(I apologize if sometimes the chapters are not on schedule. It’s just that the medicine I take knocks me out so much that I can’t even hear the alarm clock.😑😮‍💨)

Hearing the laughter coming from the cabin, Alex and Chiquita began taxiing the plane onto the runway. It was the first time Alex had ever piloted a plane, but fortunately, his unique ability allowed him to learn and adapt to any conditions quickly. He moved carefully, slowly guiding the old beast out of the hangar.

Despite his bravado, Alex fully understood: this plane was an ancient wreck that should’ve been scrapped long ago. There was no doubt about it. And while he reassured everyone that they’d make it to their destination, deep down he was preparing for the worst. Just in case, he had reinforced the hull with magic so it wouldn’t fall apart mid-air. The last thing he wanted was to manually deliver everyone to their destination.

Once the plane reached the runway, Alex and Chiquita began starting the engines.

“Well then, time to make this old man fly,” Alex said with a slight smile.

“Just hope you didn’t mess up your calculations. Because if this junk doesn’t take off, you’ll be hauling everyone out of here yourself,” Chiquita replied, checking the switches and preparing for takeoff.

“Don’t worry. She’ll take off. Whether she wants to or not,” Alex smirked.

Chiquita only shook her head with a smile. The plane began to slowly accelerate. Alex carefully monitored the instruments, watching the speed indicators so he wouldn’t miss the takeoff point. Once the needle reached the required value, he nodded to Chiquita, and together they pulled the yokes back in sync.

Due to the plane’s age, the body began to vibrate slightly during takeoff, causing panic among those who were flying for the first time. Even though the girls knew Alex could handle nearly any situation, the trembling metal made it hard to stay calm.

The plane slowly but steadily lifted off the ground. Alex was extremely cautious—he was most afraid of accidentally using too much force and ripping the yoke out completely. That would definitely be a catastrophe.

Luckily, everything went smoothly. The plane reached the proper altitude. Alex and Chiquita began stabilizing the course, activating the necessary levers and buttons.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Alex’s mind—if he had already mastered piloting a plane, then the next logical step… a spaceship? Yeah, exactly. The only issue was, to gain that kind of experience, he’d first need to hijack one.

Alex pondered: in which universe could he pull something like that off? To his disappointment, he realized he knew very few such worlds. This realization made him sigh deeply.

Chiquita noticed his heavy sigh and turned to him.

“So, what crazy plan is hatching in that crazy head of yours this time?” she asked, giving Alex a light smack on the shoulder.

“First of all, my plans aren’t always crazy. And second, my head is perfectly normal. I am entirely sane,” Alex grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Maybe I’d believe that if I didn’t know you. But all those stories about the dungeon and Becky’s world speak for themselves. So come on, spill it—what are you plotting this time?” Chiquita smirked.

Alex opened his mouth to argue, but then stopped himself. She was right. Everything he did in the dungeon, the attacks on adventurers “for fun,” all the chaos he caused in Night City—it definitely didn’t fit the category of harmless pranks. If it were just jokes, he wouldn’t have a bounty on his head in Orario, and there wouldn’t be a seven-figure reward for him in Night City—dead or alive.

Alex shook his head silently, finding no excuse. Chiquita saw the look on his face—and burst out laughing.

“What’s going on here?” came Shizuka’s voice as she peeked into the cockpit.

“Nothing yet. Just Alex thinking up something again but won’t share,” Chiquita replied with a smile.

“Hmm… Planning to beat someone up again or steal something?” Shizuka asked, placing a finger to her chin, clearly intrigued.

Alex was completely speechless after Shizuka’s question. He even paused to think—were his thoughts really that transparent? Could every girl now guess his plans with no effort at all? And as if to confirm it, a resounding and confident “Yes” echoed in his mind — in the voices of all the valkyries.

Alex’s eye twitched, and his mood soured entirely — especially because Shizuka had guessed everything with scary precision. She’d hit the nail on the head: he really was thinking about beating someone up… and stealing a spaceship.

“So, Alex, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?” Valmet asked as she poked her head into the cockpit.

“Nothing serious… I just imagined how cool it would be to have my own spaceship,” Alex muttered monotonously, imitating a robot voice.

The girls exchanged glances — and everything became clear without a word. The moment Alex said “spaceship,” they all understood: he wasn’t planning to build one — he was planning to steal one. Probably from some poor soul. Their shared realization flashed in their eyes, and they all turned to Alex at once, who sat with the calmest, most lifeless expression possible, as if he wasn’t plotting anything illegal at all.

