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Kainan nodded. ‘Then we’ll see her there.Sante,’ he told the young woman, who gazed after him with longing as he stepped back into the corridor.
Selene hid a smile at his non-reaction to Mariam’s admiration and let him lead her to a set of large lift doors at the end of the building. He punched the panel buttons, and the doors soon revealed a private maglev lift.
He ushered her in and air-typed their desired location.
Seconds later, the car lifted off, racing towards its destination. It swung horizontally and vertically, moving smoothly and quietly across Eden II at high speeds.
Inside the lift, Kainan stoically kept his gaze fixed outside, keeping conversation to a minimum. Selene ignored him, leaving him to his brooding thoughts.
In minutes, the maglev whispered to a stop, and the doors smoothly parted to reveal a corridor within another building.
A crystal clear plex wall ran along one long hallway. It revealed the sight of an open, busy square overflowing with people, stalls and, at one end, a darkened avenue that seemed to dip under the very surface of the moon itself.
At the heart of the square was a public maglev station from where bodies poured out, moving about their business across the massive lunar rock. Judging by their clothes and manner, the people in the square were slightly more ragged and desperate than the rest of Eden II’s surface dwellers. This was indeed the humbler end of the lunar rock.
‘Where are we?’ Selene ventured.
‘East Pikani,’ was all Kainan told her.
They came to a juncture in the corridor. On the wall to the left was a small ‘CYC’ sign. The sign pointing right said ‘NEC’.
‘What is this place?’ Selene asked.
Kainan paused mid-step for a moment to answer her. ‘The CYC is a community-based organisation offering education, care and support to kids throughout the Pika neighbourhoods. It’s funded partly by The Sable Group and focuses on early interventions that empower young people and strengthen communities. The NEC - The New Eden Centre - is a shelter for families and people off the streets that provides food for those in need. In addition, we provide housing and support for those who’ve hit hard times.
‘I see,’ Selene said, deeply intrigued.
‘We’re headed to the NEC,’ Kainan said, taking the right turn. They walked towards a set of brass swing doors. With a hand on the small of her back, Kainan stepped her through them and into a reception area.
The space was airy, large and packed with people.
Selene heard the sounds of laughter and the buzz of conversation. A few volunteers in uniform waved at Kainan as they walked by. She saw an assortment of people carrying boxes to and from a large room beside the foyer and spotted a group of uniformed volunteers divvy food into giveaway bags and food parcels to give to those in need. Some boxes were whisked away behind another set of doors from where the enticing smell of food wafted.
Selene saw more signs leading off to more winding corridors. One pointed guests to a common area for socialising and relaxation, another to a communal dining area, yet others led to bathrooms, showers and free laundry facilities. There was even a door that announced the centre’s medical clinic and a legal aid and support services office next to it.
‘Seems to be very well run,’ Selene said.
Kainan nodded. ‘It has to be to provide the structure the disadvantaged in these communities need. We’ve strict rules and regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of our guests - from a curfew to no alcohol and drug use - and we require everyone to follow the set behaviour guidelines.’
‘You seem quite knowledgeable and invested in it,’ Selene noted with a smile.
Kainan, on the other hand, was solemn. ‘It’s been a long-term involvement for me. My first working gig on the rock was right here. Over the years, I’ve seen the NEC transform and develop the local community’s capacity to provide equal access to education, healthcare, food and shelter. It’s a 24/7 safe space that the Riders and I are proud to be a part of.’
Kainan paused at the sprawling reception desk. ‘Looking for J’Kuu,’ he stated to one of the volunteers helping at the front desk.
The volunteer quickly queried the centre’s private net. ‘She’s in the kitchens.’
‘Sante,’ Kainan said with a dip of his chin.
He moved again, prowling towards the swinging doors from where intense smells were drifting. He pushed them open, gently guiding Selene before him.
They walked into a central kitchen buzzing with life, spice, heat and flames. Inside, an older Edenite woman of generous proportions clad in a flowing rainbow-hued robe took centre stage in the bustling kitchen.
As Kainan and Selene approached, she looked up and clapped her hands in delight, the glyphs across her shoulders and arms dancing in an ancient tribal pattern.
She pushed the large spoon she’d been using to stir the large pot of soup onto a holder and rounded the hot plates, unexpectedly reaching out to hug Kainan.
Selene saw something she hadn’t yet caught on his face before. A wide smile.
