Touring Columbus Station

“Mmmm, I’m not sure if we can,” said Nina, crossing her arms. “We’re supposed to go and install in our designated workshop. Didn’t you just tell us you have orders for that?”

“Yes! I do,” Quenzie responded.

“So…?” Nina shrugged.

“I do! But…” Oliver said, rolling back and forth, unable to contain his emotion. “Don’t you want to know the city?! The tailwind made you arrive one hour earlier, which means we can use this time to do a super special express tour through the city!”

Nina looked sternly at her friends.

“Come on Nina!” Mike said. “Don’t you tell me you don’t want to know the city?!”

“And we will still be on schedule,” Oliver shrugged, trying to hide his excitement for the tour.

Nina turned away, balancing her weight between her legs. She sighed in resignation, turned back and said, “Alright but we better be on our designated workshop by 2300.”

“YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!” Quenzie exclaimed while spinning. “You can count on me to stay right on schedule, Ms Hsu. So, let's get this tour started!”

Quenzie started moving and the friends followed.

“This is the hoverport, the station’s highest point at 233 meters above sea level” Oliver could tell by the view that they were taller than he had ever been in the Amelia but this was more than he expected.

“Scared?” Asked Quenzie mischievously. “Do you fancy taking a peek over the edge?”

“We’d rather not,” Mike immediately responded. “Next spot please.”

Quenzie giggled and guided them to a glowing platform in the middle of the hoverport.

“Our transportation system is the most advanced in any of the Grid’s installations. We call it the MPS as an acronym for Moving Plattform System,” Quenzie said boasting as he selected some red points over the fog-screen on the edge of the platform.

As the platform suddenly began to descend, a flashing city unveiled beneath them. Hundreds and hundreds of cubicles were connected by an intricate net of metal bridges of all widths. Every structure ended by being attached to one of six colossal pillars that bordered the city. Pipes and cables tangled over almost every surface. Mike clung to Oliver, unable to hide his fear of heights. Oliver looked down and confirmed that they were still very high.

“Those six red pillars that surround us are called the “Mother Pillars”, and they are the main component of the city’s structure,” Quenzie educated.

Oliver and Mike crouched in fear as another platform flew past them, grazing the top of their heads.

“Oh! Don’t worry!” Quenzie said unconcerned. “Everything is calculated. Another platform won’t decapitate you, it has only happened… a few times.”

The two friends decided to remain crouched as more platforms passed menacingly close. Nina seemed unbothered and Oliver didn't know if she felt confident due to her shorter stature or because, as the daughter of the chief officer, she had already been there before. It was probably the first.

Quenzie’s frantic tour was a lot of fun. The robot took the visitors to the most bizarre places like the city’s dirtiest trashcan or the rustiest staircase but the frozen zoo was interesting.

“Look, guys!” Nina said pointing to a pagoda that protagonized a large square. “That’s the restaurant that I was talking to you about!”

On top of the building, a large neon sign read: New Chengdu.

“Would you like me to make a reservation?” Quenzie asked.

“No. Absolutely not,” Nina said. “We don’t know if we will have the time tomorrow.”

“If we happen to not be able to assist,” Quenzie said. “Nothing happens, someone else will take it.”

“Book the reservation, Quenzie!” Mike said.

“Alright! A reservation has been made for tomorrow at 2000,” Quenzie replied.

Nina unsuccessfully tried to hide her excitement.

As they kept going down, the city disappeared to show the calm dark blue ocean of the night beneath them.

“These are the docking facilities, where members of the Grid come to make reparations or stock up on supplies,” Quenzie said. “Look! The Kazuhara is arriving!”

“I guess they were in the zone and decided to come to leave their competitors,” Nina said thoughtfully.

“They’ve beaten the Amelia in the semifinals three times in a row,” Oliver replied as he remembered those past three broadcasts.

“Then, we better keep an eye on them!” Quenzie warned before the platform turned sharply to the left.

