Chapter 2 - All Aboard!
A long, heavy silence lingered in the air whilst Nova's mind remained blank in shock as he tried to process what he had heard. A sense of dread, horror, and panic instantly flooded his entire being, paralyzing him at the implication of Caelus's words. His eyes were transfixed on the sombre young man until he finally snapped out of his frozen state and forced himself to act.
"W-what… you… you're staying?" Nova spluttered, instantly snapping his attention to Calus in horror. "I mean why would you do that?! There's not much here, Herta's rude and will poke and prod you like a science experiment, and sooner or later when she gets bored, you'll be kicked out…"
"Maybe but…"
"But? What's wrong?"
"It's… overwhelming… I just don't know what to do…" Calus hesitantly explained, struggling to grasp his own emotions whilst Nova carefully listened to his every word, his voice, his expressions, and any and all fluctuations that he showed, desperately attempting to read the troubled guy to figure out his issue as if his life depended on it.
"So… everything is overwhelming? And you're feeling lost? So…" Nova guessed, saying whatever thoughts he managed to string together in his desperation. "So… you… feel safe, safer, in choosing to stay here?"
Calus looked at Nova with an almost shocked look before he went back into brief contemplation at Nova's words who remained tense, pleading to himself that he somehow managed to hit the nail on the head.
"I suppose so… There's just a lot going on right now…" Calus finally answered with a sigh. "If I stay here, then I think that I can come to grip my situation, and steadily work something out."
'Oh, good. Is it just a matter of persuading him then? If I can manage that…' Nova thought to himself, unknowingly releasing a sigh at the same time to Calus's confusion.
"Why'd you sigh?" Calus asked.
"Oh, sorry, it's nothing." Nova quickly replied as he raised a hand in defence before having an idea strike his mind which managed to coax a smile out of him, despite how much of a farce that it was. "It's just that… I have a feeling that you're making a choice that you'll regret, you know?"
The effect was instant as Caelus froze for a couple of moments; his expression was nigh unreadable, but it didn't matter. Nova knew that he struck home.
"…You think going with the express is better?" Caelus eventually asked almost carefully.
"To be blunt, yes. And this isn't about me being a Nameless either." Nova said as he put on a heavy, serious demeanour. "Staying here, well… not much will happen. Your life will be like a guanine pig, trapped in a cage and nothing more than an experiment… at least to Herta but she does respect human rights… I think. Eventually, you'll be dumped and left to the streets, sad life honestly. What I think appeals to you about it is that life remains the same until you're kicked out, it'll be stable in a sense. But…sometimes the answers you seek require going looking for them instead."
'Bit of a lie about the outcome of staying here but honestly it's for the better… a white lie I suppose.' Nova thought quickly as he waited for Calues's response.
Yet despite his words, Caelus failed to appear completely sold as he instead remained contemplative about the situation probing Nova to continue his speech. "Maybe you don't know but you're free to get off the Astral Express wherever you want, your final stop is whichever one you choose. Unlike staying on the space station, the Express allows you to change your mind. You can go out there, experience things, enjoy things, find your place in the world or truly take to the Trailblazing life and stay on the journey. The alternative is thinking that this is the best you can achieve, and you can still always come back here any time you please. You want to figure things out, but you can still do it whilst travelling. Some people find that they can better find themselves on the road. The express crew seem to be the kind of people who will help you every step of the way, you just have to ask them. I push it, try the express, at least try. Are you sure that you won't regret it?"
Caelus was stunned by the serious Nova who poured out to him, almost desperately so, having caused Caelus to take a step back as he fell into thought, gripping a fist whilst his face turned sharp. The silence was deafening but he had no choice but to wait for the answer.
'Please don't let there be any difficulty to this… I know that people won't help me and instead respect his decision but this needs to happen! I don't want to have messed everything up before it even begins! Please!'
"Alright then, let's go see the stars!" Calus suddenly declared, hands on his hips as he looked onward with fresh determination and life in his eyes.
"The stars are everywhere, it's planets you should be-… I mean, great to hear!" Nova cheered in relief. "You should properly go and find Himeko by the Express then, I'm sure they're waiting for your answer."
"Yeah, but you're not coming?" Caelus said with a look of confusion.
"What do you mean?" Nova replied equally confused.
"Well, you said that you're a wanderer, right? Aren't you a Nameless as well?"
"Nameless? Yes. Express Crew? No." Nova replied as he stood tall again from resting on the railing. "You'll learn that I was given an offer though, but I have my own circumstances that I need to think about."
"What could make it a bad choice to join the express compared to my circumstance"? Caelus asked with a troubled expression. "What about everything that you just told me?"
"…Duty?" Nova nonchalantly answered unable to face Caelus. "I have something I need to do, and the express isn't the kind of service that just takes you places at your request like a taxi. Well, they'll happily revisit worlds and consider your request but ultimately if it's not on the agenda then it's a group decision. Would be marvellous, but it's not." Nova fibbed as he racked his mind for something that Caelus would believe whilst avoiding his gaze, yet his expression hardly looked like he was willing to accept it. Despite this, he didn't talk, merely challenging Nova with an almost glare in the silent demand for the truth.
'What am I supposed to say? Mentioning anything about timelines would either be ignored or they'll assume I'm a Stellaron Hunter and arrest me for it… but at the same time… should I leave? Caelus almost stayed behind until I changed things, but this was just one of the actual possible bad ends in the story. What if he chooses the other one in Penacony?'
The longer he stayed with the story, the more and more likely it became that he would cause changes that would potentially threaten the universe.
But perhaps he would be needed to prevent the bad ends? Or perhaps Elio had already included him in the script and was planning around him making his worry not necessary? What even was the actual end goal of Elio's script?
He was mostly assuming that it was preventing Nanook from destroying the universe as was THEIR goal, an outcome that he simply couldn't possibly allow. One that if he made the wrong choice, he would be the cause of a deviation that resulted in the end of everything.
