Our resource mining ship is designed to be remotely operated for missions, but since it can also carry a human crew, it’s classified as a “spaceship” rather than just a “spacecraft.”
Thanks to the gravity control propulsion, the interior has normal Earth-level gravity even in space. Apparently even total amateurs with no training can ride just fine…or so our website advertises about the ship’s capabilities.
Knowing that, it’s only natural for people to be curious and want to experience riding on a spaceship that most will never get a chance to board in their lifetime. I would have wanted to ride on it, too, if I didn’t have a psycho-dragon.
After all, no one has ever gone to space on a Japanese-made spacecraft before, and if it succeeds, it will be an accomplishment that will leave its mark in the history books. It is already known that the target of Kawashima-One’s test flight is the moon, and if it can get there, its pilot can dream of landing on the moon.
It is said that “the first venture is bound to fail.”
If someone could ride on that flight, they could be among the first to walk on the moon, an achievement not seen since humanity’s early space exploration days before the Dungeon disaster.
I wonder if there are actually people out there fantasizing about that sort of thing?
A few days after the news broke that the Kawashima-One was complete, we received an unexpected communication from the national space agency that had previously just been “waiting to see” our progress:
“If the Kawashima-One returns safely and you have another flight planned, would you consider carrying an astronaut?”
We politely declined that rather presumptuous request. Crewed spaceflight is not part of our plans.
We are Kawashima Asteroid, a company focused on asteroid resource mining, not “Kawashima Space Travel.” As long as we have unmanned capability to capture asteroids, there is no need to take unnecessary risks with a crew.
However, for some reason the Self-Defense Forces, who should have been fully aware of the details, also sent a similar notification:
“We will be dispatching astronaut candidates for the second flight.”
Of course, we firmly turned down that directive-like communication as well.
How can I put this? After being treated with such skepticism as a shady company all this time…the moment our ship seems ready for actual space flight, suddenly this is how they act. It was a stark illustration of how much the idea of space can captivate the human mind.
Apparently there was an ex-adventurer employee who had grumbled “If you’re letting outsiders on, then I’ll go” – but he was simply reprimanded by his manager as expected.
That autumn of rapid progress eventually gave way to the long-awaited winter months.
With preparations complete at the Anegasaki Rocket Launch Site selected to host the Kawashima-One, the plan for its inaugural flight entered the final stretch in early December. I was walking through a large shopping mall with Princess.
[“The Kawashima-One rocket heading to the moon is set for launch this Christmas…”]
“It’s not a rocket…”
“It uses gravity control.”
“I’ve heard that so many times already…”
In front of an electronics store TV in the mall, a tired-looking mother pulling her kids along chimed in to the news report.
Whether due to its notoriety or the easily-understood moon mission, the Kawashima-One’s first flight was receiving surprisingly prominent coverage for a rather niche space-related news item. Though from their perspective, being told “gravity control” probably didn’t mean much – the technical aspects seemed to be reported rather inaccurately.
“Isn’t it great Tonbo? The kids watching card games know more about it than TV.”
“…Well, kids are into that kind of stuff.”
Feeling embarrassed at Princess’s teasing from beside me, I averted my gaze to reply.
With the year-end cleanup approaching, there was a sense of hurriedness in these early days of December. The Kawashima household had come to this mall today to buy an electric carpet for the floors after the big year-end cleaning. We had planned to just order one online, but Princess insisted on seeing the actual products in-person to decide.
By the way, Mars and Sierra had immediately headed for an imported goods coffee shop after we arrived, planning to meet up at the food court later. So it was just Princess and I going to pick out the carpet itself.
“Oh, our product!”
“Whoa, they’re really pushing it out there.”
What Princess pointed at in the home goods section of the electronics store was the super vacuum-insulated bottle we manufacture using space technology. At a glance it was just a rugged-looking cylindrical bottle with a carrying strap. But inside, it had amazing insulation capable of keeping contents at the same temperature for around a month if the lid was properly sealed.
To be honest, after a month whatever’s inside would likely be spoiled anyway. It’s an overly high-spec product…but I guess the straightforward premise appealed to people as it seemed to be selling decently for the premium price.
“They even have the spaceship model version.”
“Ah, Yoshikawa-san said he was making those.”
There was also a version with the Kawashima-One’s graphic design printed or stickered on, most likely just an easy re-deco job.
Imagawa san had asked for a bulk price discount so they could make their own Dokken model too…but realistically, it would be too expensive for kids once we factored in third-party licensing fees. We couldn’t lower it that much.
“Wonder if they have any other merch?”
“Aren’t you going to look at the electric carpets?”
“We can do that later. It’s nice to just browse around here sometimes.”
Princess said with a smile, taking my warm right hand in her cold left one.
“Whoa, hey…”
“What’s wrong?”
Princess grinned over her shoulder, ignoring my protests to just keep tugging me along by the hand. Well, I suppose this is Princess – whenever we go shopping together it’s usually just at the cheap discount store in the neighborhood. She doesn’t get out of the house much to begin with…If this counts as stress relief for her, I guess it’s fine.
“So, what are we going to look at?”
“Everything.”
True to her word “everything,” Princess stopped by every store that caught her eye. She made beeping sounds on a Stylophone at the music store, bought bullet-shaped incense at the variety store, and flipped through fashion magazines at the bookstore.
The bookstore also sold manga magazines featuring Dokken. It was the issue that came with the bonus cards I had made like crazy last month, and despite being newly released, only about two copies remained on the display table.
“Oh, that’s ours!”
“Ah, the water-absorbing towel.”
What was displayed in the aisle of the sporting goods store was our quick-drying water-absorbing towel. With the [Kawashima] logo printed on ordinary towel-sized gray fabric, it was an incredible product that could absorb about three liters of water.
Normally, absorbing that much water would make you think it would steal moisture from any skin it touched… but this was a collection of refined space technology – somehow it became a magical product that absorbed water without drying out your skin.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“They also have the odor-free shoe insoles.”
“I heard Kimu-san’s daughter bought these as a present for her father.”
This was also quietly becoming a hit product. Unlike other Kawashima products whose prices were set high in proportion to their performance due to competition considerations, this was unusually affordable… Perhaps that’s why it seemed to be becoming a staple item, apparently being supplied even to shoe store chains.
“Looking at it this way, our company’s being pretty well accepted, huh?”
“Well, the performance is amazing. And our subcontractors’ sales people are working hard too.”
“It’s all thanks to President Tonbo who makes them~”
As Princess was poking my side with her elbow, the smartphone in my jacket pocket vibrated.
“Ah, it’s Mars.”
The phone screen showed an incoming call from “Executive Director.” We had given Mars the company-issued smartphone today since we were supposed to be doing separate activities.
“Ah, hello?”
[What are you two doing? Sierra’s already started eating!]
“Huh? Oh, then we’ll quickly pick out the carpet and head over there.”
[You haven’t chosen yet!? I get that the date is fun, but hurry up and pick one. I’m eating too, you know!]
“Sorry, sorry, got it.”
When I hung up, Princess shrugged with a wry smile.
“Should we go pick it after eating?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
She took my hand again and started walking toward the elevator. Being a shopping mall on a holiday, and especially on the daily necessities floor… looking around, I saw mostly couples with children and other couples.
I traced our joined hands and started walking beside Princess. She glanced at me sideways and smiled, showing her teeth. I also suppressed my slight embarrassment and smiled back, showing my teeth too.
In the end, until we were right near the food court… our hands – hers cool, mine warm – never separated.
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