Visit

Chapter 29 — Visit.

Jason went to open the door, and saw a beautiful woman standing outside.

The woman was Kobayashi.

And she still wore her smiling mask, but for some reason, Jason was still able to see her unique beauty.

"Captain, what you doing here?" Jason curiously asked.

"Can we speak inside privately?"

"Sure, I guess..." Nodding his head, he led Kobayashi inside his house.

Kobayashi looked around, and was startled at how his house was lavishly and nicely decorated.

"Your house is very nice," She said while continuing to look around.

"Haha, I actually spent most of my earnings to decorate and renovate this place," Jason replied with a small smile.

He was quite familiar with interior designs as well with home economics. Maybe it was due to him growing up in an orphanage.

They soon arrived at the living room, Jason told Kobayashi to sit on the sofa. He immediately went to prepare a warm tea and some light treats along it.

This was an etiquette he was taught when a guest came in the past.

Kobayashi didn't minded it and waited patiently. Things were currently peacefully and calm, making her not too busy.

Jason quickly managed to prepare warm tea and treats for both of them.

"Here, have a taste, captain," He softy pushed a serving near her.

"Mmn, thank you," Kobayashi then removed her mask. She held the tea and gracefully took a drink.

Soon enough, she placed it down while continuing to taste the treats which were freshly made cookies.

A quite surprised and gentle expression were plastered over her face.

Well... She must admit that Jason's tea and cookies were delicious.

"I see, I didn't know that you were good at tea brewing and baking treats," Kobayashi praised him with a smile. She never thought Jason would have such a cute mundane skills.

"I don't meant to brag, but I guess yeah, I'm good at it. Not only that, but also at cooking and other houseworks," Jason laughed lightly as he reminisced deeply into his own past.

Although he eventually became the virtual game's number one pilot, he was just a normal person back then. He picked and studied home economics since he found it much easier than other subjects. He was very good at it. As since he was an orphan, Jason would sometimes help taking care of other orphans back at his old orphanage.

They were also the reason why he grew into a such upright and reasonable human. The people from the orphanage were also the one who introduced him to the cultures of mecha and anime.

Kobayashi nodded softly, and continued to ask more about him.

"I just realized that your house looks large from the inside, do you perhaps live with anyone else?" She had some guess that he was living alone, but wanted to know what was Jason thinking about it.

Jason shook his head sorrowfully.

"Frankly to he said, It's quite lonely inside my home. I have many rooms that are vacanted," Jason sighed deeply while regretting about picking a two-story tree house. He was too greedy.

He thought I was enough for him, but he was wrong. He couldn't even think of how to fill those empty rooms.

"That's unfortunate," Kobayashi remarked while sipping on the warm tea. After living for a century, she was already used to being alone.

However, Jason was different from her who lived very long. He was a still very young male adult.

Jason sighed further while blankly staring at her.

"Hey captain, do you wanna become my roommate?" He joked pitifully since he was quite depressed over the fact that he was living alone with his house also being located inside a secluded scary forest.

He was quite fine with it, but sometimes it was quite terrifying. Mr. Alien was within him, but it only speak to him during important events.

"I can," Kobayashi said after thinking about it shortly.

Jason released a sigh again, but then started blinking confusedly.

"Eh, really? Did I not hear you wrong?"

Kobayashi simply nodded.

"Only If you want. Although I'm the commander, I don't have my own house. I just reside in the highest level of the residential tower—either to sunbath or sleep while floating with zero-gravity. Well, it's not like I need my own house."

{A/N: I think not much is known about Kobayashi, so I decided to think it was like this. Kinda forced, but for the plot!)

"Uh, you don't have a home?" Jason asked while finding it ridiculous.

"Yes, it's tiresome to manage and all that. I also don't want other people to take care of it, making me decide to use the place at the highest level as my room in the end. I only need a place to sleep and use it for private meetings."

Jason was rendered speechless.

"I understand, but why would you want to live with me?" Jason asked curiously, but don't get him wrong. He would like to have Kobayashi as his roommate.

Kobayashi showed her fingers.

"First, you cook good enough. Second, you said you're good at houseworks, so I will leave the cleaning to you. Third, I can enjoy sleeping on a bed while also being able to keep an eye on you."

"Ah I see..." Jason wryly smiled, and thought she seemed lazy.

His place was also near the Military Base, so it shouldn't also affect her job.

As for keeping an eye on him, he guessed it was like monitoring him?

Sigh, Jason wondered when will they completely lower their guard against him. It was not like he was some evil intruder... or was he?

Kobayashi wasn't actually planning to monitor Jason that much. She thought it would be quite enjoyable to live under the same roof as him. She could also use this kind of thing as reason to calm down the Immortal Committee.

The Immortal Committee were starting to develop unpleasant thoughts about Jason, Kobayashi planned to deter them by staying near him.

She wouldn't allow them to interfere.

"Okay, you can live here if you want," Jason found it not to be a problem. As for his own privacy and secrets, the basement only he can access was the best place for him to do secret stuffs while hiding from many eyes.

Besides, it was much preferable to grow more closer with Kobayashi, the commander, to earn her protection.