When the wrong choice was the end of the universe, how could he decide on what was the safer option? Out of the possibilities, there was no way of knowing and it both infuriated and terrified him of the potential repercussions.
'Ultimately, it just depends on if Elio's script plans around me or not in the assumption that I don't want to mess it up. And it'll take meeting the Stellaron Hunters to be sure of it but I'll at least have to get through Belobog first… perhaps I'll just spend my time in the shadow's and attempt to keep everything to the story I know for now? It's no big decision… just capable of deciding the fate of the universe is all… ok, there's regret in thinking that…' Nova silently pondered to himself whilst having turned blind to the world, all the thinking was quickly becoming bad for his metaphorical heart as he could feel the crushing weight in his chest. Luckily, he had no organs and such health to worry about. Instead, he had different problems.
'But going with them allows me to change things if need be… so if anything does change, I'll just take responsibility and fix it…' he finished his thought as a sense of resolution came upon him, steeling himself for however difficult his self-imposed mission would be…
"Are you ok? You're looking pretty bad." Calus noted, snapping Nova out of his thought with a faint gasp that left them looking at one another.
"I wish I had health to blame it on but that's not really an option for me…" He quickly said as he stood tall to face Caelus again. "I've just gone and weighed my options is all, I'm as good as I can be."
"Really? Does that mean you've changed your mind? What even are your circumstances anyway?"
"Ah… um…" Nova shifted at the question, scratching the back of his head as he thought to try and explain himself to no avail. "Sorry but… I don't think I can say just yet... It's important, and maybe I'm misunderstood about something, but maybe within the coming weeks or months, I might be able to tell you. But for now, can we please consider it sensitive?"
"Maybe we're both a little uncertain about this, huh?" Calus said with a smile, "It's strange that you're struggling so much after giving advice like that."
"Please don't start doubting it, I just have my own situation that it doesn't apply to. It doesn't matter anymore right, we're fellow trailblazing buddies now, right? Let's start it by finding Himeko and letting her know!" Nova quickly replied with somewhat forced enthusiasm to get Caelus to beam back at him, finally with an aura of confidence for the first time.
Yet it was at that moment that a ping went off from Caelus's pocket interrupting the two as he quickly fished out his phone, silently reading the message that he had received.
"Who's that?" Nova asked.
"Herta. She wants to talk to me about something in person, I think. She's just telling me to come over to her for something." Caelus answered.
"Sounds like her… well whilst you're meeting her you should probably mention your decision to her. In the meantime, I've got a question for Asta, assuming she's willing to lend a little bit of help…" Nova replied whilst doing a quick gesture as if to present himself, or rather, his unique "clothing" situation.
"Is that not normal for you?" Caelus wondered making Nova lapse into thought for a few brief moments.
"Well, I suppose the equivalent could technically be you wearing a human hide…" He said shocking the young man who seemed almost mortified. "Well to be honest we don't view it that way. It's just an exertion of effort. Not much considering I can regain most of the energy just by reabsorbing it, but I'd much rather have actual clothing than just calling on the power of censorship the whole time."
"I had no idea that your people were nudists…" Caelus replied as he diverted his attention to the side in as he teasingly pretended to be embarrassed.
"We're not, it's just that waking up from our core means we have nothing…" Nova quickly shot down his behaviour with an unimpressed look. "Look, you should likely head to Herta as soon as possible. I would go with but unless you're already gaining access to the glorious convenience that is Space Anchors, I'm using the shortcut."
"What are those?"
"They're a part of the blessings of trailblaze. If you go to one, you can fast-travel to others you have already visited or if you're powerful enough with your connection to the trailblaze then you don't even need to find one to hop to any of them. Although, jumping between planets isn't exactly within their ability - we've got the Astral Express instead for that." Nova quickly explained as he began to take a few steps down the corridor prompting Caelus to begin to follow him until Nova already turned round with a gentle smile at the doorway to another room. "If you want, here's an example!"
Before Caelus could even say anything in response, Nova had already vanished from sight with a quick blue flash before his eyes leaving him alone only able to assume that right before him was an invisible Space Anchor…
No one seemed to notice or care when Nova suddenly appeared out of thin air in the Master Control Zone, he took a quick moment to regain his bearings among the multitude of busy groups of scientists moving about or guards that were either on patrol or acting on orders.
He didn't pay it too much attention despite its difference from how he knew the game, after all, of course, no one in the world was about to be either a static NPC or remain as mere mentions. Had the staff only appeared as few in numbers as they did in the game despite the whole nature of the space station then he likely would feel more concerned instead.
"Hopefully Asta at least is about the same spot." Nova thought aloud as he began moving towards a similar spot in the game where Asta always stood.
It wasn't hard to spot with the massive holographic planet that was found at the central platform. But it was hard to reach as Asta was surrounded by researchers and security guards taking her orders, all the while responding to messages on holographic screens.
"I don't know if it's better to wait or force my way in with this many people…" Nova said, crossing his arms as he already felt tired at the thought.
"Oh! You must be Nova over there, right?" Asta suddenly said as she began waving at him with a shockingly energetic smile despite her evident workload of people.
"You were waiting for me?" Nova asked as he approached, now with the crowds of people making a clear path to approach.
"Yup, and it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the lead researcher, Asta, but I already know who you are so don't worry. Madam Herta has already informed me of everything, but I thought you would have come here a lot sooner. It wasn't like Madam Herta didn't tell you where I was leaving you to look for me, right?"
"Oh, well she didn't tell me, but I did know where you were. It's just that I went on a little walk to make up my mind about something. I didn't realise that you were waiting for me like this..."
"Don't worry, it's fine. It's not like you caused me any trouble, unlike all the jobs that need doing now because of the attack. But I heard you were almost handed over to Madam Herta as a curio." Asta pointed out with a troubled look.
"Oh, that…" Nova started, slightly diverting his attention with an indifferent yet contemplative look. "That would have been awkward later down the line whenever I eventually revived…"
"Revived? Wouldn't you have died if that happened?" Asta asked in concern.
