"Took you long enough."

Edain was out on the sidewalk next to two identical, silver bikes. The sky was clear with no clouds, just as the clock had said.

Above it all, at the zenith, was what seemed like a small white star. The pieces of the dome were held together by an adhesive at the very top.

The dome was so clear, it seemed as natural as living under a sky with no dome at all.

"None of your business," she walked over to one of the silver bikes and hopped on its seat.

"Let me guess," Edain said as he sat on his own bike "You fell on the ground."

"How did you know?!" Arel asked in surprise.

"Ah, so you did fall! I was correct!" Edain chuckled, clearly proud of his guess.

"But...how?"

"Elementary, my dear Arel. I see that you have a red splotch on your cheek, showing that you must have hurt it in some way. It couldn't be the side of the door, because I saw you come out without hitting it, so it must be the floor."

"You've been reading Doyle again."

Edain shrugged "What's wrong with that? Three hundred year old books are interesting. You can learn from Holmes, you know. But seriously, can you imagine living without computers? And those "carriages". Quite primitive, if I do say so myself."

"Shut your mouth. Do you want to be late?" Arel pushed on the pedals of the bike and was soon speeding down the road. She didn't really need to hear her brother ramble on and on about books.

Personally, she thought they were quite boring.

Edain soon caught up to her on his bike, his long and skinny legs pedaling steadily onwards. He had always been too skinny, even by Community Standards. Their parents actually thought that he wouldn't be able to survive.
At least they had Elvin born first, Arel thought, Edain was always tagging after his brother's heels.

"Hey before you space out again, watch out for that tree!"

"Wha-Oh!" Arel swerved her bike away from a tree.

"Miss Davies, not getting into trouble again, are we?"

Arel sharply turned her head to the source of the sound and scowled. A tall, slender man was leaning against the doorway of a see-through door with his arms crossed across his chest. He was wearing the same uniform as the siblings but over his heart was a badge that said Supervisor and across his arms were. He was sneering at Arel as if he had just stolen her treat.His red eyes glowed under his raven-black bangs as he looked at her.

"Good morning, Mr. Michaelis," piped up Edain who rode up behind Arel,"You're looking fine today!"

"Well," he smiled knowingly,"I am one hell of a Supervisor."

"That you are!" Edain smiled back and pinched Arel in the back as she started to protest. She yelled out in pain, but Michaelis seemed not to notice it.

"You two are late, so I came out here to see if you would come or not." Michaelis straightened himself up and walked through the clear doors.

"I hate that man," Arel muttered,"He always thinks he's better than everybody else and it just gets on my nerves!" She stomped towards the doors while her brother grabbed both of their helmets and bags from the bikes.

"Well, you really don't want to get on his bad side," he said as they pushed through the doors.

The building was in the shape of a huge dome. Its ceiling reached up towards the sky and silver-colored metal beams wound itself around the walls. There were windows all around the bottom portion of the building. Clear staircases led up to silver-blue platforms where a group of black-clothed figures were huddled.

"Why would I care if I get on his bad side?" The two quickly ascended the clear stairs. Edain handed her her helmet and bag.

"Well for one thing, he's got a close friend in the council. Phantomhive, remember?"

"That boy is just as annoying as Michaelis. Perhaps more."

By that time, the two had reached the platform. The figures were all people of their age, probably from thirteen to twenty. One of then turned towards the two. A girl with cherry-red hair put up in two pigtails smiled at Arel and waved to her.

"There's my cue," Arel said. She turned to face her brother, but spotted him running off to his waving friends. Sighing, she quickly walked towards the waving girl.

"Hey Arel," the girl smiled at her friend and pushed up her huge glasses.

"Hey Mey-Rin," Arel said.

"You were almost late you know. Sebast- I mean- Michaelis almost reported you to the Council!" Mey-Rin blushed.

"Honestly, what do you see in that m-"

"Attention everyone!" Michaelis was protruding out if the crowd due to hus tall height. His eyes scanned over the crowd as young girls looked earnestly up at him, trying to catch his eye.