Curious why Shizuka and Valmet hadn’t come out of the cockpit, the other girls peeked in to see what was going on. And once they heard the topic, the exact same thought crossed all their minds: Alex wants to steal a spaceship.

“Sweetie, so when are you planning to pull off this heist?” Becca asked cheerfully, settling herself onto his lap with ease.

“I’m not planning to steal anything… yet. Maybe later,” Alex replied, realizing it was pointless to deny it.

“Do you even need that ship?” Miu asked, slightly embarrassed. “You can already fly through space just fine. And not just fly — you’ve fought there!”

“Miu, you don’t get it,” Rika chimed in with an expert tone. “Having a personal spaceship is completely different. It’s ours, you get it? Our very own ship!”

Alex and Becca nodded in sync, fully agreeing with Rika. The other girls froze for a second, thinking… and realized they didn’t understand a thing. Why would they even need a spaceship if Alex could create portals and transport them anywhere — even to other worlds? Why go through the hassle of flying through the cold, endless void of space when they could skip all that?

Alex, catching the thoughtful looks on the girls’ faces, understood exactly what they were thinking. That’s why he added that he wasn’t planning to steal anything — at least not yet. Maybe later, and only for the sake of the collection. Even he didn’t want to waste time on more space nonsense right now.

“Alright, forget the ships. How long do we have to fly?” Ada asked, bringing everyone back to reality.

“We just took off. At least four hours of flight,” Chiquita answered with a tired glance at her.

“I was just asking… These seats in this junkheap are so uncomfortable my butt’s already gone numb,” Ada grumbled, rubbing the affected area.

Alex sighed heavily, pulled a small cushion from his inventory, and silently handed it to Ada. She accepted the gift with a joyful smile and kissed Alex on the cheek in thanks. The other girls, noticing the gesture, stared at Alex with such intense gazes that he flinched — and instantly pulled out pillows for everyone. In return, he received a few more kisses and plenty of satisfied smiles.

Smiling, Alex shifted his gaze to Becca, who was comfortably seated on his lap and clearly had no intention of leaving. He didn’t mind. Then he reached out to offer a pillow to Chiquita, but she declined:

“Thanks, but the pilot’s seat is still more comfortable than those flying stools in the cabin.”

“We heard you were handing out pillows for more comfortable seating,” came Claire’s voice as she peeked into the cockpit. “You don’t happen to have a couple more lying around, do you? Or, like… maybe four?”

Alex turned his head and saw Jill, Claire, Moira, and Sherry looking into the cockpit. The girls looked a little sheepish — asking for pillows was mildly embarrassing. Alex just chuckled and, without a word, pulled out four more pillows and handed them over. They might not be his girls, but comfort for everyone was sacred. Jill, Claire, Moira, and Sherry returned to their seats with grateful smiles, while Alex found himself lost in thought again.

Once more, he realized he might be spoiling those around him — even the ones he didn’t have any kind of relationship with. But he brushed the thought aside. Doing small nice things for girls had never been difficult for him. It was just part of his personality. Sure, some of them might act spoiled in everyday situations, but when it came to serious matters, every single one of them would step up. So for now — let them enjoy it.

A sudden shout from the cabin snapped him out of his thoughts:

“Hey! I see you handed out pillows to the girls! What about us, huh? Or does our friendship mean nothing to you? Where’s the brotherly solidarity, the manly unity?” R yelled indignantly.

Alex raised an eyebrow and smirked. He switched on the autopilot, gently lifted Becca off his lap, and placed her in the pilot’s seat. Becca and Chiquita exchanged glances as a wide, very suspicious grin spread across Alex’s face. They already knew where this was going.

“I’ll go have a word with our dear comrade,” Alex said, leaving the cockpit.

As soon as R saw him approaching, he quieted down, and his smile slowly faded. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. The guys sitting nearby instinctively scooted away — no one wanted to get caught in the crossfire. Alex’s smile promised nothing good.

“Listen, R… I get the feeling you’re a bit too comfortable back here, and that means we need to adjust things a bit. Don’t worry though — we have excellent flight attendants on board who can make your flight even more enjoyable,” Alex said, pointing to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.

R and the others turned to look at the trio of attendants — all holding a long rope and clearly waiting for Alex’s signal to make R’s flight much more comfortable. R swallowed hard at the sight of the rope, not wanting to know what it was for. He was too afraid to even imagine what that mischievous trio planned to do with it or how exactly they intended to improve his flying experience.

