Amaranthine blanked out the remaining reports. She knew what they’d be.
‘So, can we relax now?’ Mr. Paramonos walked over to them. ‘Is it all ready?’
‘Yes,’ Amaranthine summoned all her willpower to respond. ‘You can relax now, sir.’
Horror in Ambrose’s eyes was a reflection of her own.
‘Ambie,’ she uttered in a barely audible whisper, as soon as Mr. Paramonos was out of earshot, ‘get the sound engineer here, immediately. We’ve no sound in any of the planets and less than two hours till show time!’
Phoenix looked around for the nearest waitress. He needed another drink. Amaranthine was still busy, although he expected the official part of the opening to start shortly. He’d been chatting to the lawyers and estate agents who handled the transaction for The Universe’s space. Sale of the air space above properties was the hot new branch of real estate business and he found the chat with them very interesting; after all, one never knew when one might fancy a change of career. It was always a good idea to stay up to date with upcoming options. But the conversation grew more and more technical and the whisky was starting to take effect. He nodded, now only feigning interest, and kept scanning the crowd for a waitress. Finally, one passed within ordering range and he sent her a quick mental signal. She acknowledged the order with a seductive smile.
Damn, Phoenix thought, as the robot swayed her hips towards the bar to fetch his drink. If they make those Hebes any more attractive, people will soon start dating them. Hell, some probably already do.
Hebe, the best humanoid mind-reading model available on the market, was widely used in immortal clubs and bars. Programmed quite narrowly – mainly to pick up on what type of drink the person needed – they were perfect for simple mental orders within short range, but unlike the sophisticated personal machines of Eiko’s caliber, didn’t need to establish the baseline brain activity of the user, and could read almost anybody.
The Sun was full of trendy Immortals; the glittery frills of the women’s dresses pervaded, their colors contrasting nicely with the men’s black tuxedos. Phoenix spotted a few celebrities, politicians, and moguls of various industries. Almost everyone within sight, of course, looked twenty-five years old.
‘What do you mean you DON’T KNOW what happened?’ Amaranthine yelled at the sound engineer who shrunk under her gaze and looked like he was about to run away. ‘It’s your JOB to know what happened and how to fix it!’
‘I’m so sorry, ma’am, I’m doing my best,’ the man fiddled with his tools, picking up random ones and putting them down again with resignation. ‘It’s inexplicable, just doesn’t make any sense… From what I see, it should be working…’
‘Well it isn’t,’ Amari hissed, ‘or are you suggesting that every person in every planet of this venue has gone deaf?’
‘No, ma’am, I’m not, I mean, I, em, I am trying to… but, well…’
‘Stop stuttering!’ Amaranthine yelled again, ‘your stuttering doesn’t help me! This MUST be fixed in the next thirty minutes or the whole launch will be a disaster! We’ll be the laughing stock of the whole Immortal world!’
‘I really am trying, ma’am…’
‘Ok, this is pointless,’ Amari swung on her heel and turned to Ambrose, ‘we need to get someone else in, this guy clearly hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing.’
‘Someone else? Now?’ Ambrose was also losing it, ‘whom? Who on Earth can come in now, with half an hour to spare, having never worked on this venue before, figure out the fault, get the right tools and fix it? Our best bet is to leave this guy in peace and let him work, he’s our only chance!’
‘He hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing! There must be someone else, and we must find them.’
‘I think we should alert Nectar and Mr. Paramonos,’ Ambrose said.
‘No! We will figure it out. I’m not getting humiliated like this.’
‘Amari, the humiliation will be bigger if…’
‘Shut it, Ambrose, don’t even think about it. We WILL find a way.’
‘But how…’
‘You!’ Amari turned to the engineer again. The man jumped and shrunk even further. ‘You must know other sound engineers, other companies who do this job. Your competitors. I don’t care who it is, you will get them here to help you. Think quick.’
