As Nate and Yoli stepped through the gateway, reality shifted in an instant. One moment, they were on Earth, solid ground beneath their feet, the scent of ocean air lingering in their noses. Next, they were here, wherever here was.

  Nate’s entire body tingled, a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt. It was as if every inch of him had been thoroughly cleansed like he had taken the longest, most invigorating shower of his life followed by an exfoliation that reached deep into his very being. He flexed his fingers, marveling at how refreshed he felt.

  Yoli turned to him, wide-eyed. “Wow.” she breathed. “I feel like I just had the best mud bath ever.”

  Nate frowned. “What’s a mud bath?”

  “Something doctors do.” she said with a smirk before turning her attention to their surroundings.

  Nate followed suit, finally taking in the structure they had arrived in. They stood within a wide hallway made of smooth stone, the craftsmanship was clean and precise. Directly in front of them, a large sign with a generic looking wavy green bottom and blue top with a yellow orb in the corner greeted them with clear, bold letters: "WELCOME, EARTH! Please meet us in the lobby on level one." A red arrow beneath the message pointed to the right.

  Nate took a few steps forward down the hall in the direction the arrow pointed towards, scanning his surroundings. The hall stretched far in both directions lined with identical gateways just like the one they had passed through. The hallway had archways separating the entry way for each new gateway. Turning back to examine their own gate, he found it recessed into the wall rather than freestanding like it had been on the floating island back on Earth. People who had been behind them waiting to enter the gateway entered and were having a similar eye opening experience as they were. Above the arch was a polished gold plaque that bore a simple inscription: "Earth.".

  His gaze drifted upward where he finally noticed the ceiling. A warm, golden light bathed the hall, emanating from thousands of tiny pinpricks in the stone above. Each one connected to another by thin glowing lines. It took him a moment to realize they were constellations.

  To his left, the constellations continued, but their patterns were unfamiliar, foreign. He turned his head toward the adjacent gateway, identical in shape and size to Earth’s, but bearing a different inscription on its gold plaque:

  "Glorndorn."

  Before Nate could dwell on the name, a figure emerged from the gate. He froze, his breath catching in his throat.

  The creature was small, maybe three feet tall with thick fur covering its body. It had a bushy tail, dexterous hands, and feet that padded lightly against the smooth floor. The creature walked with the confidence of any other bipedal being, but there was no mistaking its resemblance to a raccoon. A raccoon wearing clothes.

  Nate stared, unable to help himself. The Glorndornian, or whatever its species was called, seemed oblivious to his gawking as it adjusted the satchel slung over its shoulder and strode purposefully down the hall. Nate quickly averted his eyes realizing he was still staring.

  To the right of their own gateway, he noticed another archway but something was different. The structure was there, identical to the others, but its green, glowing energy field was missing. Instead of a welcoming threshold, there was only an empty space. Above it, the gold plaque was blank.

  “That must be for the next planet to join.” Yoli mused, stepping up beside him.

  Nate nodded absentmindedly, still shaken from the sight of the bipedal raccoon. “Did you see that?” He finally said.

  “I mean, I’ve seen raccoons walk upright before on social media, usually when they’re stealing food but not like that. And definitely not wearing clothes.” Yoli traced her fingers along the welcome sign to examine the material it was made of.

  Nate huffed a soft laugh. “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

  Yoli smirked, shaking her head. “Yeah… you got that right.”

  Nate and Yoli made their way down the hall, following the direction the sign had pointed and the other people that had come through the gateway after them. Every so often, a new species would emerge from one of the gateways, and each time, they fought the urge to stare.

  So far, they had seen a raccoon-like being, a pair of insectoid creatures with chitinous exoskeletons, and a bear-like figure, some of them were walking upright, others moving on all fours. Some wore clothing, others did not. The sheer variety of life in the hall was staggering. Another thing they noticed as they walked down the hall was that not every gateway was lit up and active like the others, but each of them had the name of a planet on the golden plaque above their arch.

  Eventually, they arrived at a platform where a crowd had gathered. It was surrounded by a railing, though there was a break in the barrier at the front. Nate's eyes landed on a panel near the edge of the platform, where a grid of buttons numbered one through nine was displayed, along with a single forward-facing arrow. Before he could make sense of it, a newcomer stepped onto the platform. As they did, a horizontal bar extended from where the railing ended and locked into place.

  Yoli exhaled in realization. “Oh it’s an elevator.” she murmured absentmindedly.

  A nearby figure turned toward her, their golden eyes glinting with amusement. “First time?”

  Nate’s mouth immediately opened slightly from the shock that a giant lizard person just spoke English to him. “Uh… yeah.”

  The lizard-like being let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, my goodness, dear." They said, “You must be from Earth.”

  Nate and Yoli continued staring, completely dumbfounded.

  The creature chuckled again. “Don’t you worry, you’ll get used to it.” They extended a clawed hand. “I’m Cloppa, from the planet Hirondant.”