"Fortunately or unfortunately we're not staying on the main portion of the station. You will be staying there" Quenzie said as they approached an elliptical structure floating a hundred meters apart from the station.

The platform flew over the darkness of the night ocean to start descending inside a big stadium.

Silver seats surrounded the field and the track.

"Wow!" The friends were awed before the imponent stage.

"It's a treat, isn't it?" Quenzie said. "Now let me take you to your workshop. I've been notified that your luggage has already arrived."

Quenzie started to roll and directed them to a ramp that went under the stands. They walked through a gloomy corridor until reaching a warehouse door with a big “A” printed on it.

"I took the bother of installing you on workshop A, since you're from the Amelia, hehehe," Quenzie followed as it opened the giant door that showed a big room inside. “I have things to do but if you need my help, don't hesitate to contact me. Your participating robot is being inspected by the fairness committee, it should be here tomorrow morning though.”

“Oh! By the way, Ms Hsu, you’re here ten minutes early." Quenzie said before disappearing in the hallway.

“Thanks,” Oliver said to the darkness.

“You’re very welcome!” Quenzie shouted from far away, making them laugh.

Oliver’s growling stomach indicated they had to eat dinner. After a generous portion of porridge, fatigue hit them and they decided to go to sleep. There were three beds on the back of the workshop, perfectly made and with clean sheets. The three of them collapsed on their beds and succumbed to sleep.

…

Athena's box was in the center of the workshop when they woke up. They started working right after breakfast. Eggs and bacon porridge. Such a classic!

They tested and tested the shoulder jam, but the problem was no longer there.

Relieved, they went upstairs to try the track. While Mike was handling Athena to run around the track, a friendly guy approached Oliver.

"Hey.” He said.

"Hey,” Oliver replied.

"Mel Akintola from the Mchunu,”

“Oliver Greenwood from the Amelia,” Oliver replied as they stretched their hands.

"Your robot looks good," he said as Athena sprinted through the track in a competition with Mel's robot."

"Your's look solid!" Oliver complimented, intimidated by the size and sturdy build of the other robot.

"Where's everyone else?" Oliver asked.

“They are probably still testing their robots” Mel answered shrugging. “Well, except for the guys of the Kazuhara.”

“Wait. What?” Oliver said. “Then, where will they prepare before tomorrow?”

"The dudes at the Kazuhara always make sure to be around the station’s zone before the competition just for their team to have an exclusive place to train before the contest," Mel said. “Especially this year, since the captain’s son is competing this year.”

Oliver wasn’t paying too much attention since Nina was calling him. It was his turn to practice.

“It was really nice talking with you Mel. See you!” Oliver said before running to join his team.

…

Amelia’s team ended up with a big window of time to go to the restaurant. After a few minutes of trying to figure out how the MPS’s display worked, they managed to arrive in one piece to the downtown. They wandered for some time before arriving to New Chengdu.

The line was so long.

“I told you we had to come earlier,” Nina complained.

“But we have a reservation. Right?” Oliver said. “Let me go and ask the hostess.”

Oliver walked to the entrance and talked to the hostess.

“Let me see… Are you with Quenzie? Great. He’s a regular, we love him,” the hostess said. "Your table will be ready in a second."

Oliver hurried his friends when the hostess told him the table was ready but there was no sign of Quenzie.

"Aww!" A group of girls exclaimed behind Oliver’s back. “It’s really him.”

"He's so handsome," another girl said. “How can he be real!?”

Oliver was about to sit down when the host stopped him.

“I’m so sorry Sir,” the hostess said. “But this table is no longer yours. Since who made the reservation hasn´t arrived.”

Oliver knew this move. He had watched movies with Alin when something like this happened but Nina acted first.

“Who’s so important that is making you break the rules?” Nina demanded.

The girls were squeaking as a guy their age entered the restaurant.

"Emil Bushida," He smugly said while sitting on a chair. “A pleasure to meet you.”