Knowledge is love

Part 36: Cold sleep and panic attacks

After they finish making the refrigerator, Old Man Kaseki shoos everyone out, since it was best to leave Senku alone with Tsukasa because Senku was literally about to kill Tsukasa. It was also best for them to have one last private conversation before Tsukasa gets frozen.

"You said it's like cold sleep? Only heard of that on spaceships in science fiction," Tsukasa said.

"Spaceships, huh," Senku said as the refrigerator filled with cold mist. "The Soyuz seats three. If you had to choose out of everyone here, who would you want riding into space with you?"

"Let's see..." Tsukasa said as he began to think. "You're asking me to make a kind of shortlist of the most capable people here, or something?"

"Huh? What are you talkin' about," Senku asked. "It's just a simple question."

"Here we are at the end and you make small talk," Tsukasa said.

"What's wrong with making a little small talk," Senku asked softly.

Tsukasa was a bit caught off guard by Senku's answer but he smiled as he liked the last thing he did was just have a nice conversation with Senku. Not as enemies but as friends.

"Well... Taiju," Tsukasa said. "And... Sorry, Senku, but you might not be physically fit enough for exploring the planets. If I took someone from the village, maybe Chrome."

"Yeah. I don't think I'd need me there, either," Senku admitted. "How 'bout that chick with the shells on her head? Why not her?"

"She's a journalist. She's been a crucial source of information for choosing who to revive," Tsukasa admitted.

"Heh. I figured you'd be into her," Senku said. "It'd make sense for the strongest primate high schooler to have a thing for the Marilyn Monroe type."

"Like how it makes sense for the scientist to be into a warrior woman," Tsukasa said.

Senku chuckled as Tsukasa sighed.

"I didn't consider appearances when picking people to bring back," Tsukasa admitted.

"No, 'course not," Senku said. "By the way, why did you choose the nickname 'the strongest primate high schooler'? I mean, did you think it sounded cool, or what?"

"To be honest, I never actually thought of myself that way," Tsukasa admitted.

"The world's strongest primate for real would have to be the mega-macho mountain gorilla," Senku said.

"Yeah. Those were tough, all right," Tsukasa said. "I've fought one before. For some TV show."

"Tch. You were a total beast hunter, huh," Senku said. "You fought a lion, too, remember?"

Tsukasa chuckled as he remembered when he saved Senku and Taiju the first time they met. He literally punched a lion seconds after being revived.

"That thing tasted like crap no matter how we tried to cook it," Senku said. "You, Taiju and I all made the craziest faces eating it. You've thought we lost some kind of dare. The only way we survived was thanks to Taiju's idea of shoving it down with a ton of mushrooms. But don't tell y/n we had to eat a lion or she might get sad."

"That takes me back," Tsukasa said softly. "Those days I spent with you guys...they were great. So much fun. Sen...ku..." Tsukasa's eyes slowly closed.

"That reminds me," Senku said. "That poison mushroom Taiju ate, it's called amanita muscaria. If you eat a lot of 'em, they'll totally make you hallucinate. Ya know, funny thing is, that particular one looks a lot like the one Super Mario eats to grow huge. Heh. But he actually doesn't get any more powerful. You know why? It's because Mario only believes that he's gotten huge because he's hallucinating hard off that mushroom. He's ten billion percent tripping on it. Tripping balls."