"Baiklah, mari belanja!"
"Iya!"
"Kenapa kalian berdua ini bisa semangat ya?" Seharusnya kemarin kita baru pulang larut malam, tapi kulit kalian justru kelihatan lebih halus dan cerah dibandingkan biasanya. Apa aku yang jadi mangsa? Mereka menyedot kehidupan atau qualiti-ku atau sesuatu yang tak terlihat? Aku penasaran, tapi tidak ada yang akan menjawab kerja-kerjaanku.
"Hiro-sama?"
"Nggak ada apa-apa. Ayo, ayo!"
Ditarik erat erat oleh Mimi yang berseri mukaa, kupandangi keluar dari bagas, naik ke lift ekspres, berlari-lompat ke 3rd Block — tempat yang sudah sering kufitrak suka cinta akhir-akhir ini.
"Kamu nggak takut, kan, Mimi?"
"Aku tidak takut! Aku punya Hiro-sama dan Elma-san bersamaku. Dan aku punya laser beam ini!"
Mimi menepukkan tangan di pelindung laser di pinggangnya sambil tersenyum ceria. Un. Tapi aku harap dia tak pernah harus memakai-nya untuk keperluan sesungguhnya. Elma harus latih dia juga dalam bela diri lain kali.
"Nah, ada ide tempat yang mau dikunjungi?"
"Enggak deh, ini ide mendadak, jadi belum aku pikirkan. Mimi, mau pergi ke mana tuh? Kamu sebelumnya sudah menelusuri toko-toko di 3rd Block, kan?"
"Aa, iya betul."
Mimi mengeluarkan terminal portabel dan mulai memikirkan tempat mana yang cocok.
"Toko gajet untuk tentara bayaran tuh menarik tuh. Jualan barang-barang yang berguna di dalam dan di luar kapal. Ada toko senjata dan toko import juga."
"Toko gajet tuh oke sih. Tapi toko senjata tuh?"
"Iya. Kita bisa butuh perlindungan kalau keadaan mendadak rumit. Aku fisik lemah dan koordinasi tanganku jelek, jadi inginkan yang cocok untuk diriku."
Aku mengerti. Mimi sudah benar-benar berfikir apa yang ia butuhkan. Aku juga belum yakin diriku di pertempuran, jadi sepertinya toko senjata ini patut dikunjungi.
"Aku pernah ke toko import tuh, cukup seru lihat makanan langka yang susah ditemui di toko kekinian."
"Wah enak tuh. Kalian juga mau ke sana? Aku lebih suka ke toko senjata, akhirnya kita ke sana dulu."
"Toko gajet yang terdekat." "Ayo, kita mulai."
Kami berjalan, dengan Mimi mengecek lokasi toko di peta mini terminalnya.
Perilaku jalan ini di Koloni 3rd Block memang belum terlalu baik, tapi area pinggang dekat lift dan pintu ke 2nd Block serta dekat markas militer relatif aman. Seperti kayanya area tempat Oishii Mart berada berada di antara wilayah aman dan tidak aman. "Kayaknya itu toko tuh."
"Itu tuh satu ya."
Gaya luarnya cukup biasa. Pintu toko dilapisi display jendela dengan manekin pria dan wanita berpakaian mirip g-suit. Tapi, ya, kayaknya bukan g-suit biasa.
"Selamat datang!"
Entar kami masuk, penjual di meja dekat pintu langsung memanggil kami. Penjualnya nenek/mertuaku yang kelihatan tegas dan berotot-otot.
Setelah melihat interior, toko nggak sebesar yang kuduga. Lebih kurang sebesar toko kelontong. Kamera pengawat terpasang di sana-sini untuk mencegah pencurian.
"Kamu bawa istri-istrinya?"
"Itu tidak dilarang?"
"Enggak. Yang kecil lagi... kamu dan yang seangkuh... kelihatan seperti tentara bayaran yang berpengalaman."
"Nyadar?"
"Itu pengalaman, anak muda. Aku punya banyak barang di sini, jadilah telusuri dengan bebas. Panggil saja kalau ingin kujjelaskan fungsinya."
