▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

THE AEGIS OF the Astral Express was its crew, and the aegis of its crew was the Astral Express. Mainly Levent was the Astral Express' repairman whenever he was able to visit, but despite the Antimatter Legion's presence, the Express wasn't damaged. It was within the jetty pavilion alongside the other vehicles and visitors, safely parked within the steel and jade encrusted walls. While he and the girls provided the necessary assistance to those who sought refuge within the pavilion, he was well-reminded of the days when all he did was act as the Galaxy Rangers' version of a peripatetic factotum. He still was a polymath people sought aid from these days, but now, as an ordained member of the Genius Society, most of his work contributed to their studies rather than his endeavors across the galaxy.

Once upon a time, he met the Express and Himeko by chance━━an eventful encounter that went way back. Long story short, she crash-landed on his kinnari mother's home planet when he was visiting her for brunch after an excursion to Thalassa. He ended up finding her in the Emperor's courtyard and was told that she was traveling on the path of the Aeon Akivili, though with many obstacles ahead of her. A warp jump that the Astral Express performed ultimately failed, and Levent kindly suggested to take a look.

This was when Himeko had just revamped the entire Express from its ancient origins as the vessel of Trailblazing Will. Years later, and she knew it like the back of her hand, as well as had more company that joined her during her journey throughout the cosmos.

On occasion, he would be called in by her to perform a thorough check-up of the entire train. Eventually, he became more than a repairman and in essence, part of the crew. Himeko expected him once a month, and he was one to not always fulfill his friends' wishes but still try. Her wish was for him to have somewhere to stay━━somewhere he could call home.

The Astral Express became that in time. Like Himeko, he knew the Express closely as well, almost like it was another companion on his journey within the path of Akivili.

By this timezone's nightfall, the visitors were able to be rehabilitated and reconvened across the jetty in order to set everything back up. This left Levent, Desideria, and Nee to go back to the Express. He opened the door of the parlor car and allowed them inside before him. He overheard the clamor within, primarily a worried Pom Pom and laughing Himeko. He smiled to himself and followed them inside.

Himeko was speaking to Nee and Daube, Dan Heng was inspecting Desideria for injuries without hesitation, and Welt was stepping down from the stairs to the inn car, adjusting his coat as he too took in the sight of everyone gathered together. Levent locked eyes with him and his grin grew.

"I'm home~" Was the greeting the others received from him. He slid the door shut behind him before Himeko stepped forward to welcome him in, giving him a warm hug before allowing him to go any further. Pom Pom took his hand and dragged him away from the others, forcing him to sit down on the velvet couches as Welt met up with him in the middle.

"Rest! Rest!" The plush conductor chastised him. "We heard all about the battle, you shouldn't overexert yourself just to see us!"

"Now, now, Pom Pom," Welt chuckled from behind them. He fixed his glasses above his nose bridge as he took a look at Levent. "If you really want him to rest, let him breathe."

"It wasn't much of a battle..." The way Pom Pom mentioned the recent events made it all seem dramatic. Levent returned his focus to the man with a fond smile. "And if it truly was a battle, you'd be on the field with me in a heartbeat."

"You know me," Welt replied. He smiled back at Levent. "I'm happy to find you here, Levent."

Levent pulled his rifle strap over his head and placed it next to himself on the velvet couch. "I, you."

"What did the Society ask from you, this time?" Welt asked. Levent gestured for him to take up the free space next to him as they watched the others converse. They were their own small crowd, and Levent smiled at it all. The new one was already adjusted enough, it seemed.

"Herta's working on a new project, and the Society has been hesitant in funding it. However, some members eventually gave her their support," Levent recounted significant events from the meeting. There was a lot of arguing. While some members of the Genius Society were agreeable, some had unreachable, quixotic ideas as well. Wasn't that the point of this game━━reaching the unreachable? "Stephen is one of the main supporters, though Screwllum and Ruan Mei are surprisingly coming around. With Ruan Mei, I might be dragged into the fray."

"Herta may have to bother us all if we ever stop by," Welt chuckled to himself. "Not that we'd mind too much anyway."

