They Meet

Miscellaneous

Looking for work, Levi, a Transhuman, steps off a rundown transportation ship, the only passenger in the scrubby, rickety space vehicle. Opposite him, Neo Terran pair Delphi and Transcendence, their managers, and the other Prism staff, arrive to perform for the Solar Festival. Elsewhere on the planet, newly Neo Terran citizen, Evelyn, arrives in an ambassador ship along with her sister, Irene, to celebrate the free energy and her continued success in her classes at the Institute.

The dome surrounding Fallo City glints in silver hexagons, the sun burning hot and high in the sky.   Levi, while searching for work, spots an angry woman being escorted out of a a building. He eventually finds work with a Neo Terran husband and wife duo -- each with four limbs, one short and the other tall -- repairing a pair of construction bots. Only one was completed, and Levi was paid handsomely for it. After leaving the pair, he spots a ticket to a concert fluttering by on the ground. He decides to go to it, because it's a free ticket as far as he is concerned, and he is curious.   Meanwhile, Delphi and Transcendence have been paired together, shopping. They are called to work by Prism, and hurriedly return to where they have been set up to perform. Once at the stage, Delphi reunites, nervously, with her manager, who is a dick. Transcendence, who also sees her manager, separates from Delphi, and they both get ready.   Evelyn, having spent her time shopping, meets with her sister, who begins leading her to where the performance by a duo of Delphi and Transcendence has already begun. Around this time, Levi is in line to enter, but when he tries to enter, having shown the ticket, the military Neo Terran (lower half of body has wheels, a rare decision) guarding the entrance begins to glitch out. A minute later, the other military guards join in.   Evelyn, close by, immediately sets to work. She takes apart the Neo Terran as per her experience in their creation and isolates the problem. A single nanite has become infected with a virus of some sort, and is quickly spreading throughout the rest of the Neo Terran’s body. While Delphi and Transcendence continue in their concert to distract much of the crowd, Evelyn is successful in shutting the problem down, which triggers the shutdown of the others. After this, she begins a regular maintenance of the Neo Terran’s body, introducing herself to Levi and, reluctantly, vice versa.   Meanwhile, Delphi and Transcendence have stopped the concert, coming into the crowd to sign anything and everything. Taking photos, autographing.   Evelyn realizes that communications are down after her maintenance. She and Levi split to investigate, and both find, in the communication boxes set outside the area, small devices that look like beetles. These must be what was blocking communications in and and out. The two return to the scene.   Eventually, while Transcendence goes to join her manager, Delphi comes over to investigate. Evelyn’s sister also joins, star struck by Delphi but serious about what was going on. She’s called the local authorities, who are on their way.   They wait around, converse. Levi receives a signed pair of (a former bodyguard’s) sunglasses from Delphi. Irene informs the group that they are supposed to meet the authorities at a local tavern, the R&Amp, which they head off to.   Hidden by a cloak, Similie is in on the meeting while they each give their statements. Evelyn hands over one of the beetles. Levi, by the end has stealthily left to find work, and afterwards, head to the poorer edges of town, where Transhumans normally settle in makeshift homes and tents.   Evelyn and Delphi meet up with Delphi’s manager, who makes the mistake of referring Delphi as his property. This, of course, makes Evelyn mad, and after a distraction, she kidnaps Delphi and they run.   Prism guards chase after them upon Marcus’ command, but they lose them as they near the poorer district. There, they see Levi and his tent, and they hide in there with him. Levi, even while reluctant, seeing their predicament, hands off some clothing to hide Delphi’s concert costume. Evelyn contacts her sister, telling her of what just happened, pissed about slavery being a thing in the Alpha Avior System. She tells Irene that they need a way off planet. Her sister doesn’t try to make excuses; instead, she tells her sister to find her at the largest building in the city, way on the other side. They do so, meeting her at the crowd in front of the large entry way. A party is being held, a gathering to celebrate the Solar Festival. Irene leads the three to the back area of the Castle, where five figures stand waiting.   Blake Shellov, Similie Rebel, Malfire Bree, Camilla Darren, and John Doe introduce themselves. Evelyn did not know that some of her old friends had become a Power here on Centauri. She doesn't know John Doe, who appears Transhuman? Levi, Delphi, and Evelyn are given a chance to get away, tied up in the act of returning The Manta, a medium-sized ship that was implied to be stolen by the five adventurers some years ago. While they're talking, John Doe gives Levi a small computer, and sets up an ID on the wrist device that every citizen wears. The leaders of Centauri exchange numbers with Evelyn, along with Blake Shellov giving her a card to her destination, and she, along with Delphi and Levi, board the ship.   On their way out, they're attacked by automatic security drones, looking like rounded spiders, but those are dealt with swiftly, becoming metal pimples on and within the ship. After that, they each find their place and go to sleep.