Pak penjual mengusulkan kami pergi dan menatap tablet di atas mejanya. Dia sepertinya bukan penjual ikat khas. Lantas, kuharap ini emang gaya toko di luar Jepang. Semangat ramah biasanya kurang terasa di sini.
"Akhirnya, cukup banyak barang aneh-aneh di sini ya."
Kupegang sebuah kaleng misterius di rak. Harganya 3 Enel. Apa sih ini... Nah, aroma harum segar! Ini pasti buat kubangan kokpit. Pasti akan menghilangkan bau rokok yang menjijikkan! Ini ternyata air freshener ya. Sekarang dilihat, ada pelek rekat di bawahnya. Sepertinya barang-barang seperti ini tak berubah meski di masa depan.
"Hiro-sama, kita beli jaket pilot yang tahan G belum?"
"Oh tidak perlu. Blok kokpit Krishna punya alat yang menyeimbangkan G saat percepatan dan belok mendadak. Itu sebabnya Mimi belum merasakan G yang terlalu kuat di dalamnya."
"Aduh iya... sekarang kujumlahkan, rasanya tidak setimpal yang kuduga."
Mimi sedikit terkejut oleh pengakuanku. Ya, desain jaket ini emang keren, tapi segala peralatan dukungan hidup dan sistem keberlanga di pesawatku semua menggunakan jenama premium, jadi ini nggak perlu. Cukup disayangkan.
"Aku menemukan sesuatu yang bagus."
Elma mengeluarkan bola teknologi tinggi yang tak kujelaskan. Aku emang nggak tahu buat apa itu.
"Benda apaan ini?"
"Ini Bola Gravitasi. Cukup berguna."
Setelah berkata begitu, Elma mengangkat bola itu hingga bahu dan menekan tombolnya. Suara mesin berputar terdengar dari dalamnya.
"Ngomong-ngomong..."
"Begitu ya."
Elma mengeluarkan sesuatu seperti sedotan dari dalam Bola Gravitasi dan memasangnya di mulutnya. Perangkat itu tetap melayang di bahu kirinya meskipun dilepas. Keren tuh, tapi aku masih belum faham.
"Maaf, tapi kujelaskan..."
"Kamu bisa menuang minuman di dalamnya dan minum kapan saja saat dilawan."
"Maksudku, Bola Gravitasimu akan mengikutimu ke mana pun, tak peduli membelok ke mana Elma. O~key?"
"Jadi ini... gelas melayang biasa?"
"Benar. Saat kamu menekan tombol On, ia akan melayang di tempat dan mengikuti benda dengan massa terdekat setelah tiga detik. Aman, anti-tumpah, dan bisa menjaga minumanmu panas atau dingin sesuai pengaturan."
"Aku ragu ini contoh sempurna teknologi canggih yang sia-sia, tapi memang sangat praktis."
Kuambil Bola Gravitasi yang melayang di bahu kanannya dan mencubitnya. Ia agak meluncur tapi akhirnya kembali ke posisinya. Teknologi misterius yang sungguh.
"Tapi mahal, ya?"
"Sekitar lima ratus Enel."
"Anak ini... tidak mahal?"
Aneh. Benar-benar aneh. Ya, lumayan mahal dibanding gelas biasa — kira-kira 50 ribu yen. Tapi, mengingat fitur anti-gravitasi dan penyeimbang posisinya, harga ini sepertinya murah. Dan dengan keuangan kami sekarang, ini sungguh-sangat murah.
"Sepertinya cukup praktis. Mau kita beli?"
"Aku juga mau beli satu."
"Enggak, ini untuk persuply kapal, jadi akau yang beli. Aku mau beli enam."
"Benar-benar?"
Elma tersenyum manis padaku. Kuh... kekuatannya untuk merusak sungguh fantastis karena ia cantik. Aku agak malu dan menghindar. Elma pergi ke meja sambil berjalan ringan dan tertawa pelan-pelan.