"Well, I was in a dormant, coma-like state. I expend virtually no energy in that state, so whilst it would take a long time – I would eventually recover. Now, the time loss and troubles that would follow my awakening… now that's where the problems would lie."
"I see, I guess it's good to know that you weren't in any danger at least," Asta said with a relieved smile, but it didn't last long as it quickly faltered into a rather forced one. "But I suppose we should get to the main matter, as I said before, Madam Herta has informed me of everything."
"Yeah, if it's not a problem to ask for clothes…" Nova replied, unable to suppress the awkwardness that surged through his whole being as he scratched the back of his head with a faint blush.
"Of course it's not, you can consider this under our deal to assist with the Astral Express and even ignoring that, I don't think is a matter that could be ignored…" Asta said as it became evident to Nova that she had been trying to look at his face despite the glittering blue blaze that covered him.
"Anyway! This is something that we should he sorted out as soon as possible. And because of the Express's own schedule, Arlan can't refute the need for the tailor!" Asta proclaimed with a determined smile, pulling out a tablet from within her lab coat and hurriedly begun tapping on it.
"Why would he refute the use of a tailor? Unless you're constantly buying clothes from it?" Nova asked in bewilderment, unable to resist raising a brow at the unusual restriction.
"I'm not, and while I'm happy to enjoy shopping in person as well the times that I've considered just getting the tailor to prepare something he almost always considers it a waste of money. But because of timing, there's no choice! I don't know of shops with the service to get it here on time."
"But you know a tailor that does? They can make clothes from scratch and deliver it quicker than something already on the shelves could arrive?" Nova hesitantly continued to ask, his eyes narrowing.
"Thanks to the latest fabric-synthesizing technology, such requests are made possible and because they then treat everyone on a personal basis it makes delivering within the hour possible as well," Asta answered with an upbeat expression, yet because of her focus on her tablet she remained oblivious to the expressions of the few researchers that had been listening in on her, most of them looking on with looks of disbelief as they murmured amongst themselves.
'She's… paying some outrageous amount of money, isn't she?' Nova could only think to himself in dread, wondering how much he should have expected it, but perhaps such services were the only possible ones to consider when the time crunch was factored in.
Despite whatever he thought, however, Asta was well into putting the arrangements in place with so evident way of stopping her forcing Nova to simply go along with whatever actions the financial powerhouse was so casually performing…
Himeko felt a small sense of relief and satisfaction as she oversaw the last of the workers and bots loading supplies onto Astral Express, making sure that everyone was out before firmly locking the Storage Carts to finish the job. "That's another success restocking, there shouldn't be anything to worry about not for the next few months."
"Even with the extra mouths?" A familiar voice sounded from behind, revealing itself to be Nova.
"Even with extra mouths, can I assume that means you're coming with us then?" Himeko replied with a soft smile, one that Nova didn't immediately reply to but instead gazed upon the Express with a serious expression.
"Yeah, I've made up my mind. And Caelus has too on that note, Herta just called him over for something so he's with her currently." He eventually replied, turning back to her.
"As expected, I'm positive that Herta has some experiments in mind that she wishes to get Caelus involved with because of his situation. She would get assistance on one research topic whilst being able to look into his constitution that allows him to host a Stellaron inside him."
"Makes sense, and whatever keeps them happy," Nova said, taking a few moments to catch the interest look that Himeko was giving him before raising a brow to silently question it.
"You're not surprised or questioning the existence of a person that can host a Stellaron?" Himeko asked with an assumed look.
"...It's a big universe? Besides, I ran into Caelus before, I learned of it then." Nova answered, not knowing what to answer with. 'I… need to remember there are things that I shouldn't know… I just hope that excuse won't come back to bite me later.'
Perhaps it would have just been better to commit to the act of treating the unheard-of situation like it was normal instead of passing it off on a previous encounter. He had no idea what kind of talk would follow if Caelus said that he had never mentioned the Stellaron to him before as it would surely raise questions about why I did know about it, and even try to hide that knowledge…
'I really need to hide things better…'
"It's good to hear that you already met, and since you've already met March and myself that just leaves Dan Hung, Welt and Pom Pom." She said with a content smile. "Since you're joining us, feel free to hop on board whenever you like and meet the rest. I promise that they're just as kind, we all make sure to look out for one another. I would be willing to give you a little tour but because of Caelus, I'll wait here until he arrives."
"Right, I have to admit… I've been real curious about the Express since I first heard of it…" Nova said he glanced back at it, a feeling of elation in his chest that persisted which would have made a heart flutter. "Alright then, I don't have a phone yet so until that arrives, I'll just remain on the Express to not get left behind."
"You still haven't received anything? I thought that Herta said that she would help you out."
"Well, what she really meant was that Asta would help me out. And she has, it's just that despite spending a… lot of credits waiting times are still a thing. Apparently, clothes and a phone for me will arrive within the hour though." Nova casually answered to the satisfaction of Himeko.
"That's good to hear, I can't imagine that you would be comfortable to remain like that forever and lack of contact would pose for more than a few issues." Himeko smiled, "I'll make sure that if anything arrives, it'll be passed on straight to you then."
"That would be appreciated, I just hope that it hasn't been too long since I last connected to my account…"
"Can I ask if there is a reason for that?"
"Oh, just a friend that I keep in contact with on a regular basis. It's not like we've actually managed to meet in person for quite a while though, but they remain important to me." Nova answered but certainty didn't stay put as he had already begun walking away, making his way down the side of the Express whilst Himeko watched him go until he finally boarded the train.
Yet it didn't even take a minute for Nova to bump into another member of the Express Crew, and rather literally at that.
"Shoot!" "Ouch!" Nova and another exclaimed the moment that he had turned into the main lounge space of the Express, almost tripping up over a small yet fuzzy entity.
"Hey, pay attention to where you are going! You almost walked over Pom Pom!" A small rabbit creature fumed immediately in response whilst Nova regained his footing. "And who are you, you're not any of the crew or look like someone from the space station!"
