Author Notes:
Phew~! Surprise~!
Yeah, please don't kick my Slime body because I drop the Christmas chapter early lol. I just had to do something for the coming holiday season, and given my abyssmal schedule, posting this chapter early is the best I could do. Will probably do something along this line for GSS as well, not just RM.
So, boy oh boy, I think I went kinda off the rail with this one, pun fully intended. And, sincerely, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter, and will have a fun holiday season ahead. Thank you all!
Oh, and check out Bryn's pic below :D
Bryn: https://postimg.cc/gLsbCb6h
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A long time later, in a universe far, far away.
"Big sis, catch me! Wah~!"
Hearing the familiar shout, I instinctively turn to the source, my hands open for an embrace as a figure flails about in Zero-G floats over to my more stable form, with my back near a cushioned wall. With a soft catch, I pull the girl into my arms, her inertia lifting me off the floor, pushing me towards the white cushioning behind.
"Oof..." I let out a little, wry huff with a soft, indulging smile on my lips. "How many times have I told you, Ningyo, that you shouldn't play around in dead space. You have inertia this time, but what if there's none and there are neither footing nor support around you, and you're stuck floating in the middle of a wide hallway forever?"
Ningyo, my first little sister, shivers in arms, and the shade of her face turns a touch paler. "That... Would be bad."
Shaking her head to move on from the dreary possibility, Ningyo pouts. "Mou~! Big sis doesn't have to put it that way. What if you traumatize me from going into space?"
I stare at her golden eyes with all the seriousness I can muster. "Then I have all the more reason to keep you under lock and key."
"Eh?" Ningyou looks up at me in confusion. She's understanding and not understanding the words I said at the same time.
Judging by all the memes on the net these days, there should be a loading circle spinning just above her head. Seeing the slight quivering of Ningyo's eyes, her glossy, agape lips, my brain ultimately settles on one thing:
Cute.
And that cutie is now trembling in my arms as the more nuanced aspect of what I said is unraveled by her genius. It took her a bit of time, of course, showing well enough that she retains some of her airheadness over the years.
"Big sis Yuki... Was that a joke?" Ningyo mutters unsuredly.
I look at her with a bright smile, closing my eyes before replying.
"Of course, that I was joking, my dear..." When Ningyo ceases trembling and lets out a sigh of relief, I level her with a stern, contemplative look. "Or was I?"
"Meep!" Ningyo let out an adorable yelp as she playfully tried to shimmy herself out of my grasp, something that I won't allow her to.
Thanks to the fact that this body of mine is a bit more developed in certain aspects, especially height, I manage to keep Ningyo pins just long enough for her amour, Mei, to float around the corner.
"If you really do lock her up in an actual basement, sister Yuki..." Mei... The years have been treating her very well in terms of her physique, easily outdoing both Ningyo and me in desirable aspects. Also, it appears that she catches our prior, teasing conversation. "Then I can't say that I would be surprised. Ningyo does give off such vibes..."
Ningyo pivots around to face Mei. "Et tu, Mei?"
Mei straight-up ignores Ningyo's aggrieved look, though. "But if you really do that, sister Yuki, then I would require a spare key, for myself."
Filing away Ningyo's affronted squawking as yet another precious memory of her, I put on a savvy look for Mei to see.
"Hoh? Then what would I get in exchange for that... potentiality?"
Mei adjusts her augmented reality glasses, causing them to glint with a white light before answering promptly. "How about access to my archive pictures of Ningyo, on my bed, as we do the deeds?"
Oh, now that's some good stuff right there, so I nod instantly. "Deal."
The fact that we are both juggling her like prized goods causes Ningyo to lose her top at last. With faces as red as the sun, my cutie sister shouts in shyness and shame. "Inaff! I will suffer from this discussion no more!"
Both Mei and I chuckle, with me loosening my embrace so that Ningyo can squirm away, only to be hugged by Mei in turn. "There... There... No need to work yourself up over our joke, Ningyo."
