A New Journey

Bai Luoming pushed the pile of oddly scented "treasures" back to Stelle.

"I'm not really interested in this stuff."

March 7th pinched her nose, her voice squeezing out between her fingers. "You two, hurry up! Pom-Pom's already sent several messages in the group chat. If we don't get to the Parlor Car soon, the Conductor's going to come drag us there personally!"

Stelle casually stuffed the pile of Credits and a few sparkling gems into her pocket, then picked up the somewhat worn metal storage canister. "This is good stuff," she muttered. "You just don't know its value."

In the Parlor Car, Himeko sat on the long sofa by the window, scrolling through route information on her terminal. A cup of coffee sat beside her, wisps of steam rising from it.

Welt sat opposite her, elbows resting on his knees. He occasionally pushed up his glasses as he spoke quietly with Himeko about something.

Pom-Pom stood beside the holographic projector in the middle of the car, short little arms behind their back. When they saw the three enter, they hopped twice on the spot.

"You're finally here, pom!"

Like a bird returning to its nest, March 7th made straight for the sofa area and plopped down. She patted the space beside her, beckoning the other two over.

Bai Luoming walked up to the tea table, took the sealed bag from his coat pocket, and set it down.

He opened the bag, revealing neatly arranged pastries dusted with fine powdered sugar.

Bai Luoming pushed the pastries toward everyone and spoke softly.

"Ms. Herta made these refreshments herself. I just brought them over from her office. Everyone, have a taste."

Himeko looked up, her gaze falling on the pastries. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

March 7th was the first to reach for one. She picked up a piece, looked it over curiously, and popped it straight into her mouth.

The moment she bit down, her whole face scrunched up. An overpowering sweetness exploded in her mouth, as if she had eaten an entire bag of sugar.

She struggled to swallow the mouthful, grabbed a glass of water from the table, and gulped down a large sip before giving Bai Luoming an accusing look.

"Are you sure this is meant for people to eat? It's not some concentrated energy block made in a space station lab?"

Bai Luoming smiled at March 7th. "These pastries are best eaten with tea. Of course they're going to be sickeningly sweet if you eat them on their own."

The cloying sweetness still lingered in March 7th's mouth. She rolled her eyes at Bai Luoming and took another gulp of water.

Stelle had watched the whole thing from the side, but rather than being put off, she reached out and grabbed two pieces.

After a bite, Stelle began alternating between her hands, stuffing the pastries into her mouth until her cheeks bulged.

Only when her cheeks were packed full did she start chewing. "Mm... much better than the standard energy bars in the space station cafeteria," she mumbled. "Those things are like chewing cardboard. At least this has flavor."

With that, she reached for a third piece.

March 7th stared wide-eyed as Stelle swallowed without a change in expression. "Did that fermentation jar in the trash can pickle your taste buds?"

Stelle ignored her, and soon the third piece was gone too.

The others' reactions had piqued Himeko's curiosity. She put down her terminal and picked up a small piece of pastry with her slender fingers.

She first brought it close and sniffed it. It had a rich buttery aroma.

Only then did she take a small bite from one corner.

Himeko savored it for a while. Her expression didn't suggest she found it hard to swallow, but she certainly wasn't enjoying it, either. She was silent for three seconds before giving her assessment.

"It certainly is rather sweet, but you can tell the ingredients are generous."

She paused, a note of genuine surprise in her voice. "Come to think of it, I've known Herta for so long, but I never knew she had this skill."

Welt pushed up his glasses and took a piece as well.

He took a small bite, chewed calmly, and nodded without offering much comment.

"That was thoughtful of her."

He put the remaining half back on the table and took a sip from his teacup, using the tea's slight bitterness to counter the sweetness in his mouth.

Watching Welt's smooth, practiced movements, Bai Luoming had a thought. Old Yang really is Old Yang. Nothing ever fazes him.

March 7th leaned over and muttered, "Uncle Yang, how did you manage to eat that without even changing your expression...?"

Welt smiled gently. "Once you've experienced enough, you naturally get used to it."

His words sounded meaningful, as though he were talking about the pastries, but also perhaps something else.

Seeing that everyone had finished tasting, Pom-Pom cleared their throat.

They hopped to the center in front of the holographic projector and waved a short little arm. The lights in the car dimmed.

A model of a green planet rotated in the projection.

"Next, Pom-Pom will introduce all the Nameless to the Express's next stop: Jarilo-VI, pom!"

The holographic image zoomed in, gradually revealing the details of the planet's terrain. Green vegetation covered most of its surface, with human buildings visible in only a few places.

Pom-Pom brought up the historical records in the Data Bank.

"This planet is designated Jarilo-VI. It has been several thousand years since the Express last visited. According to the Data Bank's old records, Jarilo-VI was a planet with lush vegetation and a mild climate back then."

Himeko continued, "But we haven't heard anything from this planet in a very long time. After so many years... perhaps it has undergone earth-shaking changes."

March 7th said excitedly, "That's what makes Trailblazing meaningful! If everything stayed the same, what would be the point?"

