Her fourteenth birthday just passed, Cami was brimming with excitement as, this afternoon, she boarded the flyer for her move to Lepus Mal. Being a school day, only her parents and Dar had come to see her off, her oldest brother now forgiven. She had said her farewells to her sisters, Tremma and Damma before they left for school.

“Take care little sister.” Dar spoke awkwardly, “It’s the big city you are going to.”

“I will big brother.” Cami nodded gravely, then with a glint in her eye added, “Who protects me even when I don’t want him to!” Dar hid his smile, nodded and stepped back.

Father, mother and daughter looked at each other. “Comm us, as often as you can now, Cami.” Her mother spoke first.

“Do well, and get a good contract, Cami.” While the words were calm, the look that passed over her father’s face said much more. Cami almost lost the control she had over herself.

“I will, mother, father, I will.” Came out in a whisper.

“Time to board the flyer, Cami.” Jan ot Weir an older woman in her thirties who was to be her guardian for the trip to the capital, was used to such farewells and spoke in a calm, confident manner.

No hugs or kisses were exchanged, not in public. That type of intimate farewell was only done in a private dwelling. So with just an exchange of good byes, Cami and her guardian climbed aboard the flyer and went in search of their compartment as her parents and older brother left.

*********

“Here it is!” Cami called in her excitement. Jan ot Weir, smiled to herself. ‘It doesn’t matter want class they are, their first train ride is always exciting!’ she thought. “Thank you Cami, remember, we are in public now, so control of yourself is important.”

Immediately Cami composed her features into a careful expression she felt was suitable. “I am sorry, madam Weir.” She said. “Here is our compartment.” She stood aside for the older woman to enter first.

“Thank you, Cami.” Jan ot Weir spoke as if she hadn’t spoken earlier and went in. The compartment was well appointed and equipped with two beds for the overnight trip to the capital. One of the beds had to be brought down from overhead, a job for the cabin attendant. As well, they had sole access to a small but fully serviceable bath room, very important in a private and status conscious society.

“This is for us?” Cami asked Jan in disbelief.

“It is,” the guardian smiled. “Your bag go’s here.” Cami stowed her luggage in the small storage area, a second larger bag had been taken by a cargo handler and stowed in the cars cargo compartment.

“Oh, we are moving!” The exclamation came as Cami looked out the cabins window. The trip to the capital of Ti Lepus was a magical journey for the young woman. Her whole future before her, she sat and dreamed as the flyer floated on its magnetic drive on into the night. Not even the mandatory inspection of their travel documents could damp Cami’s spirits. The evening meal was taken in a dining car and was the only such provided. Soon it was time for the beds to be set up.

“I am sure that I won’t sleep.” Cami protested. “I feel that I could stay awake all night!”

“You will need to be rested for your arrival in the capital tomorrow, Cami.” Jan ot Weir replied, “You don’t want to make a poor impression on your first day, now do you?”

Cami went still, the warning was clear. “Yes Madam Weir, I don’t want to do that. I will change now.” Collecting her night clothes, Cami washed and performed her personal ablutions, cleanliness being an obsession for the people of Ti Lepus. Dressed in suitable clothes for sleeping, she climbed into the top bunk and laid back. As the flyer floated on into the night, she wondered about her future. Dreaming of being picked for a contract quickly, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. The nightmare of being passed over and having to return to her family never crossed her mind.

*********

“Wake up Cami,” from her guardian had Cami sitting up and bumping her head on the ceiling of the compartment. Smiling, Jan ot Weir was standing close by the bunk. “The attendant will be here soon so go wash and change.”

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and face, Cami collected her travel clothes and headed into the bathroom. By the time she had washed, changed and brushed her hair, the room had been made up. “It’s the eighth period, Cami, we will be in Lepus Mal by the tenth period.”

“And you will take me to the boarding house?”

“Yes, I will introduce you to a mentor who will guide you for the first seven day period. She will take you to the club and show you around. Also she will introduce you to the school that you will be attending.”

