Aetheran Child

by Antonin Januska

  “He called. I will patch you through to him immediately.”

  Lexan’s view changed and he saw Master Raki’s representation standing over him.

  “Master Raki?” Lexan yawned, “You were looking for me?”

  “Yes, why are you still at the landing platform? Didn’t one of my students get you?”

  “No, I have been here the whole time.”

  “I will have to speak with him, that’s the third assignment he has forgotten. Bran will take you to a trainer that will set you up and take care of you.” A small map appeared at the edge of Lexan’s view. He knew the way immediately as the route worked its way into his internal processor. “I hope the rest of your stay will work out better. Bye!” Raki’s representation disappeared.

  When the boy opened his eyes, he saw more than before. Several objects around him were highlighted and with a single thought, he could open up a description of that object. The small map with other indicators showed up on the sides of his view.

  He stood up and entered the interior of the glass building as the doors slid open for him. The furniture changed, as well as everything else on the inside. The apartment, as Lexan’s visual guide described it, vibrated with elegancy and extravagancy. Cold steel covered the walls and the ceiling. The carpet swayed like grass in the wind and fused with everything around it, including Lexan’s feet. In one corner, stairs led to floors above and below. In another corner stood a prism-like hollow structure with one side missing. The visual descriptor called it a “transporter” that would take Lexan to the main complex on the surface.

  A bowl on a table nearby had nutritional cubes placed inside it and as the boy laid down on a sofa-like piece of furniture, he realized that that he has not eaten in days.

  “Bran, how can I eat with my helmet on?”

  “You may either insert the cube through a side rebreather or you can take off your helmet to initiate an air shield.”

  He took off the helmet and saw a milky white, misty shield shimmer into existence. Wherever the shield crossed another object, it turned orange, to show its new found boundary. Lexan grabbed a couple of the tasteful cubes and pocketed a few for later. After eating five, he stood up to leave.

  The prism structure closed off and opened again with a man standing there. He was short and bald, and looked very familiar.

  “Hello.” He said, caught a bit off guard.

  “Hi,” Lexan stared at him and motioned that he was on his way out. The short man snapped out of his trance and moved on. The boy could not remember exactly where he had seen the man but he looked too familiar to be here on the planet. The man walked by and the boy decided to ignore the encounter. He walked into the prism-like structure that was glowing white and dimly lit with a blue light. One side of the transporter lit up to show several destinations at the school below. Several spheres, that lit up, were connected by thin lines that held the enormous web “buildings” up.

  Lexan tapped the bracelet on his arm to see the nano-constructed computer crawl out and form. A holographic image projected the city with the shortest possible route leading to a destination. The red route flashed through the various and spheres. The boy pressed the appropriate sphere and the transporter closed.

  Seconds later, Lexan felt a jolt of acceleration, deceleration, and finally the door slid open soundlessly. After stepping out, he was shocked to see the enormous dome-like roof stand over his head. People of many races and kinds, of different sizes and colors walked by busily as Lexan peered around. The floors were lined with white metal that had subtle green inscriptions as far as the eye could see. In the middle of the circular, shop-lined interior stood a v-like compilation of tubes that varied in transparency, from translucent white to completely transparent. Flashes of light traveled through the tubes which, according to Lexan’s helmet display, housed the transporters that ran through the entire planet.

  The rest of the circular building resembled a plaza. People walked through the main walkways in the middle and at the circumference. Grassy medians occupied unused space while the sky lights above let the sunshine in. To Lexan’s surprise, it was a nice day out, so soon after the storm.

  He walked down one of the pathways and stared out outside where he saw spheres and tubes after spheres and tubes intertwined with greenery and the blue of the sky. It all seemed very inviting and peaceful and Lexan could not help but smile. He stopped by an information booth nearby to ask about the area. He had enough time to venture through the area.

  “Hello, how may I help you?” A tall handsome man at the information booth asked when he saw Lexan walk up.

  “Yes, can you tell me about this…” the boy could not find the right word for the building.

  “Sphere?” The man asked in a soothing voice. Lexan nodded, “This node of the Pyramid Structure is called the ‘New Entrance’, and it is one of the first destinations meant for travelers and traders visiting the Athiris complex, not just the school. There are shops all around the circumference and as you can see, the shops go on and on for kilometers. The floor below contains the transporters. Under that floor, premium hotels and restaurants may entertain and house those travelers. The rest of the building is lined with other shops and entertainment centers.”

  The man smiled, Lexan nodded in thanks and left toward the transports.

  III

  The transport station showed several maps floating through the air with hundreds of routes flashing through. The maps reacted to each person walking by, re-routing their travels, informing them of less-trafficked areas and advising them on attractions in the area. Lexan needed to get to the Old Entrance and so as he walked by one of the maps, it recommended a straight-on journey, nothing complicated.

  The boy looked around the circular level and walked into the direction of the numerous ridges through which the flashing lights traveled. After some of the lights flashed through, a person would appear, ‘stepping off’ from the transporter. Some of the people in the area turned into Aetheri and jumped into the tracks, waiting specifically on a transport, while letting other transports pass by.

