Everyone had returned back. It had been thirty minutes since they started their flight and everything was going smoothly. They were above what appeared to be the area where New York stood before. And since they were flying at an amazing speed, they would reach their next destination in a day. The destination being a Dome in the coastal part of Northeast America, above New York. They weren't flying very high, so it would still take a lot of time.
Max was eager to see the next Dome. He wanted to know the survivors there and many more. The Dome that he was in was already full of people, still in cryostasis, and there were empty pods too, implying some had gotten out during the thousand eight hundred years of stasis.
All Max hoped was that Alicia was nearby. She bad written a letter almost a year ago, as he had Hershel age test the ink on the paper. But it was sad that Hershel could access the cameras only at present time. It had no record function, as it was a cryostaisis station, and it's pretty useless of electricity to be used to film sleeping humans for a thousand years.
Hershel also said him that Alicia Janus Steefan didn't wake him up, so Hershel hadn't met her. Max was disappointed with this, but he was also afraid of leaving that area in search of Alicia. He wondered what would happen if Alicia returned to find a non existent Dome.
After ten hours of flight, Hershel asked for them to land somewhere safe. It was still a forest area below them, and Max agreed. They landed the Dome there, and Lin and Albert went hunting for meat in the nearby forest. Max was glad he had TWO swordsmen for the first time.
He had then taken his belongings and shifted to his room on the seventh floor. It was the room with the blue wallpaper and a simple layout, reflecting his state of mind. He had a complex personality that didn't really love complex stuff. Max had put his bag, which was basically empty and sat at the corner of the room. He had stayed at the control room for the last ten hours, just checking on facts from Hershel and asking about the directions.
Hershel was tight-lipped as always when it came to the questions regarding why they were frozen or who froze them all. Max had trust issues, but now he had confidence that he could fight in case of a betrayal.
Chuck was busy in the library, saying he wanted to translate some of the words by himself. He said something like "it would be cool if he did it without any knowledge".
Max was bored lying in his bed. For a while he stared at the ceiling thinking about his family. He then sat back up,, restless enough to hate being still. For most of the time ever since he woke up, he had just been unconscious. He once slept for two days straight, unconcious being the right word. He now hated sleeping, cause he was scared of missing out.
He walked out of his room and towards Melkssa's room ahead of him. He wanted to open the door and surprise ber, but he feared he might catch her changing clothes and be labelled as a creep. Max thought of being a gentleman and knocked on the door.
Melissa: It's open..come in!!
Her sweet voice was gentle. Max grabbed the handle and opened the door. The sudden contrast of everything being gray and everything being red inside Melissa's room was jarring. But his eyesight adjusted to it as he laid his eyes on Melissa. She had removed her scarf and pearly white jacket and had placed it on the reading table beside her. She was seated on her bed, her legs stretched. She was wearing her one piece dress which went from her chest to her legs, dividing itself as pants too. She wore no belt as it was a single piece cloth. Her sandals were off and she was there barefoot, with a book in her hand.
Max: H-hey...
Melissa: Hi, Max!! What brings you here...?
Suddenly it was awkward and Max didn't know why he came here. Most of the reason was that he was bored and he wanted to check up on everyone.
Max sighed as he remembered the love of his life, Vaishaali. His cool demeanor returned when he realised he needn't be shy by talking to a girl he barely knew.
Max: Nothing...just wanted to see what you all were doing...
Max slowly sat at the edge of her bed, and she removed her legs and sat upright. She lowered her book, so that she could concentrate on the conversation with him. Max noticed the book. It was in a language that he had never seen back in the old world, yet he understood it. The title said, "The Runaway Princess and Her Guard Dog".
Max: What you reading there...??
Melissa looked at her book once more.
Melissa: Oh...it's nothing. Just a storybook...
Max: Yeah...I can read it....
Melissa nodded as the air around them grew more awkward. Max wanted to continue the conversation before it died.
Melissa: And...yeah...this book is in English!
Max: What..?
