She fixed herself a quick breakfast and got dressed, thinking that she’d get more ideas exploring again. She stuffed her suit with her tone card and keys as she locked the door of her apartment. Maybe she could joyride through the different train stops, but she quickly tossed the idea remembering that train rides weren’t free and she needed to manage her money carefully in order to pay her rent. She took the stairs down to the first floor and caught a glimpse of a tall figure in the mail room.
“Sal?” She ran over and peaked inside.
“Oh, Ester,” Sal said as he turned to her.
Ester cracked a smile as she watched the wrinkles stretch around Sal’s large black eyes.
“Hey Sal, you wouldn’t happen to know of anywhere fun to hang out?”
Sal squinted as he drew his hand to his chin. “Fun? Well, I do recall a few places.” He chuckled. “Yes, I do recall a few places indeed.”
“Great! Where?”
“Let’s see, there is the park just down the street. Oh, how the children look so happy when they play, and there is the park a little ways beyond that. Oh, that park is just lovely.” Sal’s mouth curled into a smile.
“Um, are there any other places besides parks?” Ester asked, trying to remain optimistic.
“Besides parks?” Sal blinked a few times. “Well, I, I do recall a place on the train line. Oh dear, my apologies, I am thinking of another park. Please forgive me.”
“It’s okay, Sal.”
“But, I do believe next to that park, which is three stops east from here in the Hiji locale, is a center. It is rather loud, but the children seem to enjoy it.”
“Center? What kind of center is it?”
Sal rubbed the skin of his chin, tugging at it gently. “If I recall correctly, it is a game center or a mall. No, it is both a game center and a mall.” A smile found its way on Sal’s face once more.
“A game center?”
Ester’s eyes started to sparkle. She had never been to a game center before; they didn’t have those anywhere near her back home. Ester clasped her hands together.
“Three stops east, Hiji locale, right?” Ester said.
“Yes, yes, I believe so.”
“Great! Thanks Sal,” Ester said as she left the mailroom.
“You’re welcome!” Sal shouted.
Ester had practically forgotten about game centers. They had a few near the big fishing towns far south in Adum. She used to see them on the tele. Tel-sa was famous for their mega game centers that were so big that they had hover car racing in them. She would have to make it a point after Angel was done with school to do a little road trip. Maybe she could visit all the nation states in the future. She would love to visit Samay in Cha-la and maybe a few friends from the orphanage as well.
The train station wasn’t as intimidating as it was before. Though she occasionally got lost from time to time, at least she was getting better at reading the maps. She stood in a crowd and looked at the arrival and departure screens. It looked like the next train for Hiji locale would be arriving in twenty minutes. Ester had plenty of money on her train card. Thank goodness she reloaded earlier this week. She looked down the corridor and spotted the woman with the short midnight blue hair who lived in her apartment. The one she had the awkward encounter with from before. She hated that she ran away so quickly and hoped it didn’t put the woman off, so she walked over to her.
“Hey,” Ester said, startling the woman, earning her one heck of a glare. Ester put her hands up in defense. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You again. Do you not have anything better to do other than to pester others?” The woman snapped.
“Hey, I just said hi. You don’t have to be rude,” Ester bit back. What was up with this woman? She was always in a bad mood.
“Well, perhaps you should keep your nose in your own business.” The woman’s steely gaze made Ester’s blood boil.
“You know what? I don’t need this.” Ester stormed off.
She didn’t know what pissed her off, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She found her gate and sat and waited for her train. Today was going to be a good day, and she didn’t need any drama to ruin it. The train pulled into the station on time. The doors opened, and people flooded out, then Ester boarded. It was tight, but she managed to grab a seat. She got comfy for the ten-minute ride, when she looked up and made eye contact with the rude woman again. The woman spotted her and glared as she searched around for any available seats, but the last seat was taken by a man talking on his phone. Now all that was left was a seat next to Ester. The conductor announced they would be departing in sixty seconds, leaving her with very little options other than to sit next to Ester. The woman grumbled and squeezed in between Ester and a larger woman with an armful of bags. It was uncomfortable, but better than standing. The train took off, causing the woman to shove into Ester.
“Ugh,” Ester groaned.
The woman quickly readjusted herself but there was little space as her body was being smooshed by the woman carrying the large bags. It was awkward and hot. The trained reached full speed, then the conductor announced the next stop which was the Karlem locale.
“Karlem?” The woman seemed surprised.
Ester rolled her eyes. “Yeah, the next stop is Karlem.”
Ester looked over at the woman, but where she expected to see a glare she saw a different expression; shock.
“Wait, you want to go to Karlem right?” Ester asked.
The woman grumbled, balling up her fist. “Ja, I wanted to go to Weleaf locale.”
“Weleaf is four stops west; we’re heading east.”
“Ja,” The woman groaned in a language Ester could not understand.
Ester sighed. She felt a little bad for her. Ester knew all too well the frustration of getting on the wrong train. Ester opened her mouth to say something but remembered how rude she was. She called Ester nosey, so she was on her own in getting to whatever she wanted to go. The two rode in silence, but a pinch of guilt was nagging at Ester. She could almost feel the weight of Sister Genevieve’s eyes on her. Why should she help someone who was rude to her, but the feeling in her heart was growing and sprouting into frustration.
