The Hub

[DungeonsOfDread]

Scraps caught the robe deftly. And shrugged it around his body after tying up the waistband he looked back at Flit.

"I never implied that we 'do the dirty' but now that you mention it..... Yeah you're right we should focus on studying." he replied. He repositioned himself to the side of the bed and patted the space next to him.

[SinisterSpiders]

Flit laughed at Scraps's attempt to use colloquial language.

"Whatever you say big boy." Flit said as she slid into the bed beside him and looked at what he was reading on his data pad. "Database analysis, huh? Let's hope this document is more exciting than the last one!"

It turned out that none of the documents on the data pad held Flit's interest for too long. Even though she knew she had to learn the material she found it terribly boring. The next two days passed in a flurry of study and check ups. Their procedures had gone as well as anyone dared hope, and they only required minor adjustments before Doctor Yarin was happy to release them to Shadow for their reassignment.

When Shadow had arrived to show them to their new apartment Flit's stomach began to swirl with nervous anticipation. Instead of teleporting them out as he had done when they arrived, he led them out a maze of sterile looking corridors and out onto a very busy Hub street. Flit looked up and around her in awe, she had known that they were above ground, but she had no idea that they were right in the middle of the city. The skyscrapers around them soared high into the sky, as only those in the middle of the pyramid shaped city could. At first she thought it was risky, to have operations like Doctor Yarin's operating in such ordinary locations, but then she realised that hiding in plain sight might not be such a bad idea.

Shadow led Flit and Scraps into a hovercraft that was waiting in front of the building and he piloted it as he told them about their new jobs tomorrow. As they approached Flit watched Scrap's face and was pleased that seeing him in a different skin was becoming more familiar. They had discovered that, in the dark, they were still much the same as they were before. Even though they had decided not to do anything too intimate in the clinic (in case there was surveillance there), their time alone in the room had gone far to familiarise themselves with their new appearances. The time had also shown Flit that their true selves had more to do with what was inside of them than their changeable exteriors.

Their new apartment was midway up one of the inner city buildings, right near the Apex, which was the main building of The Government. The apartment itself was a decent size, two bedrooms with all of the modern conveniences that the Citizens enjoyed. It was nothing spectacular, in fact it was quite ordinary, but that was exactly what suited their aliases.

"So, tomorrow morning you are to report to Floor Thirty Four in the Apex at nine AM for your first work assignments." Shadow said after showing them around their apartment. "Remember to keep to your cover, remember your objectives, but most of all stay safe."

Flit was about to thank Shadow for his help, but he phased out of the apartment without another word. Instead she turned and gave Scraps a grin before making the way to the room that had been set up as their bedroom. One entire wall was made of glass, onto which was projected the image of a plain painted wall to match the others in the room. Flit walked over to a panel above a bedside table and pressed a few buttons. The image on the window changed from a plain wall, to a forest, to a beach, to a stormy evening sky before the window finally cleared and gave an uninterrupted view of the glittering glass buildings beyond.

"Looks like we're higher up in the world now Brain!" Flit called out as she kicked off her shoes, she ran over and jumped on the ridiculously comfortable bed and let out a loud sigh. There was a part of her that refused to believe that this was real, but all it took was one look at the lightened skin of her hand to remind her that it most certainly was.

[DungeonsOfDread]

Over the next few days they had managed to cover all the topics presented in the documentation. Scraps had to use some subtle ways to encourage Flit to stay focused but all in all it went well. Shadow explained to them that they would only need to retrieve the encrypted file location rather than decoding it themselves. He didn't want them spending a suspicious amount of time looking at sensitive information.

He wasn't entirely sure what he would feel returning to the surface again. The sights and sounds of the high rises and constant buzz of hover traffic moving about on the busy streets drew all the buried memories from his past. He now truly understood why former Registered Derivates loathed to return. He reminded himself that this was different, he wasn't a slave to The Government anymore; he was a free man, with friends who cared for and loved him.

The apartment building was equipped with all the usual amenities that one would expect living on the surface. Scraps took began to explore all the draws and cupboards to get a feel for their new environment. As expected all the domestic equipment and supplies including food and clothing had all been provided to them. Flit jumped on the bed and began to relax, with much less enthusiasm Scraps pulled of his own shoes and laid down next to her.

"So Ava, which side of the bed did you want again?" He asked cheekily.

