Realizations Towards Success

Hugo decides to put off being confronted by both Emily and Maria. He’s had enough of being scolded, and it’s not like he doesn’t have the next three months to fix the solar panels.

So he leaves the tablet and the toolbox by the panel – closed with the microbots inside – and walks back down the path to the train tracks. He crosses them, continuing down another path into the forest.

For about ten minutes, it seems like the dense forest won’t ever clear. And it doesn’t – instead, stone buildings appear increasingly amongst the trees on both sides. Rustic lamps hang from wires running through the trees, illuminating the gloomy atmosphere of the forest.

Hugo passes several villagers wearing clothes of earthy tones, bowing to them as they pass him. They bow back. A couple of black cats shoot out from behind a building in front of him. He jumps as they cross his path and disappear among the trees again.

The smell of baked goods wafts in the air. As he smells it, Hugo’s stomach growls. He follows the smell to an adjoining path lined with small shops. Finding a stubby stone building with a sign reading ‘bakery’, he enters. An old man in rich red and white clothes greets him from behind the counter.

Hugo browses the glass cabinet of a variety of baked goods, selecting some kind of cream bun. He pays by scanning his phone, before turning it off entirely. He’s about to leave when the old man stops him.

“If you’re not busy, young man, would you mind taking a delivery to an address for me?” The old man holds up a paper bag. “I’d do it myself, but my legs don’t work like they used to and my delivery boy called in sick.”

From Hugo’s time in his ecovillage as a kid, he remembers favors like these being asked all the time. That sense of community is strong in ecovillages of all kinds – even more so than in the Capital, where the abundance of people makes it difficult for such a strong bond to form.

“Okay.” Hugo nods. “I can do that.”

The old man dips his head graciously, informing Hugo of the delivery address.

“Uh, sorry, I’m not from around here,” Hugo says. “Would you mind telling me how to get there?”

“Oh, my apologies!” the old man replies, gentle eyes open wide. “That’s why I don’t recognise you. I assumed you’re from a farm across the tracks.”

“I’ll be staying around here for a few months.”

“Not many people come to our village, seeing as we’re so far from the Capital. You’re from there, I presume?”

Hugo nods.

“The few who come to visit always say how magical it is around here,” the old man says. “But they never stay for long…”

“Well, they’d think living more comfortably in a city is the better deal.”

“Hm… Is that what you think?”

The question catches Hugo off-guard. Should he tell the old man he thinks the same?

“There are two reasons people from the Capital come here,” the old man continues. “The first is to get away momentarily from a place where everything’s moving at a rapid pace. The second comes when they realize that living in someplace like this is the key to a better life.”

The old man sits on that thought for a moment. “That’s what I think, anyway. I’ll let you go – you don’t have to spend all day talking with an old geezer like me!” He chuckles heartily.

Hearing it gives Hugo no choice but to break into lighthearted laughter as well.

The old man gives him instructions on how to get to the delivery address, and they then bid each other farewell.

Hugo exits the bakery, eating his bun straight out of the bag. He walks past vendors selling street food and market stalls selling fresh produce. The air is filled with the harmonious sounds of greetings, bartering, and laughter.

On a street corner, a trio of musicians play a tune on string instruments. In front of them, a small crowd of villagers clap along. From a wooden balcony above, a heckler shouts words of encouragement.

This isn’t the only street like this; most of the streets in the ecovillage are filled with musicians and small businesses offering various wares and services.

Hugo’s approached by a seamstress outside her shop. She holds cloths of various colors up to his skin, commenting on how each one compliments his skin tone.

He bows shallowly, thanking her before speeding up and entering an alleyway as the baker instructed. The smaller street lamps of the alleyway sense his presence and turn on as he walks under them.

He finds the house number that he’s looking for and knocks on the wooden door a couple of times. There’s no doorbell or other kind of tech here.

“Just a moment!” A voice rings from inside the stone house.

After several seconds, the door swings open and Hugo is greeted by the face of a middle-aged woman. She holds a baby in her arms, and an elementary school-aged child appears by her legs.

Hugo holds out the paper bag. “I have a delivery from the bakery at the front of the village.”

“Oh! You’re not the usual delivery boy,” the mother replies. “Is this your new job?”

“No, this is a one-time thing,” Hugo explains. “The delivery boy is sick.”

“Oh, that’s no good.” The mother transfers her baby to one arm so she can grab the paper bag. “Well, thank you for bringing my order. In a year or two, I’ll get this one to collect them for me.” She smiles at the child grabbing her leg.

“I see someone’s growing up fast,” Hugo says to the child.

The mother laughs. “I’m just about to serve dinner. You’re welcome to join us, if you like.”

For the first time in half an hour, Hugo remembers Emily and Maria. They’d be looking for him right now, especially seeing as they might’ve called him while his phone’s off.

“No, thank you,” Hugo replies. “I should get going.” He bows and takes his leave.

As he reaches the main street again, he hears shouts. Men and women run up the street, collecting more and more villagers as they go.

