A walk in the park

As the lasers continued buzzing, transitioning us back to reality, I could faintly pick up the sound of laughter and chatter. Then I begin to slowly open my eyes, and to my surprise it was currently... nighttime?

Huh?

Did we also time travel?

Looking around, it seems the TELE-PORT has brought us to a place that resembles a park. There are green plants everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Benches are filled with people of all ages. And playgrounds are packed with swings and seesaws.

The park is filled with neon lights shaped like animals, and the kids appear to be having a great time running around and laughing. While couples are strolling along, holding hands.

Wait a minute, I thought it was winter—what's with all the greenery? Did we teleport to summer as well?

"Ah, so we're on planet Venus!" Issei says with a smile before he steps out of the TELE-PORT. My eyes grew wide as I followed his lead,

"Are we really on Venus? Wow!" I blurt out.

"Is this your first time on a planet other than Earth?" He asks before he stops walking. I nod, still feeling overwhelmed by this information.

"Well, let me explain!" He walks in front of me. "This park is called the Venusphere and is the first dome park built on planet Venus."

"There are many domes like this on other planets also." Issei says as he looks around. "See those stars up there? They're totally fake." He points upwards. "This dome's got a pretty solid cover because the environment outside is far from hospitable."

He then points at a nearby tree with a green, cube-shaped gadget attached to it. "See that? That's a miniature air station that pumps out oxygen for the visitors. There are probably thousands of those devices scattered all around the dome, keeping the air breathable. We don't need it, but it's handy for the actual humans who visit here."

"To think that all of this has been done in just three hundred years!" I say, still in awe of our surroundings.

"Yeah, it's truly amazing." He replies, lost in his own thoughts.

"And do you know how all of this was possible?" He opens his arms wide, taking in everything around us. "It's all because we put our heads together and cared about each other just as much as we cared about making progress in science and technology." He smiles. 

"The Venusphere is proof that we can do anything when we mix our brains with our hearts."

Just as we're getting deep into our conversation, Brainy pops in through the TELE-PORT along with her flying camera.

"Alright, you two, let's start filming! I promise I won't interfere." Brainy replies as she commands the camera to turn on.

"Brainy here! And you are watching Pick a Brain & Fall in Love!. This time we're following Airi and Issei! They're now on a date at the first park dome built on Venus." Brainy then glances at us and waves. "Now I'm going to let them enjoy their time together. See you all soon." She waves at the camera and flies behind it. "Just pretend I'm not here," she whispers.

"Right...now where were we?" Issei chuckles, leading me down one of the paths in the park. "Ah, yes! I believe we were talking about how humanity has evolved so much in such a short time, right?" I nod back as I follow him.

"Space travel, meeting aliens, it's all made us realize what's really important about being human. And that's sticking to our roots and communicating better." He smiles and looks at me. "We came to the conclusion that we needed technology in order to progress. And the ability to progress is an essential factor in evolution after all."

"But we also needed to stay grounded and never forget our traditions, origins, and roots. That's what makes us human, after all."

"I assume that's the reason why Humanity Points were also created, right?" I ask.

He smiles and nods. "A very good observation. And you are correct, Airi."

"Boooorrrriiing!" Brainy fakes a yawn from behind the camera, making us chuckle.

"Hey! You said you wouldn't interfere!" I chuckle.

"Don't worry, I can edit the footage; this isn't live, by the way." She says before she looks around. "Listen, I don't think I will be able to stay awake AND listen to your boring conversation. So I'm just going to be exploring the park. You two have fun." She then flies away.

The floating camera follows us as we find a bench. Issei spots one that's empty and steers us towards it. "Here, let's sit down for a bit." We sit down, and I watch Brainy playing with the children. She's like a big kid herself. It's sweet to see her enjoying the park like everyone else.

"So... what do you do for work?" I say while I turn my attention back to Issei.

"Oh, I'm a diplomat," he says with pride. "And a part-time advisor for the President of the World." He flashes a smug smile.

"No way! That's impressive!" I didn't expect him to have that type of job.

"Yes, well, I travel a lot for work. I'm one of Japan's Earth ambassadors, after all. And I often meet with aliens from different planets and exchange experiences and technology." Issei replies, watching my reaction with a smile.

"That's awesome." I reply, genuinely impressed.

"I also own a few businesses." He says, folding his arms across his chest with pride.

So he's super successful, huh? It makes sense now why he could afford to be so generous with his humanity points.

And since he is five years younger than me, it means he also took advantage of the Cryno program. He must have been rich back then also. But somehow, I had never heard of or seen him before. Why is that? I'm dying to ask, but I don't want to come off as nosy or like I'm just after his wealth.

"So, Airi," Issei speaks, bringing me back to reality.

"Yes?"

"I hope this isn't too forward, but..." He looks a bit nervous. "What was your relationship status back in 2025?"

"Oh..." I laugh. "I was single. Why?" I look back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Just checking," he smirks. "You never know; some crazy ex might've had his brain frozen just to follow you here."

"Please!" I roll my eyes. "I was pretty ruthless with men back in the day. You've got nothing to worry about." I look back at him with a smirk. "You better be careful yourself. Make one wrong step and I'm out!" We both share a laugh.

He smiles and looks at his feet before he turns his attention back to me. He then gets up from the bench and takes a step to his right. "Is this step good enough for you?"

"Ha, ha! Very funny." I reply, trying to sound annoyed but failing to hold back a laugh.

"But it did make you laugh!" Issei winks. "It's a small win in my book," he says, scanning the park.

"Is that... Sam?" My gaze followed the trajectory of Issei's. I then spot an alien with a jersey on, sitting on the bench, all alone. He had to be one of the Draxionex brothers!

"Samandrialithor!" Issei waves enthusiastically in the alien's direction and calls out his name.

"Isse! Airi!" The alien waves back and gets off the bench. As he draws closer, his gaze falls upon the camera. "Oh, sorry! You two were on a date!" He said, he exclaims.There's a hint of embarrassment in his voice as he moves behind it.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your date!"

"Don't worry, Sam, it's fine." I reassure him.

"You seem down, Sam. What's up?" Issei's tone shifts, becoming more serious and concerned.

I observe the green alien closely, trying to read his stoic facial expression. It's difficult to discern any signs of distress due to his species' distinct facial structure. Yet Issei seems able to read the alien's emotions like an open book. That's impressive.

"It's nothing. I have a lot on my mind, that's all." The alien sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"You play galaxyball, don't you?" I ask, trying to engage him in conversation to lighten the mood. "Is there something troubling you about the game, maybe?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I enjoy playing galaxyball; I truly do," he admits. "But sport is not what I want to do for the rest of my life, you know." The green alien sighs as his big eyes are scanning the greenery of the park.

His words hit home for me, making me realize that despite being two different species, we're all just searching for our own purpose in this vast universe.

"Come now, Sam!" Issei encourages, placing a comforting hand on the alien's small shoulder. "You can tell us what's bothering you." I nod along, genuinely eager to hear his story and offer some support.