The Federation ("The 'The' is part of the name!" I recall Harry and his stupid face remark) was concrete on steroids.
Taller than the tower of Babel with its hundred storeys and whitewashed walls, lower floors being of shorter ceiling height, it was impossible not to notice the tower. In fact, when we had ridden the car at Eisenblad and even during the three hour car ride on our way to Franckurt, I could already see the way it stabbed the sky.
Junhan excused herself for a meeting. Harry was proudly willing to give us a tour, but he reckoned that it would take an eternity. Instead, he gave us a brief history.
The Federation tower began as a feeble plant bred by scientists from an albino insect and an albino plant. It began as a sapling. When constellations and goblins entered their world, all the plants had lost their nutrients besides the plant. And, when it was touched by a certain constellation called the "Messiah," in an instant, it became as tall as it was now
During the appearance of goblins, oxygen began to diminish everywhere besides the inside of the tower. It was no longer possible to grow plants outside of the tower.
Even the populace that were now inside the tower had no idea of this and it seemed like the goblin that dictated Germania had no idea as well.
In other words, everyone who chose peace outside the tower had died.
It was no different than our current world.
Everyone ends up dying.
"But, at least, this time we are aware," said Harry as he led us to the first floor.
Johnny asked, his eyes shimmering with delight once he spotted a clothing store, "What did the goblins want?"
"'Enter the tower and fight to reach the 100th floor,' commanded the goblins," said Harry. "'And you may receive a wish,' claimed the goblin."
He elaborated that The Federation was made by one of the first few adventurers who entered the tower: a group of marauders and thieves on the 97th floor, where the marauders had stolen too many goods from the first floor to the 96th that they decided to pull a Robin Hood.
They made sure that the adventurers were well-prepared when it came to fighting the last three floors and gave them shelter. A possible home to come back to.
"Nobody ever came back during their endeavors to the 98th, 99th, nor the 100th floor."
He lit a cigar and I beckoned him to give me one as well. Covering the cigarette from possibly getting extinguished, he lit it. Johnny frowned at the smell.
Harry continued, "Except one.
"My good friend, Ben."
Johnny listened with eagerness. "Where is he now?"
Harry looked awkward as he said, "Well, technically, he didn't come back to us.
"But, at the very least, we know he's alive."
Johnny was about to raise another question when Harry jerked his head towards the direction of a television.
The television was unlike the television I was used to. It was flat and thin, which made me wonder where the circuit boards and internal wiring and the like were.
But, never mind that.
The television buzzed with a puny sound. Harry grabbed a remote control and upped the volume.
…the astronauts of Lucifer-180 that were sent to the moon seven months ago are to depart from the moon and come home! And, just in, East America is first to be struck with the terrifying "rounds" and has now sunk to the sea. We shall be having a memorial service to the reporters…
There was a photo of a group of astronauts, Lucifer-180,before their departure. All of them looked like average men and women, but one stuck out: a fiery mop of red hair, sharp brows and nose, and blue eyes.
…here are the names of the astronauts who we must welcome at their arrival: Justin Fleming, Darwin Waterso…and lastly, the ever-handsome—
"Benedict Leyendecker…"
I had said out loud in a complete accident.
Why I knew of his name, or if it was his name at all, I did not know.
A huge part of my life seemed to be unclear to me.
I forgot something. I don't know what.
Beside me, Johnny groaned and slumped his shoulders.
"Which one is it? The 100th floor survivor?"
Harry pointed towards the redhead who wore a white spacesuit.
"Wow, he mogs me."
"Whatever does that mean?" I responded.
"It's a word from twenty twenty-six. Harry taught me earlier."
I wasn't sure if I should be glad that Johnny was becoming closer to others since he was often left alone by his blockmates or if I should be concerned that that person was Harry.
However, I was a little glad that Johnny didn't seem to dislike me after what I had done.
-
The first floor of The Federation had a ceiling and floor ratio of ten feet (Harry claimed that each floor differed in design and sizes) and was once a demon's dwelling and now turned into a bazaar.
Where it was once stained with darkness was repainted with murals by children. I did not even bother to think where the demon who once ruled this floor lived now, but from what little I knew about The Federation, it was possibly killed.
There was technology I had never seen before (flat television, touch-screens, et cetera) and food I had never even heard of or bothered to think of ("What's candy corn?" asked Johnny, taking a bite of a tri-colored droplet of sugar. "This shit tastes like candles.").
Eisenblad City was the capital of Eisenblad, the country, and it is a known fact that our country was corrupt. You would see broke passers-by, drunks, addicts, and the homeless begging for some cash everywhere. The government didn't bother to take care of them, maybe provide them a job or housing. They didn't care at all.
So it was a strange sight to me, that this city plaza-esque place had nothing of the sort.
But something was wrong.
All the citizens of the first floor…they all seemed afraid.