Chapter 2: At the Border Between Luxury Spa and Space War
Chapter 2: At the Border Between Luxury Spa and Space War (Revised Edition)
Their next destination was the Zero-Gravity Bubble Spa: Nova Spring.
It floated inside an orbital satellite—a completely weightless luxury resort.
There, the body needed no support at all; music, aroma, temperature, and magnetic fields worked in perfect harmony to soothe both brain and body.
A full-day stay cost 1.28 million yen per person, with an average 24-month waiting list.
But as usual, the “Tosgorn Enma Plan” granted the platinum-class Jones family instant VIP access.
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Inside the spa, white bubbles drifted lazily as the six family members floated in mid-air.
“So this is… an aerial spa…!”
“Whoa! I’m floating! Nero’s floating!!”
“Stop shooting bubbles! That’s a foaming massage gun, not a toy!”
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At first, Noah looked uneasy—but the moment a bubble wrapped around him…
“…So comfy… I live here now…”
He entered full sleep mode, hugging a foam cocoon and spinning slowly in zero-G.
“Noah’s rotating in his sleep… He got used to this too fast,”
murmured Mireille, calmly taking notes.
“Pressure, temperature, acoustics—all optimal… If I could use this as a lab, I’d come every week…”
“Oliver, don’t read research papers in the spa,”
Rafaella warned.
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Oliver was completely absorbed in the relaxation-mode console.
“Rafaella, which one do you want—‘Direct Brainwave Sleep’ or ‘Consciousness-Reduction Meditation Mode’?”
“The latter. Reality-escape mode, please.”
“You’ve been holding in a lot, huh…”
“You’ve been talking in your sleep again—something about ‘Objection overruled.’”
“Wait… I was working in my dreams!?”
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Then it happened.
Across the spa’s outer wall, a flashing message appeared:
[WARNING]
Simulated combat zone approaching nearby orbit. Collision probability 0.001%. Maintain alert level.
“A training drill? Don’t scare me like that…”
But a chill ran down Oliver’s spine.
(Hold on… this sector’s right next to the mock-battle area, isn’t it—)
A bubble wall popped with a soft plink.
From the white mist emerged—
a squad of armed alien-type AIs!
“Target confirmed! Enma Jones and family—capture protocol initiated!”
“Whaaat!? Wait, this is vacation! S-P-A!! SPA time!!”
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Chaos filled the zero-G spa.
Mireille: “Are those real? Not a simulation effect!?”
Noah: “…zzz… (still asleep in a bubble)”
“Noah! Now is not nap time—”
A sharp shoom! tore through the foam, revealing—
Viena Chronica, a silver-haired tactical AI from the D.A.Z. organization.
“Apologies. A training unit accidentally breached spa airspace. Terminating exercise now.”
She gave a command; the entire squad withdrew instantly.
“As compensation, D.A.Z. will grant ten years of complimentary stay at this facility.”
“…Seriously!? Well… uh… in that case, apology accepted…”
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After the commotion,
Yulius and Nero played joyfully amid the floating foam,
while Noah sighed,
“I was so close… to reaching the edge of my dream world…”
Mireille, reviewing her logs, muttered with a straight face,
“These bubbles show excellent stress-relief efficiency. I’ll compile a report.”
“Please don’t! It’s a spa, not a lab!”
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Finally, Oliver sat at the edge of a drifting bubble and sighed deeply.
(Why are vacations always this exhausting…)
Behind him, Noah spun lazily and murmured,
“…Still, I think I had… a really good dream…”
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Next Plan:
“Gravity Safari Park — Experience the Wild Through Weight.”
“…Smells like trouble already,” Oliver muttered,
as a safari-guide drone floated into view beyond the bubbles.
(To be continued → Chapter 3 ‘Gravity Safari and the Flying Buggy’)
