The blue, sparkling, vibrant field surrounding the train’s metal alloy door flashed for a few seconds, indicating that the pressurized doors were about to close. As the doors began to slide shut, I couldn't help but think about the quantum field mechanics that were at play. The field around the door was actually made up of tiny particles, constantly shifting and interacting with each other in ways that were beyond ordinary human comprehension.

As I waved goodbye to my twin brother sitting on his luggage, I considered the mathematics of the technology that allowed his luggage to float effortlessly above the floor. The anti-gravity units that held the smooth silver cuboids in place were actually powered by a complex network of quantum field generators, each one carefully calibrated to maintain a stable field.

I broke my mind away from this train of thought. I knew it was a way of dealing with his leaving as I retreated into my mind.

With a slight bur of his features – due to the thick glass door - I could still see him. He had a look of excitement and nervousness on his face as he was looking forward to his new exciting life that was about to begin.

I muttered to him, “Good luck, you lucky dog Jack Brown.”

He cupped an ear as he tried to hear what I had muttered. I simply waved my hand, indicating that it was nothing to be worried about. He nodded, pulled out his personal screen, and unrolled the thin plastic sheet. With a finger, he used the advanced personal computer and assistant like an old fashion ‘Etch A Sketch.’ The simple message he wrote was “Goodbye Jane.”

I nodded with my eyes tearing and got one more wave as the force field surrounding the long train turned a flashing warning amber color, then red. For a second, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as the silver and white bullet train generators wound up to full power. Then the hairs were pushed flat as the inertial damping field activated as if space-time had been pushed a fraction by a massive unbending force.

The train began to move; I could feel the subtle vibrations of the quantum field engines beneath my feet, propelling it forward at incredible speeds. I couldn't help but wonder about the complex mathematical equations that governed the behavior of these tiny particles and how they were able to create such an amazing feat of engineering. With a final burst of energy from the quantum field engines, the train shot forward, hurtling through space toward its destination.  

From my perspective, as I was standing behind the protective barriers, all at once, the train disappeared as if it were a bullet in a transparent barrel shot out of the city spheroid into the darkness of the world beyond. Looking at the empty space where the massive two-story train had been, I knew the train would travel for hours at speeds passing the sound barrier in the desolate space surrounding the city-state.

I sighed to myself and said to nobody in particular with a tone of resentment, “That's it. Little me is the last one left.”

Looking around the vast hall that was the only way to travel away from the magnificent complex city that had been my home for all my life, I tried to pull myself together. Taking a small segment of smart nanite gel from a capsule in my handbag, I dabbed a milliliter on my face. The gel-like water with no surface tension spread around my eyelids, absorbing the watery tears and fixing my smeared makeup.

As I pulled the gel off my face – once the nanites in the gell had done their job – I scanned to see if I had gotten away with showing signs of distress in such a public area. At first, my hopes were up as I scanned the glowing white walls of the train terminal.

Then to my dismay, I saw a man in a blue and red one-piece costume, his costume glimmering with a metallic sheen. The colors were so vivid and bright that they practically popped off his body. The suit itself was adorned with a myriad of intricate details, from the raised piping along the edges to the embossed logos running down the legs. The cape draped behind him, billowing in the wind, adding an extra sense of grandeur to his presence. However, it was the symbol on his chest that really caught my eye. It was a complex and intricate design, radiating with energy and power. Clearly, this emblem was not just for show but a representation of his formidable abilities.

His eyes locked onto mine. They glinted with an intensity that spoke of his overzealous arrogance, his unwavering belief in his own abilities. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over me as I saw the determination etched into his gaze. His costume seemed to ripple with power as he moved as if it were an extension of his own abilities. The material appeared to be almost metallic, catching the light and reflecting it back with a dazzling sheen. It was clear that no expense had been spared in creating this costume, from the intricate details woven into the fabric to the high-tech materials that made up its construction.

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Unfortunately for me, he had already made fleeting eye contact. With practiced reactions, I tried to look away and downward as if nothing was amiss. However, the intensely handsome-looking hunk of a man with his over-toned muscles must have been monitoring me for some time.

