Results tagged “Fisher” from City Eternal

I flew through the hallways of headquarters, finally reaching the camp side. I burst through the entrance to the stairs, and climbed as fast as I could. What floor was he on? I couldn't remember. I checked every floor starting at 100. Finally, breathlessly, I burst through the door where the culture festival had occurred. The area had changed rapidly since then; most of the decorations and booths were now gone. But the one building that mattered most still sat there. I ran up to the entrance, when I noticed it was dark inside. There was a note pinned to the frame of the entrance. I looked at it, and saw it was addressed to us, everyone who had visited that day. It read as follows:

I regret that I must leave, but I have overstayed my welcome. I hope that our talk was fruitful, and that you all find what you are looking for. If you are reading this it means you must have realized that everything I said was the truth. My intent was not to deceive. Hopefully my motivations might become clear at a later time, but for now all I can do is wish you all luck. I wish that we might meet again, but I hope that we do not.

I will leave you with one last piece of advice: do not trust your past experiences. The basis by which we live our lives now is a farce. I hope the truth will become evident in your travels. I am sorry I cannot explain further, but I pray you will understand soon enough.

Fisher

P.S.: Please keep watch over Anna.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? I ripped the note from the frame and stuffed it in my pocket. Michael needed to see this.

I sat on a bench outside the restaurant, and gave my poor legs a chance to recover. After a few minutes, I fell asleep. I was rudely awakened hours later by a phone call. It was Michael.

"Yukari, we're almost finished down here, you need to start packing. We leave in four hours."

"I found a note at Mr. Fisher's place. You need to hear what he said."

"Bring the note with you when you come down. I'll read it then."

"Okay, I will. Can't believe we're leaving so soon."

"I know, seems like we were just finally settling back into routine around here. Welcome to the RDF," he chuckled.

"See you soon," I said.

"Make it quick," he replied, hanging up.

Four hours later, I was in the docking area, baggage in hand. I saw Anna and Sienna sitting against the wall at the back of the dock. I walked over to meet them.

"Hey Yuki!" Anna greeted me, jumping up and hugging.

"Ready for your trip?" I asked.

"Yep! Mikey and Jon are getting the boat."

"Gotcha. Where's Tobias? Is he not coming?"

"No, he's going to be our contact while we're traveling, keeping track of our route and keeping a close eye on us," Sienna answered.

I pulled Anna off of me, and we sat down next to Sienna. We talked about Anna's schoolwork, Sienna's job, and the task ahead. For once I felt excited, instead of scared. We were going to travel to someplace new, somewhere no one around has gone. It was hard not to be excited.

An alert played over the PA system, announcing the docking of a ship. We looked to the docking bay door, and saw a large ship approaching.

"That's it! That's our ship!" Anna called out.

"What? That big thing? No way," I said exasperated.

"Yes it is! I can feel Mikey and Jon!"

"A little overkill, isn't it?" I asked.

"Jon practically begged the general to allow us to use it. That's all I know," Sienna replied.

"Great," I rolled my eyes.

The ship sailed in, narrowly avoiding the top of the giant gateway. It was a mammoth in comparison to the other small boats in the docking area. It featured a single TURING cannon on the rear of the ship, but also had the distinctive extended railings of all the City Eternal military ships. No doubt they were mad about missing this one. Also near the back was the second navigation pod. Besides that, the only other thing that came off the deck was the large room in the center, which I assumed led under the deck. The whole ship was a dark metallic color, but this room actually had windows. Windows were a rare sight, most ships didn't have any at all, for added protection. I immediately recognized that this ship was indeed special, even among other ships of its size.

As the landing gear took the weight of the ship, the docking bay grew quiet. I hadn't realized, but the ship's lift system was actually audible. A testament to its size and weight, for sure. A steep stairway extended from the side to the ground, and Jon peaked his head out from inside.

"Well, you guys going to just sit there or are you going to check it out?" he called.