[SinisterSpiders]

Scraps sounded quiet flat when he spoke to her. They had been through a lot in the last couple of days, but he had seemed to be enjoying it. This change in his mood was slightly disarming. Flit looked around as Scraps settled onto the bed. She was currently sprawled across the large mattress at a diagonal, and wasn't inclined to move.

"Sides? Why must it always be about sides?" Flit asked, "I am happy right here. I think diagonal is the new vertical."

Flit reached out and tugged at the fabric of Scraps's shirt so that he fell onto the bed beside her, and then she rested her head on his chest.

"You don't seem terribly happy," Flit begun her hand tracing circles on his stomach "what's wrong?"

[DungeonsOfDread]

"It's not that I'm unhappy. It's just that the last time I was up here, my position in society was very different, I was lower than the vagrants and miscreants of society. Underground it was different, everyone there treated each other with respect because Derivates are on equal grounding, but up here, its not quite the same." He explained and closed his eyes.

"On the surface I was expected to treat every citizen with the highest respect, even if they were spitting on me. They all knew it too and treated us worse than animals, they knew what we could do with our abilities but at the same time with the restrictions on our usage we had no more authority than a vending machine. Tools to be used by society." He added.

"I just hope that I can step up and pretend to be on equal footing with these people again. I'm worried that if they see any weakness I will be stepped on like a piece of meat." He finalised.

[SinisterSpiders]

Flit listened carefully as Scraps talked so openly about his feelings. It was one of the things that she loved the most about him; his willingness to talk about what he was thinking without holding back.

He was right of course, Flit was no stranger to how most Citizens treated Derivates. Even though she had never been on the receiving end of their maltreatment it disgusted her nonetheless. It was the hardest part of growing up and having to hide who she was. The amount of times she was forced to stand by and watch as a fellow Derivate suffered the humiliation and degradation at the hands of a Citizen. The worst part for Flit was the emotional confusion she felt when the Citizen was a friend or colleague of her, someone who was normally thoughtful or kind.

Flit scooted up higher on the bed and pressed her lips against Scraps's cheek.

"I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this is for you." She whispered, her hot breath caressing his skin. "Now that we will have to pretend to be Citizens, try and think of the others like you thought of the people in the Underground. Think of them as your equals and nothing more; people will treat you the way you let them treat you. You are intelligent, strong and you are worth just as much as anyone else in this world. More, in my biased opinion."

Flit propped herself up onto her elbows and looked at Scraps's new face, taking in his strange blue eyes and changed hair colour.

"I think it will be hard for other reasons as well. I have no doubt that the time will come where we see a Derivate treated the way that you were. When that time comes we will need to remember our mission. Finding out about the weapon and trying to halt its production will save Derivates everywhere." Flit's voice was filled with determination and her eyes swam with passion. "I always imagine that, one day, we won't need to hide any more. I know that it will be difficult if it ever happens but I am sure the time will come where Derivates are truly on equal footing with the Citizens. That is what we are working towards in the Underground, what all the operatives are gathering intelligence for on the surface. That is what we need to keep in mind."

Flit sighed as she fell back onto the bed and looked up at the stark white roof.

"Not long before Rook proposed to me, he sneakily asked me if I ever wanted to have children. My answer was a firm 'Hell no!'. How on earth could I bring a child into this world knowing the danger they would face just because they dared to exist?" Flit's hand crept across the bed to find Scraps's and she held it fast. "That is why I wanted to work in Intelligence- that is why I wanted to be an operative. I wanted to be in a position to make a real change, to work towards creating a revolution that would bring about a world that I would feel comfortable living in. A world I would be happy to bring a family into."

[DungeonsOfDread]

Scraps sighed heavily, it wasn't going to be easy to adjust but he knew that the importance of their mission far outweighed any trepidation he felt for the surface world.

He pulled Flit into an embrace placing her head on his shoulder. The mention of children was a topic he himself had not spent a lot of time thinking about.

"I never thought I would ever consider the possibility of having a child. I know that what happened to Rook left painful memories in your mind but do you think you could consider it again?" Scraps asked.

[SinisterSpiders]

"Consider it?" Flit asked slowly. "I could, but the same fears come back to mind. I know how dangerous it is to live in the Underground, I am not sure if I could knowingly bring a child into that... And to have a child who will most likely have abilities like ours, and try and hide them up here? No, that won't work either.

"I know there are plenty of people who have done it, but right now? No. Perhaps in time I'll feel differently. Maybe in a couple of years I'll find a way to make it okay in my own mind. What about you? It must be a big deal to have spent your whole life thinking that you would never be able to have a family, only to learn that it is now a possibility."