I thought, dammit, I guess he saw my tears. Just act normal, like you are not upset about anything. Maybe I should even plaster a smile on my face. Whatever I do, don’t look as if I’m in distress.

Turning around quickly and lifting up my head in one movement, I started to stride quickly away from the now blue shield wall at the edge of the platform. This was when everything went wrong. I clumsily tripped over in my haste to escape the ever watchful intense looking eyes.

As my left foot got in the way of my right, I felt the maladroit that often came out when I was in such a klutzy situation. Before I could face plant onto the floor with the grace of the uncoordinated woman I was, it all happened. From high up in the rafters of the station, the grand specimen of the male species zoomed down with cones of blue flame jets flowing from his hands and feet. He then flashed to a foot beside me as he caught me in his strong arms.

I tensed for a second as he lifted me back up to a standing position then he looked deeply into my eyes and held me tight, preventing me from falling.

I returned his look with my own annoyed expression as he said, “Citizen, you seem in distress. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Snatching my body away from his firm muscular grip, I backed off as he released me with care. I sorted out my plain white blouse and dark simple tan light pants for a few moments. Nothing was really out of place, and I shoved my bag back onto my shoulder. With a fixed expression that was neither happy nor annoyed, I looked at the flashy ‘super’ in his bright, vibrant outfit, which was a bold declaration of his status.

With the same fixed smile that was more like me gritting my teeth, I declared, “No, I'm fine, Super. Nothing to worry about. I will be just going home.”

Unfortunately for me, he was still in my way. So when I tried to step around him, he could delay me enough to speak. “Citizen …?”

I replied with my name, “My name is Jane Brown. Please use it.”

“Citizen Jane Brown, you do not look fine. I would love to be of assistance to you!”

I bet you would, I thought with resentment in my mind at this man that seemed to have been sculpted into an image of a greek god. Hanging around here, hoping for me to trip up and get some karma points. Your network of ‘supers’ has been trailing my brother and me since we left home. Now that I’ve tripped over, you have a valid excuse to come over here and hassle me.

While I thought he had been talking about what he could help me with. I heard the last few offers he had been sprouting, “ … I could fly you home to keep you safe from the forces of villainy that abound in this glorious city of ours ….”

I interrupted him as I observed, “Oh, aren’t you the cultured one! I see that you took the elective for the elocution lessons!”

This comment stopped him in his tracks as he said with his mouth opened like a fish, “… Wht!

“The ‘Super Hero Academy’ first-year elocution lessons that make you all sound the same.”

A flash of confusion appeared on his face as his conditioned brain tried to compute my line of conversation. According to what he had been taught, I should be whimpering with pleasure at being rescued by a ‘Super.’ That may be true for the rest of the ‘Federation Worlds under the Onestar.’ Still, in the city of supers, nobody batted an eyelid if you were in a super costume and looking like a Greek god. It was only simple me in everyday citizens' clothing that was so out of place while everybody else was flying around with their underpants on the outside.

Unfortunately for this super, I was feeling riled up today as I had just said goodbye to the only other normal person in my life. So now my growing annoyance was getting the better of me as my mouth began to run off as if my mind had left all the reins on the ground.

I started speaking slowly and then began speeding up, “You’ve been following me all the way here, waiting for an opportunity for me to … well, trip over or something.”

He said, backing off from my verbal assault, “You did trip over, though! And I saved you from the fall.”

“Of course, I tripped. I’m a confirmed klutz. Have you ever thought that I might want to trip and fall once? Hey, it might even do my body good for once to know that if it messes up, I will feel the pain of face-planting.”

The super looked at me skeptically, so I ignored him and carried on for a few minutes as I shared my mind about being so mollycoddled - by his kind of opportunist - and why they couldn’t pick on anybody else for once.

He blurted out, “There are no other ‘citizens’ in the city. You are the only one. How else am I going to get ahead on collecting karma points.”

I shook my head as I moved around him and said, “I would like to inform you firmly that you’ll get no more karma points out of me today.”

With that, he let me go as he bowed politely. I thought dam elocution lessons they teach them so well.

As I left, I saw him looking at his wrist computer. A blue screen flashed into the air, and some text rolled across the surface.

Good for him; he got his precious karma points. I guess the morning of stalking with his friends was worth it for him.