Anna took off like a bolt. Sienna and I followed her, actually interested in this new toy of theirs. It had a majestic feel to it, something truly epic. We climbed up the steep stairs into the cabin. Inside it was far more spacious than I imagined. Pipes and machinery ran along the ceiling and various walls, but much of the cabin itself was open. The stairs led up directly into a bathroom with a shower. Beyond that was a kitchen. The oven was small but functional, and there was a large sink and a microwave as well. Cabinets lined the walls wherever they could be placed, while soft lighting gave it a surprisingly homey feel.

Immediately next to that, with an open counter separating them, was the living area, with wrap-around couch circling a low table. It had enough room to seat all of us comfortably. Past it was the stairwell, which went both up on deck, as well as below deck. The ceiling above the living area and stairwell was raised, providing space for the only windows on the ship. It let in a lot of light, and really made it feel less cramped. It was amazing how large the ship felt from the inside.

Along the opposite side of the kitchen, there was a simple pantry closet. Next to it was the navigation room. That room had many monitors and controls, and also contained the various computer devices needed to run the ship. The engine and lift systems were further below deck, but this room was still loud. Luckily it had a thick door to keep the noise out of the living area.

Michael lead us down the stairwell, to the next floor. The ceiling was lower here, to the point that Michael had to duck his head down to avoid banging his head on various pipes and cables running along it. There were five rooms total down here. Michael explained that him and Jonathan would share a bedroom, as he didn't sleep. The other three bedrooms were for us girls, which I was happy about. The final room was originally two rooms by the look of it, but were merged into one large living area, much like the one above.

Before we headed back up, Michael pointed out that the stairs continued downwards. Below the bedrooms was the engine room, where the jet engine and lift system was held. He mentioned that Anna was the only one who could actually stand upright in there, as the bottom deck was short and cramped.

Just before we headed back up, Jonathan and a couple of dock workers came down from above, carrying our luggage. I thanked them for the help, and we settled into our respective bedrooms. Once we were unpacked, Michael called from above over the intercom, informing us that we were about to get underway. I hurried out of my room up the stairs to the surface deck, and joined the others in saying goodbye to the refugee camp.

Anna waved vigorously to the crew on the ground, and we began to float out of the hangar. Michael handled the navigation this time, instead of allowing the autopilot the honors. Tobias also arrived at the last second to see us off.

"I'll be in constant contact, and monitoring your progress! You guys be careful!" he called out to us over the hum of the lift system.

"If we get lost, it's your fault!" Jonathan yelled back, laughing.

The ship emerged from the hangar, and proceeded to unroll the sails. It unfurled a magnificent main sail, which looked far larger than I thought possible. Once it had opened and grasped the wind, a headsail also began to open near the front of the ship, displaying the RDF insignia. It wasn't the first time I'd seen it, but I hadn't really paid attention to it before. The insignia featured three men placing a flag on top of some rubble. Michael walked up next to me, as I continued to look at the sail.

"That insignia came from an old photograph, from before the apocalyptic event. We're not sure when it was taken, but it was very inspirational. The RDF protects what we've built from the ashes and dust of the old world. It's fitting, don't you think?"

I nodded.

Michael walked back to the ship controls, and received final clearance for departure from the camp. The sails caught a strong gust, and the ship lurched forward out of the camp. I looked back at the camp one last time. My gut wrenched; it felt like this was the last time I'd see the camp. I could only hope I was wrong.

Weeks went by without much excitement after we made it back. Sienna was able to pull the glass shards out of my hands, and they were feeling much better now. Jonathan though, spent much of his time in and out of the hospital, recovering from his injuries. Michael was able to repair his batteries to working order. Once Michael was better, Tobias joined him in helping the RDF analyze the data we retrieved from the dome. Sienna herself was fine, of course, but she was so busy I barely had a moment to chat with her.

That left Anna, who had returned to school. She was far beyond her age in intelligence, so she was placed in the high school. It was challenging for her, which was good, because it kept her mind off of our recent mission. She enjoyed it though, and that made me happy to see. She was growing up rapidly, and I wanted her to enjoy as much of her childhood as she could.

