“To confirm, you do not wish to return to Earth? We haven’t even checked its condition yet.”
“I do not wish to return to Earth. Whether it’s still habitable or not, I choose to embark on this journey.”
“Understood. I will respect Master Crouch’s decision, and this vessel will aim to reach Jupiter’s orbit.”
Even if they reached Jupiter’s orbit, it wouldn’t mean survival.
No one would know he had ventured into the unknown. Those who remembered he’d been exiled to space might not even be alive on Earth.
It was a highly improbable journey. A collision with an asteroid could kill him halfway.
In the end, this was just a choice of how to die.
Stay and die, return and die, or go and die.
It was a barren choice, but Kaito felt strangely exhilarated.
He had chosen it himself. His own path.
“Hey, this is getting fun.”
In the small world he could see around him, Kaito Crouch was freer than anyone else.
It took several days before departure.
The former officer had to procure fuel for acceleration and perform minimal reinforcement of the ship’s hull.
Apparently, there were satellites with a decent amount of fuel left in Earth’s vicinity. They attached to these derelict satellites, dismantled them, and expanded the ship’s structure.
The distance to Jupiter’s orbit was approximately 600 million kilometers. The former officer explained that at a speed of 4 million kilometers per day, it would be a voyage of about six months. A collision with anything would mean the end. A malfunction would mean the end. Any other accident would mean the end. The chances of reaching Jupiter’s orbit were far lower than the chances of dying along the way.
By the time they were ready to leave Earth, the prison had taken on the semblance of a proper spacecraft.
“Seemingly,” because Kaito couldn’t see it for himself.
Perhaps because it was originally a prison, there were no space suits for external work. There was a life support suit in case the prison was damaged, but it was little more than a token gesture.
And while the exterior had been expanded, the interior remained as sparse as ever.
The only thing that could praised was that the view outside the window wasn’t obstructed.
“Now then, Master Crouch. Please give this ship a name.”
“A name? A name, huh…”
This was an unexpected mission. If you were going to bring it up before departure, I wish you’d mentioned it earlier.
As I was pondering what to name it, the former prison officer added another task.
“While you’re at it, could you also give me a name?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve already told you I’m no longer a prison officer, yet you keep calling me ‘Officer this, Officer that.’ Please understand that we can’t depart until you’ve named both the ship and me.”
“Ugh…”
You’ve got quite the sense of humor.
That day, Kaito found himself facing his lack of naming sense for the very first time in his life.
Somehow, a dissatisfied atmosphere manages to convey itself,
even if it’s coming from a steel sphere with no expression.
While Kaito gained this rather pointless insight, he waited for the other’s response.
“Master Crouch. Is this sarcasm directed at me? Or did you seriously consider giving me this name?”
“W-well, I was serious… but…”
“[Emotion]? You’re giving that name to me, a machine intelligence?”
“Oh, so it’s that. I thought you were just unhappy with the ship’s name.”
“What are you talking about? That’s actually a really good name. It succinctly expresses the purpose, and anyone who sees it will understand the intent. I was just praising your naming sense, Master Crouch. But what’s with the disparity between that and my name?”
“Huh…”
This was unexpected.
I thought you’d be angry, thinking I was mocking the ship’s name instead.
Well, if you don’t like it, that’s fine.
“Alright, I’ll think of a new name then.”
“Huh?”
“Hm?”
“I’ve heard that the one being named doesn’t have the right to reject it.”
“Well, if you don’t like it, I’ll just come up with something else.”
If you don’t like it, I’ll just rethink it. Simple as that.
But it seems she wasn’t happy with that either, as she started making a whirring sound.
“Master Crouch, you didn’t have any particularly negative intentions when naming me, did you?”
“Of course not. I came up with that name desperately, based on my gratitude and the image I have of you.”
“…Then I’ll accept this name.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t predict that the next name will be any better.”
Can’t argue with that.
Anyway, it seems the former prison officer has accepted the new name. She doesn’t seem entirely satisfied, but there’s no need to bring it up again. It’s probably better for both our mental health.
With the name decided, there wasn’t much time left before departure. Kaito decided to make his own request while he was at it.
“Ah, right. From now on, I’d like you to call me Kaito.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“With the earth surface destroyed, there’s no need to use my family name anymore. I want to set out as just Kaito, no attachments.”
“Understood. Then from now on, I’ll call you Master Kaito.”
“Thank you.”
There was a shift in the ship’s posture.
Looking out the window, it was clear. The Earth was no longer visible.
Kaito sat in the central chair, fastened his seatbelt, and leaned back.
