Chp. 7: Teleporting Into Trouble

Back to Terrchels point of view:

It's midday I successfully retrieved Emerson's contact information from the Maximus Residence I asked the Bot why this information wasn't on the server, and the bot told me his master kept all his information written down, not online, and commanded him not to upload anything to the server. Emerson seems like either a smart man or a lunatic. I took this opportunity to ask the bot if he uploaded my scan on the Arcadia Space and he said no because his Master taught him to be mindful and respectful of others privacy.

The afternoon sun beats down on me as I walk away from the Maximus Residence. I check my swatch to see if Leghorn left a message, still nothing but at least I'm feeling like I've just scored a minor victory. I've got Emerson's contact information, and I'm eager to track him down but I'm not going to rush into things. I've got a feeling that Emerson's an old-school kind of guy, and he might appreciate my discretion. If I put this information into the server to track him down, the Arcadia patrol will automatically pick it up and update his status profile as an Arcadian citizen on the webspace; it's part of the process. I have a feeling this Emerson guy is hiding something big and I intend to find out what it is before they do.

I slip the information into my pocket, feeling a sense of satisfaction and determination. Now, onto the next mystery - the girl with the crimson red hair and golden eyes. I've been thinking about her nonstop since our encounter, and I'm going to find out more about her before this day ends no matter what.

I start walking, letting my feet take me wherever they want. I've got a feeling that I'll stumble upon something - or someone - interesting. Who knows, maybe I'll even find a lead on this mystery girl that seems to keep popping up where I least expect her to be.

As I walk, I notice the city's energy is different today. There's a buzz in the air, a sense of excitement and possibility. I feel it too, a sense of anticipation building in my chest. I turn a corner, and suddenly I'm face to face with a giant neon billboard. On that billboard, the girl with crimson red hair and golden eyes gazes back at me with an enigmatic smile, her pink bear ears headgear subtly visible. My heart skips a beat.

What is she doing on a billboard, how did she get up there ? And what's with the cryptic message scrawled across the bottom: "Meet me at Club Elysium tonight. Come alone." I place my hands around my mouth, yelling up to her, "What's your name?" But she jumps off the billboard from it's height as if it's nothing and disappears into the city. I know I could catch up to her in seconds with my speed, but why ruin the date she obviously planned for just the two of us.

I stand there for a moment, grinning at the empty space where the mysterious girl just disappeared. I'm kind of impressed by her acrobatics She's definitely enjoying this cat-and-mouse game, and I'm happy to play along. I make a mental note to meet her at Club Elysium tonight, and I pull up my Swatch to search for the location. The results pop up, and I raise an eyebrow. Club Elysium is located in the Undergrid, which is basically on the other side of the city.

I recall our last trip from the Undergrid to here and how it took us nearly a full day. I glance at the time, and my heart sinks. Even if I run at full speed, seeing that I won't need to accommodate my chicken so-called friend that deserted me, I still won't make it to the club on time because I have a few things to take care of before I can leave New Arcadia City.

I pace up and down, I need to think fast, trying to come up with a solution. That's when I remember Leghorn mentioning a teleport station. I recall him telling me that it's a secure fast way to travel across the city, and that it might come in handy someday. Well, someday is now. I make a decision. I'll finish up my tasks here, head to the teleport station, and then I'll be able to meet the mysterious girl at Club Elysium tonight. I feel a surge of excitement and anticipation. This is going to be a mission, but it's going to be worth it.

Next on my agenda is finding a solution to ridding myself of Arnold's memories. As much as it's been a help it's been a burden carrying my own interests and needs mixed with his past. I know Leghorn mentioned he somehow had a choice to leave his past memories behind but for some reason he couldn't disclose further details. There must be some kind of archive library or something with beneficial information on Arcadia before this High tech evolution and a link between my reincarnation into all this. I pull up my swatch but it reads [error]. I bet the Maximus residence has some old papers seeing that Emerson likes to keep things on paper but I can't exploit that option and jeopardize meeting Emerson and possibly forming an alliance depending on what he's hiding.

