Chapter 317: The Future Television
Himeko uploaded the photograph of herself clad in her newly acquired armor to the multiversal Chat Group, attaching a brief explanation.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Himeko]: "Sorry, I was just adapting to the reward I drew and didn't see the messages in time. Apologies for making everyone wait."
The image acted like a boulder dropped into a tranquil pond, instantly detonating the previously quiet chat interface with a flurry of notifications.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Wow!! Ms. Himeko! So cool! This armor is practically tailor-made for you! Red suits you perfectly! But this sword... why does it look a bit familiar? I feel like I've seen it somewhere..."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "So, so majestic! Himeko looks like a Valkyrie straight out of a fairy tale! This armor is absolutely gorgeous!"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Paimon thinks it's amazing too!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Ms. Himeko... you don't look like a researcher at all right now. You look like a seasoned, battle-hardened warrior! So strong!"
For a long while, the chat interface scrolled rapidly, flooded with a chorus of praise and starry-eyed envy over Himeko's striking new appearance.
Sitting quietly in her quarters, Himeko offered a soft, elegant smile at the screen. She responded warmly to the girls' boundless enthusiasm, her fingers deftly swiping through the backlog of chat records to catch up on the chaotic "luck competition" and tally up everyone's recent gains.
Her smile faltered slightly when she reached the segment where Stelle casually mentioned mailing a mysterious package directly to the Stellaron Hunters. Himeko's mature, deeply pragmatic mind immediately flagged the potential disaster.
'That child, Stelle... her intentions are good, but her execution is still a bit lacking in thoroughness,'Himeko mused, shaking her head with a helpless sigh.'I need to make a mental note to contact Kafka privately later. I'll give her a heads-up so that Stelle's sudden care package isn't mistaken for an unknown biological weapon and immediately incinerated.'
By this point, nearly every member of the multiversal group who had completed their respective draws had shared their spoils or made a brief appearance online. The digital atmosphere was harmonious, buzzing with lively banter.
However, one particular member remained conspicuously silent.
That was Welt Yang. Currently, the seasoned senior of the Astral Express was stationed aboard the Herta Space Station, engaged in a high-level meeting with Herta herself.
It wasn't that Welt was intentionally ignoring the lively notifications pinging in his mind. Rather, he had just finalized his own draw and found himself faced with a sudden, perplexing choice regarding his newly acquired magical item.
Resting quietly in his inventory was a television set boasting an extremely retro, almost painfully outdated aesthetic.
It featured a bulky, box-like plastic casing, a heavy curved glass screen, and, most noticeably, a pair of retractable metal "rabbit-ear" antennas protruding from the top. The system labeled it simply: [Future Television].
Its function, standing in stark contrast to its crude, archaic exterior, was entirely bizarre and immensely powerful.
According to the system's detailed description, this television would occasionally intercept highly classified, anomalous signals from unknown multiversal sources through its twin antennas. These intercepted signals would then project directly onto the screen, displaying the divergent life stories and branching timelines that a specific individual's choices could create at critical junctures.
It was a window into futures that humanity had never been meant to witness.
Just as Welt received the blue-tier [Future Television] and barely had a moment to examine the retro creation hovering within its light cluster, a crisp prompt from the Chat Group echoed directly in his mind.
[Detected related 'possibility'story fragment:'Stelle - Untraveled Voyage'. Would you like to watch it immediately?]
The sudden notification caused Welt to freeze. His fingers, which had been loosely hovering over the holographic light cluster, tightened subconsciously.
He was currently shouldering a massive responsibility. He needed to rapidly integrate his forces with Herta and Sunday, strategizing a complete reinforcement plan for Stelle and the others who were still stranded on Amphoreus. Time was of the absolute essence. Every second wasted could spell disaster.
However, the name "Stelle" paired with the ominous, uncertain phrase "Untraveled Voyage" pricked at his heart like a poisoned thorn. As the senior guardian of the Express, he couldn't simply ignore it.