Uh…
Di sana ada banyak barang aneh, tapi tak ada yang membuatku pengen. Aku agak penasaran dengan peralatan dapur biasa seperti kompor gas portabel, panci dan penggoreng, tapi kapal sudah punya Chef Tetsujin. Aku nggak mau repot masak lagi. Kami bayar di meja, minta barang dikirim langsung ke kapal, lalu lanjut ke toko berikutnya.
"Ayo, ke toko senjata selanjutnya!"
"Toko senjata tuh? ... Hiro-sama benar-benar semangat sekali ke sana."
"Kamu bukan anak-anak lagi."
Toko senjata cukup dekat dengan toko gajet. Cuma 30 detik jalan kaki.
"Kayak gedung gede banget."
"Toko senjata memang begitu."
Jendela depan dilapisi kaca tebal yang tahan tembak. Pintunya otomatis tebal dan kokoh. Kocak factornya MAX level! Pintu terbuka dengan bunyi pfft berat, ketigakita masuk.
"Seru tuh!"
Di dalam, senjata senjata senjata berserakan di semua rak. Di sampingnya, aksesoris seperti custom part, baterai pengganti, dan kondom-kondom juga dijual. Di belakang, ada kakek tua yang taj berbinar duduk di meja.
"Anak muda, ini toko yang jualan senjata untuk membunuh orang, bukan tempat bawa istri-istrinya main-main."
"Mengerti. Aku janji kami nggak akan merepotkan, jadi silakan saja."
"Hah."
Kakek itu kehilangan minat pada kami dan kembali ke pekerjaannya — membongkatkan senjata di atas meja. Penjual-penjual di sini memang nggak punya semangat dagang sama sekali.
"Nah, kita bicara... kamu ada senjata untuk jarak dekat?"
"Kira-kira ada... aku jarang pakai, biasanya tersimpan di armadi kapal."
"H, ngomong-ngomong... tentara bayaran kita kayaknya jarang bertarung dengan tangan juga."
"Tapi kita harus siap kalau perlu."
Aku mencogungkan senapan laser di dinding dan memeriksa bobotnya. Dari bahan apa ini sih? Kayaknya ringan. Ringan bukan berarti buruk, tapi ini terlalu ringan. Mimi dengan antusias memeriksa pistol-pistol laser. Beberapa model yang diajukkan dan memeriksa bobot serta genggamannya.
"Kamu tidak mau memeriksakan ini?"
"Kuh sudah punya ini."
Kuh menekan jari pada laser yang aku pakai di pinggangku. Ini adalah hadiah dari Turnamen Stella Online Melee. Performanya pasti melebihi yang dijual di toko, dan tampilannya keren, jadi kuhubung sebagai senjata pilihanku.
"Aku belum pernah lihat model ini sebelumnya. Siapa produsennya?"
"Aku tidak terlalu ingat."
Aku sama sekali tidak bisa menjelaskan bagaimana kuhubung ini. Kehilangan ingatan emang nyaman sekali!
"H oh. Bagaimana dengan perawatan senjata?"
"Aku tidak terlalu ingat."
"Aduh… Ayo, minta penjual melihatnya saja."
"Baiklah, kita tunjukkan padanya nanti."
Kami menuju meja. Kami hampir sampai, kakek penjual menatap kami dengan tajam. Itu sebuah tatapan hebat dari kakek!
"Mau belanja apa kau?"
"Dikarenakan suatu keadaan, aku tidak tahu cara merawat senjataku. Bisa dikau lihat, ya, kakek?" Kuhubung laser ke meja beserta kondomnya. Penjual mengabaikanku dan dengan hati-hati mengeluarkan senjata dari kondomnya. Matanya tiba-tiba melebar terkejut.
"Ini... !? Mandas Workshop... !? Dan ini… gunslinger champion limited edition model... !?"
Kakek itu tiba-tiba bangun dengan bunyi gat. Apa kau baik-baik saja kakek? Kamu gemetar dan kelihatan seperti ingin pingsan.
"Anak muda… kamu bisa tembakkan senjatamu?"
