When he reacted, he snatched the card back in anger. No matter how he tried, he found the data was locked and could not be changed by force. He glared at her, then forced a harmless smile as the port ship docked and signaled them to open the hatch.
"Please show your identification," the officer said politely. "We apologize, but the situation has been unstable, and your ship's origin is sensitive." After seeing their ages, the lead officer waved his partner back, keeping the tone gentle.
With no way out, the boy handed over his card and gestured for the girl to do the same. She ignored his hand and stepped around him to pass her card directly, ruining his plan to peek at the details. He could only wait in silence.
After checking both cards and scanning the small cabin, the officer looked at the boy. "There is no issue with your identities," he said. "May I ask your relationship, and your purpose for coming to Heliopolis?" His eyes stayed alert.
"She is my," the boy started. He paused as the girl spoke first.
"Sister," the girl said. The boy laughed awkwardly and nodded, forcing the word out again to match her.
Before he could explain further, the girl continued clearly. "We are technicians trained by GARMR-D. We were collecting lost materials before, and now we wish to resupply at Heliopolis and rest for a few days." Her calm delivery surprised him.
"Technicians, at this age?" the officer frowned, then relaxed after considering the company name. He returned the cards and waved politely. "Enjoy your stay, and for your status, it is better not to roam around in such a small capsule. It is not safe recently."
The officer left in a hurry, returning to his ship. The mention of tension seemed to carry real weight here. The boy finally relaxed as the clearance was complete.
With a grin, he waved the items in his hand. He had managed to grab both cards this time. "Now I can finally see your name," he said. "You cannot hide it anymore. Let me see, it is Hild. Hild? Come on, you could have tried harder. Half a name like this, I could shout it on the street and get three answers."
Used to his chatter, the white-haired girl watched the gate open in silence. In the boy's hand, the second card showed a strange name, half hidden by Hild's card. The letters on it flickered softly, reading "Siegfried-".
After docking, they first settled the escape pod that had done so much work for them. The boy who had just been forced to accept a new name, Siegfried, quickly put it out of his mind, scooped up Haro with one hand, stuffed it into the bag by his feet, and reached a hand back. He started to speak, corrected himself, and tried calling Hilde, clicking his tongue because it still felt unfamiliar.
When no hand met his, Siegfried had not even turned around before he saw a black figure lightly push off and drift past him into the gravity elevator. He muttered an insult under his breath, then hurried in with Haro on his back as the doors were about to close. The elevator began its rapid descent, and the sense of weight slowly returned to their bodies.
Compared to Siegfried struggling with his spacesuit, Hilde simply removed her helmet and tapped her arm. The strange black outfit shifted back into her usual tight clothing. As the elevator left the port area, the inner structure of the satellite finally came into view, and Siegfried could not hide his excitement while Hilde leaned calmly to the side, showing no curiosity at all.
A gentle electronic voice announced their arrival, and the pair, plus one Haro, stepped onto what could be called the floor of civilization. Facing the electric car station, Siegfried realized he had nothing that counted as money and looked at Hilde with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and suggested selling Haro.
From the bag came an immediate protest, chanting its own name and calling him poor. Hilde spoke at the crucial moment, saying there was money on the card and they did not need to sell Haro. With their survival worries eased, they boarded the next train without hesitation and paid with their ID cards.
Watching the route display, Siegfried eagerly suggested going to the commercial district first. He said he was tired of canned food and wanted to eat properly, gather information, understand the era they were in, and then find a power source. Hilde simply agreed.
Siegfried cheered loudly, ignoring the looks from others. As the train moved on, more of Heliopolis revealed itself, with green residential areas and busy commercial zones. After three years in ruins, Siegfried once again marveled at human civilization.
When they arrived, Siegfried shouldered Haro and, without waiting, grabbed Hilde by the hand and pulled her into the crowd. In the press of people, Hilde kept turning back as if searching for something. He asked what she was looking for and said they had not brought luggage.
She answered that the person she saw was from the Dawn Society. Following her gaze, Siegfried spotted someone with strange insignia and long hair arguing with companions. He only caught a few words before the flow of people carried him off the platform.
After taking a few steps, Siegfried asked what the Dawn Society was and why it sounded familiar. When Hilde stayed silent, he began to sense something was wrong. It felt like they did not understand the world at the same level.
He slowed to a stop, still holding her hand, yet she suddenly felt unfamiliar to him. In the ruins, ignorance could be blamed on lack of information, but after stepping into Heliopolis, Hilde clearly knew more than he did. He asked if she was hiding many things from him.
She admitted it. He pressed on, saying he had heard of Heliopolis and the Dawn Society before and wanted to hear it from her. His face was serious, without his usual easy smile.
Hilde looked down at him, her calm voice wavering as she began to explain. She said this place was Heliopolis, and started to mention Orb before laughter interrupted her. A group of teenagers ran past, calling out to a girl named Flay, breaking their joined hands.
The leading girl had wine red hair, similar in color to Hilde's memory of a boy. Siegfried stared blankly as buried memories began to stir, and he whispered the name Flay Allster. He said this was SEED.
Hearing her name, Flay turned back and saw the strange pair. The boy in tattered clothes looked unstable, though his red hair seemed oddly familiar, and the white haired girl in black looked just as strange. With her friends catching up, Flay looped a finger through her hair and pulled a panting boy to her side.