The man thought so intensively that the wrinkles on his forehead grew deeper from the effort. ‘There is one guy I’ve heard of, he’s meant to be good.’
‘How good?’
‘The best.’
‘Get him here right now. Tell him money’s no object.’
The next fifteen minutes were excruciating. ‘If this guy really is the best,’ Amari said, ‘then I want to know why we didn’t get him from the start. It’s not like Mr. Paramonos not to get the best guys for the job.’
‘They are here, ma’am,’ the engineer announced. ‘He brought his assistant.’
‘Good. Let them get straight down to work. Let’s not waste time on introductions and niceties. We have ten minutes.’
The server room door opened and two men in navy blue truck suits entered, both carrying heavy toolboxes. The engineer immediately started to explain the problem to them.
‘Hey, Penny,’ Phoenix caught a glimpse of Amaranthine’s PA, rushing across the hall. ‘Is everything ok? I thought the official part was supposed to start five minutes ago.’
‘Everything’s fine, Phoenix,’ she said, but there was a sense of urgency in her voice and she didn’t stop. ‘Have a drink, it’s all about to start.’
Something’s not right, Phoenix thought. Amari’s events always start bang on time.
He wasn’t the only one growing impatient. He noticed others stirring in their circles, done with small talk, glancing around in anticipation.
‘The floor is getting impatient,’ Penny whispered to Amaranthine. ‘We are running ten minutes late.’
‘I know,’ Amari bit her lip, ‘but at least these two seem to know what they’re doing.’
The taller of the new engineers suddenly moved away from the wires and tools and glanced around. ‘Who is in charge here?’ he asked. ‘I need a quick word.’
Amaranthine stepped forward and looked into the man’s eyes. They were so intensely blue that she had to notice them despite the stress of her reputation hanging by a single thread. ‘What is it?’ she said.
‘Miss Quinn, am I correct? I’ve heard a lot about you.’
‘Forgive my rudeness, sir, but we really have no time for introductions right now. Can you fix this sound system?’
‘Yes. We’ve identified the fault and can fix it instantaneously.’
‘Is there anything that’s stopping you?’ Amari was conscious that all eyes in the room were on them right now.
‘Nothing at all,’ the blue-eyed man smiled. How dares he smile! ‘I just wanted to gain assurance of my compensation.’
‘Of course,’ she said, ‘that goes without question. Just name the amount and it will be transferred to your account immediately.’
‘I don’t want any money.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I want an endorsement. I want to be able to use The Universe’s name as my client.’
‘Sir,’ Amari was astounded. ‘This sort of agreement requires drafting and signing of legal documentation…’
‘…which I appreciate would take too much precious time. So, under the circumstances, I’m happy to take your word for it.’
Amaranthine realized that her mouth was open.
‘Miss Quinn? I’m happy to take your word as a guarantee of a decent deal.’
‘Of… course,’ she managed to utter. ‘You have my word.’
‘Wonderful,’ he smiled again, and again his blue eyes drew her attention like a magnet. She shook his stretched hand.
‘Right, Frankie,’ the man leaped back to the wires and his assistant. ‘Let’s change that fuse now.’
At last the lights and music subdued
, announcing that the show was about to start. A few thousand pairs of eyes followed Mr. Paramonos who stepped onto the platform above the bar. Everyone froze in anticipation of what was coming next.
‘Welcome to The Universe,’ he resounded in utter silence, which immediately turned into rumbling ovation.
‘You all know,’ he resumed, and Phoenix felt as if his voice was coming from inside his own head, ‘that The Universe is the first hovering nightclub in the world, and the biggest and most diverse venue you’ll ever see. There are attractions in each of the planets that will relax you in different ways and entertain you beyond your wildest expectations. You will not be able to decide which planet is your favorite and if you do, we will deliver something even better to awe you. You will never want to party anywhere else.’ Another ovation burst out.
‘Yes, you all know The Universe is the first hovering nightclub in the world. We used the hovering engines to take you up to space where your due place is, as the elite of this world. We haven’t told you everything, though. And we will not tell you.’