"Oh, sorry, I didn't expect there to be anyone right around the corner…" Nova quickly apologised before his mind caught up with the person that he had bumped into, resulting in him going still as he took in the bunny's presence.
"Hey, what are you looking at?! And are you going to answer the question or not?"
"First question: you. Second: I'm one of two newbies. Hasn't someone told you of what's happened recently?" Nova answered with a small smile.
"Hm? I heard that someone who somehow has a Stellaron inside of them was given the offer to join but I didn't hear anything about you." Pom Pom replied, raising a paw in contemplation as they wracked their mind.
"Oh, well… you remember when the Express went to fetch a curio for Herta recently on a planet? At the same time, they came back with a black crystal in this shape, no?" Nova said, pointing to the gem in his chest.
"That's right, but how do you know about that?" Pom Pom asked, now clearly puzzled as they tilted their head to the side adding to their charm.
"Because I am that crystal. They handed it to Herta, and she gave me enough energy to awaken me again. That's just what I'm like when I've gone dormant due to energy depletion. Anyway, Himeko gave me the offer to join shortly after."
"Huh? Pom Pom hasn't encountered a race like yours before."
"Really? I know that we don't get around the universe much, but I thought some more experienced travellers or just knowledgeable people at least had an idea of our existence…" Nova replied, feeling oddly disheartened at the news despite it being the natural outcome of their 'isolation'.
"They're Krystalvilian, but it's not surprising that you haven't heard of them." Another voice said, drawing the attention of the two of a calm, serious young man. Whilst most of his attire seemed typical enough, it was his long, hooded coat and earpiece that hinted at his native culture. "I wouldn't have thought we would encounter someone like you so far from home."
"Does anyone have an original comment about that?" Nova said, heaving a disappointed sigh.
"Huh? Is there something strange about it, Dan Heng?" Pom Pom asked as he glanced back.
"Not strange necessarily, but perhaps rare might be the word for it. It's a known fact of the Krystalvilians that they're firmly locked into a civil war, primarily divided between the followers of The Hunt and The Abundance. Despite having been born thanks to Yaoshi and making them considered Denizens of the Abundance, a faction one day turned sides and have been warring since."
"Really? Then does that mean you escaped it one day?" Pom Pom asked, turning back to Nova with renewed interest in the newest passenger.
"Yes… I was lucky enough to get out of there." Nova said with a voice weighed down by melancholy. As his head dipped, his gaze moved to avoid them as if to hide his emotions from them. "Sorry, but can we leave that topic there? Those memories… aren't fun ones."
"I'm sorry for bringing it up so suddenly. I should have been more considerate." Dan Hung quickly apologised
"It's fine, it's only known facts albeit outdated."
"Outdated? Has there been some developments recently?"
"All I'm going to say is, there's a third group now. A group that either got tired of war or relished in it and said they're gonna take everything down."
"An Anillation Gang arose…" Dan Heng quickly surmised with a downcast expression, not needing to be told anything to imagine the amount of chaos that had likely unfolded on the planet.
"Bingo… Not fun stuff."
"I see. Perhaps we should move past this topic for now," Dan Heng calmly said, "I should introduce myself; I am Dan Heng. I act as the vanguard for the Express alongside managing and updating the Data Bank. And this is Pom Pom; the conductor of the Astral Express.
"Nice meeting you, I'm Nova and I've been discussed already," Nova replied, his gloom quickly washing away as he stood proud once more.
"Alright, then let me say that as conductor, welcome aboard the Astral Express! As an official passenger of the express, please keep this ticket on you at all times!" Pom Pom said as they reached into their little jacket to pull out a golden ticket before trying their best to hold it out to Nova despite the massive height difference.
"I'll clip it on or something later… right now I don't even so much have pockets," Nova said as he stood back up after having accepted the ticket. "But is there an issue if something happens? Like what if someone steals this from us?"
"Humph, don't underestimate the power of the Trailblaze! Those might look like normal tickets at first, but they're protected by its power. They can't be taken by force, but even if you lose it, it's proof of you being a Crew member. Currently, because the Express Crew's numbers are so few it's easy to know everyone personally and therefore know by heart everyone who is expected to be on the Express. However, don't think I'm going to allow any slacking on the official procedure!" Pom Pom said with a stamp of their foot, unaware that the act made them more endearing than stern.
"That's fair, that's fair. I'll stick it on somewhere soon enough." Nova said, nodding along to the conductor's words.
"And whilst we're talking about the official procedure, understand that there are rules on the express that everyone abides by! You might think yourself special or with a unique past but that goes for everyone else on the express as well!"
"Pom Pom, don't you think that it would take a while to go over each of the Express's rules? I fear that this might be considered a lecture if you do." Dan Hung interjected, making Pom Pom pause before coughing into his paw before starting again.
"Passenger Dan Hung makes a valid point, as thus the rules can be summarised as… be a decent person! There are some rules such as making sure you stay out of the engine room as only Pom Pom and Miss Himeko may enter it and others that you will be informed of when needed. Also, meals such as breakfast and dinner are shared on the Express, but you will be noticed when they are ready."
"Ah, you can just leave me out for meals," Nova said with an awkward smile. "I might have joked about being an extra mouth to Himeko, but I don't actually eat food."
"You don't?" Pom Pom said with interest as they gave an inquisitive look. "You must consume or need something, right? Please inform Pom Pom so that we can prepare that instead."
"I believe that will be hard to supply Pom Pom, Krystalvilian are energy-based lifeforms after all." Dan Hung mentioned as Nova nodded his head.
"He's right unless you're going to turn on a generator of some sort there's nothing you can do. If allowed however, I can just naturally draw in all forms of energy but that has effects that others typically don't like, like making the room colder or darker, or putting a dent in people's wallets via the electricity bill… So, either I'm awkwardly just there or making you all uncomfortable. Probably both honestly."
"Please don't worry about it. Instead, keeping apart would make you feel more distance and be more awkward as a result." Dan Heng replied, the two of them sharing a brief look.