"She may be aloof and... pretentious... but her station is a friend to the Express," Levent commented with repressed disdain. Aside from the others, Herta was one of the Society members he agreed with the least. Like most, he wasn't fond of everything and everyone regardless of how he made it seem.

What he was fond of, though, was this train. Adorned in gold and bronze, spanning half of a kilounit, refurbished and cleansed responsibly and lavishly━━now this was something he looked forward to seeing whenever he had the chance. It was Himeko's pride and joy, restored from the depths of the cosmos to continue serving its purpose: traveling the journey and recounting the days of ages past in the name of its godly patron. Not only that, but its roster of incoming passengers was growing quite abundantly.

He recalled the day where he first arrived. It was just Himeko. Welt followed, then Desideria, and then Dan Heng, though Levent didn't get to properly meet the latter until later on because of a Genius Society endeavor. It was nice coming and going, but it was surely something that kept him distant from the goings-on within the Astral Express.

He mentally digressed. His focus was on Nee.

This girl didn't have a human-like constitution. On his way to the center of the meeting place's gallery, he found a circle carved out of a steel door. What remained with it was a blue, ember-like residue, of which faintly gleamed and shined, reminiscent to the hottest flame. This residue had some sort of connection to Nee, its traces being found when Levent was introduced to her. Furthermore, she didn't even look human. At least, to him.

Her skin had the appearance of milky quartz or calcite, cloudy yet almost translucent. There were ridges━━cracks, even━━scattered at random on her complexion that looked to be continuously melded together. Some were new and some were old. She did not redden and a colder hue formed instead. Her dog, nicknamed 'Daube,' had traces of hamingja magic as well.

Was she a Blue Flame? This was one of the most rare encounters he'd ever had. His passion was intergalactic connections, the study of sociologies and the paths between people's lives driven by ways of life. Blue Flames were people he had never shook hands with before.

"Levent?" A voice interrupted his speculations.

"...Welt?" The bespectacled man looked at him strangely.

"I was telling you about the tests and observations we had executed," Welt explained. "Are you okay?"

Levent cleared his throat and relocated his focus. "I'm fine. Sorry. I just took interest in our new visitors."

"You question everything, don't you?" Welt sighed. "Try not to be too openly nosy this time. When Dan Heng arrived, you made him uneasy with the things you inferred about him. Nee is understanding, but she is still someone who could be upset."

"Right..." Levent muttered. Even at this age, he needed to hold back. "The tests. What did the readings say about the Antimatter Legion arriving here? We had the barriers."

The Antimatter Legion was an army led by the Aeon of Destruction. Mindless, cruel, in want of control. The Legion wasn't even human, nor were they individuals you could befriend. They had been plaguing every place of hospice of interastral maps for ages by now, and they had grown more active after recent events had transpired. Problem was that they weren't the most strategic, so what made them arrive during a full-on Society gathering? Welt knew so much, but even so, not everything could be so easily explained.

"An anomaly was detected in a nearby star system. In essence, they were in the neighborhood and decided to make another stop before dissipating into the next abyss," Welt illustrated their results. "Dan Heng was able to obtain certain pieces of logs of the star system's current state while Himeko and I ran analyses. Said star system had already been obliterated ages ago, yet a new society had been built from the ground up with survivors."

Levent nodded. "With that in mind, it may be best to take a look into that municipality's current state and see if there are any remnants of the Antimatter Legion there. Though, I can't help but think..."

"The people here on this jetty are safe. They will all be departing anyway, as this is no location of residence, isn't it? Rescue starships and private starships have already arrived," Welt commented. "You've nothing to worry about."

"...Another trailblaze mission it is then. My loyalties with the Society and the Nameless have been fluctuating."

"You don't have to join us."

"I'd like to," Levent grinned, his voice soon directing towards the others, "but let's focus on dinner first. We need to rest up too, don't we?"

"That visit was nothing, you did all the work," a cross-armed Desideria cut through.

"I'm still not hearing a 'thank you,' Miss Alcazar."

