Welcome Home

Dusk came and six buses, more like armored cars, dropped the newcomers from the train. Processing and interviews took most of the day. As the buses drove off like a line of black ants, the weary family of three stood before an apartment complex.

There were dark suits walking about. Most Fellden were relocated at the western building of three due to the sun rising in the east. Some came home from a hard day's work; some took a stroll with their loved ones along the stone paths of the surrounding forest. It was easy to tell where a Fellden lived; almost all the windows were tinted black.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" The woman in her thirties leaned in with a perky smile. She had thick framed cat's eye glasses and a pleated grey suit. She was the Rowe family's aide who was appointed by the renewed UN called the UNAR, the United Nations And Races. Her assignment was mandatory for every immigrating Fellden to help them through cohabitation above ground. She lifted her briefcase from the sidewalk. With a skip to her voice, she ushered them, "Come on. Let's get you settled in."

The woman pressed a button on the wall. Luggage in their hands, Jonathan and Abigail shared a puzzled look. Fletcher stood behind his mother, equally unsure of what was happening. He noticed a few onlookers of humans and Fellden watching their arrival.

"Ms. Klein, why are we standing here?" asked Jonathan.

"Wha- Oh! Clumsy me. I totally forgot the stuff you guys aren't used to." With a little slide, Ms. Klein moved aside for the family to see the metal doors. She lifted an open hand towards it as if presenting a prize. "This is called an elevator. See that little button I just pressed? It goes up and down but since we're already on the ground floor, we're going up."

"Going up is the only plan we have," declared Abigail. She held Jonathan's hand tightly.

"Right you are, Mrs. Rowe. That's good to know." Ms. Klein had her first genuine smile of the day.

DING!

Jonathan quickly took a step back and raised his fists in defense. Abigail guarded herself too while protecting Fletcher behind her. The metal doors opened and an empty elevator waited for them. The couple didn't lower their guard until the onlookers' laughter from afar was heard. There was a man out of breath and in tears as he laughed and rolled on his second floor balcony.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rowe?" Ms. Klein did her professional best, which wasn't really much, not to chuckle. She held the elevator door open and waved them in. "Oh, forget them. It's turned into a spectacle of sorts whenever a new Fellden tenant comes here. Up we go, come on."

Once they got off the elevator, Ms. Klein and the family walked the open-air hallway and stopped in front of apartment 414. She brought out a set of keys and wore night vision goggles. She opened the door, "Welcome to your new home."

The family closed the door behind. If one wasn't a Fellden or equipped with night vision, they'd be blind with a handful of knee scrapes. But Jonathan's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe the place. Everything was new but not extravagant in any way. It was a standard apartment by every means. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a dining area beside the kitchen which also counted as a living room.

More fortunate people would've frowned upon the apartment's simplicity but not Jonathan. He could've cried right there if he weren't for Ms. Klein's presence. The apartment wasn't any special but it was a considerable upgrade from their quarters in Asrora. He was glad he took the train.

"It's so different. So clean and… square. It's great. I would never have imagined this." Jonathan wandered around, touring the different rooms. He left Abigail, Fletcher and Ms. Klein by the kitchen.

"Don't get me wrong. It's a lovely unusual place but why's everything in grey?" asked Abigail.

"I'd question the color choice too- Oh! You meant- Nice question. I like your family already." Ms. Klein clasped her hands together with glee. "It was discussed that a white interior might be too much for your sensitive eyesight. So they went for the middleground on this one. Kept just a little pinch of white in there so your eyes can become accustomed with such colors."

"Our hair's silver," Abigail commented dryly.

"Can't be too careful. Light is a bouncy thing."

Abigail nodded at Ms. Klein's explanation but couldn't help herself from touching the tiles of the kitchen counter. There wasn't anything like that in Asrora but she knew a place where meals were prepared when she saw one. She loved to cook and she wondered what ingredients grew above the soil. She pointed towards the stove, "What is that?"

"Good eye, Mrs. Rowe." Ms. Klein went over and turned on the stove. After a brief and mild reluctance, she succeeded in persuading Abigail to hover her hand over it.

"It's hot?!" Abigail was shocked and retreated her hand. "Steam? But I don't see any pipes around though."

"Induction stove, Mrs. Rowe." Ms. Klein basked in hubris with a cocky grin. "Stoves usually generate flames but, knowing how dangerous the flames' light is to Fellden, we equipped you with this one that uses electricity instead. You're gonna love electricity."

The tour was over. Jonathan was found admiring the softness of what he learned was a bed, Fellden beds were usually made with soft clay, and recalled to the dining area. Ms. Klein gave them binder of files which ranged from where they would work to what-to-dos and what-nots. Smartphones and other devices with screens were hazards. Jonathan had the stack of binders against his chest and asked the woman, "Is this it?"

"In case of emergencies or any concerns, don't be shy now and contact me through the telephone with the number I gave you. And okey dokey, I'll have that. Thank you. " Ms. Klein smiled as she retrieved the signed papers from Abigail, placed them in her briefcase, and snapped it shut. It sounded final but she had more to say, "One last thing after all. A piece of advice. Make no trouble and you'll live a normal life. Welcome home."

His mother hugged his father tightly and tears fell from her cheek. Fletcher didn't understand why she would be crying at this moment when the hardships of their life in Asrora were far away. He watched her tears fall. It was another moment he didn't understand but, as he father told him, he didn't forget.

'Ms. Klein couldn't see it but it looked like water on limestone.'

It was evening by the time Ms. Klein left. Abigail opened the window and a soft breeze greeted them. Even with their suits and visors, it was refreshing and cool. They felt light even, as if they could be whisked away. The night brought a calmness similar to the grand tunnels of Asrora but more vast and magnificent. The stars pierced the dark sky and the crescent moon shined like the sun's kinder sibling.

"These stars are something else." Jonathan felt like he could stare at them forever.

'One amazing thing after another. Something scared me. You know that sinking feeling you get when you have too much goodies that your hand can hold? It was the law of give and take. Take too much and everything spills out. It's a Fellden principle taught to the young like I was. Was surprised to find it being said above the soil to be honest. Maybe my parents forgot about it, blinded by beauty and all that. It will get its due and you better be ready…'

Fletcher's silver eyes drifted from the night sky back to the apartment. He stared at the left hallway past the dining room. At the end of the hallway, there was a metal door which looked heavy and daunting. The bolts that outlined it were as large as jar lids. A rectangular and thick tinted glass was too high for Fletcher to see what was inside but above the door frame was a sign that read: Light Treatment.

'...We weren't.'