Book I Chapter 3: Candide


Luke was initially nervous to visit the cafeteria. Thankfully, they arrived after the lunch rush, and the room was mostly empty. Like most of Rhodes Island's common areas, it was overwhelmingly spacious. It was also unnervingly devoid of any private spaces. Unlike the quaint temple kitchen he shared with the Old Man, the cafeteria was open to the entire landship.

Luke's attention wandered away from his meal as he looked around the cafeteria. With concrete walls and metallic floors, it had a rather industrial appearance. Hexagonal-mesh steel plates were installed overhead to conceal the piping. It appeared the room had once served a different purpose before it was converted into a dining area.

His eyes flicked towards Grani. She'd already eaten two servings of beer-battered fish and was making short work of a third. He was genuinely impressed.

"Geez. For someone so small, you sure can eat," he commented with a grin. "Where does it all go?"

"Her thighs."

"Franka!" The Vulpo raised her arms in mock surrender. Grani took a sip from her root beer as if nothing had happened.

"I need all the energy I can get if I'm going to help those in need!" she proclaimed, tipping her visor with her signature wink.

Franka clapped her hands in cheer. "I love it when you tilt your visor like that. It's absolutely adorable," she gushed. "Is that something you picked up during your tour of duty?"

"Mhm! My commanding officer would always greet civilians like that. I thought it was so cool! So I tried it for myself and everyone loved it!" Luke could hazard a guess as to why they loved her little gesture, and it certainly wasn't because she looked cool.

Liskarm stirred her coffee listlessly. "Sometimes I forget that Grani has seen active service." Luke froze mid-bite. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What?" he asked, setting his pizza down.

She raised a single brow. "Sometimes I forget that Grani has seen active service," she repeated.

"You're telling me that she's a professional soldier?" The idea alone seemed outrageous. Liskarm looked at him as though he had asked a stupid question.

"Police officer." she corrected. "The Mounted Police is a branch of special forces within the Victorian Police Department. They specialize in high mobility, infiltration, and mechanized warfare." That threw him for a loop. Grani, the small, adorable Kuranta—the friendly neighborhood sweetheart—was part of the special forces.

Bonkers.

Grani thumped her chest with pride. "Yep! I was part of the mechanized brigade."

"You can drive?!" Luke yelped, incredulous. She smirked.

"Of course I can drive. And not just cars, but trucks, and armored vehicles. They're all infantry fighting vehicles," she explained with a smug look on her face, "So I drove them like infantry fighting vehicles. What did you expect?"

Luke suddenly felt embarrassed. He scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know, horses or something, I guess." Grani burst out laughing.

"A Kuranta, riding a horse?" she gasped out. "Not happening." Luke's jaw flapped uselessly as he struggled to wrap his mind around everything Grani had said. His first conversation with her echoed in his mind. What's with this peppy…lost child? He felt a bit silly.

"Damn. I guess I was wrong about the whole kid thing."

"Mhm." She popped a fry into her mouth with a satisfied grin. "Don't worry. It doesn't really bother me when people call me a child." Her eyes flicked towards his pizza. "By the way… you haven't eaten much… What kind of food do you like?" Luke hummed. He wasn't a picky eater.

"Honestly, I'll eat pretty much anything as long as it's not moving or still alive. Everything else is fair game. Though I do love a good yogurt in the morning…" Staring intently, Grani nodded as she munched on another fry.

"Except for insects," he continued, abruptly. "They're a no go for me…" He shuddered, as though the mere thought would conjure one up.

"Personally, I prefer fried food." She replied. That came as a surprise for him. Luke expected Grani to be interested in sweeter things like fruits or candies—perhaps both—and Franka seemingly agreed. Placing an elbow on the table, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Make sure you don't overeat." Franka teased. "You might get fat."

Liskarm rolled her eyes. "It's not like you're any better. I keep telling you to cut your caloric intake. It's bad for your health," she warned. "That's why I prefer simpler meals." Shrugging, Franka leaned back and cupped her chest with a smirk.

