In the rotunda of Marks Enterprises, Adele passes the hologram offering a selection of nano-fabric scarves to virtually sample. Scanning the bracelet on her wrist, the women next to Adele orders two effervecent scarves. A drawer opens at the unmanned kiosk holding two of the matching scarves that were previously displayed. As the woman places them around her neck, the hues adjust to blend with the shades of her hair color and skin tone while the same design remains. Turning to view the result, Adele admires the scarves and considers a future purchase for herself.
Leaving the Starcups kiosk, a man wearing a smart trimmed angular jacket rushes past her looking at his palm filled with a calendar full of meetings. He speaks into his hand giving orders to his office Ai about what he needs to have accomplished in his absence that afternoon. He taps a pair of Fenix glasses that he is wearing which releases up to the minute stock margins, news, and social media.
The floor beneath her feet shifts to a cool ocean beach front. As a 3-d image of a large whale passes below her, a hologram of a dolphin jumps up next to her as if to kiss her cheek advertising the opening of Sea Nation just outside of Kell City. “This floor wallpaper is similar to my own at home, but I like this one much better”, examines and considers Adele enjoying the extra touch of the dolphin.
An Ai stops in front of her guiding one of the uni-wheel transporters, the Ai asks, “Would you like a curtesy ride?”
“Yes, thank you” replies Adele stepping onto to the 2-foot square platform that looks something like a podium. “I’m going to the 17th level to Marketing and Trade.
The contraption appears to be something like a unicycle but more stable and where the passenger can stand, the vehicle carries her to the narrow cylinder track used for only transporters. She takes her place in optical line with the other guests on the uni-cycle transporters. Rotating until reaching the 17th floor, the transporter emerges and drives her to the front entrance of Marketing and Trade section.
The doors unlock and open in an obtuse puzzle motion as Adele walks inside the large office unit. From a distant view, the office space looks like a maze of various contours and silhouettes. The desks are a mixture of cubic and trapezoid shapes of different angels to assist with ergonomic health and well-being of their staff. Some appear to be lounging in their workspace while working, while others stand and lean, with a few more employees resting their weight on their knees in specially designed chairs optimizing the strength of the alignment of their spines.
Walking through the corridor a familiar face steps in front of her, “Adele is it? I’m surprised to see you here”, firmly states Clayton Slay with a superficial smile closing her arms tightly about her with a judgmental stance.
“I’m surprised to be back so soon too, I’m meeting Mr. Worthington here for an appointment”, Adele replies nervously hanging on to her bag.
“Are you back for a second interview? I didn’t see that he was conducting a second round of interviews for the potential candidates on his agenda for this week”, shrewdly remarks Clayton acting more as a guardian than a paid assistant.
“I’m not meeting him about the position, he’s helping me with other business”, responds Adele not entirely sure how much she should share.
“That’s interesting since you just met last week”, deftly acknowledges Clayton looking Adele over from head to toe leaving Adele feeling as if she doesn’t measure up to her standards.
“He’s helping with a real estate project”, explains Adele feeling interrogated but confident that the situation is innocent.
“I’ve never known Mr. Worthington to have much free time on his hands to assist with anyone else’s projects. Maybe it would be better if you left the information with me and I can give it to Mr. Worthington when he is available”, suggests Clayton not wanting a potential usurper to enter her perimeter of power.
“He set an appointment with me, so I’ll meet with him. Thank you for offering to help”, politely returns Adele not entirely comfortable leaving any information with her for fear it may be intentionally lost into oblivion.
“If you need my help, please let me know. I can take you to the waiting area until Mr. Worthington is available to meet with you” responds Clayton quieting plotting of not informing him of her arrival.
“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Slay”, replies the voice from behind Clayton “I’ve been waiting for Ms. Elyson to arrive. We have a meeting scheduled in five minutes. Would you like some coffee or tea?”, asks Raiden feeling pleased that she arrived early for her appointment.
“Sure, tea sounds good with a little cream and a lot of sugar”, informs Adele grateful to escape the interrogation of his unofficial warden.
“Mr. Worthington, I can have Jeeves bring the tea to you”, remarks Clayton surprised the Raiden had offered to retrieve the team in person.