Stelle nodded seriously. "True. As long as there are people there, that's enough. If there are people, I can really get to Trailblazing their trash cans."

"Wait, why are you always thinking about trash cans? Can't you think about something else?" March 7th's words were full of disdain.

Stelle didn't answer March 7th. Instead, she looked around the car and noticed someone was missing. "By the way, where's Dan Heng? How come he still hasn't shown up?"

Pom-Pom answered, "Passenger Dan Heng is currently in the Data Bank, pom. He said he wanted to look up historical information related to Jarilo-VI ahead of time."

March 7th waved a hand and took over. "Don't worry about him. Dan Heng does this before every warp. He buries himself in the Data Bank looking through records, like he's nailed to the place. He'll come out on his own once we arrive."

Pom-Pom switched off the holographic projection, and the car brightened again. They hopped in front of the sofa and formally informed everyone, "The Express has left the space station's safety perimeter and is expected to begin the warp in ten minutes, pom! All passengers, please sit securely, hold on tight, and stay safe, pom!"

Himeko and Welt adjusted their sitting positions in unison.

Bai Luoming found a comfortable spot on the sofa and was just about to lean back when March 7th suddenly stood up beside him.

She folded the blanket and placed it on the armrest, then loosened her wrists and ankles, muttering to herself.

"This time... I definitely won't fall this time. I've studied it. The key is to lower my center of gravity, bend my knees slightly, and keep my core engaged."

Pom-Pom immediately jumped up to object. "Passenger March 7th said that last time too, pom! And the time before that! And the time before the time before that..."

March 7th cut them off. "Don't bring up the past. Today, I'm a whole new person!"

She stood in the open space in the middle of the car, feet shoulder-width apart, and struck a pose she considered very stable.

Himeko watched her over her coffee cup, a knowing smile touching her lips.

Seeing how serious March 7th looked, Bai Luoming's eyes lit up, and he stood from the sofa as well.

"That looks pretty interesting. I'll try it too."

March 7th turned to look at him, a little surprised but even more excited. "Really? Stand behind me, then. I'll teach you how to withstand the shock wave."

Stelle also jumped down from the sofa, still chewing the last few pastry crumbs she had found somewhere. "Count me in," she mumbled. "How could I not join in on something like this?"

The three stood in a line in the middle of the car, with Stelle at the front, March 7th in the middle, and Bai Luoming at the back.

March 7th turned and gave Bai Luoming an "OK" sign, her expression as serious as if she were preparing for battle.

"Remember: keep your center of gravity low, don't lock your knees, and grip the floor with your toes."

Bai Luoming bent his knees as she did, then glanced down at the slippers on his feet.

"...Does the toe-gripping skill work in slippers?"

March 7th said, "There's no time to change shoes now! Just tough it out!"

Welt pushed up his glasses and glanced over the three of them. "Should we warn them?" he asked Himeko softly.

Himeko took a sip of coffee and smiled, shaking her head. "Let the young people experience it for themselves."

Pom-Pom began the countdown.

Outside the car, the starlight began to distort slightly, and pale blue arcs of energy appeared around the edges of the windows.

March 7th clenched her fists and stared ahead, counting softly under her breath. "Five... four... three..."

Stelle suddenly turned around at the front. "Just count to yourself. Don't pass your nerves on to me."

March 7th said, "Shut up! Don't break my rhythm!"

Standing at the back and looking at the backs of the other two's heads, Bai Luoming suddenly had a bad feeling.

Pom-Pom gave the final shout. "Warp starting, pom!!"

The car jolted violently, and a tremendous force swept in from the rear.

Outside the windows, the starlight stretched into slender streaks, racing backward.

Stelle was the first to lose her balance.

The shock wave hit against her forward-leaning momentum and knocked her over. Her gray hair flew out as she fell backward like she had been fired from a slingshot.

March 7th had just opened her mouth to shout "Stay steady" when her own balance completely gave way. Her feet slipped on the floor, and the "core strength" in her waist and abdomen was too feeble to matter against the impact of the warp.

Bai Luoming held out the longest of the three, but it didn't do him much good.

He saw the two in front of him falling toward him almost simultaneously and instinctively reached out to catch them, but the movement destroyed what little balance he had left.

Stelle's back struck March 7th's chest first. The force pushed March 7th uncontrollably into Bai Luoming.

Like a row of dominoes, the three fell one after another.

Bai Luoming's back slammed into the sofa cushions, and then Stelle and March 7th fell into his arms, one on either side.

He grunted under their combined weight and instinctively wrapped his arms around their shoulders and backs to keep them from rolling off the sofa.

The car steadied.

The light outside the windows gathered back into brilliant points of starlight.

Bai Luoming looked down. On his left was Stelle's messy gray hair; on his right was a head of distinctive long pink hair.

Stelle raised her head first and gave her assessment without expression. "The experience was average. The impact wasn't strong enough."

March 7th's face was buried against Bai Luoming's coat pocket, muffling her voice.

"...I didn't stay standing this time either."

"Ahem, could you two get off me first? I think I'm having a little trouble breathing."