Third Person
The train screeched to a halt, the metallic sound echoing through the station. As the doors slid open, Cyto and Allelea stepped onto the platform, their eyes wide with anticipation. They were in Paris, the city of love. They knew they were fugitives now, but that didn’t stop them from lingering behind at the railway station for a minute, to enjoy the view.
“This is it, babe… beautiful, huh?” Cyto said, looking around at the beauty of the station.
“No kidding. I love the environment here!” Allelea remarked, as she dragged her suitcase along the pavement.
“It’s definitely more natural than back home, huh?” he asked, looking at her with a slightly sad smile. “If I’m being honest though… I do miss it.”
Allelea glanced at him, a reassuring look in her hazel eyes. With a tight squeeze of his hand, she said, “…it’s the freedom, Cyto. The air here doesn’t carry the weight of expectations or the hum of the Algorithm. It’s just… life, in all its chaotic beauty,”
Cyto nodded, his gaze lingering on the intricate ironwork of the station’s architecture, a testament to a time when artistry and engineering went hand in hand. “I know what you mean. Back home, everything is so calculated, so precise. Here, it feels like there’s room to breathe, to be ourselves.”
Allelea smiled, her eyes reflecting the soft glow of the morning sun filtering through the glass canopy above. “Exactly. And look at these pathways, the ‘Verdure Veins’ as they call them. They connect the city, not just by streets or by rail, but by greenery, by life.”
He looked where she pointed, noticing the strips of gardens and trees lining the avenues, the small parks and planters that seemed to appear around every corner. “It’s like the city itself is alive,” he said, a sense of wonder creeping into his voice.
“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Allelea replied. “To remind us that we’re part of something bigger, something more organic than lines of code and DNA sequences... and I don't mean we're mostly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen compounds.”
Cyto took a deep breath, the scent of blooming flowers mingling with the city’s unique aroma of fresh bread, croissants and baguettes. “I guess this is what we were looking for. A place where we can just be, without the Algorithm dictating our every move.”
Allelea squeezed his hand tighter, her resolve clear. “We’ll make our own way, Cyto. We’ll find our place in this world, algorithm be damned.”
And with that, they stepped off the platform and into the heart of Paris, the city’s vibrant pulse echoing their newfound determination to carve out a life dictated not by technology, but by the beating of their own hearts. The Verdure Veins of France weren’t just a network of nature; they were a symbol of life’s resilience.
As they roamed about the streets, wondering what was next, they couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the ecosystem around them. Instead of genetics, ecology reigned supreme in France. The absence of the Algorithm was obvious. The streets were brimming with life, and there was nobody controlling their every move.
“What now?” Allelea asked, worry lacing her tone. She knew the facts. They were running away from their country to a whole new land. They needed a place to live, jobs, a Visa. Their problems piled up like sand in an hourglass.
“Now, we have lunch, I guess?” Cyto chirped, pointing to a restaurant across the street. “How about there? It looks pretty good.”
“Actually—” Allelea began, her protest fading as a quiet rumble from her stomach betrayed her. She managed a wry smile and conceded, “Alright, lunch it is. That place does seem inviting.”
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Allelea
‘Our first meal in Paris,’ I thought to myself, ‘Life’s going all right so far, but I hope they don’t catch us here and arrest us.’
“No, you unstable isotope, how is ‘Would you like extra fromage’ supposed to mean ‘where are you from and how old are you’? Fromage means cheese!” I heard a woman at the next table yell at someone, probably a friend, but the way she said it seemed spiteful, not exactly lighthearted. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her chemistry-based insult, a bit of a contrast to our biologically enhanced world.
“Well, how was I supposed to know that? I only moved here for college!” the potential receiver of her insult, a man by the voice, hissed back. “Focus, we need to find out who exactly all these people are, and why we look like a freaking couple here. It makes my eyes burn more than these onions.”
The woman — and I — couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re impossible, Gallus,” she said, shaking her head. “But fine, let’s focus. We’ll unravel this mystery, even if it means enduring more awkward lunches and cryptic photos with you.”
I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation at the next table. The banter between them was like a live comedy show, unintentionally provided for her entertainment. They didn't need Netflix. Netflix needed them for good binge-watching content.
The woman’s voice carried a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Gallus, for someone who claims to be so cultured, you can’t even order cheese in French without causing an international incident.”
The man — Gallus — retorted with a smirk in his voice, “Oh, please, Selena. The only culture you’re familiar with is the bacterial kind in your lab experiments.”