It seemed though, that I was alone. Everyone else had a job to do. I did my best to keep tabs on everyone, and to check in on Jonathan's progress each day. I tried to help the RDF where I could, but I was just in the way. I eventually decided to head topside and do some walking, to clear my mind.

I walked out of the hangar doors, and ran out away from the hustle and bustle of the RDF's various nightly activities. Moments later I reached a rocky hill on the outskirts of the camp, and plopped down. Looking up into the ink-black sky, I imagined I was looking at the stars. It was the one thing I missed from the dome; at night, the false ceiling displayed a beautiful rendition of Earth's old night sky. I couldn't believe that at one time, hundreds of years ago, this rocky cold desert was once a great city. I'd long since forgotten the name, but the dome's name, City Eternal, was certainly a tribute to the majesty of what had been. I continued to lay there, but I wasn't able to sit still. I was restless, so much was running through my mind.

Who would have thought it would have turned out like this?

I fiddled with my new running shoes, tightening the strings. The shoes were specially designed for me. At the speeds I could run at, the average shoe couldn't withstand the impact. More importantly, it tore my feet up terribly. So I had two pairs created. The running shoes I had with me, which had less traction (if the shoes had too much traction, I couldn't slide, and trying to stop at 60 miles per hour without sliding was a painful and long endeavour) and more support were perfect for high speed. The other pair was for more parkour-style running. They had better grip, especially in the toes, where the sole contained a special no-slip grip that allowed me to travel up walls and slick surfaces much easier than I could otherwise.

I pulled myself to my feet, and took off running, full out. Without a real destination in mind, I decided to make a large loop around the outskirts of the camp. The wind whipped through my hair, and pounded my chest, as I forced myself to go as fast as I could manage. I felt like an animal that was finally released from its cage, given the opportunity to run free without restraint. It was the first time I was truly allowed to run in the open air, without be scared or angry. Just peaceful.

My sprint around the camp was short lived, it only took me about ten minutes to reach exhaustion. But when I finally collapsed to the dirt again, I felt happy, for the first time in a long time. Too tired and too uninterested in heading back, I pulled my jacket closed, and watched the dark clouds roll by once more, as I drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, I wasn't sure just how long, my phone began to ring. It startled me awake, and I quickly pulled it from my pocket.

"Jon, what's wrong?" I said breathlessly.

"I should ask you the same! It's 3AM, where are you?"

"Outside, taking a nap."

"Outside? Are you crazy? It's dangerous to just leisure about up there!"

"Seems pretty safe to me," I replied, confused.

"Will you get your butt back inside before Michael has a heart attack? He's practically ready to form a search party for you!" Jonathan said exasperated.

"Okay, okay! I'll be down in a few minutes."

Hanging up, I let out a deep sigh. It seemed my peace had run out for the day. Still, I came away from the time feeling refreshed, and I thanked God I had the chance.

Another month passed. Jon's injuries had finally healed, and the RDF's researchers had finished analyzing the disk. Jon, Sienna, and myself were called down to meet Tobias and Michael in the war room to discuss the findings. Jon and I were official members of the RDF now, complete with our own badges, so obtaining access to the war room was uneventful. Once we arrived, Michael had us take a seat at the table, while he turned on the projector. The table already had many other officers of the RDF seated. General Ratkins walked in moments later, with Tobias and Sienna directly behind. Tobias joined Michael at the front of the room, while Ratkins and Sienna joined us at the table.

"To begin, our research team has finished their work on the data disk obtained from City Eternal. We've processed every last bit, and unfortunately, what we found was sparse. It seems we were had."

"What do you mean, 'had'? We pulled that straight from their stupid computer!" I yelled, angry at the wasted effort, the pain and suffering we endured.

"It seems that the information contained within the CARMEL system was not quite what we expected. Very little of the military's documents and data existed in the system," Michael informed us.

"Then we went in there for no reason, what a crock of shit!" Jon yelled.