"E? Tentu saja bisa."
Aku menggunakannya untuk menyelamatkan Mimi. Elma dan Mimi juga melihatku menariknya.
"Aha... berarti kamu bisa memaknainya... berarti kamu benar-benar pemilik yang terdaftar ya..."
Kakek duduk kembali dan membisu. "Elma, kenapa kakek ini sekelakar dengan senjataku?"
"Aku tidak tahu. Tapi dengar katanya Mandas Workshop adalah studio pembuatan senjata yang terkenal membuat senjata eksklusif super mewah. Senjatamu kah buatan Mandas Workshop?"
"Aku tidak terlalu mengenal detailnya. Setidaknya kuh tahu ini lebih baik dari yang dijual di toko biasa."
"Tentu saja! Kalika ini memang benar senjata limitadang Mandas, mungkin tidak ada senjata yang lebih baik di seluruh galaksi!" Kakek dengan cepat meletakkan senjata kembali di kondomnya dan mengembalikannya padaku.
"Aduh... bagaimana perawatannya?"
"Senjata ini tidak butuh perawatan! Sistem reparasi nanomesin akan aktif otomatis saat rusak! Jangan pernah disentuh dengan sembarangan.
“Now then, let’s go shopping!”
“Yes!”
“How are both of you so energetic?” We should have gone at it until late at night yesterday, but their skin actually looks smoother and more vibrant than usual today. Was I the prey? Did they suck out my life-essence of something? I was really curious about it, but it’s not like anyone will answer my doubts.
“Hiro-sama?”
“Nah, it’s nothing. Shall we go?”
“Yes~!”
While being pulled by the arm by an energetic-looking and smiling Mimi, I went out of the hangar bay and the three of us boarded the express elevator. Gazing at the now-familiar space scenery, we went straight towards the 3rd Block, which we’ve frequently visited as of late.
“You’re not scared, are you Mimi?”
“I’m okay! I have Hiro-sama and Elma-san together with me. And I also have my laser gun here.”
Mimi patted the laser gun she holstered on her hip while smiling brightly. Un. But I hope she never encounters a situation where she has to use it anyway. Let’s have Elma train her in hand-to-hand combat as well next time.
“By the way, do you have any place in mind we could visit?”
“Nope, this was an impromptu suggestion, so I didn’t really plan anything. Do you have anywhere you want to go Mimi? You researched the shops in the 3rd Block before, right?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
Mimi took out her portable terminal and considered which places to check out.
“The gadget shop catered for mercenaries seems interesting. They’re selling some things we could use inside and outside the ship. There’s also the gun shop and the import shop.”
“The gadget shop’s fine. But the gun shop huh?”
“Yes. There’s a chance you’ll get into trouble and find yourself in an emergency if you don’t keep yourself adequately protected. I’m physically weak and I don’t have good motor skills, so I want something that suits me.”
I see. So Mimi’s been properly thinking about what she needs huh. I’m not that confident in a firefight anyway, so it might be good to check that shop out.
“I’ve been to the import shop and it’s quite fun to check out rare foodstuffs that you can’t find in a normal convenience store over there.”
“Hm, sounds great. You guys want to go there as well? I’m more interested in the gun shop so let’s check that place out later.”
“The closest one’s the gadget shop.”
“Let’s head on over then.”
The three of us walked along, with Mimi checking the store’s location on her terminal’s mini-map.
The public order of this colony’s 3rd Block isn’t all that great in general, but the outer areas near the elevator and the gate to the 2nd Block as well as the area near the military base were relatively safe. Oh, it seems the area where Oishii Mart was located was in between the secure and unsecure areas. “It looks like it’s that shop.”
“That one huh.”
The outer appearance of the store was quite normal. The shop-front had some window displays where male and female-shaped mannequins dressed in what looked like g-suits were shown. Well, they certainly didn’t look like your normal g-suits though.
“Welcome!”
As soon as we entered, the shop clerk sitting behind the counter just beside the door called out. The clerk was an intense-looking muscular uncle.
