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Chapter Text

The Vision

He sees an older middle-aged man who he doesn't recognize but seems oddly comforting. He looks around and tries to see the name of the spaceship that is written on the wall.

¨Pony Express? ¨, he had never heard that name before, but he didn't think much of it at first. He walked the long corridors of the spaceship only to find a strange young woman in the medical bay, Daisuke tried to ask her what was going on, but the woman didn't answer. Instead, Daisuke looked over her shoulder and saw what looked like a badly wrapped sausage. After a few moments, the sausage started to make noises, Daisuke slapped himself mentally and thought how he could've mistaken an injured person for a sausage. But wait, how did the injured person end up like this.

¨Captain... please I beg you, you have to take your medication¨, said the young woman who looked to be on the verge of tears.

Suddenly, an alarm started going off and Daisuke awoke from his slumber in a cold sweat. ¨What the hell was that about? ¨, eager to find answers he opened his laptop and typed the name Pony Express in his search bar. Countless of articles flooded his screen, the name Pony Express was in every single one of them. After scrolling for a while something caught his eye, it was an article stating that Pony Express was making plans for another shipment and that the company was looking for interns to take on this trip.

Daisuke searched more and found out that the same company was a shipment company that specializes in space deliveries. He decided to investigate some more but at that moment, his mother called him for breakfast. At the table, his mother asked him for the 1000th time when he was planning on going to college and move out. Daisuke annoyed told her that he didn't know what he wanted to major in and asked her to give him some more time to decide. His mother told him that if he didn't get into a good college in the next three months, that she would take matters into her own hands.

Daisuke already annoyed by her decided to go out and have fun with his friends. At night he thought about Pony Express and his dream, why on earth would he ever go and do space deliveries. Nevertheless, he decided to rest easy and not worry about it. He realised that he was back, back in the spaceship, back in the odd dream that he had.

This time he decided to talk to the people he was in his previous dream, motivated to get some answers as to why he was there.

¨ Heyyyy crewmate, uh whatcha doing? ¨, he asked to the young woman he saw before.

¨ Oh, hey Daisuke. I was on my way to talk to Swansea, he ought to know how much inventory we have left before we run out. ¨, said the young woman.

Daisuke noticed that she looked pale, almost dead, he looked confused and looked around. They found themselves in a big room with an orange screen depicting a sunset. ¨Strange ¨, he thought.

¨Daisuke¨, said the young woman.

¨Do you mind asking Jimmy how much medication we have left, I'm starting to think that the captain won't hold on for much longer. ¨, she said timidly, the last part almost sounded like a whisper.

¨Oh um sure, but like could you tell me which one is Jimmy again haha ¨, the woman looked confused.

¨Jimmy... the new captain¨

¨Oh right Big Jim hahaha¨, the woman looked confused but let him go.

Daisuke felt that it was almost time to wake up but decided to take one last look around the rusty spaceship. He managed to find the middle-aged man he saw in his last dream; he didn't look like a captain so he concluded that that man might be the one the young woman referred to as Swansea. Confident as ever he called out for him,

¨Heyyyy Swansea, what's going on with you? ¨

The man had a disgusted look on his face,

¨ Whaddaya want boy, can't ya see I'm busy. I gotta get this shit to the Utility Room and you're just standing there like an idiot ¨.

Damn someone woke up on the wrong side of bed, all of a sudden Swansea bumped into him and Daisuke woke up.

This time he got more information than expected, he took out an old notebook and started writing down what he has learned in these past two dreams. A week later, he continued to have more dreams of himself in this weird spaceship. After some quick online searching he found out the ships called the Tulpar, a long-haul space freighter.

He knew that at some point he was going to board this Tulpar ship and during the trip something bad will happen and that everyone is desperate to get home because food is scarce, and that the captain is incapacitated and ends up looking like a sausage.

¨Hmmm looks like the situation is kinda bad.... I wonder how we are gonna end up like that ¨, at that moment his mother barges into his room and tells him that she has news for him.

¨Mom can't this wait I'm in the middle of something important and-¨

¨Daisuke I love you but you haven't even started looking for colleges, if you're not going to study you might as well start looking for a job, which is why I signed you up for an offer you can't refuse¨

His mom pulled out a poster and a business card and Daisukes eyes widened. It was a poster for the company Pony Express, he read the name on the back of the business card

¨Captain Grant Curly? ¨, he said.

¨Oh yes! I have actually met him a couple of times before, didn't I tell you he was once my student at the university I work for. Such a charming young man and look at him now, he became a captain for Pony Express. I told him about you, and he was kind enough to agree to interview you¨

Daisuke stared at his mother in disbelief, ¨Mom you can't be serious, I can't take this job I don't want to go to space?!¨.

¨Sorry honey, but I gave a choice and since you didn't deliver, you're going to have to start working whether you like it or not ¨, his mother said in a stern but calm voice.

Daisuke protested but his mom didn't budge. ¨You´re going to this interview and that's final, don't you dare embarrass me Daisuke¨.

