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1 October XXXX
“Senku, you absolutely must!” Byakuya grinned, already cutting the twine away from the root ball as Taiju began digging. He gestured to the sky. “They’re counting on you to keep the tradition alive!”
“You wouldn’t want to miss out on the blessings of your astronaut ancestors, would you, Senku?” Yuzuriha asked sweetly while preparing compost.
“They’re not my ancestors, besides, tradition is pointless, it’s just a school trip—”
“By the time you come back, this tree will be as tall as you are!!!”
“Relativity doesn’t work like that one millimeter, Taiju, I’ll only be gone for five days—”
“Relativity or not, you’ll be a changed person by the end of this, Senku. Relish every second of this trip!”
“Already planning on it, old man.”
Byakuya ceremoniously handed him the little tree as Taiju and Yuzuriha saluted, tears in the corners of their eyes.
“Now lower it into the pit, easy…”
With a scientist’s precision, Senku laid the root ball into the pit Taiju made and filled it back in with the compost and soil mix prepared by Yuzuriha. A watering can was handed to him and he watered the soil carefully.
“Congratulations, my boy!! You’ve officially planted a tree!!!”
“Still don’t get why this is tradition.”
“Senku, history is important! We wouldn’t exist without it!” Senku felt like he should remember those words.
8 October XXXX
[ T minus 5 hours ]
Senku’s friends and dad stood close to the entrance of the spaceport, wanting to send him off with a proper goodbye. He didn’t get the sentiment, he’ll only be gone for less than a week, but he wasn’t one to protest.
Suddenly, he was pulled back. Attacked. Vision obscured. Possibly blindfolded. A robbery? A kidnapping? 2 seconds, 3, 4, think—
His mind started to spiral into overdrive, but he noticed the familiar warmth of Taiju’s hands tightening the blindfold at his eyes. He relaxed. A surprise, then? They spun him around a few times to disorient him before they took it off.
“You know, it isn’t a good idea to make me dizzy right before my flight—”
As Senku’s vision focused, he was greeted by the sight of Yuzuriha holding a handcrafted plush doll that kind of looked like a robot—wait, is that him??
“It’s a robot you!! A zero-G indicator,” Yuzuriha chirped, “although they do have artificial gravity on spaceships…”
“IT’S MECHA SENKU!!” Taiju yelled.
“It’s Mecha Senku!!!” Yuzuriha echoed.
Senku couldn’t help but grin at their antics, eyes glinting in excitement at the word ‘mecha’. He turned the doll over in his hands. It was well-made and soft to the touch.
“Nice going, Yuzuriha, Taiju.”
“We’ll miss you so much Senku!!”
“Be safe, my boy.”
Taiju and Yuzuriha gave him a big but quick hug while Byakuya ruffled his hair.
Senku may not get sentiment but if it makes the people around him feel better, it’s only logical to let them do as they please.
[ T minus 4 hours ]
“SENKU!!!!!!”
A boy with auburn hair in a bandana frantically waved at him. It felt much like Senku’d taken multiple exclamation marks to the face. A kind of relief filled his senses at his presence. Not a minute of peace, huh?
“Chrome,” he greeted.
“Need help with that?” He pointed to Senku’s two suitcases full of lab equipment. Chrome’s always been the stronger of the two.
“Sure.” He wheeled a bag over to Chrome, who looked happy to help.
Chrome was only a starry-eyed junior, but he was selected to go on this trip because their teachers saw great potential in him. If Senku said he didn’t see it, he’d be lying. Chrome’s sure to surpass him someday, but in the meantime, Senku would teach him all he knew.
“Gate 14, yeah?”
Senku hummed noncommittally.
They wheeled their way to self-check-in, the two taking different kiosks. Chrome marveled at the high-tech and cool machines. Senku himself had a hard time keeping his excitement in.
The program scanned his retinas for identification, and then—
“ALERT: CRIMINAL MATCH. DO NOT MOVE. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.”
