2.32 The Uninvited

        Meanwhile in Fina, it was like a ghost town once the ships had set sail. That she hadn't been selected as an Invite for the Farewell Celebration didn't surprise Karen one bit, even though all her classmates assured her she would be, she had known deep down she wouldn’t be. It was difficult not to dwell upon her hard luck as she walked to the temple that morning, the empty streets a sore reminder every way she turned.

         The temple was sparsely populated too, it was as if some terrible epidemic had wiped out the entire town. Rows of pews sat empty, no one looked happy. She scanned the faces of her fellow uninvited as she settled in her usual spot, it was a bit obvious that most of the students left behind were Goldens. She could guess why, she had heard the hair rumors, it something to do with their frizzy hair. A Biology student, she knew a bit about the new races being forecast for the New Empire, this selective rejection meant theirs would be a terminated bloodline… It was a chilling thought. It wasn't fair... Why did the hair have to matter so much? All the Goldens she knew were smart, creative and kind, wasn't that why they were called Goldens? She pondered the etymology for a moment. Why were they called Goldens if they so rarely had golden hair? If they were so 'worthless'?

         It wasn't just the students who felt humbled, left behind and uninvited to the Farewell Celebration in Atlan. Mesta felt the sting of rejection too, she wondered if it was because of her age, her low ranking stats at the Vine Club had perhaps caught up to her at last.

         Deep down she knew the truth. It was her job to be here for the uninvited, after all, someone had to be here for them. As she entered the Temple her spirits were lifted, it was the students waiting in the pews she had to feel empathy for. She had noticed the ones left behind were mostly Goldens, it was a shame. Their odds for opportunity in the New Empire would be shadowed by the hoard of blonde and ebony four minute presentations that had left on the ship that day.

         She spotted Karen sitting quietly in her usual spot, knowing how shattered she must be feeling. Ever since the Josh incident, things had taken a tumble for her. Karen had worked so hard on her projects, she had fabulous ideas for the New Empire, it was heartbreaking to see her fail after having struggled so hard to recover.

         After the service, Mesta found herself behind Karen in the very short cafeteria line up, she could see that Karen was holding back tears. A special pancake breakfast had been arranged for the uninvited, a gesture that was greatly appreciated, yet even though the pancake surprise brought smiles to the somber faces left behind, it was bittersweet, overshadowed by the empty tables and chairs, another sore reminder of the numbers that had been chosen over them.

          "Just think..." she tried her best to cheer Karen up, "this way you get a chance to meet with the University Faculty. We'll be needing new Professors here, too!"

         "Really?" Karen’s face lit up, feeling hopeful again. "Of course! Thank you for reminding me!"

         "Coffee?" The server hovered a jug of the hot beverage in front of them, interrupting the moment.

         "Oh, yes please" they chimed. "Thank you!"