"As you know, today is a very important day!" He called out,"We will be venturing Outside to Survey the area. It is a dangerous place out there. Remnants of The Disease still lurk around."

Many people began to whisper among themselves. Arel knew about Heart Eater through her schooling, though people always referred to it as "The Disease", as if speaking its name would bring upon them the disease itself.

"You all know the rules for this Survey," Michaelis continued,"Always have your helmet on. Your bare skin must never come in contact with the outside air. When testing the water, use your tools. Never touch the water, even if you have your gloves on. When riding your Rider, be sure to not disturb the trees and others plants. I am sure you have all done well in your Rider training anyways." Michaelis's eyes landed on Arel and he smiled before he looked somewhere else.

"He smiled at you!" Mey-Rin whispered to Arel,"Oh, I would have given anything for that, yes yes!"

Arel payed her friend no heed, but felt a surge of pride rise up within her. She had graduated at the top of her Rider class with Best Maneuverability.

"Now, you all know what to do," Michaelis continued,"You've done this when you were Seventines, Eighteens, and Nighteens. Today is no different. You are excused to your Pods!"

"Yes sir!" The group saluted and quickly dispersed. They all headed towards a tunnel in the side of the building that led underground.

As Arel followed Mey-Rin, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw her brother's grinning face.

"Just think," he said,"This is going to be my last Survey and I can finally get an Occupation!" He grinned at her.

"Maybe you can go be in the Council like Elvin," Arel said,"I'm sure they wouldn't mind twins. It'd sure confuse them though."

The two laughed and sighed.

"I'll miss you though," Arel said sadly.

"Hey it's okay," Edain stooped to hug his little sister,"I'm sure they'd let me visit you. You still got Arin."

"But she's so boring!" Arel pushed her brother away,"I don't even think we're related!"

"Hey don't push me away," He protested,"I thought you liked hugs!"

"No, I don't like hugs."

'Well, you're gonna love my hugs sooner or later, even if it means I'd have to die in order to hug you!"

"Don't say that-"

"Hey, stop slacking!" Someone called out. Arel and Edian noticed that they had drifted to the back of the group and ran to catch up.

"See you later, alligator," Edain said as he lightly punched his sister. He ran towards one of the round, clear pods against the walls.

"In a while, crocodile..." Arel knew that it would be Edain to use such old phrases from before the Apocalypse.

She ran towards her pod, number A-8729. She typed in her passcode and the round glass panel lifted up to reveal her Rider.

A sleek, black vehicle with only two wheels dropped down lightly in front of her. Its form was much like that of motorcycles long ago. In the front and back were two huge wheels that seemed to blend into the vehicle. On the sides were a pair of folded metal that will be used very soon.

Arel sat on a small groove in the vehicle and placed her hand on a screen in front of her. As it started up, she tucked her ponytail into her helmet, which seemed to fit every contour of her head and left a sharp edge at the very back. Carefully, she placed her bag behind her and strapped it in with a seatbelt. She reached her hands to her face placed the helmet visor down over her eyes and checked to see if her breathing mechanism within the helmet was working.

"Hello Arel"

A robotic voice attacted Arel's attention away from her checkup. She looked down at her screen and typed in a few keywords onto it

"Setup for: Gathering, Surveying, Hunting, Training, or Self-Destruct"

Arel tapped Gathering and vaguely wondered about why the Rider would have a Self-Destruct option.

She grabbed the handles of her Rider and drove forward towards the other Riders.

"You ready for this?" Edain drove his Rider right next to hers.

"'Course I am!" Arel grinned at her brother. Truthfully, a sense of anticipation raced through her veins. Oh, she had been waiting a year for this.

"Attention Riders," a voice called over an invisible intercom,"Please set your Rider on the Lane. Make sure your helmet is on and secure. Remember, safety is always first priority."

Arel drive her Rider onto a luminescent gold line on the ground. Others did the same and soon, there were two straight lines of sleek Riders facing a black wall.

