Ch.193Counting Stars!

#193

Two days later.

Dexter and his group were aboard a cargo spaceship—smaller than Elijah’s Dust Devil but larger than Dexter’s own ship.

They were slowly approaching Pluto with stealth mode activated to avoid detection by the New Horizons probe.

-Why am I being left out?

Hologram Elijah complained, seemingly disappointed about not being able to join them.

“Who’s going to run Tenpenny Corporation if you’re not there? Just watch from where you are.”

-Hmph, I was hoping to walk alongside my dear friend after such a long time.

“You’re being dramatic. Your absence is actually helpful.”

Of course, Elijah wasn’t completely without combat talent, but Himena with her exceptional shooting skills was more valuable than Elijah, who was mediocre at everything.

-This friend, really…

“We’re about to enter Pluto’s atmosphere.”

Dexter waved his hand dismissively, cutting off Elijah’s words.

As he attempted to slowly land on Pluto—smaller than the Moon and with even weaker gravity—Dexter opened a general communication channel, tense in anticipation of any potential attacks or messages.

“This is Tenpenny Corporation Cargo 1707, Cargo 1707. Please respond.”

[……]

“This is Tenpenny Corporation Cargo 1707. Can you hear me?”

[……]

“No response.”

“Could it be that the frequency is wrong?”

Dexter shook his head at Jesse’s question.

“What I’m using is a general communication network, designed to communicate with unknown spacecraft. They’re obligated to receive the transmission.”

“Then they’re deliberately not answering…”

“Or they’re not in a position to answer. Hard to say.”

If there’s no response to communications, they’d have to approach directly.

“It’s dangerous… but we have no choice.”

Having reached Pluto’s surface and confirming there were no threats or warnings, Dexter unbuckled his belt from the pilot’s seat and thought deeply.

-I believe it would be best to approach using the rover.

“No other way.”

Dexter pressed a few buttons with practiced ease, and loud mechanical noises came from the cargo hold.

“Everyone raise your visor masks, and let’s head out.”

At Dexter’s suggestion, Himena and Jesse with their stern expressions, Emily who seemed carefree, and Judy who was trembling nervously with tension all picked up their weapons and pressed the red buttons near their necks.

All five were fitted with full-face helmets—the front was made of a glass-like transparent material, while the rest was white metal.

“I can’t get used to this no matter how many times I wear it. Everyone in white suits with helmets looks too…”

“White is Elijah’s favorite color. Though he never wears white clothes himself.”

[Well now, what color is more noble than white?]

Elijah’s voice came through the speakers in the ear section, and a small screen showing his face appeared in one corner of the transparent part of the helmet.

“Computer, get his face off my screen.”

[Computer, I command that my face remain displayed in the corner.]

[Previous command canceled due to higher authority.]

“Damn it.”

Dexter opened the airlock door with an irritated expression.

“Mr. Elijah seems to enjoy being picked on by Dexter.”

When Judy commented as she sat in the airlock chair under Dexter’s guidance, Elijah laughed heartily and replied:

[Well, among the people I call friends, he’s the most reliable one.]

“That’s cringeworthy, man.”

As Dexter responded with embarrassment, Jesse grinned.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Dexter get shy like this.”

“Despite everything, Dexy relies on Elijah’s help the most, doesn’t he? Though he’s helped Elijah a lot too.”

[Indeed, his wives know him well.]

As Judy entered the airlock last, trying to hold back her laughter, Dexter frowned, closed the airlock door, and spoke while slowly depressurizing the chamber.

“Ugh, can’t take it back now.”

“But where else would you find a friend like this? He even brought an enormous spaceship for his friend.”

“This guy just enjoys making me suffer.”

“Come on, when someone goes this far, that’s a true friend.”

Under the verbal assault from Judy and Jesse, Dexter pressed his lips together and silently gestured toward the opposite door.

As Dexter opened the outer door, Pluto’s desolate landscape spread before them.

Yellowish soil and rocks, along with scattered craters, greeted the five.