"Don't get too excited. We were able to obtain one small interesting piece of information. This was pulled from their dock itinerary of the past month," Michael said, pressing a button to advance the presentation.

On the screen was an activity list for City Eternal's external docks. Anything that went in or out of the city was listed there.

"We were most interested in this section," Michael added, highlighting a small part of the log.

The log seemed to talk about various military equipment coming in through the docks.

"This record shows an incredible amount of military equipment, far more than we ever speculated existed. Not great news. However, this log also had one other bit of detail to reveal to us," Michael spoke curiously. He eliminated the rest of the log, and zoomed in on a specific area of the military equipment record.

The record said, "Wisconsin Dome".

"Wisconsin Dome? What does that mean?" an officer in the back asked.

"That record reveals the origins of the equipment coming from the docks. This equipment here came from a place called the Wisconsin Dome, possibly the location of some military exercise. The research team was puzzled by the name, so they looked into it. Wisconsin, it seems, was a name of one of the 50 states of America, this country. Wisconsin's borders are far east of here, beyond the Appalachian Divide," Tobias explained.

"We're not sure what to make of this, but the research team seems to believe, and I concur, that this Wisconsin Dome is another dome, just like City Eternal's. We've heard much speculation about the existence of other domes, but City Eternal has had plenty of time to modify historical record, so it's not surprising that they could keep this a secret."

"So what if this is another dome, what does that mean for us?" another officer asked.

"Well, it could either be another area City Eternal controls, and uses for their military. Or, more likely, it's a dome that City Eternal is fighting," Tobias replied.

"If they're fighting City Eternal, then we could use their help," Jon said.

"Right you are, which is why I want to send a ship out to investigate," General Ratkins said, as he rose from his seat. "We've been lucky so far. Based on these records, City Eternal has more than enough firepower to destroy us without a second thought. But if they are at war, then it would explain their general disinterest in our various activities. And if they are at war, we need to talk to this Wisconsin Dome, if City Eternal hasn't already obliterated it. Michael, I want you to organize a small team to travel out east and find this Wisconsin Dome. If they're friendly, organize an alliance, and if they're not, report back immediately."

"I've already started preparations, I hope to leave tonight."

"Good. Take whatever supplies and equipment you deem necessary. This could be the breakthrough we've been waiting for," General Ratkins smiled.

"Okay, everyone, meeting's over. I'll be talking to each of you later to discuss our plans. Don't go too far," Michael instructed.

I couldn't believe what I had seen. Everyone else had begun returning to their stations throughout headquarters, but I was still planted in my seat. How could another dome go unnoticed for so long? And then I was reminded of Mr. Fisher. He said something during our meeting months ago, about the possible existence of other domes. Did he know something we didn't? I had to find out.

"Michael, I'll be back in a little bit. I need to look into something," I said anxiously, and took off for the door.

We sat and ate. It was the first time Jonathan and I had eaten a decent meal together since arriving. While it certainly wasn't amazing, I wasn't one to complain. Anna seemed to love it, however. As we ate, we talked about various things; the current state of City Eternal, the politics, how the camp was faring, the basics. Mr. Fisher seemed to lead the conversation, and I felt that all of this was somehow building up to something bigger.

After we had finished, he confirmed my feelings and jumped right into the heart of the matter.

"Yukari, Jonathan, I need to warn you about something. Something very serious." Mr. Fisher said uneasily.

"What is it?" Jonathan replied.

"Michael and I do not believe everything is as it seems with City Eternal. Your mission, Michael has told me about it. Based off my past experiences, I don't think that reactor is their target."

"But if that isn't their target, then what is?" I asked.

"To be straightforward, I don't believe they're after anything at all. I think they're just too preoccupied with something else to truly take care of us once and for all."

"Preoccupied with what? There's nothing out here," I stated plainly.

"Or is there? Think about it. I told you my story, of how City Eternal started. With as much as all the countries bickered and fought over the last remaining inhabitable regions, do you really believe that they finally decided on this one dome? Also, why would City Eternal devote so much time and effort into a full-fledged army when their only enemy is a camp leeching off their trash?" Mr. Fisher suggested.

