Chapter Two
It was 2:15am, the music stopped.
Not gradually. Not with some carefully orchestrated final note or dramatic farewell from the DJ.
It simply stopped.
One moment, the nightclub was alive with the deep, rhythmic pulse of music. The next, the enormous room was filled with the peculiar sound of several hundred people realizing their night was over.
A collective groan rose from the dance floor.
Then came the house lights.
“Oh, that's cruel,” Nico muttered.
Dex glanced up from the glass he was polishing.
“The lights?”
“Yeah. Nobody looks good under those things.”
“I do.” contested Dex
“You're made of metal Dex..”
“And yet, I shine baby”
Nico shook his head and reached for an abandoned glass at the far end of the counter.
Across the nightclub, the last remaining guests were reluctantly making their way toward the exits. Some moved in loose groups, laughing and leaning against one another. Others stood beneath the suspended walkways, finishing conversations that apparently couldn't wait until morning.
A security guard was patiently explaining to a particularly enthusiastic patron that the DJ would not be playing one more song.
The patron seemed unconvinced.
“Five credits says that guy asks again,” Nico said.
Dex looked toward the dance floor.
“You're on.”
The man raised both hands toward the empty DJ booth.
“COME ON! ONE MORE!”
Nico grinned.
“Pay up.” Nico cheerfully said holding his wrist out
“Ooops.. it seems I’ve once again left my Kio at home”
“That’s convenient.” said Nico
“I find it saves me a considerable amount of money.”
Nico laughed and dropped the empty glass into the washing unit beneath the counter.
Without the music, the nightclub felt strangely different.
The vaulted ceiling seemed higher. The dance floor, which only minutes earlier had been packed shoulder to shoulder, now looked almost impossibly large. A few maintenance drones had already emerged from their charging stations, gliding silently across the polished floor as they collected discarded cups and other remnants of the evening.
High above, the suspended lounges were emptying. Their illuminated railings cast long reflections across the glass partitions below.
And beyond the enormous windows, Axiom continued as though nothing had happened.
Rain traced thin, crooked lines down the glass.
Thousands of lights shimmered across the surrounding towers, while distant slines of airborne traffic moved between buildings that disappeared into the clouds.
Even at this hour, the city showed no signs of slowing down.
Nico leaned against the counter for a moment, watching a massive passenger transport drift past the windows.
“Ever wonder what it'd be like to live somewhere quiet?” he asked.
Dex placed another clean glass on the shelf.
“No.”
Nico looked at him.
“Not even a little?”
“I enjoy having access to functioning infrastructure.”
“Somewhere with trees, maybe. Actual ground. No traffic flying past your bedroom window.” Nico continued, not listening to Dex
“Sounds inconvenient.” said Dex
“You really know how to ruin a moment.”
“It's a gift.”
Nico smiled faintly and returned to cleaning.
Behind them, the washing unit chimed.
“Glassware sanitation cycle complete.”
“See?” Dex said. “Infrastructure.”
“Whatever you say man.”
For a while, neither of them said anything.
There was still plenty to do before they could leave.
And outside, the rain kept falling.
The last of the glasses had been shelved when Nico started to get ready to go home.
He was halfway through untying his apron when Dex spoke.
“Forget something?”
Nico stopped. “No.”
“Interesting.” chimed Dex
“What?” Nico asked genuinely confused
“Because you appear to be leaving.” Dex replied
“And?” Nico answered exhaustedly
“And did’t Frank ream you out earlier about something… something like EOD reports?”
Nico glanced at the terminal and swore under his breath. He pulled the apron back over his head and started tapping through yesterday's and tonight's logs.
“Why do we even have to do these things?”
“Inventory accountability. Regulatory compliance. Operational efficiency.”
“I wasn't actually asking.”
“Yeah I know.” laughed Dex
What felt like forever, twenty five minutes later, both reports were submitted. Dex confirmed it with maddening calm.
Nico grabbed his jacket. “See you tomorrow.”
