Surculus

Invitations From a Third Celebration

I can't let curiosity get the best of me.
​For a second, I forgot that trabbies are not human. What they do does not involve me, and vise-versa. As much as I want to know what happened to him, I cannot let those things reel me in...
​That's it! This is a conspiracy! The people from Earth B know how I act, and want me to come over there so they can experiment on me... or something...
​Ok, even I know that is bullshit. So, what the hell happened?
​You know what? Screw it; I am going over there!
​I run downstairs and begin putting my tennis shoes on, which look brand new due to how little I use them. My mom sees me doing this and walks over.
​"What are you doing? You have never wanted to go outside! Did you meet a girl or something?"
​"No, nothing like that," I respond.
​"If that isn't the case, what is it?"
​"I... I can't see my reflection."
​"Well son, I don't know if you have been paying attention lately, but that is not uncommon in the moder- Hey! You didn't even say goodbye!"
​By this time I am already sprinting away from the house. So, first I have to get to the Gate in order to cross over, but I have no clue where it is. Not knowing where your local Gate abides is almost as bad as not knowing where your state capital is located!
I have been locking myself inside so long that the world around me at the moment is completely new to me. New stores around every corner, new inventions and innovations on display behind glass windows, and people giving me strange looks as I run through the streets. That's when I realized what was wrong. I have no fashion.
The crowds around me are wearing clothes I have not seen before, and in my opinion, look ridiculous! The women are barely wearing anything! Do they not have any modesty? Oh, and the men, don't even get me started! They dress as is they want to be women! What has happened to this world?
Shit, I can't keep getting sidetracked. Stick to the current mission, Desparsus! Now, the Gate, where is the Gate?
To my left is a sign with a symbol representing what I think to be reflection. It depicts a man, one similar to street crossing lights, walking into a wall, which is probably a mirror. On the other side of that wall is the second half of his body, representing reconstruction. An arrow below the symbol points in the direction of a location it most likely corresponds with.
Without thinking, I follow that arrow, letting it take me wherever it wishes. I pass churches and schools, stores and restaurants, all of which were never there when I last explored this outside world. It is overwhelming. I feel like a total outcast. Everything has changed.
The further I walk, the more I notice a particular set of people, protesters. These protesters are holding signs saying things varying from "Stop Reflection" to "They aren't human". Obviously, they are anti-beta activists. The best part about the whole thing is that the government allows these protests! I don't see a single authority talking to these people. In fact, I see some protesters who are police!
At the end of the street is a big building, similar to a train station. Crowds gather around it, consisting of businessmen and businesswomen, teenagers, college students attending ß-schools, and protesters. The closer I get, the more uncomfortable I become. I hate crowds, and this location is probably the center of all attention nowadays. Staring at the ground, I walk forward, trying my best not to bump into anyone.
"Your passport, sir," comes a voice directed at me.
I look up, dumbfounded, "passport?"
"Oh, don't act like a fool, either or you have it or you don't."
I didn't think about this, and I am surprised I didn't. It isn't shocking that you need a form of identification to be able to reflect; it is technically going abroad. So, taking in a deep breath, I tell him honestly and with all the confidence I can muster up, "Ummm... why do I need a passport?"
"Well son, unless you just happen to be Adeo, Induco, Saeta, Desparsus, or Imbrium, you ma-"
"Did you say Desparsus?"
"Yes, would that be you?"
"Yup!" I say with a smile on my face.
​"Yeah, likely story. NEXT!" the man looks up and finds the next person in line.
​"Wait, hold on! I can prove it!" I take off my jacket, and show him the name written on the inside. He looks closely at the tag, and then looks back at me, this time with an apologetic, sincere expression.
​"S-sorry about that... here, you can go," he unclips the chain guardrail, letting me enter.
​What was that all about, and why do I get some kind of exemption because of my name? Whatever it is, I need to stick to the plan.
​"When approaching the reflection chamber, be sure to not to accept items from strangers," a programmed, women's voice sounds from the speakers above.
​I follow the path that the guardrails take me, and soon come to multiple mirrors with small, cylindrical vessels a few yards in front of them.
​"Next," a man to the right of the vessel signals for me to approach.
​I walk over to him, and walk into the glass cylinder, joining five other people, some of which are trabbies. The door slides shut and a low hum gets louder and louder. This experience is totally new to me, but the others seem to be used to it, as they are not responding to the sound in any way.
​So, from the information I know about reflection, I will be converted into light, and then sent through the mirror. After being sent through, I shall be reconstructed into a physical from. Sounds painless enough.
​The humming stops, creating complete silence. Then, in an instant, a bright, white light fills the room, stretching the world around me into a thin layer of fabric. Strings surround me to the left and to the right, and my body is without form.
​All of a sudden, darkness envelops everyth-