“No, that’s fine. I still can remember how to make tea”, smiling politely but answering firmly to Clayton, “Adele, my office if you remember is just around the corner to the left. Make yourself comfortable, I will be there in a second.”
Clayton stares resolutely at Adele as she follows Raiden’s directions to his office. Following closely behind Raiden to the staff kitchen area, Clayton observes Raiden’s behavior to see if he is feeling all right that day.
“Is there anything I can help you with? Are you feeling okay?” inquires Clayton suspicious of his motives to be so helpful to someone as of yet not connected to the company. “Do you know Ms. Elyson?”
“Actually, I do know her,” states Raiden open to defer some office gossip “Adele is an old friend of the family that I have known for many years. She recently returned to the area and we are getting re-acquainted. Please take care of her when she visits the office. I am hoping she will consider being a part of our team.”
“Hopefully she will be as talented as your memories of her”, snidely remarks Clayton turning on her heels departing from the staff kitchen.
“I’m sure she is”, retorts Raiden not wanting Clayton to have the last word on his assessment of Adele.
Placing the teacup on the plexiglass table in front of her, Raiden asks “Are you comfortable? How have you enjoyed the morning?”
“So far its been a good day”, replies Adele take a quick sip of her hot tea “I ran a couple of errands before heading this way. Thank you so much for meeting with me and helping me to choose a new home. The whole idea of finding a new place feels overwhelming.”
“I have put together a list of some options that I thought you might like”, suggests Raiden pulling out his INote with various properties listed and their purchasing price.
“These look great!” exclaims Adele tapping on the screen to enlarge a 3-d interior viewpoint of each property. “Are these all located in Crestwood? There are so reasonable too!”
“Yes, they’re actually near-by and within a five mile radius of each other”, explains Raiden without adding that the properties are also within five mile radius of his own home.
“The landscaping is beautiful too!” observes Adele amazed by the functionality of each home “How did you find them?”
“I’ve been aware of the properties for a while”, acknowledges Raiden without admitting that they have been a part of the company’s rental property investments that his department manages.
“I’m shocked that I can afford them”, remarks Adele relieved that it will not be as challenging as she imagined in order to find a new home closer to her work.
“Would you like to go see each of these places?” asks Raiden hoping that she has time available to her today.
“Sure. Do you have time? I didn’t put anything on my schedule because I wasn’t sure how much time you would have today and I didn’t want to interfere in your plans”, genuinely replies Adele with anticipation.
“I’ve already cleared my calendar for this afternoon. Remember you promised lunch as well!” teases Raiden hoping she did remember a meal was included in the plans for the day.
“I didn’t forget. But I’ll pay since I’m so grateful that you are helping me today”, offers Adele sincerely appreciative that he is taking time to help her.
“Great! My glider is on the upper level. Walk with me and we will head that way”, offers Raiden placing his hand in the small of Adele’s back to gently lead her out of the office.
Walking into the staff cubicle area, many heads turn to observe who the new woman that is walking with their director. It is a very unusual sight to see him go out of his way to be friendly to any of the female staff or guests. He seems to be smiling and more talkative than his typical more formal professional behavior.
“It’s a friend from a long time ago”, explains Clayton enjoying being more in the know than the other staff “They’ve known each other since childhood. They are family friends.”
Hearing a collective “Oh ...”, “that makes sense”, and “they know each other” from the staff, Clayton feels satisfied in her new higher status of office confidant.
Reaching the first home, the doors to the luxury glider slowly fold open into a hidden casing at the top of the vehicle. Adele steps out on to the speckled cell porch pad made of self-healing cement that uses bacteria known as Bacillus Megaterium mixed with calcium carbonite to repair any cracks or blemishes.
Locking the glider with a wave of his hand, he catches up with Adele walking towards the entrance of the potential home. The house is made up of all curved edges for a more ergonomic assimilation with nature. The home contains many windows to help with adjustment to solar light and energy. To prevent damage from storms or creatures, the home is built up on stilts. The entrance at the base level is similar to a tubal class elevator that seals in its passengers as well as providing a disinfecting mist from allergens and other bacteria from entering the home.
