through the air anymore. Her breasts were boing-boinging in three dimensions.
"I-I can't swim!!"
Kevin was flailing her limbs about. It was a pitiful sight, so I decided to help her out. Since she was spinning in place, I scooped her up in a princess carry.
"You alright there?"
"Pwah! I don't know why, but I couldn't swim!"
For some reason, Kevin had her eyes squeezed shut and was holding her breath. Once I had her secure, she exhaled and finally looked at me.
"Why were you holding your breath?"
"I-I don't know, it just felt like I should..."
You're actually quite the klutz, aren't you?
I set Kevin down near Melissa.
The boys, meanwhile, were frantically scrambling to collect my floating medals. It was painfully obvious they were planning to pull a "Hyahhaa! We're gonna spend all your medals!" joke on me later.
I decided to pull the rug out from under them.
"Listen up, guys. I’m going to go check on the rest of the hotel. Feel free to use my medals."
"The power's out, though!"
"Hahaha! Don't let that stop you! Enjoy!"
With that, I "swam" toward the hotel lobby.
On my way, I spotted Claire. Her clothes were caught in the elevator doors, leaving her pinned and helpless in mid-air.
"Yo."
"Ah, Leo."
"Let me give those a tug."
"Yes, please. Thank you."
I gave her clothes a quick pull and freed her.
"Where's Ren?" I asked.
"She was at the vending machine over there a minute ago."
I swam toward the machines. Ahead of me, I saw pieces of fried chicken drifting through the air.
"Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp!"
I won't let a single piece escape! I'm collecting them all!
There was a very hungry carnivore on the loose.
"Ren, are you okay!?"
"Huuuh!!! ...F-Funyaan!"
"Look, it's a bit late to try and act cute."
"The... the fried chicken started floating, and I just lost myself for a moment."
"Ah, don't sweat it. I lose myself pretty often too."
My own dark history was proof enough of that.
I wondered how the others were holding up. Fortunately, we’d booked out the whole hotel. The only people left to worry about were the staff. As I swam further, I saw the employees calmly clipping safety belts to the handrails. This was clearly just another Tuesday for colony citizens.
...Wait.
Wasn't Kevin born on a colony? And yet, she’d been a total disaster in zero-G. I suppose when your chest suddenly gets that huge, your center of balance goes completely out the window.
Everyone seemed to be doing fine, so I returned to the game center. Ren and Claire followed along.
"Yo. Everyone safe and sound?"
"More or less," Claire replied.
Then, a stray thought crossed my mind.
"Hey, you think the Zork might... nah, never mind. No way."
The entire room froze. Everyone turned to look at me. They had "the look" on their faces.
One of the boys shouted to the rest of the guys. "Heads up! Leo’s got a bad feeling!"
"What!? This is bad!"
"Prepare for combat... wait, where’s our gear!?"
"Monitors! Get me a monitor, now!"
The boys fell into a state of total panic.
Claire spoke up, her voice perfectly calm. "I'll go retrieve the reconnaissance drones."
Melissa followed suit. "I'm getting my katana."
Ren chimed in, "I'll search for a working communication terminal!"
Lastly, Kevin. "We brought ammunition in with us, didn't we?"
"...Guys, I was just speculating. Don't freak out that much."