“That’s a lot.” Cami thought aloud. “I hadn’t thought about school.”

“There is a lot that you need to know.” Jan ot Weir replied. “I will tell you some now. We will talk while we eat.” The guardian sat back in her chair as they both opened the meal that they had brought with them for breakfast. “Lepus Mal is a city of twenty million and not all of them are good citizens, so you must be careful. Follow your mentors lead, you will be their responsibility for the first week, after that you are on your own. Try to make friends with the other girls, they can be a great help to you but again be careful, remember that they are also your competitors, they are also trying to be noticed.”

Cami listened carefully as she ate. She had not thought about the other girls in the club. However she did had some experience of ‘not good’ citizens so that was not a surprise. She continued to pay attention to Madam Weir.

“Remember your status is important. Keep working to improve it and you will be on the right track to a contract. I too was once like you, a girl looking for a contract. I got one, although it was not as good a one as I would have liked, it got me improved status and a good position. Always be aware and when, not if, someone takes an option on your contract, check them out and find out as much as you can about them. Don’t be shy about this, it is your future in question. You have to think for yourself.” Jan ot Weir sat back in her chair, looking rather fondly at the wide eyed young girl sitting across the small compartment from her.

“Is there anything that you would like to ask me?” Jan said.

Again feeling overwhelmed, Cami shook her head.

“If you do, you must ask me now, we won’t see each other again after today, so don’t hesitate to speak up.” Madam Weir leant forward in her seriousness.

“Yes madam.” Cami replied. “It is just all so new, I don’t know what to think right now. I am sure that I will have many questions.” Cami smiled suddenly. “I hope that it will be while you are still with me.”

Jan ot Weir hid her own smile. ‘This girl is really sweet, she won’t be around for long,’ she thought. “If you have a question, just ask it.”

Cami nodded in reply, then, the meal finished and both cleaned up, looked outside. “We are passing lots of buildings. When will we be in the city?” She wondered aloud.

“We are in the city but we won’t be stopping for another period or more.” Jan hid another smile at Cami’s look of surprise. “This is an older part of the city, don’t ever go there!”

“Does it have bad people?” Cami frowned.

“This is the area where the underclass live it’s called Nether West. They do not enjoy the presence of higher class citizens. It is dangerous for anyone not a member of the underclass to go there.”

“Oh.” Cami replied. “I see.” While she didn’t understand, she resolved to never go anywhere near that area.

The train slowed, drawing Cami’s attention to the view outside. After a fraction, she turned back to her guardian. “We have slowed, Madam Weir. Will we be there soon?”

“Not for a period, Cami. The train just go’s slower in the city.”

Nodding at the explanation, Cami turned back to the view, frowning at the rather depressing scenes of unkempt buildings with occasional glimpses of sullen looking people standing and watching the flyer going by.

This changed to gasps as the outskirts of the city proper came into view. Towers, taller than any the young woman had ever imagined appeared crowding together into a glass and metal forest that enchanted the young woman. The terminal appeared as the flyer coasted to a stop.

Leaving the flyer after collecting her second bag was another revelation for Cami; the multitude of people that surrounded them as they left and went to the location where they could secure transport almost overwhelmed her. She froze.

“This way Cami, there is the transport waiting for us.” The calm voice of her guardian brought her out of her temporary paralysis. “See the codes, they tell us that this vehicle is waiting for us.”

“How do you know all this, Madam Weir, remember it all?” Cami wondered.

“When you need it to get around, well, you learn it all.” Jan ot Weir replied. “When you need it, you learn it. Also there are programs that help you learn it all and assist you.” The guardian talked as she walked to the vehicle, called a personal conveyance transporter. “Your mentor will supply all this to you, but from then on, it becomes your responsibility. Now get in.” The pair took their seats.

As the vehicle moved away, Jan showed Cami the controls and how to operate them. Although she had never been in a transporter, Cami was quite familiar with comm controls and these were similar. She quickly understood the system. Sitting back, she wondered at all the sights they were passing and about her future ahead.