As Anise reached the gate, she joined in with a small queue. Even the entrance to The Hub was impressive. The lone guard peered down the line, which was only three or four people long, before returning to his duty of properly IDing the other entrants. One after another after another, and before she knew it, it was her turn.
"Identification, please."
The identification system is one thing that survived the pass into the new world. Everyone in the country was supposed to carry one singular card, which would be used as the carrier's only form of photo ID. Anyone who wasn't able to get theirs before the last few government-managed centers were expunged was more often than not out of luck. Anise, luckily, had been holding onto hers ever since she'd gotten it. She'd had her photo taken twelve years ago, she made sure to never let it out of arm's reach, and now--
It was gone.
Her card - it wasn't in her pocket where it usually was. She froze up, staring dumbfounded at the guard.
"Ma'am? Your identification?"
This was bad. This was really, really bad. Anise felt something inside her sink all the way down to the bottom of her chest. After so much effort to get here, somehow she'd managed to misplace her key through the gates. She might have shed tears, if her body had enough water to spare.
"I-I'm... very sorry, I..."
The guard didn't need to hear any more. "Let me guess. You lost it?"
"W-Well, um..."
"I'm sorry, miss. If I don't get an ID from you, I'm going to have to turn you away."
"N-No, I have it, I just--"
"Anise?" The girl jumped. She wheeled around. Who said that?!
Before her stood a girl. She was taller than Anise, with a rich, dark complexion and a sweet expression painted on her face. In her outstretched hand were two little slips of plastic - one of which was Anise's ID, and the other her own.
The gatekeeper took the cards, reading over them and surveying the two girls before him. The taller one took the opportunity to grab Anise's hand, shaking it gently. Her fingers were soft and dainty in contrast to Anise's own calloused mess of a palm.
"My name is Gloria. And yours is Anise, right?"
"Uhm... y-yeah..." Anise timidly shook Gloria's hand, trying not to look her right in the eyes.
"That's a beautiful name! My aunt on my father's side, her name was Anise. She was a real talker." Gloria grinned, her curly black hair bouncing with the tilt of her head.
The gatekeeper nodded, handing Gloria the two cards back. "Well, you can go in, then." He turned to Anise, snarkily adding, "Maybe you should thank her."
Anise nodded, waiting until she was out of the guard's sight to roll her eyes. She shook her head, stepping over the boundary that divided The Hub from the rest of the world as Gloria followed her inside. "Where did you find this?"
"Oh, you left it right in the middle of the road a few feet behind you. Would'a been embarrassing to have to bend down and pick it up."
Anise blushed. That was just like her. "W-Well..."
"It happens, Love, just let it slide." Gloria shrugged, sliding her card back into the breast pocket of her unstained shirt. "You made it in."
Anise nodded, begrudgingly agreeing with the lady beside her. "... so, what brings you here?"
"Better than being out there."
Anise chuckled. "Why'd I even ask?"
The two shared a good laugh at that. The first either of them had had in a while. Anise was grateful for the new friend she'd just met, as was Gloria.
"Do you have any family left?" Gloria tilted her head curiously. "I don't wanna intrude, but I was just curious."
Anise paused for a moment, racking her memory. "... not that I know."
"Oh. Hmph. That's a shame. Me neither..."
The two continued on in silence for a while, as the streets around them grew more and more crowded. The Hub was a center of activity for humanity, perhaps the only one left. Vendors stood behind market stands, peddling cans of imperishable foods, bottles of uncomfortably warm water, and even a few "fresh" baked goods with all the mold scraped off. There were at least two or three stands who simply sold the luxury of washing your clothes.
Gloria turned back towards Anise. "Well. It was nice meeting you. I'll be on my way."
"O-Oh! Can we keep in touch?" Anise blinked. She didn't know how that would work, seeing as every cell tower she'd ever seen was down, but she still had hope.
"Of course." Gloria nodded. "How about we meet back here tonight, when there's fewer people?"
Anise liked that plan. With that, the two said their farewells and went their separate ways.