With a warm gaze, I watch as Mei expertly coaxes a bristling Ningyo to purring and obedience, returning to her prior energetic demeanor. Very swiftly, Ningyo moves on from her moments of ingloriousness to something more grand, the true reason why we're in one of Gaia's many space stations.
"Come on! Come on! Let's go see it in action! The fruit of an entire planet's effort!"
And with that, a cheery Ningyo pulls both Mei and me toward a part of the wall, nominally armored, but made transparent via an elegant use of runes and spellworks to form a floor-to-ceiling window for external viewing. It's right here that we rest our eyes on the splendorous planet Gaia, our home, beautifully adorned by the World Tree that grows mystifyingly majestic even from space. Scientifically speaking, the mass of the World Tree alone should have been enough to throw Gaia's orbit slightly out of whack, but as things are with existences like Yggdrasil or Nicolae, you don't question them much, if at all. Still, it's neither Gaia nor the World Tree that are the top topics on this most auspicious holiday.
Ningyo is swift to spot the thing she wants to see the most, and Mei and I follow the direction of where her finger is pointing. In that direction lies a truly massive space station, one of the Big Six orbiting Gaia, and its size dwarfs this observation post we're in by a great many times. Etched on the side of that station is the name Anchor Six, and the station is brandishing not just a great many visible turrets but also hidden weapon banks, shield projectors, and enough hangars and docking piers to field an entire Fleet on its own. Anchor Six is a part of a grand movement, initiated alongside the other five similar Anchor stations, that will cement the Eternal Reich's path of development for years to come.
Christmas is approaching. And this holy day alone deserves its own chapter in history, one that depicts the paths and the sacrifices the former Belkan Reich, alongside the rest of the planet, has taken to reach this point: Before our first serious venture to the wider universe. And, when the intercom of this observation post chimes, I know the countdown is ticking.
Pulling both Mei and Ningyo together for a hug, with them leaning onto me, my point of view then changes to seeing the same thing, albeit from a different angle.
"Bronya, SITREP?" I turn to ask the big little duckling that once sported her trademarked drill twintails. Having hit her growth spurt wonderfully, this temporal clone of mine has to crane my head up to look at this young sister of mine.
"Anchor One through Six are in position and are operating at full efficiency. All Reality Anchor modules are reporting Green. All units are in defensive posture against unforeseen developments and to escort the subsequent launching of the Astral Express." The girl with her eyes matching the color of her long gray hair turns to me, nodding confidently with a small smile. "Sister Yuki, we are a go."
I clap my hands together, exclaiming. "Excellent!" I then look to a corner of the command deck of Anchor One station, where there's a raised platform where the rest of my sisters are.
I chuckle and wave at Sirin, who is lazily floating in midair despite the artificial gravity environment. She is munching on a bag of potato chips with a zealous attitude. My purple-haired menace returns the wave with a smile before plunging her fingers, which hold a piece of chip, into a small blue portal. Next to me, an orange portal appears, and through it, Sirin's hand comes out to offer me the potato chip. Of course, as any good sister would do, I obediently open my mouth, letting Sirin gently plop the chip inside before giving my lower lip a little love tap and retreat. Very considerately, the orange portal remains, yet the blue portal is relocated to view the gathering of my sisters, all of whom have matured throughout the long years, each attaining their own precious paths in life. I say hello to them all before my gaze settles on the family's famous painter, who can summon an entire Army at her beck and call.
"Griseo~! Is the spot here good, or should I help you relocate elsewhere?"
The blue-haired girl turns around to face me through the portal on her stool, nodding in my direction. She replies in a soft tone.
"This spot is perfect, big sis. Thank you." Once again, I can only be amazed at how hard a growth spurt could hit, seeing how her body sways with bountiful grace.
"UmU! Then I will leave you all to enjoy the event! Do give me a holler if there's anything you need!"
