Stella Urbem

Chapter 2: Part 2

"Like I said: We're gonna die." The team exited the craft onto a large landing platform that was part of the spaceport of B1, among many other oddly-shaped spacecrafts that were arriving or departing. The air was thicker in space, and the sky was darker, but the lights of the city made space look beautiful and bright. As the team looked around, a dark-skinned man dressed in all white with light blue lining was waiting to greet them at the entrance to the train station. "Welcome racers and technicians," the man said in a deep voice. "Please allow me to escort you to SkyRacing Headquarters." He led them inside the glass doors of the train station, where many other racer and car engineer teams from around the sky world gathered waiting for their train to arrive. The teens looked up at the giant glass wall of the train station, which was shaped with a sparkling diamond pattern, unfortunately making it difficult to see outside. The track was shaped like a half-circle, and the tunnel was circular-shaped and see-through, leading to different locations with an amazing look at the city. The train went high above the station and around tall buildings instead of staying on the ground, in order to give newcomers the best possible view of B1. "Dang it, my motion sickness," Jace informed. "I'm deathly afraid of heights," RC warned. "They're perfect for each other," Glow muttered to those next to her. Chess laughed, agreeing. RC glared at them. "Just chew some more gum, you'll be fine," Aura suggested to Jace. "Plus, I bet the view is amazing," Glow said dreamily. "Just stare at the horizon and don't look down," Tack instructed to RC. "No, I can't–" "Don't worry," the man said,"our transportation is the safest in the entire Galaxy. Our building crew makes sure that the space stations can withstand any force or threat. There is nothing to fear." The man turned away. He muttered to himself, but no one fully heard him. Once their train arrived, the man ushered the teens into the white, circular-shaped, see-through transportation room. "Please enter," the man said to Jace and RC, who were hesitant to go inside. They looked at each other and Tack called out: "hold hands!" The group laughed as Jace and RC made faces. They entered the transport and it took off into the tunnel. They viewed the glimmering city and could not take their eyes off. There were wide buildings, tall buildings, skinny buildings, square-shaped buildings, round buildings, various flying vehicles zooming to different places, millions of lit-up streets, and zillions of lights to keep B1 shining bright. "It's so beautiful," Lizz insisted. "I know," Glow agreed. Drey rolled his eyes at their continuous squealing. "Common man, we've never seen anything like this before," Jey urged excitedly. "Yeah, lighten-up." The team stared at Jace the way they always did when he told a pun. "Stoooooop," Aura begged jokingly. Glow laughed and shook her head. "How come you guys can't appreciate a good pun?" Tack responded, "We can appreciate a good pun." The group laughed. "Ouch," Jace responded, not knowing whether to laugh or scold Tack. They finally exited the transport after an hour of sightseeing and joking and stood in front of a tall building with a statue in front of it. "Is this the RSH?" Jace asked the man guiding them. "This is the entrance," the man responded. "This is barely the entrance?!" Aura bursted out. "Yes, there are the training rooms, the board rooms, the school, the labs, the many, many repair shops-" The mechanics looked at each other excitedly. "-the housing, the meeting rooms, the lounging rooms; this is not everything. You may schedule a tour if you like but they take up a few hours." "I can imagine," Lizz spoke up. "Come with me," the man ordered. The inside of the entrance was even bigger than it had appeared from the outside. An endless flight of stairs leading to different floors and rooms was the first to be noticed inside of the Entrance. The group walked on, but Venice stayed behind, staring in awe at the massive structure. Chess came back and pulled Venice forward to return his focus on following the guide. They stopped in front of a giant blue-glass elevator and the man asked, "do you prefer the stairs or the elevator?" In unison they called out "Elevator!", but Glow and Lizz quietly said, "Stairs." The guide heard them and said, "Stairs it is." "What?!" Drey cried out. He walked towards the stairs and the group turned to the girls, eyes narrowed. The girls smiled nervously and ran up to the guide, who stopped in front of the stairs. "I'm gonna kill you Glow," RC threatened. The man turned to them and said, "Stand on a circle on the ground." The team looked down and saw five large circle marks on the floor; they grabbed a partner and stood on the circle, then the guide pushed a button on his arm and the circle marks began to lift. "Woah," Glow said, keeping her balance next to Lizz. The circles moved forward up the stairs, carrying the team and the guide. The team looked impressed at this new way of travel. "Stupid motion sickness," Jace said to himself, holding onto Tack. "It always shows up just when I think it's gone." "Ok well, take it easy," Tack urged,"This is a new jacket." Jace chuckled and tried to grab a new piece of gum. Glow turned to the others behind her. "Anyone still mad we said 'stairs' instead of 'elevator'?" The group avoided eye contact with her, then Chess whispered, "no." Lizz and the guide both laughed, and Glow smirked at her unbelieving friends. Once the group had reached the top of the stairs, the guide led them through a hall, and out to a whole new section of the headquarters. A large glass dome covered them, making the room look almost like a greenhouse, but only grass and trees could grow in the sky world. A giant bush rested in the middle of the grounds, with a long, circular bench surrounding it. They walked past the few people who were drinking coffee or working on projects, and none of them seemed to notice the group passing by. "This would definitely be my 'peaceful place' here, I could even still see the stars," Glow said to herself. The teens whispered to each other during the entire long walk to headquarters, either showing their excitement or expressing their jealousy. Drey trudged behind with his hands in his pockets and an annoyed look on his face. Jey turned to him. "What's your problem? Everyone's having such an awesome time checking out this new place and your just here-ruining it man. What's with you?" "Don't worry about me," Drey answered him. "It's my problem, not yours." Jey shook his head and walked on to join Jace and Tack, leaving Drey in the back of the group. Finally, the man led them to a bell desk, where an older man smiled and invited the group into an elevator. As they were ascending, the guide explained that this was the housing space in the headquarters and that they would be called to a meeting in the grand room in about two hours. The older man joined in and said, "The tours have shortened to an hour and a half for those who are here for the mission. They completely cut out the actual headquarters and the housing sections, and the history of all the buildings, so you can take the tour and still have time to get ready." Glow turned to Lizz, "Let's do it." Lizz smiled and nodded. Drey rolled his eyes again. RC spoke up, "Are the tours free?" "For those part of the mission, yes," the older man answered. Venice leaned in towards Jey. "This trip must be really dangerous, we're getting free stuff!" Jey snorted and tried not to think about it. "You will receive your identification along with your rooms, which will help us remember you as part of the mission. Your rooms are on the 13th floor. Enjoy your stay with us," the older man added, smiling. At last, they exited the elevator and a group of young maids eagerly welcomed them. They took the racers to their dorms and each mechanic to their own specially-made room. Lizz was offered a suite on another level, but she decided to join lonely Glow in her dorm.

Each teen was given their identification by being looked over by a holographic camera and then stamped with the SRH logo on the back of their hand. The three boys were given a spacious luxury apartment with each piece of furniture having a car theme and a flat screen t.v. built into the wall. The kitchen included a bar and a tablet for in-room dining. Each bed was queen-sized and an LED Rotation Night Sky Projector lamp was placed in the nightstand next to the beds. The outside wall was all glass so as to give the guests a perfect view of the shining city. The wall had sliding doors that opened for racers who wanted to take a ride on their hover boards. The girls' room had the same structure and design. They never thought they would experience living in such a paradise; it felt too good for them. They were only used to their apartments below the city, but now their imagination had grown stronger, and with that, their confidence.

End of Chapter 3