"As you may already know, this school trip will last one month," the teacher said. "During that time, you'll be required to run on a treadmill under a constant load of two hundred newtons for twenty minutes every day. This will help maintain your muscle strength."
Groans rippled through the room.
"You may adjust the treadmill speed through Mistral," he continued, unfazed, "but try to maintain at least three meters per second. A light jog is sufficient—and good for your health."
"Ehh? Three meters per second?" Anna complained. "That's practically running."
"Come on," Laurel said, already starting her warm-up stretches. "We need to stay fit. If we don't, our bodies might not handle it when we return." She glanced up. "Besides, some planets in Alpha Centauri have higher gravity than Mars. We can't slack off."
The space station—and the starcruiser—used artificial gravity, which was why they could walk normally instead of floating. But it was set to only 0.1 g, roughly a third of Mars's gravity. Without extra exercise, muscle loss would be inevitable.
"Let's do this," Lazarus muttered, bracing herself.
She stepped onto the treadmill and shouldered the rubberized restraint straps. They tightened automatically, pressing her down as the belt hummed to life. Around her, the other students did the same—some eagerly, most with reluctance.
A sharp whistle cut through the room.
The exercise began.
At first, three meters per second felt easy. Almost too easy.
But after ten minutes, her breathing grew uneven. The artificial load dragged at her limbs, each step heavier than the last. It had only been a day, but the ship's low gravity had already begun to spoil her body.
Several times, she was tempted to slow the belt.
She didn't.
Lazarus,your effort will be rewarded someday.
a familiar thought surfaced in her mind, steady and reassuring.
A chime rang softly in her ear. The treadmill slowed, then ground to a halt.
Time was up.
Lazarus released the straps and dropped to one knee, gasping, sweat clinging to her skin. Her legs trembled as she caught her breath.
"Well done," the teacher said as he returned, carrying a basketball and a floating hoop. "Anyone up for a game? Since we're on a starcruiser—how about some air basketball?"
"Yay! I want to play!"
As if their earlier exhaustion had never existed, hands shot into the air.
"Alright," the teacher said, amused. "The top scorers from the exercise go first—Xiaolang and Bob."
The two stepped forward. After a brief pause, they exchanged a polite handshake. The teacher nodded, then turned to Bob.
"Who wants to join Bob's team?"
"I will!" Lexus raised his hand immediately. "What are the rules?"
"Three versus three. Sudden death—the first score wins," the teacher replied. "Will anyone join Xiaolang's team?"
No one moved. Xiaolang stood quietly, expression unchanged. He didn't seem surprised.
Lazarus raised her hand.
It's just a game, she told herself. No need to be tense. Let's have fun.
"Anyone else?" the teacher asked. "If not, I'll assign players. Laurel, you'll join Xiaolang's team. Anna, you'll join Bob's."
"Yes." Laurel stepped forward smoothly, as if the decision had been expected.
Anna, on the other hand, hesitated. She glanced nervously between Bob and Lexus before shuffling into position.
"Tch. Don't get in my way," Lexus muttered.
"S-sorry," Anna replied, lowering her gaze.
Laurel turned and waved Lazarus over.
"Have you played air basketball before?" she asked.
"I've read about it," Lazarus said. "On Io—Jupiter's moon—the gravity's low enough for games like this. Slam dunks are common, right? Shooting doesn't work well because the hoop keeps drifting. So you pass between teammates until someone catches the hoop itself."
"Exactly." Laurel smiled faintly. "Just watch the boundary lines. Players can drift out, but if the ball crosses, it's a foul."
The teacher raised his hand.
"Half-court air basketball will now begin. Mistral—adjust gravity to zero point one g."
A system response followed immediately.
[Acknowledged. Anti-gravity floor activated. Gravity adjusted to 0.1 g.]
The floor hummed softly.
Lazarus gasped as her body suddenly felt light, like when one goes down in a high-speed elevator.
Her balance wavered—every step spring-loaded, as if the floor wanted to throw her back into the air. Around her, other students staggered as well, arms flailing briefly as they adjusted.
Then the teacher released the hoop.
They floated upward, drifting lazily across the court, swaying like butterflies tethered by invisible strings. Three small axial propellers buzzed to life on it, correcting its course just enough to keep it swaying.
The disorientation passed almost as quickly as it came.
"The match begins!" the teacher called, blowing his whistle. "Ball to Xiaolang's team!"
"Laurel!"
Xiaolang passed to her and launched himself in a single bound. At 0.1 g, clearing fifteen meters was effortless—the real challenge was timing the hoop's movement. He snagged the edge of the drifting frame with one hand, muscles tensing as he prepared to finish the game.
"Nice! Xiaolang—catch!" Laurel hurled the ball toward him, hoping he'd grab it and score.
"Hah! Naive!"
Lexus shot upward like a cannonball. He snatched the ball midair, the sudden stop sending his body spinning like a leaf caught in a gust. Somehow, he kept control and flung the ball toward Bob before slamming into the ceiling.
