Saurai also wanted to buy the ingredients he saw earlier and the ones listed on the recipe, now displayed in the plain, nearly hidden booth. The vendor's quiet nod still lingered in his mind. He had the desire to experiment with those materials, to see if the results in the chip's formulas were as real as they sounded. But something held him back.
He wasn't sure yet. Not completely.
He turned to Bryn and said with a half-smile, "Maybe I'll just buy it another time."
Bryn, already munching on some fried stick food, nodded slowly, but Saurai didn't miss the brief glance he gave to the vendor's table. It wasn't the kind of look that said "forgotten." Bryn was paying attention.
They moved on, weaving through more rows of booths. Some sold technocrystals used for small AI enhancements. Others sold customized casing for Cadet watches though those didn't interest Saurai. He had more important things on his mind.
As they walked, Saurai noticed something towering in the distance. Tall spires with sleek, glass-and-steel designs loomed across the deck, spaced out like watchful sentinels. Their structures looked almost too elegant to be functional, but the glowing crests atop them said otherwise.
"What are those towers?" he asked, pointing to one.
Bryn, licking some spicy sauce off his fingers, replied, "Surveillance and control towers. Artemis-5 guards are stationed at each one. Their job is to maintain public order and keep an eye on disturbances. Also, they monitor air quality and atmospheric pressure, especially during the seasonal storms."
"Do they just observe or do they act?"
"Both," Coral answered, catching up with them. "If anything goes wrong on the deck or fire, accident, illegal activity then the tower units respond first. Fast, too. Each one is linked to the Central Nexus."
That made sense, and also made Saurai feel strangely watched. He adjusted the sleeve covering his Cadet Watch and scanned his surroundings again. The more he learned, the more he saw how massive Artemis-5 truly was.
Still, something gnawed at him.
Even on the upper deck, he couldn't see the ocean.
"Can we see the sea from anywhere up here?" he asked.
Coral beamed. "Yeah! Some towers are open to the public. There's one not far from here. Let's go."
---
Tower View
The tower they found was tall, its steel panels inscribed with thin circuitry lines that pulsed gently. At the base, a small kiosk handled entry. Ten points per person. Nothing too costly. Better still, it accepted Academy points that was just one point each.
They joined a small queue of families and curious visitors waiting for the lift. It moved in timed intervals, taking up groups of six to eight.
When their turn came, they stepped into the glass-paneled elevator. Saurai took a position right against the wall, pressing his fingers lightly on the railing.
As it rose, the world opened up.
Saurai gasped. He hadn't meant to but it just escaped his chest.
The sea stretched endlessly on all sides, a deep, rolling blanket of blue and green. Waves shimmered under the light, curling like muscles flexing beneath skin. The clouds floated just above the edge of the horizon, and here and there, he could see outlines of other floating structures far in the distance small ships like ,maybe they're petroling unit or something else entirely.
Wind brushed against the glass. The lift vibrated slightly with it. They were high so high that even the bustling deck below seemed like an orderly puzzle of lights and people.
Saurai pressed a palm to the glass.
He felt it. A pull.
Like the sea was calling him.
A memory stirred, but it wasn't from this life. It felt like a whisper from a forgotten memory. Salt air. Wooden ships. Old charts and impossible dreams. He didn't know if that was the scientist in him or something else but He wanted to explore it.
He wanted to go beyond.
---
Dalle & the Antique Shop
When they descended, Coral led them to a small shop nestled in a quieter part of the deck. It didn't have bright signage or flashing menus like the other stalls.
The sign simply read:
Dalle Relics & Sea Artifacts
Inside, the air smelled like oil and paper. Dim yellow lights illuminated wooden shelves, some holding old-fashioned chests, others filled with carved stones, broken tools, and bio-luminescent shells sealed in thin glass.
Behind the counter sat an old man, his skin leathery and hands gnarled. His hair was a cloudy halo, and he wore a vest over a faded worker's shirt.
Coral smiled brightly and waved. "Riley! Grandpa, this is Saurai. My friend."
The old man squinted. "You brought another quiet one."
Saurai nodded respectfully. "Nice to meet you."
Coral waved her hand. "Look around, pick anything you like. First visit's free. Family rule."
While Coral and Riley chatted behind the counter, Saurai roamed.
There were so many oddities. Fossils shaped like twisted leaves. A compass that spun without stop. A sealed pouch marked "Tide Dust." Some items felt familiar, though he couldn't place them. Others practically hummed in his hand.
He picked up a flat, translucent shell. Embedded in it was a strange rune it was like a crop pattern, curling outward. Another item, a dried leaf etched with symmetrical veins,it felt alive somehow.
He asked the assistant for the price. Both were cheap. The shop didn't value them much.
He bought them without hesitation.
He didn't show it on his face, but inside, he felt a flicker of joy. Because of the items, he thought he got bargain on the items.
---
The Day's End
They didn't buy much more. Just some fried root-wrapped skewers and a bottle of chilled nectar Coral insisted was good for the liver.
By evening, the three of them sat at the edge of a wide, circular viewing platform near the tower. Here, the dome above had fully opened. Wind brushed gently through their hair. The sunlight had mellowed, painting the deck in warm gold.
The horizon burned orange. Somewhere beneath them, the sea kept moving.
Saurai stared upward.
The stars hadn't fully come out yet, but they peeked behind pink clouds like curious eyes.
The sea far below shimmered like silk folded over midnight. The wind kissed his face. His heart felt... light.
He whispered, mostly to himself: "I remember this."
He didn't know if he meant the sky, or the feeling of looking upward and longing. Maybe both.
He glanced at his Cadet Watch. The new interface glowed subtly. No notifications. No warnings. Just a quiet presence.
He felt its hidden depth now. The data. The secrets.
And he knew...
There were lies beneath Artemis-5. Things no one spoke of.
He would find them.
---
As the first stars claimed the sky and artificial lights lit up the deck around them, Saurai felt something shift inside.
Not just wonder.
A resolve.
He would understand this world. He would uncover what was lost. And if the sky was truly the limit...
He would go beyond even that.