"Open the Dome!" Someone yelled. People in protection suits, like the ones used in diseased areas, ran towards a button on the wall. Other people with high-tech cleaning equipment waited behind the Riders.

The button was pressed and a huge piece of the wall opened up with a whoosh.

The engines of many Riders roared to life, as if they were excited for this moment.

Arel, being at the front of the line, rode out. There was a ramp leading towards the Outside. She could see trees swaying in the wind. The sky looked so much clearer now that she was Outside.

Then the ramp ended. She flew off it and for a slow second, she was in midair, about to fall.

Then those folded metal pieces on the sides of her Rider unfolded into a pair of metal wings. They were in the shape of eagle wings, which have long been extinct.

The Rider began to effortlessly soar above the trees. Arel could just imagine the air rushing past her face even if she was wearing protective gear. Flying was always so exhilarating.

"How's it feel," a voice said in her ear,"Flying, I mean."

Arel smiled and pressed the button on her helmet near her mouth.

"Clear skies, unlike last year. It was pouring last year." Arel replied thriugh her speaker.

"So you like it?" Edain asked, his voice permeating through the helmet's inner earpiece.

"Please, Edain. I love it!"

"Well, don't get to caught up in it all. We got a job to d-"

"Davies, stop chit-chatting and get to work!" a sharp voice interrupted.

Arel sighed and let her hand drop from helmet and back to the handle.
Damn you Michaelis, she thought.

She guided her Rider down into the trees. Unlike from above, these trees were in disarray. Vines tangled around dead stumps and emitted a golden light that soon turned blue when Arel passed then. She gave them no thought.
It's probably just some reaction, she thought, Like those ferns that curl up when you touch them.

A small creek split the grove in two.

Arel gently hovered her Rider over the creek. It too, gave a blue light. Clearly, this creek was tainted with radioactive material.

Arel took out a small tube the size of a syringe from her bag. She pressed a button on it and it emitted a faint beep and its small screen lit up.

Carefully, she lowered the rider until its wings barely grazed the water. A small buzz sounded from the wings and it sent little ripples along the surface of the water. Then, the seat clicked and slid under the Rider, with an upside-down Arel still on it. With a hand on the seat, Arel dropped herself down until she almost touched the water. She reached above her and placed the tube into the water. The tube beeped and a chemical formular appeared on its screen.
Gyldencwild.

But Arel was confused. Gyldencwild is supposed to emit a golden light, not a blue one.

Yes this was unusual.

Then, she looked farther up the stream and saw that it emitted a golden light. Only the area where Arel was emanated a blue light.

"Davies," Michaelis called through the earpiece,"Did you find anything unusual?"

Arel righted her up into her seat again so that she wasn't upside-down anymore. Slowly, she guided her Rider along the creek. The blue light followed her wherever she went. It was as if, she was making the blue light.

"Davies?"

She pressed the button on her helmet.

"Something weird is going on, sir."

"Well what is it?"

"The water is blue."

"Well of course it's blue; it's water!"

"No! I mean, part of the stream is golden, which is because of the Gyldencwild, but-"

"But what?!"

"There's blue also. An unatural shade of blue, and it's following me!"

"What?"

"Whenever I drive my Rider over the stream, a ball of blue light seems to follow me!"

There was silence on the end.

"Sir?"

"Davies, I need you to get out of there now."

"But sir, you said that we need to inspect every unusual thing-"

"Davies, I said get out of there!"

"But-"

"NOW!!!"

Arel winced at the yelling.

"Oh, alright then."

Arel put her hands on the handle, ready to fly off, but then she forgot that she held the tube in her hand and she dropped it into the water.

Cursing mentally, and forgetting about Michaelis's warning, she reached over and tried to reach the tube which was floating on the water.

She grabbed the tube, but her gloved hand grazed the blue water. She felt a small, burning sensation on her hand and saw that part of her glove had been eaten away.

But it was what was under it that scared her. Her skin was now in contact with the air and water and, instead of apricot skin, it too, emanated an artificial-looking blue light, just like the water.

Arel screamed.