An Illustrated Novel! || Ivy Rochester accidentally falls into a portal that takes her 1,000 years into an alternate future. Getting back is the least of her worries.
12-year-old Ivy Rochester stumbles on a fluorescent lightbulb...and somehow finds...
When Syndria had explained to Ivy that they were going to be riding a car home, Ivy was at first concerned about who exactly would be driving the vehicle. She soon discovered that the car was self-driving, much to her relief. That relief was soon replaced with worry, however, upon discovery that there were no roads—only open air and a drop hundreds upon hundreds of feet deep. "These cars hover," Carbon explained as he punched the coordinates of Syndria and Kronalia's address into the car's interface. "They hover on invisible tracks."
Ivy would have relaxed after that, had the car not been crammed with six individuals, causing the entire vehicle to teeter and shake with every movement.
"This taxi's only supposed to fit five," Oak grouchily said. "They're going to charge me so many credits out of my allowance for going over the passenger limit."
"I'll pay you back?" Ivy said apologetically.
"How? Got any credits?" he sarcastically replied.
"No..." she said, shrinking under his unfriendly gaze.
Ivy squirmed and looked out of the window, cushioning the lightbulb from the other passengers. Cascading vines and towering trees wove between stately buildings that sported sleek glass facades. The invisible tracks wove them through lush forests and cyberinfrastructure. Ivy spotted a waterfall in the distance, beginning at some undefined point far above them, and dropping below, distant and out of view. "What's that waterfall?" Ivy asked, pointing towards it.
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"Oh, that's the City Bureau," Kronalia said, glancing in disinterest. "You don't need to know much about them, it's just the government."
"The government that'll arrest all of us if they catch Ivy here, might I remind you?" Oak muttered.
Kronalia said nothing but cast a resentful glare at him. Ivy shuffled. I feel like I've walked in on something I shouldn't have... The rest of the car ride was silent and awkward, minus the occasional creaking of the vehicle as it traversed along its magnetic pathway.
Ivy sighed in relief as the car squealed to a stop in front of an unassuming house... Well, as unassuming as a house floating on a hovering base could be. Despite its harsh and industrial base of metal, bolts, and neon tubing, Ivy found the lush clover and trees that resided on top of it warm and inviting. "How nice!" she said as she peered up at the three stories of glistening glass front. She couldn't help but notice tendrils of ivy snaking around the window casements. "I never imagined the future would have so many plants!" she said in admiration.
"Well, yeah," Kronalia said. "It's because of the Nature Act of 2852. It made sure builders used more plants in city infrastructures."
"Ugh, enough with the history," Oak said. "We need to figure out how we're getting Ivy into your home, Syndria and Kronalia."
"What do you mean? Can't we just walk in with her?" Syndria blankly said.
"Not without us getting caught..." Augaley said, nervously looking out the window.
