Stowaway Investigative Report

Chapter II: Living in a Two-Cubic-Meter Cabin While some stowaways choose to give up buying consumables in reality to extend their stay in the Dreamscape, a survey revealed that 85% of respondents still chose to pay for the robot cleaning services on the ship to keep their rooms clean — As the putrid scent in the room in reality would otherwise severely degrade their experience in the dream. The cleaning robot on the ship is an outdated IPC model from 2152 AE, with a history longer than the stowaway ship itself. Despite its age, the robot remains functional and diligently attends to the sanitation of 107 compartments in one half of the ship, emitting a melodic hum that praises Qlipoth as it moves. The affordability of its services has even led some stowaways to develop a sense of faith in Preservation. Naturally, it also handles the task of "cleaning up" deceased tenants or those who could no longer pay, but stowaways have long grown accustomed to this. The most popular food among stowaways is the "Instant Vita Serum," which solely relies on the IPC's shipping routes for transportation. Originally created by a "botanical botanist" (an intelligent plant from the Cexkal system) during the Borderstar Trade War when resources were scarce, the IPC has since acquired the rights for this product. This nutrient fluid has the advantages of affordability and the fact that "drinking it probably won't kill you, I guess" and was extensively used during relief efforts in wars. However, it was eventually banned due to potential safety concerns regarding physiological harm, leading to the closure of the production factory. Merchants that had stockpiled large amounts of the nutrient fluid during the war were forced to leave in disappointment, taking with them enough nutrient fluids that could last two planets for three Amber Eras. That was when an affordable life-support product emerged throughout the cosmos. In certain cosmic segmenta, a bottle of nutrient fluid may be worth less than the excrement of a local creature. Experienced stowaways collect empty cans to sell the alloy to the captain at discounted prices. However, they discreetly keep this knowledge from rookies, as that would lead to receiving hush money from the captain. "By the way, does this stuff have a shelf life?" "Well, drinking it probably won't kill you, I guess." Due to prolonged exposure to low-gravity environments, organic stowaways face additional health risks compared to inorganic ones. Common ailments include osteoporosis and endocrine disorders. The cost of daily cabin environmental conditioning, amounting to 10,000 credits a day, remains unaffordable for the majority of stowaways. In the face of these challenges, stowaways who have not yet had a mental collapse due to the effects of high concentrations of memoria ultimately resort to extensive body modifications to gain some extra hours of sleep each day. "Look at me now. All I need to do is dive into the Dreamscape. If only I could never have to wake up." During an interview with a stowaway named "Beta," it came to my attention that he only had one-tenth of his head left and an inorganic shell weighing about 29 kilograms. After learning about my identity, he kept cursing the captain for deducting the money earned from selling his organic body parts. He insisted on gifting me the last bottle of his much-cherished nutrient solution, as he can rely solely on sub-par batteries for his survival. "Well, drinking it probably won't kill you, I guess." While writing this section at the Reverie Hotel, an inorganic guest approached me and requested the bottle of nutrient solution. He then invited me to his miniature garden, where he poured the nutrient solution on one of the flowers, causing it to come to life and greet me.