“The sky is black… everything is black. There’s really nothing here.”

“Wow, do people actually live in a place like this?”

“They say aliens called Frost Giants live here.”

“Dex, what do they look like?”

“They’re about 10 feet tall (around 3m), and regardless of gender, they all have muscular, gray bodies. In this temperature, they probably wear fur clothing.”

“…Computer, what’s the temperature here?”

[The current temperature is minus 239 degrees Celsius.]

At the computer’s answer, Judy involuntarily shivered.

“Ugh, just fur clothing in this temperature…”

“They’re not humans, so you can’t judge by human standards. Everyone, get in the rover.”

Dexter headed toward the first compartment of the cargo ship’s hold.

In front of the first compartment, a six-seater rover had been lowered for Dexter’s group.

“It looks like a stag beetle with big wheels attached.”

“That’s why its nickname is ‘Beetle.'”

“How much does this car cost?”

“…Emily, it’s suspicious that you’re asking about the price.”

Dexter thought he definitely shouldn’t give the keys to Emily as he got into the driver’s seat of the rover.

While the front of the rover was flat and curved, the rear was quite spacious to accommodate people and cargo.

The other four women huddled together in the back seats as Dexter opened the doors for them, and then he activated the radar to head toward the area with the highest concentration of Frost Giants.

Despite the bumpy terrain, the rover maintained a steady speed without much shaking. Emily looked around the interior and said:

“I want it.”

Without elaborating further, her voice dripped with greed.

Dexter, focused on driving and unable to properly see behind him, urgently said:

“Jesse, stop her later. She’ll really try to steal it.”

Seeing Emily already examining an item she had taken from the overhead compartment, Jesse put it back in place and said:

“You really have bad habits, don’t you?”

“Isn’t it a compliment to say a thief has bad habits?”

“No! What kind of girlfriend steals her boyfriend’s things?”

“This belongs to Mr. Elijah.”

“Stealing your boyfriend’s friend’s things is just as bad, obviously!”

“I guess so.”

“What kind of conversation is this?”

Dexter, who had been quietly listening to the absurd exchange, commented briefly with disbelief before getting to the point.

“The Frost Giants aren’t hostile aliens, but there’s no need to provoke them, so everyone be careful with your words and actions. And… I gave you weapons for self-defense, but don’t shoot them recklessly.”

“You’re talking to us like we’re children.”

At Dexter’s words, Jesse touched the holster at her waist and the laser pistol inside it.

“You’ve had plenty of practice with laser pistols at the training ground. So don’t make mistakes. It’s a much more dangerous weapon than gunpowder pistols.”

“What’s the biggest thing you’ve hunted with this?”

“What would I hunt with a laser pistol? At most, I’ve caught a few bad guys.”

“Come on, what about space monsters?”

“For those, you’d need at least… a rifle.”

As Dexter’s group was discussing basic armaments and weapon systems common throughout the universe, Himena, who had been carefully observing the outside, pointed to a spot and said:

“Look, there’s something like a building over there?”

“We’re almost there.”

On Pluto, where there should have been nothing, there was a long, crudely built fence-like structure, and between the fences stood a gray-skinned man with his hands behind his back.

“A Frost Giant.”

As Dexter had said, they were aliens about twice the height of humans.

However, the fence materials were metal rather than wood, and each fence post was as thick as an adult man’s thigh.

As Dexter’s rover approached closer, they could see that the man beside the entrance to the fence was standing guard.

The man’s expression grew more serious as the rover drew nearer.

“It seems like they had no idea we were coming.”

Dexter agreed with Himena’s observation.

“Yeah. They didn’t respond to general communications, so why now?”

The guard aimed a massive brown rifle at the rover. To show that he had no intention of attacking or trespassing, Dexter stopped the rover, raised both hands, got out slowly, and approached while saying:

“I’m Dexter Hughes, representing Tenpenny Corporation and Earth. I have no intention of attacking.”

“…Tenpenny Corporation?”