My last thing on the list was to debrief with Leghorn. I shrug to myself, realizing I've hit a dead end. No Emerson, no Leghorn - it's time to move on. For a brief moment I contemplate if I should dial leghorn in and see if he's okay but then I remember his words stating "just because I'm here doesn't mean you get a free pass at missing vital human experiences that needs to take place". He's always talking down on me assuming I'm some dumb fly that can't take initiative that's why The Light Realm sent him, but nows my chance to prove them all wrong. I'll do this thing without their help and prove myself worthy of being a human.

I need to make my way to the Arcadia teleport station, but first, I need some fuel. I spot a restaurant nearby, and my stomach growls in anticipation. I walk in, and the aroma of exotic spices hits me like a punch to the gut. The sign above the counter reads "Mama Zara's Interdimensional Eats" - I'm intrigued.

I take a seat at the counter, and the waitress greets me with a warm smile. I order the special of the day - a "Graviton Burger" - and pay with the Arcadian dollars Leghorn transferred to my Swatch. The restaurant's atmosphere is lively, with a mix of people dressed up in intergalactic high fashion chatting and laughing. There's a sign up for the best dressed alien cosplay event that's currently happening that explains the dress code, I guess.

The food arrives, and I take a bite - the flavors explode in my mouth, and I let out a groan and nod in approval, I think this is my new favorite. As I eat, I notice a group of females eyeing me from across the room. They're all dressed to impress, and they seem desperate to get my attention. One of them catches my eye and smiles, batting her eyelashes. I raise an eyebrow, but my expression remains nonchalant. I'm not interested - my mind is preoccupied with the mysterious girl I'm meeting tonight. I take another bite of my burger, savoring the taste, and ignore the females' attempts to flirt with me but clearly, these ladies didn't get the hint that I'm trying to enjoy my meal in peace.

One of them, a stunning woman with porcelain skin and raven-black hair, walks up to me. She's dressed in a skintight black jumpsuit that showcases her curves, and her red lips are painted into a sultry smile.

She sidles up next to me, her eyes locked on mine. "Mind if I join you?" she asks, her voice soft but seductive. I raise an eyebrow, but I don't say anything. She takes that as an invitation and sits down beside me.

"So, what's a handsome guy like you doing all alone in a place like this?" she asks, her hand brushing against mine. I lean in close to her, a sly grin spreading across my face. "I'm just here for the food," I say, my voice low and smooth. "But I have to say, the company's not bad either." She smiles, thinking she's got me hooked. But then I drop the bombshell. "However, I'm afraid I'm not interested. I'm already taken... by my own awesomeness."

Her face falls, and she looks like she's about to storm off. But then she decides to cause a scene instead, raising her voice for every to hear; "You're kidding me, right? You're just going to reject me like that?" she grabs my drink and throws it on the floor.

I chuckle and lean back in my chair. "Hey, don't take it personally. I'm just not interested in playing games. Besides, I've got a prior engagement tonight."She huffs and storms off, leaving me to enjoy the rest of my meal in peace. Or so I thought.

As I'm finishing up, the restaurant staff calls me to the front. "Congratulations, sir! You're the winner of our cosplay competition!"

I'm taken aback. "What? I'm not even cosplaying." But they just laugh and hand me a prize of 500,000 Arcadian dollars instantly transferred to my swatch and a year's worth of free food coupon uploaded onto my Arcadia Space.

They take a picture of me for the Arcadian Media, and everyone compliments my "cosplay" stating my cerise eyes and green hair looks so authentic. I just laugh and shake my head. "Thanks, I guess. But this isn't a costume - it's just me." They all just smile and nod, still thinking I'm cosplaying some niche underrated anime and trying to guess amongst eachother what it could possibly be, some people starting searching the internet for clues. I shrug and pocket my prize. Hey, I'm not complaining. Free food and a fat stack of cash? Yes, please. I step out of Mama Zara's Interdimensional Eats, thinking to myself this money might come in handy for whatever lays ahead.