[DungeonsOfDread]

"To be honest. I wouldn't know the first thing about raising a child, in fact I don't even know what it means to be a child. My whole life, I've been treated as property of The Government. You are definitely right though, in our current situation we cannot consider bringing up a child right now." Scraps stated.

Right now Scraps wanted to concentrate on completing the mission. They would deal with all the other concerns about their future together later on.

"Shadow said we should get to know our surrounding environment better. Should we explore map out the apartment block and area encompassing it this afternoon?" Scraps suggested.

[SinisterSpiders]

It was somewhat of a relief for Flit to hear that Scraps wasn't terribly bothered by the idea of having children. It was something that Rook had wanted, and it had been a little point of debate between them. She was pleased that Scraps could understand her point of view.

"I suppose we should." Flit said. "If you're sure you want to go out. Perhaps we can get some dinner while we're out there?"

[DungeonsOfDread]

"Dinner sounds great." He replied.

The apartment building was fifty stories high with a nearby park across the street. As instructed they had been issued a standard size hover car. The shopping village was only a ten minute walk so they decided to stretch their legs with the exercise.

Scraps took careful note of all the surrounding landmarks to get a good idea of their new living situation. Seeing the sun again was quite the change, he spent the first few moments of their stroll squinting against the bright light.

[SinisterSpiders]

As much as Flit loved the Underground, she had to admit that she was thoroughly enjoying being out in the sun again. The dying dusk light reflected prettily off the tall glass buildings and soaked her skin with its natural warmth. The shopping village that they decided to go to was a nice stroll from their apartment.

Growing up in both The Hub and the Underground had benefits. Luckily fir Flit she was used to walking around the streets of the busy city as though she had nothing to hide. It was a little strange to know that she was out there now, pretending to be someone she really wasn't, but she had to remember that Leah Cross was dead and that she was Ava Parkes. She slipped her hand into Scraps's as they walked and smiled at him reassuringly.

"What would you like to eat?" Flit asked as they reached the shopping village. She'd had plenty of chances to explore the dining choices in The Hub and was hoping that Scraps would take the opportunity to pick something that appealed to him.

[DungeonsOfDread]

"I don't know. What do you want?" He replied. He'd never eaten anything but what The Government gave him on the surface. He leaned in close to whisper in Flit's ear.

"I've never had any proper surface food before." He reminded her.

[SinisterSpiders]

"I just thought you might've come across something you'd like to try. Never mind though. Why don't we try that place over there?" Flit said, pointing to a large and busy restaurant not far from where they were standing. Judging by the decor it was a themed restaurant based on the food and style of an old Steakhouse. "I've yet to meet a male who does not like steak." She added with a grin.

[DungeonsOfDread]

"Sounds good to me." He replied.

They made their way over to the food establishment named 'Joe's Steak House'. The decor seemed to be classic in nature compared to the adjacent buildings. A digitally rendered replica of an aged handwritten menu was displayed above the counter. An automatic robotic waiter greeted them, it was simple in design; squarish and robust. The establishment owner had dressed all of its robots in older generation clothing to add to the authenticity of the theme, shortly after its over zealous hello it asked for the amount of attendees.

"Two please." Scraps responded.

"Please place your finger on the scanner ma'am, sir" it responded.

They both complied and upon seeing the scan positively identify them, photographic images of Brian and Ave appeared on the robots chest screen.

"Welcome Brian and Ava Parkes. Please follow me to your table." It chirped happily and escorted them through the restaurant.

[SinisterSpiders]

Even though there was no reason for it not to work, Flit still breathed a sigh of relief when the robot greeted them as Ava and Brian Parkes. They followed the strangely attired machine their table and took their seats. As they settled in the robot began pouring water into two tall clear glasses for them.

"Are you ready to order, or would you like me to come back in five minutes?" The machined asked.

"Please come back in five minutes." Flit said as she looked at the menu that was situated in on a screen that was embedded into the centre of their table.

True to her word, there was a lot of steak on the menu. It seemed as though they had found ways to present steak in almost any possible manner. Flit, despite having such a hectic couple of days, wasn't terribly hungry.

"I'll just go for the Calf and Salad." She said, using her fingers to swipe at the menu so that it was now facing Scraps.

