Chapter LII

The Gardens of Expression

Together, they soared through space, their figures merging with detailed and realistic holorenderings. Under Mariposa’s guidance, they neared the moon, where young explorers delved into Malkuth’s inaugural colony. Adriaas caught sight of her brother and made her way toward him. “It’s...”

“Incredible,” he completed her sentence, his voice colored with frustration. “I don’t understand why Dad kept us away from this.”

While Adriaas echoed her brother’s feelings, she chose not to linger on them just then. “We’ll think about it later,” she reassured him. “Let’s have fun!”

Finding joy had become challenging after their parents’ separation.

Adriaas flew off, landing on a holorendered moon. Her gravity adjusted to mimic the natural satellite, easing her descent. Mariposa landed gracefully, whereas Zeban stumbled and rolled, his fall eliciting peals of laughter from them all—uncontrollable and infectious.

They helped him up, still chuckling. “This is too much,” Adriaas managed through her laughter, imprinting the merry scene in her memory. “Ion, does the moon feel like this?”

“The experience isn’t completely accurate since the moon lacks an atmosphere, but the gravity is quite similar,” Ion clarified. “The main difference is that there’s oxygen here. If you touch the ground, it’s indistinguishable from handling moon rocks.”

The siblings sat on the holorendered surface, touching the ground and feeling somewhat silly. Mariposa watched them, chuckling at their novelty with the device.

“So, do you want to meet the crew?” she inquired, her eyes scanning the horizon.

“Your friends?” Adriaas asked, a mix of excitement and nervousness in her tone.

“Yes,” Mariposa affirmed. “They’re lifelong friends, and I think you’ll like them.”

Zeban glanced at his sister, his resolve apparent, as he rose with less gravity than used to, trying to find his balance.

Mariposa and Adriaas got to their feet, stifling their laughter as they steadied themselves.

“Where are they?” Zeban was eager to meet them.

“Outside, in the Gardens of Expression,” Mariposa replied, her voice laced with intrigue. “Shall we go?”

“What are those?” Adriaas wondered, intrigued by the name. “And how many dodecarooms are there here?”

“This place focuses on enhancing our kabbalistic learning. There are hundreds of study spaces. It’s where we absorb knowledge and socialize most of the time.” They exited the dodecaroom and entered another part of the Kabbalistic Center. “We have cafeterias, gymnasiums, parks, lakes, mountains and many experience rooms.”

Massive trees decorated the area, surrounded by towering metacrys structures crafted by Binah artisans, true masterpieces. At the heart of it all were the Gardens of Expression—a sprawling, intricate structure that looked vast with nature and endless from afar.

“Let’s go down,” Mariposa guided the siblings to a fishtank that brought them high into the sky, revealing it’s true expanse. The Gardens of Expression were built at the very center of the Stagnum, shaped as an irregular cylinder resembling a tornado, it crossed both the highest and lowest levels of that ingravitas structure.

Following Mariposa’s determination, they headed to the lower levels, into a green ecosystem thriving with many forms of life coexisting with the educational space. The crystalline structures gave way to a vibrant, multidirectional garden bursting with color and fresh scents of flora, resonating with the symphony of a spiraling river. “We’re heading to the central lake.”

“Are your friends there?” Adriaas was drawn to a family of ducks swimming nearby.

“Yes! We explore different areas and topics daily. Today, we’re studying biology, specifically frogs. Our studies are Tipharet-centered”

“Sounds like ‘Day of the Frog,’” Zeban commented, grinning.

“One of many,” Mariposa replied, ignoring his attempt to make fun of her group and bouncing with excitement. “Frogs are intriguing but we will change subject for your introductions, just wait for it.”

While Zeban continued discussing frogs, Adriaas was captivated by her surroundings. She absorbed the melodies from geneplants emanating with Vis while ethereal veils of water rose from the river, nourishing plants as they flowed downhill.

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Holorendered fairies darted through the sunlit fields, their luminous forms weaving among vibrant flowers, tending them with nutritious nanite-infused dust.

The air emanated with Vis energy as Mariposa, Zeban, and Adriaas descended from the fishtank and stepped onto a metacrys path winding through the expanse. Children were learning about the universe and Malkuth with the help of their kabbalah, the space divided into hundreds of greenery-covered classrooms.

After a short walk, they reached their destination—a room enclosed by vine walls and adorned with floating multicolored gellin seats. Inside, six teenagers awaited them.

“We’ve got visitors, Welfrens!” Mariposa announced their arrival with a flourish. “Adriaas, Zeban, meet the gang: Litia, Aestheneas, Oleana, Idunis, Quilzy, and Apolonox.”

The room burst into a flurry of greetings and introductions, with handshakes and fist bumps weaving through the air in a spirited exchange. When everyone settled into the floating gelliseats, Aestheneas, with his vibrant purple and yellow hair, spoke up.