  The Aetheri had an easy time transforming, reforming, and moving around in their form as opposed to Lexan’s experience where he suffered from pain, coldness, and other symptoms.

  Things will get easier with time, he thought.

  Most of the light flashes did not stop for longer than five seconds to pick someone up and when that happened, the people would simply walk into the white nothingness and disappear. Each ridge let to a different destination. Lexan’s helmet informed him of all the destinations and highlighted the correct ridge. It also called up the transport and informed the transport station about his arrival and wish to embark.

  Within a few seconds, a hazy mist of light stopped in front of Lexan. He walked into the light, and kept walking because he did not know what was supposed to happen. He took a step too far and realized he had exited the mist of light. He looked around and realized he was at the Old Entrance already with a girl standing next to him.

  “Hi, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Bloo smiled, slightly amused.

  “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you either.”

  “Where are you headed?” She asked.

  “I am supposed to meet someone, how about you?”

  “I’m on my way to my dormitory,” she paused, “I’ll see you around.” She was about to leave but stopped, “Don’t forget about the party tonight!”

  “Oh, I wasn’t invited,” he automatically answered.

  “Everyone is invited! Tomorrow is the last day before school starts, and we first-years will be admitted in the Grand Hall.”

  Lexan was about to question her further about the subject but she ran off with a wave.

  The earthling, Lexan realized he was, walked up a level to the main plaza which seemed less neat and clean than the New Entrance. The sky lights above were dimmed to create a dusk-like atmosphere. The Sphere, in fact, rese
mbled a shady part of a city.

  Red and green floating signs lined some of the stores and screamed out. Clerks stood around to call visitors into shops, offering discounts. Some of the people around smoked what looked like cigarettes but surely, an advanced civilization that mastered hyper-light speeds would use a substance more sophisticated than tobacco, and less unhealthy.

  Groups sat at open bars and huddled together to discuss business. Lexan headed to one of those open bars. The bartender ignored the boy, and made a grunt-like sound when he approached. The man had multiple legs that supported a large fat body. Six arms extended around to pour drinks, wash glasses, and handle money. His orange skin had multiple glowing green spots that were probably fungus or lichen.

  “Hello,” Lexan started, “I'm looking for Thrace.”

  The bartender's eyes narrowed and then he pointed to a figure a couple of seats down.

  IV

  After the initial welcomes, Lexan and Thrace dove into a expansive discussion. Thrace was a man in his early twenties and his skin shone bright white in the darkness. He wore hooded clothing to cover it. His short black hair waved every few seconds as cheap old air conditioning system from the bar cooled the air. The boy wondered why it was so old and why an air conditioning system like this was used when the New Entrance did not, in comparison, have any kind of visible air refining facility.

  Thrace could be very easily talked to and seemed very polite. He was a Shun with an easy-going nature. His black and white body was accentuated with bright red eyes and small red spots, like freckles, on his skin. His lips, however, were black.

  “Ah, yes, Master Raki mentioned that,” Thrace answered and laughed, “Now, the reason why we're meeting. I have to leave soon so let me tell you everything you need to know.”

  Alexander nodded and listened tentatively.

  “Your room number is I623CI4. The first four characters represent the sector, the following two letters specify the dorm identification and finally, the last number is the actual room in its subsection.” Lexan noticed an icon pop up in the air that signified reception of an information package.

  He looked at the room number. He knew that number would come back to haunt him, the first time he saw it. Specifically, the last three characters left an impression on him, “CI4”.

  “Next you are forbidden to disclose-” Thrace looked over at the barman who was cleaning alloy cups with his hands, not at all hygienically. Lexan's information system told him the barman's hands excreted nano machines that sterilized the cups, which put him at ease. Thrace and the man exchanged looks and the bartender reluctantly walked away. “-your place of origin. There's a common star group which we use to refer to beings that are from forbidden sectors of the galaxy or that received asylum. I do not know where you are from,” Thrace held his hand up to stop Lexan from disclosing that information, “And I do not want to know, and cannot know. We refer to this sector of stars as the Cardinal Regions. The actual Cardinal Regions are very close to the galactic core, on the other side of the galaxy where neither the United Galactic Nations, nor the Outlaw Alliance, nor even the United Republics reach. The region has been known to give rise to very strange various cultures and thus are galactically protected from any kind of intrusion. Basically, anyone can get out, no one can get in and that is why no one can cross check against what you say about your place of origin and planet. You may encounter other Cardinals, and you are strictly forbidden to inquire about their real origin or discuss this knowledge with them.

  “If anyone asks about your origins, stick to what you know, but you may make up a story. No one will be able to stop you from doing that but we recommend that you stick to what you know. Unless of course,” Thrace chuckled, “You're from Earth.”

  Lexan did not laugh, and Thrace noticed. His eyes widened but then contracted back to their original state, “Then you will have to just use your imagination.” He looked rather nervous and left a minute later in a hurry and with an awkward smile.

  The boy stayed at the bar, reminiscing a friend who resembled Thrace but was human and was from Earth, a planet too far to even fathom a return journey.