A man turns to Hugo as he runs past, panic in his eyes. “A tree just collapsed through a stone house up ahead. There’s a family inside. We need all the hands we can get!”

After a moment of hesitation, Hugo takes off in the direction they’re running. His strength is needed.

By the time Hugo makes it to the house, the couple have already been pulled out of the debris. The husband rummages through the rubble, frantically looking for something, while the wife sits on a large rock, traumatized. They’re both supported by a conglomerate of people, checking if they’re okay and offering to help out.

Hugo watches on, unsure of how to help, when a hand rests on his shoulder. He turns his head to see Emily, looking on at the scene.

“There’s nothing we can do here,” she says. “We should leave the community to sort it out.”

Even the captivating charm of such a village disappears in an emergency – an emergency that simply wouldn’t exist in the sculptured metropolis of the Capital.

* * *

The hovercraft lands near the top of a vast mountain range. It nestles amongst the trees of a dense forest, close to a narrow path leading to a shrine at the peak. Once the carrier opens, Noah stumbles out. He needs to get away for a moment and gather his thoughts.

They successfully managed to evade the ornithopters chasing them. Noah’s not sure how, as no hovercraft could ever beat an ornithopter when it comes down to speed.

“Where do ya think you’re going?” Aiden shouts at him from the cockpit. Noah can hear how uncomfortable it is for him to talk.

Noah turns around and – for the first time unprovoked – snaps back. “Going for a walk. Got a problem?”

Perhaps it’s the security of knowing how difficult it’ll be for Aiden to come after him.

“What, going to pray to the mountain spirits?” Aiden sneers.

Noah ignores him, resuming his walk towards the path. What a ridiculous comment – even though the people of New Kansai are known for being spiritual, many in the Capital tend to not have any spiritual influence in their lives. Besides, Noah’s father would scoff at him if he started believing in such things.

“How are you gonna get us over the border?” Simon demands, talking to Aiden. “You said we only had enough fuel for one more takeoff.”

Aiden groans. “Give me a break. I’ve had enough of you–” He begins coughing violently, spluttering on some kind of liquid.

The noise makes Noah whirl around. Blood drips from Aiden’s metal hands, cupped closely to his mouth.

It takes half a minute for him to stop coughing. The whole time, Noah and Simon watch in apprehension.

Aiden slowly turns to face Noah. “Noah,” he demands, his deep voice noticeably weaker. “Get back here.”

As Noah walks back to the hovercraft, Aiden struggles to climb out of the cockpit. When they meet, Aiden grabs his arm for support. Noah’s eyes widen in shock – Aiden’s relying on him. Even in this subtle way.

“The carrier,” Aiden says.

Noah supports his weight as they walk from the cockpit to the entrance. He catches a glimpse of Simon, rooted on the spot in surprise. Perhaps it’s the feeling of being left out, as Simon storms towards them.

This time, though, Noah doesn’t cower as he approaches. He’s beginning to see his father as he truly is – a pathetic man, deserving of nothing he demands.

“If you don’t answer–”

But Aiden simply swings his leg off the ground, his metal boot colliding with Simon’s left leg.

Something inside Simon’s leg snaps. It’s not his bone, but something else. He cries out, falling to the ground.

“You didn’t do a very good job at hiding it,” Aiden snickers.

Simon bellows in rage.

Over his shouts, Aiden turns to Noah. “Did you know your father has metal implants in his legs to keep him from falling over? Like a filthy, filthy cyborg.”

Noah doesn’t respond. He didn’t know, but it’s all starting to make sense now. Years ago, his father saw multiple specialists about his legs, who all said he wouldn’t be able to walk again.

But Simon’s improvement isn’t as much of a miracle as he had claimed; it’s actually the result of an illegal medical operation. Oh, how much trouble he’d get in if the Council found out about this.

Aiden directs Noah to the side of the carrier, where a cloth covers something mechanical. He lets go of Noah and rips off the cloth.

Underneath, a grungy black motorbike sits proudly. Along its body, Noah can see the lines where its neon orange detailings come alive.

“I’m gonna go call for backup,” Aiden says, swinging a leg over the side with a grunt. “While I’m gone, you’re in charge here.” He looks out to the robots, standing in formation inside the carrier.

“Huh…?” Noah utters in disbelief. “How are you–?”

But Aiden raises a hand to his black earpiece, pressing a few buttons on the side.

All of a sudden, a holographic control panel sparks to life, immediately in front of Noah’s vision. He stumbles back, but it follows him.

Noah had just assumed the earpiece Aiden gave him didn’t have holographic functions like the ones of the New Kansai military. But, instead of the clean, blue holographic information projected by the military earpieces, this one’s green and plagued with visual static.

“With this, you can control the robots and the hovercraft,” Aiden tells him.

“Why…?” Noah asks, lost for words.

“You’re driven.” Aiden sneers, but Noah feels like his words are genuine. “You just needed a bit of a kick start.”