Senku’s heart rate spiked up at the sudden volume. Red, flashing lights, everyone in the spaceport collectively gasping, Chrome looking at him with pure fear and confusion because the computer scanning him was screaming the same alert.
Before they even knew it, they were handcuffed and restrained.
[ T minus 1 hour 30 minutes ]
The officer interrogating him looked up and down from her records.
“This is…” she pinched her nose and took in a deep breath. “You can go now.”
“Just like that?”
“You’re not guilty. It was a false alarm.”
Senku narrowed his eyes. “Where are my bags?”
“They will be returned to you immediately.”
Yeah. This was normal. Nothing fishy here.
“Ch—Chrome, faster!! We—hff, We’re ten bill—ten billion percent l—ate!!” Senku panted heavily as he ran faster than he ever had in his life.
“I didn’t know—you could even—run, that fast—hah—”
[ T minus 1 hour ]
“Oh~? What’re you doing, dear Ryusui?”
(How was that guy already on a first-name basis with everyone?)
“Learning about how our beautiful Astra-1009 works!! It is imperative for a captain to understand their vessel like it is part of their own body!!” The golden-blond snapped his fingers. “You can always trust a star sailor’s instincts!!”
“And he has already decided he’s our captain, huh…” Ukyo sighed.
“Hahahah, I desire it all!!”
Ukyo looked afar and saw two extremely worn out teenagers sprinting to their area. One instantly collapsed on the floor, soaking up the coolness of the tiles like an ice bath on midsummer ox day, while the other carefully set aside his luggage before following suit.
“Nanami, Asagiri, they’re here!”
“Dear Senku and dear Chrome, I esume-pray?”
“That’s us,” the one with the green hair—Ishigami—wheezed.
“You—You’re Gen Asagiri!!” The boy with the bandana yelled with eyes like saucers. Ukyo winced a little at the volume.
“I sure am,” Asagiri grinned, looking down at their heaving figures. “Pleased to be your acquaintance.” He sat on his heels and extended a hand towards them, which Chrome excitedly shook.
“You’re the one who wrote that trashy book,” Ishigami huffed diplomatically.
“My, what a colorful irst-fay impression~! So you’ve read my book?” he smirked back.
Ukyo prayed to the Ancients of the Deep that he’d be able to survive the five days ahead of him.
“Fashionably late, aren’t you lot?!!” Nanami laughed heartily. “Well, no bother! The best things take time!!”
A sandy-blond-haired man dressed in an Air Force pilot’s uniform came up to their small group. “Listen up, Team B-5. Now that everyone is here, I’ll brief you on the details. I’m Stanley Snyder, your pilot and chaperone for this mission. You’re heading to Planet Camp on Mc. Pa, and staying from October 9th to 13th. We’ll drop you off today and leave immediately.
Your objective? Spend five days on your own. Every team is given a unique challenge, and yours is to function as a smaller unit. Your group has 5 members, rather than the standard 8. The teams were chosen randomly, so odds are you don’t know each other. Get acquainted, stay sharp, and handle yourselves out there. And hey, while you’re at it, take in the vastness of space.”
[ T minus 40 minutes ]
They're all a bunch of freaks, Senku decided.
Nanami was wearing an expensive-looking vermillion and cobalt blue space suit. He even brought along a flamboyant tricorn hat. That wasn’t out of character at all from what he'd seen.
Saionji simply looked content with his headphones on. His suit was bright yellow with hints of turquoise and chartreuse, which Senku wasn't expecting at all. He thought Ukyo was more of an earth tone kinda guy. But the weirdest part had to be that retractable crossbow on his arm.
Gen’s suit was lavender-mauve with swirls of peach and coral. It looked layered, with overlapping panels. The most striking features were the amount of pockets on his suit. Why would he need that many pockets?
Chrome wore a vibrant azure space suit with bronze and brown accents. Senku already knew that though, Chrome had dragged him along a few months ago to buy supplies for this trip and get fitted for space suits. The color reminded him of copper sulfate crystals. He even swapped out his bandana for a headlamp, which Senku deemed unnecessary, but he let him have his fun.