I stifled a giggle behind my hand. Their playful insults were a refreshing break from the tension that I and Cyto had been carrying since our arrival in Paris.
“Anyway,” Selena continued, “we need to blend in more. We stick out like sore thumbs, and not just because of your questionable fashion choices.”
Gallus scoffed, “Says the woman who thinks lab coats are haute couture.”
Their back-and-forth was a delightful distraction, and I found myself hanging on to their every word, my own worries momentarily forgotten. It was clear that Selena and Gallus had a unique dynamic, one that, to me, was oddly endearing despite the bullets they fired at each other.
As their conversation drifted to weird photographs, I think, my thoughts returned to my own situation, and to my lunch, which had just arrived. “Thank you,” I said to the waiter, who nodded in reply.
I watched as Cyto received his lunch in a similar manner as well, and start gulping it down almost immediately. “Looks like someone’s hungry,” I teased, a smirk playing on my face.
“Facts…” he mumbled, through a mouthful of food. “Train rides are exhausting, you know?”
“Shut up, Selena. The tourists at the next table might think locals here have a screw loose or something.” I heard Gallus mutter, a slight seriousness in his tone. “And I have too much proving them right.”
“You live here too, you know?” the brown-haired girl retorted, as I took a forkful of my salad.
“Yeah, but I just moved here for college. You’ve been living here your whole life,” he replied, running a hand through his brown hair. “Most citizens are quite nice… except you, Princess. Lighten up, will you?”
Selena rolled her eyes, her fork pausing mid-air. “Lighten up? I’ll lighten up when you stop confusing ‘fromage’ with personal questions,” she shot back, her tone laced with mock severity.
Gallus chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Fine… so, now you gotta teach me French. And complete my Duolingo course for me.”
I couldn’t help but smile at their exchange. It was like watching a tennis match, the conversation volleying back and forth with an ease that spoke of a deep, if somewhat antagonistic, friendship.
“I’ll start teaching you French when your 22-minute half-life’s done.”
What an oddly specific number, I thought to myself. It adds to the humor.
“Unstable isotope,” Gallus mused, a playful glint in his eye. “I suppose that’s better than being a predictable element like you. At least I keep things interesting.”
“Predictable? Me?” Selena pretended to be in shock. “Ha, you’re talking to the Queen of Unpredictability. So you better show some respect.”
“You mean, ‘Princess’, babe?” Gallus joked, raising his eyebrow.
“You’ve been living under a rock then, ‘babe’. This princess just got crowned queen, and the whole of Paris knows it.” Selena shot back effortlessly. “And I don’t need no king, or you to be my court jester. Guards, off with his head!”
Their laughter filled the space between them, and I found myself drawn into their world, a place where wit and banter ruled, and where the heavy hand of the Algorithm seemed a distant memory.
As I took another bite of my salad, I thought about how life had a way of throwing the most random surprise parties for us all. Here I was, a fugitive from a society that prized predictability, finding solace in the unpredictable ebb and flow of human interaction.
I glanced at Cyto, who was now listening in on the conversation with a puzzled expression. “They’re quite the pair, aren’t they?” I whispered.
Cyto nodded, his eyes still on Selena and Gallus. “If the Algorithm ever matched them, all that fromage would come right up their food pipes, if you know what I mean,” he said, with an amused expression, before pretending to retch to prove his point.
“All right, I get it.” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Let’s just eat, and enjoy the free Netflix show.”
Selena’s laughter subsided as she caught her breath, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Alright, Gallus, truce for now. We have an audience,” she said, nodding subtly in our direction.
Gallus turned to glance at us, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Ah, apologies for the spectacle,” he said, raising his glass in a mock toast. “May your meal be as enjoyable as our little performance.”
I couldn’t resist joining in the fun. “It’s been the highlight of our day,” I admitted, raising my own glass. “Here’s to unexpected entertainment and new beginnings in Paris.”
Cyto chuckled, clinking his glass against mine. “And to the Queen of Unpredictability and her loyal subject,” he added, winking at Selena and Gallus.
The four of us shared a moment of connection, strangers brought together by the whims of fate and a shared appreciation for life’s lighter moments. As Cyto and I turned our attention back to our meal, I felt a sense of relationship with the city and its inhabitants. Paris was not just a place of refuge; it was a stage for the beautiful play of human experiences, and I was excited to see what would come next.
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