Into the future - Anna's adventure (for Renton)

[justmedk]

Anna stared incredulously at the pizza box that clearly said "Tony's Pizza, 54 Rimpenhof St, Boston, MA, USA". She had halfway suspected that the AI and Angel had been playing a prank on her when they talked about intercontinental takeout-delivery. But unless someone had gone through a lot more trouble than it was reasonable to assume, this was no prank. Someone in Boston, USA, had actually made these pizzas, and then ordered a drone to deliver. This was....mind-boggling enough for Rachel to not know what to do with herself for a few moments, not hearing the remark about drinks until Percy repeated it, and she "snapped back" to reality.

"Oh...uhm...a diet coke please?" she asked, and when she'd sat down and taken a sip of her drink she smiled. "Well, at least something's the same", she grinned.

She took a bite of her pizza while Angel asked her question about Tivoli, and Anna smiled after she'd swallowed

"Well, I mean....are there still like....rides and stuff?", she said. "Have they changed everything or kept some things? What kind of rides? That kinda thing", she said, and then, as she got exited about the myriad of possibilities that began to arise in her mind, she started talking faster.

"But I also wanna see other stuff that I couldn't before!", she began, "Like the Pyramids, the Great Wall, like India, like Mexico....there's just so much", she said, and now smiled genuinely for one of the first times since she'd arrived here. She still missed home, and did want to go home, but as long as she was here she was intent on taking full advantage of it.

"I wanna see Niagara Falls, and that giant red mountain in Australia, and that giant temple in...like...Thailand or whereever", she continued, exitedly. Anna had always been a bit of a geek, especially with geography and history. And now the world was quite literally small enough for intercontinental pizza deliveries. This was an opportunity she wasn't going to pass up.

[Renton]

"You'll be pleased to know that there is still plenty of Coke, diet and otherwise, in our world," Percy said as he got to making Anna's drink. In this case, his AI was simply combining the syrup and the soda water and the "Edward Cullen" part of Percy was still just standing in the living room, talking. That Percy wasn't just the hologram/robot who followed them around the room, but an AI that permeated the whole house was something Angel thought Anna might have to get used to as well.

"I haven't been there, but I've heard good things," Angel said, taking a bite of the still a bit-too-hot pizza. She quickly took a sip of her drink to cool it down. "As for the landmarks, Percy can find us the best times to go. Obviously, the lines to see the Great Wall are quite long, so they have a daily quota of visitors to make sure it doesn't wear down. But then, most visitors don't have a government ID," Angel added with a wink. She hadn't yet used her position as a high-ranking federal employee to access otherwise hard to get to places just for fun, but she had an opportunity now.

"I think you mean Angkor Wat in Cambodia... I've been there," Angel said. "It's amazing. And if you'd like I'll take you... tomorrow might be too soon, but this weekend for certain."

Then Angel had a realization: Anna was born a full century before there were permanent settlements on the moon.

"When dinner is over, I have something very cool to show you," she said.

Once supper was over and there was adequate darkness, Angel led Anna to deck she'd built. "Don't be scared, but we're about to move." She pushed a button next to the telescope and the deck began to rise, all the way up to the level of the roof, where they now had a clear view of a nearly full moon. She peered into the telescope and aligned it with the moon, and through it she could see the surface of the moon, all cratered and ridged, and on it were the visible outlines of the colony that resided there.

"Look through there," Angel said, letting Anna have the telescope.

[justmedk]

Anna's eyes lit up when she heard Angel mention something cool she wanted her to see. There had been so much so far, so if Angel said it was cool, it would have to be massive. She thought about it all the way through dinner, even as she enjoyed the pizza which was indeed one of the best pizzas she'd ever tasted.

But when dinner was over, Anna exitedly followed Angel's lead, and when she suddenly found herself on the roof of the house, Anna gasped a little, and shuttered in the cold late-spring air of the Danish night. But she went over to the telescope and looked where Angel had said, expecting to see a bright star, or a space station, or something.