When the guard reacted, Jesse, who was behind him, looked at Himena with a curious expression and said:

“He doesn’t recognize Earth but reacts to Tenpenny Corporation.”

“That’s how it is with weaker planets…”

“I’m sorry, but please wait here for a moment.”

With those words, the guard entered the nearest small spaceship, and Judy, looking around at the various spaceships inside the fence, said:

“They look more like mechanically built houses than spaceships.”

“These Frost Giant refugees use short-term residential spaceships, not the mobile ones like mine.”

“Short-term residential spaceships?”

“Simply put, they’re like RV trailers.”

“Ah, but your spaceship has those functions too, doesn’t it?”

Unable to stroke his chin because of the visor mask, Dexter rubbed his hands together and said:

“It’s more specialized, I’d say. If my spaceship is like a bus converted with camping furniture and items, these are more like actual moving houses.”

“Oh, I think I understand.”

The Frost Giant man who had entered the spaceship came back out, gestured inside the fence, and said:

“Please come in. The village chief is waiting for you.”

“Village chief, huh.”

It felt somewhat like a refugee camp had been established on Pluto, making Dexter and Himena uncomfortable with that title.

As Dexter’s group entered the fence, they saw dozens of spaceships arranged like a village, and in the center, several Frost Giants about Dexter’s height were being held by female Frost Giants.

Seeing this, Judy smiled brightly, waved her hand, and said:

“They must be children. But they’re taller than Dexter.”

“Looks like Judy needs to be careful not to get stepped on here.”

As Jesse teased her with a giggle, Judy frowned and said:

“I’m not that short!”

“Mom, why are those people so small?”

“Shh, they might hear you.”

“…Are the Frost Giants’ conversations automatically translated too?”

“That’s one of the basic functions of the spacesuit.”

At Dexter’s kind explanation, Judy looked dejected.

“This is the village chief’s spaceship.”

With those words, the Frost Giant guard tapped his forehead once with his index and middle fingers, bowed his head, and left.

“Is that how Frost Giants greet each other?”

“Yes. It’s like saying, ‘May peace be with you and your family.'”

“It seems somewhat religious.”

When Dexter knocked on the spaceship door, it opened immediately as if someone had been waiting.

Inside, it felt more like a comfortable home like Judy’s house than a spaceship. An old man sitting in a rocking chair slowly began to speak.

“Representatives of Tenpenny Corporation and Earth? Wasn’t Earth under a neutrality treaty?”

The old man’s long eyebrows completely covered his eyes, and his bushy beard reached down to his stomach.

In response to the old man’s question that skipped any greeting, Dexter tapped his forehead with the back of his hand, bowed his head once, and said:

“I apologize for the rudeness.”

“You even know the Frost Giant greeting. You seem to be more than just an ordinary Earthling.”

“I am Dexter Hughes, former head of security for Tenpenny Corporation and Earth representative.”

“…Hughes?”

As soon as the name Hughes was mentioned, one of the old man’s eyes opened.

Unlike other Frost Giants, his eye had no pupil, showing only white sclera.

Dexter was somewhat puzzled by the old man’s sudden reaction.

“…Yes, Dexter Hughes.”

“Hmm… I am Avery, the chief of this place. Sit down.”

Avery pointed to a metal sofa across from him.

The sofa was meant for two people but was large enough to seat Dexter and the rest of his group.

Dexter sat down first, followed by Jesse who had been watching carefully, and then the rest of the women quickly joined them.

“So, what brings you here? If you’ve come asking for information, technology, or valuable items, unfortunately, we have none.”

Although his face was mostly hidden by eyebrows and beard, making his expression difficult to see, the irritation in his voice made it clear that the atmosphere wasn’t particularly friendly.

Refugees are poorly treated on any planet.

Many planets show hostility toward refugees, so Dexter completely understood the sharp reaction from Chief Avery.

“Nothing like that. We’ve just come to give you something.”

“Give us something?”

Surprised by the unexpected response, Avery looked confused. Dexter smiled lightly and said:

“Medical supplies, food, and some cloaking devices.”