Geneva Elizaveta Hawthorne

  Geneva laughed as she once again looked out through the city. Unlike the grav-shuttle that took them from the upper dock of the city, grav-cars were restricted to either the cavern floor or ceiling. They could only go higher to access specific transfer locations within the high spires of the central city.

  From the lower viewpoint, she could see the dense interweaving of people as they went about their lives. Throughout the several stories deep, almost chasm-like, streets, there were mezzanines and businesses at various levels. People shopped, kids played, there was a general vibe that stood out from the various places she had visited throughout the greater system.

  Maybe it was from the circles she maneuvered or the secret espionage-like lifestyle she lived throughout her teenage life, but there was a deep feeling that she missed out on a calm life. She had dedicated so much of her mental effort to anger and getting the job done. It never really processed that she could have tried to live like this.

  And now, being a young adult, she didn’t have the ability to go back to claim that sort of teenage life. Geneva resolved to have this life, right here, right now. She would go and explore the city. She would visit stores, explore activities, and enjoy a slower pace of life. It had been far too long since she just sat down and tried to be normal.

  Coincidentally, this moment also happened to be when she saw the most extravagant and extraordinary building. Of course, she had probably seen better, but from her own perspective, this building seemed to take the cake. There, at the end of a long street after the car rounded a corner, she could see a building that was the third or fourth tallest in the lower city.

  It was a sleek building that had architectural cues from the Gothic era. It somehow blended the modern-day structureless glass style with that of a millennium-old architectural style from half-ancient Europe. There were spirals and details. Carvings of dark glass and crystal rather than stone. Deep arches that highlighted balconies and restaurants that seemed to cantilever over the canyons of the metropolis below.

  “Well, I guess being level 0 pays off,” Archaeus said, looking up from a daze. He had an implant that projected his computer directly into his field of view. A common sight among the citizens of Sol. Normally, he was staring off into space; his eyes sometimes darted around, appearing as if he was looking at an invisible screen. However, since they had rounded the corner, his gaze was affixed on the same building that had mesmerized Geneva herself.

  “Remind me to kneel before Denise with a rose in my teeth the next time I see her,” Archaeus said moments later.

  “I'll be right there with you.”

  The grav-car was traveling about fifty stories in the air and slowly lowered as it got closer to the building. In the central regions of Reflexis, the first three or four stories of airspace were restricted. The ground-level roadway was a meandering park that existed at the bottom of the massive canyon of buildings.

  It was a gorgeous sight as bridges connected various outdoor pavilions and plazas that floated throughout the space. Above that were a mix of vehicles of various scales that flitted about from location to location. Moving cargo and people throughout. It was human density that now comprised most cities within human space.

  The car lowered itself to the fourth-floor mezzanine. Archaeus and Geneva disembarked. Within moments, the vehicle went to pick up another couple that was on the opposite side of the canyon. The two looked up at the seventy-story-tall building that loomed over them, its upward reaches almost scraping the holographic sky.

  They entered a lobby that was equally as decorated as the exterior of the hotel. It was a dull pink and tan motif. Carpeted floors and real wooden veneered columns that accented a massive open garden. On the far side of the atrium, there was a series of flat open lifts that were really just sections of floor. They would randomly rise and fall as patrons interfaced and used them to get to the other sections of the building.

  To the duo’s surprise, the interior of the building was hollow. There wasn’t a ceiling above. Geneva could see through to the holographic sky. At the very center, the nighttime stars speckled down from the cavern ceiling side of the sky. She saw the lights and dark spires that hung down from the cavern ceiling, an entirely different part of the city.

  On the right wall was a row of holo-automata, and in a rustic hut was, surprisingly, an actual person. It was a sight unseen in the modern era, as people no longer occupied service roles. In a post scarcity society where the dregs of humanity lived on subsidization and basic necessities, they had no demand to go work at a reception desk to check patrons in and out. And so it was even more rare, outside of the smallest of stations in solar orbit, to find a human in a position behind a reception desk.

