前のエピソード――episode 3 "Moon Gateway Space Station."

Second Period

My hangover has mostly subsided. The second period is about modern society.

Today, we have a class on promoting gender equality. [Based on reality]

In Akashi City, we have already achieved our goals, but it seems that in other cities and towns, there are still many places where men dominate. In the past, there was something called the "Child Penalty," where women who gave birth and raised children would experience a lifetime wage reduction of over 30%. However, in Akashi City, they have ensured that wages do not decrease regardless of how many children you have.

The costs and burdens of raising children are shared equally by both men and women in society. As a result, women can return to the workforce early without it affecting their career advancement. The number of male and female members in parliament and committees has been almost equal for the past ten years (considering sexual minorities, the calculation is based on "gender identity"). However, same-sex marriage is still not recognized. The debate on this issue is ongoing.

By the way, there was a controversy when a former prime minister's secretary said, "I don't even want to see same-sex marriage," which resulted in an apology. Some religions do not recognize same-sex marriage, and there are even existing religions that deny women's education. It's a complicated issue, isn't it?

Declaration of partnerships and familyships has seen an increase in the number of applications, though.

"Alright, Evans-san, define Dating Domestic Violence," the teacher asked.

Evans is my surname since I chose my mother's family name.

"Um, Dating Domestic Violence is..."

As I answered, I wondered if my habit of playfully rubbing Sō's head could be considered that. But it's not really a date.

Let's keep it a secret.

Third Period

Now it's time for physics class.

We're learning about the principles of antimatter bombs that utilize antimatter, which was first used in the previous world war and resulted in the deaths of millions of people. [Based on reality]

Being a knowledge seeker, I'm interested in everything and want to know about it.

The energy released when one gram of antimatter annihilates is equivalent to 23 solid fuel boosters. [Based on reality]

However, creating antimatter requires much more energy than what is obtained through annihilation, so there is little benefit to using it on Earth. It's like pouring 100,000 yen to earn just 100 yen, completely cost-ineffective.

Using antimatter bombs, which disregard costs, or using them in space where energy replenishment is difficult, seems to be the theory.

Nuclear fusion technology has been established, allowing for sustained fusion reactions within a small ring with a diameter of about 10 centimeters, generating enormous energy continuously. As a result, taxis (referred to as passenger drones) that can fly for six months without refueling have become available. Students can use them for free anytime. I prefer Trobus, though.

There are even products like the "Tetsuro®️," a personal mobile armor with a ring-shaped fusion energy unit called an Energy Filler embedded in its chest, which shines in golden color.

This Tetsuro will play an important role later on.