"Master Kite, this machine has just passed Jupiter's orbit."
"I thought so."
"Congratulations. You are the first civilian in human history to record a journey beyond Jupiter's orbit."
"Thank you. The likelihood that this will be my first and last time is quite high."
Inside the not-so-large metal capsule, Kite Hughes responded vaguely to the support robot, Emotion. His attention remained fixed on the tablet he was holding. After completing his daily exercise and meal routines, he immersed himself in his hobby of reading.
"Emotion, could you play 'New Wave' by Asura Unagi next time?"
"Again? My memory storage has the entire world of classics. You don’t need to keep reading the same ones."
"It’s always enjoyable to read masterpieces, no matter how many times. Whether it’s Asura Unagi's works or 'Lost Ed' by Terry 8, they always leave a fresh impression."
Prisoner number 279502. That was Kite's final designation. A rather biased trial had determined that his existence would negatively impact humanity on Earth, leading to his conviction. In less than three years, they established a "private prison" in space to confine him.
Earth (apparently) was destroyed. The reasons were unknown. They did not receive permission to gather field data and had no desire to understand the cause of their own extinction.
Kite enjoyed life in space, with only emotion for company, far more than he had ever enjoyed living on Earth.
"So, Emotion?"
"Yes?"
"I’m wondering how much food, water, and oxygen we have left?"
"It's difficult to say exactly, but based on your consumption rate, we have about 40 days' worth of food and water remaining. Do you want to reduce consumption and explore ways to extend your lifespan?"
"No, that’s not necessary. What about oxygen?"
"The circulation system is functioning normally. Unless there are unforeseen accidents, it will last longer than 40 days."
"I see."
He yawned. The last time he saw Earth, it was fading away. The vibrant colors they saw when departing space gradually turned to red and brown. The transformation was so profound that it was easy to understand the explanation for its destruction.
With the collapse of human civilization, the prison sentence vanished. Kite, who had regained his name instead of his prisoner number, now found himself on a one-way trip in space.
"Well, I guess I’m fortunate to have come this far without any other accidents."
"Currently, we still maintain the function of dying with dignity."
"Understood. I will inform you if we run out of food."
The spaceship, with no destination and no timeline for death, served as the prison until that point. Would it run out of oxygen, collide with an asteroid, or succumb to the gravitational pull of a star? It could be seen as an act of suicide, leaving one’s fate to chance without any guarantees.
However, with a bit of luck (or misfortune), if things continued as they were, it was very likely they would starve to death due to a lack of food. Kite appreciated Emotion's concern about trying to avoid causing him any pain.
"Alright, Emotion. Today, I want to hear some metal music. Something melodic."
"Understood, Master Kite."
Kite turned on the external camera for the first time in a long while, listening to the drum sounds emanating from the speakers, resonating deep within him.
"What is that?"
He was speechless at the sight on the screen.
"Emotion?"
"What?"
"I haven’t received any explanations about the structure shown by the external camera."
Moreover, the ship seemed to be heading towards this structure. It was gigantic. From this distance, it was hard to gauge its full size, but it looked as if it could be the size of a small planet. The lights scattered around it resembled the city lights of Earth at night.
Kite felt a stronger sense of nostalgia than he had anticipated.
"What do you mean? The sensors aren’t showing anything wrong."
"Then this must be a hallucination. My brain has created the illusion of something to return to. There were too many memorable moments, including the nostalgia I felt. In my heart, I heard the sound of electrical circuits moving, which was unusual for her."
Kite had prepared himself to give a strong warning about his emotions.
But.
"I'm surprised. The main camera is indeed showing a huge structure. Is its size deceiving our sensors, or is there something wrong with them?"
Emotion's electronic voice had a confused tone. The creaking sounds from inside her must have been her attempt to process the reality in front of her.
Kite put down the tablet and scratched his head.
"Is it okay if this is the first time a civilian has encountered this? Emotion?"
His hair, which had remained uncut since entering prison, now reached his waist. Unconsciously, he tied it back with his hand and muttered to himself.
"I hope this isn’t like a classic movie where I end up being eaten or encountering strange phenomena."
"You've watched too many classic movies, Master Kite."
Emotion, still processing, responded sluggishly.