Senku’s own space suit was sky-green and white with red accents, and every millimeter was fitted with hidden measurement instruments and gadgets. Getting it approved was a pain in the ass, but wearing a spacesuit that he customized himself was exhilarating.
[ T minus 20 minutes ]
Before liftoff, Snyder allowed them some time to explore the spaceship and arrange their luggage in the storage room.
"What a beauty, isn't she?" Ryusui nodded to Senku. "A marvel of engineering!! I was up all night taking notes. I even asked my brother to program her into a flight sim for me but he said he didn't feel like doing anything illegal that night."
"What a bummer, truly," Senku nodded sagely. "Do you want to see my engine schematics? I made improvements."
"You made improvements and you're asking me if I want to see?"
“We’ve entered faster-than-light travel. You can deactivate your helmets and relax," Snyder's voice called out from the pilot's seat.
“Soo, we’re supposed to choose a captain, aren’t we?” Saionji hummed.
“I desire the role of captain!”
Ishigami laid back on his seat. “Anyone else volunteering? I don’t give a shit about who it is, for the record.”
“I desire the role of captain!”
“Man pulled up with a captain hat, we can’t not give him the role!!” Chrome cheered.
“I desire—oh?”
“Our captain had been osen-chay from the very beginning!”
“Since we’re all here, how about another round of introductions?" Ryusui proposed. "We could give ourselves informal roles, in imitation of all the star sailors before us!!”
“Strengthening eamwork-tay will be quintessential to group synergy, and an activity like that is very fitting, dear Ryusui.”
“I’ll go first!! Ryusui Nanami, I shall assume the role of Commander. I have an actual spaceship license!”
The group gazed at him in awe. “That’s BAD, you have to teach me how to fly one!!” Chrome yelled.
“You have my word, eager one!!”
“Ukyo Saionji, Co-pilot and Flight Engineer. I can also shoot a spider’s eye from a mile away,” he tacked on for fun.
Something tells the crowd he wasn’t joking.
“Gen Asagiri, Psychologist. If you’re feeling low or need to scam a person out of twice their life savings, come to me.”
Some people sported a few grins. Because he had to be joking.
It’s his turn! “I’m Chrome!! Engineer! Or wait, maybe Doctor? I know a BAAAAAD amount of cures!! I’m super smart and I love rocks!”
Saionji smiled good-naturedly and Chrome could hear the little awwww’s that escaped Asagiri and Nanami. Senku stepped up.
“Senku Ishigami, Scientist.”
Chrome and the others stared at him expectantly.
“...I like space.”
The awwww’s only intensified, and Chrome joined in, too.
“Your bodies will never be found.”
“Students, we’ve reached Planet Mc. Pa. Grab your belongings, get out of here, and I’ll be flying this ship back home. I trust you know what to do.”
The five made their way to the airlock as the hatch opened up, and… well.
They’ve seen pictures, watched videos, and have spoken to some of the alumni. They’ve even seen the view from the comfort of the main deck seats. But nothing in the world could’ve prepared them for actually stepping foot on the planet.
It hit Senku all at once, like a little kid going to the End for the first time and gazing at the the towering obsidian obelisks and the majestic Ender Dragon.
They could hear the clicks of Mr. Snyder’s final mechanical checks in the background.
The clouds floated faster than anywhere on his home planet, bizarre rock formations reaching up to the sky. The colors were different. So expansive, so bright, almost like a simulation.
“Isn’t it crazy?” Asagiri whispered, the first to recover after a moment of silence.
“Those clouds looked like lakes from space!!” Chrome had been looking out of his window for the entire landing. He took a step forward, frantically pointing in various directions and shaking Senku’s shoulder. “That’s the baddest tree I’ve seen in my entire life. Don’t you know how big of a deal that is, Senku? I’ve seen a lot of freaking trees! How the heck did those rock structures even form like that?? And, oh god, look at those caves!! Senku, we just have to go spelunking.”