"Humph, says the one who's late most of the time." Pom Pom chimed in. "But fear not, Pom Pom will make sure to procure something for you."
"Thanks, but don't push yourself. I'm sure I'll be able to recuperate by being put on a heater or something for now, although it would be nice to have whatever Herta used…" Nova said before trailing off with his words, his gaze drifting away as thought stole his attention.
"Is there a particular reason for that?" Dan Heng asked.
"Yeah, I convert energy the energy I absorb to be the same wavelength as myself, but Herta's machine skipped that process. You know how you chew and swallow your food? Well, imagine if you didn't have to waste time chewing again and could just drink instead…"
"I don't think that image works well as your imagining…" Dan Heng said, his usual stoicism cracking as his face scrunched up slightly in disgust.
"It absolutely doesn't work! Not everything should be made into smoothies!" Pom Pom complained as they fervently shook their head in denial.
"So, the concept doesn't translate well?" Nova asked, tilting his head slightly with a baffled look as Dan Heng and Pom Pom instantly and firmly shook their heads.
'Huh… I guess it's been too long since I've been able to eat food… I've… forgotten what it's like…' Nova thought to himself as his spirits began to droop, only snapping out of his gloom upon hearing Pom Pom's voice.
"Moving past… that… please leave it to Pom Pom to figure something out. Something almost always happens at each stop, so it remains an important matter. "The little conductor said with the utmost serious expression, willing to relent even slightly on his duties to his passengers. "But there is something that Pom Pom can do for you know at least, and that's show you to your room!"
"Do I not get to see the Express whilst we're at it, or am I just have to take risks in poking around?" Nova asked.
"Of course! Pom Pom is happy to show new passengers around, even more, if it prevents you from going places that you shouldn't!"
"I will return to the data bank in the meantime and continue updating it as I intended to do. You're free to come by whenever you want, it is a public room and resource for everyone on the Express." Dan Hung said with a cool nod.
"Right, I'll come by then. There is something that I think I should ask you."
"Can I ask what that is?" Dan Heng asked, intrigued.
"Eh, you'll find out. I don't think I'll be long." Nova replied dismissively with a wave of his hand as Dan Heng nodded in turn.
"Very well, I'll be awaiting you then." The calm and collected vanguard replied as he took his leave, heading to the back of the carriage and letting the door slide shut behind him by itself.
"So… What's in the other direction?" Nova couldn't help but ask, his curiosity sparked with the potential to gain the answer the game he knew had never given.
"That would be the party car! In the past Trailblazers would often gather there to celebrate or mingle as we discussed our next destination. The Express Crew often eats there as well. But there is no need for anyone aside from Miss Himeko and Pom Pom to go any further beyond that room."
"Ah… a place that I won't have much use for. But it's always the places that you're not supposed to go that make you want to go there the most…" Nova dully replied, yet despite his sudden disinterest, he still tried thinking of what the room looked like at least. 'Perhaps I could just pop in there anyway? I did always wonder what was beyond that door…'
"No! There will be no trespassing beyond the party car! Only with reasonable exceptions will that never be permitted, or you shall receive punishment from Pom Pom!" They said while stamping their little foot on the ground, but their frustration again only produced another endearing sight.
"So, what I'm hearing is that I need to be Himeko's little assistant when she needs one?" Nova said, a sly, mischievous grin finding its way into his face which he flashed at Pom Pom.
"W-well… that… that role is mostly filled by Pom Pom! But if you ever do find yourself aiding Miss Himeko in the care and repairs of the Express then you should make sure to only do as you are asked and be mindful of everything!" The conductor said, clearly struggling with the thought of whatever possibilities were floating in Nova's mind.
"That's fair. My goal isn't to blow this train up or get kicked off. If anything, it's to protect it." He replied, dropping his act to nod in agreement.
"That's good to hear. Pom Pom can already remember a time hosting the worst Trailblazer Pom Pom has ever met…"
"Because they were actually Aha the Elation who blew up a planet and half of the Express after impersonating a Trailblazer for over a year as a prank?" Nova nonchalantly guessed, not even bothering to look at the bunny who froze in shock and disbelief.
With his head almost shuddering from the slow and stiff movement, Pom Pom's attention steadily drifted towards Nova as they silently analysed the new passenger with wide eyes. Yet despite their clear struggle, Nova still seemingly didn't think anything of what he had just said.
"Is there a problem?" Nova asked, raising a brow at the conductor's strange behaviour.
"Y-yes… can Pom Pom ask how you knew that? Pom Pom doesn't believe that even any of the current Express Crew knows that…" They struggled to reply with shaky words.
"Because… how about round 2?" Nova replied with a deviously smug smile that had the conductor jumping back whilst their ears stood tall in genuine terror. A reaction so strong that Nova couldn't even find it amusing at how affected they seemed to be.
"Ah… That was just a joke. I-I'm… I'm not Aha…" Nova said as awkwardness washed over him, not knowing how to calm the conductor.
"That's not funny at all!" Pom Pom shouted back in frustration, "That was a terrible time for Pom Pom and the Express! Fine! Maybe Pom Pom won't find a way to settle your energy needs if this is the treatment that Pom Pom gets!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Nova frantically pleaded, instantly dropping to their knees as they prayed to the bunny. "Whilst I could manage without energy… I think… I genuinely didn't want to upset you that much… I just thought that it wasn't so bad because didn't you still have Akavili back then to help?"
"T-that's true but it doesn't make it any less terrible. You're like those Masked Fools still! But… you aren't actually one, right?" Pom Pom asked their frustration steadily reverted to nervousness only for Nova to firmly shake his head in denial.
"No, I swear not. Not that I know how to prove it considering many of them have quite the knack for trickery…" Nova replied, genuinely regretting what he had caused. It took Pom Pom a few moments of merely watching Nova before releasing a heavy sigh as they made up their mind.
"Very well, Passenger Nova, I'll choose to believe you this time as you seem genuinely remorseful, but never do it again! But for Pom Pom to accept your apology, Pom Pom requests a genuine answer to how you know about Aha's 'prank'!"