"But if City Eternal isn't the only city, then… they could be at war with other domes!" Jonathan concluded.

"That is the first idea that comes to mind, yes. But you'd think we would have seen some real proof of this. I know the camp's technology isn't quite the best, but I think we'd know if there was a war being waged only a few miles away from us." Mr. Fisher said.

"Okay, so then what do you think it is?"

"This is actually Michael's idea. He believes that there is a war going on, but it's incredibly one sided, in favor of City Eternal. He thinks that City Eternal is running out of resources, and wishes to expand. Assuming the other domes were not prepared for war, it could be devastating."

"If this is true, then this is larger than just us," Jonathan said.

"Indeed. The General couldn't tell you in the war room, but this is the real reason they wish for you to infiltrate their military computers. This mission is to be conducted under absolute secrecy, and even the General doesn't know who to trust," Mr. Fisher said.

There were so many questions, and so few answers. I knew then that I'd be going on this mission. I didn't have a choice. If there really were other domes, other entire cities out there, I had to know. I needed answers.

"Will you be joining us on this mission then, Mr. Fisher?" I asked.

"Ah, eh, no. I may be a decent historian, but I am no combatant. I'd only slow you all down," He said, grinning at me as he said the last part.

"Funny. I guess I'll go on this mission then. Hopefully we'll get some answers," I said.

Anna, who had been pretty quiet this time, suddenly spoke up. I didn't expect her to really understand what we were discussing, but as I would later discover, she was not to be underestimated from her age.

"If you're gonna go, I am too. My mother is still in the city somewhere, we might find her!" she said enthusiastically.

"Anna, you can't go, you're too young," I informed her.

"Too young? You need me for this! I'll be useful, and I won't get in the way!" She insisted.

"She's right, Anna, your father…" he paused.

"My father what? Died? I know he died, you don't have to be all protective of me! I can take care of myself! And I think he would have wanted me to help mother," Anna said.

"You should probably reconsider, Yukari. She'll be under much better care staying with you, anyway," Mr. Fisher interjected.

We bickered over it for a while longer, but it was futile. I knew that had I not invited her along, she probably would have found a way to sneak along with us anyway. It still left me feeling concerned, and worried. It was probably an omen of things to come. With that, we decided it was time to go. After all, there was the Asian culture festival! We said our goodbyes, and ducked out.

Anna absolutely loved the festival. She dragged us from one side of the place to the other, making sure to burn every single coin we had been graciously given by Sienna for the event. Speaking of Sienna, she also came up and said hello to us while she was on break from the hospital. I didn't want to admit it myself, but by nightfall, I even found myself enjoying the festival.

At the end of the festival, Jonathan took us to this small grassy hill near the entrance. I wasn't quite sure what he was planning, but he had us sit down on the hill.

"Sienna said this is the best place to watch," Jonathan said suddenly.

"Watch what?" Anna asked curiously.

Jonathan just grinned at us and looked up at the sky, or ceiling, or whatever they decided to call it at that time. I looked up also, just in time to see the first explosion of a beautiful firework. A moment later I heard and felt the explosion.

"Amazing!" I said, in awe. I had only seen an actual firework once before, as a young child, back in the dome. "But how are they firing off fireworks indoors like this?"

"There's no smoke… so it must be artificial," Jonathan pointed out.

"I don't care, they're really really pretty either way!" Anna said.

It really was a wonderful spot. The buildings were not obstructing the view, and it was far away from the bustle of the festival. We continued to watch the fireworks for a while, when I suddenly remembered something.

"Jonathan?"

"Yeah Yukari?"

"I thought you said the festival was on the 30th floor," I said questioningly.

"It is, why?"

"Um, Jonny? We're on the 46th!" Anna informed him.

"No, I think you're confused," he replied.

"Uh, Jonathan, Anna pressed 46, I watched her," I said, defending Anna.

"Yeah, so what? Fine, I forgot what floor it was on. Everyone makes mistakes."

