Oil is thicker than blood

1.1 A little oil makes machinery work easy.

Jack looks out of the window. He wonders what the view would be like if the streets weren't covered with smoke and smog. He can barely see the closest building, even tho the buildings in city 22 are packed very tightly. He is wondering how the pilot is navigating the ship through the streets. Or maybe it is flying automatically. Jack doesn't know.

"Are you ok, Lucy? You look stressed," he asks his girlfriend while he sips his glass of complimentary champagne.

Lucy looks up from the seat across from him. Her face looks slightly green, contrasting weirdly with her blue eyes and long wavy blond hair.

"I never liked flying. And I am stressed about you meeting my family."

"Now that you mentioned it, We have been dating quite a long time. Why haven't I met your family before?"

Lucy grimaces. "Let's say my family is difficult to deal with. They are very eccentric."

Jack laughs. "Well, I am sure I will like them. They are your family, after all."

Lucy shakes her head. "When my brother introduced his girlfriend to the family, they nearly tore her to shreds."

"The same girlfriend he is currently engaged to?"

"Yes, Hannah. My family really didn't like her at first, tho. But she grew on them."

Lucy looks like she is about to vomit, so Jack decides not to bother her further.

After a while, Jack feels that the airship is flying higher and higher. He leans back comfortably while Lucy grabs her seat with both her hands.

Suddenly, they break away from the city, and Jack is blinded by the sun suddenly shining on his face. He feels the airship landing on flat ground.

The airship door opens upwards, and a blond woman welcomes Jack and Lucy. She is in her forties and is wearing a yellow sun dress and a straw hat.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to the Olympus Plateau. My name is Britney Bellmond, and I am Lucia's mother. You must be Jack."

Jack steps out of the airship and shakes her hand.

"The one and only. Nice to meet you, Mrs Bellmond. Lucy told a lot about you."

Mrs Bellmond smiles. "Only good things, I hope."

Jack looks around. On his left side, behind an old metal railing, he sees a view of City 22. It looks like a giant ocean of smoke, where sometimes a skyscraper peaks out, like little islands. It contrasts significantly with the clean air he is breathing in up here, although the airship behind him still produces a giant black cloud from its exhaust pipes.

On Jack's right, on the other hand, he sees a nicely kept garden and a path leading up to a giant mansion. The walls of the estate are white, and it is decorated with gold. It almost looks like a palace. The reflection of the sunlight hurts Jack's eyes when he looks at it.

Lucy slowly gets out of the airship, grabbing every surface she can. She looks like she is either about to faint or vomit. Jack is not sure which one.

"So, Jack, ..." Mrs Bellmond asks as they walk through the garden. "What do you do for a living?"

"I am a surgeon at Saint Volta's hospital."

"A surgeon! Someone of stance. Well, you aim high, Lucia."

She pats Lucy on the head. Lucy doesn't react. She keeps staring at the ground while strolling beside them.

"Her brother came home with a street orphan. She and her sister even used to be hookers. Can you believe that? That was a blemish. Although, after all, I have to thank Richard. We got lots and lots of publicity after taking in that street rat. She is really a good asset to the family image."