"I... my name is Astro, I'm from Earth.
I don't know how I got here either. I closed my eyes, opened them, and I was in this desert!"
Astro told the truth while urgently asking:
"Earth! Have you heard of Earth? Can... can you send me back?"
The team members looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.
The leader shook his head:
"Earth? Never heard of it. Is it some unregistered remote colony?"
Just then, a younger team member suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" as if remembering something, and interjected:
"Captain, I remember... didn't Ms. Welt ask our Space Station people about a place called Earth before?"
Ms. Welt...?
Astro froze in shock, Welt?
He subconsciously glanced at the game interface in his mind.
The character avatar representing Welt Yang (Five-star • Imaginary • Nihility) was prominently displayed.
It was exactly the familiar image of a steady, bespectacled uncle.
Same name... it must just be the same name! Yes, that's definitely it!
The universe is so vast, having a Ms. Welt with the same name isn't strange... The Captain pondered for a moment.
He seemed to think that interrogating a dying survivor in this desolate place wasn't the way, so he made a decision:
"Alright, Astro, is it?
Your situation is very special. We need to take you back to the Space Station for further understanding and registration. Come with us!"
Astro's heart pounded wildly.
Who cares if it's Mr. Welt or Ms. Welt, let's get out of this damn place first!
He quickly nodded, afraid they might change their minds:
"Yes! Yes! Thank you! Thank you all!"
He was almost limp as two team members supported him, boarding the life-saving spacecraft.
As the hatch slowly closed, completely isolating the deadly desert outside that had nearly killed him.
Astro slumped into his seat, feeling the slight push of the spacecraft starting up, and let out a long sigh of relief.
He survived... finally... Before long, extreme exhaustion and sudden mental relaxation dragged him into a deep sleep.
He didn't even have the energy to observe the interior of the spacecraft, only remembering everything going black before he knew nothing.
He slept like the dead until someone gently shook him awake.
"Wake up, we've arrived."
Astro groggily opened his eyes and saw the grand, massive outline of a building through the porthole.
Countless spacecraft shuttled through the port, forming an incredibly stark contrast with the lifeless desert where he'd spent three days.
After the spacecraft docked smoothly, two staff members led him off the ship.
Stepping onto the clean Space Station deck, Astro still felt a sense of unreality.
The leading Captain looked at his tattered, sand-covered, almost foul-smelling appearance, frowned, and said in a still-polite tone:
"Mr. Astro, you need to clean up first and undergo a basic health check.
The Space Station has many areas. Looking like this... isn't very convenient and could cause unnecessary trouble."
Astro looked down at himself, indeed too embarrassed to be seen, and quickly nodded:
"Understood, understood, thank you for the arrangement."
Just then, the young team member who had mentioned Ms. Welt earlier, while operating a communication device, casually reported to the Captain:
"Captain, I've reported it according to procedure.
Also, I just received a notification that the Astral Express will dock at our Space Station today as scheduled for resupply.
Station Master Asta has informed the Astral Express Crew about the Earth survivor situation.
Ms. Welt said she'll come over later to learn more."
Astro: "!!! The Astral Express???"
Did I really fucking transmigrate into the honkai: star rail world???
Then... what the hell is this Ms. Welt?!
Where's my big, reliable adult male leader?! How did he really become a lady?!"
He felt like the CPU in his brain was overheating.
Does that mean Aunt Himeko became Uncle Himeko?!
Could Dan Heng... and March 7th... He didn't dare think further.
"Mr. Astro? Are you okay?"
The Captain, seeing his changing expression, asked with concern.
"N-no! I'm fine!"
Astro snapped back to attention and forced a smile.
"It's just... a bit... excited, yes, excited!"
While internally ranting about this messed-up world.
He was led by the staff toward the cleaning area.
The Space Station's internal corridors were spacious, with personnel in various uniforms coming and going.
Astro's tattered appearance and odor indeed drew many sidelong glances.
This made him shrink his neck even more, wishing he could become invisible on the spot.
As he walked quickly with his head down, trying to reduce his presence.
The corner of his eye caught a figure standing quietly by the corridor.
It was a very exquisite-looking... doll?
It had the appearance of an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy, wearing well-fitted clothes, with neatly combed brown short hair and a face too pretty to be real.
His eyes were closed, standing motionless there.
Astro felt this little doll looked familiar and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The staff member beside him noticed his gaze and casually introduced:
"That's one of Mr. Herta's Bionic Dolls, placed here for environmental data collection."
"Mr. Herta?" Astro repeated subconsciously.
"Yes, the true owner of this Space Station, member #83 of the Genius Society, Mr. Herta."
The staff member's tone carried respect.
"He occasionally activates these dolls to move around the station, but most of the time they're on standby like this."
Mr...?!
Astro never expected that the eccentric, efficiency-obsessed.
Genius scientist Herta with countless dolls... actually became male?!
Damn, is it not just Welt?
Even Herta... Is this honkai: star rail world gender-bent for everyone?!"
"Mr. Astro?" The staff member, seeing him freeze again, reminded him.
"Huh? Oh! N-no, I'm fine!"
Astro snapped back to reality, forcing himself to look away, not daring to glance at the quiet Herta (Shota Version) doll again.
He just wanted to finish bathing quickly, then find a corner to calm down.