The Man Who Received a Spaceship: It Turned Out to Be a Star!? - chapter 1
Chapter 1: Keiichi Yamada, Effectively Dismissed
The monotonous report from the automatic logging system echoed through the central command room of the ship.
Report from the construction ship SII-001:
— Entered stealth mode in orbit around the target planet. Circling while avoiding collision with other satellites.
— Four observation satellites launched… complete.
— All 16 descent pods for nanobot dispersal launched successfully.
— After nanobot dispersal, descent pods will free-fall through the planet’s atmosphere without deploying protective shields.
— Confirmed destruction of all descent pods due to atmospheric compression heat.
— This ship will retreat to the fifth planet’s orbit, construct a hyperlane gate, and collect information from observation satellites.
Stars streaked across the night sky, leaving bright, pale trails.
“Was that a shooting star? It was big. Faster than I expected. No time to make a wish with something that quick.”
It was just past 9 PM. The city lights obscured all but the brightest stars, but tonight the sky was clear, offering a lucky glimpse of a shooting star. Maybe it’s a sign of good things to come.
My name is Keiichi Yamada, age thirty if you round down.
Another day of overtime for metal material strength testing. With our workplace running on minimal staff, sudden increases in workload can only be handled through overtime. We try to let the female employees leave earlier, but even they often work past 7 PM.
Management pushes us to work faster, but accurate testing takes time. Our testing equipment isn’t the latest automatic model; it requires constant attention from the inspector.
Having finally finished today’s work, I checked the testing equipment, prepared to leave, and exited the office entrance.
Our testing facility is located in the suburbs, slightly removed from the city center. Most commute by car or suburban bus, but the last bus has already departed at this hour.
I get into my beloved compact car parked in the company lot and start the engine.
I’ll stop by the convenience store on the way home for some packaged rice and side dishes. Hope there’s still some left. I wave goodbye to the elderly security guard as I leave the company premises.
It’s the same routine every day, but I’m grateful for a job that pays without requiring much mental strain. Whether working until 9 or 10 PM every night is normal is another question. Moreover, as a manager, I don’t even get overtime pay for these late hours. It’s all unpaid work. My take-home pay isn’t much different from when I was a regular employee a few years ago.
The next day.
I arrive at the office in my car as usual, but unlike usual, there’s a commotion inside. What’s going on?
“Yamada, could you come with me to the director’s office?” The head of administration, who normally arrives much later than me, leads me to the director’s office, a place I’ve rarely entered.
Inside, there’s a long conference table. The director sits in the middle, flanked by the product inspection department head and the metal inspection section chief. All my superiors, lined up in order of importance.
I sit across from the director as instructed. The head of administration leaves the room.
“Yamada, have you read this morning’s newspaper?” the director asks.
“No, not yet,” I reply. I only occasionally read the newspapers at work and don’t subscribe at home. The internet is enough for me.
The product inspection department head pushes a newspaper towards me from in front of the director.
It’s a national economic newspaper. The front-page headline reads: “Major Special Metal Products Manufacturer, XX Works, Suspected of Inspection Fraud?!” in large, bold letters.
“???” What’s this about inspection fraud?
The director looks at me and begins to speak.
“Yamada, this article is about the special steel materials you inspected last year. You remember, don’t you?”
“Let’s see, is this about the reinforced special steel for diesel engine cranks in passenger cars? Inspected last year? … Hmm? Ah! I remember. That material was supposed to take too long to inspect here, so it was sent for external inspection through the president’s office, if I recall correctly.”
“What are you talking about? Your inspection confirmation stamp is on the inspection report. You inspected it. We’ve checked. Why did you falsify the inspection results?”
“I can’t falsify something I didn’t inspect. What reason would I have to do that? The company might have a reason, but I don’t.”
“What are you saying?! Enough. You don’t need to work today. Go home and wait for further instructions.”
“I see. Then, excuse me.”
What on earth is going on? Bewildered, I stand up and leave the director’s office.
Come to think of it, that special steel material was in competition with other companies. Well, well. Am I being made the scapegoat?
If I don’t have to work, I might as well go home.
“Senpai! Did something happen?” I run into Sae Ichijo in the hallway, carrying what looks like a heavy load. She’s a junior colleague in the same inspection department.
“Ah, just a bit of trouble. Sorry, I’m heading home now. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“W-wait, Senpai! Are you skipping work? At least help me carry this! It’s really heavy!”
“Sorry, Ichijo, I’m in a hurry. I’ll make it up to you sometime. See you.”
“Geez. You better, Senpai! I’m counting on it!”
Three days after being told to wait at home, I received a transfer notice to a sales office in Hokkaido, along with a demotion order and various other documents. These were sent along with my personal belongings from the office.
I was ordered to transfer within two weeks. Apparently, no handover was necessary. I wrote my resignation letter on the spot and mailed it back to them.