"Fair enough," Nova replied with a small smile, glad for the quick recovery from their nearly ruined friendship. 'I should be able to just keep this vague, although... I never should have brought it up at all...'
"I know about it because I'm a long-lived species. Between traveling and being around long enough you get to hear things by chance. Honestly, I had no real stake that it was genuine until you reacted like that. Guess that means you've also been around for a long time?"
"Pom Pom has indeed been with the Express for many years now, helping take care of all Trailblazers that have travelled with us. But Pom Pom didn't think that there were people old enough to remember events like that alongside Pom Pom."
"Oh, no… I'm not that old." Nova replied, waving his hands in refusal. "Honestly, even as a long-life species, it's stunning to hear how old you are since not many things can live… is it 26 Amber Eras since Akavili's disappearance now? They average about 158 trailblaze years in length so… isn't that over 4,000 years?!"
"Maybe, Pom Pom doesn't remember exactly how long it has been since Akivili vanished, but Pom Pom does know that they don't like talking about this subject anymore! You don't need to know how old Pom Pom is so stop trying to work it out!"
'But isn't that extraordinarily impressive?! I mean, even so many of the Denizens of Abundance don't have anything on that! Members of the Xianzhou ought to learn how to deal with being Mara Stricken by this bunny right here…' Nova couldn't help but think to himself with a whole new sense of respect and curiosity towards Pom Pom.
"Ok, I'll stop, sorry. Why don't we just move on with the tour instead?" Nova said, finally getting back onto his feet.
"That's right, Pom Pom shall show off the Express to you! To summarise the Express has the Party Car, this lounge space, the Data Bank, everyone's rooms, Storage Cars containing either supplies or other helpful items that we sometimes use on Trailblaze missions, a Space Anchor Car so that travel to and from the Express for anyone becomes easier, the Party Cart that we currently don't use very much and finally the Observation Car right at the back. You'll be free to fill your room with anything that doesn't violate the rules of the Express if you're worried about entertainment whilst travelling or whatever circumstance prevents trailblazing." They said, fully shifting back into conductor mode as they formally listed off the rooms.
"That Observation Car sounds so far out of the way… but at the same time if it's a quiet place it could be nice." Nova moaned to himself, already exhausted at the amount of walking it could take.
"Pom Pom admits, it's one of the areas that gets the least amount of cleaning because of its distance from the more commonly used carriages. However, Pom Pom does assure you that no dust is to be found there despite the fact, although the nooks and small spots might be slightly dirtier than elsewhere…"
"The fact that you take care of this whole place alone is incredible as well, I can't hold anything against you about it."
"Please do inform Pom Pom if you do encounter some dirt! Pom Pom can't possibly leave it like that!" Pom Pom frantically pointed out.
"Either that or I'll just handle it myself." Nova indifferently replied with a shrug, "But shall we get moving?"
"Of course, please follow Pom Pom!"
"What am I doing…" Nova said to himself as he remained seated on a couch that was before the middle of the main window at the very back of the Express. The moment that the tour from Pom Pom had finished, he had quickly made sure to retreat to what was now assuredly the most quiet and empty part of the Express. Now that he had time to himself once more, the weight of his actions was already setting in. Heavily.
He was resisting the strong urge to hold his head in his hands as he remained quiet in contemplation. He wasn't completely wracked with regret as he remembered how Caelus had very nearly made the wrong choice; it was enough to prove as a sign that perhaps a little intervention was needed to ensure the best possible outcome. But how much was the raging question?
'He was about to make the wrong choice, but it was an actual choice that players could make in the game for a brief bad end. There's every chance that the only thing I had to worry about were those bad-end options, of which I'm only aware of one more on Penacony and beyond that, I can only hope… But now I'm in the picture, something that would only be the right thing to do if they can go wrong at any point in time, which considering this is an actual reality mirroring the game might be possible. Well, it certainly is now that I'm hanging around…'
"There's no point in worrying about anything else, I've already made the choice and am involved. The only question is what I'll do from now on… No doubt I'll be joining them for trailblaze missions at times, but if everything goes as it should then I just minimise my presence I suppose…" He mumbled to himself, even his quiet voice sounding loud in the silent room.
"Not that I've been keeping low currently… why the hell did I mention that to Pom Pom?!" Nova complained as he rubbed his temples before sighing. It was only when the sound of a smooth click filled the room did Nova snapped out of his mood, instantly leaning back in his chair as he stared out at what little of the Space Station could be seen.
"I hope that I'm not interrupting anything?" A gentle, recognizable voice filled his ears, prompting Nova to glance over his shoulder to spot the expecting individual. Welt.
"Eh, not really. I was just thinking about a couple of things." Nova calmly answered before noticing a cardboard box that he carried.
"I see, I can relate to the sentiment of wishing to find a quiet place for that. Not that I have used this room much for it." Welt said as he entered the room, allowing the door to slide shut with another satisfying click. "Can I ask what you're thinking about? I imagine that it has something to do with the circumstances that brought you here."
"Mm, something like that… It was initial exhaustion that caused my dormancy, but it's been a particularly jarring experience to wake up to all of this."
"I could only imagine after hearing what you've been through. But before we delve into any topics I feel as if we ought to introduce ourselves first." Welt said, properly walking into the room and approaching Nova.
"True. I'm Nova, nice to meet you." Nova said with a smile as he stood up to properly address Welt.
"And I'm Welt Yang, it's a pleasure to be meeting you. Himeko has already told me a bit about your situation and how we unknowingly picked you up on a previous trailblazing mission. I've also been informed that this delivery is yours." He said, taking the box out from under his arm and holding it forth for Nova to take.
