The City: PuzzleLocked Book 1

A moment later it faded back in. Alistair lay in what looked like a hospital bed overlooking a courtyard. Alastair looked over as the door opened. Reinard walked in with a vase of flowers. He placed them on the bedside table.

Reinard: “How’s my favorite patient doing? Looking good from this side. Look, I know you just woke up, and I brought you flowers, but I’ve come to tell you that your launch to Luna is ready and you really need to hurry. Do you want me to lead the way, or are you silly enough to try to find it yourself? I’ll warn you, if you get lost, Solar Cell won’t pay for another launch. So, care to follow?”

“Yes, I’ll follow.”

Reinard: “Take a moment to get dressed. Oops, it looks like I failed to properly size your personals. Haha, it’s fine! Don’t get so worked up. There isn’t sex in space.”

Alastair sees clothes on a chair next to the bed. It’s a gray jumpsuit with a Solar Cell logo on one side and Holst’s Solar Explorer logo underneath. A circular badge with a drill in the middle rides on the other side.

Flor assumed that was Alastair’s indication of his career path.

Alastair put on the clothes and said, “Can I take the flowers?” Reinard nodded yes, so Alastair did. “Let’s go.”

Reinard walked into a hallway. The hallway zoomed from Alastair’s first person perspective to an overview of the title image. Flor saw Alastair and Reinard walking through the final ‘r’ of ‘Explorer.’ The image zoomed in and showed Reinard scanning his badge. Reinard walked through a turnstile. The scanner scanned Alastair, unlocked, and allowed him to walk through.

Reinard: “This is where I leave you, Alastair Nova. Go forth and do great things for the Roman Empire.” Without further ceremony, Reinard turned and walked out of the same turnstile.

A big sign blinked: “Launch This Way.” Alastair followed the sign into a tunnel that crossed a caged gangway and found himself in a circular compartment. All chairs faced the center. Alastair took the only empty seat and looked at those around him. It’s a hodgepodge. Alastair closed his eyes and waited.

A few minutes later, a voice came over the intercom. “Put on your helmets, ensure they are locked. We depart in a couple of minutes. Since this is likely your first trip to space, we’ll cut the crap and quick travel. It’ll feel like you’ve woken from a restful nap and you’ll be on Luna.”

Alastair complied and the screen went blank.

A moment later, the color came back to the screen. Alastair saw the door he entered open again with another blinking sign: “Welcome to Luna.” Alastair opened his settings and pushed the pause button.

He stretched. “That was the most intensive character selection process I’ve been through. Most of them just have little models to select characteristics from.”

Flor said, “Yeah, that doctor is a prick, too. But it was a bit fun to watch.”

“You think you’ll want to play?”

“I’m not convinced yet.”

“Well, let me log out and then we can go grab dinner. I’m famished.”