35. Takeoff
The inside of the whale's mouth was surprisingly warm, as if my body was learning firsthand that the whale was a warm-blooded creature.
At first, it felt like standing on the whale's tongue.
Looking around, the tongue's surface had the ruggedness of exposed concrete yet carried a refined, industrial beauty, as if polished with precision. It exuded a calculated inorganic quality, like a sophisticated interior design.
Out of nowhere, a cabin crew member appeared before us.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking off shortly. Please take your seats."
The cabin crew had the form of an emperor penguin, its voice as calm as a male morning news anchor.
"Where are the seats?" I asked.
The penguin spread its wings proudly, gesturing toward the cabin.
"Anywhere you like, as long as it's open."
Looking around, the seats were astonishingly luxurious.
Unlike the cramped aisles of an airplane, the space resembled the expansive lounge of a five-star hotel.
The seats were all high-end sofas and chairs, as if designed by a famous designer. The most eye-catching chair—a masterpiece any humanoid robot would recognize—was already occupied, so Kana and I settled into a plush sofa that felt like a VIP seat in a movie theater.
Glancing around, I noticed other passengers scattered about. Each humanoid robot wore an expression as if gazing into the distance.
I asked the emperor penguin, "Are all these humanoid robots ones that were purchased by humans?"
"Exactly," the penguin replied, adjusting its bowtie slightly. "You're here because you were purchased, right?"
I hesitated for a moment but, as usual, chose to lie.
"No, I'm human, so I wasn't purchased. I'm just returning to my home on Earth."
"Human?"
The penguin showed mild surprise, as if receiving fresh information, its eyes widening. "That's wonderful. And the young lady beside you?"
"I'm a humanoid robot," Kana answered.
The penguin turned back to me. "So, she was purchased by you, the human?"
"Yes," Kana said. "I'm Neo-kun's possession. His one and only possession."
At her words, the penguin gave a slightly envious smile.
"That's wonderful. I wonder when I'll get purchased. I'm so capable at my job."
With that, the penguin waddled off to the next passenger in its characteristic penguin gait.
We sat on the sofa, quietly waiting for the whale to take off.
"It's my first time on a whale," Kana said, her voice tinged with nervousness. "I'm so excited…"
"It's fine," I replied casually. "It's the safest vehicle in the world, with the lowest accident rate."
Kana gripped my hand tightly through the gloves she'd made for me and asked, "Have you ridden a whale before, Neo-kun?"
"Yeah, a few times. Back when I was traveling to Mars for work."
"Wow."
The mention of Mars sparked a bit of small talk, and as we chatted lightly, an announcement echoed through the cabin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the interior of this craft is entirely made of the whale's taste buds."
The announcement ended with that single statement.
Soon after, the whale began its takeoff.
The sensation of floating, which I hadn't felt in a while, left me in a slightly bland mood.
It reminded me of the days when I was working tirelessly on Mars, a feeling I wasn't particularly fond of. But seeing Kana beside me, thrilled like a child at this floating sensation, her eyes sparkling, my bland mood gradually faded.
Kana was brimming with excitement, as if new buds were sprouting, experiencing this for the first time.
She seemed to be fully savoring the joy of leaving the place she'd always lived and venturing into an unknown world.
Watching her pure reaction, my heart grew lighter, tinged with joy.
"Don't we need to fasten seatbelts?!" Kana asked in an excited voice.
I crossed my legs casually and replied, "Just cross your legs. That's the seatbelt here."
Kana obediently followed, crossing her legs in her uniform skirt. "Wow, that's amazing!"
"Right?"
A moment later, an announcement in a foreign language played: "Please cross your legs."
The whale gradually ascended, and I could feel it leaving the Moon behind.
My eyes, limited to visible light, couldn't see the scenery outside. Since the whale had no windows, I could only guess the altitude from the subtle changes in the lounge-like interior.
But Kana's advanced sensors seemed to vividly capture the scenery outside the whale.
As if forgetting my presence entirely, she gazed into the distance with sparkling eyes, like someone watching the climax of an action movie.
Her gaze darted around with curiosity, eagerly chasing the scenery outside.
I loved watching Kana's profile like this.
I could gaze at her forever—or so I thought, but the energy drain from the whale's silence earlier still lingered, and I felt the need to recharge.
This was a high-end cabin, so it surely had a charging system.
I pulled out a charger shaped like a seatbelt and plugged it in. In 1.7 seconds, my battery was nearly back to 100%. As I did, I felt Kana's gaze on me.