  Drawing her attention, Geneva approached the desk. No one else seemed to pay it much mind since the numerous automata could simply interface with your personal computer. So all you had to do was walk through the lobby, and the entire process of checking in and out would be conducted subconsciously. This was the same for most service roles throughout the system.

  “Welcome to the Evangelist.” The woman said. As the two guests walked up to her. “How may I help you today?”

  “Why are you working here?” Geneva asked. Her tone, while abrazive was more confused.

  “Well, I don’t get to speak to that many people here, you see. So I will forgive asking such a direct question.” The woman replied. “My name is Gloria Espinosa.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Geneva replied. “I am Geneva, this is Archaeus, we are checking in today. I came over to this desk as I was curious as to why an actual person was working down here.”

  “Well,” Gloria said. “I am the owner of this hotel. And rather than sit cooped up in my extravagant office at the top, I have made this space here in the middle of the reception desk mine.”

  “This is your office?” Archaeus asked.

  “My way to stay more in tuned to the vibe and feel of my guests. We here at the Evangelist pride ourselves on our human touch,” Gloria replied. “Still, even with me being in the middle of the room, most people tend to prefer the holo-automata that seem to have taken hold of every inch of our service industry. As my grandfather says, there is a lack of good customer service these days. But I actually quite like being in the middle of the hustle and bustle. This hut fits the theming of the garden, and it allows me to work as if in nature. I don't always sit down here, but sometimes it is nice to feel like I’m at the center of it all.”

  “You seem like you enjoy company,” Geneva said. “We are both new to the city. So if you have any recommendations for stuff to do or places of interest, we would be really excited to hear them.”

  "What has gotten into you?" Archaeus mouthed silently. She looked at him as he raised an eyebrow. Ignoring the obvious interaction, the hostess continued unabated.

  “Well, I can have that arranged once I check you in. And if you’d like, you are more than welcome to join me in one of our own restaurants. I'd love to hear more from someone brave enough to seek out actual human interaction.” Gloria said. “Would you rather sync to my system or would you like to try it the old-fashioned way?”

  Geneva looked at Archaeus, who shrugged in reply.

  “Guess we will do the old-fashioned way,” Geneva said; she could barely hide the excitement from her voice. Archaeus resigned himself to the ordeal.

  “Can I get the name the reservation is under?” Gloria said with a smile. A keyboard had popped up out of the nanite countertop, and an almost ancient-looking CRT monitor rose in front of it. “Pardon all this, it's just so exciting. I had this nanite desk installed and the system programmed so that I could do this one day. Most tend to just elect to sync up and leave.”

  “Geneva Hawthorne,” Geneva said. The woman behind the desk began typing on the keyboard.

  “Oh yes, Ms. Hawthorne.” She said. Her eyes widening and a bright smile came across her face. “I see you have contributed greatly to the system to have so much solarium at your disposal. Two rooms on the penthouse floor? That’s quite the view up there.”

  “Penthouse?” Archaeus said, gawking. “How much solarium did they spend on this?”

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  “I won't reveal the sums, as that is in poor taste. But it should be reflected on your accounts once I have added you to the system.” Gloria said as she typed a bit more on the display. “There we go. I have synced you up, and you will be in rooms 6101 and 6102.”

  “Thank you so much. Will you let us know when you would be available for that dinner? I would really like to hear more about this place. It's amazing.” Geneva said. She looked around again, letting her inner child roam.

  “Of course, its my pleasure. And I will have the concierge inform you of the available dates and times when they do their check-in. One of the benefits of the penthouse levels is access to our pinnacle concierge services. Actual humans, who are quite well paid, mind you, will facilitate your every need. They will also be able to give you more information on activities and book everything for you, regardless of contribution points. I really look forward to seeing you two around.” Gloria gave a wink as the duo moved off and over to the platform elevators.

  “That was interesting,” Archaeus said. “She was kind of a chatterbox, though. Are you doing okay? You seem strangely open at the moment.”

  “Cool it, she was really nice,” Geneva said. “I did a lot of thinking on the way here, and I’m glad I asked Denise for the opportunity to stay in the city. That safe house was decent, but this is amazing. Beats any accommodations I’ve ever had.”

