Lola followed quickly behind the others. It took her a second to gain back feeling in her leg that wasn’t pins and needles. When she finally felt like she could walk without looking like a newborn fawn, she continued with the others, noticing two of the members lagging behind. She earnestly hoped they weren’t planning anything hostile. After all, it sounded like there wasn’t any reason they couldn’t leave. But the more Lola thought about it, the more she was having trouble remembering the reasons why she or anyone else would want to. Every problem, every issue in her life was about to be solved. And true, maybe solved by those who caused it, but hey, the ends justify the means...right?

The young woman could smell something amazing. It took her a long time to realize it was the food. Where modern restaurants and eateries always had food-like fraguanes, nothing quite captures it like the feast laid out before them. Without heading the Gardina’s orders, Lola started pulling a bit of everything onto her plate. She had never had non-synthetic food before, but if it tasted half as good as it smelled, she couldn’t wait. 


She watched some of the others begin to introduce themselves to one another, but before she could jump in, they were busy in conversation. Never one to draw attention to herself anymore, Lola was content with eating and just watching the others. But at the mention of flying, her imagination was already taking hold, and Lola found herself busy lost in another daydream. 

Plants. That was going to be her element. The young woman imagined as many of the plants as she could recall from the few trips her school had taken to a garden. Ivy and vines could help her fly. Well not fly as much as trapeze, but definitely the sensation of flying. She could imagine it now, the feel of air and rush as she floated above everyone and everything. Yes, plants suited Lola just fine.

Lola found herself getting much fuller on the real food then she ever did with the synthetic stuff. But it was a good kind of full. The food didn’t just sit in her stomach, sloshing around, but seemed to literally fill her up. It was the first time she had felt anything like it, and found herself smiling for the second time that day. New sensations, ones that she had never even imagined. The world seemed so much more open and full of possibilities. After having been so bitter for so long, the chips and weight Lola had been carrying around were finally leaving. 

“Can you tell us a bit more about your father?” Lola finally asked when there was a lull in most of the conversations. “You keep calling him... a “visionary” was it? Have we heard of him before? Maybe of his work?”