The Daily Survival of a Nobody in the Interstellar Age

As an ordinary human doing her best to survive and work in the interstellar world, Lu Ningjia knows that things here are a little abnormal.

There are the alien creatures that occasionally invade from hidden corners of different worlds and attack people, not to mention the rare individuals who awaken powers as a result: the ability users. After twenty years, everyone has gotten used to both of these things, abnormal or not.

Besides all that, she sometimes sees coworkers zoning out and talking to themselves. One day, one of them inexplicably said, "Xiao Lu, could you swap shifts with someone tomorrow? I saw on the news that things in the outer district have been a little... unsettled lately."

But there hadn't actually been any news reports like that lately. Even so, Lu Ningjia accepted her coworker's kindness.

The next day, she saw the headline: Shocking! Meteorite crashes in Outer District 444, causing an explosion. Death toll still unknown.

Lu Ningjia: 0.0

Sometimes she'd bring homemade pastries to the young woman who lived next door. One day, the neighbor pulled her aside and hesitated before saying, "The climate's been acting strange lately, and things might get... worse. Anyway, make sure you stock up on food, and don't bring me any more. I just opened a restaurant, so I have plenty to eat." She even pushed a bag of fresh vegetables into Lu Ningjia's hands.

Vegetables weren't cheap these days! Lu Ningjia felt a little embarrassed, but thanked her for the kind gesture.

A few months later, the news reported that a substance had leaked from a certain research institute, possibly contaminating the nearest food-growing region. Food in their star sector would be rationed for the next six months.

Six months later, another report said that the substance leak was irreversible and food would continue to be rationed indefinitely. Everyone panicked.

Lu Ningjia, who received help from her neighbor every few days: 0.0

Then, while working a side gig as a delivery runner on her day off, a regular customer stopped her and warned, "That X Medical company is giving away free medicine lately, along with relief food. I heard there's something wrong with it, so you'd better not sign up."

Lu Ningjia had indeed received a community notice about the program. As soon as she heard this, she thanked her customer and decided not to go.

The following day, she saw a news clip on TV. Everyone at X Medical had been taken over by parasites, and her regular customer was standing atop a pile of people infected by alien creatures, slaughtering them left and right with her powers. The tiny caption below said the woman was a recently emerged ability user whose background was mysterious and whose power was unfathomable. The major factions were all trying to track her down.

That night, an unexpected visitor arrived at Lu Ningjia's home, with the door firmly shut.

Lu Ningjia, seeing her injured regular customer: 0.0

Lu Ningjia works full time as a sanitation worker in her star sector and does delivery work on the side. As she scrapes by in a dangerous interstellar world, she has a vague feeling that the people around her all have little secrets of their own.

But it doesn't matter. They don't affect her life. She skillfully uses her broom to sweep the alien creature's remains into a dustpan.

Today's work is done! I've survived another day. What should I have for dinner after work?

Theme: No matter what happens, keep working toward a better life for yourself.