That night, Pom-Pom was holding its small broom as usual, diligently fulfilling its duties as the Conductor, performing the final pre-sleep cleaning in the Observation Car.
Soft, bright yellow light enveloped the car, and everything was peaceful and orderly.
Just as it was humming an off-key train tune, it suddenly heard movement at the door connecting to the Party Car, so it decided to check—
Click!
Following a soft sound, all the lights in the Observation Car instantly went out!
Darkness, like thick ink, instantly swallowed everything.
"Waaah!"
Pom-Pom shrieked in fright at the sudden change, nearly dropping its small broom.
It instinctively shrank its neck, its long ears perked up in alarm, nervously turning left and right.
Only the eternal sea of stars outside the viewing window and the light emitted by Herta Space Station provided a weak light source, casting blurry and distorted shadows inside the car.
Familiar furniture outlines became strange and menacing in the darkness.
"Who, who is it, Pa? March 7th Passenger? Stelle Passenger? Don't scare Pom-Pom, Pa!"
It used its tearful, small squeaky voice to timidly call out the names of those most likely to play tricks, but the only response was the Astral Express's unusually amplified humming sound.
(Pom-Pom internally: Someone must be playing a joke on Pom-Pom, Pa! That's too mean!)
It steadied itself and decided to go flip the circuit breaker back on.
Relying on memory, it fumbled its way to the wall and its small hand found the familiar switch panel—
The switch was pushed up, in the "on" position!
"Huh?!"
Pom-Pom froze, its small paw flipping the switch back and forth a few times, confirming the switch was fine, but the lights overhead remained utterly dead.
"Impossible, Pa! How could the Astral Express lose power, Pa! The energy core has always been stable, Pa!"
A chill crawled up Pom-Pom's spine.
If it wasn't a power outage, what made the lights go out?
Circuit failure? But why didn't the Astral Express's self-check system sound the alarm?
It nervously looked around. In the darkness, the outlines of the familiar sofas, coffee tables, and bar seemed to come alive, silently "watching" the small, helpless Conductor.
It even felt as if something was wriggling in the corners of the shadows.
"S-so scary, Pa..."
Pom-Pom tightly gripped the small broom, treating it as its only weapon.
It dared not stay any longer and decided to immediately return to its room and hide under the covers!
It moved its short legs, running toward the door that led to the passenger car in its memory.
However, when it reached the doorway, it was horrified to discover—
That door was currently ajar!
Behind the narrow crack of the door lay an even deeper darkness.
(Pom-Pom internally: That's wrong, Pa! I clearly remember... this door was properly closed, Pa!)
Just as it froze in the doorway, its mind blank, a spine-chilling sensation swept over it—it clearly felt as if countless cold gazes were cast from all directions, firmly fixed upon it!
Those gazes held no emotion, perhaps... a hint of amusement?
At the same time, a strange, elegant, and cool fragrance, like a moonlit violet, faintly drifted into its nostrils.
The scent was pleasant, yet distinctly different from the usual coffee aroma on the Astral Express, carrying a profound sense of mystery.
"Waaahhhh—There's a ghost, Pa!!!"
Pom-Pom could no longer bear the psychological pressure. It let out a short shriek, completely forgetting its dignity as Conductor. Using the fastest speed of its life, like a furry cannonball, it zipped through the slightly ajar door crack, dashed down the corridor without looking back, plunged into its own room, slammed the door shut, and pressed its small body tightly against it, as if this could keep the unknown terror outside.
[Present - Astral Express Observation Car]
Pom-Pom finished recounting its "ghost encounter" experience, its small paws instinctively patting its chest, still shaken.
"Lights out... a door that opened by itself... lots of eyes watching... and a cold scent?"
March 7th counted off the keywords on her fingers, her face not showing fear but shining with excitement. "That sounds like a classic ghost story! Maybe some prankster hopped onto our Astral Express? Danheng, do you know any similar legends?"
Danheng folded his arms, analyzing calmly: "No. It's more likely some form of energy entity we don't yet understand, or perhaps... a High-Tier Void Ranger?"
Welt pushed up his glasses, the gaze behind the lenses profound.
Pom-Pom's description deepened the suspicion in his heart.
This was definitely not a common malfunction or hallucination.
(Internally: Besides me... was there a second 'visitor' last night?)
Himeko looked at the badly frightened Pom-Pom and gently comforted it: "It's alright, Pom-Pom, you're safe. Perhaps it was just a temporary system malfunction combined with your imagination. I'll check the Astral Express wiring with you tonight, okay?"
Stelle, meanwhile, rubbed her still faintly aching occiput, thinking that a "ghost" might be slightly friendlier than Sister Himeko's coffee.
[Perspective Shift: The "Borrowed" Car - Black Herta's Laboratory]
Meanwhile, inside the "safe house" just one door away, Madam Herta was undertaking a new act of "Creation."
She handed the system the data stream collected from Original Stelle, along with Stelle's basic image data.
Purplish-red energy, like a weaving cocoon, enveloped and restructured the data.
Moments later, the light dispersed, and a figure identical to Stelle appeared in the center of the car—the same gray shoulder-length hair, the same attire, the same height and build.
Just then, the system prompt sounded in Black Herta's ear:
[Based on Secondary Joy Feedback generated by the Astral Express Crew, core repair progress has increased by 0.5%.]
Black Herta raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
But she didn't pay it much mind, turning her attention back to the newly created "Stelle."
The figure slowly opened its eyes.
However, those eyes, which should have been golden and full of vitality, were instead a dull gray, lacking highlights, like dusty glass beads.
Black Herta took a few steps forward, examining her new creation up and down with interest, and nodded slightly.
(Internally: External appearance perfectly replicated, energy structure stable... looks good.)
She extended her right index finger, held it in front of "Stelle," and asked in a testing tone, "What is this?"
The Stelle Replica's gaze fell emptily on her finger, and it replied in a cold, monotone voice: "One."
A flicker of imperceptible satisfaction flashed in Black Herta's eyes.
(Internally: Very good. Clear logic, accurate answer. If it were the genuine Stelle, she'd probably be saying 'ceiling' right now.)
But this overly normal reaction made Black Herta sense something unusual.
What this shell contained seemed to be more than just basic logic.
As if suddenly remembering something, she asked softly, in a tone like casual conversation:
"Then... do you know 'Elysia'?"
In an instant!
In the depths of the Stelle Replica's previously dead eyes, a faint stream of light seemed to flash like a struggling spark!
Her body tensed for a moment, and her lips trembled slightly, as if something sealed away was trying to break free.
But she ultimately made no sound, returning only to silence, "looking" at Black Herta with those empty eyes.
Black Herta quietly observed all this, understanding already dawning in her heart.
(Internally: As expected... it carries that memory. Not the trash-can-rummaging Stelle, but... the shadow of 'her' data, who once walked in the Elysian Realm.)
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