Like a cat, he twisted and reoriented himself on the ceiling and to the floor, but he was out of bounds.
Bob caught the pass one-handed.
Lazarus lunged, grabbing at the ball, trying to pry it free—but Bob's grip was immovable. No matter how hard she pulled, it didn't budge.
Anna sprinted toward the nearest hoop and jumped—heart pounding—only for the drifting target to slide just out of reach.
Meanwhile, Lexus scrambled back toward the boundary line, but his boots crossed it a fraction of a second too late.
The teacher's whistle shrilled.
"Five-second foul! Ball to Xiaolang's team."
"Damn it!" Lexus barked. "How could you miss the hoop? My rebound was perfect! And you—" he snapped at Bob, "—you should've passed to her or me!"
"But both of you were out of bounds," Bob said calmly. "Either way, it would've been a foul."
"Tch. Useless."
"S-sorry," Anna said, bowing her head.
"Sorry. I'll do better next time," Bob added with a nod.
The teacher retrieved the ball and handed it to Xiaolang. As Xiaolang stepped to the center, the whistle blew again.
Play resumed.
"Laza!" Xiaolang called, shortening her name as he fired the ball toward her.
"On it—ugh!" The impact jolted Lazarus as the pass slammed into her palms. She staggered, boots skidding lightly against the floor. She glanced toward Laurel, but Bob's massive frame blocked her view.
"Damn it! Come back here!" Lexus chased after Xiaolang, trying to cut him off, but Xiaolang was faster.
"Hmph. Is that all you've got?" Xiaolang jeered.
He wasn't just tireless—he was fast. He dashed across the court, nearly throwing Lexus off balance as he slipped past. Laurel followed close behind, keeping pace. Anna tried to chase them, but the distance only grew wider.
"Sorry," Bob said calmly as he stepped in front of Lazarus. "You're not going anywhere."
Arms spread wide, his body formed an unyielding wall.
Lazarus searched desperately for an opening. Laurel and Xiaolang were both tied up, moving too fast for a clean pass. She clenched her teeth.
I won't lose hope. I won't give up.
"Laurel! Xiaolang—catch!"
Instead of throwing high, Lazarus slammed the ball hard into the floor.
Bob was tall. Too tall to pass over.
The ball rebounded sharply—and in the low gravity, it arced high and wide, soaring left of the drifting hoop.
"Ah—too far!" Laurel cried.
"I'll catch it!" Xiaolang shouted. "You grab the hoop!"
He burst sideways like a fired bullet, accelerating even faster as Lexus fell behind. Xiaolang leaped, shot like a bullet toward the ball, arm fully extended, and the ball landed squarely in his palm. Before his body dropped to the ground, his eyes searched for Laurel.
Above, Laurel jumped toward the floating hoop. Her fingers brushed the rim—slippery with sweat—but she gritted her teeth and held on.
"Catch!"
The short call was all she needed.
Laurel turned just in time to see the orange ball flying toward her. The hoop swayed instinctively, trying to dodge. Laurel stretched out—
The moment the ball touched her hand, she forced it down through the rim.
The buzzer sounded.
"Match over!" the teacher announced. "Laurel's team wins. Alright—anyone else want to play?"
"Damn it!" Lexus shouted, stomping his foot. "You guys were useless! Especially you, Bob! Why couldn't you stop that orphan girl?!"
"That's enough, Lexus," Laurel said sharply. "This was just a game. And it's not like you did any better." She glanced at Anna. "And don't drag others down just to protect your ego."
Lexus fell silent, seething.
"Hmph. The heir of the Blackdiamond Group sure likes to bully his employees," Xiaolang snickered. "What a leader! If he wins, it's because of him. If he loses, it's everyone else's fault."
With that, he turned and walked away.
"Good job, Xiaolang!" Lazarus called, stepping forward and offering her hand. "That was amazing!"
He paused, glanced at her raised hand, then gave a brief nod.
"You too."
And then he left.
Lazarus stared at her raised hand for a moment before lowering it.
"What's wrong with him?" she muttered. "Does he not like high fives? We did so well together…"
"That's just how he is," Laurel said. "Xiaolang's always been a lone wolf."
Lazarus nodded slowly, then shook the thought away.
"Anna! The PE class is finally over." She brightened. "About what you said earlier—can I take you up on it? Let's read books together!"
"Sure!" Anna smiled. "But let's take a bath first. I smelled."
Lazarus was awed at the bathroom inside her private room. As expected of a luxury starcruiser, even the baths were extravagant. Each room had its own private tub, and they used marbles. After washing up, Lazarus wandered to the observation deck to wait for Anna, stars sliding past beyond the glass.
A notification appeared.
[Notice to all M-5 Elementary School students:
Please review the list of exercises and academic tasks to be completed during the voyage.]
"We're on a luxury cruise liner—why do we still have to study?" someone nearby complained.
Lazarus didn't complain. She felt relieved for finally having something to do.
She sat at one of the desks instead and activated the complimentary tablet attached to it. Linking it to her NeuroGear, she opened the assignment list.