After getting a look at the interior, it seems like it wasn’t all that spacious. It’s about the same size as the convenience store. There were surveillance cameras installed here and there to prevent theft.
“You brought your women?”
“It’s not allowed?”
“Nah. Leaving that little lady aside, you and that other lady seem like you’re seasoned mercenaries.”
“You can tell?”
“It’s experience kid. Experience. Well, we have a lot of goods here, so have a look around. Give me a holler if you need me to explain the use of the products.”
The shop uncle waved us away and dropped his gaze toward the tablet terminal on the counter. He sure doesn’t look like your typical salesman. Oh well. I guess shops outside Japan generally have this kind of vibe to them. The Japanese hospitality spirit is just a tad atypical in comparison, I guess.
“Anyway, there sure is a lot of weird-looking stuff here huh.”
I grabbed a mysterious-looking can from the shelf. It’s price was 3 Enel. Just what… Oh, what a nice, fresh smelling scent! This probably goes inside the cockpit. It’s sure to eliminate that unpleasant cigarette odor! This thing was an air freshener? Now that I got a good look at it, there’s something like adhesive tape stuck to the bottom of the can. So things like this don’t change even in the future huh?
“Hiro-sama, should we buy these pilot suits to cope with the Gs?”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. Krishna’s cockpit block has a device installed which greatly offsets Gs during acceleration and sudden turns. That’s why Mimi hasn’t felt that much Gs while inside it.”
“Ah, you’re right… Now that you mention it, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought.”
Mimi got a little shocked by my reveal. Well, these suit’s designs do indeed look cool, but all the life-support and survivability-enhancing equipment and systems in my ship are the highest quality, so these aren’t needed. It’s a bit unfortunate though.
“I found something good here.”
Elma brought a really high-tech looking sphere thingy. I have absolutely no idea what it’s used for, honestly.
“What the heck is that?”
“It’s a Gravity Sphere. It’s quite useful.”
After claiming that, Elma brought the sphere up to shoulder-level and pressed a button on it. The sound of whirring machinery was heard from inside it.
“Well?”
“That’s about it.”
Elma pulled something like a straw from inside the Gravity Sphere and put it on her mouth. The device kept floating above her left shoulder even after she let it go. That does look kinda neat, but I still don’t get what the thing is used for.
“Sorry, but I don’t get it.”
“You can pour drinks inside it and sip it anytime during combat.”
The Gravity Sphere kept following her around no matter where Elma turned towards. O~kay?
“So, it’s basically a floating tumbler?”
“That’s right. When you press the On button, it would float on the spot and would follow the closest object with mass after a three-second interval. It’s secure, spill-proof and can keep your drinks hot or cold indefinitely depending on the settings.”
“I’m not sure if I should call it a perfect example of pointless advanced technology, but it does sound pretty convenient.”
I reached out for the Gravity Sphere floating around Elma’s right shoulder and gave it a poke. It did sway for a bit, but eventually returned to its previous position. That sure is some mysterious tech…
“But it’s expensive, right?”
“It’s about five hundred Enel.”
“It… actually isn’t?”
Weird. Really weird. Well, it’s way more expensive than your usual tumbler at about 50,000 Yen alright. But, considering the ultra-high-tech feature which allows it to float and automatically hold its place, that price actually seems kinda cheap. And with our financial capability right now, it’s a downright steal.
“Well, it does look convenient. Shall we buy it?”
“I’ll also buy one.”
“Nah, I’ll get them as supplies for the ship, so I’ll get your share as well. I think I’ll buy six of these things.”
“Really?”
Elma smiled sweetly at me. Kuh, her destructive power is off the charts because she’s beautiful to begin with. I somehow felt embarrassed and looked away. Elma walked to the counter with light gait while laughing softly.
Urgh.
There were other mysterious goods in the shop, but I didn’t find anything I particularly wanted. I was a little curious about the ordinary-looking cooking tools such as portable gas stoves, pots and pans, but the ship already has Chef Tetsujin. I don’t want to bother cooking dishes the conventional way anymore. We paid for everything at the counter, asked the shop to send the goods straight to the ship and continued on to the next shop.
