S-2878 • L1 Alonluna • D10 Unabe
"Alonluna lengthens the trail of the sky. Unabe kindles axis and choice. The tide sings in waxing gold. The narrative carries steadily on, in living radiance."
That day, the gray sky, cold weather, and gloomy atmosphere matched my mood.
A lunation had passed. I still thought about that person and that moment. A magnet, stuck to that feeling I could not name. The restlessness in my belly was more than irritating. My Enchantress scented that absence. That hunger.
The news arrived: the only train connecting Zenith to Centrália, blown up. The Emerald Line, destroyed. According to UNITED, the company responsible for transportation in the Americas, it would take a solar cycle for the route to reopen. Only one bus line remained. Slow. Unreliable. The only connection between the two worlds.
I received the ruling on the petition that afternoon. Granted.
Josivaldo burst through the door. "You've got some nerve." His voice came out ragged. He bellowed, "Is this your little game?"
A smirked formed. I hid my satisfaction. "What are you talking about?"
"Shit! Playing innocent. You used your mother's position to manipulate the ruling." He gestured pathetically. Filled the entire room with his indignation.
"The GMC saw that my method was correct and yours… unethical. Medicine works with facts."
In truth, Hideaki's power was sovereign. My mother made a point of making that absolutely clear to anyone who crossed our path.
Josivaldo leaned forward, anger vibrating in his clenched jaw. His lips trembled, compressing words that seemed eager to spit venom but failed to find the right tone.
For a moment, he hesitated. The emptiness of silence. And then, he overflowed. "Acting all high and mighty, are you? Just you wait." He clenched his teeth. Spun on his heels. Left, slamming the door.
I rubbed my throbbing temples. The headache that man gave me.
At least that was resolved.
I inhaled deeply. Now I could continue the research.
Over the course of the day
I kept busy analyzing the selunal result.
Night fell.
Voices near the door. "Akiko?"
"Yes, come in." I leaned back in my chair, trying to ease the tension.
Alice, Gina, and Beth entered. Doctors from the Emergency Department.
"We're going out for happy hour. Want to join us?" Alice smiled.
I avoided happy hour. But work was stressing me out. Perhaps going out was a good idea. Relaxing. Perhaps not. "Y-yes, of course."
"Great." Alice smiled reluctantly. "We'll wait for you at the entrance."
I gathered my things.
"Do you mind going down to Centrália?" Gina tossed her brown hair over her shoulders. "The pubs here are so boring."
"No." I got into the car.
They exchanged glances and soon began chatting animatedly. Every so often, they asked me something. I barely followed their conversation.
When the car crossed Zenith's boundaries, everything changed. The sky darkened. The city, more alive. Neon reflected in dirty puddles, on corroded metal, on weathered faces. Everything was asymmetrical. Everything was unpredictable. And that was where I noticed: a frequency shifted in the invisible.
We reached the Red Lion. Lights flashed in a chaotic frenzy. Faces dissolved into indistinct blurs. An endless line to get in. Bass-heavy music spilled outside. Sweat, the smell of metallic drinks, thick e-cigarette smoke.
My senses sharp and hazy at once.
Alice went ahead and spoke to a security guard. Waved us over.
"Alice's the best. Always gets VIP access for all of us." Beth gave me a gentle push to follow them.
They sent our VIP access through our biochips. We walked to the bar.
"Order whatever you want." Alice shouted to be heard over the trapfunk beats.
Lost among lights and sounds, I ordered a gin and tonic. Tried to stay close to my coworkers. Soon, some acquaintances approached them.
I should have been happy. Everyone around me resonated with joy. The laughter, the bodies moving on the dance floor, enjoying themselves. The drink sliding down my throat. It should all have made me feel something, but it was only escape.
I sat at the counter. Stared at my drink. Thought about leaving. I should have declined the invitation.
"Hey. You alone?" Alcohol breath and a spicy scent arrived before his words.
Nausea.
A hand touched my back. Implants in his fingers. Too many biometallic prosthetics along his arms. He leaned against the counter.
"No." Great. Just what I needed.
I should have left. Should have pushed his hand away. But dissociation kept me too far away. React? Too far for that.
Another man appeared on my right. Bearded. Clothes far too colorful. "Beautiful, want some company?" There was a strange weight to his words.
"No, thanks." My eyes sought the mirror behind the bar.
They exchanged glances. "Suit yourself." Their sharp smiles dissolved, and they left.
I finished my drink.
An ethereal ecstasy took hold of me. My heart raced. Lights and sounds intensified. My insides vibrated. I wanted to dance. I did not even like dancing, but I danced on the floor. Focused on the melody. On the bright pixelated colors falling like translucent dust.
The two men from before approached again. Their smiles more charming.
This time, I welcomed them. They came close. Pressed their bodies against mine.
"How about now? Want some company?" His voice sounded distorted.
I agreed. We danced together.
Sweet delirium. Logic dissolved in warm skin and hypnotic rhythm. I followed an unfamiliar instinct. Then grew tired. Looked for somewhere to rest.
The taller one gently took my arm. "Want some help? How about we get out of here? Go somewhere private."
I mean, I liked the music and the atmosphere, surrounded by shimmering smoke. The sensations formed a delicious mess in my mind. Sluggish. A sweet taste flooded my mouth, as though stars were settling on my lips. I lost all sense of time and space. Accepted that touch. Said yes.
He gave me a friendly smile, guiding me outside.
I stopped halfway, in the corridor toward the exit. A blur. Lights flickered. Ghostly shadows on other people's faces. My heart beat loudly. So loudly. My intuition screamed. Alerted my senses. "I think I've changed my mind."
"What?" He brought his ear closer.
I tried to pull my arm away. "I changed my mind. Let go."
