REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 122 - Beyond the Night Sky

Niseko Town, Hokkaido: at the foot of Mount Yōtei

Tomoko and Chie, who were on their graduation trip, were gazing at the world of constellations just like they did on that day five years ago. The sky, filled with shining stars, was already full of them shortly after the sunset disappeared, and their tiredness from skiing all day seemed to disappear. The snowy plain was really quiet, and the stars floating far away in the cool air were gently watching over the people on the ground. It was a very romantic scene, and occasionally filled with sighs of admiration.

But perhaps she was a little naïve. Tomoko thought so faintly. Since many people witnessed the sudden disappearance of the moon and Mars, astronomy has become much more realistic. Almost everyone from the National Astronomical Observatory to amateur astronomers provides observational results that form the basis for Time-Space Cataclysm research, and has built a system to be cautious about the next one. If certain criteria are met, a small amount of cooperation fees can be obtained, and half of the travel expenses can be covered from the savings accumulated little by little. Moreover, Tomoko had accompanied her best friend to the pre-employment satellite photography contest.

"How's it going?"

"Another three minutes or so," Chie replied, staring at her laptop.

The telescope she was operating was aimed at the ski resort of Niseko-Annupuri, where a satellite was supposed to pass by soon. It was a slightly larger observation satellite launched a few months ago by the Orbitalian company, where they both had job offers.

"Thanks for helping out."

"It's nothing. I like doing this kind of stuff too."

"Friends are really important."

"I might become a big sister soon."

Chie smiled and opened her insulated lunchbox, taking a bite of the vegemite onigiri that a local Japanese-Australian high school girl she had become friends with at her lodging had recommended as a soul food. Though the smell was a bit too strong for her, Chie thought it was good that it suited her taste buds, and she looked away slightly while eating.

"Hmm?"

Chie felt a strange sense of discomfort there.

Right in front of her eyes was undoubtedly the screen of her notebook PC. The trajectories of the targets heading from Siberia to Hokkaido, and the current positions of a significantly smaller number of satellite groups than before were plotted on a Mercator map. It was something ordinary and familiar, but it felt like something was coinciding.

"Chie, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm going to start getting ready soon."

With that, she switched her thoughts and looked through her telescope. Just before that, however, Chie had taken a note. She immediately became engrossed in photographing the observation satellites and forgot all about her sense of discomfort, but its true nature would become clear later.

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Rubetsu Village, Etorofu Island: Ten'nei Special Research Zone

"Indeed, the times call for nuclear pulse propulsion. Chemical rockets have hit their limit!"

"It's absolutely wrong that we've only sent humans to the moon six times. We must not repeat such a future!"

The young Taylor, coming from North America, spoke passionately with the heat of a fireball, advocating for his theory.

In the original timeline, the person who made significant contributions to America's nuclear weapons development was just as eccentric in this twisted world of time and space. Fascinated by the nuclear explosion over the Atlantic, he had been invited to the research facility at Princeton, where he had relentlessly amplified his scientific delusions of grandeur. He had already arrived at the idea of nuclear pulse propulsion long before others. Dr. Ulam, the original inventor, had died in a bombing raid on Los Alamos, but the papers and reports he was supposed to write still existed in the Reiwa-era Japan. They may have been mixed up in strange ways.