"There's only one thing that this could probably be unless I'm receiving mystery mail," Nova commented as he quickly and neatly sliced open the tape sealing the box with a small energy blade that he formed over his finger. The contents were just as expected, especially tailor-made clothing with a top-of-the-line mobile phone comfortably sitting on top of them. "Ah, how Asta goes over the top. A normal phone would have been fine as well…"
"It seems that you have a lot to be grateful for there," Welt said with a slight chuckle at the sight. "But the quality of those clothes is also something to appreciate as well. It's high quality and appears to be both comfortable and durable. Qualities that I think you'll quickly come to appreciate a lot as a Trailblazer."
"Oh, I know, it's just that I was there for that much. She insisted on using some judiciously expensive tailor to make just the right clothes that would also arrive on time. I just hope that I don't lose any of this like last time."
"Might I ask how you lost your belongings previously? I can only theorise it had something to do with your reversion to a dormant state."
"That's the whole ordeal. If ever I exhaust myself too much on energy reserves, I'm forced to go back to that state, assuming I haven't used so much that my whole being falls apart then and there. Any extras that aren't part of my being just fall to the ground then. My original stuff is either somewhere out there, maybe still in the Fragmentum of which I was found or destroyed. I hope my phone is gone at least for security's sake…"
"At least you managed to survive the ordeal, and perhaps something to keep in mind in the possibility that such an unfortunate event happens to occur whilst trailblazing together."
"Hopefully not, it's effectively my equivalent of entering a coma for not eating enough."
"I concur with the thought. Please remain aware that you don't have to worry about facing any troubles alone now, the rest of the Express Crew will have your back."
"Glad to hear it, and I'll be sure to return it as well."
"I'm happy to hear that as well. But there is also another matter that I initially sought you out for aside from introductions and your package." Welt then said gathering Nova's curiosity at the seeming list of things that Welt had to do with him. "I recently ran into Dan Heng who mentioned that you were wishing to talk to him about something you have yet to disclose. He was wondering when you were going to approach the Data Bank to talk to him concerning that."
"Oh… OH!" Nova said as his eyes went wide in realisation. "Not having a clock or a phone makes it hard to keep track of time, I was thinking here for too long… I'll go get properly dressed in my room and then go straight to him. If you're heading back that way again, could you tell him I'll be there soon, please? Sorry for making you go back and forth the whole Express…"
"Please don't worry. Mostly everything is towards the front of the train including my room so I shall be passing by anyway. I don't hold anything against you either, I understand that this could very well be the most relaxing space on the Express due to its distance location and that you may appreciate that."
"I'm not trying to avoid everyone, well at least I won't be all the time… it's just good for thought." Nova defended himself for Welt to nod along in agreement.
"I can understand, I believe that we all can want to get away from others at times, me included." He replied with a relaxed smile. "I'll be sure to tell Dan Hung that you will be with him shortly then."
"Right, it was nice meeting you Welt," Nova replied as he watched the man leave ahead of him, resulting in another moment alone. Yet it was also at that moment that the Express shook slightly before it began to move making evident that the bland scenery that was the long train tunnel in the space station began to move as the Astral Express began to pull out of the station.
'Well, we've really begun now…' He thought to himself in silence before catching sight of Asta, Arlan and Herta on the station platform, waving as he went past prompting him to return the gesture as quickly as possible. Or, at least to the two people waving as Herta was already halfway off the station having been unwilling to wait for the train to leave sight.
"I can sort out my new phone later, I need to see Dan Hung soon," Nova said to himself before following Welt's footsteps, hurriedly sliding the door open and rushing to his new room.
A couple of minutes had gone by as Nova had finally arrived outside the Data Bank's door, otherwise unofficially known as Dan Hung's room. "Sorry I'm late, can I come in?" Nova called out after knocking on the sliding door.
"You may enter." Came the somewhat muffled voice from beyond the door which Nova quickly responded to by grabbing hold and sliding it over to unleash the constant humming of machinery that practically made up the walls of the room as Dan Heng was seemingly still inputting data. "Do not feel that you were late, it was not as we specified a time that you would arrive."
"I still kept you waiting long enough that you had Welt be a messenger." Nova countered.
"Either way, please do not dwell on it. Instead, I am curious as to what you wish to talk about with me in particular so soon after meeting one another." Dan Heng replied as he stopped what he was doing to address Nova seriously, finally noticing his new attire. "I see that your order has finally arrived."
"Yeah, it's something similar to what I used to have, but Asta spared no expense in making the materials and everything perfectly tailored for the dangerous and adventurous life of a trailblazer," Nova replied as he inspected himself.
No longer was he shrouded in flame-like energy but instead in high-quality casual yet smart clothing that was clearly inspired by it.
He wore white-soled blue shoes with small heels and navy jeans held with a belt. His upper body was covered by a short-sleeved shirt that clung to his form with a shining breastplate worked into it, proudly presenting his core in its centre with a simple yet intricate pattern. Completing his look was the overcoat and armlength plated gloves he wore; the former had a split in its tail for his legs, a fluffy collar and small belts on its sleaves which helped keep his sleeves pinned up to leave his lower arms and gloves exposed.
"You like it?" Nova asked with a hopeful smile, prompting Dan Heng to briefly look over his appearance.
"I think it suits you." He commented with a faint smile. "It also has practically, and a quality make to keep up with trailblazing missions."
"Asta definitely ensured that. Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to pay her back anytime soon for this…" Nova mentioned with a self-detractive sigh, slumping at the thought before shaking it off, replacing it with a more serious yet cautious look in his eyes as he crossed his arms, holding onto himself. "But that's not why I'm here. What I wanted to ask you is do you have a… issue with me?"
"I don't, but why would you think that?" Dan Heng immediately replied, focusing on Nova with a curious look.
"Well, unless I'm reading into it too much or flat-out getting it wrong, but the design of your coat and that earpiece you're wearing suggests that you're from the Xianzhou. Followers of the Hunt known to fight against the Abundance." Nova said, shifting his weight slightly throughout the explanation.
"If you believe that I might hold something against you considering your nature as a race considered one of the Denizens of Abundance, please do not worry about such matters. I view you as a fellow Nameless, I would not discriminate against you in any way." Dan Hung instantly answered, whilst his gaze softened his voice was firm and unwavering, not allowing any room for suggestion otherwise.
