CTS TIME RE250.09.03 – Capital City: Mechatopia, Universe 03A
The veil of hyperspace tore away like silk, and suddenly their vessel was gliding into the most impossible sight either had seen.
Mechatopia.
The capital was not a city. It was the city. A sprawl so infinite that the human mind almost refused to process it. Skyscrapers didn't just scrape the sky—they were the sky, their foundations built on layers of radiant alloys that stretched endlessly upward and downward, without a clear sense of where the ground even began. Some towers twisted into helix forms, coiling with neon rings of data-light. Others pulsed with shifting holograms, their structures rewriting themselves every few seconds, like the city itself was alive and breathing.
Every surface gleamed with ultra-polished mechalloy, reflecting cascades of advertisements and holo-banners. Three-dimensional holograms, some the size of entire districts, flickered across the void: celebrities with synthetic-perfect faces, pop idols with luminous wings, machine-champions frozen mid-battle, their weapons crackling with artificial thunder. Whole façades of towers were nothing but projection screens, broadcasting the synchronized movements of hundreds of android dancers, their choreography bending physics itself.
Vehicles flooded every layer of the sky. Thousands—millions—of hover-cars streamed along glowing arterial highways, some translucent, some neon, some bending gravity like water. Whole freight carriers the size of stadiums slid silently through the upper lanes, each carrying loads of machine parts or android passengers sealed in crystalized pods. Between them darted personal orbs—spherical pods no bigger than chairs, glowing like fireflies, carrying individuals who scrolled virtual screens in midair as if oblivious to their transit.
Luna pressed her forehead lightly against the glass of the viewport, breath fogging the pane, eyes wide. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst. This… this is another universe. Another reality. Nothing like ISA HQ, nothing like any world I've stepped on. It's alive, it's infinite, it's—
And then it happened.
The music.
The ship's systems caught the signal first, feeding it softly into their auditory channels. A low thrum of bass, synthetic yet smooth, interwove with a high, crystalline melody. The sound wasn't just heard—it resonated through the body, threading into nerves and suit fibers alike.
Valerian's storm-blue pupils contracted slightly, registering the synchronization. His biomechanical suit reacted instantly—faint threads of light racing down his arms, syncing with the bassline.
Luna gasped softly as her body relaxed against the seat, every muscle unwinding. Her suit's lilac sheen began to glow more warmly, pulsing with the rhythm. Her heartbeat, which had been wild and frantic, softened to a steady tempo, matching the cadence of the music.
"It's… it's Synthwave…" she whispered, voice trembling in awe. "Not just any version—it's Memory Reboot… blended with Interlink…"
The melody swelled, layers of sound wrapping around them like a cocoon. The Memory Reboot signature carried notes of nostalgia, designed to stabilize human-like emotions, while Interlink harmonized with machine code frequencies, creating unity between organic and synthetic minds.
Her eyes closed, her lips parting in wonder. "It feels like… like heaven. Like I'm breathing light…"
Her suit confirmed her words: biometric readings calmed, cortical stress markers dropped, and the lilac glow along her arms pulsed rhythmically in harmony with the Synthwave.
Valerian said nothing, but for the briefest flicker, his expression shifted. Not a smile—never a smile—but a recognition. His storm-blue suit shimmered faintly, threads of silver highlighting the ridges of his shoulders, like veins illuminated by starlight. The music had touched him too, though he would never admit it aloud.
Around them, Mechatopia pulsed with synchronized life. The colossal towers themselves resonated faintly with the Synthwave, their neon veins brightening in time with the bass. Traffic streams bent slightly, as though accommodating the unseen rhythm. Even the holo-banners adapted, slowing their loops so dancers and celebrities moved in tempo.
It was not just music. It was infrastructure. Synthwave here wasn't entertainment—it was control, it was order, it was the thread binding a universe without stars or ground.
Luna exhaled shakily, pressing her hands to her chest. I thought I was going to panic, I thought my heart would explode… but this… this sound… it makes me want to stay here forever. It makes me want to— She stopped herself, cheeks heating again, because the next thought was stay with him forever.
Valerian's voice finally broke through, cold and steady, yet softer than usual—though maybe that was the music's trick. "Stay focused. It's not meant for us. It's meant for them." He gestured with his chin toward the endless android crowds walking along translucent highways, all synchronized perfectly, like waves in the ocean.
Luna blinked, realizing he was right. Every citizen below walked, turned, shifted, and paused in the exact rhythm of the Synthwave. Like one grand organism.
Her lips trembled into a nervous smile. "Still… it's beautiful, isn't it? Like a… a dream you don't want to wake from."
Valerian didn't answer. His hands moved across the control panel with mechanical precision, guiding their ship into the designated lane toward the central docking gates. But behind his stormy irises, something unspoken lingered.
Because even for him—someone who dismissed warmth, who had built walls so high not even an S-rank's radiance could pierce—this music carried something… dangerous. Something that reminded him of what it felt like to belong.
And that, perhaps, was the most perilous illusion of Mechatopia.
The ship slid neatly into the gravity locks of Docking Gate 772-B, magnetic clamps securing with a thunk that reverberated through the hull. A faint hiss followed, equalizing the pressure between the ship and the hangar. Then, as the ramp slowly lowered, the first breath of Mechatopia swept inside.
It wasn't just air. It was a designed environment. Cool, perfectly oxygenated, faintly sweet with a scent that seemed engineered to soothe every nerve ending. The ground beneath their boots gleamed with hexagonal tiles that pulsed softly, reacting to their steps. Above, colossal holo-arches projected artificial skies—bright turquoise with streaks of golden light—yet no sun hung anywhere. The source of illumination seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Luna's lips parted slightly, her violet eyes sparkling in awe. "It's… it's like paradise…"
But then she froze.
The crowds.
She had thought, for one fleeting second, that she was among humans again. Families carrying glowing packages. Couples laughing softly. Children darting playfully across the walkway, dragging neon pets with geometric tails. But her training cut through the illusion quickly—every single "person" she saw was not human. Their skins were too perfect, their smiles too symmetrical. Their eyes glowed faintly, some with circuits, some with shifting fractal patterns. Androids…
Her chest tightened. If I step out here, if they see me falter, will they know? Will they see through me?
And then—
A hand wrapped around hers. Firm. Cold, yet steady.
Her heartbeat spiked so violently she thought her suit would announce it. She spun her head to the side, wide-eyed. Valerian. He didn't even look at her—his stormy gaze was forward, scanning, calculating. But his grip was deliberate.
For a moment, her entire body buzzed, and it wasn't from the biomechanical layering. Even through three layers… I can feel him. His warmth… no, his presence. It's real. Oh God, what's happening to me?
She almost forgot to breathe when he spoke, his voice low, measured. "Stay close. Eyes forward."
Her throat tightened, words caught in her chest. "…Y-yes."
They moved together down the ramp, blending into the flow of the crowd. The Synthwave Memory Reboot x Interlink version was still playing faintly through the city's infrastructure—its bass hidden in the hum of the roads, its melody shimmering in the air. Each beat aligned with the glowing steps of the android citizens. For them, it was synchronization. For Luna… it was salvation. The music seemed to hold her hand alongside his, calming the storm inside her chest.
At the first checkpoint, two humanoid officers—skin flawless, eyes burning gold—extended mechanical palms. "Identification," they said in perfect unison. Their voices had a harmony, as if they were a single organism split into two.
Valerian pulled out his SDX traveler card. His expression never wavered, his hand steady. The card pulsed once with blue light as the officer scanned it.
Luna fumbled for hers, her fingers trembling slightly. Calm down, calm down, it's just a card… if I drop it they'll know, they'll know I'm not like them…
And then, just as her hand shook too much—Valerian tightened his grip on hers. A subtle squeeze. Grounding her. Her panic stilled enough for her to hold her card properly.
The officer scanned. A green glyph shimmered over both their wrists. Traveler Status Confirmed.
The officers smiled—synthetic perfection, identical in every detail. "Welcome to Mechatopia, travelers. Enjoy your stay."
They passed through, blending into the neon sea.
Luna's breath hitched again, heart hammering. She whispered, just for him, "Y-you didn't have to hold my hand like that…" Her cheeks were scarlet, her body practically radiating heat beneath her suit.
Valerian finally looked at her, his stormy eyes cutting sideways. "You hesitated. If you hesitate again, you'll expose us." His tone was cold, factual. Yet he didn't let go of her hand.
She blinked, startled. "B-but… you're still—"
"Better this way," he said simply, facing forward again.
Her lips quivered into a nervous smile, her chest a swirl of despair and secret joy. Better this way…? For him it's mission logic. For me… it's… everything.
And then the music swelled again, the combined version lifting with a euphoric high note. Luna's pulse aligned with it, her nerves melting into the rhythm. For the first time since she had met Valerian, she didn't feel ignored. She felt tethered.
Even if it was just for the mission.