In the Ruins of Hope (Centauri Asaris: Book 1)

The Mystery of Alex Davidson

Alex expertly made his way through the crowd in the shopping district while Alisa and I trailed behind him. The train station was his obvious destination, but we were unsure what would come after. All he said was to follow him, and now, here we are, following him. As we came closer to Alex, he sped out of our reach, so he probably did not want to walk besides us. I was glad too- I didn't know how to approach him without arguing with him.

When we arrived at the station, Alex immediately led us to the entrance to the first line. I peered at the information board above us and it explained that the line we entered would take us to the Nature District. That distract was a place for people to relax without the use of technology, except the train. One of the main rules was that no technology was allowed in the boundaries of the district. If somebody carried anything technological inside, a restriction would be put on the device so that it would be useless. Because of that rule, most people did not travel there. In the past several hundred years, humanity became so reliant on technology that they could not go ten minutes without using it. In the military, strict rules are placed on the use of hand-held devices, and special cases are drilled so that they could survive outside the walls.

We all paid for our own tickets and made our way to the train. When the train departed, there were only three people on it: Alex, Alisa, and I. Alex sat nowhere near us and sat in the seat closest to the back. Alisa and I sat in the first seats in front. We did not talk to Alex for the entirety of the trip and vice versa.

The train slowly began to surface from its underground station, and outside, the world shifted from the blur of districts to a world of green. The train raced by the farms that fed the entire empire and left the busy city behind. In my entire life, I have only seen a farm once. My parents wanted me to experience the hardships of a farmer's life and how I get to eat every night. The only thing I remembered was milking a cow and drinking it while it was still in a bucket.

The train came to a halt after ten minutes, and we waited for the doors to open. When the words, "Welcome to the Nature District. If this is your destination, please leave the train," rang through the air, the metallic doors opened to reveal a station that resided above ground, an uncommon site for a train station. We gathered into our group, and Alex led us to our destination.

The district was entirely constructed of trials and parks. There was no order to how they were laid out, and there was no direct distance between two landmarks. It seemed like they were just made wherever the construction workers see fit. Alex made his way along one of the few crosswalks in the district. There were no streets and the walkways were made of sand and dirt. A small park came into view as we passed a trail made wholly of trees.

The park was a fair size and in the center was a huge pond that if seen from a certain angle, it would look like a lake. Around one side of the pond, a gate ran around a fountain that wasn't running. There were statues that decorated the gate. Some of the statues depicted heavenly figures like angels. After the Last World War, most religion morphed into one. Many people call it different names, but they all follow the same concept: there is a divine figure that has leagues of creatures that follow their command. In the Midland, angels follow god. However, my family is not religious, so we don't abide by religion.

Alex led us to a bench that was stationed in front of the pond guarded by its statues. Alex sat on one end and I sat on the other. Alisa sat in the middle. "So? What's so important that you had to interrupt me?" Alex said not facing any of us.

I looked at Alisa to start. "Do you anybody named Dain?" Alisa began.

Alex, without facing us, answered, "No."

"Good we're not too late," I sighed.

"Late for what?" Alex said seemingly interested. He was now facing the pond, and waiting for a reply. He also didn't sound as irritated as he was before.