“ That’s assuming you survive the journey home.” Dex said as he and Nico bumped fists
The elevator was a relief. Quiet hum instead of bass. Nico leaned back, watched the numbers drop, thoughts of his warm apartment, food, and some late night movies filled his head.
The doors opened on Parking Level 162.
The garage was mostly empty now. Rain hissed through drainage channels near the outer barrier. He fished out his ignition token and saw his gravbike exactly where he'd left it as he remembered this time.
Properly parked.
He was almost there when he noticed someone a few spaces over.
The young man from earlier, the one security had been talking to.
The man looked up. “Hey.”
Nico slowed. “Hey….”
“You work upstairs?” the man said
“Yeah. At the club.”
“Love that place”
Nico kept walking. He wasn't looking for complications at three in the morning.
“Hey, uh. You were here earlier, weren't you? With those security officers.” said the man
“Oh, uhhh yea” Nico said
“Yeah, I thought that was you.”
The guy continued to follow Nico to his bike. “Freakin hate those guys…CityWatch am I right?” said the guy sounding overly convincing friendly tone.
Although It didn't sound convincing.
Nico nodded anyway, resting his helmet against the saddle.
“They ask you anything?” asked the man
“Nope. I was just moving my bike.”
“This is yours?”
“Unfortunately. Careful, she can hear you.”
The guy laughed. That sounded real.
“She's been around a while.”
“I can tell” said the man
“Still runs though” answered Nico
A silence settled. Somewhere deeper in the garage, an engine started, the hum echoing off concrete briefly stealing both of their attention.
Nico looked back at the man
“You waiting for somebody?” he asked
“No, just heading home.” said the man.
“Long night?”
“Something like that.”
“Yeah, same.” replied echoed Nico
Nico slipped on his helmet. “Well I’m outta here, have a good one man.”
“You too Nico”
He swung onto the bike, pulled out of the space. And hovered over towards the launch bay. In his mirror, the young man still stood alone under the fluorescent lights.
Then the departure signal flickered green, and Nico accelerated into the rain. It wasn’t until a few minutes into his flight that Nico realized the man had called him by his name. Nico never gave the man his name.
After the long night Nico didn’t even really want to talk to anyone at all, let alone some random man in a parking garage at 3am.
But Nico wrote it off as a mere coincidence.
To be fair he was a bartender at on of the most popular nightlife destinations in this sector of Axiom.
Nico mets hundreds of people every night, so chances were he was just another guest. But still… something stirred in the back of Nicos mind?
The rain had eased into a steady drizzle by the time Nico reached the lower residential districts.
His gravbike hummed beneath him as he slipped between streams of late-night traffic, towering buildings on either side, windows disappearing into the clouds.
His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since before his shift, and the thought of going home to an empty refrigerator was becoming increasingly unpleasant.
A familiar green sign flickered ahead. Nico smiled.
He eased his bike out of the traffic lane toward a narrow landing platform outside the little store.
The automatic doors opened with a tired mechanical swoosh.
Inside, it was warm and crowded with packaged foods and bottled drinks from a dozen worlds.
Behind the counter sat an older alien with heavy-lidded eyes. He looked up.
“I wasn't sure you'd show tonight.”
“Yeah, sorry. Work ran late.”
“Work,” he said, shaking his head. “Terrible habit. You should quit.”
“You hiring?”
“Absolutely not.”
Nico wandered to the back of the store, stopping in front of a shelf lined with brightly colored cups.
Lucky Moon, original flavor.
He took two.
From behind the counter, the shopkeeper called, “You know, you're the only person who still buys those.”
“Good. More for me.” said Nico
“Practically keeping me in business, you are.”
Nico grabbed a chilled bottle of something vaguely citrus from the refrigerated section and headed back to the counter.
As he set everything down, a musical chime sounded from the holo-cast projector mounted above the register.
“CityWatch authorities are investigating an attempted robbery at a privately operated corporate research facility earlier tonight.”
The shopkeeper snorted. “Wonderful. More idiots.”
The holo-cast continued. “The incident occurred on level one eighty-seven of the Meridian Complex.”
Nico paused.