  “You have your own arm of the Io orbital station,” Archaeus replied. “You live a sort of luxury that’s antithetical to basic income.”

  “It's not that grand, besides I share most of that with a bunch of other agency personnel, Its not mine.”

  “Its basically a massive estate in space. Who cares who you share it with?”

  “This is our floor.” They stepped off the elevator platform.

  “Okay, I guess I’m room 6102,” Archaeus said as his eyes darted in the air. “I’ll see you in a few days, don’t make trouble.”

  He then walked into his room, leaving Geneva to go next door to her own. As she approached, the double doors slid seamlessly aside. She entered a luxurious room. It was styled in a medieval theme. There were brick walls and sconces that had holographic flames instead of real fire. The view of the city through the large panoramic windows contrasted drastically with the royally attuned decorations. There was a large bed to her left, which faced the glass wall opposite the door.

  Velvety carpet coated the entire space, the pattern emulating old wooden plank flooring and stone cobble. The furniture was in a carved wooden style that was as ornate as the exterior of the building. The room felt like she was stepping into a fantasy world. To the left, opposite the bed, was a small living room area with chaise furniture. It, too, faced the large windows that overlooked the city of Reflexis.

  It was a marvelous sight. Geneva perched herself on the lounge for a solid hour just staring at the little details and the city outside. It wasn’t until later, when her stomach grumbled, that she pinged the concierge with her computer.

  “Yes, Madam.” A boy asked when she opened the door. He had a youthful look in his eyes, and she could feel mild energetic fluctuations coming off his person. She assumed he must be an apprentice. He must have chosen this work rather than being in an educational institution.

  “You are quite young.” She stated. Her tone was curious.

  “Yes, Madam. I am Alvin, an apprentice concierge here. My level makes me a perfect match for this position.”

  “And what is it exactly that you can do?”

  “Well, I have the ability to gauge the mood and wants of any person near me. It's not the most advantageous ability, but it is useful in my family’s line of work.”

  “That explains the emanations I sense from you.”

  “Emanations?” His face took on a slight shock. He clearly wasn't used to being the one exposed.

  “Yes, but on another note. Do you know of any fascinating places to eat at?”

  The boy took a step back as he felt something surge from the woman before him. After a few moments, he steadied himself with a few deep breaths and replied.

  “Yes, Madam. I know of many places. However, I get a sense you will like the small food stand on the tertiary level three. It's across from the hotel. It has interesting fare from across the region.”

  “That sounds great. I’ll check it out. Especially since you have such a good read on me.”

  “I will warn you, Madam. They do not accept sync; you will have to visit an ATM to access solarium deposit slips. Its something to do with the transient nature of the food scene here. There is one on tertiary level four.”

  “Where exactly is tertiary level four? Or three now that I think of it?”

  She felt a ping as her bracelet registered a sync from the young attendant.

  “If you follow the instructions from your map, it should lead you right there. If that is all, I will be taking my leave.”

  And with that, the boy was gone. Geneva waited a moment before slipping out of the room and journeying down to the city below.

  She eventually found the ATM. It was not by the utilization of the map. Having to constantly check for where she was in relation to everything else, she had just set about exploring the general vicinity, hoping she would stumble upon it. It was when she sensed a spike in the background energy levels that she found what she was looking for.

  Standing, no so discreetly, in front of the seemingly abandoned unit, a man her age was using it. In the branching vibrations of the quanta layer, the baseline foundation of reality, she perceived an interaction of some kind. As everything was energy upon this foundation, the usage of powers was not hidden from her.

  Her synesthesia for this phenomenon took a form dependent on the effects of such abilities and the magnitude of their application.

  “So subtle.” She said. The man quickly jumped and turned around. She was shocked to see he was somewhat attractive. He was tall and lanky, his hair a storm cloud around his face. She was used to being surrounded by people her age. And yet not used to this calm feeling, he evoked around her. His very sight calmed her sensitivity to the world.