  V

  “That class is hard, but you know what? I heard Bio in high school is even worse,” the boy said, turning to Alexander.

  “We'll see in a couple of years,” Lexan answered without the slightest hint of care. He blew on the snowflakes that made their way onto his nose. The dark knight extinguished all the remaining stars above. Only the moon shone through every once in a while when a cloud passed by. It was one of those nights that Lexan loved so much. All the problems in the world did not matter. Nothing mattered, he realized as he laid still on the thin layer of snow. The cold slowly bit at his cheeks.

  “You know what I hate?” The boy brought up a new topic.

  “What?” Alexander turned and eyed the boy who looked exactly like Thrace. He had protruding cheekbones, and short black hair that swayed every few seconds as the wind picked up or died down. His skin shone a mellow white in the obscured moonlight.

  “I hate how people are fake, you know? I mean, you know Jennifer, right?” Lexan nodded, “She puts on this preppy good-girl look but down in her heart, even I can see it, she's a dark person. It's like she shuts her real self off and puts on this elaborate show. I hate that, man. I really do.” The boy stood up and stretched and looked all around the field. There was no one in sight, “And then people who shut off the outside. People who ignore what's happening and the reality and live in their make-belief world. I hate that.”

  “Yeah, I hate that, too. Fake people complicate things too much. They should just come out straight with who they are. And screw what others think, we should accept each other, right?” Alexander stood up too and kicked a small rock into distance, “Can you imagine some alien beings watching us? They'd laugh at how we act, how dishonest we are, and how much we care what others think.” It was one of those nights where both the boys came out with their innermost deep thoughts.

  “I don't know, man.” The other boy laughed, “it looks like peer pressure got to her, Jen, you know?” Lexan pushed the boy in annoyance and grinned at him.

  “You like her?”

  The boy pushed him back, “No.” he paused, “Why are people the way they are? Why do they socialize? Why do they give into peer pressure? That stuff is bull.”

  Lexan frowned, “No idea.”

  They both nodded in agreement and left the topic hanging. Even though they were so young, they knew the concept of deep worry. Parents told them they had their whole lives ahead of them but that was barely the truth. Lexan had years upon years of schooling left, and after that, he would surely enter the work force, he thought, and live a mundane, boring life as a slave to a corporation or to the government.

  The other boy knew that as well. He knew he would give up, or if not give up, he knew he would end up struggling to survive his whole life and that left him bitter. He knew he could change but he knew the reality as well.

  Both of them worried about their lives, both of them knew that things were not as they seem to be, and both of them enjoyed long winter nights where these worries disappeared.

  The winter breeze blew into the snow and the two boys walked through the field, looking up at the stars in silence.

  VI

  The bartender refilled Lexan's cup with water. The boy sat quietly and pondered upon the memory. He knew that he will never see the boy again, his close friend, and that he will never enjoy those meditative winter nights he had on Earth.

  After a few minutes, he stood up and headed to find his dormitory, “CI4”. The characters burned in his head, they felt familiar but somehow, distant. As if he had a memory of something but someone smudged over it. The journey took Lexan less time than he thought; within half an hour, he found the right sector, sphere, and finally the room.

  The boy walked up to the door located in a thin long corridor with light grey walls. The walls lit u
p with signs of welcome. The “door”, Lexan realized, was not a door at all. It was simply a part of the wall with lights shining around it. The part of the wall disintegrated once the boy pressed his hand against it.

  Inside, the room contained two bunk beds, and only a small amount of space to move around in. It was less a dormitory and more a cabin, like one in a submarine. The walls were as grey as the corridor outside and was covered in a thin foam-like substance. When Lexan touched the wall, the substance hardened and felt completely solid. The floor was covered in a similar substance coated in black. And again, on touch, the surface solidified. When Lexan tried to slide down it, he felt the substance change properties and prevent his fall.

  Each bed contained a mattress one could lie down on. It adjusted to a person's race, height, and weight with its contour and hardness. The beds were meant only for meditation and relaxation, and that is why they could solidify completely on command. At the head of each bed stood a desk with a screen on it. When the bed solidified, it acted as a chair to the desk, forming a backing when one sat down on it in a proper way.

  The room contained three different doors. One to enter, another marked to be the entrance to the washroom, and a third door that seemed to lead into a closet.

  The washroom door disappeared to let a boy walk out and then reappeared again.

  The boy walked to the bed opposite of where Lexan sat down, “Hey, what's up?”

  “Hey,” Lexan started, “I'm your new roommate.”

  “Well, alright,” the boy pointed to his bunk-bed, “There shouldn't be any more people joining this dorm, so I'll keep this whole bunk-bed to myself and you keep that one.”

  Lexan nodded and lied down, staring at the bottom of the bed above him. He thought quickly, he had three days before school started and still a lot of things to do.

  VII

  Bran informed Lexan of the credits on his account the next day and the boy headed out to the nearest Shopping Sphere. Among other things, the boy bought extra nanomachines for his nano-constructed computer which was the liquid display screen on his wrist. He also bought extra memory and some simple routines programmable for the “NCC”.