Starsnatcher - Trapped In An Alien World [COMPLETE]

Chapter 2.4

Viewed from the inside, the arcology was surprisingly similar to a human settlement. A landscape of pastel-colored, squat buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. The exterior ones were man-sized and could hardly accommodate more than one Seizer, while a jungle of high-ceiling black towers made up the interior portion. Between them lay the occasional black island of empty parks with hills and rivers. Additional black plants grew on the sides of the silver road between the houses. Bad air from traffic wasn't a big concern here, it seemed.

For all the similarities, one could not overlook the differences to a true city.

Instead of a sky, a ceiling that mimicked the day-night cycle with chameleon-like color change surrounded us. Every corner of this city received its natural light thanks to a mirror system that extended from the windows to the room's interior. I could only guess that they were collapsible in the case of flares.

If I had to guess, the hallway was at least ten times as tall as I was and that its height was only eclipsed by its sheer width. An entire city fit inside our floor whilst the walls were mere slits from my vantage point.

The millipede robot led me past the houses. Their walls were, too, made of interactive nano-metamaterials that changed color every second. Many showed abstract works of art that resembled colorful Rorschach tests. Some even played videos on their surfaces, particularly recordings of how I landed on Shadowmoon with my parachute. Other houses played the same footage via holographic projectors.

Incredible to think that I received so much attention and yet no-one came out to watch me. Was this one of those futures where everyone was so addicted to their electronic devices that they never left their home? Funny, how I had already lived that future back on Earth.

Once I woke up out of my daydreams again, I remembered to keep track of my alien friends.

Crick walked to a sleek, red car hovering inches over the clean street. It looked like an oversized Ferrari and I could have sworn it wasn't here a few seconds ago. I had already gotten used to automated vehicles, but flying ones?

"It floats through magnetism," I transmitted. "The silver road consists of room-temperature superconductors, am I right?"

Crick didn't volunteer an answer. They just waited there until Helix arrived, too.

The notion of me being the only person to talk was uncanny.

"Did this car cost a lot?" I asked

"Everyone can use it," Helix transmitted. "Just step inside and leave it for the next. It's not like we're running out of them any time soon."

A post-scarcity society.

Somehow, this didn't surprise me at all. They had reached a level of technological sophistication where they had everything they wanted in absolute excess. What sort of society did my true abductors have, then?

Never mind, how couldn't they afford spaceflight if they had no other problems?

With a telepathic command, Crick connected to the car's computer and forced its door open. A ramp rolled out to allow even my legless robot to get inside.

Once we had entered, I was glad I didn't have to stand. Even someone my height would have needed to bend down. Much like the floor we were in, it was much wider than it was tall though, easily enough to accommodate ten Seizers. There wasn't much to put in it either, as this shell of a car lacked any seats, steering wheels, or pedals. Not that they would have made sense. With their low center of gravity, the Seizers did not need seats and AIs have notoriously little use for steering wheels or pedals.