PAGE TURNERS - CHAPTER 18 [PAGE 35] - THE CUBE
The group felt as if they had entered a warzone. Boxes zipped past in every direction, each like a bullet that narrowly missed them. Their rolling sphere remained on a dedicated track heading toward a massive central sphere—the hub for all the external tracks. The paths of their ball and the other moving containers seemed impossibly organized despite the chaos. While their own track was visible, the boxes appeared to glide along invisible routes, perfectly coordinated to avoid collisions. Some boxes traveled alone, but many were stacked two-high, three across, or even in two-by-two configurations. The result was the most chaotic three-dimensional game of Tetris anyone could imagine.
Single boxes shot toward the central sphere, attaching for mere moments before speeding off to new destinations within the Cube. At first, Tilla assumed this sphere was the Cube’s true center—it seemed logical given how everything appeared to orient around it. But as she strained her eyes against the flickering blur of boxes, she noticed other, smaller spheres dotting the distance. Glancing out the opposite side of their ball, she spotted yet another identical sphere. Her mind raced. How many hubs did this place have? Was it possible for a space this vast to even have a single center?
Before she could attempt to count the sphere-hubs scattered throughout the Cube, their ball rapidly decelerated. With a metallic click and a hollow thud, the sphere docked with the nearest hub and locked into place.
“Welcome to the Cube!” Nel’s booming voice echoed down from above.
“Hope you enjoyed the ride,” Rubes added with a chuckle.
“Thanks for everything,” Charlize said, stepping toward the ball’s exit. “We wouldn’t mind a lift on the way out, if you’re free.”
“We ain’t a taxi, Charlize!” Nel barked, rolling his eyes.
“Sorry, Charlize, but we’re not running a taxi service,” Rubes chimed in, trying to soften Nel’s tone.
“What did I just say? Obviously, if we’re around, we’ll help. No promises,” Nel grumbled as the ball’s door sealed behind them. With a series of clicks, clunks, and a final whoosh, it sped back the way it came, disappearing into the chaotic grid.
Od and Tilla stood frozen for a moment, again struck by the contrast between the Cube’s exterior and its interior. The sphere hub they had entered was unmistakably cubic on the inside, with walls rising high to meet a flat ceiling. Docking bays lined the walls at regular intervals, and each bay buzzed with activity. Balls arrived, deposited passengers, and left in a mechanical rhythm. They stood on a massive balcony that wrapped around the upper half of the cube, crowded with people waiting for elevator platforms—small, box-like platforms that darted up and down from the ground floor below. The floor itself was no less active; room-sized boxes popped up through square holes, paused just long enough for passengers to board, and plummeted back down.
For the first time since entering Page 35’s Grid, the sound of rushing objects gave way to something new: a low, constant buzzing. Crowds of people, each laser-focused on their destinations, created a living current that pulsed through the hub. Charlize noted how eerily similar the atmosphere felt to the Grid outside. The energy was identical: a mindless, efficient machine endlessly churning forward.
Charlize ushered Od and Tilla toward the balcony’s edge, joining a queue for the small platform elevators. As a platform approached, she nudged Od forward. It was barely a meter wide and lacked any safety rails. Od hesitated, awkwardly balancing with outstretched arms as the box descended 20 meters with immense speed. Upon landing, he stumbled off, narrowly avoiding the platform as it shot back up and clipped his cap. Snatching the hat mid-air, he muttered, “Too close.”
Tilla, undeterred, stepped onto the platform with a gleeful “Wheeeee!” as it dropped, landing gracefully beside Od. He couldn’t help but think how that noise studied her previous form more than her current one.
From the ground, the hub’s scale felt even more overwhelming. The sheer number of people rushing around and the relentless movement of boxes made the air feel electric, as though it were vibrating with the energy of the hive. Charlize, who preferred solitude, found the chaos deeply unsettling. To her, this was nothing short of a beehive—a relentless swarm buzzing through the chambers of the Cube. The thought weighed on her: this hub was only a fraction of the Cube’s total size. The further they ventured, the worse it would become.