"So what? If we'd followed you we probably wouldn't have ever made it here! You've never had any sense for direction, you know that?" I boldly stated.

"Ah, shut up!" Jonathan cried.

Anna and I giggled for a while about that, as we continued to watch the fireworks. It was even more enjoyable without the smoke blocking the view and smelling up the place, I decided. I was thoroughly enjoying the final shots, when I noticed Jonathan began to shuffle oddly.

I didn't give it much thought, but then his hand started to move towards mine. I glanced down at his hand for a fleeting moment, not moving my head. Unsure of what he was doing, I hesitated. Then he placed his hand on mine.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at him, yanking my hand away from him like I was burned.

"I… I was just…" he stuttered.

"Nevermind that, I know what you were doing, just don't ever do that again, do you hear me?!" I said furiously.

"Yeah, Yukari, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to both-"

"Well you did," I replied flippantly.

Honestly, my reaction was pretty unfair to him and was completely uncalled for, but I had my reasons for acting that way. Reasons I would come to terms with the next morning, to even my own surprise.

The next morning, I was rudely awakened by the sound of someone opening my bedroom door. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and attempted to see through the haziness. Once my eyes cleared I saw it was Jonathan.

"Hey sleepy, it's about time you woke up. I've been up for three hours now!"

"Ugh, what time is it?"

"A little after eleven. I let you sleep as long as I could."

I slid out of the bed, and wobbled over to the bathroom to take a shower. I continued to talk (loudly) through the door and over the noise of the running water.

"Anyway, I bought you this kimono to wear today. There's an Asian culture festival on the 30^th floor this afternoon, figured you might want to go," Jonathan said.

"A kimono? I've never worn one," I said.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now, are you going or not?"

"Well since you went out of the way to buy a kimono, I guess I have to. I wanted to spend some time touring the camp though."

"We'll have time to do that, don't worry. Sienna said she might come too after work."

"Okay. Hey, Jonathan?" I asked.

"Yeah, Yuki?"

"What do you really think about that mission?"

"I'm scared, too. But I think we'll have to face our fears at some point anyway. The genetic farm may have hurt us, but they didn't kill us. We can't let them rule over us in fear."

I took a moment to think about what he said. Was I alright with just hiding here in the camp? Could I really live my whole life just hiding?

"Think of the others still trapped in the genetic farm," Jonathan added. "Not all of them are going to be as lucky as we were."

All of this weighed heavily on me, and under any other circumstances I'm sure this would have been an easy decision for me. But even Jonathan did not understand the true consequences of their experiments on me. I still held a deep dark secret, one I had no intention of making public anytime soon.

I stood there in the shower just scrubbing furiously for a few minutes, thinking back to the genetic farm and that first horrible experiment.

"Yukari, you alright? You just kinda went silent." He asked.

"I'm alright." I called back to him.

I finished up my shower and wrapped the towel around me. I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Well, are you going to leave or what? I'm not putting on a show for you." I said.

"Eh, it was worth a shot," Jonathan said, as he left my bedroom.

I picked up the kimono off the bed, and attempted to put it on. I fumbled with the obi, the bow portion, but I managed to get it to stay on. I then attended to my hair, and walked out into the living room. Jonathan was standing there, wearing an interesting samurai outfit. He looked at me, and attempted to stifle his laughter.

"What?!" I crowed, wondering what was so funny.

Suddenly, I saw Anna jump off the couch to look at me. She was also wearing a kimono, and I saw that her obi was tied quite differently than my haphazard attempt. She started laughing uncontrollably.

"Haha! You really don't know how to put on a kimono!" Jonathan said.

"Here, Yuki, let me fix that for you!" Anna offered, as she scurried over behind me.

"You didn't tell me Anna was coming, Jon."

"It was a little sudden. She just arrived. Apparently Sienna thought it was a good idea." Jonathan said.

"Great," I thought to myself. "We're going to look like a family now."

"Don't worry, Yuki, I'm well behaved!" Anna said from behind me.