The living room floor is translucent in hibernation mode waiting for the owner to choose a floor wall-paper. Several outlets are hidden on the windows that provide solar energy. Most appliances these days are wireless, but it helps with some of the old school items that some still own.
The windows are covered with triangular reflection panels providing one side of black-out tiles for sleeping, another for shading from ultra violet light when desiring a view from outside, and a third side of the tile is illuminated for decoration offering a selection of ten different patterns to choose from when entertaining.
The fireplace a focal point of the room in encapsulated in a tear drop dispenser. It is self-lit with soft-light panels of blues and shades of burgundy. The track lighting is glowing from behind round orbs hanging on the walls. The hallway is trimmed in spiraling illuminators delicately outlining the round corners of each room. Modular collapsible cube lighting hangs in the corners of the living room.
Walking down to the end of the hallway, Adele notices the bathroom. The shower has a twelve-head surround water dispenser with a digital log to measure temperature and water usage. The shower contains a built-in speaker and screen. The flooring of the shower retracts for a hot tub jet spa with water flowing into it like a cool sleek waterfall. The transparent doors quickly change into black-out or scenic views that can be individually programmed to each user. For example, a user may choose to take their 'shower' in the middle of the Amazon, Universe, a theatre or perhaps even, a football field.
The toilet offers a heated seat, bidet, air dryer, and water temperature settings with a built-in deodorizer of pine, fruit, or floral scents. Rather than the typical sound of flushing, it offers a selection of short tunes to choose from such as chimes, bells, cosmic synthesizer, etc. Upon each flush the toilet will self-sanitize as a lid automatically slides to cover the tank.
The sink is of oval shape but the bottom of the bowl is clear and lighted by different shapes to decorate the additional counter space with such options as paisley, floral, or checkered designs. The light offers options of red, blue, green or compatible to many other shades that can be ordered from the manufacturer. On each side the clear touch panels, they highlight the water to red, blue, or green depending on the temperature of the water. Above the sink is a smart mirror similar to one that Adele uses every day but with enhanced tech in comparison to the one she already owns. It can be controlled by the direction of the iris as the individual is looking on into the mirror.
“If you are amazed by the bathroom, you need to see the master bedroom”, encourages Raiden believing that Adele has already made her decision by the look of pure amazement and delight on her face.
The bedroom has two built-in nesting chairs for comfort and ease. The comfy egg-shaped chairs are sound sealed for a complete musical experience or to hide-away from other noises within the home. “I would love to read there”, announces Adele climbing into the chair and imaging an entire library being read within moments of relaxation.
“It will lean back or rest on its side if you press this panel”, explains Raiden as Adele slowly moves within the oval chair to a more comfortable position.
“I love it!” exclaims Adele “Have you tried it before?”
“I have one in my home”, remarks Raiden pleased that she likes the chair so much since it is one of his most favorite features of his home.
In front of the master bed area is a sofa that massages your back as you relax or choose to rest. It also reclines for a more comfortable viewing experience. Large panels of media screen made of plasma gel are built into the wall. The screens can be molded and reshaped depending on where and how you are sitting in the room for easier viewing.
“This is perfect!” exclaims Adele finding the home to reach even past her more far-out expectations.
“Would you like to see the kitchen?” asks Raiden surprised that she had not been interested in looking at it yet.
“I guess so. Will it cook for me?” jokes Adele wishing to have homecooked meals that actually taste good that she does not have to prepare.
“Yes, I might. I do make a few tasty dishes. The kitchen has some interesting features”, laughing and states Raiden content that Adele may be choosing to be his neighbor without her knowledge but by her own choice.
“The kitchen offers a gel panel next to the refrigerator to keep vegetables and fruit fresh for a longer time. The refrigerator has a smart panel displaying when each item was taken and returned, a shopping list of frequently used items that will be ordered and delivered to your home, the timing can be programmed into how often you would like to replace certain items”, instructs Raiden adding to impress Adele, “It’s one of the items my company markets.”
“The counter tops are so solid. Where is the stove?" asks Adele wondering if she will have to purchase a stove in her budget.
