Ethan then walked out of the Grand Hall alongside Rose, Zara, Cedric, and Leila. The after noon air smelled faintly of the sea, mingled with the sterile tang of alloy and ozone from the security fields.
Alexander inclined his head, his craggy features serious but warm.
"You should see the city first," he told Ethan. "After you return…come find me."
Ethan nodded calmly. "Okay."
They moved down the steps where a matte-black grav car waited in standby mode, its gullwing doors rising in quiet unison.
Leila scrambled eagerly into the back seat, claiming the window beside Zara. Rose followed, sitting with one hand on Zara's shoulder to steady her.
Ethan climbed into the front passenger seat, and Cedric took the driver's controls, his tall frame adjusting the seat with a practiced gesture.
The car lifted from the ground in a soft surge of antigrav thrust and slipped onto the avenue, gliding between mirrored towers.
This was a flying car uncommon in normal base cities.
