“Aren’t you guys excited?! Shopping time, shopping time, shopping time...”

I just oddly smiled at Caenya. I had not the heart to tell her the truth. But Nick did!

“What would we shop for? We have all the clothes we’ll need. We have a programmable simulator environment. Any type of food or cosmetic extra can easily be synthesized.”

“Ah come ooon, you’re no fun. And I don’t have the things you two have.”

It was weekend, a precious era of respite within the whirlpool of academic advancements. Last week had been quite developing, but also a burden to my frail pool of mental and physical energy. I was usually quite introverted, but time with Nick and Caenya was usually the battery jump-start I preferred most.

Phargos-II, proud military education world of the TSFF, was relatively small, and had a tight atmosphere with weather controlled by two main Federation facilities, one of which was very close to the academy I went to. It was currently pleasantly warm, even though the sun was always a lot more dim here than in the jungle world I grew up in.

More important to us was the city to the south. Taking the mountain passage from the academy down an artificially lit road lead to Mytros, a city filled with mostly families of students, high ranking TSFF bureaucrats and officers, and a large fledgling colonist populace whose prospecting ancestors took the Federation’s subsidy to start a life here.

Albeit not a tourist or nature-loving place, a fine and lively mini-civilization.

Mytros was a small city built on the rocky stonescapes of Phargos-II. It was Caenya’s home and our choice of real-world recreational destination.

I sighed. I would’ve preferred to have simulator fun in this beautiful combat simulation program I found online recently, but nothing could really stand up to Caenya’s beaming enthusiasm.

“How much money do you guys get, actually?”

“Twenty points per month, plus an average of ten per month bonus on assignments and competitions,” I replied her. “I have about fifty points I’m willing to spend.”

“You’re saying you have more!”

“More unspendable points, yes. I would like to keep eating top-tier cafeteria food, though.”

“Ah come ooon, Vincey!”

Caenya stopped and started bobbing me around- in public. She was lucky that I didn’t mind that, but then again, she probably calculated this.

“It’s so unlike you to spend your hard earned points on short-term fulfillment like that! Don’t you want to buy me something cuuute! I know you like seeing me look cute!”

I couldn’t contain my laughter, and I lended a palm to my face. Nick and I did often give Caenya some of our income, since we had more than a modest stack of points given to us by the Academy. It was a lot harder for unemployed fourteen year olds to get their money.

“No. Sorry. Don’t tempt me please. Fifty is enough. And it depends, you impatient bastard, you haven’t seen the wares yet!”

“Oh King, please have mercy!”

“Nick, you are now my royal executioner. Execute this girl.”

“If you say so.”

“Nooo!”

While my powerful bodyguard tackled our presumptuous choosing beggar, drawing quite a bit of attention from fellow citizens, I advanced towards some of the stores nearby to peek. If I was going to buy my friends anything, it had to be a pleasant surprise. And then I would resume simulator practice- discovery did not wait on the slacking! And city trips were a product of slacking! 

"Hey there, youngling," a stranger started, in a language deciphered by my neural translator. He was an arachnid, a humanoid spider species relatively common among the Federation. Judging by the coloring of his clacking mandibles, he was an elder. The blue sun and blue street lighting reflected on his pitch-black orbs of eyes.

"What brings you to the city? What are your friends doing back there?" 

"Playing around, really."

We must've been quite the uncommon sight. In most civilized worlds, all entertainment and most non-physical business was done in the simulators. The only reason there were still physical shops was because of the Federation’s Reality Act, a culture-sculpting law to prevent their people from digitizing and disconnecting from reality completely.

“And looking for a present for my friends.”

“I heard that!”

Caenya must’ve convinced Nick to stop restraining her, and the two now stood beside me as I conversed with the elder.

“You ruined the surprise, Caenya.”

“Awwwh...”

The old man laughed, a sound that was almost a rhythmic chirping through his mandibles.

“I wonder what you all think, since you’re young students. I have a predicament for you.”

I flared up, hungry for knowledge about any subject, from any source. Nick was a likewise thinker, instantly fishing out his writing tablet.

“What would you do if you carried a secret, a large embarrassment that required you to hide your true self?”

This man asked good questions. Finally an adult who didn’t take me for some uninspired, undeveloped child.

“Well, just tell your friends and open up, immediately!” Caenya started, with little hesitation. “As long as your friends won’t be troubled by it, they can help shoulder the guilt or responsibility that’s keeping you down! And everyone will be happier!”

“Well said,” I replied. “I expected the extravert’s answer from you. You must have great friends to be able to say such a thing!”

“Shut up~”

The old man laughed.

“That will be your answer, how interesting-”

“But what if there aren’t trustworthy friends? Or if knowledge of this hypothetical secret could hurt those who learn of it?”

We all turned towards Nick, who had been looking at the dark, cloudy skies hovering imposingly above.

“Sharing one’s laments is helpful in distributing a weight among many. But what should you do if you’re forced to burden it on your own?”

Caenya’s eyes almost suggested genuine concern. Nick looked mostly at me, expecting me to assist him with the predicament.

“It is harder, doing things on your own, of course. But in these cases, to people, it’s important to recognize how responsible you are.”

“Responsible?” Asked the old man. He stepped back and fidgeted with one of his arms.

“Yes. As in, weighing the factors that determine if and how your lament is allowed to be carried by others. If not friends, there are specialists and programs to assist. I don’t think anyone is ever truly alone with their social uncertainties.”

Nick nodded and began writing. The old man looked pleasantly surprised. 

“Hahaha! It was surely the right choice to ask you three for your opinions. You know a lot for second year students. Did you just move into this campus this year?”

“Yes,” I answered. “We were stationed at facility Seven before this, which lies pretty far away.”

“Heh, in any case. Sorry to have bothered you. Have a great time.”

The arachnoid waved one of his powerful arms. In the light robes he was wearing, it looked rather dramatic. I looked his way for a good three seconds before he slowly turned a corner behind a structure. Nick glanced his way as well, intently writing down his findings. After all, to him, pleasure trips were a matter of research.

“Are you famous here or something?” Caenya started. “That was a very specific question! Suspicious? Or is he in your fan club?”

“I’ve never seen that particular man before. I guess he was just curious, and I can very much appreciate that. Also, why do you keep catching me for someone who is popular?! Does this look popular to you?”

My face became a satire on professors and philosophers, the expression quickly bringing the intended laugh on her face. I turned to Nick too, who didn’t laugh but nodded instead. He etched something onto his tablet, connected to his neural system.

“Accurate.”

It was funny for a while, but then Caeyna quickly returned her demeanour to her smiling, deadly exasperating offensive.

“Let’s go buy some fun stuff now though!”

“Sigh. Your independence combined with your charm is turning you into a greedy girl.”

“But in a corporate world where your position in the hierarchy matters most, being greedy works best, right?”

Caenya was beaming.

“Sometimes, you scare me.”

Nick wrote that down.