Shortly
after they had entered a segment of the corridors that was a market area, Erick
followed Samuel up to a vendor that was almost completely hidden behind vidscreens.
Erick watched as Samuel spoke to the vendor, handed him his identicard to be
scanned, and authorized payment in exchange for the activation code for an aircar.
Samuel received his identicard back with a smile and a slight bow, and then
he turned and headed for a door off to the left of the aircar vendor's booth.
They walked in and found themselves in an elevator.
Erick had hardly noticed any movement when
the door reopened to reveal an underground garage of obviously well used aircars.
Samuel consulted his identicard and then pointed to an aircar near the corner.
Once again using his identicard, Samuel unlocked the doors and then accessed
the dash console. As Erick settled into the passenger seat, Samuel programmed
in the destination.
As the aircar began to move, Erick contemplated
everything he had seen. He had thought that he was prepared for life beyond
the Institution, but even after his research on Africa and Kenya, very little
of what he had seen in Nairobi was what he expected. He had long tired of the
Institution, but he now wondered if he would be able to survive in the world.
He was almost desperately thinking of anywhere else he may visit that would
be more familiar as the aircar cleared the gray, mostly windowless buildings
of the city of Nairobi and entered the open air of the Kenyan highlands.
"Now, this I know about." Erick said quietly
to himself in relief.
"What was that?" Samuel asked.
"Nothing."
"If I may ask, why did you choose Kenya?"
"I used to dream of running across the plain,
just like the famous Olympic runners used to do, and be joined by various animals.
It was a child's dream, but the physical challenge of the altitude and the exotic
setting remained with me, so that I've continued to train in the facilities
of the Coliseum."
