Aeon Legion: Labyrinth by J.P. Beaubien

calamity
hits. And, Alya. I look forward to seeing you in that dress.”

    ∞
    After Alya's argument with
Orion, she brought Terra to customs to retrieve her bag and finish
timeport processing before disappearing. Processing turned into a
lengthy ordeal. Terra finished a physical exam before calling her
parents on a terminal. After that she endured a lengthy interview
with a psychologist which Terra thought an odd requirement. The
interviewer said that these tests had something to do with the
training at the Academy. With her exams and interviews done, they
instructed her to pick up a shieldwatch.
    Terra found the shieldwatch
station guarded by a man in a similar uniform to Alya. After he
checked with Minerva, he handed Terra a shieldwatch. She then thanked
the man before leaving and wondered where to go next.
    Terra turned the shieldwatch
in her hands. A length of metal shorter than the forearm made up most
of the shieldwatch with the glass face on one end while the other
held an embossed infinity symbol. Its glass face glowed a faint blue
color and functioned as a display screen. Two padded clamps under the
device allowed it to attach to the top of the forearm. It was not as
thick as Alya's shieldwatch who likely had a tougher military model.
    “Clamp it on your off hand
like a shield. It works better that way,” came Alya's voice from
behind Terra.
    Terra suppressed her instinct
to jump and instead glared at Alya. “Do you always come and go as
you please?”
    Alya grinned. “If someone
wants to buy that shieldwatch, don't sell it for anything. That
device is far more valuable than any amount of gold, gems, money, or
anything else they try to trade it for.”
    After struggling, Terra
clamped it on her left forearm.
    Alya tapped her chin with her
index finger. “There was something I was supposed to tell you. Now
what was it? Something about an accident?”
    Terra raised an eyebrow as
Alya thought.
    After a moment, Alya shrugged.
“I suppose it's not important. Forward unto eternity, Terra. I will
see you in a few weeks.”
    Terra's eyes widened. “Wait!
What about lodging? What about food? How do I get to this Academy?”
    Alya rolled her eyes. “I
will not count the seconds for you. You made the choice to come here,
so work through these problems yourself. As for the Academy, just be
your usual stubborn self and they should let you in eventually.”
    With that, Alya turned and
walked away, leaving Terra in an empty hallway of the timeport.
    Terra
scowled. Orion was right. Alya had
just
abandoned
her.
    After a long sigh, Terra made
her way out of the timeport to get her bearings. The city lights
flickered on as darkness fell and already a few of the brighter stars
shown in the sky.
    Terra walked to an overlook
that showed a view of the city in the distance. She could see why
they built the main gate here. The first thing that any newcomer to
the city saw after stepping through the gate was a full view of the
city center. With darkness settling in, Terra could see the lights of
the city in the distance.
    Darkness had cloaked the pearl
colors while blue lights lit up the city like a glowing sapphire.
Buildings in the distance shone like jewels in the night that
reflected on the waters of the more scenic areas. The sight took
Terra's breath away. Terra almost didn't hear the person approaching
behind her.

Chapter
VI
Saturn
City

    Saturn City is the greatest
civilization in history. We say this without boasting. It is the
closest humanity will ever get to a utopia. The city's only flaw is
that life here is near perfect enough to remove all desire for
change.
    -Consul Prometheus

    T erra
turned to see a young woman. She was taller than Terra by a few
inches with tan skin similar in tone to Alya's and the other city
natives.
    “Would you perpend,” She
said in an airy tone, “relocation to an adjacent space?”
    “What?” Terra asked,
raising an eyebrow. Terra inspected the woman. Her straight sleek
hair was a