Flit watched with interest as Scraps perused all of the choices and wondered what it must be like for him. It was only when he came down to the Underground that he had a change to eat real food. Normal fare for Registered Derivates was reconstituted and dehydrated food that was prepared to retain all nutritional value but none of the taste. Being introduced to the Mess Hall food in the Underground was one thing, but here in The Hub he was now allowed choice. In the Mess he'd just had a couple of limited options, but now he could choose anything on the extensive menu.

[DungeonsOfDread]

The myriad of choices laid out before him was almost more than he could handle. Even though he'd tasted steak before he never knew it could be prepared in so many different ways. It seemed ironic to him that the first challenging decision of their mission would be what to have for dinner.

"There's just so many choices I'm really not sure." He voiced his thoughts.

He needed to be more decisive when it came to social situations, if any of their co-workers picked up on his awkward behaviour it might compromise their identities. In the end he opted for the 'Chef's special' if it was recommended by the Chef then it must be good.

"I think I'll have the Chef's special. Surely nothing can be wrong with that, right?" He asked Flit.

[SinisterSpiders]

"Ha!" Flit laughed. "It could be the chef's special because it is crap and they had to find a way to sell it." As soon as it left her mouth Flit felt bad. The look on Scraps's face made her cringe. "Oh Brian! I was just being ridiculous. I am sure it's fine!"

Flit continued to reassure Scraps about his choice right up until their meals arrived. Thankfully, both plates were well presented on the food on them was delicious. During the meal they shared food, because Scraps wanted to see what her salad dressing tasted like. It was something that Flit knew surface people did all the time, but for them it was a novelty. In the Mess they would be eating the same thing so there was no mystery to meal time, no need to bond over it.

"So, " Flit said as they got to their feet after the meal "I think that we should stop by one more shop in celebration of our big move. A few shops down there is a store that specialises in all kinds of desert. What do you say we grab some ice cream?"

Even in the Underground where real food was a staple, ice cream was a luxury. The cold storage it required was too costly when the nutritional benefits were weighed against it. From her sporadic experience with it, Flit knew that she loved it. She also assumed that it was something that Scraps had never tried.

[DungeonsOfDread]

The meal it turned out was a good choice, the Chef certainly knew how to deliver on the 'special' portion. Even though the food he had been eating in the residence was far more tasteful than what he'd been issued as a Registered the food from the restaurant was even better. He knew that the limitations of supply in the underground made it difficult to generate any kind of luxurious eating variety but now that he had tasted a sample of surface food he was very keen to try more.

Even though the meals they shared satisfied his hunger immensely the mention of ice cream piqued his interest greatly. He had never tried the often talked about delicacy of ice cream. Many of the others had spoken about the amazing flavours of the chilled treat and often reminisced the rare opportunities they had been given to enjoy it. Even if it was just to keep in line with the pretense of a normal couple going out for the first time in their new town, he was certainly keen to try it.

"Ice creams sounds really good. Lead the way Ava sweety." He replied happily

[SinisterSpiders]

The ice cream had been every bit as phenomenal as Flit had remembered. It was the perfect way to wash down a delicious, fresh meal. After a lot of deliberation she and Scraps had decided to share a scoop of the chocolate flavour. They sat down in the shop and ate it there, blending in perfectly with the other couples enjoying their time with each other.

When they got back to the house Flit told Scraps that she was going to have a shower, but stopped in her tracks when she spotted a small black box on the dining room table.

"Hey Brain. Get a look at this." She called over her shoulder before walking towards the table cautiously. There were no markings on the box, but there was a thin piece of paper beneath it, folded in half. "There's a note!" She told him.

Flit felt her nerves tremor as she picked up the wafer thin paper and unfolded it.

Brian & Ava
There was a wait on parts so these were only just finished. Please wear them.
Sean
P.S. This is digestible paper. Please eat this message.

Flit let out a sigh of relief when she looked at the impersonal message. She gave Scraps time to read it over her shoulder.

"I'm too full from dinner. Perhaps we should put it in the fridge as left overs?" Flit asked with a cheeky grin before screwing up the paper and shoving it into her mouth. It started to dissolve as soon as it touched her tongue, and Flit had no doubt that it would be completely consumed by her digestive system. With that done, she reached across and picked up the small box. It fit in the palm of her hand and weighed next to nothing.

"Let's see what this is, shall we sweety?" Flit asked, opening the container.

"Well." Flit said, unable to think of anything more intelligent. Inside were two shiny gold rings nestled next to each other on a black velvet cushions. Wedding rings. "We are married I suppose."