“Welcome strangers!” he said with a warm smile. “There’s so much we must show you!”

“Aesthe, they’re not strangers,” Mariposa interjected, rolling her eyes. “We went over this yesterday!”

“Hmm,” he pondered. “Yes, I remember now. You’re Annevan’s kids, right?”

Adriaas and Zeban nodded, ready for questions about their father to begin.

“Welcome! It’s great to have new faces joining us, every time!” Idunis, the tallest, said with a smile.

“Thank you for having us,” Adriaas expressed her relief at meeting new people not prying about her father. “This place is...”

“Astonishing might be the word you’re looking for,” Quilzy, the spirited redhead, interjected.

“Or maybe flabbergasting. We won’t be dissecting frogs today, will we?” Litia asked.

“Let’s vote on it,” Apolonox suggested, his intense blue eyes gleaming. “I’m all for a change. It’s their first time, after all.”

“What should we switch to then?” Oleana, the most serious, inquired. “I like frogs.”

“Likewise, but we must admit it’s not the most beginner-friendly topic. We can revisit it later,” Idunis offered. “I vote we switch our theme for today.”

“Have we decided on a new topic?” Aestheneas asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “If not, I suggest The Bubble Fields.”

In an instant, the room erupted with exuberant shouts and cheers.

“Absolutely!” Apolonox seconded, his voice blending with the chorus. “That’s why you’re in charge, Aestheneas.”

Accepting the compliment with pride, the oldest kid stood and addressed the group. “Grab your belongings, frens! We’re on a collision course!”

With broad smiles and mounting excitement, the entire gang collected their gear. They clutched their kabbalahs or secured them in convenient spots. Their lightweight bags held essential tools for their daily activities: smart polymer notebooks, hemp bottles filled with water, and snacks.

Leaving the area near the shimmering lake behind, they took a different path, traversing intricate stone roads teeming with life. As they moved beyond a pollen-rich zone, Adriaas breathed in deeply, savoring the fresh air. Every aspect of the K.C. was extraordinary, and her mind buzzed with plans to visit every day.

“Do you guys have sleepovers here?” she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

The thought of spending a night at the Kabbalistic Center, camping out or exploring its mysteries in the dark, was irresistibly appealing to her. The answer came as a deluge of seven voices. Adriaas and Zeban exchanged amused glances, trying to discern the overlapping enthusiastic responses.

Once the excitement subsided, Aestheneas, the eldest and apparent group leader, clarified, “That’s a yes, if it wasn’t clear. Nighttime activities are as plentiful as daytime ones. Silidan circuits are a favorite; they use augmented reality. You can sleep in hammocks in towering trees, sit by moonlit campfires, swim in bioluminescent lakes, and join night raids, among many other things.”

Adriaas’s imagination soared with thoughts of the adventures that awaited them. A radiant smile spread across her face as she felt an instant connection with the group.

Together, they embarked on a day filled with unforgettable experiences. Following Aestheneas’s lead, they began with the Bubble Fields, as suggested. The activity started at the tallest structure in the Kabbalistic Center, an amethyst and metacrys tower resembling a vine adorned with flowers and leaves. From the edge of a dark green platform at the very top of a green colored path, the group leaders leaped into the sky, unencumbered by any safety gear.

“I thought we needed a silidarmis or merkabahs to fly individually in open spaces,” Adriaas remarked to Zeban and Mariposa, who stood beside her. “Why aren’t they wearing any protection?”

“There are recreational areas where ingravitas fields are activated for users to enjoy,” Mariposa explained. “And it’s only allowed for those aged seven and above.”

Despite her lingering grudge against her father, Adriaas shifted her focus to the adventure ahead. Before she knew it, Zeban had already jumped, bouncing in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, Adriaas launched herself from the crystalline precipice, hurtling toward the void. Instead of plummeting toward the ground at breakneck speed, she drifted upward, weightless. Sunlight danced upon hundreds of bubbles contained within an invisible perimeter. In a whirlwind of motion, Mariposa and Zeban reached Adriaas, grabbed her arms and propelled her toward the nearest bubble. Aestheneas, Apolonox, and Litia joined them, flying through the low-gravity expanse in search of bubbles for themselves.

Adriaas laughed as her body bounced off the resilient surface of another bubble, its texture reminiscent of wet glass. Melodic tones resonated as her hands grazed the surface, causing the bubble to shimmer with a kaleidoscope of colors. After rebounding and twirling, she found stability when colliding with a second bubble.

Soon, the rest of the group joined her, skillfully maneuvering through the expanse. Following those around, Adriaas marveled at the ease with which she adapted, using her synthesis to modulate her gravity like the rest of them, syncing her body to the ingravitas field by its sheer nature. Trusting her eyes, she transitioned seamlessly from one bubble to the next following a path, their movements creating a symphony of harmonious melodies, a testament to their newfound aerial prowess.

*****

That's it for Chapter LII!

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