Arriving at the Master Control Zone, Himeko immediately spotted Asta near one of the control consoles. Without a moment's pause, she approached, her voice laced with concern.
"Asta, what happened?"
Asta looked flustered, her usual composure dimmed by the flickering red lights of the room. "I don't know," she admitted. "The defense systems failed all at once, and our communication network went down right after."
As the two discussed the situation, Dan Heng and March moved to assist the injured, and I quietly joined them. Kneeling beside one of the researchers, I carefully wrapped a bandage around his arm, the faint scent of antiseptic lingering on my gloves.
While treating those who were injured with practiced precision, I found my thoughts wandering back towards the journey coming here.
Throughout the whole journey of coming to the Master Control Zone to find Asta was filled with fights with the Antimatter Legion spawns, and how I was mostly doing nothing at the back and how the crew didn't seem to mind.
Did I really have no combat experience, was this my normal behavior?
When the last of the wounded were treated, the crew slowly gathered around Asta once more. She stood near the main console, its surface littered with flickering holographic readouts and half-functioning displays. The glow cast uneven shadows across her face, but even beneath the dim light, I could see the exhaustion behind her eyes.
"This isn't the best way to welcome the Astral Express," she said, trying to sound calm, though her voice wavered slightly. "But… I really need your help. Especially while Miss Herta is away."
Her gaze swept across us—lingering on Himeko for a brief second, then passing to Dan Heng, March, and finally, me. I could feel the faint hum of damaged machinery echoing through the floor beneath my boots, a quiet reminder that the entire station was still under siege.
Himeko nodded without hesitation, her expression steady, while March's face lit up with her usual enthusiasm, though her voice carried an undertone of worry. Dan Heng remained silent, arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever.
"Don't worry, Asta! We'll handle it," March said, placing her hands on her hips with that usual spark in her eyes. "Leave it to the Astral Express crew!"
"Asta, helping others is part of what makes the trailblazing spirit, it is the creed of the nameless, it is our creed." Himeko explained smiling softly trying to calm Asta.
I only smiled and said nothing. I simply stood beside them, watching the faint light ripple over Asta's trembling hands as she steadied herself.
Asta exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing as her worried expression softened into a grateful smile.
"Thank you, everyone," she said sincerely, her voice carrying both relief and fatigue. "With the Astral Express here, I feel like things might finally be under control again."
Himeko smiled gently, resting a reassuring hand on Asta's shoulder. "We're all in this together. Let's start by stabilizing the situation."
March gave a confident thumbs-up. "Leave it to us! The Express crew's pretty good at cleaning up cosmic messes."
Seeing Asta's worried expression, something deep inside me stirred.Memories, experiences began flooding in all at once. Emotions I had never felt before pressed against my chest: exhaustion, relief, quiet determination. They weren't mine, yet they felt so familiar it left me dizzy.
Before I even realized it, my feet had carried me forward. I stopped in front of Asta and gently placed a hand on her head, softly patting her hair as if the gesture came naturally to me.
Asta stiffened for an instant, caught off guard by the gesture, but didn't pull away and as my hand lingered, the tension drained from her shoulders. For a moment, she simply blinked up at me, then gave a small, hesitant smile almost as if she was recalling something distant.
When I finally pulled my hand back, I could feel the faint echo of those foreign memories lingering in my mind. Why now? Why not earlier when we were fighting, when I could've used the experience of the person this lore once belonged to?
I wanted to sort through it, to understand what was real and what was written. But time wasn't on my side.
Asta quickly straightened her posture, regaining her composure. "Right," she began, turning serious once more. "There are still researchers and staff scattered throughout the station. Some failed to make it to the Master Control Zone. We also lost contact with Aslan's team during their evacuation. I need you to find them."
Himeko gave a firm nod. "We'll help however we can. I'll stay here with Asta and assist with coordination. March, Dan Heng you two handle the rescue."
"I'll come along," I said quietly. "Some of the staff might be injured. You'll need a doctor."
March smiled with clear relief. "That would really help, Elena."
They didn't question it, and I didn't explain further. After all, I already knew what came next. Somewhere along the way, we'd meet them the main character of this world.
"March, you'll be needing this." Asta handed her a card, the familiar glint of data shining across its surface. "It should open any locked access doors along the path."
"Got it!" March said brightly, securing it to her belt.
Dan Heng stepped forward, calm as ever. "Let's get going."
The three of us turned toward the corridor, the soft hum of the station's alarms following us as we began our search.