Welcome to Central

I looked over my shoulder, a part of me hoping that Geo was waiting for me. He is all I know from this new life, but I should have known better. He wasn't waiting for me and I watched his back as he walked away. 'It's just as well,' I told myself. I shook my head to clear it and turned back to face Albin with a forced smile pasted on my face.

"Thank you, Councilman Albin," I said politely.

"No need for such formalities, especially from an ancient. Please, call me Albin," he said with a charming smile. His eyes looked past me and I could tell he was watching Geo leave. "You'll have to forgive his rudeness. He's brilliant with machines and whatnot but is lacking when it comes to being personable," Albin said cooly. "It's amazing he's risen up to where is now..." Albin's hazel eyes darkened while he was lost in thought. He blinked the darkness away and looked at me with a smile, "but fear not. While your first days must have been quite dull being with him and being in isolation, I'll show you that there is more to Central and Arca. But first, put this on."

Albin handed me a small medical respirator and I looked at it curiously. "It is part of the safety precautions for the flu Councilwoman Thana mentioned earlier. When you live in confined quarters, disease can spread too easily. While the flu you have is common and rarely lethal it is best to take preventive measures don't you think?" I nodded and put the respirator on. It was a little uncomfortable, but significantly better than the helmet and suit.

Albin leaned down to check the mask's fit. He got so close I could feel my face flush red with embarrassment. He must have noticed because he chuckled lightly before stepping away. With one hand he made a sweeping gesture towards the corridor, "let us go to your new home." He placed his other hand on my back and guided me out of the room. The contact was startling and made my back tense away from him, but he seemed unfazed by my reaction and continued moving forward. He ushered me into a hover car waiting just outside the corridor before getting to the driver seat.

From the twists and turns I could tell we were going back the way we had came in, but now I could see the various hallways. At first they were narrow and dim, the metal older and worn with patches of newer metal from repairs. The design was very familiar, likely from the original ark. The closer we got to the dock the larger the corridors became. You could tell when each addition was made by the different style and age of the metal walls. Soon many hover cars began to drive alongside us in a steady stream, some carrying goods while others transported Arcans to different places within the station. It reminded me of an ant colony back on Earth with its many dark tunnels.

Suddenly Albin took a sharp turn to the left, and before I knew it we were in a large open hall filled with people and shops and food stands. It was a whole marketplace that expanded as far as the eye could see in those cramped conditions. Albin parked the car off to the side and we both stepped out onto a large walkway that crossed right through the heart of the bustling place. The walkway was lined with lights that gave the impression that it was daylight outside, but down certain alleyways you could tell some shops stayed in a never ending night as their energetic music blared down to the main walkway.

I was dazzled by the the whole site and many people seemed to find me just as fascinating to look at. I was significantly shorter than everyone else here and my skin was significantly darker. That combined with the mask on my face made me stick out of the crowd, but most people were polite enough to glance away when I looked in their direction.

After a while I needed to take a break. Even though I was mostly recovered, the illness still made me fatigued, and it was the most walking I had done since waking from hibernation. "Can we stop here?" I asked Albin while gesturing to a small food stand. "I need a short break," I said a little breathlessly. "Of course," Albin agreed with a worried look. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yes, I'm just a little tired. I haven't done this much walking for nearly 10,000 years and it feels like it," I said with a small laugh. Albin broke out into a hearty laugh, his slightly crooked smile matching the little curve of his nose where it must have broken a long time ago. With a twinkle in his eye he said, "so you truly are an ancient! I can't believe my, well our, luck!"

I tilted my head and sighed, "I don't know how lucky it is. I don't know much about this way of life. I could end up not being very useful after all." Albin shook his head, "No, there is much we have forgotten or do not know. I am certain you will be of value, at least you will be to me," he said with a wink.

The shopkeeper came over to us and froze for a second when he saw me, but when he looked at Albin he broke out into a smile. "Ah, Councilman Albin, what can I get you?"

"Two diras." The shopkeeper nodded and quickly came out with two small dishes of what looked to be some sort of radish in a clear pickling fluid. I stared at it for a moment unsure of what to do next. "You can remove your mask while you eat," Albin said. "Just try not to cough on anything, especially anyone," he said with a smile. I smiled back as I pulled the mask away and smelled the salty tang of the dira. I brought a piece up to my mouth and savored the salty flavor. It was the first thing I'd eaten that wasn't bland since I woke up.

Albin smirked at me, "it seems you know what is good when you have it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I can tell you are savoring the salty flavor. Salty foods are quite the delicacy since it is so difficult to obtain."

I hadn't thought about where the salt must come from out here in space. Looking down at the dish in front of me I wondered just how rare it must be. "How do you get the salt all the way out here so far from Earth?"

"I can tell you it isn't cheap," Albin in a serious tone, "not with all the processing it has to go through to extract it from the urine." I froze just before I put another piece into my mouth. Urine? "At least that was the way we used to do it before finding Ilterra. For the last several decades we've been mining it off the planet," he said with a wicked grin. I glared at him before popping the piece into my mouth. "The salt prices have gone down significantly since then and less is being taken from the urine filters. Even though salty foods are becoming more accessible, they are still a delicacy." Seeing my expression he couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you rested enough?" he asked. I nodded yes and we continued on our way down one of the alleyways. I could tell we were getting closer to the docks because small crafts carrying crates were zooming every which way to deliver goods. Hover cars were beeping down the alleyways as a warning to get out of the way or be flattened, and there were fewer shops out this way. Albin led me to a quieter section of the outer market wall and held up a small card to a pad alongside the door. A light flashed green and the door slide open to reveal a small apartment.

"This will be your quarters," he said while handing me the card. The place can't be larger than 400 square feet, but at least it is mine. "Someone will be by at 08:00 to take you to the infirmary to get your daily checkup before reporting to work at the dock. Get some rest while you can."

"Thank you," I said. Albin nodded and left me in my new apartment. My new home.