“Let’s head for the gun shop next!”
“The gun shop? …You seem really excited about going there, Hiro-sama.”
“It’s not like you’re a kid y’know.”
The gun shop was quite near to the gadget shop. It was just a short 30 second walk on foot.
“It looks quite imposing.”
“It’s a gun shop after all.”
The show window facing the street was lined with reinforced glass panels. The door was a thick and sturdy-looking automatic type. It’s cool-factor was certainly MAX level! The door parted with a heavy-sounding hiss, and the three of us entered inside.
“This is actually pretty exciting!”
Guns, guns and more guns are lined up all over the shelves in the interior of the store. In addition, it seems like accessories like custom parts, replacement energy packs and holsters are also being sold here. When I looked at the back of the store, I saw a sharp-eyed grandpa manning the counter.
“Kid, this is a shop that sells weapons to shoot and kill people with. It’s not a place for taking women on a date.”
“Understood. Well, I promise we won’t be bothersome, so please just let us off.”
“Hmph.”
The grandpa seems to have lost interest in us and brought his attention back to servicing the disassembled gun on top of the counter. This area’s shopkeepers really don’t have the slightest bit of merchant spirit in them don’t they?
“Right, come to think of it, do you have a weapon that can be used for close combat?”
“Yeah, I guess. I don’t really get to use it much so it’s stuck inside the ship armory.”
“Hm. Well, it’s not like mercs like us get into fights in the flesh all that much anyway.”
“But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for the possibility.”
I grabbed the laser rifle displayed on the wall and checked its weight. I wonder what materials this thing is made of. It’s strangely light. Being light’s not a bad thing per se, but I think this rifle’s just too light. Mimi seems to be eagerly inspecting the handguns. She picked up several models and checked out their weight and grip.
“Don’t you want to check those as well?” “I already have this.”
I tapped the laser gun on my waist. It was a prize from a Stella Online Melee Tournament event. Its performance was probably higher than ones sold inside the shop and it looks pretty cool to boot, so I reserved it as my gun of choice.
“I’ve never seen such a gun model before. Who’s the manufacturer?”
“I don’t really remember.”
It’s not really possible for me to explain how I got this thing. Memory loss is such a convenient excuse!
“Hm, I see. But what about gun maintenance?”
“I don’t remember that either.”
“Oh c’mon you… How about we have the shop keeper take a look at it?”
“Okay, let’s show it to him then.”
We headed towards the counter after our discussion. As we approached, the grandpa shopkeeper gave us a sharp glare. That’s one heck of a glare gramps!
“Whaddya want?”
“Due to some complicated circumstances, I don’t really know how to perform maintenance on my gun. Can you take a look at it gramps?” I placed my laser gun on top of the counter along with the holster. The shopkeeper gave me a dull glance and carefully pulled out the gun from the holster. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
“This is– !? Mandas Workshop’s…!? And it’s even a gunslinger champion limited edition model…!?”
Gramps suddenly stood from his seat with a *gata sound. You okay old guy? You’re shaking like crazy and kinda look like you’re about to faint at any moment y’know.
“Kid… No, can you actually fire this gun Sir!?”
“Huh? Well, of course I can fire it.”
I used this thing to rescue Mimi after all. Both Elma and Mimi saw me firing this gun.
“I see… So you can fire it… That means you’re truly its registered owner huh……”
Gramps sat back down on his seat and turned silent.
“Hey Elma, why’s this gramps so surprised about my gun?”
“I’m not sure. But I heard that Mandas Workshop is a famous gun making studio known for producing one-off, super-luxury deluxe weapons. Is that gun made by Mandas Workshop?”
“I’m not familiar with the details. At least I know it’s better than the ones normally sold in shops.”
“Well of course it is! If that’s truly a limited-edition Mandas model, there’s probably no better gun you can find even if you went all over the galaxy!” The shopkeeper hurriedly thrust the gun back on its holster and handed it back to me.
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