"I don't hear anyone complaining." Liskarm facepalmed, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Luke found a sudden interest in his uneaten pizza crust. It wouldn't be appropriate to stare.

He thought Franka was quite upfront. In his opinion, she seemed like the type of person who'd express her thoughts regardless if it was appropriate or not. Frankly, it boggled his mind how she and Liskarm got along, something he divulged over their shared lunch.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Liskarm absentmindedly picked at the crumbs on her plate. "To be honest, I can't stand people like Franka. Even now, I'm unsure how we're still partners." She failed to notice Franka swipe a fry from her plate. Luke's brows furrowed with confusion as she quickly stuffed it into the remaining portion of her burger before reaching for another one.

Liskarm continued. "Initially, we were forced into a partnership by our superiors. I suppose they figured the two trouble—" she stopped abruptly. He could almost see the cogs turning in her head as her eyes flicked between Franka's empty tray and her shrinking pile of fries. Looking up, she caught Franka just as she finished her burger. A loose, soggy fry slipped from her lips.

"Ugh." Liskarm shoved the remaining fries towards Franka. "Just take it."

Franka covered her mouth with a greasy hand. "Aw, for me? Thanks!" she spoke as though she had been pleasantly surprised by Liskarm's action. It was painfully obvious that she had anticipated her reaction.

The sound of a sliding dish caught Luke's attention. Grani had pushed one of her plates across the table. Squeezing her eyes shut, she looked away as she offered Liskarm her fries. "Here," she said with a noticeable tremor, "you can have my chips."

Liskarm shook her head and returned Grani's plate. "No, it's alright Grani. I appreciate the sentiment, however." Grani smiled. Luke had a sneaking suspicion that she had smiled more out of relief rather than gratitude.

"As I was saying," she continued, "we were forced to work together. Though I suppose you could say it worked out because of our differences."

Luke looked toward Grani. His partner was too busy finishing her fish and chips to notice. While he didn't have anything against the young Kuranta, Luke would be lying if he said he didn't feel slightly anxious. Grani's pure kindness and energetic personality weren't something he had experienced before and he wasn't entirely sure what she wanted from him. Not to mention how infectious her personality was. He had a feeling he could easily be swept away by her seemingly boundless energy if he wasn't careful. As it was, she was already dragging him around—figuratively thankfully, but it was fun to play along with her.

As though reading his thoughts, Franka lightly poked him in the shin with her foot. He looked up.

"Don't worry," she reassured him with a genuine smile. He was mesmerized by how graceful she could look when she wasn't fooling around. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I mean look at us! I get along famously with that fusspot." Luke snatched his attention away from Franka.

Franka was also dangerous.

Liskarm huffed. "Yes, and that fusspot is the only thing preventing you from getting yourself killed."

Franka tutted as she collected her garbage. "It takes two to Tango, my dear." She grabbed her empty tray and walked off. Liskarm clicked her tongue but quickly followed suit.

Luke watched Grani shove the small remaining piece of battered fish into her mouth. Rising to her feet, she silently offered to take his trash. He shook his head. "I'll go with you." He figured he should at least know where to dispose of his trash. Grani's ponytail bobbed as she nodded.

After checking to make sure they hadn't left anything behind, the pair left the table. He spotted Franka and Liskarm across the cafeteria, talking by a row of enclosed trash bins. Franka was leaning against the far wall next to the main entrance while Liskarm stood beside her. Grani led him down the center aisle towards them. She waved at the few operators sitting at tables as they passed by. A majority of them silently chuckled or smiled. The remainder merely nodded. It seemed like she was a common sight around these parts.

Grani swallowed her food with an audible gulp as they approached the trash receptacles. She downed the rest of her water with a sigh of contentment. "That hit the spot." She said, patting her stomach with her free hand. Grani pushed the bin's flap open with her tray and swept her rubbish in. She then neatly stacked her tray on top of the bin. Luke followed her movements as faithfully as possible. After a short trip to the bathroom to wash their hands, the four met up outside the cafeteria.

"That was quite the meal," Franka said as she slipped her hands back into her gloves. Luke glanced over at Liskarm, expecting some sort of reaction. She did not disappoint.

