[Remember, Toydarians prize height, both literally and figuratively. The upper zones are where Toydarians with status will be.]
Adam's words echoed inside my head for a moment. My gaze shifted upward, as that was where all the bustling activity could be seen. Several layers of drifting sky platforms tangled with bridges and thousands of speeders swarming like fireflies. And one location stood tall above the rest.
The Royal City of Toydaria. I couldn't help but chuckle seeing its placement. It overlooked the rest of Toydor. It was a vast complex of interlocking towers, composed into a palace. It had golden plating and reflective alloys, which caught the rays of the twin suns. It cast over the entire city, turning the upper city into a glowing beacon. I could see banners of His Majesty's insignia whipping fiercely in the humid winds. The same royal seal that I had.
That was my destination here. King Katuunko waited somewhere at the very top. That is the reason why I chuckled.
"So there's only one way to go. That is upward.", I replied while chuckling.
It made so much sense that it was almost poetic. Toydarians are an aerial species. The higher they go, the more respect they earn. I'm sure I'll find more common items and practices on the surface, likely where the Guilds are if there are any. Perhaps even underground, as bounty hunters are quite notorious. It was a hierarchy carved right into the sky.
A smile cracked on my face inside the visor of my helmet. I had already made it past the first obstacle, which brought me to the streets of the primary level. I wasn't sure how many levels there are in total here, but it'll definitely be tougher the higher I fly up. They were a tangle of patched-together structures, making it rather uneven and chaotic. Then you had the mid-levels which rose like enormous shelves, supported by massive pylon-like pillars that were enough to hold entire neighborhoods together. You know, if it weren't for the fact that this was an entire swamp, it wouldn't be a bad place to live. The concept was straightforward. You could stock up on all sorts of weapons and gear here, I'd imagine.
Foreign street food started tickling my nose, even though I had just eaten breakfast. Now let's see, where would a money exchange center be? I've a few gold ingot bars of Credits on my person, and I'm sure there are restaurants out there that could break these, but I'd rather do it at a money exchange. The noises I am presently hearing is a mixture of buzzing from Toydarians flapping their wings, the hums of rapidly-flying speeders, shouting of merchants, and metallic clangs of machinery beneath me. That didn't hold my interest, it was mostly plants of varying degree, or where dangerous individuals lurked.
It was then I heard some soft chimes filling my helmet. It wasn't too distracting either. Every direction I looked with my visor, my visor would light up with nametags. Adam automatically marked items in different colors. Most people remained yellow as neutral. items and such would be colored white. I didn't know what was rare yet, so colors like orange and purple wouldn't be used yet. He sure is a busy bee isn't he?
[I've begun analyzing our surroundings. Treat it as a passive ability you have. It will not cause much strain to your Power Suit. You'll be able to scan things like this for several days at a time. The bulk usage of your power will rely on how much you use the Gravity Suit. I've also re-routed your power so it automatically generates when there is active sunlight nearby. You'll have to resort to charging manually back on the gunship, but this should deter any hindrances while you move around the city. You should be fine making it all the way to the top.] Adam said to me.
"So my Power Suit is eco-friendly now. That's nifty.", I replied. It was still morning, and the two suns shone harshly above the skies. I saw a little power meter off to the side inside my visor, and it remained at a hundred percent. It was gaining more power than I could currently use.
[Correct. And I have already compiled an initial layout of the city. It will be saved under Toydaria later. Its layout has six layers. We are on the primary layer. Multiple sub-platforms and housing are situated on the lower levels. The upper levels begin on the fourth to sixth layers. Beyond that is the Royal City. We will need to see which layers require authorization, but it should be relatively safe for you to traverse the bottom layers. I am detecting a mixture of alien species. It won't just be Toydarians here, so I will advise you to proceed with caution.]
"I'm curious, are you able to convert the layouts into a customizable minimap?", I decided to ask, wondering if that was possible. "And even going as far as setting destination markers and such?"
[That should be doable. I'd need to compile more data to achieve that, however. What we currently have is just a basic layout of Toydor. Any more will need to come from you.]
I know maps are a huge deal in Metroid so just hearing that alone, my eyes lit up in excitement. I could potentially route it directly into my visor and navigate complex layouts in the future. Hell, I could even have Adam direct me where to go if I ever get lost or something. How cool is that?
"Got it. I'll continue to navigate the city and let you do your thing."
[Understood. Adam out.]
Hearing that, I saw Adam's tiny AI face disappear inside my visor, and my gaze was drawn toward the city again. With my passive scanning now being automatically triggered, it created a rhythmic hum that I wasn't super used to, but it was a nice and gentle touch to the ongoing activity in front of it. I gripped the seal of King Katuunko with one of my hands, making sure it remained on my person. I continued seeing the Toydarians buzz around rapidly, going about their daily business.
"Welp, if you can't beat them, you join them.", I said, activating my Gravity Booster. Hmmm!
Just like that, I took to the skies, entering Toydor's first layer!
I wasn't going to immediately head up to the palace. I mean, I could with what I presently have. But I want to take care of my side business first. I can't even shop properly until I get a good amount of change in my hands. I made sure not to take too much with me, as that would definitely raise suspicion.
It didn't take long for my visor to detect where I wanted to go. It beeped on its own, courtesy of Adam. A name appeared inside. It read "Trade Hub". Perfect, just what I was looking for. Most buildings on the lower levels were designed in such a way that benefited Toydarians. Open platforms that you could easily land on, then enter the building.
And I proceeded to do that. I successfully landed. The Space Jump Boots propelled me forward in a graceful arc. With the thrusters of the Gravity Booster humming behind, it allowed me to hover for a brief moment. As I landed, a speeder drove underneath me, creating a loud roar of an engine that lasted only for a brief moment.
And I kind of expected this, but I definitely did draw some stares. Mostly curious ones, or that of shock. Other aliens likely cooperated further down on the bottom layer here in Toydor, I moved upward enough to go up by one. I bet they didn't expect me to fly like them, haha! But that's fine by me. I didn't return their stares.
I kept moving, full of confidence. My boots quietly made some clanks against the metal beneath me. I weaved through crowds of Toydarians and other aliens that could actually fly. This marketplace was alive. Easy to blend in. Stalls began to overflow from each side containing all sorts of goods. Each one was vying for attention. I even saw rare fabrics that shimmered with holo-patterns, and various trays of exotic foods that I had no idea what they were. But Adam was recording everything down as I continued along.
I saw my target. The Southern Exchange. That likely meant I was in the south part of the city. I bet they had an exchange for each cardinal direction.
"Now this isn't something you see every day. Welcome, welcome. Off-worlder. I offer fair rates! Just name your price.", A voice called out to me. Looking at the nearest window, I saw a Toydarian clerk, who suddenly greeted me.
Let's get down to business, shall we?