What If the Earth was the other way...?

Around Kliptora in forty days part 7

Nathalia Avra

Days through 30 to 35 : Arabacia.

I have always wondered, why on Kliptora do they have to go through Edbranch first to go to other continents? I mean, why can't they create different routes to connect with other continents. Like Frenchi and Latina are neighbouring continents, it would be effective if there is a connection between those to continents rather than going to and fro through Edbranch.

Then again, I think Edbranch being a center also helps in not getting confused and easy navigation. It might also be hard to move from one continent to another if the only road between them shuts down for maintenance. Haven't people thought about that or did they make some sort of self-maintaining roads which lasted all these decades?

Kliptorans always make me wonder and they (I mean Tony and Tina,) never answer me sometimes.

"Why are you staring at us?" Tina asks. I come back from 'me vs ma mind debate competition and realize I was indeed staring at them.

"I was thinking." I say. Tina nods and goes back to whatever she was doing with her tablet. Tony was sound asleep. I guess travelling to and fro in the wagon can be tiresome.

As you might have guessed, we are traveling towards Arabacia and we are halfway there and by that I mean, we are reaching the port in Edbranch which would lead us to Arabacia. The ports are also spread across Edbranch and those from Latina's port to Arabacia's port, it took a total of one hour's journey.

We successfully reached the port E53 and now we got into the wagon. The wagons looked just the same and the ports across Edbranch are all the same. They have concrete square buildings for a counter and white marble floors. It took more than two hours. I started dozing off and hence couldn't tell the correct time I spent in that wagon.

But, as we reached Arabacia, the sun (Helo) was on top of our heads. It's midnight in Arabacia. That means, I get to sleep as soon as I reach the stateroom. So , the first day in Arabacia was spent in two wagons. This happened because Engame's port was in between and we skipped Engame, so we could go there at last.

Anyway, Arabacia looked beautiful. Imagine Egypt. Sands, hot scorching sun, sand dined, large purids, cactus, camels etc. Now remove the cactus, camels, etc. Replace sun with Helo and the sand pyramids with pyramids that look like the Louvre Museum. Sands can be replaced by the levi-tiles and foot plates and marbles. That's Arabacia.

Fun fact the marvel tiles are the foot plates. Anyway, the counter at the port looked like, well, you guessed it, Pyramid. It was made of glass but not the transparent one like the one found in Latina, it was opaque and very reflective. I guess Arabacia residents go out of this house to check on their reflections.

The guy inside the counter was dark in complexion. He had beautiful brown eyes that complimented his skin. His hair was curly like Brittany's. He had a dazzling smile and I am pointing that out because Kliptorans doesn't actually show any such expression. But he did and it gave a whole new level of welcome and warmth to Arabacia. His dress was pure white and it was the same Karate clothes. Frenchi is the only continent to appreciate fashion I guess, and I appreciate Frenchi for that.

Tina and the guy conversed and in no time we were heading towards a cluster of pyramids and there were domed shaped roofs poking here and there. The buildings were arranged in an order, unlike Frenchi, where stayrooms were placed haphazardly and parallel to narrow lanes.

Tina bid us bye and got into our stateroom. It was magnificent. The glass not only reflects the sun's radiation, it refracts a bit of light, causing a rainbow effect inside. Everything looks colourful. The rooms are segmented by glass walls and that's something unsettling. I think they love seeing their reflection everywhere. That made me insecure. I did not enjoy seeing my reflection everywhere. This would be how Narcissus would have designed his house. I for one hate mirrors. I avoid being in front of one for more than five minutes and now I am staring at my reflection everywhere I look.

Okay Nathalia, focus on the rainbow, they are pretty. After collecting myself, I saw Tony staring at his reflection.

"Not a fan of mirrors?" I ask.

"Are you asking me if I am a fan of mirrors?" He questions.

"Yes."

"I do not resemble a device used to cool something. So, I am not a fan of mirrors." He states.

Me and my words! "I meant if you like being in front of a mirror or not." I clarify.

"I am not fond of being in front of my reflection. But, I know just the thing to do." He presses a button and a huge sheet falls upon all the walls. That is a relief but everything comes with a price; the rainbow effect goes.

That also would help me in sleeping. The bed looked comfortable and not made of glass. I just touched it, making sure my observation was correct. I found it to be extra soft. The bedsheet was white and cotton and it was really suitable for the weather outside. I said good night to Tony and dozed off.

The next day, Tina woke me up and told us we would be eating in an eatery. I got ready soon. I wore a blue top, with bell shaped sleeves and palazzo pants of the colours. Tony insisted on wearing his black karate outfit. It is really boring to see them behave like cartoon characters. Always the same outfit. No wonder, Brittany calls me a dork everytime. At least Tony has the sense to change colours.