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2 days passed and he found himself outside of Grant Curlys office, the whole place looked sketchy as hell but what worried him was the fact that he might get hired and send to space. He knocked on the door and a voice on the other side answered.

¨Come in! ¨

Inside he saw a blond curly haired man sitting by a desk, he had broad shoulders and an athletic build, hell he looked like a model. His blue eyes shined as he looked up and Daisuke was speechless.

¨You must be Daisuke, welcome I was expecting a much older guy, but your mother never told me your age haha, how old are you kid? ¨ Curly said smiling extending a hand to Daisuke.

¨I'm 19 Mr. Grant ¨, Daisuke said almost in a whisper shaking his hand, he had never seen such an ethereal person before.

¨Well why don't we start the interview Daisuke and please feel free to call me Curly? ¨

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¨Alright Daisuke, I'll be honest with you. You have no experience whatsoever regarding mechanics or engineering, you only have a high school diploma, you havent gone to college and yet you want to apply for this job....¨.

Daisuke was too embarrassed to look up at him. Damn, he should at least have some talents instead he is here being read like a book by some man who has 10 times more experience than him in life itself.

¨But we all start from somewhere and Pony Express needs more interns so how about it Daisuke, you're hired. ¨

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-2 months later-

¨Well honey here we are ¨, Daisuke´s mom looked up to the big spaceship in front of her.

Daisuke felt his stomach twist at the sight of the Tulpar, ever since his interview with Curly he had had more graphic and violent nightmares about the future of the Tulpar. He saw what the so-called co-pilot Jimmy had done to the young woman who he learned her name was Anya after doing some research, how he crashed the ship and how he incapacitated Captain Curly. He also saw the way they perished during his last dream, but he was more than determined to stop Jimmy and save everyone.

He was going to take responsibility.

Chapter Text

Day 1, six months before the crash.

Daisuke was overwhelmed by the structure of the Tulpar—it looked eerily similar to the one he had seen in his dreams. He wandered through the ship, trying to find the lounge, but instead ended up in the Medbay. He peeked inside and saw how clean and organized it was—way better than what he remembered from his nightmares. A memory flooded his mind, and he recalled the way the captain had laid there: degloved, helpless, emotionless...

Enough of that, he thought. He came aboard to stop the tragedy from happening. There was no use lingering on those nightmares. He turned to walk out but paused to look for the emergency kit. Just in case—he needed to be prepared for the worst.

As he stepped out of the Medbay, the soft clunk of boots echoed down the hallway. A middle-aged man carrying a box of tools approached him. His eyes seemed dead, but they shined faintly in the dim corridor lights. Daisuke instantly recognized him—Swansea. The mechanic. His future mentor.

“Lost already, rookie?” he asked. “Don’t get in my way. New meat always gets under my skin.”

“Sorry, sir. I was just looking for the captain,” Daisuke mumbled, feeling surprised. The last time he saw Swansea in a dream; the man had a hole in his head—and one in his eye.

“Don’t ‘sir’ me. We’re not in the military. Name’s Swansea. You got a name?”

“My name is Daisuke.”

Swansea grunted and dropped the box onto the ground. “Well, Daisuke, welcome aboard. Hope ya like weird smells and existential dread.”

“By the way, the captains in the cockpit, talking to the co-pilot. You’ll find him there. And as my new intern, I expect you in Utility tomorrow. We’ll talk about what you’ll be doing on board.”

Daisuke watched as he disappeared into the shadows. Co-pilot, huh? That had to be Jimmy. He hadn’t seen Anya yet, but he could worry about that later. He made his way to the cockpit and spotted Curly standing outside, talking to a tall, lanky man with tired eyes.

God, it was Jimmy.

Daisuke hid behind the corner. Even from there, he could feel the tension. Jimmy looked... normal. Totally not psychopathic. But still—he looked like someone who could kill without a second thought. Why would the captain choose him to be co-pilot?

Whatever. I just need to ask where the sleeping quarters are and not make eye contact with Jimmy, he thought as he walked up to them. Jimmy turned and looked at him. Then he smiled—not warmly, not crazily. Just an almost imperceptible smile.

“There you are, Daisuke,” Curly said, smiling in a way that reached his eyes. “Glad to see you. So—what do you think of the Tulpar?”

“It’s a big ship, Cap. I almost got lost trying to find you,” he replied. He glanced at Jimmy, who was still watching him. Jimmy looked even dirtier in person—like the kind of guy who didn’t believe in showers.

Curly chuckled and gave him a pat on the back.
“Good thing you found us before liftoff. Jimmy just finished checking the engines. We’ve got a little over a year’s travel ahead.”

Jimmy just nodded, slightly, like he was spicing up the conversation. Daisuke tried not to stare. But it was hard—Jimmy had that look. Not quite a killer’s stare, but the kind of stare that said he enjoyed silence way too much. Like a man with secrets. Maybe several.

“Oh, right!” Curly perked up. “They assigned you to Deck B, Room 3. You’re neighbors with Anya—our nurse. Should be one level down, past the lounge. It’s a bit of a walk. If you get lost, just follow the blue floor lights.”