She suddenly pulled tight on the obi, nearly leaving me breathless.

"It's not you I'm worried about," I said, looking intently at Jonathan.

"Hey! You act like I'm going to pretend we're a couple or something!" he said.

"I wouldn't put it past you," I replied.

"Alright, you're all fixed up, Yuki!" Anna said.

"Thanks."

"So, are we ready to go? I want to hit the food district before we head up." Jonathan proposed.

Anna and I nodded.

We headed down to the public elevator, and there was quite a bit of people there. We jumped in line, and I found myself trying to find a conversation starter.

"So, Jonathan, what did you do this morning? Besides buy this kimono, that is."

"Well, I grabbed breakfast, and read up a little on the daily events going on here at the camp. That's where I discovered the Asian culture festival. I then went and browsed some stores on the upper floors, and went to get a boat license," he described.

"A boat license?"

"Yeah. Apparently since boat transportation on the surface is limited, and also dangerous, they require a license in order to buy and sail a boat," Jonathan explained.

"So you're going to buy a boat, then?" I asked.

"Actually, I was going to build my own, or maybe restore a damaged one. I love doing restorations, it was a favorite hobby of mine."

I thought for a moment, about hobbies. I didn't really have a hobby of my own, as a child. I always enjoyed sword fighting, but I never considered it a hobby. It was more of a sport, to me. Thinking back to those times when I participated in Iaido and fencing made me feel excited and free again. I knew then I wished to pick up that sport again, if I could.

I snapped back to attention at the sound of the elevator arriving at our floor. Jonathan hopped in and held the door, while Anna and I followed (along with numerous others waiting. Anna jumped and hit the 46^th floor button, and in a few moments we were on our way. And then we stopped. And started again. And stopped again. And started once more.

"Oh come on! How many stops do we have till the elevator hits our floor?" I asked.

"What are you complaining about, lady? I have to ride this damn thing four times a day!" some guy in the back of the elevator replied.

"Four times? Well aren't you special? I ride it from the 20^th to the 240^th at least 12 times a day!" another guy claimed.

"Whatever, I have to ride the damn main service elevator twice a day!" a third guy cried.

"Would you all just grow up and shut up?" A lady at the front scolded.

I put my head in my hand, wishing I had never said anything. They continued to argue all the way until we got off. Once we stepped off, however, things became far quieter. Eerily quieter, actually. Instead of a hallway, there was a wide open area. It looked like it was outside! There were trees, plants, stone walkways, and a starry sky.

"How is this possible? This looks like the pictures of old Earth!" I said bewildered.

"It's fake," Anna informed us. "They use some kind of greenhouse stuff stolen from the dome. It's the same system we use to grow our food, I think."

I stood there for a moment, taking everything in. Anna started walking forward, and finally Jonathan and I joined her. Anna moved forward at a good pace, as if she had a destination in mind.

"So where are we going to first, Anna?" I asked.

"We're going to see Mr. Fisher first," she said. "I promised Sienna that I'd take you to see him first."

"Who's Mr. Fisher?" Jonathan asked, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"Mr. Fisher is an old man that Sienna knows. He's kind of strange, but he's really really smart, supposedly."

I admit I was intrigued, and a bit curious, but kind of thrown off. I expected this time to be all rest and relaxation, not more drama. It had to be important, if Sienna wished for me to see her, but I still had my reservations.

We walked into the middle of what I would call a town. It was only a single street, and between each small building were stands, with various things like food and games. A few sakura trees poked out from behind the stands. A large number of people were already at the festival, completing last-minute preparations. Anna took us to a two-story building not far from the elevator. Despite being only two floors, it was one of the tallest at the festival. The sign on the building said "Gaia's Monjayaki".

"So he works at this restaurant?" Jonathan asked surprised.

"He owns it, actually," Anna said.

"Monjayaki is an odd choice for a restaurant," I pointed out.

"Like I said, he's kind of strange."

I nodded, willing to accept that explanation for the moment. Jonathan pulled back the curtain and we entered.