Finding the Russian Civilization

“WOOOOOO!” Nagumo shouted, his voice echoing through the spaceship as he threw his hands into the air like a kid on a rollercoaster.
“Calm down, would you?!” I snapped, glancing back at him.
“This is too fun to ignore!” Nagumo said, his grin practically stretching ear to ear.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re impossible.” Turning to my father, I asked the more pressing question, “So, how do we find the place?”
“There’s supposed to be a building,” my father said, still focused on the controls. “Once we’re inside, we’ll have to solve a puzzle to gain access.”
“A puzzle?” Gaku asked, leaning forward with curiosity. “Why a puzzle? Shouldn’t it be more secure than that?”
“It’s designed to be something only humans can solve. AI wouldn’t be able to figure it out,” my father explained.
“I see… So, how do we find this building?” I asked.
“We keep flying until we see it,” he replied casually. “So, keep your eyes open.”
“’Kay,” I said, turning my gaze to the window, scanning the horizon for anything
resembling a hidden refuge.
“Oh yeah, one more thing,” my father suddenly said, his tone a little too nonchalant for my liking.
“What is it?” I asked cautiously, glancing at him.
“I don’t actually know how to pilot this thing.”
“HUUAAHH?!” I shouted, nearly jumping out of my seat.
Nagumo burst out laughing. “Seriously? You’re piloting a spaceship without knowing how it works?!”
My father shrugged. “Relax, the system does most of the work. I just press buttons and hope for the best.”
“That’s not comforting at all!” I yelled, gripping the armrest of my seat as if it would somehow stabilize my nerves.
“Don’t worry, son,” my father said with a grin. “This baby hasn’t failed me yet.”
“That doesn’t mean it won’t fail now!” I shot back.
“Man, this family dynamic is hilarious,” Nagumo chimed in, clearly enjoying the chaos.
“Get up,” Gaku said abruptly, standing behind my father with a determined look.
“Huh?” My father turned around, raising an eyebrow. “We’re traveling at high speeds. Get back into your chair before you get thrown across the cockpit.”
“Let me pilot this thing,” Gaku said, his voice steady, showing absolutely no fear of the very real possibility of crashing and dying.
“You… know how to pilot this?” my father asked skeptically.
“No,” Gaku admitted flatly.
“Then sit down and stop pretending you’re a hero!” My father snapped, his nerves already fraying.
“But,” Gaku continued, ignoring me, “since this spaceship was built by Layla and I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time with her, I’d probably have better knowledge and control over this thing than anyone else here.”
My father paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He looked at the controls, then at Gaku, and then at the rest of us. “Fine,” he said, throwing up his hands in surrender.
With that, my father unbuckled his seatbelt and carefully made his way to the back of the cockpit. Gaku slid into the pilot’s seat like he was born to be there, his expression calm and focused.
He started pressing buttons on the control panel, each one lighting up with a faint hum. “What are you even doing?” I asked, watching him in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it,” Gaku said, gripping the steering wheel and making slight adjustments. The spaceship, which had been wobbling ever so slightly, suddenly stabilized.
My father clapped. “Impressive. Looks like you might know what you’re doing after all.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Gaku muttered. He turned to glance back at us. “You guys better start praying, though, because I can’t promise a safe landing.”
Nagumo, of course, burst into laughter. “This is the most fun I’ve had in years!”
I buried my face in my hands. “We’re doomed…”
“Wait, is that the building?” Nagumo asked, finally calming down after his endless excitement. He leaned forward, pointing out of the window.
My father squinted, following Nagumo’s gaze. “That is,” he confirmed. “Gaku, land there.”
“On it,” Gaku replied, adjusting the ship’s direction toward the structure.
I turned to Gaku, raising an eyebrow. “By the way, how did you even resist the law of inertia earlier? Everyone else was nearly flattened against their seats.”
Gaku smirked, clearly proud of himself. “It’s actually simple,” he began, as if what he was about to say wouldn’t go completely over my head. “I’m a professional physicist. To counteract the forces, you need perfect balance. With my weight—68kg—I positioned my feet in an L shape, exactly 90 degrees, with a 30-centimeter distance between them. Then I maintained a slightly 80-degree bow to align with the gravitational pull. Holding onto the chair provided extra stabilization. That’s how I resisted the pull of the speed.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “That’s… still confusing, but since you’re alive and the ship didn’t spin out of control, I’ll allow it.”
Gaku chuckled at my response. “You’ll allow it? You don’t get to decide what’s right or wrong in physics. Maybe if you were a physicist.”
I crossed my arms, feeling defensive. “Ahem, I am studying advanced physics—on and off Earth, I might add. Don’t underestimate me.”
“But you’re still a student, right? So… not a physicist yet,” Gaku teased, his grin widening.
“I—”
“Shhh,” he interrupted, holding up a hand.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Man…”
Nagumo, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke up. “Even though I’m a science student, you guys are still confusing.”
I patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Nagumo. You’ll get it in the future.”
“Alright, enough chit-chat,” Gaku announced, his tone turning serious. “It’s time to land. Hold onto something, say your prayers, and brace yourselves. Impact with the ground in 3… 2… 1…”
And then we crashed.