Meridian Complex. That was his building.
“Huh.”
“What?”
“That's where I work.”
The shopkeeper looked between Nico and the flickering image.
“You rob somebody?”
“What? No.”
“Good. Because you still owe me six credits.”
“I'm literally paying you right now.”
“Just making sure.”
Nico shook his head, smiling faintly. He looked back toward the holocast, which had already moved on.
“Guess something interesting happened tonight.”
“In this city? Something interesting happens every five minutes. Most of it stupid.”
“Fair enough.”
Nico paid, tucked the noodles under his arm, and stepped towards the door.
“Later Pops!” called Nico, as he stepped back out into the rain.
Mounted his bike, and once again was off.
The city swallowed the store behind him as he guided his bike back into the air traffic, morning still hours away.
The rain had finally stopped by the time Nico reached his apartment building. The towering structures of Axiom still shimmered with moisture, their countless lights reflected in the wet surfaces below.
He guided his gravbike into its usual parking space and shut down the engine. The familiar vibration beneath him faded, leaving only the distant murmur of traffic. He stayed seated for a moment, helmet resting in his hands.
It had been a long night.
Upstairs, his apartment door recognized him with a soft chime. Nico stepped inside, slipped off his shoes, and placed them neatly beside the entrance. His jacket went onto the same hook it always did. His keys landed in the little ceramic dish on the shelf.
Everything had its place.
More or less.
The living room suggested otherwise. Old electronic components occupied one end of the coffee table. A half-disassembled audio player lay beside a stack of physical recording discs, and several books leaned precariously against the arm of the couch. Nico had been meaning to sort it all out for months.
He carried the convenience-store bag into the kitchen. Two cups of Lucky Moon noodles, original flavor, and a chilled citrus drink. He peeled back the lid of one cup and held it beneath the hot-water spout built into the counter. Steam rose as the dispenser filled it to the line. He folded the lid back down and left the noodles to soften.
Beneath the living-room window sat an old television with a real glass screen and physical controls. It had taken Nico nearly three months to coax a picture out of it. Even now, it gave off a low electrical hum when it was running.
He loved it.
Nico switched it on. The picture flickered, rolled once, and settled into a soft glow.
“There she is,” he murmured.
He retrieved his noodles, their warmth seeping through the cup into his fingers, and started toward the couch. Halfway across the room, a small framed photograph on the bookshelf caught his eye.
Three figures stood beneath a broad tree, sunlight spilling through its branches. A man, a woman, and a little boy.
Nico couldn't have been older than six.
He remembered the tree. Or at least he thought he did. After enough years, it was difficult to tell which memories were truly his and which had taken shape from stories he'd heard.
He stood looking at the photograph for another moment. Then he turned away and sank into the couch, careful not to spill his dinner.
With the remote in hand, he scrolled through the old media player's menu until he found Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.
Nearly a thousand years old, and still one of his favorites.
As the film began, Nico stirred his noodles and smiled faintly. It amused him to watch people from so long ago imagine spacecraft, alien worlds, and holographic conversations. Some of their ideas had aged remarkably well. Others seemed charmingly ridiculous from the middle of Axiom.
Of course, the story was supposed to have happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Nico supposed that made his comparisons a little unfair.
He took another bite and settled deeper into the cushions.
Outside, the city kept moving. Inside, the familiar music, the warmth of the noodles, and the soft flicker of the television gradually pulled the long night out of his shoulders.
At some point, he drew a blanket over his legs.
He meant to watch just a little longer.
By midday, the film had been over for hours.
The television remained on, its idle screen glowing faintly in the bright apartment. The TV gave off a steady electrical hum, so quiet that Nico had long since stopped noticing it. A half-finished cup of Lucky Moon noodles sat on the coffee table, the last strands swollen and cold. The citrus drink stood beside it, its condensation long evaporated.
Nico lay sideways on the couch, one arm hanging over the edge and the blanket twisted around his knees. His hair was flattened on one side and sticking up on the other.