"Relax, beautiful. I'm just taking care of you." His tone was syrupy. Sweet. A lie. He kept squeezing my arm. "Let's get out of here. You can do whatever you want." He brushed his beard against my neck.
I shuddered. My body reacted automatically, regardless of my will. Euphoria overwhelmed me. "Let go!" I pulled my arm. "Let go!"
He tightened his grip. "Relax, pretty girl."
"Let me go!" Nobody at the party heard me, too absorbed in their own euphoria.
I tried to scream. Nothing. The sound of the party swallowed my voice before it was even born. Music hammered, bodies danced. The world went on without me, and the bubble around me tightened, more and more suffocating.
We were near the exit. A terrible premonition seized me. As I crossed the doorway—a hard blow to my head.
A flash. Stars exploded behind my eyes. The ground vanished. My body fell. The world went dark with me.
Muffled sounds. An icy touch on my arm. My last memories.
The music came first. Far away. Like an echo from another life. Then, the smell of cigarettes. Heavy. Pain throbbed in my head. What the fuck happened…? The world still felt like a bad dream. Ecstasy intoxicated me. I looked around the dim surroundings. Coughed as I inhaled a strong smell of cigarettes.
"Hey, hey, easy. You okay? One of them hit you on the head." A serene voice.
"It's all right. Why is there blood on your hand?" I massaged my forehead.
She wiped her hand on her black trousers. "This? It's irrelevant."
Around us, people smoked, drank, and chatted.
It was drizzling.
I focused again on the figure before me. My mind was slowly clearing.
Multicolored aerolights illuminated her. My heart pounded. Brought warmth to my belly. I lost my voice, absorbed in her appearance.
She was one of a kind. White and bronze, like ice and fire in the same essence. An impossible combination. Hypnotic. Bronze skin. Hair, eyebrows, eyelashes—white. So white they seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
Piebaldism. Extremely rare. I had studied it in college. But hers… was different. And yet, there she was before me.
I bit my lower lip, fighting that fucking euphoria. "Y-you're very beautiful." I covered my mouth immediately afterward.
She pulled her hood lower, hiding her shoulder-length layered hair. Stepped back a little.
In silence, I contemplated her. What did her almost confused expression mean?
"I'm Akiko."
"Akiko…" Her husky voice resonated with my name.
A wave of excitement rose in my heart, traveled through my muscles, and vibrated in my stomach. I wanted to know what she was thinking.
Her eyes pierced me, frozen in an indecipherable emotion.
Actually… those eyes.
I shook my head, trying to push away the numbness. How had I missed it? Those unmistakable amber eyes.
"Hey, wait a minute. You're…"
"I think we should get outta here. Can you walk?" She stood. "You alone?"
I blinked. Her words took time to make sense. "I came with some coworkers. I don't know where they are."
"Let's go."
I did not react.
She held out her hand. "C'mon, you can take it. I don't bite."
I reached out. Her rough, cold palm enclosed mine.
I let her guide me. Felt a somber fear. Excitement. Joy. New feelings I was experiencing.
Centrália's streets vibrated at night. Polychrome holograms and adware illuminated the buildings. Music venues and pubs. Musicians, poets, illustrators, and all kinds of artists crowded the sidewalks. Cars and buses played loud music. Some excited people leaned out of windows and shouted to those outside. People walking on the bridges shouted back, carefree, laughing and enjoying themselves, swept up in the bustle. Clothes and implants merged with the city's colors.
Everything seemed possible.
I squeezed her hand tightly.
We entered a reddish establishment, the Fantastical Dreams Club. Two half-naked holoreceptionists greeted us.
I felt a strange euphoria as I realized: a brothel.
Dancers on poles. People at the tables tossed e-money.
A young woman ran her hand over my shoulder, winking at me.
The white-haired woman took me to the back.
Naked people, unabashed, filled the corridor. Bluish light hung above us. The smell of alcohol and tobacco dominated the air.
We entered an elevator.
The elevator attendant wore only panties. "Miss Maia." She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "The usual?"
She nodded. Her expression indifferent.
Maia? Was that her name?
We walked down a corridor. Violet walls with gold details. Pixelated paintings distracted me.
Maia pulled me into a room.
Orange lights numbed the atmosphere. A woody fragrance permeated the place.
"Stay here until the drug wears off." She sat in an armchair beside the bed.
I chuckled. "Am I that bad?"
"You need to be more careful. Those bastards drugged you. Where the hell were your coworkers?"
I lay down. "They were coworkers. They were just trying to be nice."
Maia pressed her fingers to her forehead. Sighed. "Get some sleep."
I ignored her. "Why were you on that train? How did you know it was going to explode? Is your name really Maia?"
"Yes, my name is Maia." She leaned forward. "Now, enough questions. Sleep."
I fought sleep.
Lost.
The next morning
I woke in an empty room. I stumbled against the bed. Cursed the pain in my temples.
Maia had left a note on the armchair: Akiko, if you want, meet me on 13th Street, in Meio, at 10 p.m.
I put the note in my pocket.
Entered the elevator.
The same woman from the night before, now fully dressed. "Miss Akiyama." She smiled, giving a slight bow.
I could not remember telling her my name. By then, I only wanted to forget everything. Shame consumed me.
I smiled back. "See you."
She said goodbye.
The place had changed. Tables filled the hall. Customers drank coffee. Last night's dancers now waited tables, worked as receptionists and cooks. The sign outside read: Centrália Café.
Had I imagined it all?
"Table for one?" A young woman greeted me at the entrance.
"Oh, no. Thank you, I'm leaving." My cheeks burned. I hurried out.
Returned to my apartment.
I needed to get ready. Meet Maia.
I waited.
Waited.
The minutes stretched like threads of an endless rhythm. The hours collapsed upon one another.
But that night, the silence of her absence was my only company.