Cyber Overwinter [Part 1]

Yax Pasaj Train station, one of the major train stations in Nuevo Eztli that connects most of the city's regions as it is nearest to the airport. Which creates a symphony of rhythmic motions from the trains gliding on the many monorails effortlessly engulfing the entirety of the train station. Coupled with the thousands of lives that go on and on everyday throughout these powerful locomotives, capturing one of the purest forms of modernity.

“Holy crap, why am I so nervous?”

Izel muttered to himself, scatterbrained at the notion that spending time with a person that he’s been around multiple times before. Having been twenty minutes earlier than what they planned, likey elevated his mild angst, as seen by his uncontrollable shaking leg. Trying his best to patiently wait for Nevaeh’s arrival, he passes the time by analyzing the hundreds of passersby going about their own lives. Undoubtedly in their own web of complexities of life. Taking every opportunity they have to simply find the will to survive to the next day.

“All by yourself?”

“Gahh!!!”

“I’m surprised that Carmen allowed that.”

Izel yelped at the sudden vocals behind him, but quickly relaxed once he saw that it was Nevaeh teasing him once more.

“Oh uh, Chima was here, but left a few minutes ago.” Izel explained.

“Hm, I see.” Nevaeh remarked, glancing at the top of Izel’s head.

“Wha-what is it?” Izel asked, with some self conscious movements to his head.

“Oh, nothing, I was just noticing that you and I are the same height.” Nevaeh casually mentioned.

“What? That can’t be right.” Izel refuted as he looked at Nevaeh's head, trying to compare their heights.

“175, on the dot.” Nevaeh spoke.

“If you say so…” Izel gave a look of doubt, unwilling to share that his height is also 175 cm.

“Well?” Nevaeh prolonged.

“‘Well’ what?” Izel remarked.

“Huh, well, did you have an idea where to go, or did you just want to hang out at the train station all day?” Nevaeh giggled slightly at Izel’s inexperience.

“Oh, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah… Um, How about the Museum of Historical Biology? Because of my school, most museums grant free entry for students.” Izel gleamed at the idea.

“Haha, everything you said, sounds exactly like something you’d say!” Nevaeh laughed.

Izel just groaned at Nevaeh, waiting with a pouting expression for her to finish the uncalled for bout of laughter.

“Oh, anyway, I’ll still need a ticket for the Museum, right?” Nevaeh asked, wiping a joyful tear from her eye.

“No, the perks include friends and family as long as I’m with them.” Izel plainly explained, still annoyed with Nevaeh.

“Ooo, very impressive. What else does your school get you?” Nevaeh asked.

“Stuff you’re never going to see.” Izel whined as he began the walk in the direction to their destination.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” Nevaeh ran behind Izel with her arm over his shoulder, both, or just one, happily making their way to the Museum.

⧮ ⧯ ⧮

“Oh, wow, this is the first time I’ve been here.” Nevaeh marveled at the immediate exhibitions on display of the Museum. As they were met by two massive fossilized dinosaurs dominating the entryway, face to face. Permanently frozen in their ferocious stature, emulating the monumental presence they once had.

“Yeah, the one with the long neck is a Apatosaurus, and the one with the big head is a Gorgosaurus.” Izel informed, pointing at each of them, as Nevaeh continued to imagine. “Have you really not been here before?”

“No, not much advertisement for it where I live.” Nevaeh mentioned, gaze still fixed on the ancient fossils.

“Really…? My dad used to take me here all the time when I was little.” Izel added.

“I bet you were pretty excited when you found out that you can come here for free.” Nevaeh remarked with a smile.

“Oh, yeah, I used to come here a lot by myself whenever I was feeling down.”

“Yeah… I guess, I never had people around me that showed an interest for stuff like this, so I never really knew about it.” Nevaeh opened, recognizing that her and Izel’s lives are very different.

“Well then let’s not waste time! Let's go check out the exhibits!” Izel cheered.

Without another moment to spare, the two were promptly introduced to a world completely lacking a modicum of technology. Capturing a glimpse of a history untouched by the world altering advancements, saved from the greed that it perpetuated, and ironically understood by the preservation that it has developed with passion.

Constantly met with powerfully accurate depictions of these beasts of old, designed by AI. Countless holograms to fully immerse any visitors in a eon that they can never be part of, environments that only selective organisms could flourish. Along with mock animatronics of what these massive animals could have behaved. Coupled with a warming number of learning activities for guests of any age, and ones that Nevaeh happily joins.

The further they journeyed into time, the smaller some of ancient life became. A sure sign that the end of the journey is near. From unimaginable complexities, beginning as simplicity at its purest form. As Izel overjoyed with certain exhibits to explain the plethora of bits and facts of information to his audience of one.

“I won’t lie, this has been pretty nice.” Nevaeh stated, exiting one of the smaller exhibits that most visitors typically end their journey.

“Thanks, but I feel like they’ve been using more holograms from what I remember.” Izel added.

“Yeah, but they have to keep people interested somehow… Because now they have to compete with Virtual Reality's growing popularity.” Nevaeh proposed.

“You’re probably right, Virtual Reality's accessibility has been getting easier and easier each year, and the volume of companies developing products for VR is growing right along with it.” Izel elaborated. “A lot of it is honestly impressive, I don’t blame some people that want to live most of their lives in those realities. Especially when it looks just as real, if not better to normal reality… Personally, I can totally see why some prefer the endless activities and actions you can do with VR.” He finished.

“Well… I just don’t get that stuff… What’s the point of spending all of your time in fake worlds that’s just as real as this one? If someone wants to experience something real, then just look out the window. That's as real as it gets!” Nevaeh argued, hugging herself slightly at the unnerving idea.

“Maybe some people just want to escape?” Izel proposed.

“That’s not escaping, that’s just ignoring reality.” Nevaeh declared.

Izel provided a small nod of agreement with Nevaeh’s assessment, somewhat unsure of what to say next. Until a small grin formed at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s probably why we don’t have many friends.” Izel joked.

“Pfft, haha! That’s probably true.” Nevaeh allowed herself to laugh joyfully at Izel’s brutally honest joke, while he smiled with a small sense of accomplishment.

Izel giggled with Nevaeh as the two simply walked in the open halls of the Museum where the small exhibits are displayed. Casually wandering until something catches their eye. As the evening progressed, so did the Museum. The once large crowd of visitors began to lessen with every moment along with the Museum’s staff and android assistants preparing to close the doors for the day to be ready for the rest of the weekend. Nevaeh and Izel saw this natural shutdown by following the diminishing crowd to the exits.

“Hey, is that an exhibit too, the one with the butterflies?” Nevaeh asked, pointing at what looks like an out of place exhibit.

“Oh, I think it's like a small awareness event for extinct animals.” Izel explained.

“They’re all gone?” Nevaeh asked with genuine concern.

“Oh no, not all of them, I think just one is endangered.” Izel elaborated.

“Well, why?” Nevaeh asked with a mild confusion.