Sunlight reached across the floor and up the crowded bookshelves. Beyond the windows, the rain-washed towers of Axiom gleamed beneath a clear sky. Air traffic threaded between them in orderly streams. From outside Nico’s window came the soft mechanical whine of delivery drones, and the rumble of the massive pedestrian transports.
A sharp electronic chime broke through the apartment's quiet.
Nico didn't move.
It sounded again.
He shifted his head against the cushion, brow tightening, and pulled the blanket a little higher.
A third chime followed, bright and insistent.
Nico opened one eye.
On the wall beside the television, the communications display pulsed with an incoming holocast.
DEX.
“No,” Nico muttered.
The chime sounded once more.
“Uhgg, okay…okay.”
He fumbled toward the edge of the table, nearly knocking over the cold noodles before finding the panel's voice control.
“Answer.”
A translucent image shimmered into existence above the coffee table. Dex's familiar mechanical face resolved from a wash of blue light, his optical lenses adjusting as though he were taking in the entire sorry scene.
“Well, look who's alive.”
Nico squinted at him. “Debatable.”
Dex paused, taking in the blanket, the dishes, and the television still humming in the background.
“It's nearly twelve thirty. Were you planning to rejoin civilization today?”
Nico rubbed his face. The air smelled faintly of stale noodles and warm electronics.
“I must've passed out last night.”
“An impressive deduction.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Afternoon, actually.”
Nico glanced toward the window. Without the rain, the city looked almost unfamiliar. Sunlight caught on glass and metal where last night's lights had reflected in puddles. He could see farther between the buildings than he had during the ride home.
He sat up slowly. The blanket slid to the floor.
“So,” he said, clearing the sleep from his voice. “What's up?”
“Nothing dramatic. I was thinking we could get lunch.”
Nico looked at him.
Nico laughed quietly and glanced at the abandoned noodle cup and then at the remaining one on the countertop.
“Yeah. Lunch sounds good, actually.”
“Excellent. I'll find us somewhere.”
“Alright. Just let me shower and get dressed. Give me an hour.”
Dex's lenses narrowed. “An hour? Are you getting ready or rebuilding yourself?”
“Some of us need maintenance that involves soap.”
“Fair point. I'll send you the location.”
“See you in a bit.”
Dex gave a small wave, and the hologram dissolved, leaving the faint television hum and the distant city sounds behind.
For a moment, Nico stayed where he was. The apartment had warmed in the sunlight, and he could feel the cool imprint of the couch fabric against his cheek.
He looked at the noodle cup, then at the blanket on the floor.
“An hour,” he said to the empty room.
He got to his feet, stretched until his back gave a quiet crack, and headed toward the bathroom.
Outside, Axiom carried on beneath a clear blue sky.
Nico stopped at the kitchen counter and glanced down at the half-finished cup of Lucky Moon noodles. What remained had congealed into a pale, unappetizing mass.
He peeled back the lid and tipped the contents into a small opening beside the sink.
A soft mechanical hum came from somewhere beneath the countertop.
ORGANIC WASTE — PROCESSING
A moment later, the display changed.
DISPOSAL COMPLETE
He dropped the empty container into the recycler and watched it disappear through the narrow opening. The mechanism gave a quiet click before sealing itself flush with the counter.
Nico retrieved the untouched second cup of noodles and placed it in one of the cabinets. He returned to the living room, folded the blanket over the back of the couch, and switched off the television.
The familiar electrical hum faded, leaving the apartment unusually quiet.
He made his way down the short hallway toward the bathroom.
The door slid aside as he approached, revealing a compact space illuminated by soft, recessed lighting. The walls were finished in smooth, pale panels, interrupted only by a narrow mirror above the sink and a few neatly arranged shelves.
At the far end stood the shower enclosure.
Unlike the old water-based showers Nico had seen in historical recordings, this one had no showerhead, faucets, or visible drains. Just a curved glass partition surrounding a circular platform, with a slim control panel embedded in the wall.
Nico stepped inside.
The glass darkened slightly behind him, and a soft tone sounded overhead.
CLEANSING CYCLE — READY
“Standard,” Nico said.