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“Stay close,” she instructed, stepping off the next platform and joining the others.
Tilla glanced up at Charlize, her eyes brimming with unspoken questions. Sensing her unease, Charlize placed a steady hand on the girl’s shoulder and offered a faint nod of reassurance. Together, they merged into another queue.
This line moved even faster than the last, thanks to the incredible efficiency of the larger box room elevators. In minutes, they reached the front. The trio soon boarded a large open-sided box, bracing themselves as it plummeted downward.
As they fell at dizzying speed, the innards of the Cube revealed themselves again through the open wall. Boxes shot past with unnerving precision, missing by hairsbreadths. Od and Tilla marveled at the impossible synchronization and the smoothness of the ride, which seemed even more impossible. Even as they fell, their feet didn’t leave the ground and their stomachs didn’t turn, the physics simply didn’t make sense.
“What is this place?” Tilla asked, her voice trembling with wonder.
“I second that. What the hell is this place?” Od added, his tone just as mystified.
“This is the Cube,” Charlize replied matter-of-factly. “Part factory, part marketplace. Its primary purpose is to fuel the construction of the Grid. What you’re seeing now is mostly residential blocks and scattered markets. Further in, you’d find factories producing materials for the pillars.”
“How far in?” Tilla asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
“Farther than we’ll ever need to go. Exploring the factory sectors would take years.”
“Years?!” Tilla’s voice shot up. “How big is this place?”
“I’ve no idea. Nor do I care to find out.”
“And how do we even find anyone here?” Od asked. “I don’t know how to reach my friend.”
“Most people rely on cubeys to guide them—devices that direct them to the correct elevators and schedules. However, the boxes move on Seam tracks. That makes it easy for someone like me to track a destination.” She paused, her tone sharpening. “Prepare to step off in thirty seconds.”
As the box slowed to a halt, Charlize stepped off with precision. Od and Tilla followed, stumbling as they scrambled to avoid being carried away by the departing box. They found themselves on a massive bridge spanning the Cube. Hundreds of identical bridges crisscrossed the space, each bustling with activity.
“Before we visit your friend, I need to see mine,” Charlize declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.
“What friend?” Tilla probed.
“A fellow Bookwyrm. With luck, they’ll have updated information on Iglesias King.”
“Fine, but then we see my friend, right? You still want those fingers fixed, don’t you?” Od pressed.
Charlize narrowed her eyes, sensing his ulterior motives. Still, she sighed. “Yes. After my meeting, we’ll see your friend. For now, stay here on this bridge. I’ll return in a few hours.”
“You’re leaving us alone?” Tilla asked, her voice hesitant.
“Yes. Considering the mysteries surrounding you both, it’s best we keep certain dealings private for now. Can I trust you?” Charlize fixed her gaze on Od.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t you?” Od said with his usual grin.
“So many reasons, Od. So many reasons. I’ll ask again—can I trust you?”
Od straightened, doffed his cap, and replied with unusual sincerity. “I’ll protect her with my life. You have my word.”
“I believe you,” Charlize replied, though her tone left Od wondering if she truly did.
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Charlize’s elevator box clicked into place with another. The door slid open, revealing a room unlike any she had seen since entering the Cube. Blue and purple vines snaked across the walls, and the floor was a lush green carpet of grass.
At the far end, a man swayed in a hammock suspended by stone-metal pillars. Rows of arches of the same material looped over the hammock horizontally. Tiny cubes rippled across the arches in random sequences, popping up and down like keys on an invisible keyboard. Occasionally, the man plucked a cube, examined it, and returned it to the arch.
“Charlize Blackburn. A sight for sore eyes,” he greeted without looking up.
“And you, Gyri. It’s been too long,” Charlize replied, her tone softening.
“What brings you here?” he asked, still focused on the cubes.
“I need an update on Iglesias King. Is he still leading the rebellion? What Page is he on?”
At her words, the cubes froze mid-motion. Gyri looked up for the first time, his expression darkening.
“I hoped I’d never hear you ask me that again, Charlize. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?”