The Key of Astrea

Key Ceremony

Rain fell on the streets of Acacia City and the scent of wet stone mixed with the sulfur of the fireworks. Lin led Jenny and Kensei toward the north end of the plaza where a large building with neoclassical architecture loomed above them. It was at least twelve stories tall. White granite framed tall windows, and a great brass clock told the time. A bas-relief sign near the entrance read "Cabin Department of Transportation."

A drop of rain landed on Jenny's forehead as they climbed the white marble steps. She looked up and noticed a little pink nose peeking out of Kensei's backpack. "Kensei, can I see your pet?"

"Sure." Kensei unzipped the bag, and a furry animal climbed up his arm and perched on his shoulder. Dark stripes ran from his short pointy ears to his long furry tail. "His name is Leon. He's a sugar glider."

"Hi, Leon." Jenny stroked his furry back. "He's so cute. Did you bring him from home?"

"Yeah, he goes everywhere with me." Kensei gave Leon a sideways glance. "Even when I don't know it."

"Did he sneak into your bag?"

Kensei nodded and scratched between the sugar glider's ears with his long brown fingers.

They passed through a revolving door. The sounds of fireworks and tourists vanished, replaced by the din of voices echoing inside a large chamber. In the foyer, the walls were lined with signs requesting donations for clothing, food, and money to help refugees. From there, they entered a cavernous lobby. It had the feeling of being outside. Large, leafy plants and small trees filled the vast space. To their left and right, brick walls rose five stories tall. In front of and behind them, huge windows revealed the night sky. An exact replica of the cabin in Esperanza Woods stood in the center of the floor.

"Aliens?" Jenny stared openmouthed.

Two large humanoids with thick, wrinkly, bluish skin walked out of the structure. They had four stout legs, two huge arms that swung at their sides, and two smaller arms near their heads. One of them held a huge baby.

A creature resembling a chewed-up pile of bubble gum slithered across the marble floor. Six short, thin legs and two tentacled arms propelled it forward. Its skin changed color and flashed complex patterns. Leon squeaked and ducked into Kensei's backpack.

"What is this place?" Kensei looked around the lobby.

"This is where extrasolar entities register to live and work here on Earth."

Jenny watched two extraterrestrials with wrinkly skin working a strange handheld device. Then, a group of compact aliens with scaly gray skin rushed by them as they entered the cabin. Inside, relics of the past adorned the shelves. Interactive signage detailed the rise of Cabin and the CEO's humble beginnings in a cabin like this one.

Through the cabin window, Jenny saw a pair of brass elevator doors open in the outer wall. Two thin and feathery birdlike humanoids stepped out, and a sizeable human woman with a lot of upper lip approached them. The aliens waved their long, delicate arms and their voices rose to a loud chirp. A thick bun of black hair bobbed in rhythm as the woman spoke.

"Why isn't everyone outside celebrating?" Jenny asked as they walked out of the cabin. "There's a festival with fireworks and everything."

"That's for the tourists," Lin answered. "These people just arrived in a new stellar system. They don't know it's Independence Day, and it wouldn't matter to them anyway. As for the rest of us, festivals and parades happen every week in Acacia City. After a while, it gets dull. I hardly notice them anymore myself." Lin looked up at the fireworks visible through tall windows high in the lobby.