"Your meal was quite the meal," she stressed, rummaging through her jacket. "The rest of us ate normally." Finding what she was looking for, her pocket notebook, Liskarm quickly tore out a page and handed it to Luke. "Here." she said.

He looked down at the paper in his hands. It was the list she had written for him earlier in his room. "Where am I going to get all this stuff?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "The Chief of Engineering runs an onboard department store," she explained, returning the book to its pocket. "It should have everything you need."

"I'm sorry, what?" he blinked owlishly. "What's the Chief of Engineering doing running a store?"

"Beats me."

"Shouldn't they be doing," Luke scratched his head, "I don't know, engineering stuff?"

"I'm sure she does… she's constantly carrying tools around. Whether or not she actually uses them is a different story." He shrugged. The land ship appeared to operate without any trouble, so whatever the Chief Engineer was doing, she was doing it right.

Grani poked him in the arm. "Are you ready to go shopping?"

"Yeah, where is it?" he asked, referring to the department store.

"It has multiple floors, but the main entrance is located on the third floor, so right below us." She said while pointing to the ground. "But there's a secondary entrance on this floor. It's a short walk. Should only take five to eight minutes."

Luke bowed grandly. "Lead the way, m'lady."

Franka cooed as Luke raised his head. "Oh, my. Liskarm, why don't you ever do that with me?" she asked.

"Because you aren't any kind of a lady." Franka pouted.

"Meanie."

Grani laughed as she and Liskarm started down the hall. "Come on! Those items aren't going to buy themselves."

Luke felt a mix of excitement and dread as he trailed behind them. He was excited to finally unpack and properly move into his new room, but he also dreaded the potential price tag associated with it. If he could live his entire life hoarding money without spending a cent, he would. Unfortunately, he needed to eat to survive so his hands were tied.

The group entered a large, open room. Several hallways branched out from various points along the walls. The corridor they had left continued directly ahead in the opposite wall of the room. A flash of bright colors caught his wandering attention. Looking up, Luke noticed a yellow rook had been painted directly above the octagonal walkway. Sitting directly below it was a pair of screens. Looking down, he could see his reflection staring up at him from the finely polished steel floors.

It was different.

It wasn't what he was used to.

Luke was struggling to come to terms with his radical change of environment. Everything was moving so fast that it left him reeling in its wake.

One moment he was sleeping in his wooden bed in his wooden house in a wooden temple, and then the next he was dodging hanging wires and protruding pipes while walking through a glossy steel corridor under the bright glow of artificial light.

The land ship was the temple's total antithesis and felt closed off like a hulking steel sarcophagus. If he hadn't known better, Luke would have thought Rhodes Island was hundreds of feet underground. He was amazed by the people who lived in the landship. If they spent all their time working under the guidance of lamplight how would they know when it was night? Days and nights became meaningless under the shadow of artificial lighting.

For the first time in his life, Luke felt slightly claustrophobic. He couldn't see the Sun. He couldn't smell the fresh air and he couldn't hear the leaves rustling in the wind. He couldn't even see the ocean or the stars. I hope I don't stay here for long. He thought to himself.

Franka's cheerful voice reminded him that he was still in the company of others. "You like to wander off to your own little world, don't you?" She teased as they continued under the yellow symbol and into the next hall.

"Yeah. I guess I do. I'm still struggling to take it all in." Franka hummed as though she had expected his response. She smacked a wire dangling over her head.

"Liskarm had quite the culture shock as well. She's always serious and moody like the rest of the BPRS." Liskarm appeared to have overheard their conversation. She deliberately slowed her pace to match theirs.

"Are you talking about our time at BSW again?" she asked. She looked up at Luke with a stern expression. "Don't believe everything she says!"

"But it's true!" Franka insisted. "She followed every rule and protocol down to the letter, but things are different here at Rhodes Island." she said while tracing a hand along one of the several thin pipes running along the walk. "I have never seen her so speechless. I thought she had fainted while standing. So, if she could fit in, I'm sure you can." Likely sensing the seriousness of Franka's statement, Liskarm stayed quiet, despite the slight against herself.

