The next day, Kinson wore his dress uniform, which was the standard for students of the university in formal settings. After a quick breakfast, he left the still sleeping Trevor and walked towards the girl's dorm. The morning sun penetrated Saturn's rings and reached Titan, casting a warm glow through the skylights throughout the passages. There weren't that many students out yet, as even Advanced Study classes didn't start for a few more hours.
After a few minutes, he arrived outside Celeste's room and sent a quick text. He was actually surprised to feel himself getting a little nervous. To be honest, it was little more than the anticipation of the unknown, but it was still a rather unusual feeling for him
After a moment, Celeste came out, smiling brightly. She wore her dress uniform, as well. That surprised him; she didn't wear it often. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back, the ends drifting in the slight artificial breeze. Her green eyes seemed especially bright today.
Catching himself staring, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Hopefully she didn't notice anything. "H-Hey, You look nice today, " he fumbled but gave her a smile anyway.
She blushed and smiled shyly.. Should we go?" she smiled back. Perhaps it was his imagination, but her eyes seemed to have an extra twinkle in them.
"Yep, let's go!" he started walking, but then paused. "Err, which way is it again?" he asked, embarrassed.
Celeste laughed and took the lead. Kinson quickly caught up and fell into pace beside her. Their path was fairly straightforward, as one of the key design points of the passage system was simplicity. Signs above intersecting passages stated all the major businesses and locations beyond them. Once they got off campus, they would be able to take the Autoways. The Autoways were similar to airport Autowalks, save they traversed hundreds of miles of passages.
Kinson felt awkward in the silence and thought of a question. "By the way, what's the BIP like?"
"It's nothing too special, but I suppose it can be pretty impressive the first time you see it. I think almost a thousand people work there, and the entire place is massive. From what I've heard, the building goes further underground than any other on Titan, too. This is the main branch structure for the BPI on Titan, so they have some very large and extensive testing facilities. I haven't been down there myself, just on the upper floors, where it's mostly offices." Celeste admitted.
"Sounds interesting. Where do you think I'll go for the interview?"
She thought for a second. "Probably in some little office by the main lobby. There are several large meeting rooms my dad frequently goes to, but I doubt they would bring you there."
At this point, they passed through the large security gates, which signified the edge of the campus. They were in great condition though they hadn't been used, and spanned the entire passage. He entered a new tunnel alongside Celeste, this one at least three times as large. This was the Autoway. The Autoways were built of countless small rollers forming the ground, which rotated at covering sleds depending on location. It was smooth to stand on, and very quick.A low thrum filled the passage, the signature noise of the small spinning cylinders which drove the Autoway forward. They stepped onto the track, getting carried away with the few other passersby on the Autoway. The Autoway moved faster the further along they went, whizzing them down the passage. Kinson had used this autoway quite a bit since he had arrived in Colony at the start of school, as it led to the various shopping and entertainment districts. Despite his experience, the speed of the Autoway still thrilled him. When it got up to speed, they moved much too quickly to disembark, but it slowed down whenever one came to an intersecting passage, allowing passengers to get off or on.
An old couple standing beside them looked them up and down. They smiled seeing their uniforms and the familiar manner at which they chatted, and didn't miss the excited light in their eyes, either.
"You two look like a young student couple out to see the city! How romantic!" the elderly woman suddenly said," smiling fondly.
"Eh? Oh no, not like that…" Kinson's face turned red.
Feeling there was a bit of a misunderstanding he started to explain. But, before he got more than a few words in, the old man chuckled and broke in with a knowing look.
"Ahahaha! These old eyes can't miss something so obvious. You've got a real winner, young man," he said in admiration.
"No, really," Kinson began again, but it was no use, as the couple turned away full of smiles.
"Hey," Celeste tugged on his arm, "our stop is almost here."
Kinson looked at her and took a deep breath. He was a little surprised to see her fiddle with her purse, a faint tinge of red on her cheeks. An awkward atmosphere fell upon them which persisted until their stop came.
