Geneva Elizaveta Hawthorne

Sol 3UN1A Adjunct to Universe 0

Reflexis City,

Armstrong's Bakery Hidden Basement

“So the analysis is complete?” Geneva asked.

“Well we didn’t find the quantum engine, however it seems that this liquid was a solid find after all.” Mo said. He held up a vial full of what looked like ordinary water.

“So all that work and all we found was water?” Jerry asked.

“Aren’t you the physicist among us?” Veralia asked in turn. “Obviously it’s not ordinary water, or that container wouldn’t have been sealed so aggressively.”

“Wait that container was aggressively sealed?” Jerry exclaimed. “You opened it so easily.”

“ That’s kind of my thing.” Veralia said. “Besides, it’s most likely heavy water. Which appears like ordinary water, but is critical for a specific type of fusion.”

“In that case, there must have been a supply of tritium In that same ship yard.” Jerry said thinking it through. “beneath Reflexis is a massive manufacturing site, one of the deepest in the world due to the solid base of the Appalachian’s.”

“Exactly.” Mo said. “We basically have on our hands here, one half of the resources needed to power an interstellar mission.”

“We had assumed it would be a quantum powered vessel.” Archaeus said. “Every mission so far has been an attempt at a quantum based interstellar drive. We even have a dense network of sensors in the Oort cloud to detect such instances throughout the system. So it would make sense that someone would move towards alternative propulsion methods to bypass these measures.”

“Wont that make this more difficult?” Geneva asked.

“Yeah, but its not our task of finding the ship once its launched. Our goal is to find where its being built from the supply chain up. So far we have the potential for a fusion based ship. Perhaps they are going with ionic propulsion, but that doesn’t change our objective here.” Archaeus said. “We will need to report this up the chain and wait for further instructions. Mo, can you pass the word up for us?”

“Yeah.” Mo said. “I should hear back within twenty four hours as we are a bit desynced down here in the cavern. I’ll let y’all know as soon as I hear back, or they might just contact you directly.”

So the group made their way down the hall behind the stairs. Despite being beneath the street level, the accommodations were bright and spacious. The concrete floors gave way to a massive den with a kitchen and living area. On the far walls were detailed holographic vistas of various locations on earth. Every few minutes it felt as if the room was transported to another location somewhere within the Earth-Moon system.

That same display view was also synced to the bunk room, if it could be called a bunk room. Instead of Several rows of bunk beds, along the right wall opposite of the main holographic window, were a series of rooms. Each room contained a bed, desk, and display of their own. At the end of the hallway like space that existed in front of the rooms was a small communal bathroom with sink and shower.

Geneva made her way to the second room on the right. She didn’t want the one closest to the door or the bathroom. As she entered the room synced to her normal settings. The bed coverings shifted to a deep blue color. The walls shifting to a similar gradient of deep blues. The open wall that connected to the main hallway went opaque. A pane of glass slid down to cover the opening. The display at the desk lit up with her computer.

Decades ago, personal computers shifted from mobile devices that were carried within pockets, to implants, or in Geneva’s case, a black titanium bracelet that hugged her left wrist. With the change of how personal computing was conducted, displays became obsolete. Now more than likely wherever you went your computer would sync with whatever room you occupying. When not near such systems, there would be a holographic display embedded in a piece of clothing or jewelry, or an implant.

For Geneva’s case, any unshielded item within her, would either be drained dry, by her abilities, or would be severely disrupted by them. She had learned the hard way when her abilities first manifested. She had been granted numerous physical implants and devices as a child. It wasn’t until she was fourteen that she had gained any of the base level III traits every normal human in the system were granted.

On the day she got her powers, she was stuck halfway immobile and had to be surgically returned into her base genetic form. It was a sad moment for the young teen. Looking back she was proud to say she was an unadulterated human, aside from the various level abilities she had since obtained.

The first thing she did was contact Denise. The woman, who had basically raised her after she was kicked to the streets, was on some secret business on behalf of their nameless organization. She didn’t know where she was; just that she was somewhere near her current location. With that, their conversation would not be affected by the time lag of different time zones.

“Oh Geneva.” The ageless woman began. “Now’s not quite a good time, there was a situation with work, and I’m on damage control.”

“I wont take long. These accommodations are nice however…” Geneva said but was interrupted before she could continue.

“And how is Mo?”

“Mo is doing great I’d imagine. He basically has his own kingdom down here. That’s part of the reason I called. No offense to Mo, but I think I want different accommodations. This isn't where I hoped I would stay in the first place off Io. I mean to say, while were are on investigation, which might take week, I’d like to experience actual Civilization for once.”

“We are supposed to lay low. This is new coming from you.”