He turns one of the handles and the bike engine begins rumbling, loud and throaty. The orange detailing turns on, dimly illuminating the side of the hovercraft.

“Where are you going?”

“Someplace you showed me existed.”

Noah’s stomach sinks. He never thought Aiden would be the next one to bring down New Kansai’s defense systems himself. The fear must show in his eyes:

“The blood will be on my hands, not yours. It’s the only way we can make it out alive.”

Aiden’s right – they have no choice.

“I’ll be back in a day. Don’t even think about leaving without me.”

Noah nods, but he’s had enough of being commanded. He has more power now than he’s ever had in his entire life.

“Oh, and make sure to look after your pussy father.” Aiden revs the bike. “We’ll be using you as a decoy while the Capital is taken.” And, with that, he drives off, disappearing into the trees.

If only Hugo could see Noah now. Refusing to go with him might have been the best choice in his entire life.

* * *

Hugo and Emily return to the farm as the sun sets. The sky’s much brighter out of the density of the forest, and Hugo feels a greater sense of freedom with such an open expanse of space above him.

Emily doesn’t scold him on the way back, but rather asks him about his experience in the ecovillage. As they converse, Hugo feels the familiarity of their friendship dynamic return from all those years ago – a dynamic that couldn’t return under the strict formality of the military.

They walk up to the wooden farmhouse. Their bags must have been moved inside, as they aren’t on the porch anymore. Hugo follows Emily inside, and the smell of curry immediately enters his nose.

The inside of the house is homey and very reminiscent of the wooden houses of the old world. Apart from, of course, all the modern tech projecting blue holographic details as they walk past.

In the kitchen, Maria wears an apron. “Oh, you’re back!”

“Yep,” Emily replies. “Caught the troublemaker.” She kicks Hugo in the butt, and he shoots her a warning glare.

“Good!” Maria turns her attention back to the stove, turning up the heat with a simple hand gesture. “You guys can help me out.” She instructs Emily to take over at the stove and directs Hugo over to a chopping board.

Unsure of whether she knows about the solar panel – not to mention what she thinks of the whole incident – he does as she instructs.

He’s never used a knife before, though, so he cuts the carrots into awkward-shaped pieces. On the fourth piece, his hand slips. He makes a small cut in his thumb, yanking his hand back as the metal cuts through the skin.

“No, no, not like that.” Maria rushes over. “Geez, I forgot you lot don’t use knives.”

Emily holds a hand up to her mouth, giggling at Hugo’s misfortune.

Hugo runs his thumb under the water tap. It turns on immediately as it senses his hand, washing the blood down the sink.

After he’s done, Maria gives him a small bandage. He wraps his finger, and then begrudgingly listens to a lecture from her about cutting carrots.

Soon, she trusts him enough to take over. It takes him almost the whole time it takes to prepare the rest of the dinner.

As soon as he’s finished, Maria takes the chopping board.

“Okay, this is almost done,” she says. “I’ll microwave the life out of these carrots. In the meantime, you both can sit outside and make sure the table’s set properly.”

Hugo picks up three sets of cutlery Maria placed on the bench earlier, then follows Emily out the back door. He’s greeted by a small, yellow drone the size of a sandwich. It buzzes by his hand carrying the cutlery, so he opens it with his palm facing the roof.

The drone takes the sets of cutlery and flies over to a wooden table several meters away. As Emily and Hugo take a seat around the table, the drone sets the cutlery in the correct position.

Several minutes later, Maria emerges through the door, holding three empty bowls in her hand. The yellow drone, hovering near the table, approaches her and takes the bowls off her. It’s almost too much for it to lift.

“Alright.” Maria takes a seat at the table. “We’re ready to eat.”

Behind her, a larger orange drone flies out of the doorway, bringing out a silver pot in its four metal claws. It places the pot in the middle of the table and flies back inside. The yellow drone places the bowls next to the pot, and follows the orange drone.

As Maria reaches towards the pot, red cautionary holograms project around it. She brings her hand back, as if remembering something. “Oh. Almost forgot about the rice!”

Maria claps twice, and a white drone flies out and lands on the table. A rice cooker embedded inside a drone. Ingenious.

Maria scoops out rice into one side of a bowl and curry into the other, before handing it to Hugo. He nods his head, accepting it with both hands. She does the same for Emily, then for herself.

“This meal is dedicated to Hugo,” Maria says, a sly grin on her face.

Hugo’s jaw hangs in shock. Emily instantly raises her hand to her mouth, failing to cover her muffled laughter.

“Even though his inattentiveness might’ve cost me a whole solar panel, we must applaud his effort in working with a team for once…”

Hugo squints in suspicion as both Maria and Emily clap patronizingly.

“...despite said team being an army of little robots,” Maria finishes.

Maria and Emily throw their heads back, roaring with laughter. Hugo rolls his eyes, but he can’t help the smile creeping onto his face.

In this moment, he finally realizes what this trip is all about – overcoming his flaws with two of the only people who believe in him.