The Autoway slowed down, which allowed them to disembark rather casually. Celeste led him through another passage, this one about as large as the one containing the Autoway passages.
Kinson looked around, his eyes widening a bit at the building before him. A large stake adjourned a courtyard-like area directly in front of the BPI Headquarters. The statue depicted a figure Kinson would recognize anywhere.
"The Hero, Morgan Sindred," he whispered in reverence, causing Celeste to look at him with surprise.
"You actually recognize him? Most people wouldn't know… oh," she said.
"How could I not recognize him! He's the only one to kill a nightmare, after all. The sole avenger of Mars," Kinson said, still looking at the statue.
Morgan Sindred, a name which any of the refugees would recognize. He was a class 10 Psionic Manipulator, undoubtedly the best in the Alliance at controlling fire. Unfortunately, he had since retired, as the nightmare inflicted devastating injuries during their fight.
"I should have guessed. Anyway, let's get going. You don't want to be late, after all," she said, glancing at her watch.
Kinson nodded and followed her into the building. Everything about the structure showed wealth, from the massive windows set in front to the chandelier within the lobby. He felt a little bad leaving his shoes on, as the carpet had obviously been meticulously cleaned. Celeste giggled at his hesitation.
"Come on," she pulled at him, "They clean this place every day."
"Hello Celeste! What brings you here this morning?" a pretty receptionist gets from over the counter.
"Hi Charlotte! I brought Kinson over for an interview. Should be on your schedule, yes?" she replied.
Charlotte reached behind the counter, pulling out a folder crammed with paper. Kinson looked on in shock as she continued to ruffle through the papers, fumbling for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"Don't you have a computer for that?" Celeste finally broke in, unable to bear it any longer.
"Sorry about that," the sectarian scratched her head, "I usually don't take this long. Ah, here it is!"
She pulled out a wrinkled paper, unfolding it. It looked like a schedule of sorts, but he only knew that much because Charlotte was holding it backwards. The secretary quickly realized it and flipped it over.
"And there you are! Looks like Andres will be with you over there," she pointed to an open doorway behind the counter.
"Okay, thanks," Kinson peered back, trying to catch a glimpse through the door.
The light was already on, but he could only make out the back of a large, ornate wooden chair. He gulped, feeling a few butterflies in his stomach.
The secretary glanced back down at the schedule, then said, "Looks like he is still in another meeting. If you'd like, you could wait there for him."
Kinson looked over at Celeste. She shrugged her shoulders, leaving it to him. Nodding, he looked back at Charlotte.
"Okay, as long as he isn't too long," he decided.
With that, Kinson walked over, entering the office. The room was fairly large, for an office, but looked pretty empty. A large desk occupied the majority of the far side of the room, with nice chairs on either side. A large portrait of some man adorned the wall to his left. The man had a cruel look in his eye, but the hand that clutched the flag of the Alliance looked sure and steadfast. Kinson sat in the visitor chair and looked at the items on the desk.
A single paper had half fallen face down out of a folder in the middle of the desk. He couldn't help but lean forward and look at it. It seemed to be a file, of some sort. Kinson cautiously looked around, then, seeing no one near, he flipped the paper open and scanned it.
"'Kinson Virin, age 17. Mars survivor and refugee, current student of the Titan University of Psionics. Abilities: Deathdreaming. Failed admittance into deathdream program due to inability to control immersion. Risk of walking in a Deathdream is extremely high. Note: Kinson has demonstrated a practical immunity to fear, including when he has encountered deadly situations within the deathdream.' I wonder how they gathered all this…" Kinson wondered aloud. It was all true, of course.
Kinson jumped as a sudden cough broke his reverie. He quickly dropped the paper, and turned around and jumped from his chair. A strict looking elderly man stood before him, wearing a crisp uniform of some sort. It didn't appear to be from the Titan or Alliance military, so perhaps belonged to the BPI itself.