  Nate hesitated before shaking Cloppa’s hand, still trying to process the situation.

  Cloppa smirked knowingly. “I’d wager you’re wonderin’ how you can understand me, aye?”

  Before Nate could reply, Yoli blurted out, “YEAH!” far louder than she had probably intended.

  Cloppa laughed again. “The Union uses Galactic Standard as its language for interspecies communication. In fact most planets hardly teach natives anymore. The Union would have sent agents to your planet a long time ago making sure standard was a dominant language.”

  The platform suddenly began descending.

  Cloppa continued, their voice warm and lighthearted. “It's a thing we do to get your planet ready to join us.” Their expressions softened. “You two have so much to learn. If you want my advice, take the tour. Really see where you are. It’s a sight to behold, I promise ya.”

  Yoli and Nate exchanged a look before Cloppa continued.

  “Then head over to the University District and take their Intro to the Universe class. It’s free, of course, and well worth your time. After that, find yourself a place to stay for the night. You’ll want to wind down and take it all in.”

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  The platform came to a smooth stop, and the railing retracted. Cloppa gave them a friendly wave before stepping off into the crowd. Nate and Yoli hesitated for a moment before stepping forward as well.

  They had arrived in a wide open space easily the size of a couple warehouses put together. The architecture was grand, with towering stone pillars and intricate carvings adorning the walls. People bustled in every direction, some moving with clear purpose, others stopping to talk or check glowing panels embedded in the walls.

  Nate’s first thought was that it reminded him of Grand Central Station. He had been there just days ago, but this place felt like a surreal alien reflection of it.

  Above them, a colossal chandelier-like light fixture dominated the center of the ceiling. Around it, the same pinprick constellations from the hallway spread outward, twinkling softly against the stone. Unlike the hall, however, this ceiling featured enormous engravings of towering figures of great stature and power. Some held weapons, others stood with outstretched hands as if bestowing blessings.

  Nearby, luxurious seating areas were arranged around grand fireplaces, the flames flickering gently. Plush leather chairs and couches of various sizes dotted the space, some clearly designed for beings much larger or much smaller than humans. Tall bookshelves lined certain sections, and to Nate’s surprise, they were filled with actual books. For a moment, he was struck by an odd thought: It all seems… kind of normal?

  Then he looked at the people.

  Everywhere he turned, there were species beyond his wildest imagination. A towering, muscle-bound lion, easily eight or nine feet tall strode through the station with an air of sheer confidence, its fur white and well-groomed. Nearby, diminutive humanoids, no more than two or three feet tall, moved through the crowd with surprising agility. Some had proportional limbs, while others had exaggerated features, big hands, or elongated heads.

  Trying not to stare, Nate shifted his gaze and noticed a row of gateways identical to the one they had arrived through. Unlike the ones above, however, these had a divider in the middle, separating inbound and outbound travelers.

  Above the gates, gold plaques displayed various destinations. Market One. Market Two. The Dome. Guild Row. Residential One. Residential Two.

  There were a lot of them and Nate didn't bother counting. There were several rows of them stacked on top of each other with a large moving spiral staircase that led to each level on either side of the row. Before he could examine his surroundings further Yoli nudged him and pointed toward a sign that read: "WELCOME, EARTH!"

  "I think that’s for us." She said.

  Yoli led the way as they made their way over to a small gathering of other humans. As they approached, a tiny insect-like creature about the size of Nate’s palm floated towards them on a small disc. Looking closely it wasn't clear how the disc was floating but Nate just chalked it up to magic in his head. Definitely not the weirdest thing he’d seen so far.

  “Hello!” the creature chirped in a cheerful, high-pitched voice.

  Yoli, appearing to be adapting a little faster to their strange new reality than Nate, smiled and responded, “Hello!”

  Nate leaned toward her and whispered, “Oh my God, it’s Jiminy Cricket.”

  Yoli let out a laugh and playfully elbowed him in the ribs.

  The insectoid being didn’t seem to notice as it continued in an enthusiastic tone.

  “Welcome, people of Earth! My name is Hapilinordotok, but you can call me Happy! We’re so thrilled to have you here today! To date, only about fifty other humans have passed through the gateway for the first time, so far.” Happy’s antennae twitched with excitement. “We have so much to show you and so much to share! But first your complimentary link!”

  Nate accepted the device handed to him. It looked almost identical to a modern smartphone but felt lighter in his hand. Flipping it over, he noticed the symbol of The Union stamped on the back, three curved segments forming a circular emblem. As he turned it back over, the blank screen flickered to life, displaying a simple animation: the three segments swirled independently before coming together in their proper formation, The Union logo.

  “These function similarly to the cellphones you’re used to, but they’re significantly more advanced. If you’d like something more customized, there are variations for sale in the Market District, but at the core, they all perform the same essential functions.” Happy added.