He just smirked and took it all in along with the rest of the crew. “Look at it right in the eyes, Chrome. The step you took just now has a couple million years of scientific progress behind it!!”
Saionji’s silent and dumbstruck expression morphed into an awed, dewy smile on hearing them. Nanami deactivated his helmet and hat and took in a deep breath. His eyes fluttered shut and his hair blew wildly in the strong winds, making him look like he was in the middle of a storm.
The loud hum of the spaceship taking off cut through the haze. They waved back and said goodbye to the man and the vessel that brought them here.
“Everyone, we're bound for our grand destination, the lodge! Let's stow our luggage and embark on a grand adventure!!”
The road to the lodge was long and grueling, but Senku’s excited rambling and Chrome’s constant jokes kept everyone entertained. What could have been an exhausting trek turned into a bonding experience, with the group itself growing closer thanks to the duo’s easy camaraderie.
Gen’s eyes softened. The familiarity would be good for them. He’s a bit more worried about the possibility of their already small group splitting apart. Being stuck with each other on a planet for five days is a great bonding experience, but any disagreements would leave scars. Could be fatal, even. If anyone felt excluded or showed signs of jealousy… that’s precisely why Gen always kept an eye out for signs of isolation.
Ukyo was a guiding force, setting the scene and grounding the group. He likely had experience traveling in groups and knew how to maintain order, as well as the consequences of a lack of such. He’s probably someone Gen could confide in regarding matters of group dynamics. Like himself, Ukyo was looking for everyone’s reactions. Their eyes met and Ukyo gave him a small smile.
Senku seemed to prefer observing and analyzing quietly, giving his input when he wanted to. He wasn't as expressive as the others, Gen couldn't pretend he didn’t notice his thinly veiled excitement.
Ryusui acted like he’d known the group for years. He was the type of person to have taken a lot of initiative throughout his life. The way he spoke was interesting, was it to gain trust? Was it a result of his upbringing? Or did he just enjoy it?
Chrome, all parts hyped kid on a field trip, tried his best to get along with everyone. Personalities didn’t matter to him. Everyone was a potential friend, and he was never wary of anyone. But he didn't seem naive.
Gen felt more optimistic than he had in a while. He might’ve even made some friends by the end of this. Everyone seemed to be getting along well, introducing themselves and bonding overseeing this new planet for the first time.
“We should take a break for pictures!” Chrome exclaimed.
Ryusui surveyed their surroundings. The planet was photogenic indeed. But something swirled in his gut.
“I’m not against it. Might as well begin recording data here.” The scientist duo observed the alien foliage with curiosity at its purest form. “Pop quiz! Do you think this sapling,” Ishigami pointed at a plant that looked nothing like the conventional sapling, “is nyctinastic?”
“Let me see… well the leaves are definitely outstretched. But how do we make sure? Do nyctinastic plants even exist here? I remember reading that this planet is further away from its sun than ours… I guess we’ll have to come back at night!”
“...And they’re orking-way right away,” Asagiri sighed. “Why did I expect anything else?”
“Scientists,” Saionji shook his head fondly.
“Everyone… I think you might want to check this out.”
Ryusui, playing the harbinger of doom, could hear footsteps behind him. Walking towards him but slightly hesitant due to the fear in his voice. There it was—an indescribable green orb of something, growing and in a constant state of flux, previously nestled into the trees.
It suddenly started moving rapidly towards them. Swallowing everything in its path.
Everyone who was previously frozen in fear ran for their lives.
“Activate your helmets!” Ishigami yelled.
Without question, they instantly did so. But it was pointless. The orb of death was moving faster than any human could run. Each person was sucked in, one by one, limb and luggage, until the only traces of them were the footsteps planted into the dirt.
Ukyo tumbled rapidly and uncontrollably, unable to tell apart head and feet, his senses as void as the vacuum of space he couldn’t see. He just needed it to stop, just for a second, everything spun around him like a twisted carnival ride and he had no idea how to make it stop. He was instinctively firing his thrusters, but it just made him spin in the opposite direction. Over and over and over again. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe, there was only so much oxygen a suit could hold, swirling lights blinding him, his shallow, heaving breaths deafening to his own ears.