"Ok~!" The girls give me their sonorous reply. With Erika and Lola covering for them, and that Seele, Daria, and Mash acting as the voice of wisdom, I think they'll be fine... Probably. Can't say for sure with Veliona, Liliya, and Rozaliya in the mix these days.
My sisters can be quite handful, sometimes, but I love them for that.
Ultimately, with everything all checked out and the morale boosters in place, it's time to kick things into gear. "All stations, initiate the Sundial Array!"
Bronya smiles before turning to direct and coordinate with the command staff of all Anchor Stations.
The Sundial Array is a product born out of mankind's need to leave the Gaian cradle, yet still wanting to see their homeland intact after returning from deep space exploration. It's the ultimate brainchild of the Eternal Reich's brightest minds, and two decades' worth of effort, even with the Takodachis massively facilitating all manner of constructions. As one must have inferred by now, the Sundial Array centers around all six Anchor Stations. Its purposes? To safeguard the survival of all lives on Gaia. This means the Sundial Array is, in fact, a massive planetary shield composed of multiple layers that will remain permanently active after its first activation. More than that, thanks to the extremely powerful Reality Anchors aboard the six Anchor Stations, the planetary shield also projects a planetwide cloaking field, preventing most, if not all, manner of unwanted extra-solar detection from ever catching glimpses of Gaia's prosperity. After all, being undetected in the first place is better than being attacked.
Now, why all of this paranoia, you ask? Believe it or not, all of this comes from Einstein's casual thesis over an instant noodles feast with Mobius, Nicolae, and Dreamer.
- Suppose a vast number of civilizations are distributed throughout the universe, on the order of the number of observable stars. Lots and lots of them. Those civilizations make up the body of a cosmic society, a Dark Forest.
- Suppose that survival is the primary need of a civilization in a Dark Forest where, in every shadow and behind every bush, lie hidden predators.
- Suppose that civilizations continuously expand over time, but the total matter in the Dark Forest remains constant and even dwindles with each passing moment, with each life given birth.
- Suppose any civilization that reveals itself will be considered as an imminent existential threat by at least some of the other civilizations, among which some will then proceed to destroy the civilization that makes itself known.
That is Einstein's Dark Forest theory, and it is a very, very chilling and very, very pessimistic one. Yet, from my point of view as the Reich Marshal of the Eternal Reich, such a theory burrows into my brain, sprouting branches of caution and paranoia. From that moment onward, I have steered the Eternal Reich into the path of prudent exploration, development, and military build-up. And in a matter of decades, we have achieved breakthrough after breakthrough. We now have numerous armed space stations, multiple space fleets, and an army big enough to blacken Mars with nothing but artillery fire. Soon enough, we will finish the massive Solaris Fortress with its old, enlarged version of Gaia's Sundial Array. All of this is only made possible by the boundless energy given to us by the Void Reactors and the tireless workforce of Takodachis who venture back and forth on resource-rich asteroids and planetary mining veins to secure us a constant stream of materials to fund our militarization of the Solar System. Perhaps most important of all, we never deign to broadcast ourselves to the whole universe. Any and all signals are strictly monitored by ONI; most never get out of our Solar System.
Now, as Gaia's Sundial Array is made active, coating the whole planet and the space stations surrounding it in a barely visible film of rainbow light, I can breathe more easily at last. When Bronya reports to me that all systems remain well in the clear, I nod, signalling for her to initiate the next item on our agenda.
While it's a given that the Dark Forest theory be kept well in the hearts of all of us, we all know that just turtling up won't be enough to ensure our survival. First of all, Mama Lu and Mommy Hel can only do so much in urban planning, making sure that we will never reach the point of overpopulation on our capital planet. Second, we will mine out all resources in the Solar System, eventually. As such, scouting for habitable or resource-rich star systems is a must, even if we get to the point where we have successfully mastered Energy-to-Mass Conversion technology and can theoretically build an unlimited number of space habitats.
So, what will the Eternal Reich use as Deep Space explorers? Surely it must be a probe of some type or even a military spaceship, right?
