Page 6 of Bred by the Alien Prince

“AI view board??” I exclaimed. “Are you an AI?”

Derek laughed. “No, I wish. But I got so much tech in me that I’m bordering on AI. When a human gets like me, we have to stand before the board to measure our intelligence, etc. It’s really an attempt to distinguish us from normal humans.”

“I’ve never seen someone teched out in person, you don’t look as extreme as the others.”

“You wouldn’t believe how many people are teched out. They hide it well.”

“Why are you on a bus?” I asked without thinking.

He chuckled. “I’m poor. I worked hard, but most of my money went into upgrades. That was my fault. If I hadn’t become so obsessed with upgrading myself, I could have purchased a plane ticket, but then I probably wouldn’t have been chosen by the company. At least I get to bypass the final physical.”

“There’s a final physical?” I said, feeling hot and sweaty. At this point, I still had no clear-cut idea of what I would do once I got there, but it seemed like I was stuck on sneaking in there somehow.

“Yeah, you’re going to Outer Worlds, too?” he said, as if he didn’t know why this bus was full of people going to Iowa.

“Um… yeah.”

“It should be in your orientation package.”

Oh, okay, I think he was just being an asshole. “Yeah right… I think I read something about it. The truth is I was in such a rush to make it. My mom hid the package from me.”

“Couldn’t let her baby boy go, huh?”

“Something like that.”

“I hear her; I mean, we’ll have to live on that planet… what’s it called… Eden’s Prime? No, that’s the colony’s name… oh yeah, Scion 37y.” He snapped his fingers once he got the name right. “We’re gonna have to come up with a better name.” He laughed. “But yeah, we’re gonna be there for five years before we’re allowed to leave. Five whole years. It’s a long time not to see your family.”

“Yeah…” Though I doubted I was going anywhere, I didn’t even know what I hoped to achieve! The best option was to stay at a hotel and relax for a few days before returning home with my tail between my legs and enrolling in school.

After all, who said I had to go the entire two or four years? I could have used it as a time saver to look for a job, quit, then move out properly… maybe that would have been the smart thing to do, but you’re about to see that me and smart don’t always go hand in hand.

“What came in your orientation package?” I asked with genuine interest. “Is it different for everyone?”

“Nah, everything will be provided by the company. But we got our ID cards to get on the grounds, access to the gym, and assigned a dorm room, etc.”

“Shit,” I exclaimed. “I think I’m gonna need some sleep.” Yeah, like that was going to help. My plan at this point was to get off at the next stop and call it a trip, I’ve made my point, and now it was time to do the smart thing, but damn, I wanted to at least see what Midgard Port looked like.

I woke up, and it was dark outside.

I got a burrito from the rest stop and used the toilet.

Twenty hours later…

The bus doors swept open, and I joined the throngs shuffling into the massive spaceport. My eyes darted around, trying to take it all in—the soaring towers of glass and steel, ships glinting in the morning sunlight as they prepared for launch, and bustling crowds with rolling suitcases.

Snippets of a hundred conversations washed over me. Nearby, a woman begged her crying toddler to quiet down. The sharp voice of an announcer boomed flight updates from overhead speakers. My nostrils twitched at the mingling scents of coffee, jet fuel, and fried food.

I followed the flow of passengers. My ears perked at the low hum emanating from a towering device—the space elevator. Groups and families posed before it, smiling for pictures.

Heart pounding, I shuffled along, elbow to bumping with other eager travelers. The spaceport was a sensory experience unlike anything I'd encountered. My nerves thrummed with excitement and uncertainty. What would I do now? The sights, sounds, and smells threatened to overload me. All I could do was take a deep breath and keep moving forward.

The Space Elevator itself was a sight to behold, even more breathtaking, with the light of the morning sun shining on it. The place looked like a colossal airport with a massive white tower that jutted from the ground to the sky. I heard the tower beat out the Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the entire world.

I should have gotten off at the first stop, but I missed it because I was sleeping. Then, at the second stop, I didn’t get off because Derek offered to buy me lunch, and I was hungry. And as for the other three stops, well…at that point, I was just committed to seeing the spaceport.

“Holy shit.” Derek stammered with a tremble in his voice. “I’ve seen this place on TV and online, but they were right when they said you still ain’t ready to see this in person. The first spaceport built on Earth.” He sighed.

“I can’t believe how big it is.” I chuckled. “Which part is Outer Worlds?” I asked just as I saw the massive sign with a nuclear space family, a mother, father, two kids, and even a dog in a space suit. The arrow pointed toward the right with massive lettering that said: Outer Worlds.

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