The one engraved on the transparent panel in front of them was the mapping of the entire complex in which they were located.
Maeve pointed the tapered index at the slab and followed with this the outlines of the drawing. It was an extremely complex structure, arranged on two floors between which you had access through flights of stairs open at different times, the girl did not understand the reason but decided not to ask questions.
Liam, behind her, looked at her with bored air, Maeve could almost hear him moaning in his thoughts.
"For safety and control." said the boy once realized that the girl had not looked away from the schedule of the stairs.
"How did I miss such a big building all these years? - said Maeve shaking her head and looking at the dummy panel - How can a person who lives in New York never know about it?"
He looked at Liam frowning his brows confused.
He just wanted to know where he was.
"Maybe it's because we're not on the surface. - replied the boy taking a step forward to flank her - This was a metro station once, now unused since 1948."
Maeve wondered how many times he had to repeat it to someone, how many times the boy had found himself having to monitor a newcomer as if he were in a museum in front of statues and paintings that no one had ever talked about.
"This doesn't look like a downtown subway station to me, it barely looks like a subway station really." Maeve responded by trying to hint at a smile but the boy gave no sign of response on this.
Maeve looked at her sweatshirt cuffs, ripped, and wondered what the hell had happened before she got to that place. It was one of her favorite T-shirts. She remembered very well when she first went out with Grace and Chloe.
They had spent the day walking through Central Park until Maeve had slipped into a puddle because of a cyclist.
Both girls laughed as they helped her to get off the ground, then dragged her to the nearest store to change her clothes.
According to Grace no one would ever have had to walk on the street in such conditions and kept saying that if he met the soul mate that day the boy would not even look at her.
Maeve did not believe in the blonde's thoughts, but in spite of this, she had agreed to Chloe's request to choose a change. This one had opted for a sweatshirt on the reddish so that it would match her hair and that would be coordinated for the rest of the day.
Maeve just laughed and nodded.
Now that garment was ruined forever.
"Metamer started it all years ago. - Liam spoke with his hands behind his back, in that position he seemed even more imposing than before. - The outskirts of New York have poorer neighborhoods than you can imagine, there is only despair in those places and you live of nothing else. He gave a job to those who lost him and were on the streets, to those who were on the roadside. Architects who have always been called losers, desperate kids and Frya have restored this place in no time. I'm not an expert but I can tell you that the central point of the Beginning is a real ecosystem, the light you see is produced directly from the sun and brought back through the particular solar panels that have been designed over the years. - looked at the girl with her brown eyes, a flash of pride flashed into his eyes as he spoke - This is now the home, the work, the social center, of hundreds of people. And they keep rising. No one or almost earns money: everyone does a job that feeds the work of another individual, it's a systematic cycle."
Maeve was stunned as a light on the board lit up. A LED had illuminated a large room of the map on the panel.
Liam smiled and for a moment the girl thought that somehow that light meant that he could finally get rid of her.
"The cafeteria is open. - said the boy, taking her away from his thoughts - Come on, I'll accompany you."
Liam had begun to walk without turning to see if Maeve was actually following him.
She had immediately joined him trying to keep up with his pace.
"Why do you call it the Beginning? - she asked intrigued by trying to look the boy in the face - Is it some kind of cult?"
Liam raised an eyebrow and stopped just to flush it out. She realized she had just asked the wrong question.
"None of this compares to a meaningless, pointless cult, nosy girl."
Maeve did not take it back or run it to remind him of his name, but instead used Liam's guidance to focus on what was around her.
Men, women, boys. Everyone went out of automatic doors and conversed as they headed in the same direction, others discussed animatedly. Maeve decided to ignore their conversations.
He noticed how everything seemed so normal and peaceful, as if these people were living the situation that seemed so new and surprising to the girl as a daily life, an exorbitant normality and not at all upsetting.
Maeve did not feel in her place, it was like for a fly to be in the hive of the wasps: she felt out of place, out of context.
It didn't go by that he didn't hope that all of that was really just a dream, too much imagination, extremely, realistic.
