Lightning Seeker

Vale burst out of her 'cookie-cutter' house, a blur against the uniform street. She couldn't face her mother's disapproval today, not when history was about to unfold just blocks away. The thought of Kriss forbidding her plan was a silent push, propelling her faster.

She ducked under honking hovercars, a fleeting reflection of her messy ponytail and bright, dark green eyes in a store window. Outside an electronics shop, a neon sign blared: "Own Your Very Own Robot!" Vale scoffed. Robots were ubiquitous, yet still upgraded like ancient tech. In 2312, technology dictated everything, making human interaction a strange, anxious affair.

Most jobs were gone, leaving only entertainment for humans. Money, in the form of 'painites,' literally grew on trees. But Vale craved more than easy living. She threw a small sphere, watching it expand into a hover disk, and kicked off, hurtling towards the distant 'Balboa Pier.'

The pier was a cargo dock, stacks of containers blocking the ocean view, the air thick with fish and oil. A large metal platform held a crowd, eyes fixed on a massive ship. The Libertatem. It was breathtaking, a fusion of old sea-bound vessels and modern jets, designed to suck in carbon dioxide and pump out oxygen. Its deep hum resonated, a warning or a call.

Vale knew what she had to do. She wasn't going home. She was going to be a Lightning Seeker.