A gentle vibration rose through the platform beneath his feet. Fine streams of warm vapor emerged from nearly invisible openings along the enclosure walls, surrounding him in a thin, fragrant mist.
The air carried a faint scent of eucalyptus.
A low-frequency hum filled the enclosure as the cleansing cycle began.
Nico closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face, still trying to shake off the last traces of sleep.
For him, it was just another shower.
The low hum of the cleansing cycle gradually faded. A soft chime sounded overhead, and the last traces of vapor disappeared into the narrow vents lining the enclosure.
CLEANSING CYCLE COMPLETE.
A current of warm air passed over Nico's skin, drying him in seconds. The glass partition cleared, then slid silently aside.
He stepped out onto the cool bathroom floor and approached the mirror.
His reflection looked marginally more alive than it had twenty minutes earlier.
His jet-black hair was still a mess, falling unevenly across his forehead. He ran his fingers through it, attempting to push it back into something resembling order. A few stubborn strands immediately fell forward again.
Nico stepped toward the bathroom mirror, examining the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. He tilted his head, running a hand over his chin.
He'd been putting off shaving for a few days.
“Shave,” he said.
A thin line of light appeared along the mirror's edge, followed by a soft, pleasant chime.
“Good afternoon, Nicolai. What style would you prefer?”
“Clean shave.”
“Understood. Please remain still.”
Nico straightened slightly and lifted his chin.
A narrow band of pale blue light emerged from the upper edge of the mirror. It swept slowly across his face, following the contours of his jaw and cheeks. A faint tingling sensation accompanied the light as thousands of microscopic pulses removed the stubble just above the surface of his skin.
The entire process took less than five seconds.
“Shave complete,” the mirror announced.
Nico rubbed his chin. Perfectly smooth.
“Thanks.”
“You're welcome, Nicolai.”
He leaned closer to inspect his reflection, turning his head from side to side.
“Not bad.”
The mirror's illuminated border faded, returning to an ordinary reflective surface.
Nico ran his fingers through his damp, jet-black hair, attempting to push it away from his forehead. Several stubborn strands immediately fell back into place.
He gave them one last halfhearted attempt.
“Good enough.”
Nico stepped into his bedroom, the bathroom door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss.
He stopped at the closet and brushed the sensor by the frame. The doors parted with a soft click, and a strip of light revealed rows of dark fabric looping slowly past on a narrow rail.
He watched as shirts and sweaters glided by, each nearly identical to the last, and frowned as if weighing a difficult decision.
Graphite black. Charcoal. Graphite black again.
He halted the rail and plucked one shirt free, held it up, put it back, then reversed the rail and took the same one anyway.
“Bold choice,” he murmured.
He selected a pair of black pants and dressed, smoothing the collar of his shirt before checking his reflection.
On the dresser sat a narrow cylindrical bottle made of dark, translucent glass. He picked it up and pressed his thumb against its base.
A fine, almost invisible mist dispersed into the air around him, carrying a subtle fragrance of cedar, cool mineral air, and something faintly metallic. The particles settled against his clothes and skin, leaving behind a scent that was clean without being overpowering.
Nico returned the bottle to its place.
Beside it rested a slim metallic cuff, its brushed graphite surface interrupted by a narrow strip of dark glass.
His Kio.
He slipped it around his left wrist. The two ends joined seamlessly, adjusting to fit as a faint line of blue light traveled around its circumference.
IDENTITY VERIFIED — NICOLAI
POWER: 94%
NETWORK CONNECTED
A soft pulse against his wrist confirmed the connection.
Nico glanced at the charge indicator.
“Good.”
Nearly everyone carried a Kio. It handled identification, purchases, personal communications, transit access, and a dozen other everyday necessities. Most people barely thought about theirs until they forgot to charge it.
A small, curved earpiece rested beside the dresser mirror. Nico picked it up and fitted it behind his right ear. Its flexible frame settled comfortably against the contours of his skin, nearly disappearing beneath his dark hair.
A quiet tone sounded.