“I know the status quo. But after spending what feels like too long in isolation, this city just has a call to me. Its something unique. And you know I’m used to more luxuries than these accommodations.”

“The organization doesn’t have as much of a foot hold as we do in other systems. There isn’t much growth within the earth-moon coalition. They mostly tend to focus on colonizing other obscure parts of the local earth-sphere, than expansionists agenda.”

“Could you get me a hotel somewhere within the central districts? Something with a view, and some privacy beyond my team. Jerry is grinding on my last nerves.”

“I thought you liked Jerry.”

“That was a decade ago when I was barely ten.”

“You two were quite close. You know you’re the entire reason he joined us in our venture.”

“I don’t think I’m the entire reason. He’s always whining that his degree didn’t exactly offer him some exciting place in life. And besides he’s the last vestige of a life I was kicked out from.”

“Geneva, its only be six years since the Alexandre’s put you out. You are reaching adulthood, it’s time to acknowledge it and move on. Besides they weren’t your real parents.”

“They were the ones that raised me. You think they would have changed their minds once I started messing with the houses systems, but that just made them kick me to the curb harder.”

“It was an unfortunate match up, dear. I’m sorry.” The woman’s face softened on the display. “Okay fine, I will put in the request with the organization and you will receive the details when they book you in the morning. Now let me get back to what I was doing before you interruption. There was some haphazard explosion and earthquake that messed up a critical moment for us. Seriously the people on this world are bizarre.”

Geneva didn’t mention that she was the actual cause of the earthquake that shook the entire cavern. After saying goodbye she disconnected the call. She didn’t have the innate mental connection to her computer and so through a series of gestures she set the room to night mode, the lights dimmed and a deep cello coasted her to sleep.

The next morning Geneva woke up to the notification that she was booked at the Evangelist, a high rise hotel two blocks from the center of the city. She showered and put on the deplorable pair of synth clothes provided to her. She looked at her outfit from the day before and decided that the bits of remnant sewage wasn’t worth it. She chose to stick to her to the tackiness of her current outfit.

“Where are you going?” Archaeus asked as she started making her way up the stairs of the safe house.

“Denise pulled some strings and I’m going to a hotel on the lower floor.” She replied.

“Hold on a minute.” Archaeus replied. “Is that why I got that notification in the middle of a night, about a reservation for two rooms at some hotel in the city?”

“That woman, I swear.” Geneva said. “Yes Archaeus, I want to see the city. We haven’t been assigned anywhere for over a week. I’m taking my opportunities while they come. Who knows how long we will get to stay before they have us chasing some other lead in some other city.”

“Fine, I get it. But you know I have to come with you. Of course they’d book two rooms. You don’t feel bad for leaving the other three?”

“For one, Albion doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t do anything to add to that, why is he even here? And Jerry, you know my history with Jerry. He’s starting to ware me to the bone. And Veralia is fun, but I think she’s pretty content here. She’s sitting in the den watching some live cage fighting event on the upper city. You have room in our space for anyone who wants to join. Are you going to invite them?”

“I concede my point. But we should be laying low after tearing through a fight halfway across the city.”

“I’m sure I shorted out any cameras within the vicinity, Archaeus. We will be fine, jear let me have this.”

“Alright, alright. Give me a minute to go get a few things. Not all of us travel with the clothes on our back.”

Fifteen minutes later he had returned and the two left the safe house after letting Veralia know they would be staying elsewhere while they were here. She barely acknowledged them as she ate a paste like snack.

“How do you expect us to get halfway across the cavern?” Archaeus said after they left the door on the side of the building.

“Give me a second.” Geneva said as she fiddled with her bracelet, moments later a white grav-car pulled in alongside the street. Inside there were five seats all facing each other.

“Oh right.” Archaeus said. “I’m too used to station life I forget you don’t have to take a train or some kind of fixed public transportation everywhere you go.”

“On IO, I learned how to hack the network of the local car hub, and always used to get them to send me the top of the line for free. But thanks to this gig, I don’t have that issue anymore. I can just book the top of the line myself.”

“Yeah, the extra perk of being a contributing member of society. But not enough of a perk you cant rent a luxury penthouse on a whim, I guess.”

“Oh no I have enough solarium aggregated over the past several years to get the place. But those are hard to come by for people like us who get paid under the table. So its easier just to use the organizations pull for those kinds of things.”

“Wait you can just do that? When I’ve asked they’ve given me a cold shoulder.”

“Are you a level 0 who has the ability to outright destroy a good swath of this city?”

“Don’t underestimate the abilities of a level I with a motive. I could burn through a good portion of this neighborhood given enough time.”

