Chapter 217 - The Space Between Us [Part 1]
Chapter 217 – The Space Between Us [Part 1]
"Kashi there you are" Touka's voice came behind.
He turned.
"Dr. Touka"
"Come I need your help in refilling the SPS for the bio-genetics"
"Do they still make those?" Kashi said pouting, he always didn't like the idea of going to the room hall ever since what happened with his protective gears ripping, but he should know that shouldn't be a problem anymore because the bio-genetics were no longer toxic but still the uneasy feeling remained.
"Yes of course how else are we supposed to keep them on Sp3… you kno-"
"Yeah… Sp4 is death for them. I will get the equipment" he said walking away.
"What's with him?" Touka said puzzled following behind.
Kenta's door slides open slightly, he steps out, his eyes narrowing. 'This is my chance' He thought, this was an opportunity to get the samples he needed.
***
Level 17: Bio-genetics Level
Room Hall
"Hey Dr. Touka, Dr. Kashi" Yumi said waving, walking past them.
Touka smiled warmly at her.
"Yeah sure… a year ago, this place was off-limits, we're waltzing in now," Kashi said sarcastically.
Touka chuckled at his words.
"Let's just set the SPS Kashi," Touka said in amusement.
"Yes yes," Kashi said rolling the trolley to a room, the door slides open.
Kashi hummed stepping in, but then the sound seized when he saw Kaneki lying on the bed, his back turned.
"Hey bud you okay?" he asked walking to the wall where the pipe for SPS was connected.
"Yeah I'm good" he replied in a faint voice.
Kashi turned to the other empty bed, which belonged to Sand.
"I see," he said.
"You miss your roommate don't you".
Kaneki sat up at his words, he sighed.
"It's just not the same without him".
Kashi sat beside him on the bed.
"I understand how you feel, I lost a friend, during the black Storm, he never made it to base… a close friend of mine from the hospital I once worked at," he said as his eyes grew wistful with memories of the past.
"I'm sorry".
"It's okay," Kashi said placing a hand on his shoulder.
"With enough treatment Sand is gonna recover, he's a fighter," Kashi said forcing a smile.
Kaneki nods smiling.
He had to give Kaneki hope, he knew all too well how critical Sand's condition was, his body was barely responding to treatment but still he had hope that he would get better.
"You shouldn't lock yourself up in your room, you guys are allowed at the civilians level now, just take some time to explore… there is a lot of things that are worth interest" Kashi said with a smile against his lips.
"Yeah, I know… I just have been thinking about a lotta things you know, with the war plan going on" Kaneki said with a shrug, he then sighed.
"At times like this when my head is crowded I usually talk with my big brother, but he's not here anymore so I just have to deal with it"
"Your big brother?"
"Yeah…" he chuckled slightly.
"Not the only child… he was the one with the brains, he worked for JAXA"
Kashi's mouth dropped.
"Your brother worked for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency?" he said amazed.
"Yeah… he was among the field team I think the JAXA Astronaut Corps or something, going to space and all that"
"That's so awesome bud, you have a cool big brother!!!"
***
At the door Mirai listened with a smile against her lips, she was glad Kaneki was finally able to talk to someone, he was distant ever since Sand and she was worried.
She was happy he finally got to talk to someone, she walks away.
***
"I need a favor Kashi" Kaneki began in a serious tone, now was his chance to say what he has been dying to ask.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"My brother was stationed for a launch on black storm day… I don't know if they were launched on space before the explosion happened, I was hoping if you could find out for me".
"After the explosion, all communication was lost and if they got to space they would have sent a distress call when communications were reinstalled, we would have gotten signal by now" Kashi explained.
"Yeah I know," Kaneki said with trembling eyes, when he asked General Anzai it was the exact same reply he got when he checked in for him, he was still hoping that there might have been a chance that his big brother survived the explosion, but he knew there a slim possibility to that because JAXA head office was at the area of the explosion.
"And besides, no one can really stay that long in space it's too risky," Kashi said with sad eyes.
"I'm sorry bud, but there's nothing I can do" he adds rising to his feet, to finish installing the new batch of SPS.
Kashi rolled the trolley to the entrance.
"Cheer up okay?" he said with a smile.
Kaneki just gave a slight nod.
Kashi steps out, the door sliding shut.
'Big brother' he thought with shaky eyes… he had hoped so long that he might have survived the explosion, but he should know better.
He laid back on his bed, facing the ceiling, hands behind his head.
"I hope you and the old man, are in a better place now," he said with wistful eyes before closing them.
*
From the view of earth to the far distance of space, thousands of miles away from the orbiting earth.
Orbital architecture
"For 3 years we haven't heard anything from our head office, the moment we got here," a young woman said as she levitates to some controls against the wall.
Her brown hair packed in a messy bun, she was on a navy blue overall, Japan badge crested at the arm side.
"I have told you countless times Yua, we have been abandoned by our own country," a young man said jokey, he was dressed in the same attire, he had dark hair and brown eyes.
Yua shot him a look.
"We have been over this you two, stop fighting or making jokes" A strong voice came in.
They both turned to a young man with short dark hair and grey eyes.
"Commander!" Yua and Itsuki said in unison.
Kaito sighed.