Children of the Sun

Chapter Six

The three reached the city in no time. They got off the train and went straight to their bikes on the rack nearby. It almost felt as if no time had passed since they left and returned to the city. The sun also didn't feel as scorching anymore. 

Jake looked toward Solana. She was calmer. The fire in her eyes had dimmed.

"This Greener Days business isn't far from the solar panel repairs..." Evan carried on.

"We might bump into my dad," Jake admitted.

"Will that be a problem to bump into your father? What does that even mean?" Solana questioned.

Jake and Evan exchanged glances. Evan smirked, hiding a laugh behind it. Jake shrugged and admitted, "It's just a saying, really. We don't actually bump into anyone physically, but more of a 'you happen to meet with someone you know.'"

Solana tilted her head. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulder. "You and your people have a strange way of communicating...but I suppose I don't remember much about my own people and how they would go about it either."

"We'll find another child of the sun soon," Jake told her.

"Hopefully," Evan added.

Jake frowned at him, but Evan merely shrugged in response. Jake knew that Evan was a person of facts and data. Even in the presence of someone who dropped from the sun, and a friend that had been granted powers to protect said person, Evan was unlikely to change his mind until they found more children of the sun.

"Let's head out," Jake decided to say. "Maybe we can get a good amount of time to check out that Greener Days place before we should head home."

Evan and Solana nodded in agreement. The three got onto their bikes and headed out away from the solar train station. 

The three took the bike paths into the heart of the city. People of all walks of life were riding their bikes, or walking nearby, making the space feel busy. Jake felt it was more alive with more people, but he knew with all the plants around, especially with his newfound power, he could feel that life was all over. The plants hanging off of windowsills, doorways, planted in the ground all around the bike paths and walkways, all sang out to Jake as he rode by. It made the hair on his arms stand up.

"Do you feel nature's presence?" Solana asked.

Jake looked at her. She was watching him carefully. He must have been obvious. "I do. Is that normal?"

"I imagine it might be different for one of your people. The Children of the Sun are tied to nature. We are one with it, and I am glad to see that your people care for it so."

Jake gave her a smile. He couldn't imagine a time in which people didn't. Nature has been part of his life since he was born.

The bike ride continued until they reached their destination. Greener Days stood large and wide among a cluster of makerspaces and markets of trade.

"Why is this building so different from the rest?" Solana asked.

Jake and Evan both shrugged. Jake knew that some buildings were repurposed at some point to provide energy departments, like solar panel repairs, because it was easier than tearing them down. 'Repair and uphold,' was a phrase Jake's dad would always say. This Greener Days looked as if it were built on purpose to be hulking over the street.

Greener Days held a large entrance made of glass. The three approached it and the glass doors slid apart. Inside, the warehouse-like building had aisles of shelves that held black metal objects of different shapes and sizes. Jake didn't recognize any of the objects.