“Master Kaito. The [Goodbye Earth] is now departing.”
“Take care, [Emotion].”
As he listened to the mechanical countdown.
Kaito felt an odd exhilaration, wondering how far his life would carry him from Earth. It wasn’t worry or anxiety. He was excited.
If possible, he wanted to go where no one had ever been before.
No one to judge. No one to criticize. No one to know.
A journey of pure self-indulgence, humanity’s final voyage.
“Departure.”
He had no idea it wouldn’t be his final journey.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“Master Kaito. We’ve just passed Jupiter’s orbit.”
“Got it.”
“Congratulations. You’ve been recorded as the first civilian in human history to cross Jupiter’s orbit.”
“Thanks. There’s a good chance I’ll also be the last.”
In the not-too-large iron coffin, Kaito responded absentmindedly to Emotion’s report.
His eyes were fixed on the tablet in his hands. After finishing his daily training and meals, he indulged in his hobby of reading.
“Emotion, could you bring up Asura Eel’s [New Wave] next?”
“Again? My memory contains works from all eras. You don’t have to stick to just the classics from the Common Era…”
“Masterpieces are worth reading over and over. Asura Eel’s works, Terry 8’s [Lost Ed]—they’re always fresh and moving.”
Emotion didn’t respond much. They’d had this conversation before, and it was old news by now.
“By the way, Emotion?”
“Yes?”
“How much food, water, and oxygen do we have left?”
“It’s hard to say, but based on your consumption rate, we have about forty days’ worth of food and water left. Should we reduce consumption to extend our lifespan?”
“Nah, no need. What about oxygen?”
“The recycling system is functioning normally. It should last over forty days barring any accidents.”
“I see.”
He let out a yawn.
The last time he saw Earth, it was fading. The vibrant colors he’d seen when ascending into space were gradually being overtaken by reds and browns. It was a transformation that made the explanation of its destruction all too believable.
This one-way ticket space journey would forcibly come to an end in about a month.
“Well, I’ve achieved my immediate goal, so I guess I can say I have no regrets. When I die, as a specimen of Earthling—whoa!?”
A sudden, tremendous shock hit his entire body. He crashed into the wall along with Emotion. It hurt.
“What’s going on!?”
“Asteroid collision! The ship has sustained moderate damage. Stabilizing the ship is the top priority. Please remain still!”
“I see. So my final moments are going to be as cosmic debris in Jupiter’s orbit. Guess the luck I’ve had so far is finally catching up to me!”
He thought he’d already accepted his fate. Yet, for some reason, he felt an odd exhilaration. Once the spinning stopped, Kaito activated the external camera for the first time in a long while. He wanted to imprint the scenery of where he’d arrived at the end of his life.
“…What’s that?”
He couldn’t help but let out a cry at the sight on the monitor.
“Emotion!”
“What is it!? I’m busy right now!”
“I haven’t been given any explanation about the structure on the other side of the external camera!”
Moreover, the ship seemed to be approaching it.
It was a massive structure. From this distance, its full form couldn’t be discerned. It might be as large as a small planet.
The lights leaking from various parts of it resembled the night lights of Earth seen from space.
Kaito felt a stronger sense of nostalgia than he’d expected.
“What are you talking about? The sensors aren’t showing anything unusual.”
“So this is a hallucination, then? They say you see all sorts of visions when you’re near death! What’s on the other side of this monitor must be an illusion created by my brain!”
A hallucination of a place to return to, born from the depths of his subconscious. The nostalgia he felt was too fitting. From within Emotion, there was an unusual sound of circuits moving.
Kaito braced himself for a strong mental warning from Emotion.
But.
“I’m shocked. The main camera is indeed showing a massive structure. Is it masking our sensors at that size, or are the sensors malfunctioning?”
“What!?”
Emotion’s electronic voice took on a tone of confusion.
The whirring sound coming from her must be her way of processing the reality before her.
Kaito found himself oddly amused.
“Does this count as another first for a civilian, Emotion!?”
His hair, which he hadn’t cut since being imprisoned, now reached his waist. He unconsciously gathered it in his hand as he raised his voice.
“I’d appreciate it if I could avoid being eaten alive or having eggs laid inside me, though!”
“You’ve been watching too many classic movies, Master Kaito.”
Emotion, still processing, responded with a dull edge.
“I’d have preferred not to have such a high-difficulty choice at the end of my life!”
To die, to live, or to become a prisoner of aliens—Kaito’s brain couldn’t decide which was the correct answer for an Earthling.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
