When the group finally got off the train, they walked through the streets of the city. On foot, everything seemed bigger, brighter, and more interesting. Passersby were dressed in the most extravagant ways, often with limbs or organs replaced by a more technological, improved artificial version of them.
"Wow! That's so cool!" Jake and his friends were clearly excited at the sight, looking around with an expression of wonder and curiosity. Even Ted began to show some amazement by that sight. He had never seen this part of the city before and had not even stopped to enjoy it in the past few days. Now that he noticed the mysterious beauty of this man-made, borderline real place, he felt genuinely fascinated by its dark, cyberpunk charm.
"Indeed! I would stay for hours just looking at them! They are beautiful!" King said with his nose in the air. The kid was particularly impressed by the eye-catching billboards and their thousands of lights, which could even create optical illusions and holograms in the sky to give the impression that the advertised products had a consciousness of their own.
"I'm sure the advertisers would love that." Bruno commented with a smile. "We don't pay attention to them anymore, but I can understand that for people from another century it might be strange to see them. And now, excuse me, but I have to put on my headphones. The city is too noisy for me. If you need to talk to me please touch my shoulder." he said before putting on his headphones.
"Wow! Jake, Look at that guy! He has bionic eyes!" exclaimed Fresh enthusiastically, pointing as discreetly as possible at a passerby.
"Omg, yes! And look at that other guy! Is he even real? Or is he a hologram?" Jake fixed his gaze on a bizarre creature with a mechanical body and a bowl-shaped head in which a fish swam peacefully.
"It is not a hologram. It's a bot controlled by the fish. Fish are much smarter than humans ever thought, so after the oceans became too toxic to live in, they created those Tankbots that gave them the ability to move and communicate like humans." Frank replied. "Too bad they gave them the same human flaws. Now the fish have taken over finance and are always very stressed and mostly focused on money."
"But really? Oh, my God. How weird!" Tricky put her hand over her mouth and laughed heartily.
"I never imagined a future where fish controlled Wall Street, I'll be honest. So many things are impossible to predict, I guess." Ted said, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, the fish in question flailed around to attract the attention of a taxi, which landed next to him shortly thereafter. The movement of its metal arms made a strange noise, like pots and pans being banged together.
"Hmm, the weather's getting bad." Bruno commented worriedly, looking up at the sky.
Fresh looked up, too. He scanned the melancholy gray-white sky that covered the city like a heavy winter blanket. It was already drizzling, but it did not seem to him that the rain was intensifying.
"Why do you say it's getting worse? It looks the same to me."
Suddenly there was a black flash in the sky that dimmed the daylight for a few seconds, plunging everyone into total darkness, followed by a loud, high-pitched screeching noise. Natural daylight returned as quickly as it had disappeared.The bizarre phenomenon shocked the kids.
"Oh fuck! What was that? A bomb?" exclaimed Jake, shaking, as they were plunged back into deep darkness for a few seconds.
"Why did it stop raining?" Yutani asked curiously, fascinated by the strange phenomenon.
"Guys, get inside. Quickly. Hold your breath as long as you can." Rain told them, suddenly serious, as he pointed to a large building decorated with many particularly tacky neon lights.
"Good thing we got here in time," Lucy signed, looking startled.
The boys exchanged confused looks, but obeyed Rain's request.
Once inside, not far from the entrance, they stopped at some coral-colored couches, complete with decorative plastic plants to keep them company. A few steps away were strange elevator-like platforms. Other people who entered after them quietly made their way to these platforms, which transported them to other areas higher up in the building.
"What was that? What happened? Where are we?" King asked anxiously, squeezing his own hand and glancing at the floating platforms filled with customers whizzing above their heads. There was a strange smell of feet and detergent in the air.
"The climate has changed so much over time that it has created weather phenomena that did not exist in your era." Frank said in a calm tone. "What has happened is sort of the opposite of your lightning storms. Instead of producing lightning and the rumble of thunder, it produces these flashes of darkness and that high-pitched sound you heard earlier. No one yet knows why it happens." he shrugged. "I have to admit, though, that I was quite surprised to see your thunderstorms. Being used to ours, I must say that yours were rather strange spectacles."
"What, that's absurd!" Ted shook his head with a worried look on his face. "But why did we run in here?"
Bruno had taken off his noise-canceling headphones. "HO," he said, as if that simple formula could explain everything.
"Huh?!"
"Hydroperoxyl radical, also known as hydrogen peroxide." Bruno insisted.
"Sorry Bruno, I don't understand you."
"This chemical is involved in reaction cycles that destroy stratospheric ozone. It acts as a "purifier" of the atmosphere by breaking down certain organic pollutants. When these phenomena occur, it also causes an exponential increase of this gas in the atmosphere, probably as a kind of compensatory mechanism against the massive pollution of the air." Bruno smiled, amused at the bewildered expressions of the new group members. "Don't worry, the buildings are specially designed to filter out this gas. We're safe here."