Not entirely convinced, Luke gave Franka a lopsided grin. While that didn't solve his problems, it at least helped kick the can down the road. "I'll make sure not to follow any rules or regulations under any circumstances."

Liskarm crossed her arms with a huff. "You won't be thanking her for long…" she grumbled. Luke looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"Hoh" he sighed, intrigued by her vague threat. "And why is that?"

She briefly hesitated as though unsure if she wanted to continue. "Franka has a particular method when it comes to… helping operators." she alluded cryptically.

Luke shrugged off her dark undertones. As a frequent victim of Franka's misadventures, she was bound to have a bias or two. "Can't be that bad, right?" While Franka was playful and a bit silly, she was mostly harmless. She had a mature vibe around her like that of a dotting older sister—someone he could trust. Luke didn't see any indications of that changing.

Grani bobbed her head excitedly in agreement. "That sounds fun!" she cheered. "I didn't go through training when I joined, so I'm excited to finally experience it firsthand!"

Franka's eyes closed as she smiled. "You two are in good hands. But enough of that," she said, changing the topic, "we're almost there." Looking forward, Luke saw the end of the hallway up ahead. He could hear the indistinct chatter of a hundred different conversations happening all at once. The sound grew from a soft trickle to a raucous roar as they rapidly approached the busy area.

Eventually, the hallway opened up to a massive foyer filled with people of seemingly random professions. They bustled about like ants on a hill. Their movements were seemingly random, but like ants, he was sure every one of them had a purpose. When taken as a whole, each individual was a vital contribution to a larger society that, without the individual, would cease to function as a system altogether. They were like cogs in a machine. Sure, each cog could move independently, but without each other, they might as well have been dysfunctional pinwheels.

"So that's where everybody was…" Luke thought out loud. "I was wondering why the halls and cafeteria were so empty. Everyone's out shopping."

Grani flashed a peace sign. "All part of the plan!"

He chuckled. "So where to?"

"This way! Let's go!" She grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him out into the open foyer. "Run!" Luke vehemently shook his head as she dragged him along.

"No! No running!" She released him with a laugh.

Liskarm nodded approvingly. "Running indoors is very dangerous, especially somewhere this busy."

"I think the dangers we face on the field are slightly more perilous than running indoors, Liskarm." Franka said, squeezing her finger together to emphasize her statement.

"Exactly, then why take unnecessary risks?"

"Cuz all the cool kids do it?" Luke offered. He was met with a firm glare. "Just saying…" he muttered under his breath.

As they walked amongst the crowd, he felt the sense of claustrophobia swell within him. Of course, there was ample space all around him, but never in his life had he been surrounded by so many people. It was a lot to take in.

He much preferred the solitary life in the temples to the hustle and bustle of this part of Rhodes. It reminded him of a story the Old Man once told him—The Country Zalak and the City Zalak and he was very much a Country Zalak.

Grani suddenly made a sharp turn as she nimbly weaved between the crowd. Thankfully, Luke was tall enough to keep track of her, otherwise, they would have lost her amongst the sea of people.

They finally arrived at the storefront. He was rendered speechless for the umpteenth time that day. A glowing sat on top of a terrace that overlooked the entryway. The glowing sign clearly indicated who owned the place. "Closure's" it read. Unlike the walls and corridors he has seen thus far, the storefront was made entirely of seamless glass windows. Its bright clarity offered an unfettered view of the store's interior. To call it big would be a severe understatement.

"Holy shit…"

"Language!" Grani chided.

"Sorry." Luke stared at the bustling business in awe. He had assumed Grani was joking when she called it a department store, but the multi-floored shop was jammed packed with trinkets of all dimensions: clothes, games, electronics, and tools. It seemed as though it really had everything.

Grani nudged him on the shoulder. "Don't just stand there with your mouth open. You're going to swallow a fly! Come on!" She said as she pushed him past the door.