It was one thing to pretend to be married, but another to wear something that would mark her as married. The rings symbolised something that she had hoped for and lost, and now had only begun to hope for again. Wearing them was something she hadn't even thought of. In the Underground couples tended to do without the pointless artifacts; there were better things for them to spend their resources on. On the surface, however, rings were a norm. They were not only a mark of marital status, but of status in society. The more expensive the rings the higher a person's disposable income. These rings were nice, even Flit could tell that, but not so nice that someone would think them rich or frivolous. They were certainly something that Flit could never afford for herself.

Flit put the box down on the table carefully, biting her lip as did so. The pain distracted her from all of the conflicting emotions, and she didn't look back at Scraps to see what he was thinking.

[DungeonsOfDread]

The ice-cream, though pleasantly sweet chilled the gums of his teeth almost painfully. If this was a commonly consumed desert he was going to have to get used to the feeling.

Scraps carefully observed the behaviour of the other patrons in the ice cream establishment. They seemed no different to any other couple he'd witnessed underground. He and Flit finished their dessert and headed back to their unit, they walked hand in hand, something he was becoming very accustom to.

When they returned home Flit pointed out a package that had been left for them. It seems that Shadow had left them a parting gift. His study on surface culture had already educated him in the purpose of the two rings in front of them. Flit seemed quite distant when she picked up the small box to inspect the goods. Scraps wasn't sure as to why her reaction was so sombre but he guessed it had to do with her former relationship. From what little he learned, she and Rook were close to being married for real.

Scraps stood next to her and reached forward to grasp his own ring.

"My research never elaborated on the relationship change between being married and not married." He stated.

[SinisterSpiders]

"Well, it isn't a change in the relationship. Not really." Flit begun, watching as Scraps inspected the ring more closely. "It's just making it official really. Making it legal. In a relationship you love the person and you want to spend time with them. When you get married you take it one step further, you make a promise that you'll love them and be with them for a long time. It is about commitment, and about making that commitment known."

Flit pulled out one of the chair and sat down at the table. Her fingers brushed over the cold metal and she took the ring out of the box carefully, turning it every which way and watching as the gold caught the light.

"It is a pretty big decision, to get married." Flit said. "Ah sweety. Sorry. I am prattling on like a lunatic. I knew that our aliases are married and all that... It's just that I had always imagined that the first wedding ring I wore would be my own. Not Ava Parkes's."

[DungeonsOfDread]

Scraps listened as Flit explained everything. Marriage was almost an entirely foreign concept for him, he'd seen married couples on the surface before but never even thought it would be something for him to experience. Obviously marriage was more than just a legal binding, Flit seemed slight perturbed that the ring was only for the mission and not the real thing.

"Maybe when this mission is done and dusted, we can get married for real. That is if you want to." Scraps suggested.

[SinisterSpiders]

Flit's heart fluttered at Scraps's words, but the logical part of her quickly settled it.

"Thankyou Scraps." Flit said with a small smile, "But you don't have to suggest it just because of this." She made a general sweeping gesture. "When we decide to do it you need to be sure that it is what you want, without any hesitation. I am happy to wait for you, so there is no rush. "

Flit got to her feet and put Ava's ring back on the table before wrapping her arms around Scraps, pretending she could see his red eyes and tattoo.

"Please don't think that I'm rejecting you," She said softly as she rested her head on his chest. "I think that, after all this is done, there would be nothing that would please me more than to marry you. But please don't think you need to suggest it to make me happy. When we do it you need to be sure that you love me, you need to know that you're ready to commit to me like that. You need to know that you want to spend the rest of your life with me."

[DungeonsOfDread]

"Okay, the truth is I really have no idea about marriage. All I know is what I've read and I've read very little on the subject. With everything happening lately it's been so overwhelming, first learning about being free and living in the underground to pretending to be a citizen living in the surface. I hope when all this is all over and the threat of death and danger are minimal we can discuss this again." He responded.

Scraps looked over at the pictures that had been placed in the living room of their apartment. During their training both Scraps and Flit posed in front of a blank screen so that they could be digitally pasted onto false backgrounds. There were scenes depicting them hugging and smiling at parties, holidays and other leisure based activities. Even though he knew both their smiles were faked he still felt a strange sense of longing at the activities he'd never actually experienced with her. Even so with all the fake memories, the real ones he cherished the most all involved Flit to some degree, perhaps in time the false images and stories could become a reality.

"So now that we've had dinner and we don't have to study or train anymore. What do you want to do?" He asked.