“If you get off on Hiji,” Ester said, “you can take the express back to our locale’s station, but you have to take the super orange not the red-violet. The red-violet will take you four stops past it.”
Ester turned to the woman, whose eyes were vacant and confused. Ester sighed. She really wanted to go to the game center today, but this woman looked completely lost.
“You have taken an express before?” Ester asked.
The woman shook her head then frowned.
“Um, okay, let’s see. If you go to the ticket office, a worker should be able to explain the express lines to you. It does cost a little more, but it’s faster than taking another regular train back. Where are you heading? Maybe I can help you because I know for a fact Weleaf has three in locale stops.”
The woman looked tense as if she was lost in deep thought. “Perhaps I am mistaken.”
Ester groaned. It didn’t seem like she knew where she was going at all, and she was still a little pissed about how she acted before. “Okay, I don’t know what’s up with you, but if we’re going to be on speaking terms, you can’t snap like that.”
The woman looked at Ester, then lowered her gaze. “I am sorry.”
“It’s okay, these train lines can be a real bitch. So, you’re not heading to Weleaf?”
The woman shrugged as her frown deepened. The conductor announced the next stop.
“Alright, get off with me and we’ll figure this out. Before we get off, can I at least get your name?”
The woman gave Ester a long hard look then her body relaxed a little. “My name? My name is Pisces.”
Ester nodded. “Nice to meet you, Pisces. I’m Ester.”
They got off on the Hiji stop and headed towards the arrival and departure board. Pisces could barely
recall the name of the locale she was trying to go to. Ester sighed. This was going nowhere fast. She didn’t want to go all the way back home, but she didn’t want to abandon Pisces either.
“Hey, you wanna go to the game center with me?” Ester said, seeing how she was already lost. “I mean if you’re not pressed to get to wherever you’re going.”
“Game center? What is a game center?”
Ester shrugged. “Don’t know, never been, but I wanted to check it out today. After that, I can help you get home. I won’t be long, I promise.”
Pisces stood and thought for a second then turned to Ester and nodded. Ester was low key starting to get excited again.
“Sweet! Let’s go.” Ester waved Pisces along through the dense crowd.
Stepping outside of the underground train station, the Hiji locale was nothing like the South Mall area. A breath of fresh air hit Ester’s nostrils as the breath-taking scenery took her by surprise. In the middle of a sea of shop fronts and restaurants sat a beautiful park. This must have been the one Sal was talking about. The mix of technology and nature reminded her of Tel-sa. Lush and green, the park was about ten times bigger than any park Ester had ever seen. Shops and restaurants lined the roads facing the park and on the edges of the park. On the sidewalks, street venders cooed visitors over with smells of freshly cooked food. Ester could feel her stomach growling, but she had already eaten and didn’t want to spend any extra tones. She turned to Pisces, who seemed just as amazed, then looked around to try and find the game center. Ester looked for an on-street directory, but there didn’t seem to be any. Then Pisces tapped Ester on the shoulder and pointed. Ester looked where she was pointing and gasped. Just on the other side of the park was a huge silver building illuminated in bright flashing rainbow colors. Even in broad daylight, it was vibrant. In the center a screen showed images of children running and playing and holding prizes. The screen flashed to a cute bear creature and a name flashed across the mega screen, Mr. Peter’s Game Center. This looked like a place Angel would love. Ester turned to Pisces with a great big smile on her face and waved her reluctantly along.
Sal was not exaggerating when he said this place was loud. Ear shattering sound blared from the speakers the moment they walked in. Ester hopped out of the way of a stampede of children as she tried to make her way to the entrance booth. It did not cost anything to get in, but they needed to purchase special wristbands which would hold their in-game center money. A tiny complaint escaped Pisces’ lips as she wondered why she needed to transfer currency just to play a game. Ester wondered the same thing but made a mental note to save extra tones because each game had its own price. Pisces stepped aside as couple slurping drinks walked by. She eyed them suspiciously. Ester noticed this and laughed. She had no idea why Pisces was so tense.
“So, where to first?” Ester said, this was more of a rhetorical question, everything looked amazing and a little strange too.
“I am not sure. I have not been in such a strange place.” Pisces eyed the loud, flashing machines.
“Okay,” Ester stood on her tippy toes. The room stretched for yards, and there appeared to be a second and third level.
Thank goodness she had all day to explore. She hoped Pisces didn’t mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something bright pink and yellow. Ester saw an image of Allura dancing across the screen. He was one of Angel’s favorite singers.
“Let’s give that one a try.” Ester pointed to the flashy booth. Pisces followed along, tensing up every time a child screamed or a machine went off.
The machine looked about as big as a closet. It was bright yellow with images of some of Rean’s biggest super stars. Ester watched the screen; it looked pretty interesting.
“Want to try?” Ester said.
Pisces shrugged, and Ester took that as a yes and followed the diagram to pay for the game. The two stepped in, and to their surprise, it was painted to look like the inside of a closet.
