Chapter 28: Cityscape

The screen was partially transparent and so Charlotte could sort of see behind the blue panel.

An automated voice sounded out.

"Welcome back Charlotte Whitlock. How may I help you today?"

Charlotte wasn't sure how to best communicate with the headset and so her voice rang out.

"The Federation Army, I want to get more information on their recent announcement."

"Yes, please wait a moment."

Something resembling Google popped up and the articles were all listed under "best results".

Charlotte clicked the first link she found and the webpage opened up.

'So there is really war happening in this world...'

As she looked down, the screen automatically scrolled down to meet her eye level.

'Seems like it has some sort of eye tracker function.'

She viewed the other articles with the help of the headset and found something a bit odd.

'The pictures are all recycled yet there are no actual pictures of the battlefield. All I have seen so far is the picture of the mechas that they wore.'

She suddenly asked, "May I view a picture of the battlefield?"

"Please clarify. Did you mean the 'war zone'?"

"Yes, I would like to look at the... 'war zone'."

"Searching... Sorry, no results were found."

"None at all?"

"Searching... I am sorry but I can not find any photos."

'Is the war zone too barbaric so nobody took pictures? But that just seems unreasonable.'

"May I ask if you have searched social media?"

"I have checked social media and no photos you were looking for were found."

"I see... Alright, thank you."

"My pleasure."

'Regulations huh?'

After scouring the internet for a bit, specifically finding out more about mechas as well as the technology of this world, she closed the panel.

Charlotte walked out of her room and went toward the front door. She took off her headset and left it on one of the counters.

A cute automated voice sounded out, "Are you going out Ms. Charlotte?"

"Ah- yes. I would like to walk around for a bit."

"Would you be home for dinner then?"

"I am sorry but I think I'll eat out today."

"Alright! Please stay safe and do not do anything out of bounds!"

She nodded and headed out the door.

The voice once again sounded out, "Did you forget your headset?"

She turned towards the little robot and touched the back of her head.

She let out a small scoff and put her headset back on.

She then left the apartment and stood in front of the elevator.

'I guess the headset is just like a phone then. People wear these everywhere.'

The door in front of her opened and she went inside. She pressed the 'ground floor' button, or at least what she assumed was the ground floor, and stood there.

The elevator was see-through and had a thick layer of glass. Due to this, she could see the marvelous sight in front of her.

It was nothing short but advanced, this world. There were very clear and distinct motorways that hung above the city. There were many different buildings across from the building Charlotte was in, as they all surround a square garden. The garden wasn't filled to the brim with trees and didn't look overgrown. Instead, there were more flowers present, but she couldn't clearly see their colors. It looked more like a blank canvas with a tinge of green.

Squinting her eyes for a bit, she could see the walking people down below. Everyone wore a headset like her and were chatting. If she focused enough, she could make out what seemed like a mechanical dog that was casually strolling with its master. There was an automated stroller that walked with a couple.

But what Charlotte was most excited about was the flying disks that were floating around the city. It seemed like they are the modernized transportation of the future. Charlotte took a mental note to ride at least one of them.

Everything feels so posh, so modern. It almost feels wrong. As if this was too much of a good thing.

When she reached the ground, it felt cold. There wasn't an obvious breeze but chills were sent down her spine.

She walked out of the lobby and the only color she could think of was 'white'. The sidewalks, little robots that operated on the streets, even down to people's fashion, it was all pure white. As if it had completely washed over all the other colors and drowned out its beauty. It was elegant yet felt alienating.

It felt harmonious. Too harmonious in fact.

But this is the modernized future, what could she say? She couldn't judge if this is what humanity decides to do.

And so Charlotte went on her merry way, looking at the surrounding scenery.

There were the mini trash can robots that acted as garbage disposals. They kept picking up the litter on the ground while receiving litter from the people nearby. Charlotte silently passed by those mini robots, carefully eyeing them as if they would malfunction. But they continued to do their work.

What people wore wasn't only white. People seemed to wear beige-colored jackets or specifically fur coats. There were few to no colors that had a darker shade such as black and colors that are deemed bright such as red.

Beside the sidewalk, there was a light gray road. People seemed to bike on these roads, but with something that looked more like a scooter.

She stopped at a bus stop and waited with the other people who were also standing there. They all stared into the distance and seemed to be focused on something else. Charlotte could only assume it was the headset.

She peered out in the street and saw a vehicle resembling a bus floating towards them. It glowed out blue light from the bottom of the so-called bus.

Although she didn't show it, she was sort of excited riding this floating thing. It was sort of childish.

'But this is the human dream. We always predicted by blank years there will be floating cars but no one actually made a flying car as of late. Or maybe they had but won't be releasing it to the public.'

Walking inside the bus, there was something like a radar above her head. It seemed like it scanned everyone walking on the bus.

When it was her turn, her headset sounded out, "Deducting bus fees."

'Ah- so it was for payment. But no one heard the mechanical voice from my headset. How does this thing work?'

She looked at the other people around her and mimicked their behavior. She held a handle coming from the ceiling and looked out the window.

'I guess I'll stop where it seems most exciting.'