AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

5.1 ZURI

The Market looked so different in the morning with the hover lights off and lesser people out. The DigiScreens were still bright even in the morning light, but it was in the night when the Market transformed into a totally different place. The lights from the hover lights, DigiScreens, gave a magical glow to the area. Even the art, music, and dance performances happened at night, and most food places had different menus for mornings and evenings, and the whole vicinity smelled good – it was better at night.

The Market was quiet now – still waking up to the day. A few food places were open, many closed after a long night.

Zuri walked through a DigiScreen with the image of Mike Wiet asking people to be careful when traveling to the Outer Towns and to take precautions against the Green Plague. Zuri had heard of the Plague and had read the symptoms, but had never seen anyone affected by it. It was rampant in the outermost towns and the Open.

The DigiScreen buzzed out of existence, and she felt the prick of electricity on her skin. It buzzed back into life after she had passed through it. Zuri loved doing it to feel the gentle prick of current on her skin. A lot of DigiScreens were lined throughout the streets of Market, easy as they were to install and control. They were tiny round devices embedded onto the ground and controlled by AIVIO Scroll. It was easy to create content on one's DigiScreen and push it to the device on the LINC – the Leadership's Inter-Network Connection. There were DigiScreens lined up in front of shops selling their products, in front of the virtual game centers advertising new games and nearly everywhere showcasing announcements from the Leadership about safety, their rules, about the Green Plague, about kidnappings and such. 

Zuri went into their favorite place – a small shop selling sweets and savory breakfast. Aija had introduced the place to her, and she had fallen in love with it instantly. There were no shops that sold freshly made food in her town – or anywhere else other than Innermost.

When Zuri had first come to Innermost, she hadn't known anyone. On the first day of Volunteering, she had seen Aija and had a crush on her straight away. Aija was beautiful, not in the conventional sense of beauty, but in her own unique way. Zuri found her alluring. She seemed so shy, yet Zuri found a strange strength; a strength very still and poised.

From her very first day, Zuri had spent every following day with Aija. They had become close soon, and Zuri had debated with herself several times about confessing her crush to Aija but withheld herself when she had found out about Aija's crush on Ze. Aija only saw her as a friend – at least as someone she cared for. That had to be enough for her.

Zuri ordered a sweet and a savory dish – both were Aija's favorite. She brought them over to a bench at the Circular Park and sat there. The bench nestled in the cusp of the Park and the brick-paved roads of Market, giving a view of them both – Aija's favorite place to sit other than in front of the lake.

A part of Zuri would always love Aija – more than just a friend, even if Zuri fell in love with someone else, even if Zuri was asked to marry someone else.

She wondered what Aija would do after their volunteering. Aija still hadn't decided what Major to take up. She seemed lost. Zuri only hoped that she could stay close to Aija no matter what she decided.

"Zuri..."

Zuri knew who that voice belonged to even before she turned around.

"You live in Innermost? Or have you come for the food?" she asked, coming in front of Zuri.

"Both..." answered Zuri, her heart pounding.

Nala sat next to her and smiled.

Zuri had hoped countless times to meet her again. She hadn't told Aija about her, yet.