AUDIO LINK ESTABLISHED.
He tapped his Kio twice. A translucent interface appeared a few centimeters above his wrist, its pale blue symbols hovering steadily in the air.
He swiped through a handful of notifications before stopping at Dex's name.
“Call Dex.”
The interface contracted into a small rotating circle.
A gentle ringing tone sounded in his ear.
Once.
Twice.
“Please tell me you're actually awake this time,” Dex answered.
Nico smiled faintly as he crossed the bedroom.
“I'm dressed, aren't I?”
-“I have absolutely no way of verifying that.”
“Then you'll just have to trust me.”
-“A historically questionable decision.”
Nico stepped into the hallway, passing the cluttered living room on his way toward the entrance.
“So, where are we eating?”
-“I'm narrowing down the options.”
“You said you were finding somewhere an hour ago.”
-“And I've been very thorough.”
“Dex.”
-“Alright, alright. There's a place over in the Vespar District. Supposedly excellent food, reasonable prices, and according to the reviews, only a moderate chance of food poisoning.”
“Comforting.”
-“I thought you'd appreciate the transparency.”
Nico stopped beside the apartment door, reaching for the old gravbike jacket hanging from its familiar hook.
“Send me the address.”
-“Already done.”
A small vibration traveled through his Kio.
LOCATION RECEIVED.
Nico glanced down at the floating notification.
“Alright. I'll meet you there.”
-“Try not to fall asleep on the way.”
“See ya soon.”
-“Love you too.”
The connection ended.
He took his father's jacket from the hook and slipped it on. The dark leather settled comfortably across his shoulders, its familiar weight reassuring. He adjusted the collar, checked that his Kio was secure, and reached for his keys.
The door closed behind him with a soft hiss and a click.
“Residence secured,” the apartment’s voice announced.
Nico barely heard it. He was busy slipping his ignition token into the pocket of his father’s old gravbike jacket.
The hallway was quiet, its softly illuminated walls stretching toward the elevators. Nico walked at an unhurried pace, adjusting the collar of his jacket as he went.
When the elevator arrived, he stepped inside.
An elderly woman stood near the back, accompanied by a small, six-legged animal whose round body was covered in short, pale fur.
“Hey, Mrs. Ven,” Nico said.
“Afternoon, dear.”
The animal made a low, bubbling noise.
Nico glanced down at it.
“Still doesn’t like me, huh?”
“Oh, don’t take it personally. He doesn’t like anybody.”
“Good to know.”
The elevator descended in comfortable silence, interrupted occasionally by the creature’s strange little noises.
A soft chime sounded.
“Parking level.”
Nico stepped out.
“Have a good one.”
“You too, dear.”
The doors slid shut behind him.
The garage was cool and filled with the steady mechanical drone of ventilation systems. Rows of sleek vehicles occupied illuminated parking platforms, their polished surfaces reflecting the overhead lights.
Nico’s gravbike looked like it belonged in a museum.
Its deep red bodywork had seen better days, and the older mechanical components were noticeably bulkier than those of the modern vehicles surrounding it. But it was well maintained, and Nico intended to keep it that way.
As he approached, something caught his eye.
A thin scratch ran along one side of the bike.
“Seriously?”
He crouched slightly, running his thumb over the mark.
It wasn’t deep, but it was definitely new.
Nico glanced toward the neighboring space, where a large silver transport sat perfectly centered between its guide lights.
“Unbelievable.”
He made a mental note to check the garage recordings later.
For now, he had somewhere to be.
He swung a leg over the bike and settled into the familiar seat. Reaching into his jacket, he retrieved the ignition token and slipped it into the narrow receiver beneath the handlebars.
A soft mechanical click followed.
The instrument panel flickered to life, its aging displays glowing a warm amber.
Nico pulled his helmet over his head and lowered the visor.
“Identity confirmed, Nicolai,” a calm voice announced.
His Kio synchronized automatically with the helmet’s onboard systems. A series of small indicators appeared along the edges of his vision before fading into the background.
The destination Dex had sent earlier appeared briefly in the center of the display.
