Road to Arcadia: the Path East

Chapter Twenty-six: The Follow-Through

There was no better way to set up a first arrival to Arcadia.

The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, giving any remaining clouds in the sky a fresh orange glow. The fields they had crossed into were tan and rolling with a quiet morning breeze. Kai noticed its silhouette first, but didn't dare say anything. This was something that had to be experienced by unsuspecting eyes. As more and more passengers' eyes fluttered awake, there would eventually have to be one who--

A gasp--someone's air being stolen right from their lungs, only to be replaced by confused excitement.

Another. This one able to be heard from up above in the second level.

The chatter grew. It doubled and tripled until the entire vehicle was full of eager questions and excitable babble. They marveled at the spectacle, fretted at the inconceivable logistics. Those with keen eyes were already trying to make out details.

Deon turned to Kai, no longer worried about keeping eyes on the road. "Want to do the honors?"

His spine straightened. "Me?"

"Sure. We all take turns. Except Keo. He turns down the offer every time."

"Shock." He stood up, getting the circulation back in his legs. "I'll give it a shot."

Deon reached over, grabbed the cabled walkie, and dabbled with the settings. He extended an arm toward Kai.

Kai took the walkie and held it up to his mouth. He stood tall, looking at the passengers who had their focus trained on something else entirely. He pushed down the button and for a split second, heard the echo of his breath in the speakers above him. "Ladies, gentleman, distinguished guests."

The volume cut back until it hovered above a mumble.

"Welcome to the moving city of Arcadia."

The chatter erupted once more with a renewed sense of familiarity. Families, friends, and strangers alike exchanged observations of the city in front of them. Some pointed out the metal tendrils slowly hovering over the ground with freakish monstrosity, others observed the abundance of green on top with an alien warmth.

Kai managed to hear a voice among them say, "Ooooh, on Arcadia."

The excitement and wonder were palpable. Kai couldn't help but smile. This was what it was like to properly experience Arcadia for the first time. This was what Yulia had described as her favorite part of the R&R. He handed the walkie back to Deon, gaze lingering on the rest of the bus.

"You don't want to do the rest of the boarding procedures?" he teased.

Kai half-shrugged. "I'll work my way up to it."

"Fair enough." Deon lifted the walkie to his lips. "Alright, everyone, listen up. We'll be boarding Arcadia shortly. Everyone will need to have their seat belts buckled and all loose items stored. Crew will be coming around to check shortly." He released the button and hung it back up.

"I thought there was a lot more to that section," Kai commented.

"You're right. But trust me, these people only want to hear the bare minimum right now. They've got other things on their mind." He sat up in the driver's seat. "Now, come on, we need to get ready for intake."

Getting the bus ready for board wasn't an exciting or sexy job. Really, the more Kai thought about it there were few parts of the job that actually were. After the initial excitement post-Arcadia-reveal, it was back to housekeeping, making sure the cabin was ready and everyone was buckled in. The most exciting part was when he had to remind a woman twice but put hers on.