"And another point to be raised, by the fact that you have joined us as an official crewmember means that you are a follower of the Trailblaze and therefore do not have anything to do with the spread of the Abundance." He continued to explain as Nova sighed in relief.
"That's great to hear… but then what might the Xianzhou ships think of me then?" He casually asked.
"Whilst I can't speak for the Xianzhou, I believe the Kristilvilian despite being Denizens of Abundance are not immediately viewed in ill-light by the Alliance. After all, unlike the Abominations that spread across the universe, you are a race that is confined to your planet. Not to mention possessing a notable faction of the Hunt being the cause of your conflict." Dan Heng said, needing little time to consider his answer before his voice turned cold, altering his atmosphere. "But a history of performing acts of abundance would likely land you in trouble should they learn of it."
"That's fine because there's nothing to learn about," Nova replied with a small smile as he unfolded his arms to rest one on his hip.
"You sound rather relieved." Dan Hung noted. "Do you plan on visiting a Xianzhuo ship?"
"Mm… not necessarily. I've just previously made note to avoid them before because of it, it's just nice to know that I don't have to that anymore." Nova casually answered, his gaze briefly drifting to the side as Dan Heng gave an understanding nod.
"Yes… It wouldn't be impossible for us to encounter them. I'm glad that you don't have to worry about it anymore." Dan Heng hesitantly replied before regaining his composure, "Unfortunately if that journey ever comes, I fear that you'll have to do it without me. Forgive me, but I'd prefer to keep it to myself."
'Ah… right, he's currently banished from home. Nice one, jackass… I really ought to go back over what I remember and make some notes or something to learn up my memory before I keep making more hiccups...'
"It's fine, or rather, I'm sorry if I troubled you." Nova awkwardly replied as he failed to come up with a sentiment that he was satisfied with.
"It's fine. You simply wished to ensure that there wouldn't be tension between us on the Express. You cannot be faulted, and it's just something I'm trying to keep to the past." Dan Heng replied with a slight shake of his head.
"I can understand that… I think I might have similar circumstances..." Nova said in a quiet voice, hanging as head as the silence began to fill the room.
"Hello? Hello, hello?" Pom Pom's voice suddenly sounded out, making Dan Hung and Nova instructively look up at the interruption of the announcement. "All passengers, please return to your seats. The train is about to make the jump. Hold on, everyone!"
"We should sit down quickly." Dan Hung quickly said, already kneeling to sit on the floor whilst resting against the wall. It was just as the train was beginning to tremble did Nova followed his example, but instead opted to sit in the sole office chair.
"5… 4… 3…" Pom Pom counted down over the intercom as a blue energy began to ripple over and cover the entirety of the train causing the tremors to briefly stop. "2... 1!" he finished, marking a sudden lurch forward by the train as it made the jump.
But the experience only lasted seconds as the speed of the train vanished as quickly as it had come, the blue energy breaking off the train's surfaces like glass. Whilst many of the shards quickly faded into nothingness, the few pieces that were close to Nova instead began to drift and fade into his Core as they were absorbed.
"Is that it?" Nova asked frowning.
"Yes, the train successfully made the jump. We should be close enough to arrive at Jarillo-VI by tomorrow." Dan Hung replied as he calmly stood up whilst Nova couldn't help but freeze up slightly at his words.
"By tomorrow?" He repeated in confusion.
"Yes, had it not been for the Antimatter Legions's attack then we would have made the entire jump but Himeko felt that everyone needed time to rest." Dan Hung answered, already moving back to the Data Bank and tampering with it. "I understand that you weren't impacted by the Legion at all, perhaps you should instead spend this time getting acclimated to the Express instead. I intend to look up information on the planet in the meantime."
"Ah… right. I think I'll check out my room first then. Pom Pom claimed that he was going to hurriedly prepare another one since he had only prepped one for Caelus." Nova said with slow moments, his gaze mostly locked to the ground as he made his way to the door.
"I see. But can I ask a question before you leave?" Dan Heng spoke, getting Nova to stop in his tracks as he glanced over his shoulder, waiting for Dan Heng to continue. "The Data Bank is currently lacking information on Kristivilians. I won't ask to sit down and interview you, but would you mind me taking notes about you and asking questions?"
"Uh, not really? Just as long as you're not constantly pestering me with question after question, but I feel that March is the one more likely to do that than you."
"Very well, thank you." Dan Heng replied, allowing Nova to make his way out of the room.
As soon as the door had shut behind him, Nova could only stand in silence as dread took over him. 'A deviation this soon? Unless this is just because it's reality and not a game? Because if not… what can a day's delay cause?'
Had his mere presence already managed to derail the story, or was he just overreacting?
Meanwhile, down on the wintery planet as blizzards blew over the eternally snowy ridges soldiers combed over the area with great care as they carried out their search despite the weather that plagued them. They did their best to not let their discomfort show nor allow their focus to waver as they made their way along, getting closer and closer to the limit of the boundaries that they agreed to search up towards.
In such a frozen world, the limitless amount of snow was hardly a surprise, making various lumps and clumps of snow the most regular sight to see out there. Yet despite that far, determined actions of a certain slick conman still weren't enough to evade detection from the unyielding spirit of the captain that led the hunt.
"Who's in there? We can hear you breathing under there. Reveal yourself!" the captain ordered as he thumped down a guitar case on the ground for added intimidation. Instantly, all his fellow guards joined him in surrounding the pile that now stopped breathing.
The captain only glared more in response before turning to one of the spearmen that was beside him, giving a silent order towards the snow that they received loud and clear. The moment that the spearman gripped his weapon before jabbing the handle into the snow resulted in a slightly pained "OW!" that disrupted the snow to reveal the convict they were pursuing.
"In the name of the Silvermane Guards, you shall be coming with us! Do not resist!" The captain declared as he made sure to never take his eyes off of the conman who could only stare back with a sly smile, internally damming his situation. This wasn't how things were supposed to go…