She gave nothing to his teasing. He watched the young woman scoff and walk towards the end of the parlor car. She headed for the door by the record player, an entrance to the dormitories, and disappeared. That left the rest of them to chat.

Himeko looked to Pom Pom, and then spoke up. "What's on the menu?"

Levent knocked twice on Desideria's door before finally being allowed inside.

Her room's walls were painted a dark shade, and the organized masses of shapely technology and illuminated equipment beside selected furniture was its own fancy show. She sat near her workbench, recalibrating the module for her baton that she had been fixated on for ages now━━transformative weaponry. He couldn't recall the exact name, but its properties were within the nickname he provided. It was made of solidified light and electrical charge. She wanted to perfect it. The merits and creativity attributed to technological development, in a way, was her version of a comforting hobby━━a reminder of who she once was and once could be if not for joining the Express.

As projections of blueprints and schematics rose from the illuminated workbench, she spoke to him without giving him any eye contact. "What do you need?" She said, though it sounded like she would not provide.

"An answer to why you're so grumpy this evening," Levent replied. He leaned back on the door with crossed arms.

"Can it wait?"

"You missed dinner, my dear."

"You missed your 'return date' for the past four months," she retorted. She paused before adding on. "You frustrate me."

That was her way of saying she missed him. That was also her way of saying that she was disappointed in not only the lack of communications, but also the lack of fulfilling forgotten favors.

"I..." For once, he struggled with words. "Damnit, I promised you a means of sending a message to Porāsy, didn't I?"

"Wow. It's astonishing how you remember," she replied bitterly. She sounded more gloomy than angry, really. She was homesick.

"The job I have is a bit... you know. I can barely make it here. Himeko knows that. Welt knows that. You know that, too."

"You could've at least let me know instead of expecting me to be happy with your absence." She stopped meddling with her baton. "I haven't been able to send a message home ever since... never mind. When you offered to help me send one the next time you'd be back, I was ecstatic."

Levent walked closer, eyes drawn to the schematics of her new ideas. She'd been busy considering the length of time he was gone, doing his own work and shutting down other bounties. He sighed to himself. She just wanted to send a message home. She couldn't go back, so that was all she had. She longed for what remained of her former self dearly, and despite finding respite on the Express, it was hard not to have emotions tied to an origin.

It was like that for him in some galaxies, considering that he never had a particular ancestral home in the first place. You could feel homesick in spite of all the adventures you'd embark on, and she likely missed something he couldn't understand.

"Let's send one now."

"What?"

"You heard me," he reiterated. He wasn't one for apologizing, but his actions were what led his usual futures. The sudden hope in her voice caught him off guard. He cleared his throat. "I'll open up a secure channel in the control room and pinpoint interastral lines that can lead to the Guadelupe star system. You do the rest to contact who you need to on Porāsy. It might take a while, but..."

"Thank you." Her voice interrupted his indistinct apology. She seemed embarrassed at how quickly she interrupted him. The mere mention of her home planet always garnered her attention. Her chair swiveled towards him, and though her expression remained sibylline, there was a trace of sincerity lingering from the single glance she granted. His confusion forced a small explanation out of her. "I just wanted to be angry. I've been angry. You haven't been back in so long and so much has changed. We've even got a new passenger."

Levent's features began to soften, though he didn't want to appear as such at all. "You have the right to be frustrated. The Genius Society has practically consumed me."

She huffed. "It's a shame. It all seems like a waste of time, in my opinion. But I know nothing about what the Erudition Aeon's glance means."

"There's more to it than that... but I digress. About the new passenger━━what troubles ya?"

"I don't know exactly. We just have to make this place feel more like home," Desideria replied. "I think it's all we have. I've speculated that the girl doesn't exactly have a place she could call her own either, so I just wish this could be the perfect home. Like you helped make for me, or whatever..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm? I didn't catch that last part."

"Shut up." This elicited a sharp exhale from her, a sound that held back a laugh. "Just because you're reaching five-hundred doesn't mean your senses are dulling."

He smiled in spite of it not being reciprocated. "Snappy. Let's head to the control room. I'm sure the others won't mind you being busy once more."