"Wait, you don't have to push me." Grani refused to listen and continued to steer him through the store. Luke looked helplessly over his shoulder, silently begging his new friends to intervene. Liskarm and Franka shook their heads with a laugh. He groaned, resigning himself to Grani's whims. Luke silently hoped that this wouldn't become a common occurrence.

The two emerged from the store carrying a plastic bag each. Grani had taken the opportunity to purchase snacks for herself while Luke set up delivery times for his furniture. He had to hand it to her, she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry that?" he asked, eyeing the bulging bag in her arms. It almost obscured the entirety of her upper body, leaving only her neck and head exposed.

Grani's ponytail swayed with her head. "Nope! I got it!"

"Well, what took you so long?" Luke looked up. Franka was sitting next to Liskarm on a nearby bench, waving a plastic bag. They stood as he and Grani approached. "We were starting to get bored!"

"Were you really?" Luke asked, feeling a tad bit guilty. Liskarm roughly elbowed her partner in between her ribs as though scolding her.

"No. We finished around the same time as you did, but Franka insisted on 'being first' as she said." Franka stuck out her tongue.

"You're no fun."

"You're simply far too childish."

Franka snorted. "Enough of that." She walked up to Luke and forced the plastic bag into his free hand. "Tadah!" she cheered.

Luke stared at the tied bag in his hand with confusion. "Uh…" he droned out, bouncing the bag slightly as though testing the weight. "Yeah, I can carry it for you."

Franka's rolling eyes forced him to reconsider. "No, silly. It's for you. Open it!"

"Oh." He untied the bag's flimsy ears and pulled out a thick, protective jacket similar to the one Amiya had been wearing.

"Think of it as a welcome gift from the both of us." Franka said, wrapping an arm around Liskarm's shoulder who blushed lightly. She coughed awkwardly.

"I may have jumped to conclusions earlier. My apologies, Franka."

"I'm used to it."

Luke unfolded the jacket with a shake. Surprisingly, it appeared as though it would fit. "How did you know my size?"

Franka laughed. "I didn't." she admitted with a wink. "It was the largest size available, so I figured, if this doesn't fit you then nothing will!"

Luke flipped the jacket over. The back side featured a familiar rook and triangle with the words "RHODES ISLAND" written in bold, white lettering. From the feel and look of the print, he knew her present couldn't have been cheap. "Wow god, I—I don't know what to say… thank you."

"There's more," Liskarm muttered. He couldn't help but feel slightly giddy at the prospect of a second gift. Luke draped his new jacket over his shoulder and reached into the bag. True to her words, a folded black shirt sat at the bottom. Its black and yellow design was simple but entertaining. The shirt's print screamed "Stop OVERTIME Work" in black and yellow with a similarly colored x expunging the word "Overtime". He chuckled

"It's perfect. Thank you Franka, thank you Liskarm. This really means a lot to me." Luke carefully folded the clothing back into the bag.

"Don't mention it!"

Luke staggered slightly as Grani bumped him with her hips. "Yes, Grani?"

"And my gift to you is a party!" She said, beaming over the large bag.

He smirked. "I thought all that food was for you?" Grani looked appalled.

"What? No! Not even I could eat that much!"

"Whatever you say, Grandma."

"Grandma? Where'd you get that from?"

Exchanging looks, Franka and Luke grinned. She placed a palm against her cheek, feigning horror. "Oh my, we can't let Granny walk by herself in the crowd, she could fall." Grani's eyes narrowed.

"It's Grani, not Granny!" She pouted.

Luke allowed the plastic bags to slip around his elbows. He cupped his left hand around his mouth. "Excuse me!" he shouted, waving his right arm like a crossing guard. "Make way, the elderly are coming through."

"Do I look that old already?" Grani stomped her feet. "Geez! If someone calls me Grandma one more time, I'm going to cry—for real!"

Luke cupped his chin in mock thought. He looked askance at her. "You know, Granny and Grandma mean the same thing? Are you stupid?"

"You're stupid!" There was a brief moment of silence before the trio laughed. Liskarm shook her head. A chuckle slipped past her lips.

"What am I getting myself into?"