  “You scared me there.” The man said. He tried to play off his tampering with the machine.

  “So what exactly were you trying to do?”

  “I was just depositing into my account. Did some transaction a bit off the book.” He chuckled as he tried to cover up his nervousness, but she could feel the variations within him.

  “And somehow that deposit just so happened to be conducted by your level?”

  “I-I guess.”

  “I mean, there’s nothing to hide. I’m not the police or anything.” She said as she stepped around him to look at the machine. Her finger danced across the display. She pulled just enough energy from the device for it to shut down and reboot.

  “Oh, so your name is Jessica, then?” She said as she turned around.

  “You got me.” His shoulders slumped. “It was the last accessed account on the system. I figured I could do a quick hit and dash before the security realized it was compromised. Figures it’d turn out this way.”

  “Good thing I just forced-rebooted it. They won't know you were here.”

  “You-You can do that?”

  “I can do quite a bit with my ability." She replied. She cringed inside as she had grossly overstated her capability. Leaving out the unspoken 'when she could actually control it.' "It comes in handy once in a while. So what exactly did you need the money for? I assume you have tech-based powers. You could make a fortune out in some of the lower rungs of society. Even a place as secure as this would need someone with your skill set.”

  “Well its not like that.”

  “Then how is it?”

  He was shocked at how quickly her voice turned excitable after his last statement. Her mannerism’s displaying that of a tourist rather than someone capable of the actions he had just witnessed. He gulped, accepting the positive direction of the conversation.

  “Well, I just graduated yesterday. And this is my first time exploring the city properly as an adult. I mean, there are only so many things you can do or see until you have proper access. But for all the things I want to do, I need money. My parents basically kicked me out a few months ago when I told them I planned to take a gap year. They said, ‘If I wanted to explore the city before going off to join some corporate tech gig out in the system, I would need to survive on my own.’ And there isn’t much demand for a newly minted Level II like me. I don’t want to do the tasks of non-citizens and get low pay in exchange for janitorial work.”

  “Oh, I think there might be better alternatives than robbing a somewhat secure ATM in the light of day. But, you know, I can’t really afford to be hypocritical right now.” Geneva replied.

  “What are you involved with then? What brings you here?”

  “Well, I needed to use this ATM to get some credit slips. I’m going to pay for some food at a food vendor that was recommended to me by my hotel. They don’t take sync.”

  It took him some time to process the information.

  “You mean to tell me you are staying at a hotel nearby? At our age on your own?” He looked at her in an almost desperate way.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She tried to peg why there was a spike in his energies.

  “I mean, aren’t you an apprentice? You obviously aren’t a new grad like me, seeing as you actually have Solarium to withdraw.” He said.

  “I haven’t been an apprentice for at least a year and a half. In fact, The Org- my place of employment got me a room at the Evangelist.” She pointed up to the towering structure that loomed just above the tertiary level. The man's jaw visibly dropped.

  “What do you do that they can afford to waste Solarium at a place like that. At your age? Are you some obscure level I?”

  “I can’t disclose that.”

  “Can I at least get your name?”

  “Geneva.” She started to use the ATM. Syncing her computer to it and requisitioning an appropriate amount of credits for a few days. She took out a few slips from the stack and handed one to the boy. “And yours?”

  “Ryan, um, thanks,” He replied as he took the slips out of her hand. He was shaking a bit. And she noticed his clothes were tattered and torn, exposing a yellow underlayer

  “Looks like you need something at least. It's only been a day, and your clothes are that ruined?”

  Ryan sighed as he looked at his outfit. Now that he noticed it, her clothes didn’t match the style of someone from the city. She was wearing a loose black garment that seemed to billow in the wind. It was almost see-through, revealing a darker silhouette of tighter-fitting clothing.

  “Looks like you aren’t from around here.” He said. “I’m wearing the distressed style. I thought it was a common style across the system, but I guess you shouldn’t trust everything you see on net serials.”

  “It’s the first I’ve seen of it. I’m new here. Maybe we could explore around together? I could use a guide.”