She looked at him and at the door, hesitating, but she eventually gave in. Rising from her seat, she walked past him, shaking her head to herself and avoiding his gaze. Though she didn't act as bothered, she still shrugged away his attempt at placing a hand on her shoulder.

Given that it had been months... he accepted his fate. She didn't easily forgive even if it seemed as such. Despite Levent being forgiven, he had to earn his keep in her heart—as always, like with everyone else. He followed her to the door as it slid open.

Dan Heng was on the other side, his knuckles raised mid-knock. He and Desideria exchanged surprised glances before he shook is head. Levent only watched, amused. Dan Heng was one of the quieter members of the Express, that is not to say that Levent knew him well too. He was the guard, so silence and vigilance were expected of him. Behind his stony nature was sincerity.

"I, uhm..." Dan Heng began, rather nervously and a bit flushed for someone as inscrutable as him. He looked beyond her to meet with Levent's curious gaze. "Himeko's asking you to check the navigation channel's signal. But if you're busy..."

Levent looked to Desideria. "I'll attend to it in a bit. We've got something to do."

He could tell that she almost lit up to this, and that reaction satisfied him. At least she was happy, though she didn't show it so blatantly.

"Do you mind?" Desideria added on, and her voice was rather sweet with him. Usually, all she did was tease him and receive quick remarks back.

"Not at all," Dan Heng replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he composed himself. "I doubt she'd mind either."

"Good," she said. After a moment, she quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and pecked him on the cheek.

She then ran off into the hallway, leaving Levent and Dan Heng to converse. Dan Heng grew embarrassed again, placing his hand where the lipstick stain was on his skin. His eyes were wide, and after looking up at Levent, he could see that the man was stifling a laugh as he covered his mouth with mock grace.

"I thought you two were still working things out. I'm so used to you arguing," Levent eventually commented. Dan Heng quickly looked away,

"We... reconciled. And it got better." The young man massaged his nose bridge, his bangs brushing against his glove knuckles. "It's a long story."

"It really has been a while since I've been back on the Express, I suppose."

Dan Heng nodded. "It's... it's good to see you again, Mr. Chaichana," he said. Regardless of his usual reservations, he was willing to exchange pleasantries with those he respected highly. It was nice to see that he was making friends with some of the other crew members. "I hope you enjoy your stay once more."

Levent smiled, though this was again not reciprocated. Dan Heng wasn't one to smile, he noticed over time. "Thank you, Dan Heng. I really do appreciate your cordiality."

The observation car was mostly empty, as most of the Astral Express was laden with glass—you could see the stars from anywhere, even the powder room—yet a pair of familiar figures made their presence known beside telescopes and holographic canvases.

The observation car wasn't just for 'observation'—it was meant to record findings, report anomalies, and capture a better view of the endless void surrounding this train. It neighbored the navigation room and the laboratory, and after recalibrating the software terminals in the navigation room, Levent strolled into this car curiously, finding Nee pointing towards the geometric glass and outside the window as Welt sat close by, near the telescope and by the counter.

"That one is the Viatrix constellation, isn't it?"

"Correct, Nee."

"The third star somehow intertwines with the Viator constellation's sixth, right? They overhang the Stella Fortuna planets... Oh, it's gorgeous, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is, Nee. Your enthusiasm for astronomy seems infectious," Welt's voice replied to every excited comment the young girl made. Something in the air let him sense Levent's quiet, watching presence, and he turned his head. "Looks like we have a visitor."

Levent was found leaning against the doorway. Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled. "Evening. At least I think it's evening."

"Hello, Mr. Chaichana," Nee replied. Welt gestured for him to join them. The views from the Astral Express were always spectacular, no matter what was beyond the glass. "Is Desideria okay?"

Levent nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "We... we talked."

A knowing expression fixed on Welt's face. "Talking to Desideria guarantees her having you, in particular, cornered in some way."

"I'm doing my best. However, we're ignoring what's more important—what are you two doing here, exactly?"

    Welt and Nee exchanged glances, then looked at him. "Is it not beautiful outside tonight?" Nee prompted. "The blue is in the distance and the satellites are lacking."