What she actually saw was breathtaking in a way she hadn't thought possible.
As the telescope was zoomed to the max, Anna's jaw dropped as she saw outlines of what was undoubtedly a city, with wide avenues and a dome.
She looked up at Angel

"Are...are you telling me....that....that there are humans....living...on....on the moon?" she asked incredulously. "THat....thats.....that's...wow...I mean...how many? What are they doing there? Mining? Can we go see it? Please?", she continued. If she had been exited before, this was another level. She had always loved science-fiction, and now she was facing the real thing. People....on the moon....

"When did...I mean....when did that happen? Did....", she began and then her eyes widened. She hadn't even thought the thought before, but hey....lots of other insane things had happened.

"Did....did aliens help us with it?", she almost whispered.

[Renton]

"Mining is the primary industry on the moon, yes," Angel said matter of factly. "But there is a massive research facility there as well. The Mars colony is even bigger, but it's much more spread out. The moonbase feels like a real city, you know? Mars feels like a research base. Not to mention, there's much more tourism on the moon."

Angel smiled at Anna's question about aliens. "Alas, we haven't made first contact yet. But we're actively trying. It's nearly a mathematical certainty that there is intelligent life in the universe. It's just that the universe is so vast. Even still, with all the advancements we've made.

"If you'd like to visit the moon, I can take you. I've been there. I actually wrote my doctorate thesis on the effects of repeated travel from earth to the moon through the hyperloop. It was... long and complicated. But in short, they made some changes to their system based on my work, and rewarded me with lifetime access to the moon colony. I can go whenever I please, without worrying about the queues to get in. And, well, I can bring guests. That can be you if you'd like."

[justmedk]

Anna didn't really pay attention to any of Angel's explanations about the lack of alien contact, and the size of the moonbase. All she heard was "mars colony", and stared wide-eyed at the area of the sky where she had an idea that Mars could usually be found.
The thought of humans living not just on the moon but on Mars as well, was....strange but exhilarating.

She looked at Angel eagerly. "I....I've always wanted to go to space!", she said. "I mean....I....", she continued, her exitement dying down a bit when she thought of her parents. "E...ever since I watched Star Trek with my dad when I was little", she said, "I've wanted to...you know...go to space. And....I mean...the moon...And MARS", she said. "I... I just....", she tried, seeming overwhelmed by this vast amount of new information she was being asked to assimilate.

"I think that....", she began "that...I don't.....I don't know what to say", she finally finished, awe and wonder and curiosity in her voice and in her facial expression. For the first time since she arrived, the child in her truly came out - and found that there is a whole new world to explore almost all over again.

[Renton]

Angel didn't want to overwhelm Anna with information, but she couldn't help but be delighted at how utterly awestruck the girl was at this news. "You don't have to say anything. I'll get to work first thing in the morning making sure you have clearance, all right?"

She adjusted the telescope so that it was facing right above them now. "Now, have you ever wanted to see Jupiter's red spot?"

They spent a good amount of time stargazing before angel realized it was quite late. She pressed the same button as before and moved the platform back to where it was, and they went back inside the house.

"Well, I'm exhausted. But I've had quite a lot of fun today, Anna. I know it's a distraction, given what you've been through today, but I hope I'm making a good impression of my era for you." She gave Anna a hug and went to her bedroom. Angel's room had its own bathroom, and she showered before changing into her pajamas. She went into Anna's room one last time to check on her and say goodnight, before finally going to her own room, climbing into bed, and falling immediately to sleep.

[justmedk]

Anna was completely overwhelmed, and by the time they came back down from the roof to prepare for bed, Anna was completely exhausted with all the new impressions and information she'd gotten today. Today had been an exhausting day, mentally speaking, and she was unbelievably tired.

"It.....it could be worse", Anna smiled shyly and suddenly, out of nowhere, hugged Angel before realizing she'd done it, then blushed crimson and went to her room to change into her own PJs and go to sleep.
She lay down on the bed and tried to think about the day's ervents, but was quickly overcome by fatigue, and drifted into the dreamlands before she could think about anything else.

