The hyperloop tram system.
In a continent where most of advanced society lay underground, an intricate subway system was constructed to reach every nook and cranny. The continent was large, and this tram system was extensive.
Along this subway system travelled a multitude of vehicles known as "pods". Just like vehicles over land, these pods came in various sizes.
The one Jisha was riding was her personal one; it was a small cabin that could hold only 4 people at maximum. A tall person could sit on one side and rest their legs on the seats across from them.
The pod accelerated until it broke the sound barrier. Well - there was no sound barrier as the tunnel system was a vacuum. But even traveling over the speed of sound, Jisha's pod would take around 5 minutes to reach the main hall.
*Father, Mother, Nina... I wonder how everything's going?*
She twiddled her fingers anxiously at the thought of seeing her family again in this life. She wanted to see their peaceful faces... and wanted to tell them she loved them.
She didn't want to miss her opportunity to express this feeling before it was too late.
These 5 minutes felt much longer.
Jisha unveiled a glass window to look outside, but there wasn't anything special. The only thing she could see was a silver blur as the tunnel passed by at a breakneck speed.
After waiting a bit, the pod finally began to decelerate.
And with another small hiss, the pod door slid open to reveal a small room. Well, it was small by Northeastern royalty standards.
This was the morning assembly room, and it was a little over twenty metron across and ten metron wide. On one wall were five seats that resembled thrones, and a short distance across from them was something akin to a film set.
Every day at 08:00 sharp would be a live broadcast of this room. It was the Emperor and the royal family's duty to address the citizens every morning.
Right now, four of these five seats were already occupied.
*... They're here. They're alive...*
A strange bliss welled in Jisha's heart when she saw all of her immediate family members in one place.
In the center of the five seats was her father, Emperor Slyker.
At a towering 2 metron and over 150 kilos, this man was one of the most physically adept in the nation. Even in an age where much of warfare was conducted by machinery, he maintained his shape to be a role model to his people. It was a tradition that was upheld by this nation and many others around it - a strong man was a capable leader.
He was wearing colorful traditional clothes. The top was tie-dyed in bright reds and oranges. His arms were covered by extremely loose long sleeves, and the upper part of his chest was exposed. This top was akin to a robe; it reached down below his knees. His pants were clad in more mellow colors, but the tie-dye style complimented the top.
And his footwear was simply sandals...
Father's neatly trimmed facial hair, neatly tied long hair, and sharp eyes contrasted with these casual-looking sandals.
Though to Jisha this contrast of formal and casual looked a bit silly, it was likely appropriate as there were others in the room akin to a film crew to make sure all aspects of the broadcast went well.
*Looks like Eia knew what she was talking about after all.*
To his left was her mother, Empress Slyker.
Her 1.75 metron frame was clad in a qipao that was also covered in borderline fluorescent colors. This qipao emphasized the outline of her abs. Apparently, both of her parents decided to wear clothes that showed off their physical training.
Her husband had long hair, but hers was even longer. It was tied with a multitude of bright ornaments that Jisha couldn't even remember the names of. But she spotted several red and orange jewels that were extremely valuable.
Her makeup was similar to what Jisha was wearing; extremely multicolored eyeliner that extended far beyond the eyelids. However, her lashes were even more ridiculous than Jisha's. They were several centimetron in length and were as blue and white as a raging river.
Actually, since nanotech accessories were in style, these lashes were indeed changing colors rapidly. It was like a raging river was actually flowing through her lashes.
*Can she even see straight with those things on?*
And she was also wearing casual sandals.
To her left was the six-year-old Nina. Her dual buns and bright red blush made her as cute as a button. Jisha wanted to dash over to her and give her a hug immediately.
But...
"Elder sister is late again. How can she set a good example for the people like this? Elder sister, when will you fix this bad habit?"
The warmth of this familial love immediately extinguished when she recognized where this voice was coming from. Though it was a bit higher-pitched than when she'd last heard it, his mannerisms were identical.
To the right of her father was... Niyo Slyker. He was the middle child and the crown prince of the nation.
*I totally forgot about him.*
As he was the only son of the family, he was next in line to inherit the throne. This had given him some confidence to bully his pushover of an older sister, apparently.
The reason Jisha forgot about him was because he'd died early in the war. She felt bitter when she recalled this. As the first death she'd ever witnessed, Niyo's passing had made her realize that war was a tangible thing and not some distant concept.
*He was obnoxious, but he didn't deserve to die...*
Unless Niyo turned into a treasonous bastard, Jisha vowed to look out for his wellbeing in this lifetime as well.
But thanks to him, she remembered a bit more of her past personality. Jisha was indeed notorious for her poor punctuality. There were only a couple of minutes before the broadcast began, yet she'd only just shown up.
This wasn't ideal as several more minutes had to be used for the "film crew" to make sure everyone was looking their best for the camera.
"Um... Big Sister, did you forget your sandals again?"
"!!!"
And she'd already made another mistake.
*Eia, why didn't you remind me of this??*
Yes, Jisha had walked barefoot into this room. She wanted to give the maid robot a slap, but Nina's big eyes that held genuine concern melted her heart immediately.
"Uh..."
"See, Father? Elder Sister isn't even fit to be a princess of this glorious nation."
*Niyo, shut up...*
Father and Mother simultaneously sighed.
Without saying a word, Father signaled to a nearby staffer. This staffer immediately understood what the problem was and brought out a pair of spare sandals.
Jisha's eyebrows twitched when she witnessed this. Was her forgetfulness really this bad?
She sheepishly put on the sandals and sat down in the only vacant seat... which was right beside Niyo.
Mother took a quick look at Jisha's dress and makeup and raised an eyebrow.
"Jisha, did you listen to Eia today?"
Was this a trick question?
"Um. Yes, Mother."
With this response, even Father turned to look at Jisha strangely.
*... Am I in trouble?*
"Is our daughter finally growing up??"
"I don't know... Let's see what she does tomorrow..."
*...*
Her parents were discussing the state of their daughter's... maturity? Mental state? ... something, right in front of her.
As much as she wanted to object, she could tell that her parents actually approved of her fashion choices today.
*Eh, all's well that ends well.*
It wasn't the most flattering stamp of approval, but approval was approval.
"I can't believe Father and Mother praise you for listening to a robot," Niyo suddenly hissed in her ear.
"..."
Jisha turned to look at her parents, but they were oblivious to Niyo's behavior.
She looked back at Niyo.
Under his attempt of a dignified expression was a layer of anger and jealousy.
Jisha repressed a sigh.
*He's always been like this, huh?*
"Look, Mother is praising you just for having thoughts in your head. How stupid is that?" he continued.
He whispered a couple more things regarding his jealousy, but Jisha tuned him out.
In all honesty, Niyo's jealousy was a bit justified. From a young age, he showed promise in almost all aspects of life. Because of this, the praise he received reduced further and further the more he accomplished.
Success was simply the expected outcome.
However, Jisha was... well, she wasn't stupid, but she didn't pay attention to things properly. So, her parents would be surprised when she actually behaved socially adept.
Niyo continued to babble, and Jisha just stared at him blankly. She would have been annoyed by this in the past, but after living for a long time, it was difficult to care about something so trivial.
Simply by staring at him, Niyo's rant fizzled out. He opened his mouth to find more words, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Be quiet, the broadcast is starting soon," Jisha whispered back.
She hadn't meant anything by it, but Niyo's face began turning red. She ignored him and turned to face the cameras.
She had so much she wanted to say to her family, but in a few moments, the entire country's eyes would be upon them.
It would have to wait until afterwards.
Comments
Post a Comment