Kaito Crouch’s hobby was appreciating art from Earth’s Gregorian era—classical art, in other words. Though “classical” covers a broad range, his preference was for works from around the year 2000, when the internet had become widespread. Regardless of the medium—film, literature, comics—he enjoyed these works (especially during his time in space) whenever he had the time.
According to Emotion, he should take an interest in more recent literary and artistic works. But the style of the Gregorian era just suited him. What could he do?
And for Kaito, with his nostalgic tendencies, this modification plan was incredibly tempting. It was as if there was no other choice.
“Uh, does it seem bad?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but…”
“Yes. It’s hard to say it’s bad.”
Both Dilganer and Ritmiele hesitated in a very obvious way.
They didn’t recommend it. But they seemed reluctant to say it outright.
If there was a reason, Kaito wanted to know, but neither seemed willing to explain. However, perhaps sensing Kaito’s curiosity, Ritmiele finally spoke up.
“Well… the technical system is fully developed. The modification itself will be quick, and the burden will be minimal, but…”
“There are a few problems.”
“Problems?”
“Yes. This technology—or rather, this ability—has existed even before the Federation was established. It was a specialty of a race that played a significant role in the Federation’s founding, and they still hold high positions within it.”
“Ah, so I’m not qualified or something like that?”
That made sense. It was a reason that was hard to bring up. Respect for their culture, or perhaps they’d dislike an uncivilized barbarian without proper lineage. Both seemed plausible.
But Dilganer shook his head-like part from side to side, clearly indicating “no.” Apparently, in their culture, a sideways headshake meant negation.
“That’s not it. In fact, they’re eager to spread this ability. They’ve even pressured us to include the catalog in every modification selection.”
“Oh. Then isn’t that a good thing?”
“It’s unstable.”
Ritmiele looked around as she spoke, her voice slightly hushed.
She seemed to be wary of someone, and Dilganer appeared similarly cautious. There was no one else around, so what were they worried about?
“This ability is heavily influenced by the user’s mental state. And it’s been confirmed that the scale of the ability is significantly smaller in other races.”
“The original race—the Terraporapanesio—they don’t care much about other things, but they absolutely insist on keeping this modification catalog in rotation.”
Terraporapanesio. From the way it was said, it seemed to be the name of the race. Though Dilganer had no facial expressions, his tone made it clear he was sighing.
At any rate, the two of them were making their stance clear. It seemed the modification plan Kaito had chosen was one he should avoid.
It was tempting. Extremely tempting.
Just as he was about to suggest looking at another plan, something happened.
[I don’t think you need to be so averse to it.]
A voice spoke. It was one he’d never heard before. He couldn’t tell where it was coming from. There were no speakers around, and it had a somewhat synthetic tone. Unlike Dilganer’s mechanical voice, which didn’t feel out of place, this one stood out eerily.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaito saw Ritmiele’s fur stand on end. It seemed it wasn’t just anger that caused her fur to bristle—she also did it when startled. Though the way her fur stood up this time felt slightly different.
As Kaito pondered this meaningless thought, the voice addressed him.
[Mister Kaito. We welcome your choice.]
“Uh, what?”
[We are the Terraporapanesio. The individual speaking to you is the Representative of the artificial celestial body Zodgia. Please forgive the rudeness of greeting you without showing ourselves.]
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
It seemed the Terraporapanesio also resided on this artificial celestial body. And if they were the Representative, that likely made them Dilganer and Ritmiele’s superior. Now Kaito understood why the two had been so hesitant.
[We do not communicate using vocal cords or language like you do. Instead, we vibrate the air around you to convey our thoughts.]
The impression of a synthetic voice wasn’t far off. Still, vibrating the air from a distance to create sound was an impressive feat.
While Kaito was inwardly marveling, most of the catalogs around him disappeared.
It seemed to be the work of the Terraporapanesio. Dilganer let out steam from his head.
“Wait, Representative! We haven’t finalized the decision yet!? Peeking isn’t good manners!”
