Station, стр. 10

face shifted uncomfortably. Whether it wassadness, frustration, or anger, Hadder was unable to decipher. "Idon't know, Hadder. And that is perhaps Station's greatest mystery.But let's not dwell on the potentially morose. As I said before,Station is what you make of it. I, myself, have had some of thebest times of my life here. You'll want for nothing; everything isprovided for you, from clothes to food to entertainment."

"What kind of entertainment?"

A genuine smile this time. "Anything from yourwildest dreams, my friend. Sex? Yes. Drugs? Sure. Music?Absolutely. But here you can go much deeper, to satiate thosedesires that you were scared to indulge in during the Before. Allyou have to do is ask here, and things will be put in motion."

Miles could see the confusion in Hadder's eyes."These are things you will find out on your own, of course. Let metell you what you need to know to get started. A tutorial of sorts,the basic buttons of the place. How does that sound?"

"Please."

Miles pointed up. "As you've no doubt noticed,sunlight never falls on Station."

"Why is that?"

"There have been many theories. My own? I thinkMister Rott, when creating this place and envisioning who wouldlive here, felt that sunlight showed too many scars, highlightedtoo many difficult truths. So, he found a workaround. The greatmoon, which we call the Idol Moon, is our sun as well as our moon.It changes size and brightness to mark days and nights, but nevershifts location in the sky. Right now, it is our day, referred toas the Solay. In a bit, the moon will fold in on itself and usherin our night, the Haela."

Hadder looked up at the mysterious body thatdominated the heavens. "Where are we, Miles?"

"Wrong question. First, because I don't know and,second, because it doesn't matter. Now, as the Idol Moon doesn'tmove, there are no classic directions in Station. Therefore, we usethe Gate, the entrance you recently passed through, as oursouthernmost point. Please remember this as I continue."

Hadder turned back towards where they had walkedfrom, hoping to get his bearings before Miles moved on. "See thesmall buildings that make up the majority of Station'sconstruction, Hadder? As I mentioned before, these are Bars. One ormore of them is where you will spend the vast majority of yourtime. Each one is unique and caters to varying tastes,personalities, and desires. While they are all different, however,many share qualities and attract similar patrons. In this way,Station organically organizes itself through the Bar system. Whilethere are no rigid lines or defined borders, Bars of a feathernaturally flock together. Think back to the two areas we passed.The new-age groups tend to stay in one Cluster while Station'ssadder individuals have congregated to the Cluster others call theWeep."

"How many of these Clusters are there?"

Miles had to think for a moment. "Maybe a dozen orso, but most are undefined, and there is a lot of crossover.Additionally, just like neighborhoods in the Before, demographicsand trends adjust over time. And people change. Just because you'rehere doesn't mean you stop growing and learning and changing. Youmay spend significant time in one Bar or Cluster to wake up one dayand discover that it's not for you anymore." Something lit a firebehind Miles's golden eyes. "But that's the beauty of Station!There're no families to consider. There's no property to worryabout. There's no paperwork to fill out. Tired of where you are?Pick up and move on, no questions asked. Station is a playgroundwith all the toys you could ever want."

"But where do I go, Miles?"

"You'll have to experiment, try to get in where youfit in. That's the scariest but also the most exciting part ofcoming to Station. You mentioned Thailand earlier. I assume you'vebeen?"

"Yes, right after…" Hadder hesitated, rewound. "Imean, I've been."

"And when you arrived, did you know exactly where togo and what to do? Who to ask and what to avoid?"

"No, I just figured it out as I went."

"Exactly, you'll have to do the same here. Butunlike in the Before, Station is quite tolerant of bad behavior andmistakes. Now, the majority of the city is called the Setting,which is everything west of the Skirt. That's all you need toacquaint yourself with right now."

"What is the Skirt?"

Miles turned to the "east," and Hadder trailed hisgaze. In the distance, Hadder could make out a wide swath of landscraped clean of any Bars or other buildings. "The Skirt is theborder between the Setting and the Rising. You just stay on thisside, and you'll have no worries."

"But why are the two sides separated?"

Miles quickly turned back to face Hadder. "Sorry,not part of the tutorial. To the north, you'll find Mister Rott'smanor and the Elevation Centers are at the city's edges. Before youask, others should explain, or better yet show, what Elevationsare. Too much information too quickly, and your brain can fry likean earthworm on hot cement."

Hadder couldn't hold back any longer. "How long haveyou been here, Miles? How long has everyone been here?"

A frown was followed by a non-committal shrug. "Timeworks differently here, Hadder. We don't have names for things likeweeks, months, or years. Time is measured in short bursts of Solaysand Haelas. I don't know how long I've been here, whether months oryears or decades, in terms of Before time. Here, we just live forthe present. In the Before, many of us couldn't escape the past.Others were too fearful of the future. Station tries to change thatfor all its residents, it really does."

"But you said I was the first newcomer in a longtime."

"That's right. Everyone had come to think that thedoors were closed forever, that we were the chosen ones, for goodor bad. You may find mixed reactions to your arrival."

"How did you know I was coming?"

"Well, Mister Rott told me, of course."

"And how did he know?"

Miles's golden eyes flashed again. "He knowseverything, Hadder." A deep sigh. "And with that, my friend, I willleave you to your thoughts. You have much to consider and a newlife to prepare for."

Panic struck Hadder like cold water. "Wait, Miles, Ihave so many more questions. Where do I sleep? What is expected ofme?"

Miles had already started moving towards