DSF@93339b59cfa8c8085cc4fa2733e4783a
I returned to the rest station, lay on the bed, and a question suddenly crossed my mind. I used voice command to contact Mars and asked, "Mars, is it possible for me to request a transfer back to the asteroid belt mining survey mission?"
After a moment, Mars replied, "You can submit a request, but please be aware that there may be a reduction in your salary and subsidies. Additionally, the 3137's engine may need to be replaced with a smaller one."
I responded, "Alright, authorize the request and submit it for my return to the asteroid belt survey mission on the 3137."
Mars confirmed, saying, "Understood, no problem."
I have to admit, I have developed feelings for Ami. I'm not exactly sure when it started, but suddenly the idea of going to the distant Kuiper Belt doesn't appeal to me anymore. I also sent a message to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan, briefly describing my fortunate encounter with Ami. Soon after, Mrs. Bryan replied, "Alcon, we're delighted to hear about your connection with Ami. Deep space exploration is always a lonely journey. Take care of yourselves. If you have the opportunity, let us know when and where we can meet. We would love to meet you and Ami. We are truly happy for you and wish you both the best."
Not long after, Mars responded to me, saying, "The authorization for the asteroid belt survey has been approved by the DSF command center. Considering the current busyness of the Galileo#1 docking station, there is no need to replace the engine of the 3137."
That's fantastic news! It means I can utilize the powerful engine designed for the Kuiper Belt and have more flexibility in navigating between the asteroid belt, Jupiter, and Mars.
The following day, I shared with Ami that all my future missions would be focused on the asteroid belt. I could sense her joy and excitement. In the days that followed, I invited her to my rest station to meet Mars and engage in playing games. She, in turn, invited me to her rest station where she introduced me to Anguirus, her AI assistant. We watched movies, had conversations, listened to music, and shared meals together. We spent a lot of time gazing at space and having deep discussions on the observation deck. We strolled along the street from 1B to 1C, and then to 1A, pausing to explore intriguing shops and indulge in delicious snacks. Eventually, we took the escalator back to 1B. Days like these continued for a while, and we blossomed into a deeply in love couple...
I introduced Ami to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan through a video call. Shortly after, Mrs.Bryan responded with a video, in which she said, "Alcon, we all really like Ami..." Before she could finish, Mr.Bryan interjected, "Do you want to go on a vacation to Europa?" (Note: Europa is one of Jupiter's moons.)
After watching the video message, I looked at Ami, who hesitated for a moment before saying, "Isn't it very expensive?"
I thought about it and told her that I had previously taken on the Koiber belt exploration mission and had a decent income. Plus, I currently had no expenses, so it wasn't a problem for me to cover her costs. Ami thought for a moment and said, "No, I want to pay for myself."
"How about we split the cost of transportation and accommodations, and as for food and entertainment, I'll pay since I would have to pay for myself anyway. So it's just a matter of bringing you along," I suggested.
After thinking about it, Ami nodded and agreed, "Okay."
The journey from Galileo#1 to Europa was swift, spanning only the distance between two of Jupiter's moons. Europa had undergone a remarkable transformation, featuring multiple expansive mega-domes designed for human habitation. Utilizing the available oxygen and water on Europa, as well as advanced controlled fusion technology for energy generation, these biospheres were meticulously crafted to replicate Earth's environment. They served as idyllic vacation destinations, making Europa a prominent tourist attraction in the vicinity of Jupiter.
As we landed at the Europa port and unbuckled our seatbelts, a large prompt appeared on the welcome screen of terminal, saying, "Do not attempt to walk, jumping is the best way to move around." Ami hooked her arm around mine and asked, "Should we bunny hop or zombie jump?" I thought for a moment and remembered that the gravity here was about 1/7th of Earth's, while the moon's gravity was 1/6th. Astronauts on the moon were known to jump like zombies, so I replied, "I think we should zombie jump..." Before I could finish, Ami lifted her hand and began to jump. I couldn't help but burst out laughing and said, "Only zombies on Earth need to raise their hands. I have no idea what raising your hand does here..."
Ami laughed and turned back to jump to my side. I reached out and grabbed her arm, and together we slowly hopped over to catch a ride.
After checking into the hotel, with the help of centrifugal force and the low gravity of Europa, we restored the appropriate vertical centrifugal force. Ami turned to me and playfully said, "Alcon, our generation rarely returns to our home planet. Why do we still yearn for the gravity of our home planet and create artificial gravity everywhere?"
I pondered for a moment and replied, "In a way, we have already adapted to low gravity. As exploration astronauts, we have acclimated to the completely zero-gravity environment of space. Even in an artificial centrifugal environment, we only need about 0.7-0.8 times the gravity of our home planet to move freely. In the future, as more and more people immigrate to interstellar space habitats and adapt to a low-gravity environment, we may eventually reach a point where centrifugal force is no longer necessary, don't you think?"
Ami grinned and replied, "So if many people come to space, they won't need to worry about losing weight anymore, right?"
I chuckled and responded, "Gravity might differ, but mass remains the same, and the amount of propellant consumed remains the same."
"So losing weight won't really save propellant, and it's not environmentally friendly either," Ami remarked.
"But don't you feel a sense of comfort in a place where the centrifugal force mimics the gravity of our home planet?" I smiled, posing a somewhat serious question.
"Yes, that's why I asked if we create gravity because we miss our home planet or for convenience," Ami replied.
This question had a philosophical undertone, and I found myself momentarily stumped for an answer.
"The ultimate convenience might be that in the future, humans in space will resemble fish, gracefully swimming around in zero gravity," Ami added.
I imagined the scene and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Our days on Europa were very relaxed, basically watching movies, listening to music, playing games, viewing the stars and listening to music at the surface observation deck, or riding sightseeing submarines to explore the ocean below the crust. In this world where a thick layer of ice covered the surface and the sun couldn't reach, there was a warm and wonderful underwater ecosystem formed by the slow release of heat from the mantle, combined with tidal forces. Using the infrared night vision devices on the sightseeing submarine, we watched various jellyfish-like creatures swimming in the ocean. The warm underground ocean formed a sharp contrast with the environment on the surface, which was more than one hundred degrees below zero...
I often woke up a little earlier than Ami, and she would stay in bed a while longer, so I started trying to make breakfast before Ami woke up, and then woke her up to eat together. After doing this a few times, there was a cycle where I woke up and found Ami in my shirt, busy in the kitchen with bare legs.
I got up and walked behind her, hugging her. "What are you doing, Ami?"
"Oh... I can't stand your monotonous food anymore, so I'm trying to make something different..." Ami replied as she continued to prepare the food in her hands.
"Huh?" I felt a bit embarrassed.
"Haha, Alcon, you're really a super boring person. You can keep making the same canned food and eat it for a long time... But it's no problem for me, I just want to make something different for you..." Ami laughed in my arms and continued to prepare.
"I'm good at cooking, so just wait for me to make something delicious for you..." Ami added.
The food I usually made came from cans sent from space habitat or supply station, along with protein drinks and algae, which were simply heated up after being opened, always the same. However, that day, Ami made a main dish with an ocean worm from Europa that tasted like Earth fish. The worm was harvested from the ocean floor under Europa's crust and was rich in protein. Ami mixed it with starch and fried it into a pancake shape. She paired it with red wine, and moss and fungi grown from the artificial nuclear fusion sunlight cultivation in the vacation area's biosphere, along with some condiments. She made a different meal for us.
Those days were the most wonderful days I had after my father's death.