"Mistral," she asked quietly, "can you help me?"
[Of course. I am unable to complete your homework for you, as that would violate regulations. However, I can answer questions and provide references.]
"Of course!" Lazarus pouted. "I'm not asking you to do it for me. Take me to the encyclopedia."
She paused, then added under her breath, "You're always so suspicious…"
Well, he must have said that because there were so many students asking him to do their homework for him.
Moments later, Anna and Shingo joined her.
"Yo," Shingo said. "Already doing homework? You're diligent."
"Yes," Lazarus replied. "What about you?"
"Of course." Shingo nodded. "I'm a scholarship student too, just like you. I need to study hard."
"And you, Anna?" Lazarus asked.
"Well," Anna said, setting her books down, "I wanted to lend these to you anyway. Then the notification came, so… I thought we could study together."
Lazarus smiled.
"By the way, how long until we reach the gate?" Lazarus asked, scrolling through the exercise list. Most of the assignments focused on gate technology.
"I asked the crew," Shingo replied. "If nothing goes wrong, we should arrive in two or three days." He paused, then pondered. "The gate, huh? I've never seen one either. My father's worked in other colonies several years ago, but he's never taken me along."
He glanced at Anna. "What about you? Have you seen one?"
"Um… yes," Anna said after a moment. "My father brought me to Alpha Centauri and Barnard once. I don't remember much, though."
"Whoa," Lazarus breathed. Shingo mirrored her reaction. "We've got an interstellar traveler with us."
"Ah—it's not that impressive," Anna said quickly. "I mostly stayed inside the ship."
"But what about school?" Lazarus asked. "I heard interstellar travel can take months—sometimes even years."
"I was homeschooled," Anna replied. "With a tutor. In a space habitat."
"Your father's a movie director, right?" Shingo said. "I didn't know directors were that busy. I thought they just stayed in offices, working on CG and storyboards."
"My father was… an exception," Anna said with a small smile. "He was filming a live-action movie. Some scenes had to take place inside Alpha Centauri's Space Park and in the wastelands and national park around Barnard's Star B." She hesitated. "The whole project took about five years. I practically lived on a spaceship."
"Why didn't you stay on Mars?" Shingo asked. "Living in a moving habitat sounds rough."
"My mother was the screenwriter," Anna said quietly. "And she was pregnant with me at the time."
"I see," Lazarus said softly.
"It must be amazing to see so many star systems," Shingo said, then shrugged. "Though you were probably too young to remember most of it."
He tapped the screen, refocusing.
"Alright, let's move on. Since we have someone with firsthand experience, let's start with this question." Lazarus then read aloud. "What are warp gates, and how many types are there? We need to write an essay."
"Ah, I know all about this from Mistral!" Shingo said eagerly, cutting in. "Basically, there are two kinds of gates: local gates and interstellar gates. Or, more simply—small gates and big gates."
"I see."
Lazarus and Anna typed quickly on their tablets.
As Lazarus cross-referenced the information with the star system map, her brow furrowed.
"Hm… why is the interstellar gate positioned there?" she asked. "It's practically at the edge of the star system."
"It doesn't have to be," Shingo replied. "But, it can't be too close to inhabited space because of safety concerns, so somewhere in the asteroid belt could've worked." He shrugged. "But after the RCE events, though… who can blame them for being cautious?"
"I've been to interstellar gates before," Anna said slowly, "but I never really knew how they worked." She glanced up. "Mistral, do you know?"
"Interstellar gates operate on the same fundamental principles as small gates," Shingo answered before Mistral could. "The only difference is scale. The distances they bridge are several orders of magnitude larger."
"Then let's write about safety mechanisms," Lazarus said. "How dangerous are gates? Have there ever been accidents—like someone getting flung into infinite hyperspace?"
Anna stiffened slightly. Despite having traveled through hyperspace before, the thought unsettled her.
"Um… there are safety systems for that, right, Mistral?"
[Yes. Warp gates are equipped with multiple redundant safety mechanisms. Common examples include signal probes, RCE containment systems, and emergency shutdown protocols.]
"You know," Shingo said, smirking, "there are stories—fictional and real—about hyperspace accidents. Makes you wonder how safe it really is."
"Shingo!" Anna protested. "Don't say things like that. There haven't been any gate accidents in recorded human history, aside from the RCE events."
"Hahaha, come on," Shingo laughed. "You're the daughter of a movie director. You should have more imagination." He leaned back. "What if next time we pass through, something goes wrong and we end up in a parallel universe? One with magic and dragons?"
"Geez. You two," Lazarus said, shaking her head. "Let's get back to the homework."
She scrolled through the exercise list again, then glanced up at the observation deck beyond the glass. Stars glittered against the endless darkness—beautiful, distant, and faintly unsettling.
Like hope, suspended inside an abyss.
Today we had sports, and we won. Working together really does feel nice.
If I keep trying—if I keep being good—then someday, I'll be rewarded.
~ Lazarus