"But if it cleans the atmosphere, shouldn't it be a beneficial gas for us?" Tricky asked in an uncertain voice. "I hope it's not a stupid question, but I've never been very good at chemistry."
"It's not a stupid question," Rain replied nicely, sitting on a small sofa for a moment. "The problem with this gas is that when there is too much of it, it creates something called 'lipid peroxidation'. Long story short, this gas 'steals' electrons from the lipids in the cell membranes, causing cell damage. So it becomes toxic."
"So does that mean that we can't go out anymore?" frowned Yutani.
"Don't worry, the storm will pass soon and we can get out. It will dissipate quickly. For now, let's enjoy our trip to the mall." Rain replied cheerfully, getting up and walking to a platform, followed by Frank and Lucy. After a few moments of uncertainty, the newcomers joined them too.
"All right, platform! Take us to the Electronics and Technology Store!" exclaimed Rain enthusiastically, theatrically raising one hand to the sky like a singer at the end of a concert.
[Electronics and Technology. Fifth Floor.] The platform obeyed, deciphering the orders it received in an electronic voice and rising into the air to reach its destination.
As they floated through the mall, they could see some artificial "islands" attached to the walls, with only doors visible. They could only tell the theme of each store by the garish neon decorations on the walls next to the shops.
In front of the grocery store, for example, was an image of a chicken laying eggs to rhythmic music playing in the background.
"These lights are beautiful! But how come there are no window displays? And how come you have to take these platforms to go shopping?" Jake leaned slightly off the platform to get a better look at the stores that were slowly moving away from them. This time Lucy answered him, scribbling a short but explanatory answer on her notepad.
{It's cheaper. If you stack a few doors on top of each other in a cylindrical building, you can stack three times as many. }
"That makes sense." Jake nodded.
Tricky turned to Rain with a mischievous smile on her face. "Hey. I got an idea. I know Miss Maia told us not to separate, but... I'm very curious about people's style choices in the future. How about we split into two groups, those who want to go to the electronics store and those who want to go to a clothing store?"
"That works for me. What do you think, Frank?"
"As long as we stay in contact, I don't think there should be any problems. But I would still suggest taking an adult with you."
At that statement, Rain's eyes widened and she began to laugh in disbelief, "HUH? Frank, I'm not a child!"
"Yes, you are. You're 17."
"Still! I think I'm capable of going shopping without a male chaperone! Then you talk like you're a hundred years old, you're only six years older than me!"
"What, Frank's 23?" Jake arched an eyebrow. "I thought he was a lot older."
"It doesn't surprise me, Jake. Frank is old inside. Always super serious and boring." Rain gave him a playful grimace to provoke him. "Graaaandpa viiiibes."
Ignoring his teammate's childish taunts, Frank unflinchingly went on to express his opinion. "I'm saying this as a matter of safety. Are you able to physically defend yourself against an attacker?"
"I have my pepper spray with me! Plus, look who's talking, I remind you that the only one who's been beaten up here is you! You don't look like a self-defense master to me!"
"True, but it is also true that I was taken by surprise. Normally it wouldn't have ended that way."
Ted focused his gaze on an undefined point, embarrassed by the memory of himself attacking Frank. To bring this uncomfortable conversation to a quick end, he chimed in. "If you and Tricky would like, I could go with you - at least if anyone bothers you, I can help you."
"Ted, only come if you want to! Don't come just to protect us, we can defend ourselves." Rain winked at him playfully. "But if you want to come, we'll help you choose a style you like."
"Yeah, come on! I think it's fun!" Tricky nodded giggling.
"All right." Ted nodded with a sigh. "I barely know how to turn on the computer anyway. I wouldn't have much fun in the other shop."
"Can I join in?" asked King in a tone so low they could barely hear him. His cheeks were red with embarrassment as he tried to hide his discomfort behind a nervous laugh. "I don't know much about technology either."
"Come on, King! Shopping is for girls!" Jake teased, but stopped as soon as he saw Rain glaring at him."Oh...well, have fun then?" Jake changed his answer, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. It was clear that childish insults were not welcome in this new group of friends. "Actually, I think I'll join you. Maybe I'll find some cool outfits."
Tricky smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Welcome to the fashion club, Jake!"
Lucy smiled and handed a card to Tricky, who read it immediately.
{I hope you don't mind if I don't participate. I really don't care about the clothes, while maybe I can find some equipment at the store to create new codes to use}.
Tricky smiled at her and shook his head. "No problem. See you later, take it easy."
"I think I'll stick go to the electronics store. Maybe I can find something like Boomy." Fresh said with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"Okay. Then as soon as we get off, take the platform back to where you want to go. Contact me as soon as you're done, okay?" reminded Frank, just before the platform landed in front of a shop with a sign depicting a robot.
"Yes, Dad," Rain replied in a sarcastic tone, rolling their eyes. Tricky backed them up, chuckling softly.
Shortly thereafter, Rain, accompanied by Tricky, Jake, Ted and King, climbed up the platform to glide gently to a lower level. The rest of the group went into the electronics store.