“Uh… so… what’s the rope for?” Soap asked with a crooked grin, already sensing this was going to be fun.

“Judging by the looks of it — for people who love to run their mouths,” Ghost answered calmly. “So unless you want to end up dangling outside, Johnny, I’d suggest you keep yours shut.”

“You’re joking, right? We’re at 11 kilometers altitude!” Toji cut in, staring at Ghost.

“Do I look like someone who knows how to joke?” Ghost replied in the same flat tone, his expression unreadable.

The guys glanced at Ghost’s skull mask and instantly remembered his strange sense of humor — or rather, the lack thereof. They were quickly starting to believe he wasn’t joking about tying someone up and tossing them out if they talked too much.

And the faces of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who were nodding in unison, served as confirmation — even Alex nodded along, showing that he wasn’t joking. The guys immediately sat up straight, afraid to utter even a word, each imagining themselves tied up, dangling outside the plane, swaying freely in the wind.

Alex couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach.

He never actually intended to tie anyone up and toss them out — it was just a joke to scare R and make him shut up. Hearing Alex’s boisterous laughter, the guys relaxed a little. Lehm and Price, in particular, knew he was just messing around. They exchanged a look and smirked at each other.

“Relax. No one’s getting tossed out the hatch… yet,” Alex said between laughs.

The guys let out a collective sigh of relief, though they still sat quietly just in case. Lehm and Price shook their heads with a chuckle — the joke had worked. The guys had been genuinely spooked, even knowing Alex was just playing around.

“Goddamn it, Alex! Screw you! I really thought you were gonna throw me out! And hell, you probably could!” R exploded, pointing at him.

“So, you still want that pillow or not? Maybe you’d prefer… other services?” Alex winked, raising his eyebrow playfully.

“Yeah, shove your damn pillow, you know where!” R snapped, still jabbing his finger at him in irritation.

“Oh, surprise me,” Alex grinned. “Name a place I haven’t been sent to yet — preferably somewhere with a nice view.”

R just grumbled something under his breath and slumped back into his seat, not saying another word.

Alex chuckled, turned on his heel, and headed back to the cockpit. Settling into the pilot’s chair, he pulled his phone from his pocket and — like the irresponsible pilot he was — casually set it on the dashboard and started a movie, just to pass the time.

Chiquita and Becca returned to the cockpit just as the movie was starting. Quickly realizing that watching a film was far more entertaining than staring at the endless clouds outside, they happily joined in.

Only a few minutes passed before the sound of the movie drew the attention of the girls in the cabin, and soon the cockpit was packed full. The girls clustered around, eagerly watching the screen.

“Hey, mind making it so we can actually see the damn thing?” Revy said, voicing everyone’s thoughts. “Your phone screen isn’t exactly a cinematic experience.”

Alex nodded, flipped the phone, and activated the built-in mini-projector. That instantly sparked a wave of approval — snack bags rustled, drinks hissed open — the cockpit turned into a full-blown movie theater.

Alex watched the scene unfold with mild surprise. Every one of the girls had their own phones — he’d personally handed them out. But for some reason, they all preferred to huddle together in the cockpit to watch a movie.

Still, he didn’t object. As long as no one interfered with the flight controls, he didn’t mind.

Meanwhile, the guys in the cabin, not wasting any time, asked the “flight attendants” — GIR, MIMI, and Stitch — for an extra projector. The trio delivered it without a problem.

Former military men, long accustomed to Spartan conditions, had to admit — this was probably the most comfortable flight they’d ever experienced on a military aircraft. A movie, snacks, and peace — not at all what they expected on a mission in the middle of the apocalypse.

The flight went smoothly… except for one thing: the cockpit had become so cramped it felt more like a tin can. Alex himself was practically flattened into his seat under the weight of three girls sprawled across his lap, elbowing each other from time to time to get more room.

He simply sighed, watching them sip their drinks, silently praying to every god he knew that none of them would need to use the restroom. Fortunately, that potential disaster seemed to pass them by — at least for now.

The flight was coming to an end. They were nearing their destination when a voice suddenly crackled through the radio:

“C-130 Hercules, respond. This is Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Over.”

The girls immediately quieted down and began exiting the cockpit. Alex slipped on his headset and opened the comm channel:

“This is C-130 Hercules. Captain speaking. We read you.”

“This is the base. Major Payne speaking. You must be the guy we’re expecting? Over.”