___________________________________

And once she was there, she dreamt that she was back in her own time. She could see and hear everything that was going on, but no one could see her. And that, for a change, was actually a good thing.
She was in her apartment, and saw her parents sitting by the table talking about their work. She understood enough to know that her dad was talking about the upcoming budget bill and her mom about some case or other. But soon their conversation changed to the subject of her:

"Do you have any idea where she is?", dad said, looking calmly at mom, who shook her head almost nonchalantly

"Nah...probably staying with a friend or something."

Both of them shrugged.

"Well, that's actually good", mom said. "Now we can focus on our work"

Dad nodded, and neither of them saw or heard Anna starting to cry in despair as she realized that her parents cared so little about her that they didn't give her disapperance a second thought.

And then it was as if they COULD see her, as both of them looked at her and said

"If only we hadn't had her in the first place. Everything would have been easier".

________________________________

Anna sat up in her bed and screamed in terror, then collapsed back down on her bed crying desperately as she woke up from what had at the same time been one of the worst nightmares of her life and one of the most realistic. She had felt as if she had actually been there, hearing her parents tell her they wished she hadn't been born. She curled up into a fetal position, away from the door, and cried pitifully.

[Renton]

Angel was up before dawn, as she usually was, and was working out in her exercise room. It wasn't a typical home gym; the whole floor was a dynamic treadmill and the room had full VR and climate control, letting Angel run in any setting she wanted. She preferred running in the real outdoors but she wasn't going to leave the house with Anna still asleep.

As she finished her usual 5-mile morning run, she sat down to stretch and wind down to music when Percy began talking to her through the room's speakers. "Miss Ocampo, Anna is crying in her room."

"Oh god, I... I'll be right there!" Angel said, quickly toweling off and changing her shirt as fast as she could and running to Anna's room. She knocked on the door. "Anna... I... I'm here if you need to talk..." Angel said. She almost said "are you alright?" but given the intensity of the girl's sobs, she clearly wasn't.

Angel then peeked into the room. "What's wrong sweetie?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

[justmedk]

Anna had tried to get herself under control, but had failed by the time Angel opened her door. She tried to tell herself that it had only been a dream, and she knew, on an intellectual level, that his was so. But knowing something on an intellectual level, and FEELING it, are two very different things. Especially to a teenage girl who had just gotten her entire life turned upside down in a way no one else ever had.

She tried to answer Angel's question, but failed to utter anything but yet another heartbroken sob, as she curled up into a fetal position and tried to dry her eyes. Anna had never been comfortable with showing too much of her emotions, mostly because she'd learned that it usually wasn't a good idea - especially when her parents were "busy"......which they seemed to be most of the time.
So she just shrugged before managing to mutter out an answer:

"I...I...I....Idunnooooo", she said, not wanting to say "no" outright, but also not sure how to talk about something that was as openly ridiculous like this.
....except there was a part of her, a deep, dark fear, that whispered in the back of her head that it wasn't ridiculous at all. That her subconscious had just shoved in her face what she had known all along.

Of course, no thoughts this "self-aware" were at the forefront of Anna's mind at the moment.

[Renton]

Angel sat down next to Anna on the bed and patted her shoulder. "You've been through quite a lot my dear," she said. "No explanation is needed."

"Miss Ocampo," Percy said. "A message just came through about your application this morning. It has been approved."

"Oh, wonderful!" Angel said. She had put through a request to have permission to take Anna with her provided she follow certain safety protocols. She hadn't expected it to be approved so quickly. Obviously Anna's case was a standout to her superiors, and perhaps they sympathized with the girl.

"That's the clearance I needed to take you places outside the confines of my home. Now, I do have an virtual reality room that can simulate almost any location as well, but I think the real thing is better, no? After all, would you not like to see the moon today?"

Angel was being more deliberately cheery than she normally was, but she wanted to go out of her way to make Anna feel better.

"Now, what do you say we go out for breakfast? We can go almost anywhere, but there is a lovely little bakery not far from here that I've been favoring on pretty days like this. Would you like to go get something with me?" she asked.