  Nate was tempted to start playing with the device, but before he could, Happy interrupted him; “I know you’ll want to explore them soon, but if I could have just a couple more minutes of your time, I’d love to direct you to our informational board on my right.”

  Turning his head, Nate saw an elegant display board. Two matte plain looking metal bars, one at the top and one at the bottom emitted soft ambient light. The bars were simply… floating in place, suspending the translucent display between them. Happy gestured toward the board as he continued his explanation.

  “There are several options for your first day, depending on your interests. You can take the Sky Tour of The Hub, which gives you an incredible view of the city. Or, if you’d like a crash course on, well… everything, you can attend a free class at the Intelligence Consortium. There’s also the Market District, where you’ll find a variety of shops, artifacts, and exotic goods. And for those curious about The Union’s structure, policies, and history, we offer seminars at the Administration District, where you can learn about The Union Dome and other governmental functions.” Happy paused for effect, then added cheerfully, “Personally, I’d recommend the Sky Tour followed by the Intelligence Consortium course. Those'll give you a strong start.”

  Nate glanced at Yoli, who looked just as overwhelmed but was as intrigued as he was.

  Happy clapped his tiny hands together. “When you’re ready to call it a day, The Union has arranged for discounts at several hotels in the Market District. The discount lasts for one week, after which rates return to normal. Your introductory stipend should be enough to cover a month’s stay, along with food and other amenities you may need or want while you’re here.”

  A murmur spread through the gathered humans. One of them, a man standing toward the back, raised his hand.

  “A month’s worth of hotel, food, and spending money?” he asked incredulously. “Are you for real?”

  Happy practically vibrated with excitement. “Yes, of course! This is an important time for you and for your entire species! We’ve found that the smoother we make your introduction and integration, the fewer misunderstandings and conflicts arise.”

  Happy gestured toward a set of revolving doors nearby.

  “With that said, if you have any additional questions, feel free to come see me! Otherwise, you can head through those spinning doors, where representatives from various guilds, companies, and societies are waiting to greet you. They’ll be happy to help you navigate The Hub and find your next destination.”

  The tiny insectoid spread its arms wide in a final flourish.

  “Have fun, and welcome to The Hub!”

  Nate and Yoli stepped away from Happy, making their way toward the large rotating doors. As they exited the Planetary Nexus, they were met with an overwhelming sight: a bustling plaza filled with booths of all shapes and sizes, each manned by an astonishing variety of species.

  It felt like they had just walked into an intergalactic farmers' market or the vendor section of a massive state fair. Vibrant signs floated above each booth, all in English, or standard as it was known here. Some booths displayed shimmering holograms advertising products or services, while others had exotic goods on full display. Some had glowing artifacts, strange foods, intricately designed gear, and even small creatures in cages.

  But all of that became secondary the moment Yoli spotted it. She grabbed Nate’s hand without warning and ran past the booths to a railing that marked the edge of the metallic flooring they were standing on and beautifully dark green grass that was perfectly manicured.

  Looking up and out, Nate’s breath caught in his throat. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing. A colossal city stretched out before them with a perfect grid of roads and walkways interwoven like a perfectly latticed pie. Looking directly up it appeared that the city closed in on itself with five clearly defined sections that almost looked like they could detach from each other. The structure made him think of the inside of a closed flower, or maybe a football and they were at one end of it.

  The true centerpiece however, the one thing that shattered any lingering doubt that they had stepped into a new world was the tree. A redwood, unlike any that had ever existed on Earth. Its base alone spanned at least a football field in width. And its height? It was impossible to gauge. Taller than any skyscraper Nate had seen just days ago. Its branches were as thick as trees found at home. Nate realized at that point, this was the largest living organism he'd ever seen.

  Somehow the enormous tree was dwarfed by the grandeur of the rest of The Hub itself. Titanic structures, each more unique than the last, surrounded the base of the park the tree was centered in. As Nate's eyes followed the structure of the space station, the buildings began to defy gravity by sticking out from the sides of The Hub, but they weren't held up by any other structure. The mixed architectural styles were a sight to behold as well. Some were futuristic and metallic, others crafted from what looked like smooth, glass-like stone, others resembled living structures built from wildlife back home.

  The sheer magnitude of everything hit him all at once, the events of the day, the things he had seen, the insanity of it all. His mind struggled to keep up and as a result he started feeling the dull pressure of an oncoming headache.

  But beneath the dizziness, something awakened. A choice. A resolve. For the first time in his life, Nate decided, truly decided that he was going to embrace this. No more hesitation. No more staying in his comfort zone. This was it. No matter how crazy, how dangerous, or how uncertain things got, he was all in. Risks be damned.

  He turned to Yoli, eyes sharp with newfound determination. “I get it." he said. “I’m in.”

  Yoli met his gaze, understanding him instantly. She nodded in agreement.