episode_0032

worst case.

To borrow a scene from an Earth disaster movie I saw before, it is no different from a plane with 30 people landing on a deserted island.

To be honest, it would be more accurate to call it the worst.

Since there is an ocean on an uninhabited island, water will be able to be supplied somehow, and there is a possibility of life living on it.

Desert island and space.

To compare the situations we are in through this, even in the worst situation, we can start by resolving some of the overlapping priorities one by one.

That first one.

“Captain. Based on information about your current location, we suggest sailing to area L-392.”

“What is the basis?”

“Securing drinking water.”

As I suggested to Captain Edmund, the first thing we need to do is secure water.

“There are no colonies in that area…”

“Operator Yang. What is your name?”

“Oh, it’s Anna!”

Anna.

A 2nd year student with pigtails at the Academy who hopes to enter the communications service.

At first, I didn’t plan on paying much attention to it, but if I’m responsible for it, I have to memorize it.

“I see. From your perspective, do you see anything in that area except the colony?”

“Yes? Well, that…”

“Stop. Don’t shoot.”

“I didn’t really mean to put pressure on you, but…”

“I feel a little nervous.”

Captain Edmund says with a slight smile.

The way he looked at me didn’t show any particular rebuke toward me, but it also seemed like he was hoping for understanding.

‘ah.’

understood.

I speak and act normally, but this situation must be a first for Anna.

“Ms. Anna.”

“Yes, yes…!”

“Check the radar again. Assignment, I’ll give you 10 minutes.”

” And assignment…?”

“That’s right.”

Anna tilted her head for a moment as if she couldn’t understand.

“Are you still planning on teaching here?”

“I am here as a special forces instructor. If you’re going to return alive anyway, wouldn’t one way be to train on ‘survival in extreme situations’ while you’re there?”

“Ah!”

As if he noticed something in the conversation between me and Captain Edmund, he let out an exclamation and turned his eyes to the monitor in front of his seat.

“I will display the radar observation map of the area on the front screen!”

Then, several pictures of the area I indicated were displayed on the monitor in front of us.

Most of the photos are recorded in the archive inside the ship, and the end is a black screen with no signal in the center.

“Do you see something, Miss Anna?”

“…….”

“If you say there is nothing, you might be a little disappointed. This instructor already gave a hint.”

“Uh, hint…?”

Anna rolled her eyes left and right for a moment.

“…Water?”

“That’s the correct answer.”

I found the answer I wanted right away.

“You said you were going to that point to find drinking water, so of course there would be water.”

“Uh, um….”

“Of course, no matter how much the universe is expressed as a sea of stars, there is no H2O that we can actually drink.”

Water is precious.

Water is such a precious resource in the cosmic century that many colonies in the universe use large amounts of ether to ‘synthesize water’.

Someone from Earth even shouted, ‘This isn’t water, it’s the artificial synthetic dihydrogen monoxide!’ But let’s put that aside for a moment.

“Actually, there is water in space too.”

“…….”

“To be exact, it exists in another form of water. Just like this.”

I manipulated the ship’s panel to display a large image of one of the pictures of the area I had designated on the front.

“What does that look like?”

“…A giant icicle?”

“Okay. But what does it say below?”

“It is written that it is a huge ether mineral with empty energy.”

“Okay. It was exactly right. When you look at it, it’s empty ether with no energy, the so-called ‘tin can’.”

In the photo, there are chunks of ether minerals floating around in outer space.

The lumps are not emitting any light and are floating around in space as gray crystals, not the inherent color of the ether.

“Some people call it space junk. Debry cannot be used as an energy source and just wanders around space. Garbage that only damages the outer wall of the battleship if it hits it. So how do we get water from there?”

“…If you squeeze the mop, will water come out?”

“Keuhm.”

Why on earth do they use the expression “rag” even when comparing it?

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“It’s not wrong, but wouldn’t it be a bit odd to think that the water we’re going to drink and wash with is just rag water?”

“……I will correct it.”

“There is no need for correction. You got the point right.”

I raised my hand blade and cut the empty crystal floating in space in half.

“It’s simple. Although it is a can, if you squeeze the empty ether, water comes out.”

“…….”

“So, Captain. We suggest moving to that area.”

“Grunt.”

Captain Edmund places his hand on his forehead.

I am in charge of guiding the ship, but in the end, it is the captain, not me, who makes the decision regarding the movement of the battleship.

“Secure a source of drinking water. Your suggestion is definitely not wrong, but…”

“No, but?”

“Are you going to use a drone?”

