Chapter 60: Morning Reflections

The three took the elevator up to their room on the 12th floor. The furnishings of the hallway were similar to that of the reception, the glass windows at the end of the hallways giving an excellent view of the street below.

Jake stood in front of their room as he tapped the small black card onto the scanner next to the door handle.

With a short beep and a green flash, Jake turned the handle as they stepped into their room.

The room was medium-sized, featuring a king-size bed, an en suite bathroom, a small couch, a table and a large TV screen.

Although there was no balcony, they still had an immersive view thanks to the glass walls.

After taking everything in, Jake spoke up "Aria, I'm gonna put Lyra to bed. You want to wash up first?" He asked her as he then proceeded to carry Lyra before carefully placing her on the bed.

After removing her shoes and covering her with the duvet, he sat on the couch, waiting for his sister to finish showering.

Fifteen minutes later, Aria emerged from the bathroom, wearing the robes given by the hotel, her hair wrapped up in a towel.

Again, Jake was reminded of her beauty but quickly composed himself as she approached him.

"I'm all done, my spare clothes are in my bag here." She spoke before walking behind him, leaning over the couch and hugging him.

"Thanks for today Jake, I had a lot of fun with you and Lyra. I love you." She spoke softly before hugging him tighter.

Jake again felt a weird tingling feeling in his chest but ignored it as he focused on her voice and words.

"Thanks, sis, I'm happy you had fun, I love you too." He spoke with a smile as he leaned his head sideways towards hers.

An hour later Jake was in bed with Lyra to his right and Aria to his left. This was how they usually slept on the ship but Jake was still a little uneasy for some reason.

'Atlas, why am I so tense right now.' Jake asked the Atlas as his heart beat faster than normal.

(You expect something to happen. You know exactly what but you don't want to accept it yet. It's fine for now, don't force it and just clear your mind.) The Atlas advised Jake.

'That doesn't help but I'll try.' Jake spoke to the Atlas as he closed his eyes taking deep breaths.

His mind slowly cleared and Jake felt himself going to sleep.

Lyra was knocked out cold yet still rolled over towards Jake, snuggling herself next to his body.

Aria was still awake, in a greater state of tension, yet she controlled it well although Jake's body heat and breathing did not help her as she became aware of it.

With a tinge of blush on her face, she shut her eyes and placed her head onto Jake's chest, his heartbeat calmed her down and she felt at ease.

Unconsciously, Jake wrapped his arm around her shoulders bringing her closer as Aria smiled inside before finally falling asleep.

Jake was the first to wake up, courtesy of The Atlas.

As he gained focus, the first thing he noticed was the two girls clinging to his body, their heads on his chest.

Jake looked at Lyra first, who had a small smile on her face, the innocent and cute look made Jake want to hug her tighter, but he didn't want to risk waking her up.

He then turned to Aria, once again realising how beautiful she was, she had a serene look on her face as she slept peacefully which gave her an almost angelic presence, causing Jake's heart to thump faster.

Jake couldn't resist and kissed her forehead softly, he then noticed a small smile appear on her face which he then mimicked before once again closing his eyes.

'Let's not wake them up now, I'll sleep a while longer.' Jake thought to himself.

An hour later Jake placed the breakfast given to him by the hotel on the table as he waited for the girls to freshen up.

'Well, what's the plan for today Atlas?' Jake asked.

(Unless you would like to explore longer, we can start heading out to the planet below. There are a few locations I've highlighted that we need to check out.) The Atlas explained.

'Got it, I'll phone Mom in a few hours anyway since they should be sleeping right now.'

Aria and Lyra emerged from the bathroom after freshening up. Both girls wore new outfits,  which they had purchased the day prior.

Aria wore a light blue sundress which fell just below her knees, the colour matching her eyes,  while the fabric accentuated her figure. She let her long hair flow seamlessly which reached her hips.

Lyra wore a 2 toned black and white top and a pair of grey jeans and had her hair tied into a ponytail. The outfit suited Lyra well, highlighting both her cuteness and her blooming figure.

Jake knew both girls would look absolutely stunning in a few years and The Atlas had backed his perception using its own simulations.

"You both look amazing!" Jake spoke as they stood in front of him, showcasing their outfits.

Aria confidently showed off her dress while Lyra was a little shy but enjoyed the feeling of being praised by Jake.

"Thank you, Jake. What's the plan for today?" Aria spoke as she hugged her brother and sat next to him to eat her breakfast.

Lyra too sat down next to them and sorted her plate.

"Well, unless you girls want to explore some more, I was thinking we could look at a few places on Carter 2 today," Jake spoke as he sipped his cup of coffee.

"Hmm, I don't think I got anything I need to do, maybe when we move here we can come again. What about you Lyra?" Aria thought for a few moments before she spoke.

"Same, so long as we're together I don't have anything else to do." Lyra smiled at Jake before going back to her food.

"Alright then, we'll head out after breakfast." Jake spoke as he shifted his focus to his food.

The trio were on the Skyrail back to their ship and noticed how incredibly packed the transport was.

"Seems like we boarded during a shift change." Aria spoke as she sat close to Lyra and Jake.

"Hey, at least we got seats." Lyra replied.

Jake didn't say anything and looked at the different people onboard.

Each station and job had a slightly different outfit and badge according to the Atlas. The main highlight Jake picked up was the years of service badges.

Some of them had served continuously for almost half their lives, a few even worked for close to a century.

'I can't imagine working the same gruelling job for the rest of my life Atlas.' Jake spoke truthfully to the Atlas.

(I know, but as small and menial as these jobs are, they are vital to society and the reason others can push forward.) The Atlas spoke.

'I couldn't, these people are stronger than me.'

(Don't compare yourself to others, what you have achieved so far is no small feat. Some things are meant for certain people so don't force yourself down. You also have a place Jake...just not here.

Yours is much more special, not anyone can handle it so be proud of that. Just like your family are and just like I am...)

Jake smiled as he lowered his head ' Thanks Atlas, I needed that.' He spoke, glad he had the Atlas for support.

Jake then leaned back before wrapping his arms around both the girls' shoulders much to their surprise.

But before they could respond Jake softly spoke "Thanks for being by my side."

The words instantly changed their moods as they became mellow, smiling as they waited for their destination to arrive.

"Do we have our documents for Carter 2?" Arias asked as they walked towards their ship, fully fuelled and cleaned.

"Yes, I got them certified before we arrived. The DTG trading licence allows us to apply for visitation visas and we don't have to handle any paperwork ourselves." Jake spoke, sending copies of their visas to both the girls' bands.

As they boarded the vessel a man in a black suit called out to Jake.

"Excuse me, young man!" The man who appeared to be in his 30s shouted as he approached their ship.

The trio turned and Jake nodded to the man who approached but did not step aboard the ship.

"Pardon my manners, my master would like to speak to you, Mister Jake." The man spoke courteously before bowing a little.

At the corner of Jake's eye, he noticed an old man surrounded by a few more men in suits a distance away.

'It's him huh, you were right Atlas.' Jake spoke to the Atlas as he recognised the old man who was the head chef at Ignacio's.

(I don't believe he wants to cause any problems, he also would not be able to do anything.) The Atlas spoke as Jake looked around the terminal filled with both security and soldiers.

Jake turned towards the girls before speaking "I'll be back in a few minutes, Aria can you start her up for the time being and Lyra can you do a double check on the diags?" He calmly spoke easing some of the tension.

"Okay, Jake." The two responded, giving one last look at the man in the suit before heading inside.

Jake walked towards the man confidently.

"Lead the way."