They began to walk towards the new city Arcadia taking the path most used by the few that does dare to moved between districts of the city.
The Undergrid was filled with dark alleyway and nature sprouting from the strangest places. It seemed like the land was trying to evolve into something other than the broken dreams it possessed, incomplete projects half designed homes surrounded the pathway ahead.
A group of people flowed by, Terrchel analyzed their appearances. Some wore baggy jeans and others oversized hoodies that had a radiant glow eminating from their chest area displaying flashes of coding which his brain quickly analyzed to be some kind of status calculation.
One thing they all had in common were these chunky sneakers with wheels built in the bottom sole and jet holsters at the back of the shoes. All of these combinations gave him a sense of nostalgia that he didn't understand.
Terrchel: Hey Leghorn, those boots I see everyone wearing, where's yours?
Leghorn: That's not needed for a classy man as myself. You see those are hybrid velocity boots...
Terrchel interrupted him mid sentence "sleek chrome plated exosoles with retractable wheels for smooth gliding right?
Leghorn gave him a strange side eye," Yes... And twin jetboosters mounted behind the calves, giving wearers of THE UNDERGRID a burst of aerial propulsion".
Terrchel stopped walking, "why did you need to EMPHASIZE the IMPORTANCE of It being for THE UNDERGRID".
Leghorn: why do YOU feel the need to over emphasize everything suddenly. If you must know these boots are rather low class compared to what they have in The New City of Arcadia up ahead.
Terrchel looked ahead and he could see movement in the sky ahead and he was quite sure it was not birds.
As they approached the border he saw a group of kids in school uniform wearing similar tech gear to Leghorn's swatch and some had weird cyber glasses over both eyes or only one eye but at this point all the observations had Terrchel's stomach growling, which distracted him.
Terrchel: "So based on the data, you're actually telling me that I've jumped to the year 2050 and skipped a few years. That is absolutely crazy and doesn't make sense, Mr. Chicken but these abilities you mentioned sounds fun I'm intrigued by the leveling up system".
He thought to himself, this would be a way to achieve something of my own in this body.
Leghorn: "What... Oh you back on the swatch data topic...The Light sent you light years ahead so you can fulfill your purpose in this specific time. It's not that complicated but with a fly brain I suppose it could be complicated to understand.
He jokingly trialed off and smiled.
Terrchel stretched his body and yawns.
Terrchel:" Fly brain!? Excuse me I'm a scientist at heart. Arnold is just struggling to understand this fantasy world that lays before us clearly because how do you suppose we get up there?
Before them the gap between where The Undergrid stopped and The new city Arcadia began was hard to reach. It was like The new city was built above the old district or The Undergrid sunk below.
Leghorn: Well now you know why they call it The Undergrid grid kid
Leghorn motioned to climb up the weaves of mossy vegetation that grew up from the ground towards the boarder. Terrchel followed closely behind him as they climed their way to the top without breaking a sweat.
They crossed over the boarder into the New Arcadia City and the towers glowed like silk threads wrapped between them.
Leghorn: You know... You speak as if the man is alive in you. You do know it's just his memories you have access to, like a cloud upload. Arnold is long gone.
Terrchel: yeah yeah I know. That human sized chicken meal isn't sounding too bad right now.
Leghorn: "You do know I was once human hey"
Terrchel: what happened?
Leghorn: I fell short in life and got the punishment for it
Terrchel: Noted, but what is that classified section about ? And what is the connection between Arnold and I. Why him? WHY ME
Leghorn: "You very onebtrack minded at times and easily distracted. Some would say annoying! I'd say the connection is, you and Arnold are both imbeciles.
Terrchel let out an exaggerated laugh and hit Leghorn on the head. To which he received an immediate dead pun.
In the sky above were Arcadians in hover lanes. This was clearly a place where commuting by ground no longer existed unless you're moving short distance. There was not a vehicle in sight. Instead there were floating mid-air lounges with guests sipping molecular teas while reclining in anti- grav hammocks, watching traffic zip past in near silence.
Everything seemed perfect and geometric on the land, white clean lined and humming with automated greenery systems. No wires, no grime just seamless integration.
Leghorn: "Shall we first discuss our accommodation arrangements, unless you would prefer to find a bench again?".
Terrchel: "You are surely rude for a so-called celestial being. Are you sure you not a demon from hell instead, sent to torment me in my already existing agony. [scoffs] I planned on venturing into the city of New Arcadia alone you decided to tag along.
