Exploration

"Block 5A, it says here." He points up.

Juniper's jaw dropped when he saw the building. It was huge and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.

The walls were covered with glass panels, giving them a clear view of the outside while also keeping the inside private.There were balconies on the first floor that went around the entire building, as if there was no limit to space. It reminded him of an old building he once stayed in during his trip to Earth, except this building was much bigger than any other house he knew.

He went inside and waited for Ciro and to enter first. He walked down the hallway, looking at the pictures hanging on the wall. Most of them were pictures of people and places. They were all colorful images depicting various landscapes, houses and streets.

"I hope I don't get lost." Juniper said, glancing back at Ciro.

"Don't worry. This building is quite large but most parts are clearly marked with signs and arrows. We have no problem finding our apartment." Ciro replied, smiling proudly.

"Oh, here we are." He opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a small room with a queen-sized bed, desk, and a nightstand. There was a balcony overlooking a courtyard where plants grew. A window with curtains hung on the wall opposite of the entrance. On another wall were two doors. One led to the bathroom and the other led to another room with an open plan kitchen/living area.

"Wow! Look at this place! This is amazing!" Juniper stared in awe.

"Yeah. It's a pretty nice apartment." Ciro nodded. "But I'm sure you won't be living here long."

"Why?" Juniper asked curiously.

Ciro shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough."

***

They left the apartment and headed outside. Javier decided to leave Juniper in Ciro's care and head back to the military base.

After Ciro took Juniper on a quick tour of the area, they found a restaurant serving what looked like noodles, though they tasted nothing like Juniper's cooking. They ordered a bowl each and sat down at a table. There was a robot waiter who brought their bowls shortly after ordering and poured some tea into a cup.

"What do you think?" Ciro asked, taking a big bite from his food.

Juniper took a sip of his tea and tried a piece of the noodles. It was soft but it didnt have very much taste.

"It's good, but I wouldn't say it's great." He said, still chewing.

"If you're not happy with it, I'll order us something else." Ciro offered, smiling.

Juniper shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's just...different. Not bad, but maybe a little too plain."

"Well, it is kind of bland, but it is also filling, and healthy. This is probably the only meal you will eat here, so make the best of it." Ciro shrugged.

"I guess. Maybe I should get used to it. My stomach isn't really agreeing with it." Juniper mumbled.

"Have you ever eaten anything like this before?" Ciro asked, leaning forward.

Juniper took another bite and thought about it. "I've never seen any noodles like these before. But I have eaten many different types of food. I was in charge of cooking at home."

"That's awesome! You should teach me sometime." Ciro said, excited.

"I'd love to." Juniper smiled, feeling a little better.

"We might as well stay here until you get used to it, then we will go explore the rest of this city." Ciro suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Juniper agreed.

They finished their lunch and left the restaurant. They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area around Block 5A, which turned out to be quite large. Juniper had never been in a big city before.

He was amazed by everything he saw and everywhere he looked. In the center of the city, near the tallest skyscraper, was a plaza filled with unusual trees, fountains and benches. There were people walking around, enjoying the sunshine and the cool breeze.

They spent hours roaming around, admiring the beautiful buildings and streets with Ciro pointing out places. Juniper was surprised to find a lot of cars parked along the sides of the road were not the cars he was familiar with; they looked more like hovercrafts. There were also plenty of public hovercraft taxis and buses, but he didn't see any bicycles or scooters anywhere.

It was already evening by the time they decided to return to the apartment. They took a taxi back, discussing where to go next.

"Let's take tomorrow off. The sooner you get accustomed to the new environment, the faster you can think of what it is you want to do.''Ciro proposed.

"Good idea." Juniper agreed.

"Ive added your communication so drop me a message if you like'' Ciro said, handing over a device.

"Thanks." Juniper accepted it, put it back on his wrist.

After waving goodbye to Ciro, Juniper returned to the apartment and laid down.

Too much has happened over these last couple of days, Ciro's idea of taking a rest day tomorrow is a good idea, he needed all the energy he could get.

He took a look at the device on his wrist he had been given and realized he had not explored the use of it. He was about to use his finger to type on the screen when it suddenly started vibrating.

"Hello? It's Maynard speaking. Juniper are you there?" recognizing the voice Juniper answered back.

"Yes, hello Mr. Maynard! How are you doing?"

"You must be tired after your adventures today, I hope I didn't disturb you?''

"No sir, I'm fine."

"Okay good, I wanted to ask you about your plans for the future. What would you like to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know that you are planning to explore the city and find the things you need in order to continue research on the shrine. But your subsidy of star coins will only last so long, once you have run out, what will you do?''

"I don't know yet, I haven't really thought about it… I was hoping you could tell me some options." Juniper said.

"Well, I have a few suggestions. We can test you if you have any abilities, if its a strong attack ability you can be put to work in the military. There are many different abilities so you would be best to research first. Or, if you prefer, I can suggest jobs related to your current knowledge.''

"Thank you Mr. Maynard, I am very grateful you are helping me. I will study up on my options and come back to you later."

"Don't worry, I will wait."

"Good night Mr. Maynard." Juniper ended the call and lay down again, thinking about what he should do next. He had no idea which path to follow. After some time he fell asleep.