Earth's Last Angel (5 page)

‘Thank you Musorik, we'll freshen up and organize a meal.'

‘As you wish my lord,' a smiling Musorik bows and leaves.

‘Can you believe this place? It's unreal! I need a shower,' states Bill shaking his head.

‘I'll just lay here until you finish.' Sheona has been eyeing off the massive bed since the room door slid open. She removes her boots and coat to lay down for a rest, she feels tired after such a long journey. As soon as her back hits the mattress she disappears into it with a squeal. Bill comes running in from the bathroom.

‘What the hell?' he yells at a now surfacing, laughing Sheona.

‘It collapsed as I lay on it, now it's filling up again to fit me. Bill, it feels like I'm floating on a cloud, get over here and try it.'

‘Nah..! I need a shower, I'll try it later. Damn female gave me a heart attack,' he mumbles.

A distracted Bill climbs into the shower, and the instant his bare feet touch the floor of the shower a beautiful young female appears on the shower screen.

‘What the devil! Who the hell are you?' he squawks, trying in vain to hide his wobbly bits.

‘Is this your first time in an assisted cleansing module, my lord?' the female voice softly inquires.

‘Yes!' roars a slightly pissed off, Bill. ‘Where is the damn soap and towel?'

‘You have no need for them I will take care of your needs.'

‘Please stand on the center of the floor, I am now starting the cleansing sequence, all functions are voice-activated for your comfort.'

After a short time Bill feels like a new Mazuban, all spruced up. Bill steps out of the cleansing module and goes to find his clothes.

‘Don't walk on the carpet, you've just got out of the shower!' scolds Sheona.

‘I'm already dry. That thing gave me a blow dry. And…you should check out the cute chick I showered with!' Bill teases.

Sheona shoots off the bed and storms into the bath room.

‘Liar, There's no one in here,' she retorts.

‘Jump in and see for yourself,' replies a smug Bill.

After the initial squeal of shock, a male voice comes from the cleansing module.

‘Is this your first time in an assisted cleansing module my lady?'

A smiling Sheona finally emerges.

‘Well…have you organized a meal yet?

Bill sits engrossed in the hologram map of the city, it fills the lounge room. The high resolution quality is unlike anything he's ever seen before. He can even take a virtual walk inside buildings and shops.

‘No not yet. There is a small restaurant on the seaward side of the east wall we could check out, should have some nice views from up there. It's called The Tasty Dish. I'll give Musorik a call to organize the booking,' he replies, picking up the card.

‘Musorik?' he tentatively asks the card.

‘Yes my lord,' Is the immediate response.

Still looking a little doubtfully at the talking card, Bill asks Musorik to arrange a booking and transport for their meal at The Tasty Dish.

After a delicious meal they retire out to the wall balcony, a large viewing deck that extends out from the city wall, giving spectacular views down the side of the wall, across the mountain and out to sea. They choose a small table close to the edge of the glass balcony floor. The guard rail is also plate glass, giving a sense of walking in midair.

‘This is a bit like the shuttle Bill,' comments a now much braver Sheona as they step out over the void onto the glass floor balcony.

Once comfortably seated, the barman approaches their table with a tray of drinks.

‘Lord William I have taken the liberty of bringing you ale, the house special.' After pouring two tall glasses of the dark liquid, he gives Bill a conspiratorial wink.

‘Not much of a head on it,' comments Bill, not very impressed.

‘Take a sip my lord, I believe it will be to your liking.'

Taking a sip, a broad smile breaks out on Bill's face.

‘Awesome! Good to see some things never change,' lifting his glass of bourbon mix.

‘I'll keep the rest of the bottle to one side for you. I have two other bottles left, come and see me before you leave and you can have one to take with you.'

‘Thank you so much. It's quite a while since I've had a drop this good. Just a small question, why all the hush, hush?'

Leaning in close to Bill's ear, the barman whispers. ‘In the Holy city we can only sell their watered down ales and wines. I acquired this from a trader from the old country.'

Bill thanks the barman again and settles in to enjoy the view with Sheona. The barman sets off to attend his other clientele.