[Then let’s finalize it. Are you satisfied with the modification plan you’ve chosen?]
“Yes, absolutely.”
[Then it’s decided.]
“What!?”
Dilganer and Ritmiele looked displeased. From their reactions, this modification plan seemed like a minefield, but for Kaito, who loved classic sci-fi, there was no other choice.
Feeling a bit guilty, the Representative continued confidently.
[Don’t worry. If you’re not satisfied, you can always re-modify. We’ll save your biological data first, so there shouldn’t be any issues.]
“Even if the first time is free, the second time will cost money! Mister Kaito doesn’t own any Federation assets!?”
[Hmm.]
Ritmiele’s protest seemed to hit a nerve. At the same time, it also hit Kaito.
When he thought about it, Kaito was penniless. The only thing he could call his own was the Goodbye Earth, but to them, that was probably just junk.
He knew their words came from a place of goodwill. It wouldn’t be right to burden them with his selfishness, so he was about to reconsider when—
[Very well. If Mister Kaito is dissatisfied with this modification, we will cover the cost of re-modification. That should resolve the issue, no?]
“Can you just decide that on your own!?”
[Don’t worry. The other individuals have given their approval. …The individual currently in the council has received the chairman’s consent. There’s no problem.]
“Ugh, you’re so quick!”
Ritmiele let out a cry of despair. It seemed the Representative had forcefully resolved the issue. Kaito didn’t understand why they were going this far for a single modification plan, but he gave up on reconsidering.
The Terraporapanesio Representative and their kind were unusually fixated on the modification plan Kaito had chosen. Chewing over Dilganer’s words, Kaito walked over to him, who was weakly letting out steam from the exhaust near his ear.
“Well, Dilganer. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah, sure. This way.”
Dilganer, carrying a great sense of resignation, led the way to the booth. Following him, Kaito couldn’t help but feel like he was causing trouble.
“Master Kaito. I can’t help but feel their reaction is a bit concerning…?”
“Well, it’ll be fine, right? If they’re willing to cover the cost of re-modification, I might as well take advantage of it.”
“…I’m still worried.”
For Emotion, this was an unusually vague way of speaking. She seemed genuinely concerned, hovering nearby even as Kaito entered the modification equipment.
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The modification itself took only a few minutes. The explanation that the technical system was fully developed wasn’t a lie. Kaito didn’t feel any discomfort in his body. A small part of him had worried about being treated like a lab animal, but it seemed they were genuinely well-meaning.
“Well, the adjustments are complete. As a minimum measure, we’ve performed genetic manipulation and transplanted ultra-fine nanomachines. This will at least ensure you can move freely within Federation territories.”
“Thank you. Emotion, do I look any different?”
“Yes, Master Kaito. There are geometric patterns floating in your eyes. Is this from the modification?”
“Ah, yes. The location varies by race. Anyway, let’s move on. About the main modification—”
Dilganer let out a puff of steam from the exhaust near his ear. It seemed to be the equivalent of a human sigh.
For a moment, Dilganer hesitated, but he quickly presented Kaito with a manual.
The first words written there were:
“[Physical interference through the projection of will into external space]. Does your planet have a special name for this?”
“Yeah. It’s called ‘psychic powers.’”
Kaito deliberately used the old-fashioned term.
He thought it’d be nice if this term caught on in the Federation.
Then—
With a hiss, part of the wall opened.
Ritmiele turned toward it, her fur changing color.
“It seems the Representative is really pleased that you chose [psychic powers]. They’re urging me to bring you over quickly.”
“Oh dear.”
Is she dumbfounded, or is she angry because her plans were changed? Kaito, who hasn’t fully grasped the changes in Ritmiele’s emotions and body hair, can’t tell what she’s feeling inside.
Regardless, greeting the Representative is a must, so it’s just a matter of sooner or later. He follows Ritmiele as she starts walking.
“Feel free to let me know anytime if you need adjustments, Mister!”
“Thank you, Mr. Dilganer.”
Kaito hears Dilganer’s concerned voice behind him.
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