Vincent’s eyelids fluttered open. He reached his arms up to stretch and knocked his fist against the window on accident. Next to him, Jessica awoke from the noise. She raised her head off the glass and rubbed her eyes, blocking the morning light.
They were on the bus, what Jack had called the monstrous vehicle that was transporting them. The previous evening they had spent choosing their identities, settling on an attached pair labeled “M, F: 15-17”. Abigail hadn’t seen them off.
“How will we know when we’re getting close?” asked Vincent. He was looking out the window. The ground was barren for as far as he could see, no life, no color.
Jessica stifled a yawn and nodded toward the front of the bus. “I think we’ll be able to tell.”
Vincent leaned over and looked down the aisle as well. He knew what Jessica was talking about without having to ask. The entire view out the front window was filled with a vast expanse of skyscrapers, all huddled together in a dense, patternless cluster. But these towers were not quite the same as those around the Hole. These had polished windows that sparkled in the sunlight and designs Vincent had never imagined. There appeared to be things flying between them, as well, tiny black dots soaring from one rooftop to the next, like urban house flies. Below, the city was surrounded by six, enormous white halos. The bottommost was perfectly flat and low to the ground, but the others were tilted at slight angles, their edges rising halfway up the skyscrapers they encircled. They reminded Vincent of rings that had been dropped horizontally on a table and caught mid wobble before they could stop.
“Did the other city have those?” said Vincent. Jessica seemed to know what he was talking about without asking.
“No,” she said. “The other city had no reason to keep people out.”
“Or in,” Vincent added. Jessica said nothing back.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” It was Jack’s voice, amplified through the bus’s speaker system. “We are approaching Hux.”
People around them started to wake up, yawning and stretching.
“The lines shouldn’t be too bad,” continued Jack. “They usually don’t pick up until early afternoon, but I would encourage you not to take the chance.” He paused for a moment, then looked up in the mirror so he could see them clearly. “Best of luck.”