Before leaving, Bill accepts the barman's offer and collects the promised bottle.

‘How do you know my name?' a curious Bill asks the barman.

‘I processed your booking from Musorik, so I knew that you are an important visitor to our city. I have also dealt with your family's' trader, I buy your fine raw sugar and beef.'

‘Excellent! How much do I owe you?'

‘Nothing my lord, you are my guests.'

‘OK, thank you. I'll see to it that you receive a case of the finest from my private rum distillery, I'll have my agent deliver it to you discreetly.'

‘You are too kind, my lord.' replies the bowing barman.

Behind them a figure in a white, hooded robe silently drifts towards the door and vanishes.

Arriving back at their room, Bill and Sheona retire to the entertainment balcony and relax with a drink, enjoying the rest of the evening looking out at the spectacular view encapsulated by the shimmering protective energy dome.

The following morning they awake to the smell of a freshly cooked breakfast set up for them on the balcony.

‘Check this out,' comments a still sleepy, yawning, Sheona, wearing her crystal white fluffy bathrobe. She lifts the silver lid off the cooked breakfast. ‘I'll never eat all of this,' she indicates to the piled plate in front of her.

Bill climbs out of bed, the smell of the cooked breakfast too much to resist. He starts to head for the balcony, stretching his muscles and frills, then he is stopped dead in his tracks by a scowling Sheona, hands on hips glaring back at him.

‘What?'

‘At least put your robe on!'

‘Don't you like what you see?' teases Bill, wiggling his cheeky bare rear at her.

‘I do! But the neighbors might not,' Sheona replies with a smirk.

After putting on his robe Bill sits at the table. Raising a forkful of meat to his mouth, Bill asks. ‘What would you like to go and see today?'

‘I'm not sure, why don't we just go on a guided tour, then when we see something we want to check out we can go there by ourselves?'

‘You're the clever one girlfriend! That's exactly what we'll do.'

After dressing in comfortable, casual clothes, they arrive downstairs in the lobby and join a group of fellow visitors to the city for the tour.

Musorik meets them. ‘Hi! Off to see the city?' she asks.

‘Yes, we thought we'd join this group to have a look around, and then decide where we want to visit on our own from there,' replies Bill.

‘Sounds like a plan.'

‘My pretty girl here thought of it, us boys need our girls to keep us organized,' giving Sheona a playful squeeze.

‘Bill!' squeaks Sheona, a blush of pink forming on her rising frills.

Musorik giggles. ‘I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, enjoy your tour,' she smiles over her shoulder as she leaves them.

The topless double decker transport rolls along the busy city streets in near silence, a soft hum from the electric motor barely noticeable. The top deck is for tourists and the bottom deck for commuters, which mean plenty of stops giving the tourists a chance to get off or continue on the tour. After checking out a few of the attractions, Bill and Sheona finally get off at the lake to enjoy lunch in the lush gardens.

A small restaurant down at the end of the short entertainment jetty looks like a great place to stop for a bite to eat.

‘The virtual zoo was pretty cool, though I prefer our real animals at home,' comments Sheona, sitting down at their table.

‘Yeah, I liked the valley of the dinosaurs, especially when that T-Rex charged you and you scarpered off. It took me ages to catch up with you,' laughed Bill, giving Sheona a playful shove.

‘You can pay for lunch, you ratbag! And I'll have the most expensive drinks they've got!' huffs Sheona, her frills rising in annoyance.

‘OK then, after lunch we can check out that shoe shop we passed a few streets ago.'

‘Only…if I have to,' mumbles Sheona, looking out of one eye, head slightly turned away. Secretly she is ecstatic, and struggles to keep her frills under control she doesn't want to show Bill.

After lunch a slightly wobbly Sheona and Bill strike out for the shoe shop.

‘You know doll we should get some wheels,' announces Bill.

‘My shoes first, then wheels!' retorts Sheona with a grin.

After nearly two hours with dozens of pairs of shoes and boots later,

Bill calls over the shoe shop manager, Varik. ‘Mate, can you deliver this lot?' indicating the growing pile of boxes.