He wanted to wake up and get up from the soft blankets, go down the stairs and hug Charlie like he had never done before, like he had never done before in his life.
The girl probably would have floundered and complained and Maeve seemed to hear her call her name, calling her by her nickname begging to be left to go back to eating ice cream sitting in front of the television in the living room.
Aunt May would tell her not to complain and to return the big sister's hug, she would then take a picture of the grandchildren.
At that moment she realized that she didn't really care to go home but to be with her aunt and sister, to tell her that she was fine and that she probably hadn't responded to the messages in a while.
How would he explain to May that he was now trapped underground? That he was probably now under his feet?
She didn't know how to explain it to herself, let alone motivate her aunt.
Your sister would probably have asked you how many moles you saw during your stay there.
When she entered the large dining room, she felt like she was back in high school.
Long rows of tables were placed in rows throughout the width of the room, from an automatic sliding door came out continuously a girl who carried deep trays of different food and replaced the empty ones placed on a long counter infused to the room.
Everyone behaved as if he knew perfectly where to go and where to sit to eat the meal.
It seemed like a big organized anthill, Maeve felt completely alien to that world despite having nothing abnormal.
"Don't be afraid, the food is divine. I've never heard anyone complain," said Liam, walking away to pick up two colored trays from a stack to the right of the entrance.
If that was the reason for the girl there would be no problem, she was used to the poor cuisine of her aunt and to praise her despite the meal was definitely hot or too spicy. Sometimes it could be both.
"How long has everyone been here?" she asked Liam as soon as he got back to her.
He looked around and looked through the various people, without really seeing them.
"It depends, who for a few weeks, who for months, who from before this I can was definitely open." Liam answered by raising questions and curiosity within the girl.
"And do they live here? I mean, always?" asked the confused girl. They were too many people even for a hotel.
"If you're wondering if everyone has a room here the answer is yes. - said Liam walking among people - Everyone is treated in the same way and everyone is offered the same opportunities, someone goes out to go home, especially if he has children and does not want to bring them to live here, but their room is there if they need it. I believe that in a maximum of three days everyone will choose to live here. You too will have your own room."
"Why do you believe that?" asked Maeve, unable to control her thirst for curiosity.
"Outside now is a bad place, New York is now a bad place. Not even the worst masochists would prefer out there to this." Liam answered her.
"So you'd rather hide from anything that scares you?" Maeve's tone had become more defensive, could everyone be there to hide?
"Hide us. - Liam repeated licking his lower lip. He looked straight ahead but did not increase the pace while answering to Maeve. - We are not here to hide, if so it would be much easier. Someone's hiding because there's no chance of flowers even trying. But in here, whatever makes the difference is helping those who can actually do something."
They then approached the food counter.
"Metamer? - the girl asked looking at Liam - Is Metamer doing anything?"
"I didn't think you were such a pain in the ass. - said the boy turning his eyes to the sky. - Anyway, to keep you quiet: yes, he can do something too, but he's not the only one lucky enough. If you also took charge of all aspects of management would probably be top. Everyone can do something in here, he's just the only one who puts face and skin in the game every time. - Liam chuckled his head - And you don't know how much he likes to be the center of attention and risk for others."
Meals from different ethnicities were displayed as in a window, Maeve was sure that she had never seen so much culinary choice in her life.
Liam did not ask her opinion: he took some salad and meat, placing it on plates and then on two trays.
He took them back in his hand and walked between the tables. The girl followed him like a puppy with her master.
"No one here will eat you, can you just take it easy, please?" Liam snorted and looked at the watch on his wrist.
He reached an empty table and laid the two trays.
He then crossed over the table to reach the opposite side without going around, sat down on the opposite side of where he had placed Maeve's tray.
"How long have you been here?" the girl then asked, sitting in the light chair and looking around.
Liam chuckled by taking the water jug in the center of the table and pouring the drink into the glass in front of him.
A grin appeared on his face shortly before drinking in a sip all the spilled liquid. The girl looked at him intrigued, interested. Liam placed the glass on the table and then spun it over itself.
"I, probie, am an Initial."