Got Me on My Knees

Luke received Neon's response via his communication chip:

"Sure! What did you have in mind, Luke?" Neon replied.

Seeing her message, Luke felt a rush of excitement. His mind raced with ideas for their outing. Since he adored animals both digital and real ones he had a unique idea in mind. Instead of the typical flowers or something clichéd, he went for something different.

"I thought we could go to the zoo," he replied, feeling a bit nervous.

"Seriously, Luke? That’s your big idea?" There was a brief pause, then, "I actually love it! We should definitely do it."

Luke laughed in relief. "For a moment there, I thought you might not be into it. Ha ha."

"I'm free even today, so we can go whenever you’re ready."

"Great! I’ll handle everything and let you know when to meet," Luke replied, thrilled.

Meanwhile, Neon was getting ready for the zoo outing. She was singing along to some old song, something that went like, "got me on my knees, na na." She wasn’t paying much attention to the lyrics, just humming a few words here and there.
As she prepared, she wondered what readers would want to see next in story. Then suddenly, her friend Mark called.

"Neon, am I interrupting your music session on the holo-music app?"

"Hey Mark! Nah, you’re not interrupting. I can read and listen to music at the same time, no problem. And if you’re reading this and not listening to music, wait till the end of the chapter to play some tunes," she replied with a big smile.

"Good to know I’m not bugging you, Neon. I was just wondering if you’re free today to hang out."

"Oh, sorry, Mark. I actually have plans today. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it’s fine! I just wanted to show you some of my recent work, but it’s no big deal."

"That sounds awesome, actually! How about next week? We can plan for it when we both have time."

"Only if you’re free, of course. We’ll stay in touch," Mark said, trying to hide the slight disappointment in his voice.

As he ended the call, Mark felt a little let down, hoping Neon might have been free today. Well, since she’s busy, he figured he could call up Ash and brainstorm some new tech ideas or dive into one of their famous philosophy debates.

As Luke finished getting ready, he was smiling to himself. A zoo date... but not just any zoo. This place will be amazing.
The "Zoo-3000" is a futuristic wonder, like nothing seen before. Built on huge, clear platforms high above the ground, it had large, glass-like domes filled with different environments, each one shining like bubbles in the sky. Every dome created a unique habitat. From a misty rainforest to a dry savannah using advanced technology to make each feel just like the real thing.

When they walked inside, they would see floating screens that welcomed visitors to places like "Neo Amazonia" or "Oceanic Odyssey." 

The animals weren’t just real ones from Earth; many were digital creatures, designed by scientists, that looked and moved just like living animals. Visitors could even step into special areas where these digital animals would interact with them, moving around them as if they were really there.

There was also a "Night Safari," where the lights would dim and fake stars appeared overhead. With special glasses, visitors could watch animals that come out only at night, making it feel like they were standing in a dark jungle under the stars.
Instead of fences or glass walls, invisible shields kept the animals and visitors safe, giving an open view of every area. Luke knew Neon would be impressed by the “Sky Pod” elevators, which transported between the different domes, giving a perfect view of the whole the city far below.

Meanwhile, Mark called Ash, hoping for some distraction and maybe a new project.

"Ash, got a few minutes?" he asked.

"Always!" Ash replied. "What wild idea are we working on today?"

Mark laughed. "Well, I thought maybe we could finally crack the mystery of the disappearing sock."

Ash laughed. "Tempting, but I’ve got something even better. "He paused for dramatic effect. "Mark, hear me out: "Project Human Flying."

Mark blinked. "You mean, like… just us, no cars or drones? Just… flying?"

Ash nodded, smiling. "Exactly. No machines, no metal weighing us down. Just us, soaring over the city shields and out into the open sky."

Mark’s smile faded as he started to picture it. "Freedom. No barriers, no checkpoints. Just endless sky."

"Imagine it," Ash continued, a serious glint in his eyes. "One minute, you’re standing on a rooftop. The next, you’re flying over the whole city, high above the shield walls, seeing everything without a single restriction."

They both grew quiet for a moment, captivated by the vision. Finally, Mark broke the silence. "So… how would this work?"

Ash closed one eye and started to talk about idea from somewhere deep in his mind.

"Lightweight suits. Some kind of technology that syncs with us, not just controlling us, but moving as we do. It would feel like an extension of ourselves."

Mark nodded slowly. "So, we’re talking Project Human Wings."

Ash laughed. "Exactly. But the suit would be so responsive, it’d feel like you were just… flying. No machines, just pure freedom."

Mark smiled, genuinely inspired "Let’s keep this one on our list, right after the sock mystery."

Ash laughed. "We’ll crack the sock mystery first. Then we’ll change the world."

At the Zoo Luke and Neon stood in front of the mecha panda penguin exhibit, watching the giant robotic creature awkwardly waddle and slide on its mechanical legs.

Neon laughed. "That’s... something else. A panda. A penguin. And a robot?"

Luke shrugged, “Why not? No rush, no stress. Just glide through life.”

Neon smirked. "Sounds like chaos."

Luke gave a small laugh. "But sometimes chaos is fun, don’t you think?"

Neon glanced over at him, her smile softening. Luke found himself watching her for a moment, his gaze lingering. He wasn’t sure why, but she looked... different here, somehow.

He cleared his throat. "You, uh... you look nice, by the way. Like, really calm."

Neon looked at him for a moment, then smiled, a quiet understanding in her eyes. "Thanks, Luke. I think I like it here, too."