Tuan swept his gaze across the surroundings. He had not expected the second level of the spacecraft to be so vast and advanced. Everything was run automatically – from irrigation and cultivation to harvesting and livestock management – all under the meticulous supervision of the AI Freya.

  The garden was carefully planned using rotational farming, with each row dedicated to a different crop. Rows of tomatoes, cabbages, potatoes, and more stretched out in neat lines, lush and green beneath the warm glow of the artificial solar lighting system. Surrounding them were clusters of long-lived fruit trees – apples, oranges, mangoes – strategically arranged to optimize space while creating a natural microclimate within the ship.

  To the left of the cultivation area stood the storage facility for harvested produce; to the right lay the automated livestock section for raising animals. Together, they formed a closed-loop ecosystem: surplus crops were recycled into nutritious feed for livestock, while animal waste was processed into organic fertilizer to replenish the soil. Every step proceeded smoothly and precisely under Freya’s silent coordination, without any need for human intervention.

  Watching Tuan dart around excitedly like an overcaffeinated squirrel, Arnaldo burst out laughing and called out loudly so he could hear:

  “Hey, there’s one more room on the third level, Tuan! Go check it out. I guarantee you’ll love it!”

  Hearing that, Tuan hurriedly dropped the chicken he had been holding and dashed straight into the elevator. He pressed the button for level three, his chest pounding with excitement. Seconds later, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the stars rushed in to embrace him, as if welcoming back an old friend long unseen.

  Before him stretched a star-filled sky, radiating countless shimmering lights. The third level was an observatory, encased in a transparent glass dome that opened a panoramic view of the infinite cosmos. At the center stood a large telescope, linked to an automated navigation system for tracking and analyzing the movements of celestial bodies. Beside it was a swivel chair and a touch-control console that allowed adjustments to tracking speed, radiation filters, and image clarity under varying light conditions.

  Along the walls were rows of touchscreens, continuously updating data on objects approaching or moving away from the spacecraft. A spectroscopic analyzer was integrated nearby to decode signals received from distant stars. All equipment was directly connected to the central operating system, allowing Freya to process real-time data with ease and precision.

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  Tuan slowed his steps, standing in awe as he gazed at the myriad of sparkling stars. Then, suddenly, he sensed that something was off. The universe today looked nothing like the one he had seen yesterday. Blue and red streaks stretched across space like spilled ink. Celestial bodies appeared doubled, blurred, and then vanished abruptly in baffling ways. Tuan hurried down to the second level to inform Arnaldo of what he had seen.

  “Oh.” Arnaldo replied calmly, as though it were nothing unusual. “While you were asleep last night, I took the time to review the energy consumption charts and decided to increase Negalis usage by one level. The spacecraft’s space-bending speed is now so high that light from outside can no longer keep up with us.”

  Tuan stared wide-eyed, still trying to process his words, when Arnaldo continued:

  “That means the images you’re seeing will start to become distorted. Objects out there may appear doubled, blurred, or suddenly vanish altogether. It’s because the light reaching your eyes is being delayed and warped as it passes through the curved space surrounding the spacecraft.”

  Seeing that Tuan seemed to understand, Arnaldo shrugged and went on:

  “As for the blue and red streaks, that can be explained by the Doppler effect. Simply put, when the spacecraft moves too fast through space, the light from other objects is affected. Objects moving toward us have their wavelengths compressed, shifting toward shorter blue wavelengths. Objects moving away have their wavelengths stretched, shifting toward longer red wavelengths. In short, it’s harmless – just a purely optical phenomenon.”

  Tuan looked at him with eyes full of admiration.

  “Whoa! You’re amazing! How do you know all this stuff?”

  “Just a few things I picked up from some of old Hawk’s books,” Arnaldo replied casually. “If you put in the effort, you might end up knowing even more than I do.”

  Arnaldo laughed and gave Tuan a pat on the shoulder, his expression utterly nonchalant, as if he had just finished reciting a first-grade multiplication table.

  “But if that’s the case, there’s nothing interesting left to look at outside anymore. Everything’s warped and messy. Guess I’ll go find Vale to hang out with instead.”

  “Since you’re already here, why not do some farming with me?” Arnaldo suggested. “Good exercise, and a great way to kill time.”

  Tuan pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

  “Yeah! That’s a great idea. Farming on a spaceship – sounds kind of fun, actually.”

  With that, Tuan trotted into the washroom to change into a farmer’s outfit. He also grabbed a set of farming tools from storage before getting to work.

  From that day on, the second level of the spacecraft was filled daily with the lively sounds of machinery mingled with the laughter and voices of two men. Hoeing and planting side by side, they worked with such enthusiasm that they lost track of time altogether. Before long, the spacecraft reached the vast expanse of the Oort Cloud, opening the door to a new chapter filled with countless unknowns beyond.