"Big guy, that's a scary and enlightening thought."

    "You got that right," Mikey responded. "Chon, on another note, do you think we'll ever colonize Mars? I mean, build more than just a VG hotel?"

    "If it was up to Xen or mùqīn, yes," I surmised. "But eventually I think we will because humankind wants it to happen. We're too intrigued not to settle and cityscape."

    "I agree," Mikey said. "Although to be fair, even with our technological advancements, most know it wouldn't be easy. Especially if we're talkin' mass numbers. As Raythorpe explains, spaces' microgravity would take a toll on the body, and so patrons would have to be exercised regularly in proper facilities. Mega yields of food, water, and oxygen would have to be taken, and with some serious emergency supplies. But despite the limitations, I'm sure it won't be too long before we're markin' out provinces, and buildin' super great walls over Olympus Mons."

    "Altitude-willing, that would be quite something," I concluded. Then in unison, Mikey and I fist-bumped.

    Afterward, he closed his eyes and returned to the realm of slumber.

    Unfortunately for me, our Pulp Science Fiction had left me wide awake and I deliberated about my family. Despite the scandal, I remembered who Xen and mùqīn were, and what they stood for. They were masters of their fields, beset on providing solutions. It was also a certainty they had a complex plan. Remembering these things, I tried to trust in them.

    I hoped to occupy myself, and something from earlier still played on my mind. "A.I.D.A, see if you can make sense of 'SS-CSP'."

"Chon, I have two results.

"1. SS-CSP - Sun, Sand - @Cancun Sea Port

"2. SS-CSP - Seductive Señoritas - Columbia's Sexiest Pleasures."

    "Irrelevant and typical," I said inwardly.

    Next, I'd looked to the news for a distraction. Then it dawned on me. I had no idea how we were currently being portrayed. However, once I tuned in my holoscreen, there was no mention of any of us. Instead, all focus was political and concentrated on the up-coming election candidates of Zhōngnánhǎi.

    The first was current leader, President Ming Du Han. He was supported by Premier Junsin Eixo.

    The second was Lee Mishina, a green-minded politician recently associated with Xen, who'd promised China guaranteed results from his manifestos.

    If elected, Mishina planned to have Stephen Wu as his premier, and this speculation was hugely controversial. Why? Well, because, Stephen was the son of Cassius Wu - one of The Elders - who led the way in global cryogenics.

    More significantly, Stephen himself was the world's leading aerospace engineer - the creator of the new, bigger and more technologically-advanced international space station - and a man who only a few months ago, decided to move into Chinese politics. A career transition which had baffled the worlds' aeronautics community.

    With some of these big players involved with The Solution, and the approaching election, I couldn't help but remain a little apprehensive.

    An electronic bell chimed in everyone's ears and we all wriggled to attention. An announcement was about to be made on our geographical location. "Good afternoon, passengers. This is the First Officer speaking and I am happy to announce we are over Hesse State now and minutes away from Frankfurt am Main. Could all Passengers and Crew prepare for landing into Frankfurt International.

    "On the weather front," the officer concluded, "I'm sad to say things have changed since we set off from Běijīng. Currently, the skyline is dense and dark, with forecast highs of five degrees Celsius, forty-one degrees Fahrenheit. Torrential rain is inevitable."

    Defeated, Sarah and Mikey looked at me with sleepy eyes. I thought of taunting them with something witty and clever over my rain-mac preparation. I held back though and decided to be humble. Afterall, I had 'bigger fish to fry'. Xen would be waiting for me when we landed and expect some type of effort and interaction on my part.

End of Chapter 7