Blue Peril: LUNA

I decided to create another blog project titled Plenty of Hours, a project I'm doing to get myself out there in my new life in a different city. It'll be a blog dedicated to random projects I'm working on, mostly because I realized I'm better at fulfilling projects when I have a public forum to post them in (a la Nakedly Sane). Currently I'm using the blog for a project I call Shuffle My Day, where I use the website Shuffle My Life to give me random things to add onto my daily routine to just to make it more interesting. So far I've only posted once, but I will try to post five days a week at the least. You can read my first entry and my attempt at comedy here.

So we return to Blue Peril back to James as he explores life outside of the Millennia compound, a cult that believes that life in the 21st century was the best time for humanity and that everything after it is all a novelty, the Amish of the future.

            “Welcome to the Armstrong City, the Moon’s first and largest colony, how may I be of service for you today?” The woman said, except she wasn’t a woman, or a human, or even real at all. James was perplexed; he thought he’d seen it all, hover cars, augmented reality glasses, petabyte thumb drives, and not to mention the spaceship he just took from Earth. It was too much to take in over the course of a few days, and this ‘woman’ who just appeared out of nowhere from the three cylinders resting on the ground, what he could only assume was her projector, was the straw that broke his metaphorical culturally inept camel’s back. He only reaction was to not react.

            “Hmm,” she said, “You don’t seem to have an ID chip or card on you, making my system hard to determine your preferences. If your chip or card is broken I can recommend to you a clinic that repairs them for cheap.”

            “Uhh, no thanks,” James said, he looked at her like a baby does when it’s trying to understand the world around it. She was mostly opaque, but upon further inspection he could see through her, like frosted glass. She was also very attractive, smooth skin that was neither brown nor white but a strange mixture of the two. Her eyes were blue and she wore a black-and-white dress with crescent moon in the middle.

            “Very well then, I highly recommend you get yours repaired soon to prevent any confusion at any of our data terminals. Would you like to set-up a temporary voice activated account for the time being?”

            “Sure,” James said. “But first who are you?”

            “I am LUNA, personal travel assistant for Armstrong City. You can find my stations at any major or minor points of interest.”

            “Interesting, nice to meet you Luna,” James said sticking out his hand then immediately pulling it back realizing how big an idiot he must have looked to the others in the terminal.

            “Very good, can you say your full name for me?”

This was the moment he’d been waiting for, a moment to leave his old name behind and begin anew. Except for the fact that he never put in the time to think of a name, so he said the first set of names that came to his mind: “Luke Ash Pilgrim” Star Wars, Pokemon and a clichéd last name, really brain? He thought

            “Thank you Mr. Pilgrim, and your place of residence?”

            “Mars,” he said thinking it would sound cool and exotic.

“Wănshàng hăo! Nǐ xǐhuān zhōngguó de háishì yīngwén de?”

And only to regret it immediately, what language was that even?

“Come again?” He asked the holograph.

“Would English be better suited for you Mr. Pilgrim?”

“Yes, please I like to immerse myself within the local culture when I travel.”

What the hell am I trying to do? Impress a fucking hologram?

“Would you like to add that to your profile?”

“Add what?”

“Your preference to immerse yourself while traveling,” LUNA said.

“Sure,” James now Luke said. There was a tapping on his shoulder, he looked behind him. It was a man probably in his mid thirties wearing a suit with a orange tie.

“Sorry for interrupting sir but I’m in a hurry to get a hotel, can you give me a moment?”

James looked back at LUNA then at the man; what a dick for interrupting his conversation with her.

“Welcome back Mr. Royal,” Luna said. “Will you be staying at the Collins Hotel as usual?”

“Not this time,” he said, “I’m on the other side of town this time at the Tycho resort.”

“Your cab is on its way, wait in port A lot 77.”

“Thank you,” he said looking at James, and went on his way. It took James a moment to realize he wasn’t thanking Luna but him.

He turned back around to see Luna had disappeared back into her tubes, like a genie in a bottle she granted Royal his wish for a cab and then retreated. In her place was the same crescent logo she wore on her dress.

“Well shit,” James said grabbing his bag when Luna popped back up. He jumped back again, the luggage slipped from his hands and fell, more like drifted, all the way to the ground.

“Welcome back Mr. Pilgrim, how may I help you today? Your profile hasn’t fully been developed yet, would you like the directions to the ID clinic?”

“No thanks,” he said. He wanted to talk to her more, get to know what the life of a hologram was like, but he decided against it. There was just too much to take in, he’d have to get some rest before anything new. “Can you get me a hotel, like a cheap one?”

“Sure, what part of town would you prefer?”

“The cheapest,” he said.

“I’ve registered you to a Motel 51 in the Aldrin district. Is that fine?”

“Yes,” he said picking up his luggage. “Can I get a cab there too?”

“Your cab is on its way, wait in port A lot 73 please.” She paused then asked, “would you like to pay for your hotel here or at the counter?”

“Counter, can you direct me to my spot?”

“Just follow the green arrow on the floor and you will arrive straight at your spot.”

“What green arro-“ he said looking around cutting himself off when he saw the arrow materialize on the ground right below his feet. He stepped forward and it moved forward, then back it followed him too, then he jumped left and right, the arrow stay at the same fixed speed pointing the same direction as if it were tethered between him and his destination.

“Would you prefer anything else Mr. Pilgrim?”

“No thanks,” he said attempting to fool the arrow by pacing in circles, he had no luck.

“Enjoy your stay here in Armstrong City,” she said.

“Thanks,” James looked back at where she stood; she had disappeared once again into her bottle.

He surrendered to the arrow and began following it through the terminal. There was a lot to take in about his new life.