***

“Are everybody’s suits on?” my father asked, his eyes scanning each of us.
Earlier, during the crash, Gaku had somehow managed to soften the impact. None of us were injured—just shaken. Now, we were suited up, the protective gear shielding us from the toxic environment outside. Our mission was clear: enter the building and locate the Russian Civilization.
“I’m done,” I said, adjusting my suit one final time.
“I am also prepared,” Nagumo chimed in, giving a thumbs-up.
Gaku groaned, shifting uncomfortably in his suit. “It’s hard to move around in this, but yeah, I’m ready too.”
“Let’s go, then,” my father said, stepping forward and opening the spaceship doors.
We exited into the wasteland, the air thick with an unnatural haze. The building stood ominously before us. As we entered, the doors slammed shut behind us, leaving us in complete darkness.
“What the—” I started, but before I could finish, the lights flickered on.
We found ourselves in a room filled with screens. Rows and rows of monitors blinked with static and strange symbols. Suddenly, a female voice rang out, her tone sharp and unfamiliar:
“приветствуем игроков! (Welcome, players!)”
The four of us froze, glancing at each other in confusion.
“Uhm… Is there an English option for this?” Nagumo asked nervously, craning his neck to look up at one of the screens.
“Sorry, everyone,” the voice said, now switching to English. “Welcome, players! This is a test to determine whether you are humans… or AI. The room you are in is an escape room. Depending on your performance, the test will reveal your true nature. Now…”
The screens all flared to life, each displaying a countdown timer.
“Let the test begin!”
We scattered, moving around the room in search of clues. Monitors and TVs hung precariously from the walls and ceiling, their screens flickering with static. The floor was riddled with drains, pipes jutted from the walls, and holes were scattered everywhere like puzzle pieces waiting to fit.
We searched everywhere—behind the monitors, inside the wall pipes, down into the drains. We peered into every hole, but it felt like chasing shadows.
“This is hard,” my father groaned, rubbing his head.
“Yeah, there’s supposed to be some kind of starting clue,” Gaku added, his voice tinged with frustration.
My father glanced around. “Let’s take stock. There are twelve monitors and six TVs. Maybe they’re part of a secret code?”
“Maybe,” Gaku mused. “But let’s ask a bigger question: where’s the door we entered from? And where are we supposed to exit?”
“Oh crap, that’s a good point,” Nagumo said, looking around in sudden realization.
“Maybe the exit is right under our feet,” I said, pointing to a subtle groove in the floor. “There’s a straight line—it looks like it could open up.”
“Or maybe we’re supposed to shout the answer out loud?” Nagumo suggested.
“That’d make sense,” my father said, stroking his chin. “But the bigger question is… what is the answer?”
“We just have to keep searching,” Gaku said, a note of determination in his voice.
“We’ve got two hours,” I reminded everyone, glancing at the timer. “But we’ve already burned through thirty minutes.”
“Time flies, huh?” Gaku said with a sigh.
“Hold on…” Nagumo said suddenly, his eyes lighting up as though he’d cracked the code. “I think I’ve got it!”
“Really?” my father asked, hope creeping into his voice.
Nagumo turned to a monitor, pointing directly at it. “Hey, you!” he said, as if addressing the screen itself. “The answer is… there is no escape, isn’t it?”
The room fell silent, and we all stared at him.
“No escape?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That… actually makes sense,” Gaku said, nodding. “In my time, whenever you log into an account or do something online, there’s always a test to prove you’re human.”
“Exactly!” Nagumo continued, his confidence growing. “Those tests analyze your mouse movements and reaction speed. This room is doing the same thing—tracking how we walk, struggle, and solve problems.”
“And if an AI were here,” Gaku added, “they’d solve everything instantly without hesitation.”
“The answer,” Nagumo and Gaku said in unison, “is that there is no answer!”
“поздравления! (Congratulations!)” the female voice said again, the monitors now displaying confetti graphics.
“Please remove your masks,” the voice continued in English. “Don’t worry, the air here is safe. There is only one final test.”
We exchanged uneasy glances but did as instructed, removing our masks.
Suddenly, gas began hissing from the floor drains, filling the air around us.
“I see…” Nagumo muttered, his voice already growing faint. “Sleeping gas. A final test to see if we’re human…”
“Good test,” Gaku said with a small smile before collapsing to the floor.
“Oi, son,” my father said, slurring his words as he stumbled. “See you on the flip side…” And then he, too, hit the ground.
“Sleeping gas, huh?” I said to myself, swaying as the gas took hold. My vision blurred, my body grew heavy. “What a clever test… Anyways… oyasumi…”
And with that, everything went black.

To be continued…