The Industrialist

SkyCorp Tower, BloomForge Enclave, Inland Axe Central City

***

"Did you know that your Unitech Shades and the SkyCorp are programmed to modify the lighting depending on your mood?" Jaqi said as they walked on the 90th floor Alleyway to her room.

"Yeah, really? I just don’t explore the features of this thing," Lance responded, referring to his accessory.

"Here, let me," Jaqi pushed the side of Lance’s left side glass as he wore them. Even her hands smelled like flowers. Well, he had his Red Flare perfume on to compensate her High-classer acquaintance. "Do you see ’Pending Connections: SkyCorp’?

"Yeah, am I gonna connect?"

The feature was new to Lance. It explains that the SkyCorp, a tower for the Corporation and established by Levi Menks, and the UniTech Industries and the same Scientist was the oversight, had modified specifications capable of synchronized the features of the building.

"Choose lighting when you’re in," Jaqi suggested.

Lance adjusted lighting feature to orange. And the alleyway’s lightings, from the sides and even at the ceiling turned to orange. Suddenly, a blast of intense orange filled his vision, screaming for immensity.

Lance halted from walking, took out his shades, and rubbed his eyes.

Jaqi laughed. "You can adjust the intensity to low if you can’t take the illumination. Wait for your eyes to adjust to the new color and you are good to go."

Lance wore the shades and then the orange lightings strained his vision once again. He adjusted the intensity as he touched the controls at the side of his frame.

"Whew. Much better!" Lance said after his adjustments.

"Did you know that you can call your neighbors by the use of these shades?" Jaqi said.

"No. Is it possible? Opticoms can only do distance communication." Lance said.

"Yeah. But if you are within SkyCorp’s proximity, you can contact anyone within the area using the shades’ serial number.

They exchanged serial numbers accessible in the shade’s system.

Lance knew that this exchange was only for the moment of socializing, just a courtesy to his friend, Jaqi.

They arrived at her door and it hissed to open. ’Pressurized?’ Lance thought. An aromatic air had escaped the room and invaded his nostrils. The air quality explained the purpose of the airlock. These rooms had their own filtration systems, independent of the capabilities of MAF. Not only that, it stabilized the temperature.

"What do you think?" Jaqi spread her arms as she stood in front of her pad. Her dangling White Gold bracelets sparkled against the natural light behind her.

Surprisingly, there were windows. His first thought about the tower without windows was just the same as the cabins and apartment he had in Steelpoint.

"How come there are windows?

"Yeah. We call them Magic Windows. Small cameras outside feed their captures to this screen inside. It’s only a digital screen." Jaqi said.

Through the magic windows, one could see the expanse of the city. Her view faced the Western part where one could see the ochre clouds that mantled the sun behind thick clouds.

Jaqi took his hand, dragged him across the room, and they stood in front of a large Magic window side-by-side.

"This is Bloomforge, and beyond the Inland limits, you will see the Western Wall."

The city was so wide that the walls stood only faded silhouettes, like distant mountains. The dust contributed to the haze of picturesque scenery.

Bloomforge, as the Capital sector, held the greatest number of towers compared with the other Inland sectors. In Steelpoint, and the same with other Commoner Sectors, the highest floored building rose just up to five stories. They had Watchtowers though for the police posts and served as the substations for their hovercrafts after their circuit routes.

The windows gave the visitor a grand first impression, secondly, the ornamental plants that stood at the corners, on the tables, and on side cabinets, partnered with multi-colored penlights that emphasized the potted plants. It emulated that of fancy rooms before the Nuclear World War.

"Plastic plants?" Lance asked.

"Nope. These are real," Jaqi answered.

At first, he did not believe it. They looked like plastic, with no discolorations in their leaves, and they had healthy stalks or stems, well-trimmed ornamental bushes. Perfection without the evidence of pest infestation.

"I know right?" Jaqi said as Lance inspected closely the seemingly plastic plants. "It’s almost illegal to acquire these. But because my Mother oversees one of the Agricultural Sector, so, yeah, real plants. Over there in the kitchen, it’s called the Roseweeds. And over there, near the dining table, that’s called Hillbores, and in the living room is called Figlelas. Do you have plants at home?"

Lance shook his head. Disclosing his Aiveez nursery would be a crime. Aiveez were not grown within the confines of the wall and Jaqi works in CISU – regulators for illegal use of components. Investigating it would be unwise.

It had been decades since the Corporation started to grow plants, only ornamental, but never a tree. The nutritive contents of the contaminated soil could not suffice for years of growing trees. But only to small pot plants.

"Is she a scientist, too?" Lance asked.

"Nope. She’s the AOD of HomesteadGreen Sector," she answered.

HomesteadGreen Sector held the largest farming for livestock, poultry, and root crops for condiments. But these kinds of produce were too expensive for the Commoners. Hence, these were only available in Inlands.

"AOD?"

"Agricultural Operations Directress."

"Directress? Wow! Big bucks," Lance praised. "What about your father?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Jaqi sneered.

"Ah, nope. I am just curious." Lance chuckled. ’Just chill, Lance! Careful.’ Lance thought.

"Just kidding. My father works in Customs and borders." She smiled, with her smoky eyes darted towards her visitor.

"What does he do?"

"Secretary of Border Customs and Defence," Jaqi answered. She took a bottle of Sparkling Wine from her metallic wine cellar.

’That explains his power over the Police Department. Not only because she is the founder of CISU (Committee for Illegal Scrap Use) but she is the daughter of the highest position one can get in this department.’ Lance deduced.

The Police Department operated under the Border Customs and Defence Department and Jaqi’s father was equivalent to their General.

"What’s your family name again?" Lance asked.

Jaqi poured drinks into two glasses. The reddish liquid sloshed in glasses and the glasses glowed its intensity like the wine was luminous.

"It’s glowing," Lance said upon the sight of it.

"Yeah. No purpose really. Just aesthetics. Maybe if you want to find your drink in the dark." Jaqi chuckled and handed him over a glass of wine. "Well, for your question, my family name is Leric. Jaqi Leric."

Lance heard about the Lerics before. They had close ties with Levi Menks. Her parents were not Scientists, however, they were VIPs.

"Well, enough about me. Tell me about you," Jaqi said as she drank half of the contents of her glass. The red liquid bathed her lips and intensified her red lipstick.

"They are both deceased," Lance said. The thought of them still lingered, the pain, and the bitter memories.

"Hey. Sorry. You already told me about them, that you are already an orphan," Jaqi said. Probably she noticed the creases of his face as the topic was brought up.