‘Of course my lord I would be delighted,' smiles the merchant. This is an excellent sale.

‘Thanks, that's a relief.'

‘Perhaps a coffee my lord, while your wife finalizes her purchases?'

‘That would be great thanks,' replies a now slightly tired Bill. Sheona however is just warming up!

After another hour, Bill approaches Varik again.

‘Listen, I'm thinking about buying a personal transporter for the missus and I to get around the city, what would you recommend?'

‘I have a small transport, would you like to see it?'

‘Hell yeah!' ‘Sheona, I'm stepping out with Varik here for a sec, will you be ok?'

‘Yep,' a smiling Sheona nods squeezing on yet another boot.

‘This way, my lord,' Varik leads Bill to a side door, opening out in to a courtyard with a small covered area. Parked on the pavement is a chariot.

‘You've got to be kidding me, an ancient race chariot! Where is your drawbar for the horse team?' exclaims a pleasantly surprised Bill.

‘My lord, the chariot is an electric drive, see the third drive-steer wheel underneath? Please step up onto the chariot.'

Bill does as instructed. As his weight registers on the floor panel, the leather reins become active. The virtual drawbar and twin horse team suddenly appear out front.

‘Just give them a gentle slap on the rear with the reins my lord, they respond like real horses.'

Bill picks up the leather reins, giving the virtual horses a light slap on the rear. Both horses drop their heads and give them a shake, letting out an indignant snort. So he gives them a heavier slap this time, and with a jolt the chariot leaps forward, the horses heading straight into a trot. Bill holds his footing and steers them around first to the left, then to the right. After a short, sharp gallop up the street and around the park, he draws up next to the merchant, leaping off.

‘I gotta get me one of these!' beams an excited Bill.

‘My brother Ponik manufactures them in a village not far from the city. He will customize it to your tastes, you choose the color and accessories,' replies a very pleased merchant.

‘How much, and how long to deliver?' enquires Bill his mind already made up.

‘I'll give him a call, and you can speak with him.'

Back in the shoe shop the deal is done. Bill makes the payment and looks forward to delivery in two days. He has selected a cherry red one with gold trim. Luckily for him a cherry red one has just been completed for stock, it just needs the gold trim to finish it. The horses will be programmed to be virtual copies of Bill's black stallion Thunder. He decides not to tell Sheona just yet, it'll be a surprise for her on delivery day.

Two days later a message arrives for Bill to meet Ponik in the courtyard. Bill takes Sheona by the hand, leading her out into the court yard.

‘Now close your eyes, I have a surprise for you.'

There, parked next to Ponik, is Bill's new highly polished cherry red chariot, shining in gold trim with two large black copies of his own stallion, Thunder.

‘Now you can open them.'

The sight almost takes her breath away.

‘That's Thunder isn't it?' enquires Sheona.

‘Yep sure is. Thunder times two!'

Moving further around Sheona catches sight of the second horse.

‘This is amazing!' comments Bill. ‘How do you make the horses visible without standing on the chariot?'

‘By switching the virtual horses to display mode, my lord, it is this switch here,' a very proud Ponik points to the switch on the control panel.

Minutes later Bill and Sheona are trotting up the street in their new chariot, looking very pleased with themselves.

‘I think this calls for a celebration, the Tasty Dish here we come!'

For a solid two weeks after the purchase of the chariot, the happy couple explore the limits of the 50 square kilometer mountain city.

The layout of the city is centered on the palace complex, which rises high above the surrounding city. It is surrounded by gardens and parks in abundance, dotted within are small exclusive cafes and restaurants. Beyond this is the market/business district, with residential homes filling the remaining space. The four main entrance roads correspond to the four compass points, with gates named for the direction in which each road enters the city.

All roads point straight to the palace, secondary streets ring around the city, intersected by the four main roads; entering from the north gate you encounter First Street. Look to your right, you see the start of the street, look left and you see the end of the street, all the way through to the last, Seventieth Street. This is a large, sprawling city that has an atmosphere of openness and space. Children play unsupervised along the streets and in the parks, protected by the energy dome that seals off the city from the pollution outside.