The Retro-Futuristic Architecture of the city stretches out before me, Skyscrapers made of gleaming metals and glass pierce the sky, their peaks hidden in the clouds. As I walk, I notice a neon advertisement flashing on the side of a building. It's a giant screen, and on it, I see my own face staring back at me. It's the picture they took at Mama Zara's, and below it, a clip plays of me saying, "It's just me." I raise an eyebrow, amazed by the short span of time it took for this to be posted up here.

I walk past a group of kids and notice they watching a swatch hologram headlined; The latest Arcadian Media "Mystery Man Wins Cosplay Competition! Who is this handsome stranger and what anime is this?".

I chuckle to myself, shaking my head. This is crazy. Leghorn would be laughing if he saw this for sure. Sigh, I kind of miss having him around, but if he misses me I'm sure he will swoop in any minute or wait until I fall asleep so he can poop on my face again and call it a treat.

As I continue walking, I notice people staring at me. Some of them smile, others wink, and a few even flirt with me from a distance. I feel a flush rise to my cheeks, and for a moment, I'm taken aback. I'm not used to this kind of attention. I awkwardly grin and a sense of amusement rises in me. I make my way to the central point of the city, where the teleport station is located. As I enter the station, I'm immediately struck by the luxurious decor. The walls are made of polished marble, and the floors are covered in thick, plush carpets. A receptionist looks up at me, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "Can I help you?" she asks cooly. I'm honestly surprised it's a human not a robot this time.

Terrchel: "I'm here to use the teleportation service," I reply, trying to sound confident.

The receptionist: [raises an eyebrow] . "I'm afraid this service is only available to elite Arcadians. It's a prestige environment, and we have to maintain a certain level of... class."

I smile, using my newfound fame to my advantage.

Terrchel: "Ah, but I think you'll find that I'm a bit of a celebrity. I'm all over the Arcadian Media. Don't you keep up with the latest trends. It surely would be a shame to have to turn me away and have it on the news how poorly I was treated, after stealing so many hearts but couldn't use the teleport station"

The receptionist looks me up and down, clearly unimpressed. But then she glances at a nearby screen, and her expression changes. She sees the post about me, and her eyes widen slightly.

The receptionist: "Ah, I apologize, sir. We didn't realize... Well, in that case, the teleportation service is available to you. But there is a fee, of course."

I grin, pulling out my Swatch. "I think I can handle it. How much?"

The receptionist names a hefty sum, but I just chuckle and transfer the funds. "Done. Now, where's the teleporter?"

The receptionist looks at me with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Right this way, sir."

As I'm about to step into the teleporter, the receptionist raises an eyebrow and asks, "And where might you be off to, sir?" I grin mischievously and reply, "Club Elysium, The Undergrid." The receptionist's expression changes instantly, her eyes narrowing in disapproval. She tsks, shaking her head. "You're one of those, huh? Fraternizing with the Undergrid crowd." She mutters under her breath, "New City Arcadians don't usually... associate with those people." I realize that there's some kind of animosity between the New City Arcadians and those from the Undergrid. But the receptionist has to cooperate, since I've already paid. She hands me a small, sleek device. "Very well, sir. Please hold onto this teleportation orb. It will guide you to your destination."

I take the orb, and the receptionist gestures to a gleaming, silver teleportation pod. The pod is adorned with flashing blue lights and strange, pulsing symbols. I step inside, feeling a thrill of excitement mixed with a dash of trepidation. The pod door closes behind me with a hiss, and I'm enveloped in a warm, golden light. The orb in my hand begins to glow, and I feel a strange, tingling sensation wash over me. The pod starts to spin, faster and faster, until I'm weightless, floating in mid-air. The golden light coalesces into a swirling vortex, and I feel myself being pulled through it.

The sensation is exhilarating, like being on a cosmic rollercoaster. I laugh out loud, feeling alive and free. The vortex dissipates, and I find myself standing in the middle of a crowded, dimly-lit nightclub. The air is thick with the pulsating beat of music, and the smell of smoke and sweat hangs heavy over everything. I grin, feeling a rush of excitement. I've arrived at Club Elysium.

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