Station, стр. 11
"What's The Royal Jelly?"
"A Bar to the northwest. Nice place. But if I maysuggest, jumpstart your new life by visiting the CelebrationCluster just east of here. They'll give you a proper welcome."Miles began to descend the stairs but stopped suddenly. "Oh, Ialmost forgot. Don't worry about your health here. There're nodiseases, no one gets sick, no STDs or genital warts to keep youfrom a good time. Heck, no one even ages as far as I can tell. So,go out and lose yourself. You'll always find yourself again." Milescontinued down.
"Wait! No one ages or gets sick? So, no one dieshere in Station?" Hadder called out.
"I didn't say that," came the reply from beneath,Miles's voice fading away, replaced by another chill breeze thatcut through Hadder's worn t-shirt and jeans.
Hadder went to the railing and faced west, lookingdown at the various Bars and wondering which would be his, watchingStation's residents as they crossed between buildings, holleringgreetings to each other and exchanging laughter.
Hadder's mind wandered. Could this strange cityreally prove a new beginning? Could it make him finally forget hisold life that was lost in the wreckage? Is that what he needed? Isthat what he really wanted?
As Hadder stood pondering these questions, timepassed. He didn't know how long he remained there, but a shiftingof moon shadows told him that Solay was slowly transitioning intoHaela. It was time to go down, to face this new reality. Lookingout at his new city, one full of limitless possibility and with acast of unique characters to meet, Hadder felt as alone as he didon that couch, counting heartbeats and begging them to stop.
Hadder breathed in deeply, holding in the air untilhis lungs burned, before exhaling loudly, as if to remind himselfthat he still lived. Slapping the cold handrail, he set off downthe Perch's stairs, spiraling into a dark new world.
Hadder reached the bottom of the Perch and lookedaround. Given the twisting nature of the staircase, he had toreacquaint himself with his surroundings to identify south. Heagreed with Miles's inference that he needed a jolt to his centralnervous system, a hard reboot. The Celebration Cluster sounded likethe ideal place to accomplish this. With only a basic understandingof where he was going, Hadder began walking an approximation ofeast, hoping that answers would come as more of the city wasrevealed. Keeping the Perch at his back, Hadder marched in a steadybut unhurried pace, trying not to stick out as the new kid inschool. Because while some enjoyed meeting the new boy, there werealways others waiting to pounce.
CHAPTER 5
Hadder marveled at the nocturnal beauty of the city.Cobblestone paths lined with blueish lichen wove through manicuredlawns and gardens. Small, handcrafted signs, carved with care anddetailed with a steady hand, helped guide one along the many paths.This way to the Perch. That way to the Lethe River. Straight ahead,and you would find yourself at something called The SoireeNoire.
Unsure of where he was going, Hadder simply plungedforward, stopping to take in Station's bizarre but enchantinghorticulture. A grouping of brightly iridescent white blossoms tookturns shooting brilliant, multicolored spores into the air, makingthe area around them light up like the Fourth of July. Tall yellowflowers shaped like phonograph horns belted out air that madedulcet sounds and released sweet fragrances as Hadder passed.
Hadder had to pause for a moment as two distinctflowers, one a striking red and the other midnight blue, leanedinto each other from opposite ends of the pathway, locked in apassionate kiss. Sitting just below Hadder's eye line, they createdan arch that he could have quickly passed under, but he decidedagainst this, choosing instead to remain still for the bawdyblossom show. After several minutes, the flowers separated,returning to their respective sides of the pathway. Once there,each flower, in tandem, launched purple seeds into the night skythat came down gently on glowing green propellers. A light eveningbreeze caught the lot and sent them in various directions to startnew lives in other parts of the city.
Station's mysteries didn't end with its plant life.The air was filled with translucent butterflies that graced variousflowers with their beauty. The size of a human hand, Hadder thoughthe could make out small, human-like faces at the tops of the insectbodies, smiling at him as they passed teasingly close to hisface.
For a short while, a box turtle with flashlight eyeswalked along the path with a slow-moving Hadder. On the turtle'srather large shell sat an ecosystem of its own, complete with ablack soil foundation, peat moss topping, and an assortment ofshrubbery comprised of unique shapes and colors. Circling thevegetation was a potpourri of chromatic insects that would taketurns landing on and taking off from the variegated leaves. Oneinsect, a large yellow bee that left pink trails in its wake,swooped down and plucked a crimson berry from a particular plant.Struggling a bit with the weight, the bee hefted the seed into theair and flew towards the box turtle's head. When in range, itdropped the berry, which was quickly picked out of the air by asnapping maw. A small tip, Hadder thought, for the reptilianconveyance.
Leaving the turtle and its self-contained worldbehind, Hadder went right at the next fork in the path, tooentranced by the scenes around him to pay attention to the smallsigns. Long glow-worms could be seen on several of the largerleaves, hungrily having their fill. As they ate, a neon gas escapedtheir worm asses and hung for a second before coalescing intodistinct shapes and images. One worm created a small ballerinapirouetting in the air while another formed a fist with only itsmiddle finger up. Hadder flicked that one deep into the adjacentbush and