Captain Edmund gives me a suspicious look.

“Securing ether, cutting light, and squeezing that can, you’re planning on using drones for everything, right?”

Perhaps that is a look that carries the meaning of ‘Are you going to go that far?’

“Captain.”

I will answer clearly.

” Survival training, wouldn’t it be best to train in an actual combat situation? ”

Like Captain Edmund, he put his head back.

“…Guys like Fenrir won’t come out again, right?”

“Haha. Captain. If that situation happens again, wouldn’t it be a good thing?”

I asked, spreading my arms out.

“Unlike this vast ocean where there are no colonies that can arrive within at least a month, there will be a higher chance of encountering civilization in another space where they will appear and be sent through a wormhole.”

“…….”

today.

We are moving through space.

Without a destination.

Without receiving any reply.

“Ms. Anna. When was the last time you sent a negotiation signal?”

“Uh, 44 minutes ago!”

“Then what was the last signal that came from our battleship?”

“…0 cases.”

“I see.”

If you haven’t even found a base where you can supply supplies, it’s better to fill up the supplies while you can.

“Even if food is not available, I think it is important to find a point to supply drinking water.”

“…Students, please use it appropriately.”

“Of course.”

I answered the captain with a smile.

After a while.

[I will move to point L-392.]

While listening to the ship’s announcement, I headed to the cafeteria for my shift change.

* * *

Dining room on board the ship.

Although it is a space where all 30 people can come in and eat, it is very rare for all 30 people to spend time together.

The only time 30 people get together is for breakfast.

-We should all make faces and say hello at least once a day.

It was Captain Edmund’s order.

Of course, it was an order that took the mental health of the ship’s crew into consideration, and we chewed our combat rations every morning while looking at each other’s faces.

And now it’s afternoon, lunch time.

“Ah, instructor.”

“Sigh.”

“Uh, yes. Enjoy your meal.”

The Special Forces Team A gathered in the restaurant saw me while eating and spit out the biscuit they were eating.

It’s true that after revealing that I was from the ‘Galactic Forces’, the hostility in their eyes disappeared a bit.

Of course, it is ‘a little’.

If before, it was ‘Why do you look at us like trash?’, now it’s like ‘You call us a galaxy unit, but you’re obsolete, so how dare you look at us like trash?’

‘If I had known it would be like this, I would have treated you a little more gently.’

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have made such a radical statement as to cut out Class A.

They must have divided Team A and Team B appropriately and built goodwill by giving advice a few times.

But the water has already been spilled.

I quietly stood next to Instructor Aria, a woman sitting on a chair guarding the front of the food warehouse.

“Let’s take shifts. Have a meal too.”

“…Do cloud instructors not eat?”

“I was planning to eat it last, but…”

Instructor Aria looked as if she was about to say something.

At the same time, I felt the stinging gaze pouring down on me from behind.

Because you rejected Instructor Aria’s offer?

no.

‘You don’t believe it.’

I was afraid that I might secretly steal food.

Even if it is true that they were part of a very powerful unit, they are suspicious that the instructor who does not look upon them favorably will only take care of the ace of the unit that he cherishes.

‘Doubts are rampant.’

As for instructor Aria, I have confidence that everyone will be distributed fairly.

But I guess I lack that kind of trust in many ways.

“Oops. Actually, I was going to eat it when the lavender arrived at the end. It’s almost 1:30.”

“……Wait a minute. At that time…?”

“Okay. This is the moment when gravity weakens in the restaurant area. Based on 1G, it is 1/6th…so, about a month.”

“……You.”

Aria glares at me with half-closed eyes.

“Could it be lavender…?”

“Okay. It’s not zero gravity… but we’re trying to provide training on how to consume combat rations in situations where there is almost no gravity.”

“…….”

“Would you like to join us? However, we will not provide combat rations or anything like that, and we plan to conduct training after everyone eats in the evening.”

“Well, we….”

Green Camp Class A sends a look of salvation towards Aria.

“Ha.”

Instructor Aria sighed once.

“I will decide whether to proceed with the training after I try it myself.”

It completely defied the expectations of Green Camp Class A.

After a while.

“Cloud instructor. When on earth would something like this be used, eup.”

“When is it used? Um, what if you were drifting in outer space on just one aircraft?”

I gave a special lecture called ‘Eating Jjambap in Zero Gravity’ to instructor Aria.

“Instructor! I succeeded in eating a water drop!”

“I can’t believe you succeeded in catching water faster than the speed at which it falls. Congratulations, Lavender.”

“Wow!”

Also to another student.