Levent's eyes trailed to the outside she spoke of, the void scattered with stars and tiny specks of residents' heavens. "I guess it is... though I can't help but note that it always looks like this, one way or another."

"The Kong and Ying star systems are visible. That's one difference, I think," Nee replied, and though there was no malice in her voice, she begged to differ.

    "You recognize them?"

    "You're not the only one with a passion for a few things on this train, Levent," Welt chuckled. "Nee knows more than I do, if anything. I'd figure that you'd expect something so simple."

    "I saw you—staring at me so intently just earlier," Nee commented. So she noticed. "Considering your standing as a genius, I figured you actually knew who—or what—I am."

    Levent, sheepishly, shook his head to himself as he stepped closer. "How many lives have you lived, Miss Nee?"

    The girl thought to herself for a moment. "Twenty-seven, I believe?"

    "Ah."

    "You know who the Blue Flames are?"

    "A bit," Levent said. "I... I'm familiar with the intergalactic-persons-field, diplomatic sciences and whatnot. Its only fair that I know those who reside across the stars."

Welt asked, "Well, what do you know? The Express' data bank lacks."

Look at him, being tested in front of two other smarties. He smiled to himself as he collected his thoughts. "The Blue Flames are energy lifeforms with origins directly linked to the Aeon of Remembrance," he recalled his studies. "They inhabit crystalline constructs, humanlike yet also an imitation of their patron god. While they reincarnate continuously throughout the galaxy, the memories of their physical forms remain separate from their actual fons et origo—I'm guessing you only retain morsels of information from your previous life, enough to survive, is that right?"

Nee's sapphirical eyes fixed on him with skepticism. Her head tilted to the side, curious like a puppy (an action she may have picked up from her own canine companion, no less).

    "In a way... Yes, because I do not fully remember every little detail of my lives," Nee replied vaguely, satisfied, "though some of what you're mentioning sound like educated inferences. I'm surprised there's any information about Blue Flames still circulating."

Fons et origo was the catch, the right term. The Blue Flame was separate from its vessel—Nee was merely the vessel, a child, and the flame within her heart held a far grander existence. Well, that was what sparse knowledge Levent had told him anyways. Her skepticism made sense, as he knew that the Blue Flames were on the brink of extinction. Forgive his quiet excitement, but he did mention that he had never met one in person.

He sympathized, though dared not to mention her lonely existence—he had already pried enough, he realized. He knew what it was like to be so distant from home, but it was likely Nee didn't remember her home as intimately as her first incarnation did, right?

"The information that circulates isn't much," Levent replied, "but I digress. The most important thing is that you feel welcome on the Express. Sure, maybe you're a Blue Flame, but we're all strange creatures."

"...Are you all not human, or similar?" Nee asked.

"Himeko is human, and Desideria is about as human as you can get with a few cybernetic enhancements," Welt explained. "Levent's mother was a kinnari and his father was a Xianzhou native, one from the Xuling. Dan Heng is also from the Xianzhou, though he prefers to keep the details quiet. Pom Pom has existed since the Express' beginnings."

"And Welt's... I don't even know how to explain it, really," Levent admitted.

"You wield black holes, Welt," Nee observed.

"I do," Welt replied.

"Are you human?"

What a query to suggest.

"Still am," Welt chuckled. "Even humans can hold the weight of stars in their bodies—maybe not as easily as you as a Blue Flame, but we're capable."

Nee's sapphirical eyes seemed to sparkle as they widened, Levent could see. "Fascinating. The characters aboard the Astral Express are all very kind and capable people. I've always lived as a human, but sometimes I forget our constitutions and abilities differ."

Nee paused, looking between Welt and Levent, and then prompted another question.

"How exactly did you all end up on the Astral Express?"

Welt and Levent exchanged humored glances. This transaction of expositions and questions would last through the night. (Would the arrivals of new passengers and departures of old ones even end? If they had to describe every single story, they would have dry throats and foggy heads as they would keep on for eons.)

unedited / feb 1 2024