God’s Cube

It was already evening in Florence by the time Thesi stepped out into the city's open air. Its buildings bathed in the looming shadows from the sun disappearing into the horizon, it gave a sort of eerie beauty to it. The streets filled with the patrolling soldiers in their now mundane job to defend one of the biggest strategic points in the country.

Thesi took a deep breath, the evening air filling his lungs. For the first time in what felt like hours, he was alone. Florence sprawled out before him, it was very quiet, something he very much valued at this current time. For now, Thesi was alive. What came next, he wasn't sure, at least not in the long run, he wanted to stay home for a bit, so he headed to the train station.

He reached the bustling station shortly after, many soldiers populated it in, most of which to head home. He also spotted some newly established fellow Blues. Thesi moved through this crowd with ease, his eyes looking at the digital boards above. Thesi passed through the gates, the ticket already crumpled in his pocket as he sought out his platform. He finally made it to the platform, a red, fiery train waiting for him.

He boarded the train, his footsteps light on the plush carpet of the first class cabins. He found his seat in the two-person compartment, the seat facing towards the front as he settled and let a soft sigh slip through his lips as the train doors hissed shut behind him. The seat was comfortable, designed for long journeys, and although part of his brain attempted to relax, the other half fought back. His mind continued to revisit the Blue Cube, the challenge. The thoughts clung to him, no matter how much he tried to dispel them.

A soft rustling sound drew his attention, and Thesi turned slightly to see the other seat in the small cabin being taken. A tall figure set down a simple black case before sitting down. The man in the cleaned, well-tailored jacket, Vasko, looked fresh, despite the hour and the long day they both had. His hair was combed neatly, and his very presence exuded a quieted confidence. Their eyes met for a moment, Thesi decided it was a good choice to break the ice.

"Good evening." 

Thesi said, his tone very polite. Vasko nodded at the comment and gave a small smile in return. 

"Good evening to you too, looks like we're cabin mates for this leg of the trip."

Thesi nodded, leaning back in his seat as the train’s engine roared and the movement of the wheels could be felt under the seats. The countryside rapidly reappearing outside the window, fields and hills rolling past in a rush of green and brown. The silence lingered in the cabin, only the sound between them was the rhythmic clutter of the train. 

"So are you heading far?”

It was Vasko this time that relaunched the conversation, in response Thesi shrugged before answering. 

"Back home. Just a few hours south, to Pescara"

“Lucky you, this first ride is just the start of my trip, I’m heading further south to take the boat home.”

They were both slightly awkward when it came to the small talk, eventually, after another few minutes passed, and the conversation naturally moved around to the topic they both knew would be the heart of the discussion.

"How was it for you? The Blue Cube, I mean." 

Vasko's voice seemed casual, but his eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity. Thesi hesitated, well aware that he wouldn't be able to be fully truthful, considering his trial was different due ot it being his second technically.

"It was… something. Not what I expected, that's for sure," 

Thesi said, carefully maneuvering his words. Vasko nodded. 

"Yeah. People say it is intensive, but like you can't know 'til you're in there. For me… I don't know, it didn’t feel completely personal, but also not completely estranged, like it was still getting to know me.".

"It's different for everyone," Thesi said, he noticed a slight hint of concern in Vasko’s tone, as if the knowledge of the Cube getting to know him better scared him. Thesi wasn’t surprised, the Cube knew him. That was frightening, but he was also already made aware. If Vasko does end up going for a second Cube, the test will be a lot more tailored to him.

"And you? What'd it bring out for you?”

Vasko’s question was phrased in an interesting manner, but Thesi’s first reaction was to look away, feigning fascination with the passing scenery. 

"I guess you could say it was… complex, but it ended with the hypercube we saw in class, I guess mine felt less personal than what I’ve heard, then again, maybe having a hypercube itself was personal and I just don’t know how yet.”

Thesi had actually wondered, in the little his mind focused on the first challenges of the Cube, why the hypercube, and his reply had come out from his genuine thoughts behind that particular test. Vasko raised an eyebrow but didn't press on the topic. 

"I see” Vasko’s reply was curt, but that’s when a new question sprung into Thesi’s mind.

“If I may ask this, your family, the Rosariks, are known for yellow, why switch to blue?"

Vasko leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“It's a long story, but to sum it up… a lot of my family has tried to become Mixed, but they almost always failed. Well, dying trying would be more correct. The path through yellow wasn't working, so they decided to take a different approach. The few people that have reached those higher levels often did so taking yellow second, not first. Why shouldn’t we try the same thing was my family’s thought.”

Thesi nodded. 

"So, it's a strategy thing."

"Exactly. The Yellow Cube is not ordinary, it is special when compared to the other two. I’m starting to think that if the Cube learns about you through featuring you in the trials, maybe the Blue and Red alter when a yellow enters, the same way he has been altered from the physical normality we know."

"And you think it's the right path?"

Vasko's lips quivered into a small smile. 

"Honestly? I am not sure. But at least the way things were going I don't think we had much choice. This way, at least there's a chance."

It was now crawling towards a station, and the voice of the conductor filled the speakers to announce their forthcoming stop. The conversation with Vasko had brought up many interesting points, and discussed stuff he hadn’t thought about as much, like the order of the Cubes, it would be something he would keep in mind when deciding what to do. He wasn’t convinced on attempting a new challenge yet, he had many things he wanted to do first. As the train pulled into the station, Thesi stood, gathering his bag. 

"I guess this is where we part ways for now. We didn’t get the chance to discuss our immediate plans for the future, but I’m sure we’ll see each other soon."

Vasko nodded, standing up. 

"Yeah. Good luck with everything."