ROUTE CONFIRMED.
A thin ribbon of blue light materialized across his field of vision, extending from the bike and disappearing toward the garage exit.
Nico glanced at the estimated travel time.
Not too far.
He pressed the ignition.
The gravbike came alive beneath him with a familiar low rumble. A gentle vibration traveled through the handlebars as the lift system engaged, raising the bike several inches above the platform.
“There you are,” he murmured.
Ahead, the garage doors began to separate.
Brilliant afternoon sunlight spilled across the floor, illuminating the faint haze of dust hanging in the air.
Beyond the opening, streams of vehicles moved between the enormous towers of Axiom.
A red clearance indicator glowed above the exit.
Nico waited.
The bike hovered steadily beneath him.
A transport passed outside, followed by a cluster of smaller commuter vehicles moving in formation.
The light remained red.
Nico tapped his fingers against the handlebar.
Another transport drifted past.
“Come on…”
The indicator blinked twice.
Then turned green.
LAUNCH CLEARANCE GRANTED.
“About time.”
Nico twisted the throttle.
The gravbike surged forward, carrying him through the open doors and into the afternoon sunlight.
Axiom looked almost unrecognizable in daylight.
The rain that had soaked the city throughout the night was gone, leaving the towering buildings gleaming beneath a clear blue sky. Sunlight reflected from countless windows, scattering brilliant flashes of white and gold across the surrounding structures.
Far below, thousands of pedestrians moved along elevated walkways and broad public terraces. Enormous transit platforms carried passengers between districts, while delivery drones darted through designated corridors overhead.
The city seemed endless.
Nico merged into the flow of traffic, the gravbike’s engine settling into a comfortable hum.
The blue ribbon stretched ahead of him, curving gently to the right before threading between two enormous towers.
He followed it without thinking.
As he approached each turn, the illuminated path adjusted smoothly, guiding him through the shifting traffic patterns.
It was something he’d used for years. Most of the time, he barely noticed it anymore.
A massive freight transport suddenly lumbered into his lane.
“Oh, come on.”
Nico eased off the throttle.
The transport crawled ahead of him, its enormous cargo compartments blocking nearly everything beyond it.
He followed behind for half a minute, watching the blue navigation ribbon disappear beneath the vehicle’s broad underside before reappearing farther ahead.
A narrow gap opened in the neighboring traffic stream.
Nico checked his surroundings, leaned slightly, and slipped through.
“Idiot,” he muttered, though he was smiling.
The ribbon curved left.
Nico leaned into the turn, the gravbike responding effortlessly beneath him.
Ahead, the towers stretched toward the horizon, their glass surfaces shimmering in the afternoon light.
He accelerated into the endless stream of traffic, following the thin blue trail toward his destination.
The blue ribbon continued ahead, winding between the towers, and Nico followed the flow of traffic.” The Vesper District began to emerge ahead, its sprawling network of towers and elevated terraces coming into view. Nico checked his navigation display. Two minutes. “Finally,” he said. He eased into a descending lane, steering toward the public parking platforms. A green indicator lit beneath him, and the bike settled into position. “Parking confirmed.”
Nico removed the ignition token, and the bike’s engine gradually fell silent. He lifted off his helmet, running a hand through his dark hair. He reached toward the bike’s storage compartment and pressed the release. A panel slid open, revealing the recessed space for his helmet. He placed it inside and closed the compartment with a soft click. Then he slipped the ignition token into his father’s jacket pocket and looked out over the Vesper District.
Far below, steam rose from open kitchens, mingling with the chatter of pedestrians and the constant hum of traffic. Nico’s Kio pulsed gently.
DEX: you close?
Nico’s eyes caught the distant aromas coming from the restaurant entrance across the terrace.
NICO: Close enough…Just parked.
DEX: Took you long enough, I was starting to think I may have finally gotten rid of you
Nico shook his head, smiling faintly.
NICO: Yeah, yeah. I’m coming
He adjusted the collar of his jacket and headed toward the restaurant, disappearing into the afternoon crowd.