Jimmy suddenly spoke. His voice was rougher than Daisuke expected—like static over a dying radio.

“You might want to avoid the cargo room. The lighting’s been weird ever since the last guy bailed.”

Daisuke blinked. “The last guy?”

Curly cleared his throat. “Yeah. We had an intern drop out before launch. Said the ship was giving him bad dreams. Spooked himself out, honestly. Superstitious stuff, you know?”

Bad dreams.
How ironic.

“I’m not superstitious,” Daisuke lied.

“Good,” Jimmy replied, still watching him. “Superstition makes people lazy.”

Chapter Text

Daisuke walked to his room. On the way, he began to notice the little things around the ship: the flickering lights, the run-down signs of Polle the company mascot, and the overly cheerful positivity posters plastered on every wall. The Tulpar felt... tired, as if it were holding itself together out of sheer stubbornness.

"I'm shocked this ship is still functioning," Daisuke muttered under his breath. "It looks beat down."

He reached his room. The rusty lock barely worked, and the door slid open slower than it should have.

"Geez, even the doors barely work."

Inside, the room was cramped. Sterile. Sad. Anxious. There wasn’t much in it: a small bed bolted to the wall, a dim light that barely lit up the space, and a modest desk. He began searching. Under the bed, in the corners, anywhere. He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for—his hands just moved, as if by muscle memory.

"Nothing. The room is empty," Daisuke sighed. "There isn’t anything useful here."

He pulled out a battered notebook and flipped through pages where he had written down details from his nightmares. Hoping for a clue.

"I have to check the drawers. I remember now."

His hands trembled as he opened the first two drawers.

"Nothing. Damn it."

There was one drawer left.

"Alright. One more drawer. There's probably nothing in here anyway."

He was wrong. The last drawer was jammed, and it took five frustrating minutes to pry it open. Inside was a crumpled, handwritten note. The ink was faint and dry, like it had been written long ago.

"Something is in the wires. Don't listen to him."

He blinked.

He read it again.

The handwriting was shaky, almost desperate. Him? Who was this person talking about?

The light flickered.

Then again.

He turned.

It stopped.

The silence pressed against him.

"Something is inside," he thought. "Inside the wires."

Day 2 — Six Months Before the Crash

He couldn’t sleep that first night. He felt watched. The tubes hummed and hissed, and the windows showed nothing but cold, endless darkness. The walls felt like they might squeeze him to death.

"What could possibly be in the wires? Honestly, I'm starting to think this ship is haunted." His thoughts spiraled, trying to drown out the strange noises.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside. He sat up straight in bed.

"There shouldn’t be anyone awake at this hour. Who the hell is out there?"

He crept to the door and peeked out. A tall shadow approached. Daisuke backed into his room.

"Okay. Calm down. Maybe it’s the captain doing a final check. But why would he be down here... now?"

His gut twisted. The footsteps grew louder. He couldn’t bring himself to lie back down.

"Okay, think. Just walk outside and pretend you're getting some water. Yeah, that should work."

He gathered his courage, opened the door, and stepped out, trying to look groggy. But when he looked up, his blood ran cold.

"Jimmy... what are you doing out here so late?" Daisuke almost shouted.

God, what is he up to? he thought.

"Oh, hello Daisuke. I was just making sure everyone was asleep. Curly's in the cockpit, recalculating our route. Why are you up?" Jimmy spoke in his usual tone, but there was something strange—he sounded... surprised.

"Just getting some water. My throat hurts."

Jimmy looked musty, greasy—like some dark force haunting the halls.

Was he trying to get into Anya’s room? The thought hit him hard. He straightened up.

"Actually, never mind. I'm too tired to walk to the kitchen. I'll head back to bed. Goodnight, Jimmy."

Jimmy nodded and continued walking down the corridor. Daisuke watched until he faded into the dark.

"Alright, calm down. Anya’s safe. But I’ll stay up just in case I hear footsteps again."

He didn’t sleep. Just as he was about to close his eyes, there was a knock at the door.

He was groggy, but he stood and opened it. It was Anya.

"Hello, Daisuke. We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Anya, the ship’s nurse. If you ever need help or just don’t feel well, don’t hesitate to come by the Medbay."

She smiled. She was tall, with long black hair, and a calm warmth in her face. She looked... alive.

Daisuke stared at her.

¨She looks so alive. So joyful. Jimmy won't hurt her. I swear it.¨

"Nice to meet you too, Anya. Thanks for letting me know I can count on you."

He smiled, remembering what Swansea had told him.

"I better get ready. Swansea's expecting me in Utility."

"Very well, I'll see you later, Daisuke," she said, waving as she walked off.

¨Alright. Let's get ready for today,¨ he thought. ¨Should I tell Swansea about Jimmy? He doesn’t like him anyway... but maybe it’s too soon. Either way, Jimmy is a ticking time bomb. And eventually, I’ll have to be the one to stop him.¨

But for now, it was best to lay low.

The Tulpar was still moving, but something inside it had begun to rot.