Master Control Zone

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

March 7th and Bai Luoming walked side by side, half an arm's length apart. Whenever they passed a junction or a damaged section of wall, she would instinctively edge closer to Bai Luoming, unconsciously positioning herself to shield him.

Once she confirmed there was no danger ahead, she would pretend nothing had happened and quicken her pace by half a step, putting that half-arm's length between them again.

After this happened several times, Bai Luoming finally couldn't help turning his head and speaking in a low voice. "Um... Miss March, you really don't have to do that. I..."

"What am I doing?" March 7th cut him off at once, her voice slightly louder than usual. "I'm just worried you'll take another fall and slow everyone down!"

As if to prove she meant what she said, she quickened her pace, caught up to Stelle in a few steps, and walked beside her.

But before long, she unconsciously slowed down again, waiting for Bai Luoming to catch up with her.

Stelle, who had been silent the whole time, looked March 7th up and down twice before suddenly offering a very serious observation. "March, isn't it tiring to walk like that?"

March 7th's ears instantly grew hot. She craned her neck and shot back, "What about me? Is there a problem with how I'm walking?"

Stelle pointed ahead with her chin. "I've been walking in a straight line." She paused, then added, "But you keep walking around him, first on his left, then on his right."

Dan Heng didn't take part in the pointless argument. He merely slowed his pace a little to make sure Bai Luoming, at the rear of the group, wasn't left behind.

Fortunately, the elevator area leading to the Master Control Zone soon came into view.

A temporary defensive line had already been set up there. Several space station guards stood watch at the entrance, weapons in hand and expressions solemn. An energy barrier hummed faintly across the entrance, with scanning equipment set up beside it for identity verification and screening the injured.

Seeing the setup, Bai Luoming prepared himself for questioning.

To his surprise, the lead guard relaxed the moment he recognized Dan Heng and March 7th, even lowering his weapon unprompted.

Dan Heng stepped forward and got straight to the point. "We're Nameless from the Astral Express. We're here to help."

The guard worked quickly at his terminal, completed the identity verification, and said politely, "Thank you all for coming to our aid. Regulations require us to keep the elevator area sealed off to prevent the Antimatter Legion from infiltrating."

His gaze then fell on Stelle and Bai Luoming, examining them with a practiced eye.

"And these two?"

"Survivors we rescued along the way," Dan Heng answered. "Their identities will need to be confirmed further in the Master Control Zone."

Bai Luoming stepped forward of his own accord and held out his hands to show he was willing to cooperate with the inspection. Stelle followed his example, but before she was scanned, she solemnly handed over her baseball bat. "This is my most important personal possession at the moment."

The guard was taken aback, but accepted it anyway.

Green scanning light swept over them, and the equipment chimed to confirm that nothing was amiss. The guard returned the baseball bat to Stelle and stepped aside, adding a specific reminder: "Please, go ahead. And sir, please stand at the back of the elevator."

The elevator doors slid open silently, and Arlan stepped out to meet them.

His clothes were neat, his movements brisk, and his gaze sharp. He looked nothing like the wounded, exhausted figure Bai Luoming remembered.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work." Arlan first nodded to the members of the Astral Express Crew. "Lead Researcher Asta is coordinating everything in the Master Control Zone and can't get away for now, so she sent me to meet you."

Seeing Arlan safe and sound, March 7th visibly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How are things elsewhere? Were the losses serious?"

"Most noncombatants have been moved to safe areas," Arlan answered calmly. "The Defense Department is working with the lead researcher to pull back the defensive lines. We've suffered losses, but the situation is still under control."

His tone was steady, and his words made no secret of his trust in Asta's ability to command.

Bai Luoming stood in the corner of the elevator, glancing at Arlan several times.

Something was wrong.

In the story, Arlan should have been injured by now, and would even have needed the Astral Express Crew to rescue him. Yet he was in perfect condition and able to come out and meet them himself.

The repeated deviations from the story made him increasingly uneasy.

Still, Bai Luoming thought, this was the Herta Space Station. If it were really as helpless as it appeared in the game, wouldn't that be too much? Its current security forces were entirely reasonable.

As the elevator ascended smoothly.