Stelle's personality was wildly unpredictable. She was an agent of chaos who frequently made baffling, unorthodox choices. Although she possessed an uncanny knack for turning lethal danger into comedic safety, Welt, as the responsible adult in the room, had to consider the broader implications.
He had to account for the unknown, catastrophic possibilities that her reckless choices might eventually trigger.
He harbored a genuine, deep-seated fear that at some critical juncture, a seemingly insignificant, silly choice made by their Trailblazer might set off a devastating chain reaction, plunging the entire Astral Express Crew into an irreversible predicament.
After weighing his pressing duties against the gnawing anxiety in his chest, his protective instincts won out.
Understanding these divergent possibilities might, in itself, be the ultimate strategic advantage—a way to preemptively neutralize risks and chart a safer course for their future.
He made his decision. He would carve out a small fraction of time to see exactly what kind of "stories" this magical television had to show.
"Herta, Sunday," Welt spoke up, his hand rising to adjust his glasses. He looked across the sleek, sterile meeting room at his two companions, his tone steady but laced with an obvious gravity. "Please wait a moment. I have a... peculiar item I just obtained. It might offer us some entirely different perspectives on our current situation."
With a flick of his wrist, he materialized the old television. He placed it squarely on the pristine, holographic conference table, where it looked utterly absurd against the space station's hyper-futuristic decor.
The bulky cathode-ray tube, the thick curved screen, and the manual metal antennas made it look like a dusty prop dragged out of a forgotten history museum.
Herta crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head, her porcelain joints clicking softly as she scrutinized the "old antique." Her tone dripped with a mix of haughty amusement and genuine curiosity. "Oh? Welt, why did you suddenly pull out such a... primitive piece of junk?"
"I was under the impression we were discussing serious matters concerning the safety of an unknown world," she added casually, though her sharp, calculating eyes were already scanning the television's chassis, attempting to dissect its underlying energy composition.
Welt opted not to offer a lengthy explanation. Engaging in a meaningless verbal sparring match with the genius of the space station was a highly inefficient use of time, and empirical evidence was always far more convincing than words.
He gestured politely toward the screen, inviting both Herta and Sunday—who had been observing the exchange in quiet, scrutinizing silence—to step closer. "It might be complicated to explain verbally. This is a peculiar artifact I acquired through... unconventional means. Its function is quite unique."
"Why don't we watch and discuss?" Welt proposed smoothly. "Perhaps it can reveal some 'possibilities' we hadn't previously considered."
Truthfully, Herta's insatiable curiosity had already been thoroughly piqued.
She knew Welt Yang well enough to understand his character. The Trailblazer of the Astral Express was a rigorous, deeply logical man. He was never one to shoot aimlessly or waste time on frivolous parlor tricks.
What kind of artifact could possibly compel a man like him to temporarily halt a critical military planning session? Could this archaic television truly harbor knowledge or phenomena that even she, a genius of the Intelligentsia Guild, had never encountered?
"Interesting." Herta crisply delivered the word, signaling her temporary compliance. "Let me see what exactly you're up to."
Sunday offered a slight, elegant nod, indicating his own willingness to participate. A probing, analytical light flickered within his serene eyes as he focused on the blank screen.
Welt said nothing more. Following the Chat Group's internal prompt, he mentally confirmed his desire to watch the broadcast.
The old television screen snapped to life. It flooded with harsh, noisy static, emitting a loud, crackling zzzz of raw electricity that echoed through the quiet meeting room.
A split second later, the chaotic snow on the screen intensified. The static began to swirl violently inward, distorting and collapsing upon itself as if forming a massive, gravitational vortex of pure consciousness.
In the very next instant, a soft, irresistible force reached out from the glass. The subjective consciousnesses of Welt, Herta, and Sunday were gently but firmly pulled from their physical bodies, plunging headlong into the continuously swirling static of the screen.
Throughout the sudden extraction, Herta did not mount a single ounce of mental resistance. Instead, she threw her perceptions wide open. Like a top-tier scientist confronted with a completely unmatched experimental phenomenon, she fully immersed herself in the sensation, her brilliant mind already racing to analyze the fundamental operating principles of the anomaly.
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