And amid all the chaos, Ukyo picked up a sound from the communicator.
Ishigami was counting.
It was something extremely feeble, something only Ukyo could hear. He anchored himself to the steady, rising count, at exactly 60 beats per minute, sounding like he was hearing salvation itself. Focusing his full attention on it, he took deep breaths in time with the count, calming him down and conserving his oxygen. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. The world stilled around him and he opened his eyes. If he could hear Ishigami, that meant he and likely the others were close by. Finally able to think clearly, he fired his thrusters just enough to break his rapid spin.
Control, navigate, communicate, his instructor used to say. He was a former military pilot and the years he spent on duty hardened him to any adverse situation. Sometimes, he forgot that his students weren’t made of steel, but Ukyo had become stronger under his tutelage.
Looking around, he noticed his teammates and luggage alike floating in the vacuum of space.
“Can anyone hear me?!” he yelled. Either his comms were broken, or they were all unconscious as far as he could tell. He was leaning into the former possibility because all of them were slowly drifting away from the group with nothing to stop them.
Checking his remaining thruster fuel, he decided to try and bring everyone closer together. He pulled out the tether on his suit to connect to people he could reach first.
As he moved around, he noticed a spaceship floating amid the vast expanse of space. A spaceship! Conveniently placed right where everyone was floating? Why would’ve someone put it there? Was it decommissioned? Inhabited? If it had oxygen, they could survive for at least a few more minutes until help arrived.
Ukyo decided to get to Ishigami first. He was probably conscious, after all. He propelled himself toward the sky-green figure some distance away and managed to stop just in time to grab his hand. The boy’s eyes were closed but he was still obviously counting.
“Ishigami? Can you hear me?”
The few seconds that followed were silent and Ukyo started fearing the worst, but he heard a voice, faint yet assertive.
“Ishigami?” he tried again, softly.
“Saionji?”
“Ishigami!!” Ukyo could hear impossible levels of relief in his own voice.
The boy blinked and looked around a few times, and his dazed expression immediately sharpened.
“Saionji, do you know where we are?”
“No, but from my observations, all of us, our luggage, and some debris have been thrust into outer space. We are above a planet I don’t recognize, and there is a spaceship adrift in that direction.” Saionji pointed in its general direction with his other hand.
Ishigami turned to observe the planet looming behind Saionji’s figure. “That’s not Mc. Pa... I… don’t recognize this planet either.” His fingers trembled in his grasp. It was obvious how the lack of information affected him. “The status of the others?”
“Unresponsive. Possibly unconscious, considering how they’re immobile. You’re the only one who has responded to my calls. And considering how everyone’s comms are linked to each other….”
“...it doesn’t paint a pretty picture,” Ishigami finished. Neither of them wanted to explore possibilities other than unconsciousness.
“It would be easier if we could wake up the others,” Ukyo mused. “No, we shouldn’t deal in hypotheticals. Our best bet is to tether everyone together.”
“That’s a good plan. We can’t afford to lose anyone.” Ishigami fell silent for a little, calculating. “What’re your oxygen and thruster fuel levels?”
“Enough oxygen to last for 7 hours, but I’m running low on fuel.” Saionji took the time to securely tether their spacesuits together. “I don’t think I can make it to the ship on my own if we use my fuel to get everyone tethered to each other, but I trust that you can get us there. What are your levels?”
“Yeah, you’re right about that,” Ishigami grinned. “I’ve got about the same amount of oxygen, but my fuel’s at full capacity. We’re gonna check out that spaceship for sure, it could our saving grace. We need to collect any luggage we can too, because we need sustenance. At least until we figure out what’s going on.”
Ishigami’s confident tone could put anyone at ease but he caught a slight waver in his voice that he turned into a snicker.
He knew better than everyone about the odds of them getting out of this alive.