Leghorn: Trust me I'm merely doing my duty.
Over Terrchel's shoulder in the near distance stood the word "Cybro's Pizza Den" hovering in the sky above a building. This Cybro's looked very different compared to the one in The Undergrid.
Leghorn: I nearly forget you've being carry that bag of waste, but we definitely are not taking that with us. It wouldn't be very mindful of me to allow it.
Directing at The Undergrid Cybro's bag Terrchel had with him.
Terrchel:yeah the nicest thing happened yesterday. A old man gave me this after I told him I'm starving, and he didn't throw it at me.
Leghorn: (sigh) unfortunately that wasn't being nice. If you hungry and someone gives you their scraps it doesn't mean they doing something nice. They actually gave you nothing. Think about it, he would have thrown it away regardless. If he wanted to be nice he would have given you your own fresh meal or asked if you need a place to stay.
Terrchel: Oh, I guess I'm so used to getting nothing that this form of something felt almost kind. I never thought of it in depth especially because his facial expressions didn't seem unkind nor his tone.
Leghorn: It's not about the words spoken but the actions displayed. People like that will turn and tell the world he fed you but won't say he fed you dirt. You'll understand soon as your adaptability kicks in.
Terrchel: I guess... Well let's not waste what we have even if it was given falsely.
Terrchel shuffled through the dirt bag got a piece of pizza crusts and mouldy crackers out and gestured to shard some with Leghorn before tossing everything else in the garbage bin section. Where not a fly wad in sight.
Leghorn: Terr don't eat that
He grabbed the food out his hands and tossed it in the dirty with the rest. The bin had an automated system and once thrown it it immediately disappeared so there was no way Terrchel could get it back.
Terrchel: Hey! My flyself is not happy with what you just did.
Leghorn: Your human self will thank me later.
He grabbed Terrchel by the hand and pulled him into Cybro's. Which was nestled in a geodesic dome woven between two ultratowers.
Terrchel's mind wondered "My memories of being hit with a dirt bag or scavenger hunting dumpsters as a fly and some human just shutting me in there with no escape, makes me ponder on how inconsiderate humans can be. Always only thinking about themselves but now that they have these automated bin systems there are hardly flies. What if all flies were reincarnated!!??
He had a look of bewildered stun on his face.
Leghorn: What's with the face. Sit down, I'll get us drinks while we decide what to eat there's much to try here.
The pizza den had robotic waitresses and floor to ceiling LED tessellation walls pulsing to ambient synth beats, with real time data art reacting to the client's emotional states.
Terrchel: "I was hoping maybe humans are only bad to flies, but now I have doubts. That must be the reason, but a big part of me senses Arnold didn't get along with humans either. It's as if he might as well have been a fly then" .
Leghorn: Oh cheer up won't you,(he pointed to the kitchen area) look it's platinum plated ovens fused with dark matter induction coils, slinging out uni-truffle microcrusts and starlight infused pineapple glaze. Yes, it's pineapple it's haute now.
Terrchel: (childlike excitement) And tables with holographic marble with chrome filament edges, displaying rotating AR menus in vintage ASCII aesthetic. NO WAY
Leghorn: yea you really need to stop doing that. Arnold was a Scientist not an inventor. We need to look into removing those memories maybe.
Terrchel: You don't understand theses are things in my memories that was just a thought for the future and now im actually here experiencing it. Tell me did they upload the human conscious to the cloud yet?
Leghorn: nobody uses the cloud anymore and no. That would be a real violation and the Celestial army would need to intervene by that point.
One of the robotic waitress approached, "Good day and welcome to Cybro's I noticed you have been here for minutes and have yet to place your order on the table. Would you like tovmake use of our Flavour Hack terminals where you can have your pizza custom made based on your mood, memories or even recent dreams?
Leghorn: No definitely not!
Terrchel: Yes please!
Leghorn: what kind of pizza will that be!? No better than the one I just threw away outside
Terrchel turned to the robot "don't mind him, I'll have a latest memory + mood combo"
Robot: Right follow me sir Terrchel
Terrchel looked at Leghorn wondering how the robot knew his name.
Robot: This way, have a seat and your pizza will be here shortly.
In the meantime Leghorn placed his order on the table and got Terrchel some chicken wings for humorous sake.