She turned the page and showed it to him. He took a look at the words and letters. Every single letter was different from the English he was used to, but there were exactly twenty six distinct letters like the English Alphabet, with a replacement letter for every letter from the previous language. Even weirder stuff was that only the numbers were same. All except seven and four. They were different.
Max: Man this is weird. I know it's not English, but I can understand it perfectly well.
Melissa: Can you teach me how to read your English...??
Melissa asked kindly, and Max smiled as a response.
Max: Of course!!
Max ran back to his room and opened the drawer in his table. He had stored his sister's letter in it for safekeeping, along with the pen. He returned to Melissa's room with that pen and some sheets of paper provided by Hershel. He sat next to her on her bed, and started teaching her.
Max: So...this is your "A", right...? In my English, we use this as "A".
Melissa: Oh...!!
Melissa was learning everything so fast that Max was surprised. Language learning was something that Max never could've done, but thanks to his ability over linguistics, he turned out to be incredibly lucky. It wasn't really a great superpower for combat, but it was still a cool power nonetheless, and everybody would've thought it was cool if he had showed this to his classmates back in the old world.
After twenty minutes of teaching her, Max was even more impressed with her. She had strted learning how to form words with the letters that Max had taught her about. Granted it was fairly easy, as it was just the letters that were different, but the words and pronunciation of the said words were practically the same.
Suddenly the speaker went out, and Hershel called to them.
Hershel: Master Max, Chuck and Miss Melissa, please get over to the dining table, Masters Albert and Lindsay have returned!!
Max and Melissa faced each other and chuckled.
Max: I guess even a robot can get hurt...haha..
Melissa: Lin will never do that again I guess...hehe..
Melissa was a cute woman. She was technically three years older than him, yet a year younger, or a thousand eight hundred years younger at the same time. Max didn't know how to calculate his age anymore.
He got up and reached the door. Melissa was still chuckling about Lin.
Melissa: Anyway...I was sooo hungry..I hope they had a good catch!!
Max smiled at her. She was honestly a good company. Max had no romantic interest in her whatsoever, and genuinely thought of her as a sister. He grew up with three of them with distinct personalities.
Max laughed at that and said Yeah..
Max: A lady like you shouldn't be left to starve...I'll be waiting for you downstairs...milady..
Max did a classic bow and raised his head to a smiling Melissa. He then closed the door and turned smiling. His smile immediately dropped, seeing an expressionless Lin in front of him.
Max started whistling and walked past Lin, with both his hands in his pocket. Lin stopped him.
Lin: Do NOT spend time with her...!! If you value your life..
Max's eyes widened. He then had a cheeky smile on his face realizing that Lin might have a crush on Melissa.
Max: Oooooh....looks like someone's getting jealous...hehe...do not worry, my FRIEND...
Lin looked at him angrily with the mention of that word, but Max continued.
Max: I have no intention of going for your girl over there. In case you don't know, I already have a girlfriend!! She is a beauty...named Vaishaali...I gave my heart and soul for her and unfortunately your crush doesn't stand a chance against her..!! And despite not knowing where my Vaishaali is....I will still fin-
Before Max could finish Lin stopped him.
Lin: That's not it!
Lin's expression hadn't changed a bit, even when Max was teasing him about Melissa.
Lin: I'm advising you to keep your guard up with her....she IS NOT the girl you think she is...
Lin looked at Max as coldly as possible.
Lin: And stop with your stupid fantasies about me liking someone like her.....you really think she is sweet, cute type dontcha??
Max was taken aback with what he was saying.
Max: What do you mean, I can't trust her..?? Are you crazy? You travel with her everyday...she even heals you..
Lin: There is a reason for all that....and I don't intend to tell you. I'm just asking you...to beware...you might end up dead...
Lin immediately turned and walked past her room to the library.
Lin: You go ahead...I'll come with Chuck.
Max just stood there, unable to move with the new thoughts in his head.
Max mumbled to himself.
Max: What does he mean I shouldn't trust her...
Images of her smiling innocently came up in his mind. But Max chose to ignore Lin.
Lin kept walking and he mumbled softly.
Lin: I just keep my enemies closer...