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 the three or four stories of buildings on the outskirts of the cavern. They could only go higher to access specific 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, and there was a general vibe that was quite unlike the various places she had visited throughout the greater system.

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

And now being an adult, she didn’t really have the ability to go back and have that teenage life. She couldn’t meet boys and go on sleepovers with her friends. She didn’t have time to go the mall or the movies. It was at this point, Geneva resolved to have this life, right here, right now. She would go and explore the city. She would visit stores, go do some activities and enjoy a slower pace of life. It had been far to long that she just sat down and tried to be normal.

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It was then that she saw that most extravagant and extraordinary building she had ever seen. I mean of course she had probably seen better, but in her own perspective, this building seemed to take the cake. There at the end of a long street as the car rounded the 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 glass style with that of a millennium old architectural style from 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 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. Normally it looked as if he were staring off into space or his eyes were darting around. Appearing like he was looking at an invisible screen. However, since they had rounded the corner, his gaze was affixed at 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.

“Ill 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 above the were restricted, the roadway actually 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 not known outside of very few regions of occupied space.

The car lowered itself to the fourth floor mezzanine and Archaeus and Geneva disembarked. Within moments the vehicle hovered and went to pick up another couple that was on the opposite side of the canyon from the hotel. The two looked up at the seventy story tall building that loomed over them, its upward reaches almost seemed to pierce the holographic sky. I’m fact, Geneva thought it did.

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 were 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 even 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. Geneva saw the lights and dark spires that hung down from the cavern ceiling, an entirely different part of the city.

On the right wall were a row of holo-automata and in a rustic hut was 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.

This drew her attention. So Geneva approached the desk. No one else seemed to pay it much mind, and the numerous automata could simply interface with your personal computer. So all you had to do was walk up 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. “How may I help you today?”

“Why are you working here?” Geneva asked. Her tone that of confusion.

“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.”

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

“This is your office?” Archaeus asked.

“My way to stay more in tuned to the vibe and feel of my guests. We pride ourselves in 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. We still have some administrative offices on the upper floors, and I have a more private space below here. But 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 of stuff to do or places of interest, we would be really excited to hear them.”

She looked at Archaeus who raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, well I would be really excited to hear them.” She continued.

“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. Id love to hear more from someone who was brave enough to seek out an actual 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 hid the excitement from her voice.

“Can I get the name the reservation is under?” Gloria said with a smile. A keyboard had popped up out of the nanite counter top, an almost ancient looking CRT monitor rose in front of it. “Pardon all this, Its just so exciting. I literally 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 on her face. “I see you have contributed greatly to the system in order to have his 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?”

“I wont reveal the sums, as that is in poor taste. But it should be reflected on your accounts once I have added you into the system.” Gloria said as she typed a bit more on the display. “There we go. I have synced you up with the room. 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. Its amazing.” Geneva said.

“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 the 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.”

“Cool it, she was really nice.” Geneva said. “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.”

“Its 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.”

“Okay I guess I’m room 6102.” Archaeus said as his eyes darted about. “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 gothic medieval theme. There were brick walls and sconces that had holographic flames instead of real fire. The view out the large panoramic windows contrasted drastically with the royally attuned decorations. There was a large bed which faced the glass wall opposite to the door.

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

It was a marvelous sight. Geneva sat for a solid hour just staring at the little details and the city outside. It wasn’t until later when her stomach grumbled 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 quantum fluctuations coming off of his person. She assumed he must be an apprentice. He was working rather than being in an educational institution.

“You are quite young.” She stated. Her tone 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. Its 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 that of slight shock.

“Yes, but on another note. Do you know of anywhere fascinating 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 tertiary level three. Its 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 quantum energy levels and 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 we're not hidden to her.

The form of perception her synesthesia for this took depended drastically on the affects 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 feeling he incited in her.

“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 to my account. Did some transaction a bit off the book.” 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 and it shut down and rebooted. “Oh so your name is Jessica, then?”

“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 wont know you were here.”

“You-You can do that?”

“I can do quite a bit with my ability. 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 secured as this would have need for 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 cant do or see until you have proper access. But of all the things I want to do, I need money. My parents basically kicked me out for the year 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 that definitely is a reason. I think there might be a better alternative to robbing a somewhat secure ATM in the light of day. But, you know, I can’t really afford to be hypocritical right now.”

“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?” He seemed to look at her in an almost desperate way.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Trying to peg why there was a spike to 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 withdrawal.” He said.

“I haven’t been an apprentice for at least a year and a half. In fact, the org-er 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 mans 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 now 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.” 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 under layer. “Um, thank you.”

“Looks like you need something at least. Its 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 loose black garments that seemed to billow in the wind. It was almost see through, showing a darker silhouette of pants and 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.”