Salvation 2035

Chapter 55- Project Salvation

『Abel』

     Soon enough, the newscast ends, switching to commercials. Keisha and I both await Tsuki's reaction.

     "Well..." he starts. "I guess we better get going."

     "That was the woman you knew, right?" Keisha recalls. "Is that really all you have to say after finding out that after all those years, she's alive and well?"

     "Yeah, I guess so," Tsuki smiles. "This is so like her..." He reminisces. "Lindy's the smartest person I know. Leave it to her to fake her own death and reappear at the helm of a revolution!"

     Although his words are positive, I can't help but think that it must be a little frustrating. He just left America and, like the rest of us, has no way of returning— no way of meeting Lindy. I'm not sure how to bring it up.

     "Do you think you'll get to meet Lindy again?" I inquire generally.

     "That woman you met contacted you from Canada, so there must be a way for me to get in contact with Lindy," he surmises. "Honestly, just knowing she's alive and doing well... it's a lot. Of course, she's probably the target of a bunch of pro-Party shills now, but I know she can handle it. If anyone can, it's her. I just wish I knew what her speech was about."

     "So you're okay with everything?" Keisha asks.

     "Of course," Tsuki nods. "Seeing that Lindy is fine gives me hope that Naomi is somewhere out there too."

     "I suppose we should get going then," I conclude. "There's no time to waste!"

     I can't help but think that Tsuki's positivity is a smokescreen disguising his worries. Even so, this is a definite improvement from how he was being so unresponsive earlier, so I won't probe any further.

     The drive to Project Salvation is only a short two hours or so, which is a relief. I'm getting sick of being on the road. At least now Tsuki is the one behind the wheel. I took us across America— I think I deserve a break! Besides, Tsuki loves to drive, so I'm pretty sure he's been waiting for this moment for a while now.

     The sights aren't that different from America when it comes to the landscape. Granted, there are quite a few more trees and nature here, but it seems familiar. The cities, however, seem to be lacking the expansive skyscrapers we're used to. Additionally, all of the cities we've passed seem to be inhabited, as opposed to the many ghost towns that litter America. It really does seem like they're a lot less wealthy than us as a whole, but judging from the people we've come across, they seem a lot happier. It just feels so isolating, given that the only people I have to rely on are Tsuki and Keisha. Well, I had to make new friends when I moved from high school to university, so I hope this won't be too much different. I wonder how Serafina and her family are doing...

     We arrive at a large complex shut off by a gate. It's no problem, though, since Elpis let everyone know about our situation. Inside, many buildings of varying sizes are scattered about. There are a few greenhouses around, and it appears that this complex is situated near a lake. I suppose it makes sense since this place has something to do with environmental research. Since this car is borrowed from them, we park and return it, taking out all of our stuff. There's quite a bit to explore here, but we better find somewhere to get settled in first.

     From there, one of the employees shows us to a few small rooms used for living quarters. Apparently, they're used for staff that are visiting from other parts of the country, but since we're guests, we get to use them. There's also a cafeteria in the building, so that takes care of food.