“It’s right here”, explains Raiden touching a panel underneath the counter “It recognizes my fingerprint. The counter area and storage drawers are child-proof as well as the oven. You choose who you would like to include in the program, they are the only ones who can open the oven. To make this adjustment is quite easy though. Let’s say you invite me for Thanksgiving and I would like to help cook, you place your finger here first to open the network, then I can just tap my finger here and I can be added. It works the same way for the security features on the home. Thirty-point facial recognition is also possible as an option as are most homes now.”
The island is also a serving table with a counter table to the front for easy quick service for family members or guests.
“The dining room table has effervescent lighting. Touching the corner of the table will offer ambient music to dine with or also help to keep your serving platters warm or cool if needed”, demonstrates Raiden offering an invitation “The first dinner meal you make, you will have to invite me over.”
“I may order in to make sure it tastes good, but it sounds like a great idea!” jokes Adele hoping that the opportunity will become a reality sometime soon “I need to find a way to pay you back for all of your help today.”
“So, what do you think?” asks Raiden excited and in anticipation of knowing her opinion.
“It’s absolutely beautiful, everything I want, in a good location, and the right price too”, amazed explains Adele wondering how such good luck could come her way.
“I’m going to take this paperwork back to the office. Many of our properties are rented or sold to employees so it should only take a couple of days”, explains Raiden excited to have a new neighbor but hiding the fact he is greatly reducing the price of rent for her as a guarantee of her ability to choose to live there.
Settling back into the glider, Adele can hardly contain her excited at finding the perfect home so easily. “I just can’t believe it. It’s exactly what I want.”
“I’m glad that it worked out for you”, states Raiden a secret not sure that he wants to tell her they will be neighbors until the purchased has been finalized.
“I wonder what my neighbors are like?” ponders Adele peeking out the windows at the other homes in the neighborhood. “I wonder if they ever have neighborhood events.”
“I’ve seen the digital newsletter that will display on your front door once a week. It can be quickly hidden if you find these kinds of notifications bothersome. It appears they have planned events about once a month, offers Raiden having never attended one by choice but only by obligation “Do you like those type of things?”
“Oh, I think they are great. The events help to make new friends and also I'm able to meet others. I usually find someone that I can depend on as well as they can rely on me in case of an emergency, an additional layer of security, or the normal interchange of friendship.”
Having not considered these points before, Raiden replies “Maybe I should attend one or two and get to know my neighbors better.”
“You should. I’ll miss my neighbors when I leave my complex. I’ve gotten to know some of them really well over the past few months,” sadly explains Adele “but I can still remain friends with them even though it won’t quite be the same as before”.
“Adele, I wanted to continue our conversation that was interrupted during the picnic earlier this weekend” starts Raiden wanting to have a conversation that had previously started earlier with her.
“Okay, I’ve wanted to explain myself to you as well” begins Adele wanting to clear the thick air of past memories that was lingering between them.
“Did something happen that I am not aware of?” sympathetically asks Raiden bracing himself for her response.
“It wasn’t about you. As you know my family owned several resorts during that time. My dad had inherited the business from his grandfather as you are aware”, begins Adele trying to put the past into perspective “My father had signed some paperwork dispersing his shares with the Elyson Foundation to cover some of his expenses. At that point, Argon Wynn-Elyson had just married his wife, my dad’s cousin Anadael, and were running the foundation together. They were hoping to merge the companies to form one large conglomerate along with Elyson Energy.”
“Yes, I remember all of that”, confers Raiden wondering what this has to do with their last farewell.
A monotone digital voice announces, “Due to an unexpected power surge, high energy levels have been detected. The glider will need to return to its docking station to recover power. You have 12 minutes remaining to return to the docking station."
“You can drop me off right here, I can take a transport back to my home or walk. I only live a few blocks away”, offers Adele “We can talk again some other time. Thanks again for your help today. It was so very thoughtful of you!’
“We will meet again. I don’t have your number”, anxiously replies Raiden realizing that he doesn’t want the day to end.
“It’s on my application”, smiles Adele. “I’m sure Clayton as it. Once you send me your number, I’ll call you.”
“That’s a deal!” shouts Raiden as the door closes and Adele waves to him on the moving sidewalk.
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