“Seems like it. My team and I are on final approach. No issues on your end? Over.”

“All clear, kid. We’ve cleared Hangar Three for you. Bring it down. We’ll talk once you’re on the ground. Out.”

“Copy that. Beginning final descent. Out.”

Alex nodded to Chiquita, signaling it was time to prep for landing. She immediately understood and took her position. Meanwhile, Alex was deep in thought — the major’s voice sounded painfully familiar. But he didn’t dwell on it. He’d find out soon enough when they met face to face.

“Attention, this is your captain speaking,” Alex’s voice echoed through the cabin. “We’ve been cleared for landing. Buckle up — it’s gonna get a little bumpy.”

At his words, everyone quickly returned to their seats and strapped in. Alex and Chiquita began their descent. Just as he warned, the aircraft started to shake slightly — the landing was a bit rough. The tension in the cockpit was palpable, but Alex and Chiquita handled the controls with steady hands, following the markers guiding them in.

It was at that moment that Alex finally understood why people say taking off is easier than landing a plane.

The wheels touched down, screeching across the runway as the aircraft began to brake. Once the plane came to a full stop, Alex steered it toward Hangar Three — just as instructed, and just as expected, soldiers were already gathered there, ready to guide them in.

Shutting down the equipment, Alex leaned back in his seat and exhaled deeply.

“What’s with the sigh?” Chiquita asked with a smirk. “That landing was pretty decent. Nothing fell off, far as I can tell.”

“Well, turns out landing a plane is way harder than I imagined. That was my first time,” Alex muttered, slipping a cigarette between his lips.

“First time and already that smooth? Not bad, my hero. But enough lounging — they’re waiting for us,” Chiquita said with a grin, kissed his cheek, and swiftly snatched the cigarette from his mouth.

Alex chuckled, shook his head, and stood up to follow her.

As they stepped into the cabin, they saw the rest of the group was already geared up and ready to go — all equipment slung over their shoulders. Alex nodded to the team and walked over to the lever to lower the ramp. With a soft hum, it descended, and the team began their exit.

At the bottom, a man in uniform was already waiting. Alex recognized him instantly — now it made sense why the voice on the radio had sounded so familiar. This wasn’t just “Major Payne” — this was the Major Payne, complete with the iconic hat, mustache, and trademark smirk.

“Nice landing, kid. So you’re the miracle boy who helped Hannibal, huh? Hmph. You look kinda scrawny. Didn’t they feed you back home?” Payne said, giving Alex a once-over from head to toe.

“I’ve had my share of experiences,” Alex replied calmly, extending his hand. “Name’s Alex. Thanks for welcoming us.”

“Major Benson Winifred Payne. But you can just call me Major Payne,” he introduced himself, giving Alex a firm handshake. Then his eyes shifted to Price and Lehm standing behind. “Well, well. Familiar faces. Price and Lehm. Still kickin’, huh?”

“Looks like you’re still alive too — and still a pain in the ass,” Price replied with a grin.

“You haven’t changed. Still a bastard,” Lehm added, lighting a cigarette.

Payne grinned, flashing a row of white teeth with a single golden one gleaming among them. Alex, slightly stunned by the encounter, quickly pulled himself together. He was already getting the feeling this universe was going to keep surprising him.

Without offering — more like ordering — Payne gave a nod, motioning for the group to follow. Alex just shrugged and walked after him. But what worried him most wasn’t Payne or his behavior — it was the reaction of the two “gremlins,” Rory and Becky. If Payne started acting like his usual self, things could go sideways fast. Those two weren’t exactly the type to put up with rudeness. Alex figured the only thing missing now was Payne’s signature laugh to complete the whole picture.

Soon, they arrived at a large hall. Alex and his team took their seats, ready to hear what was going on in this city.

“Hannibal says you’re some kind of miracle boy,” Payne started, taking a seat at the table. “We’ll see about that. What can you do for us?”

“First, tell me what the problem is,” Alex replied calmly, lighting a cigarette. “Then we’ll talk help.”

“If you really are a wizard like Hannibal keeps yapping about, then listen up. We’re not dealing with demons, mutants, or those inside-out freaks everyone keeps whining about on the radio. We’ve got a people problem. Living, breathing humans. And damn it, they’re causing way more trouble than the dead ever did,” the major said, his voice laced with frustration.