Yutani could hardly believe her eyes. From the outside, that place seemed tiny, but it was actually a huge, showroom-like space filled with tools, computers, cables, robots, and electronic devices. It was a feast for the eyes and for her scientific soul. She began to walk through the departments with eyes full of wonder.
The others were having as much fun as her. Fresh rushed into a department full of bots, drawn to a particularly flashy and interesting robot. Though it was clearly made of cheap materials, it was covered in a golden layer that reflected the cold light from the store's bulbs, casting a clear glow on the ceiling.
Most importantly, it seemed to have a boombox for a head! A literal dream!
"What is this wonderful creature?" Fresh asked loudly, slowly stroking the cold metal of the bot. He kept his gaze fixed on the head, looking rapt.
"This? is an old bot that we cannot sell. We'll give it to you for free if you buy something in the shop." An overly hairy guy with a canine snout that vaguely resembled a werewolf answered him. He wore a sweatshirt with the store's logo and a crooked sign with the name "Mike" on it, and glanced frequently at a clock hanging on the wall, clearly eager to finish his shift.
"What's the cheapest thing here?"
"That package of bolts by the register."
"I'll take it! Whohooo!"
"Good. Congratulations, Boombot is now officially yours. Yay." the clerk replied with a tired and vaguely irritated air.
Meanwhile, Frank was looking at memory cards for computers in a department not far from Fresh.
But he was not alone.
"You know Rose, I've always wondered why killers don't use knives made of ice. As in, once used, they melt away, literally destroying all evidence of the crime?" Hearing that voice from behind him, Frank immediately stiffened, but still kept his composure.
"It's Rosa. Not Rose. And I don't know, Andy. I suppose ice knives would melt on the trip from freezer to victim, right? Aren't they a little slippery, too?" a convincing but bored voice answered his bizarre question.
"Maybe. But I still think it's a brilliant idea."
"Can you please hurry up? This place is so boring."
"Just a second, I just have to get ... hey, wait a minute."
Frank heard footsteps behind him, but he stubbornly ignored them, pretending to be interested in the card he was holding. Soon after, he heard someone tap him on the shoulder, so he turned quietly behind him.
"Hello, have we met before?" Andy asked him curiously. Rosa stared at him in turn, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity.
"Scusi? Non ho capito, ha bisogno di qualcosa?" Frank replied slowly, trying to disguise his voice by speaking in a foreign language as much as possible.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Andy insisted before looking at Rosa. "Can you ask him his name?"
"What do you think I am, a translator? It's not like I speak Italian. I speak Spanish, they are two different languages, you know?"
Andy huffed and tried again. "English. Do you speak it?"
Frank tilted his head slightly to the side, feigning confusion. "Non parlo inglese, mi dispiace." he insisted. He mentally thanked Bruno for his skill in designing a mask that hid even the elongated shape of his face so well.
"Hmm." Andy narrowed his eyes and watched him for a few more seconds before shrugging. "Sorry. Wrong person. Let's go, Rose." he said before walking into a nearby alley.
"My name is Rosa, not Rose! How many times do I have to tell you?" Rosa gave him an embarrassed, apologetic look and rolled her eyes before following Andy.
Left alone, Frank breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders. For the first time in a long time, he felt his heart beating faster than usual. He slowly placed a hand on his chest and silently studied this unusual sensation.
Meanwhile, Yutani was at the checkout counter with two things between her arms: pieces of metal useful for building a small yellow quadruped robot and a remote-controlled model of a small green alien spaceship.
"I see you have some stuff in there. What are you doing with those toys?" Bruno asked her with a smile, as he also kept some useful parts in a bag to build a small robot.
"I like it, so I decided to keep it. You, on the other hand, what cheap materials did you get?" Yutani said defiantly, handing the money to Mike on the other side of the cash register.
"Cheap materials? If anything, yours are cheap! You'll see, as soon as it's ready, you'll regret what you just said!"
"Here's your change." Mike said listlessly, holding out his hand to Yutani, who was not looking at him at that moment.
"We'll see! Then it will mean that we will let our robots challenge each other to a duel to the death, to see who is programmed better!"
"Miss..."
"I'm in! You'll see! You'll be crying because you gave me this challenge!"
"The change!" Mike shouted impatiently, finally attracting the attention of Yutani, who smiled at him sheepishly. "Ah, yes. Right, thank you."
The last to leave the shop was Lucy, accompanied by a telegraph. She held the now centuries-old relic in her arms with a satisfied air and slightly glassy eyes, as if she had just won an important prize. She was already imagining all the codes she could create by exploiting the Morse language, now out of use for centuries and surely little known even to their enemies.
"I think we'd better join the others right outside the clothing store." Frank said, keeping an eye on the store's exit. He could not be completely comfortable knowing that Andy was still inside; he could have easily recognized one of the kids.
"Yes! I can't wait to show Jake what I bought!" Yutani exclaimed enthusiastically, making a small jump to get on the platform, soon followed by the others.
The platform left silently, gliding downward. Frank kept an eye on the metal island they had started from until it disappeared behind other platforms.