Sigma/Star

Chapter 68: Enter Beijing

The edges of the White Storm flickered as friction burned along its edges. Next to it, the South Star appeared to be engulfed in flames as well, though its study armor barely registered a chip in its paint. Porter turned off the monitor in front of his face as he descended, shutting off the information on General Veillon. He had gathered as much as possible from all Enian databases on Carter's last known whereabouts, his final mission, his appearance, and his Goliath. If they could find even the tiniest trace of the general's existence, then they might still have a bit of hope for finding him.

Clouds whipped by as the two Goliaths slowed their descent, touching down on the edges of fog-wrapped mountains, their white peaks blending in with the sky. In front of the two teens lay the sprawling city of Beijing, the fourth Beijing in a long line of capital cities that were constantly rebuilt by the Eastern United States. The States were extremely dependant on tradition, firmly believing in a complete lack of deviation from the past, and it was reflected in their older construction style of buildings and their attachment to names.

The original Beijing had been destroyed ages ago, as part of a war before the times of the four countries, and had been nowhere near such picturesque mountains, unlike this current one. Towering skyscrapers seemed to try and rival those hills in the background, with little villas and quaint buildings down at their feet. They held a traditional Asian flair to them, with shingled roofs, unlit lanterns dangling from the corners, and small statues of dragons and lions surrounding the door.

And there were people. Lots and lots of people. People dominated every aspect of the city, every nook and cranny they seemed to find a way to fill with their sweaty, dirty bodies, or with their small, travelling shops that sold whatever goods they could get their hands on. In certain patches, the buildings parted, making space for market squares that seemed full to bursting. In other areas, parks with exquisite gardens, fountains, and ornaments were overrun with couples and families that bustled and bumped their way through a space designed for serenity.

It was a nightmare to the Enian boys, who were only used to the crushing surge of students in the hallways of the academy, but otherwise had never seen such gross overpopulation. Nobody in the United States seemed to think that though, quite content to cram so many people into an urban space.

At the base of the Goliaths flocked attendants who began servicing the battlesuits as quickly as possible, scrambling for the business of the pilots. There were a couple of other Enian Goliaths standing in the designated landing space just outside the city limits, markers of other soldiers visiting the temporary allies. Porter took note of their presence, hoping he wouldn't ever have to run into them and explain his situation.

The students descended to ground level, flocked by more of the workers who offered up as many services they could in what seemed like a hundred different languages. Chase managed to wave them off, scaring them away by pulling up his fists, while Porter brandied a holographic image of a special Enian seal. It had a red trim to it, signifying he was on an important diplomatic mission and had special privileges (this was a forgery of course, one he had remembered how to make when he and Nami had goofed around with the idea one time a couple years ago).

Pushing a pathway with a combination of Chase's fists and Porter's symbol, the two made it out of the landing zone to a group of taxis. Just like the attendants, the drivers instantly begged the boys for their business, pointing to shiny modifications to their vehicles that separated them from the competition.

"We've been here for all of five seconds and I've hated every single one of them," Chase decreed, folding his arms in contempt after pushing aside a driver.

"Just some culture shock Chase. I'm sure you'll get used to it here eventually."

"Chase doesn't get used to anything. Things get used to Chase," the teen snorted.