Alex and his team exchanged surprised glances, taken aback by how drastically the situation in this city differed from what they’d expected — especially considering that the main problems here were being caused by people. Alex realized that regular zombies were still present in the city, but according to Payne, the majority of the trouble came from humans. He took a drag from his cigarette, quietly contemplating the situation.

“People? Are you serious?” Toji asked, adjusting his glasses.

“Do I look like I’m telling jokes? Or maybe I’ve got a speech problem and your tiny brain couldn’t grasp what I said, you slant-eyed freak,” Payne snapped. Toji flinched, as if he’d been thrown right back into a military barracks.

“What kind of people are causing you trouble?” Saya interjected, pushing her glasses up.

“Well, look at you — the local know-it-all,” Payne sneered. “Listen up, Miss Thirst-for-Knowledge. We’ve got the goddamn Ku Klux Klan stirring up trouble — a bunch of racist assholes. And the second group? Some nutcases in robes preaching the end of the world and spouting all kinds of crazy doomsday garbage. Full-blown lunatics,” he said with disgust, waving his hand dismissively.

Saya looked ready to explode with rage, but Shizuka gently placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm the storm building inside her. It wasn’t just Alex who hadn’t expected that kind of answer — the entire team felt the same confusion. But when you really thought about it, in an apocalyptic scenario, extremist groups like the KKK and others of their ilk could easily crawl out from the shadows, chanting slogans like “Make Our Country Great Again” and other such nonsense.

Still, Alex was less concerned about the racists and more intrigued by the mention of the cultists. The only cult that immediately came to mind was the Church of the Marker. He didn’t even consider Los Illuminados a serious threat anymore — their territory had been wiped out long ago, especially after one of the Hell Priests moved in.

“So this end-of-the-world cult — what are they preaching? Something about ‘the convergence’? Or maybe they’re talking about the Marker?” Alex asked, narrowing his eyes and studying Payne’s expression.

“No damn clue what you’re rambling about,” Payne muttered, scratching his chin. “But they’re always carrying around some book… Shit, what was it called again?.. Whatever. We’ve got someone here who actually understands what those crazies are babbling about.”

Alex frowned, a single possibility coming to mind — only one book he could think of that could become the centerpiece of a cult. But he wasn’t entirely sure it could’ve ended up in this universe. If it had, though, that meant another massive headache landing squarely on his shoulders. He decided to wait for the person who supposedly knew about the book and the cult to confirm his suspicions.

Payne stood up, flung the door open, and barked:

“TIIIIIIGER! Get in here! Move it, double time!”

Everyone’s ears twitched involuntarily at Payne’s shout. He sighed. Just hearing the name, he immediately realized everything was unfolding exactly like it had in the original timeline — Payne had found himself a psychologist girlfriend and adopted a boy named Tiger. And sure enough: a second later, a boy of about six burst into the room, snapped to attention, and saluted Payne.

A warm, almost fatherly smile spread across Payne’s face. Price and Lehm exchanged skeptical glances — they clearly weren’t expecting that kind of expression from their old comrade.

“Tiger, son. Go find that woman who was spouting nonsense about cultists and a book. And while you’re at it, ask your mom what we’re having for dinner,” Payne said in a tone that sounded like it belonged in one of those old movies where dads actually knew how to parent.

“Yes, sir!” Tiger barked back and sprinted off.

Payne nodded proudly after the boy, closed the door, and returned to his seat.

“Ah, kids… They grow up so fast. Just yesterday, he was afraid of the monster in the closet and wetting the bed. Now he’s acting like a real soldier,” he said, wiping away a single tear.

“Don’t tell me you actually told him that story…” Lehm rasped, choking on cigarette smoke.

“What’s wrong with that? A boy’s gotta grow up, and growing up starts with realizing that the Little train really could,” Payne replied proudly, nodding.

Alex nearly choked. Even he thought that the story of The Little Train That Could wasn’t exactly the best bedtime tale for a child — at least, not the twisted version Payne likely told. The others, unfamiliar with the reference, exchanged intrigued glances. Becca leaned toward Alex and asked quietly:

“Is this guy completely out of his mind? What the hell Little TrainF is he even talking about?”

Alex just shook his head and whispered:

“I’ll explain later.”

The girls nodded. All that was left now was to wait for the woman who could explain the cult and the mysterious book. Alex hoped his worst suspicions would turn out to be wrong. But knowing his luck, he was already bracing for the likelihood that his first guess was spot on.

He exhaled quietly and listened as Payne, Lehm, and Price started reminiscing about the good old days to pass the time.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep