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1. An Invitation and Silver Hair, or: The Perfect Day Off
"Sis, look. This came in from the freight guild executive we helped out the other day."
Shutia held up two electronic tickets and waved them with mild ceremony.
"...A special invitation to Gaming Galaxy? The new facility they opened in Sector Seven of Subaru Station..."
"That's the one! The place where the entry fee alone costs a serious amount of credits. Sis has been running job after job lately — let's go enjoy ourselves for once."
Something in Ledea Mace's eyes quietly lit up. She was, by default, composed — older-seeming than her age in every way that mattered. But there were things that got through: unfamiliar leisure, cultural novelty, the particular pull of something she hadn't seen before. Her actual age had a way of surfacing in moments like this.
"...Are you certain? If I move today's scheduled maintenance forward, I could free up the time, but—"
"Already done. I finished it yesterday. Sis doesn't need to think about anything today except having fun."
Shutia slipped into the seat beside her and ran one hand gently through Ledea's silver hair.
"You look so happy already. It's incredibly cute. ...Come on, let me take care of everything today."
"Shutia, you're messing up my hair. ...But yes. It would be a shame to waste an invitation. Let's make the most of it."
They got ready and stepped out into the noise of the station.
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2. Gaming Galaxy and a Sea of Light
Gaming Galaxy occupied its corner of Subaru Station like a small universe that had folded in on itself. The atrium stretched upward several floors, packed with oversized cabinets running the latest holographic technology, and the air was a continuous layered sound of explosions, electronic fanfares, and the ambient noise of people fully absorbed in things that did not matter and mattered completely.
"...This is something. So this is what cutting-edge entertainment looks like."
"Sis, the shooting range first — over there!"
Shutia picked up a large rifle-type controller as though it weighed nothing and began working through the targets on screen with the calm efficiency of someone for whom this was not meaningfully different from the real thing.
"Target confirmed. Line clear. ...Done."
Every shot connected. The small crowd that had drifted over to watch was quiet in the way crowds go quiet when they realize they've misjudged the situation.
"Impressive as always, Shutia. ...Although I have no intention of falling behind."
Ledea selected a compact handgun-type controller — one-handed — and proceeded to hit nothing but critical points with nothing but minimum movement. Their high scores traded places on the leaderboard back and forth, which stopped being a game and became something people gathered to observe.
The next stop was the Classic Archive section — a row of cabinets that looked like they'd been found somewhere rather than manufactured, with physical screens embedded in the housing instead of holograms.
"...What is this? An actual physical display."
"It's an old Earth format — belt-scroll action, apparently. Sis, it's two-player."
They sat side by side at the narrow cabinet and directed their pixelated characters through waves of assailants appearing from the left side of the screen.
"Sis, mohawk enemy incoming from the right — jump kick!"
"Understood. ...There. ...Hm. The rules are simple but it's surprisingly engaging."
"Right? Moving forward together like this — it feels a little like working on the Silver Anchor."
On screen, two small figures stood back to back, holding a position that looked familiar.
After that: a VR full-sensory racing simulation where they competed for the fastest lap through open space; a holographic rhythm game; a large-scale competitive puzzle that generated more friction than either of them had expected.
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3. A Steel Giant, or: An Unexpected Red Strike
"...Okay. Sis, I need to make a quick stop — might be a few minutes. Do you want to come?"
Three hours in, Shutia looked mildly apologetic.
"No, I want to try that new cabinet over there. I'll be fine on my own."
"...Are you sure. Five minutes — no, three. Don't go anywhere? And if anyone talks to you, you call for — I mean, you report it to security immediately—"
"I know. Go."
Ledea walked to the large cabinet Shutia had been eyeing and took her seat in front of it.
Machina: Zenith Rebellion. The latest entry in a well-established series — pilot a humanoid combat frame across a large-scale battlefield.
She logged in. Selected her unit.
"...Light-weight, mobility-focused. Sniper rifle and high-frequency blade. ...Beginning."
The Machina moved through the high-resolution virtual environment with the kind of efficiency that people who are good at things make look effortless. She read the enemy fire patterns and avoided them with minimum thruster use. She used cover. She found angles. The mission progressed cleanly, and then she arrived at the area's boss encounter: a multi-turreted heavy crawler with articulated legs.
She analyzed it.
(Left flank armor is thinner. Destroy that section and the core will be exposed.)
She moved into position — fluid, unhurried. Blade into the armor. The crystal core of the boss came into view, precisely as predicted. One shot to finish. She brought the sniper rifle up, settled her aim, and placed her finger on the trigger.
Then:
From the edge of the screen, a beam arrived.
It was red. It was extremely wide. It was not hers.
The explosion that followed was significant. When it cleared, the boss's core was gone — entirely — and the screen was displaying a completion fanfare and, in large letters, the Last Shot Bonus awarded to the player who dealt the finishing blow.
"...What."
Ledea's hand stopped.
She checked the log.
The player who had taken the kill:
[ Player: Kanoa ]
"......"
She looked up from the cabinet. Slowly. Toward the unit immediately beside hers.
The girl was there.
Long red hair. Asymmetric fringe. Eyes that held a languid, unhurried quality — and, currently, a small smile.
Ledea had seen her before.
Something that had not been present in Ledea's expression all day began to assemble itself there now.