It was like farming good affection points.

Kobayashi nodded. "I will live here, but I must remind you that I will not able spend time here everyday."

"Sure, you can just come anytime," Jason said with a smile before then remembering that Kobayashi came to visit him with the purpose of saying something. Their chit-chat caused them to stray from the main topic.

"Anyway, what did you want to speak with me again, captain?"

Kobayashi also realized her blunder, thinking she got too comfortable around Jason's presence.

Hmm, it seems she must fix this problem soon.

"I came here because I heard you were trying to learn about Ochiai."

"Yes, I'm very curious about him. I think his knowledge apart from the Gauna will help Sidonia."

"I also think that. Since you want to learn more about him, I will allow you to 'see' him in personal as we are planning to awaken him to extract valuable knowledge about terraforming within his Auxiliary Brain."

"...Is that allowed?"

"Of course, you must remember that your position within Sidonia is already quite high because of your achievements as a pilot. And by also including your position in Toha Heavy Industry which is just below Sasaki, you can watch it with my authorization."

Kobayashi thought it was more ideal to earn Jason's goodwill rather than distance him away.

He had already contributed so many things toward Sidonia, such a compensation wasn't even enough. And even currently, Jason was still contributing everyday with the help of Mr. Alien. Besides, Ochiai's Auxiliary Brain was already known by many high position officers.

Jason didn't expect to receive such an unexpected chance. Although he might just meet Ochiai, that was enough because he just wanted to see the so-called Auxiliary Brain.

"Thank you, Captain Kobayashi!" Jason smiled very sincerely—as well as almost blinding and heart stopping.

He even added her real name!

Kobayashi felt her heart skipping just for a second after seeing Jason's pure smile. It was the first time.

...

Unknown Area | 3:00 PM.

Jason, Kobayashi and Yure were looking through a fortified glass.

Before their eyes, Ochiai, the clone, was sitting on a chair while being tightly leashed to keep him from moving.

Above Ochiai, an octagon-shaped device that resembled a large pillar can be seen. It was the Auxiliary Brain Device, the neural interface where 'Ochiai' was sealed.

"Normal brainwaves. The subject is at optimal conditions."

"Lifting auxiliary brain's restrictions..."

Jason observed silently.

[ Connector: Ochiai. ]

[ Opening Auxiliary Brain's Gate... ]

An electrical current appeared at the point of the Auxiliary Brain, quickly heading toward Ochiai's head.

"Aghhh!" Ochiai began to convulse around intensely while grunting painfully.

"Ochiai Awakened Successfully!"

At this moment, Jason suddenly saw the atmosphere around Ochiai to suddenly change, turning entirely different. It was much colder and serene.

'Ochiai' soon opened his eyes, a sharp clear eyes full of eerie calmness. He looked around, observing silently.

"I see, Sidonia's not yet destroyed," 'Ochiai' said before looking toward the room where Kobayashi and the others were located.

"So you're still alive, Captain Kobayashi."

The Invocation Rite was somehow slightly different this time, making him feel surprised.

'Ochiai' then caught a glimpse of Jason standing besides Kobayashi.

"Who is that handsome man? Your boyfriend perhaps? How surprising..." Ochiai joked with an eerie smile, but then suddenly went silent as his own eyes locked with Jason's eyes.

He didn't know, but he suddenly felt anger, jealousy, and inferiority surging from within his mind.

'Ochiai' felt that Jason had already realized the ideals of 'Ochiai', but by using another different path where Jason was successful without even giving up on his own humanity.

On the other hand, 'Ochiai' ended up as a monster without shreds of humanity left, but still ending up with failures and hate.

The sight of Jason disgusted him, his mind being shredded apart.

"You, who are you...? Why do you make me feel such an irritable emotion? Why feel so similar yet so different from me!?" 'Ochiai' roared furiously, his voice containing puzzlement and the feeling of being insignificant.

Jason was surprised by the sudden outburst, not understanding why 'Ochiai' was so angry toward him. It was not like he killed his mother or something.

"The gate to Auxiliary Brain's Gate has been completely open. Putting the subject to sleep."

'Ochiai' immediately grew horrified as he started to beg for another chance.

"Please wait! Forgive me already...! Its so painful...!" He shouted aggressively, but soon fell unconsious.

They remained indifferent. Kobayashi commanding Yure to access the terraforming information contained within the Auxiliary Brain for the Colonist Party to use.

Watching 'Ochiai' fall unconsious, Jason thought over the answer.

He then whispered lightly, as if speaking to the wind.

"It must be about choice. You chose to forsake, but I chose to remain and save."

Jason's right eye glimmered with faint golden aurora. He was the bearer of the golden seed, the final embers of hope against the universe.

...

As for why Ochiai is somehow similar to Jason, I'm not exactly sure too, hehe.

However, an example is due to Jason surpassing the limits of the human's body through evolution and not abandoning it. Mr. Alien also just use science to strengthen humanity. And FYI, Mr. Alien just let Sasaki to learn his knowledge to which she would add to Sidonia's technology, while also adapting it to suit humanity better in order to achieve the best compatibility between man and machine.