Odyssey of the City of Lights

Odyssey of the City of Lights - Book 1 - Chapter 10

Aaron's avatar motioned for me to follow him through. It was unnerving not seeing what was on the other side of the door. I willed myself to follow through. As soon as the door was behind me, I felt my body drifting slightly to one side.

"Walking on this station is harder 'cause everything drifts with the rotation," Aaron said, his voice serious but tinged with excitement. "So just be careful not to fall off the ledges. I mean, it won't kill you, but that will not be fun...and...will take some time to recover from."

"Okay," I replied, trying to steady myself as we left the room and entered a corridor that seemed to lead to another door. And another corridor.

I was about to ask where we were going when Aaron paused at the door and asked, "Ready?"

"Yes," I answered, my heart pounding in anticipation.

He smirked and opened the door in front of me. Stepping out of the corridor, I was immediately struck by a sight that hitched my digital breath. Before me, the interior of an O'Neill cylinder unfolded—a vast, cylindrical space station buzzing with activity. I saw these as ideas in textbooks in school. Alien creatures of various shapes and sizes mixed with humans on the platforms, as far as I could see. Shops displaying bizarre artifacts, eateries emitting strange but enticing aromas, and neon signs in languages I couldn't recognize lined the promenades.

"Whoa..." I breathed, my eyes darting around to take in every detail.

Above me, the horizon curiously curved in on itself, creating a surreal skyline where the station's opposite side was visible, basically upside down to us. The rotation of the cylinder generated a gravity-like effect, with people walking 'upside down' on the far side. The inner surface of the cylinder was a patchwork of urban and natural environments—"skyscrapers" nestled next to lush green parks and small bodies of water reflecting the artificial light sources in the middle of the cylinder that mimicked the natural day-night cycle. It looked like a string of lights for the winter festival.

"Wow, this place is like something out of a dream," I gasped, trying to take in everything around me. Aaron laughed at my reaction and clapped me on the back.

"This isn't the actual best part. Let's hustle," he said, motioning for me to follow him. It was good that he warned me about the drift because I kept walking straight and ended up walking at an angle. Weaving through the bustling cylinder station felt like navigating an otherworldly bazaar or festival market amidst throngs of people. The air buzzed with alien chatter, electronic beeps, and the hum of machinery. As we walked, bright holographic signs hung overhead, advertising goods and services in languages I couldn't recognize.

"Where are we going?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

"Somewhere special. You'll see," Aaron replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he glanced at me.

As we approached the hangar, I was struck by its immense scale. Hundreds... no thousands of crafts filled the space, each unique in design. Aaron's pace quickened, his eyes scanning until they settled on his ship. It was sleek, resembling a cross between a fighter jet and something out of a sci-fi comic book he'd given me on the digital reader. Its angular lines and glossy black finish gave it an air of speed and mystery. As we neared it, the ship's door slid open with a hiss, welcoming us aboard.

"Wow," I whispered as we entered the spacious loading bay of Aaron's ship. Somehow, it felt larger on the inside. Storage compartments and hooks for equipment lined the metallic walls, while strips of LED lights cast a futuristic ambiance over the area.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Aaron grinned, beckoning me to follow him through a series of narrow corridors. Each section was marked with symbols and numbers, and the walls were lined with screens displaying ship diagnostics and exterior views.