Hahaha... No.
It's a train, but not any train.
It's Thomas the Astral Express Deep Space Exploration Armored Train, helmed by, you guess it, the Great Adam Kemper himself. Yggdra knows how iconic the name Thomas the Train is in the hearts of generations of Gaians. It's a name that has been passed down through a lineage of venerated locomotive workhorses since the days of the Belkan Reich and the early Eternal Reich. And, thanks to Mobius' efforts in introducing medicinal advancements and concocting her Gaian Ascension Plans, Adam Kemper and his wife, Aria Kemper, have lived a long, wonderful life, more so than even some of our usual long-lived species back in the days.
Still, having experienced such an eventful lifetime, both have expressed their desires to go beyond the known boundaries of space. To explore reaches farther than ever before. To promote the Reich's longevity using what remains of their twilight years. Although immortality remains an option, the pair seemingly chooses to eventually accept their mortal outcome with all the grace and respect they have. Quite frankly, having known them for so long, I hold them in high esteem, but a part of me will be no less regretful when I feel their souls reach the cycle of reincarnation. By that time, only their legacies, in the form of their descendants, their Astral Express Company, and their Astral Ranch, will last for years to come.
My mulling is cut short when the Thomas the Astral Express rides out of Anchor One's docking pier. And yes, once again, it's a train, riding on magical tracks that materialize out of nowhere. It has to be said that, having heard tales about Thomas the Train, Nicolae was the one to hook up with Adam to eventually make the Reich's locomotives more and more outlandish than the last. Eventually, they together form the Astral Express Company, moving on to dominate the Eternal Reich's civilian space travel economy by using comfortable, affordable, speedy, durable, and armed cosmos locomotives. It has grown to the point where trains are of lovely cultural significance for the civilian sector. And now that we are to explore beyond the Solar System, Adam leverages his proud service in the military system to pitch the Astral Express Company as the second group of Deep Space explorers. In fact, Adam's Company and ONI co-create the Trailblazer Division, a paramilitary unit of bright-minded and loyal Gaians with a penchant for the unknown, centered around Astral Express trains like Thomas.
From my point of view, I can see the aged Adam and his wife, Aria, looking up toward Anchor One, with Adam snapping a military salute, jostling his chest with the bare minimum of medals required. The man never has a habit of showing off, according to his wife. On habit, I return the salute, even if I know that Adam won't be seeing it. But the intent is perfectly clear.
As the launch ceremony of Thomas the Astral Express Train continues, introducing the wider public as to who and why they're on the first cosmic train to be equipped with an FTL drive, the time has come for a VIP guest to make an introduction. Swooping into view and riding parallel to the quite massive Astral Express, Saint Nicholas Cage waves his Santa Hat at the comic train in a show of blessing and well-wishing.
Afterward, Santa docks with one of the cars that Thomas has been pulling behind. Unironically, it's a car filled with good old-fashioned fossil fuels, coal. The Saint, alongside a crew of Takodachis wearing little red hats and Thomas' EVA personnel, starts loading up coals in a Christmast motif bag for the burly man to carry. It's a surreal sight to be sure, but a welcome one for the wider audience back home. Once the stuff for the naughty children is all loaded up and secured, Santa boards his sled and snaps the reins. As the red sled undocked and departed, unfurling its FTL drive, Santa gives a jovial shout, a wave, and a showing of beautiful fireworks in space.
"Yo! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas, and Bon Voyage!"
As Santa speeds away at faster than light speed, leaving behind trails of blue fading light, Thomas the Astral Express Train starts making its preparation for FTL departure as well. From venting ports along the side of the engine car, wings of colorful light appear. They are, in fact, Dusty Plasma radiators, using tiny particles as coolant for the train's more intensive system, in this case, the spooling up of the FTL drive. As the spatial bubble around Thomas starts fluctuating due to Einstein's Frame Shift Drive. The old, yet steely voice of Adam Kemper is broadcast.
"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."