The eighteen-hour hyperdrive finally came to an end, and the torrent of light that had obscured the bridge windows subsided.
A moment later, what flooded our vision was a "blue" so brilliant it seemed to drown out the very darkness of space.
"...Whoa."
Mina let out a breath of wonder, pressing herself against the glass as if drawn by a magnet.
"Master. I have established a docking course for Azurite Prime. This planet is a Class 1 Nature Reserve where the environment has been calibrated over several generations, using the ancient oceans of Earth as a reference."
Lucia read out the environmental data in her usual clinical tone. The radiance of the blue planet was reflected vividly in her eyes.
"Modeled after Earth's oceans?"
"Yes. The liquid covering ninety-eight percent of the planet's surface has been adjusted based on archival records of Earth’s seas. It is perhaps the one place in the Empire most faithful to the concept of the 'ocean'."
I caught my breath at Lucia's words. The reality that humanity had tried to project a fragment of its lost home onto an entire world lay spread before me in that azure radiance.
The Sperm Whale plunged into the atmosphere, piercing through layer after layer of white clouds. As the view opened up, the "Azurite Central" revealed itself—a massive floating marine city that glittered with the reflected sunlight.
"It’s amazing... I’ve never seen such a beautiful place before," Emalgand murmured softly, checking the hologram of a tourist pamphlet with slightly hesitant hands. Even for a researcher who often traveled to harsh frontiers, this place seemed to be uncharted territory.
We were guided to a dedicated dock where several ultra-luxury resort liners, each kilometers in length, were moored. Beside those ships, polished like fine white porcelain, the Sperm Whale—a rugged, heavy-duty transport vessel—looked somewhat out of place. However, the transit fee of nearly one million credits we had paid guaranteed our stay, so there was no reason to feel intimidated.
The moment the hatch opened, a warm, humid breeze thick with salt brushed against my skin.
"...A sea breeze, huh."
I reflexively stopped in my tracks, closing my eyes to take a deep breath.
Unlike the sterile, deodorized air inside the ship, this was the heavy, pungent smell of the shore, thick with the scent of life. Even if it was a regulated environment, it was a nostalgic smell.
"Master. Salt concentration, osmotic pressure, plankton composition... the data matches Earth's archives with approximately eighty percent accuracy. Of particular note is the purity. There are extremely few harmful substances in the composition data, suggesting that raw consumption, much like the Star Tuna, is possible."
With Lucia's report at our backs, we headed out into the heart of the city.
Our first stop was the "Underwater Corridor" that stretched through the lower levels of the city.
On both sides of the passage, partitioned by highly transparent reinforced glass, vibrant coral reefs sprawled out. Between them, countless tropical fish of brilliant colors darted through the water like silver arrows. Mina grew high-spirited, shouting, "Akito, look at the sparkly fish over there!" as she practically glued herself to the glass. Emalgand also recorded data on her handheld terminal, murmuring with quiet admiration, "The level of environmental maintenance here is quite fascinating..."
Yet, as I watched the glittering wealthy classes passing by and the excursion boats decorated like jewels, I couldn't shake a strange sense of dissonance.
"It's beautiful, Akito. I could stay here and watch this forever," Mina said, smiling as she sipped juice on an observation terrace.
However, the fountain rising in front of her was a mist of "perfectly clean seawater" that had been filtered and deodorized by advanced machinery. The tourists were enjoying a managed paradise without ever having to encounter the fishy smell of the sea or the muddy, visceral scent of life.
"Akito, Akito! I want to try this!"
At Mina's invitation, we entered a high-end cafe with a panoramic view of the sea.
We ordered the "Jewel Plate of the Azure Sea," which was supposedly the most popular item on the menu. It was a dish where pieces of mock fish flesh were artfully arranged atop a bed of transparent blue jelly.
"Time to eat...!"
Emalgand and Mina took their first bites.
"It's cold and jiggly! It tastes so... oceanic!"
"It is certainly a refined flavor. But..." Emalgand trailed off.
I tried a bite as well. The texture was perfect. It even had a fibrous mouthfeel similar to real fish. However, its true identity was an ultimate imitation—seaweed extract and artificially synthesized "seafood aromatics" polished to the absolute limit.
"...Master. According to my analysis, this is ninety-nine percent synthetic protein. Although it uses materials sourced from Azurite Prime, it is impossible to classify this as an actual fish dish."
At Lucia's words, I stared out the window at the perfectly manicured emerald-green sea.
The desire to recreate Earth's oceans might have been genuine. But what filled this place for the wealthy tourists was a "convenient" illusion—a sea stripped of its raw vitality.
"Mina, Emalgand. Let's call it a day for the sightseeing. It doesn't look like we'll find the 'Genuine Fish' we're looking for here."
"Yeah. Akito, let's go find the real thing! I want to eat the fish you make for real!" Mina looked up at me, her eyes full of expectation.
"I would very much like that as well. As a bio-investigator, I've been looking forward to seeing that 'manual butchery' you mentioned with my own eyes."
We stood up and left the bustling heart of the resort behind.
What I was seeking was a place where I could feel the weight of life.
"Lucia. I'll let you lead the way from here, as planned. You've been in contact with the coordinator, right?"
"Yes. It is away from the main resort areas, but I have received word that an agent is waiting at the 'Old Port Area.' It is a hub for true aficionados, far more grounded than these tourist traps."
"Good. Let's go."
As we left the glittering crystal city and descended a gentle slope, the smell of artificial aromatics faded. In its place, the scent of the tide began to drift in, thick and raw. We headed toward that "site" where craftsmen and gourmets gathered, lying just ahead.