Arlan began giving them a brief overview of the situation. "The invaders made it a priority to destroy communications and defense nodes in several zones. The Master Control Zone is retaking system permissions one by one. The lead researcher has arranged for staff from each area to report in batches to prevent information from piling up."

Dan Heng immediately zeroed in on the important point. "Have you discovered the invaders' main objective?"

"Not yet." Arlan shook his head. "Their actions seem more like indiscriminate destruction."

"Ding."

The elevator doors opened in the Master Control Zone.

A constant stream of instructions, brisk but orderly, immediately reached their ears. Dozens of staff members worked at speed around the circular console. Some dealt with alarms sounding one after another, some directed the guards' routes, and others checked the last known locations of missing personnel.

On the enormous holographic screen in the center, status maps of the space station's zones updated continuously. Green safe zones were gradually eating away at the red warning areas.

For the first time, Bai Luoming could see so clearly what it looked like when a massive space station was truly in operation. This wasn't a game map that existed only for a handful of main characters, but a finely tuned machine kept running by countless people.

His gaze soon settled on a figure standing in the central control area.

Asta.

She was handling reports from several communication channels at once, her voice clear and decisive.

"Pull the defensive line in Area B back thirty meters and rendezvous with the medical team. Evacuate the injured first."

"Tell Squad C3 to abandon the most heavily damaged passage and circle around using the backup route."

"Protect me? Send those people to escort the staff who haven't evacuated yet. You don't need to worry about my safety!"

A young staff member had gone pale and was speaking incoherently after communications with the area under his charge went down. Asta didn't scold him. She simply took the terminal from his hands and sent him to check the backup lines, while she personally connected another emergency call.

After a few orders, the signal from the disconnected area soon reappeared on the screen.

There was no fear in the eyes of the staff around her as they looked at her, only complete confidence.

Asta had noticed the activity by the elevator long ago, as well as Stelle and Bai Luoming accompanying the group. When her gaze swept over Bai Luoming's face, the finger she was using to issue commands paused for less than a second.

She quickly returned to normal and continued directing the work at hand, giving Himeko and March 7th a slight nod from a distance.

"It looks like you got back just in time. Who are these two?"

Himeko's gentle voice sounded nearby as she came to meet them from the other side.

"Himeko!" March 7th first ran over to let her know she was safe, then pulled Stelle over. "This is a new companion we found on the way!"

Stelle added of her own accord, "I woke up next to a Curio. I can't remember much about what happened before."

"You can take your time with the things you can't remember." Himeko patted her shoulder reassuringly. "For now, staying safe is what matters most."

Then Dan Heng stepped forward and explained Bai Luoming's situation.

"...The first time we passed through the corridor, no one was there. After we turned back, he appeared there out of thin air. After that..."

"Professor Dan Heng!" March 7th hurriedly cut in, her cheeks reddening. "You don't have to go into so much detail about what happened after that!"

Himeko looked at March 7th, who was doing her best to pretend nothing had happened, then glanced at the cartoon bandage on Bai Luoming's face. A knowing smile spread across her lips.

She didn't ask about the odd behavior between them in front of everyone. Instead, she turned to Bai Luoming and spoke softly.

"Are you from Earth? Come to think of it, Mr. Welt is from Earth too. I don't know whether it's the same place as your home, though. You can ask Mr. Welt yourself when you get the chance."

"Huh? So Uncle Yang is from Earth too? No wonder it sounded so familiar. I think I've heard that name somewhere before."

Himeko paid no mind to what March 7th said. Instead, she looked at Stelle and Bai Luoming and continued.

"If you still have nowhere to go after this crisis is over, you can stay aboard the Astral Express for the time being. The train welcomes every passenger."

Looking at Himeko's composed, gentle expression, Bai Luoming couldn't stop a thought from flashing through his mind: She really is like a mother. She's so gentle...

He was momentarily taken aback by his own ridiculous thought. He quickly collected himself and thanked her earnestly. "Thank you, Ms. Himeko."

Just then, Asta finished the current round of coordination and handed the remaining work over to her deputy.

She put her terminal in order, then strode directly toward the Astral Express Crew.

Her steps were much quicker than usual. Her gaze passed over Himeko, then March 7th, before finally settling firmly on Bai Luoming.

In those beautiful eyes was the anticipation of a long wait.