The eatery was rectangular in shape and had a done on top. There were several such buildings spread across the resident areas with pyramid shaped buildings popping here and there. That's when it clicked me, There wasn't a kitchen in the stayroom.

"In Arabacia, people believe that food must be consumed together. They all start their day's work on the 9th hour but they all have their meal between the 7th hour and the 8th hour. You meet others, eat with them, talk and have fun."

"People talk here?" That came out wrong.

"What do you mean by that?" Tony asked, his eyelid slightly droopy and his mouth frowned slightly. You have to really look closely to see expressions on Kliptoran faces.

"I mean, do Arabacians talk a lot, like more than the average Kliptoran? " that sounded way weirder.

"True. They seem to chat a lot more than any other continents do."

"We reached an eatery. Let's get something to eat." Tony said.

The walls were made of the same material. The inside was rather beautiful than their stay room. It had huge walls, smokes and a savory smell wafted through my nose. The big wooden long table sat in the middle, while wooden chairs lay parallel on either side. Tiny tables navigated here and there and the room was full of sound. The pots going off, the steam whistling, the crowd talking monotonous but the joy and happiness fills the air.

We moved on and a beautiful black girl greeted us. I smile and return the same gesture by saying "hello!", I waved my hand and the girl smiled. A table floated towards me and Tony took the plate on top of the table and placed it in front of me. Likewise, two other tables appeared and Tony and Tina took it for themselves.

The dish looked like rice in a brown soup. I took a spoonful of soup and Oh my! It was spicy and delicious and my Indian tongue was so happy to have something so delicious for so long! I started gulping spoon by spoon and my friends just stared at me. The girl let out a slight chuckle and she said something in Ara. Tina translated it. "She says that the dish is called 'hisa'bin' . and it is prepared using seafood and grains. Also she is happy that the guests are enjoying the food. It was she who prepared it."

I swallow everything in my mouth and in the same breath let out a "Thank you."

She chuckled and Tina translated.

"Miriam." She said. Her voice was melodious and soft.

"Nathalia Avra." I said, still inhaling my food.

"You need to come down. The food won't run away." Tony said, concerned. I smile.

"I am sorry, but this has been my favourite dish in the whole of Klipotran delicacy and I want the recipe and one more bowl please."

Miriam looks at me and Tona explains what I said and she tells something and Tina translates, "she is glad you are enjoying it."

Soon another table comes my way and I replace my plate with the plate on top. And after inhaling food and exhaling conversations, all of Arabaica residents left to work on plantrys.

"Plantry?" I ask.

"Yes, plantry. They are enclosed buildings in which plants for commercial purposes are grown."

"So, what about sunlight.....oops! Helolight, oxygen and------ "

"Nathalia, things are very different here. We are the only species which breathe oxygen on this planet. The atmosphere around us mostly constitutes carbon dioxide. Everything living on this planet, except us, breathe in carbon dioxide and lets out carbon monoxide. The areas where oxygen got accumulated by a phenomenon, not yet discovered gave conditions for us to thrive. Any imbalance in the atmosphere, the accumulation gets disturbed paving way for our extinction. Now, plantries are made for the sake of them having to grow while we could still cultivate because plants ----"

"Breathe carbon dioxide.. Got it. So let's visit a plantry."

After walking for almost twenty minutes, we reach a huge cluster of enclosed structures with walls reaching as far as the sky. People started going through a room like the one in a screening station found in an airport and I can see people appear on the other side of the transparent wearing oxygen masks that were connected to rectangular bags. A wide variety of trees were grown section wise. I could see banana trees, wheat, rice, maize, mango trees and many more. I was forced to wear an oxygen mask. Imagine our farmers on earth ploughing with an oxygen mask on their face! How hilarious! Maybe, in future, they would! Even the plants would too! ( specially designed oxygen masks just to suit each varieties needs!)

While going through the fields, I found a girl on a chair that floated above the plants. She was watering the plants.

"Why is she in a chair?' I ask Tony.

"She can't walk Nathalia. Her lower body is paralysed. But in Kliotora, if you are healthy you can do any work you choose. She chose to be a farmer and hence Kliptoran scientists came up with a design that could help her do what she desires to do. Remember the man at Frenchi. He is blind. But with the aid of a technology developed by my team in Engame, we provided a synthetic lens which helps him to see properly and clearly."

"I had no idea he was blind! And that is a very great approach to disability. " I smile. I guess he might not have seen it given the mask.

And like that, the next three days go by. Me mostly eating, sometimes helping in the fields and having the best days of my life on Kliptora. I guess Arabacians seem to be the happy continent out of the seven continents I have been to and I think the reason is agriculture.