> April 3077. 7:50.
The triumphant, genuine smile of a trainee who had just passed their sky train driving test never failed to make Zeijien’s day. Zei could distinguish that kind of smile, even if it came from the most jaded of immigrants—those ones who had said goodbyes to their families with no certainty they would ever reunite. Those who had been in and out of court, on and off the streets, bearing wounds from a life of choices ripped away.
Such was the case with Ekarin, the hollowed-looking middle-aged man with messy brunette hair graying at the sides. Zei executed the final test with ease, thanks to the months of practice and the grant Zeijien had finally obtained, allowing en to train the Risenen immigrants whose job options were limited.
They ended training officially at the L-Line’s last stop in Rokon City—a mass hub of sky trains, regular trains, and buses like an intricate web branching off to different parts of the city. It lay underneath the largest portal, Portal 7, that led to planet Aecadien. It was there Zeijien stamped the metallic seal onto Ekarin’s RSTA Driver’s Permit next to neir name in pretty cursive letters. Zei held it up to the sunlight flooding in through the windshield windows.
“You did it, Ekarin! This is cause to celebrate!” Zeijien said, beaming with huir lopsided mouth and single silver left eye. A pastel sunrise-colored flower eyepatch covered huir right eye. Despite huir medium-tone gray skin and thin, eldritch-reminiscent body type, zei maintained a sunny disposition. At the very least, it took some of the edge off of huir uncommon appearance (not that zei had to be too careful around Ekarin).
Ekarin’s tired smile began to look uneasy. Zeijien passed nem a fresh can of neir favorite iced coffee. “Do you not agree?” zei asked.
Ekarin looked surprised to see the can. Zei shook huir head. Huir genuine smile returned as zei took the can and cracked it open. “Goodness, I’m simply in disbelief, that’s all. You’ve done a lot to help me get here. Words aren’t even enough to thank you. Quite frankly, I never thought I’d pass the written test, let alone the driving one.”
“You did all of that studying and training. Absolutely, you deserve this.” Zeijien passed the permit to Ekarin and nodded firmly. “Keep it safe. I’ll also have the permit card sent to you in three to five days. Ah—and your schedule, too. I’d love to take you out for a celebratory drink before then.”
Ekarin took the permit in huir calloused hands. Rubbed huir fingers along the seal as if making sure it was real. “That sounds wonderful, yes—” Huir voice trailed off, and huir expression became distant.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Zeijien knew Ekarin was the quiet type, but from huir time training nem, zei had learned to distinguish between the usual silences and the uncomfortable ones. And now the latter filled the control room like a noxious gas. Zei side-eyed nem. There was something nei wanted to say. Getting nem to say it was something zei knew zei shouldn’t push.
Zei looked around for something to do, trying not to seem like zei was worried about Ekarin. A look of realization struck huir face. “Right—Ekarin. Could you also email me your measurements for your uniform when you get the chance? I really do think it will suit you. And it’s nice, too, since you can wear it outside of work—just take off the RSTA patch, of course.” Zei lifted one of huir arms and proffered the sleeve of huir coat for emphasis. It was a reflective coat, the top half neon yellow and the bottom half black. Shiny iridescent material about a thumb’s length wide lined the various edges of the coat, including the pockets and the separation between the black and neon. Zei wore a black bell cap to match. Both clothing items bore the blue acronym “RSTA,” in other words, the “Rokon Sky Train Agency.” Zei wore the uniform proudly. Never forgot that this was the first agency willing to take in someone with gray skin without doubting huir integrity.
Ekarin nodded solemnly but let the conversation fall away. Perhaps because it was the end of training. Maybe it was because zei and Zeijien had become relatively close over the past few months. But Ekarin asked a question that took nem by surprise.
“I don’t understand why you’d fight tooth and nail to help fickle people like us. Don’t you think you’d feel the weight of guilt if one of your students were to ultimately become like the terrorists becoming more active these days?”
Zeijien looked at nem, huir gray face becoming hollowed and matching its sunken eldritch appearance. Zei took a moment to collect huir thoughts, then hesitantly asked, “Oh—why do you ask?”
Nei laughed at nemself, shirking off the weight of the question. “Oh, no. That’s just my pessimism getting the best of me. I apologize for asking something so awkward.”
Zeijien’s expression hardened, then became unreadable. Zei turned to the clock on the dashboard. 07:54. Zei had time to pry deeper into the question’s meaning, but did zei want to? Zei lingered in silence a bit longer as Ekarin collected neir jacket and messenger bag from the hook in the corner of the room. Time was running out. Zei decided to take the plunge.
“Would you?” zei asked carefully.
Nei faltered, clearly not expecting the subject to continue. Nei let out an airy, uncomfortable laugh. “Would I what?”
“You know. Become a terrorist?”
Zeijien didn’t know how to read this new type of silence. It felt like the train chamber had been plunged deep under the sea and was slowly sinking. Ekarin only smiled sadly, and huir eyes glazed over again.
Zeijien sighed—not resentfully. This wasn’t an interrogation room, and nor were they much more than supervisor and trainee. Zei perked back up and said, “Well, the way I see it, even if one of the people I trained turned out like that, isn’t it still better to make a good-faith effort than to not even try at all? Even if trying brings only a small chance of success, not trying will bring no chance at all, don’t you think?”
Ekarin drew huir eyes up to meet Zeijien’s briefly, but then they fell back down again. “Better?” zei mumbled. “I wonder.”