“Welcome fashion lovers to Superstar Dress Up!”
The machine turned on, startling them both. The music started at near deafening levels as a hologram man dressed in a soft pink ride suit materialized next to them. Pisces jumped back, but Ester grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall back.
“I’m Harris, and I’ll be your make over artist for today. Please select your body type, gender, and skin color on the screen.”
Ester and Pisces looked at her each, then Ester raised her hands to select the required information.
“Excellent!”
A near nude hologram projected on their bodies causing both girls to rush and hide their exposed bits.
“Wait, wait, wait, not cool.” Ester squealed, but when she felt her real clothes underneath the hologram she started to calm down.
“What is this dark craft?” Pisces hissed.
“This game is taking this a little too seriously.” Ester laughed nervously.
“Now that your preferences have been selected, let’s get shopping!”
An Allura song started to play along with the music video. Both girls stared uncomfortably at Allura’s revealing outfit. Ester sort of laughed as she started to make her selection through the clothes. Whatever she clicked on was projected onto her body. It was weird but kind of fun. Ester heard Pisces gasp and looked at what Pisces was staring at.
“Yup, that’s a butt,” Ester said as she watched Allura dance with his butt cheeks fully exposed.
“Has-has his outfit malfunctioned?” Pisces cringed.
“Nope, I think he just likes to wear clothes with his butt out. I have no idea why, but he’s super popular in Ans-on.”
Ester caught a glimpse of Pisces’ face and laughed. Ester felt the same way when Angel was showing her clips of his concerts. The man was eccentric. They finished the game, and at the end, it produced a tiny bear shaped hologram projector that when turned on produced an image of Ester and Pisces in their outfits. It was a neat little souvenir. Ester and Pisces checked out the other games which varied from ones you can physically touch to games that were based in virtual reality. This place was pretty amazing, and Ester was sure she looked like one big child as she wondered around. Pisces cracked a small smile which didn’t go unnoticed by Ester. She was glad Pisces was having a good time too.
“Hey, they have an anti-gravity machine on the third floor. You can see what it feels like to float in space.” Ester flipped through the map on her wristband.
“Interesting,” Pisces said as she looked over her shoulder.
“Your accent, I’ve never heard it before,” Ester said. “Are you from Huma-ko?”
Pisces stared at her for a second. “Um, yes.”
“Sorry, I’m being nosey again, but it kind of sounds similar to a boy I use to know. Sorry if I’m acting crazy. I’m from Adum-la originally, and we don’t have anything like this back at home.”
“I do not have this in my homeland as well,” Pisces said as her shoulders relaxed.
Ester smiled. She was glad to see Pisces starting to relax.
“Hey, let’s try this fighting game over there.”
Pisces nodded, and the two walked over to the machine.
“Now this is more my style.” Ester and Pisces were thrust into a battle where they were fighting an army of evil robots.
Pisces nodded as she flipped a virtual android over her shoulder and punched its lights out with the game controller.
“Wow, you’re really good at this.” Ester watched Pisces rack up points as she kicked and punched robots as if it were nothing.
Pisces tensed, but relaxed when she saw how mesmerized Ester looked. “Th-thank you.”
The game flashed red, and the robots were homing in on their final attack as the big boss appeared. Ester and Pisces hopped into their fighting stance as the boss opened its mouth showing off its serrated rotating teeth. Ester tried hard to contain her laughter. She looked over at Pisces and the two exchanged a nod. It was like they were a real fighting team and Ester hoped this
was the beginning of a new friendship.
Chapter Nineteen
Angel’s call was brief. He said he couldn’t say much but that it would soon be all over the news. He was calling to say that he couldn’t visit and that didn’t bother Ester as much as the worry in his voice. She shook it off and carried on with her day because she had to get ready for work. She was sure whatever it was, the rangers could handle it. As she left her apartment, she spotted Gar down the street. He was talking to a group of kids. He was smiling and laughing. She hoped her little pep talk helped. She knew all too well how temping it could be to give up. She smiled to herself and promised to check in on him more.
Traffic was good today. The trains weren’t as crowded, but she could feel a tension in the air. People avoided eye contact and talked in hush tones, but she wasn’t sure if it was just the news from Angel clouding her mind. Regardless, she got off at her stop and walked towards the exit of the train station. As she walked she noticed a large crowd of people standing in front of one of the holo screens. Their faces were of shock as some whispered and gasped, drawing their hands to their mouths. Curious, Ester walked over. She squeezed through and caught sight of the broadcast. It was the national news.
“Breaking news. People of Ans-on, there has been an assassination of one of the Grand Councilman of Kees. Intergalactic experts are saying this could lead to war. Evidence found at the scene points to foreigners. The Grand Council of Kees are halting all traffic on and off the planet. More on this developing story later.”
The story ran again and ran on all the holo screens in the station. People dispersed, chatting amongst themselves as Ester continued to watch. Could this be the news Angel was talking about? The idea of a war between planets was unheard of. She walked outside of the train station and the story was running on all the screens around the mall too. She looked at them in passing. For once, this was one thing she was starting to dislike about Ans-on as she blocked out the noise and flashing images as she walked to work.
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