He made an efficacious pause.
‘We will show you.’
The spotlight faded and so the Sun became almost completely dark.
For five full seconds nothing happened.
Then the walls of the whole venue turned transparent.
The impression was astounding. Phoenix looked around, under his feet, and at the faces of the people around him. Some tottered involuntarily, some even grabbed their companion’s arms in search of balance.
They were all suspended in space.
All the other planets were now clearly visible, massive spheres of different colors, some close up to them, some in the distance, partially hidden.
‘I give you Mercury!’ Mr. Paramonos thundered, this time accompanied by powerful sound of orchestra. It was so unexpected that Phoenix twitched. Mercury, the nearest planet, with its gray, ridgy surface looked a little dull, after Phoenix’s eyes adjusted to the blinding gold of the Sun. But this now changed. As if equipped with a huge electric bulb inside, Mercury blinked and became lightly illuminated. It made it look like a ball of quicksilver.
‘I give you Venus!’ announced the ubiquitous voice, and the orchestra celebrated the introduction of the yellow planet with a short, powerful prelude.
The surface of Venus now also illuminated, turning it into a ball of yellow lava. Mr. Paramonos allowed the spectators a few seconds to appreciate it, before he announced Earth.
By the time he reached Neptune, the view was truly spectacular, and the music has elevated the tension to the limits. The planets, each so unique in its colors and appearance, hung motionlessly around the central point of the Sun, in which the Immortals were already trying to decide which one to explore first. But as it turned out, this was by far not the end of the show.
‘Some of you may wonder,’ the owner’s voice reached them again, ‘why we named our club The Universe and not The Solar System. And this is why.’
As if unfolded from a giant, invisible carpet, myriads of small silver specks filled in the space between the planets. The stars were the densest at the center of the belt, forming a clear path – the Milky Way. But they didn’t stop appearing for the next twenty seconds or so and so marked the space far beyond the galaxy. The effect was breathtaking.
‘You know by now that The Universe took hovering engine technology to the whole new level. What you don’t know is how far that level is from what you have so far experienced. What we will show you now has been the most guarded secret of this venue since the idea of it was conceived. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Universe!’
At first Phoenix thought that the dazzling colors and the novel perspective from which he was watching it, played tricks on his mind. But from the glimpses on other guests’ faces her realized he wasn’t the only one who felt it.
The Sun was in motion.
The whole venue was slowly spinning.
As soon as he came to realize it, he looked outside and before his eyes he saw the most amazing view yet.
All of the planets started spinning, too. And in the next few seconds, orbiting. The movement, coupled with the music, seemed to be performing a dance for the dazzled audience.
They stood in awe for what felt like minutes, turning their heads in all directions, admiring, taking in the spectacle played out beyond the Sun’s transparent walls.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Mr. Paramonos concluded, ‘Feel free to explore your Universe.’ At that dozens of shuttle hovercars, each with a long, silver trail like a comet, arrived at the entrance to each planet, inviting the crowd to do exactly that.
It was then that the ovation erupted in earnest.
Amaranthine felt all the tension of the last few months melt away as she listened to the euphoric applause and the raving comments of those standing nearby. After the sound system got fixed, it all went so perfectly that she’d forgotten all about that scare now. More importantly, the crowd didn’t seem to remember the delay either. Watching the launch, she felt like in a stream of déjà vus; she had seen it so many times in her simulations before, she designed every second of it. But the actual thing, unfolding right in front of her eyes in its full splendor, was beyond what even she could imagine.
Mr. Paramonos got surrounded by a small crowd of executives, business partners and friends, all shaking his hand and congratulating him. She knew that her client had to do a lot of convincing at board meetings to get green light to create The Universe and many shareholders were against it till the bitter end. But high-risk, high-reward strategy was his only style and he pushed for it. He had every right to wallow in his triumph now.
She decided she’d catch up with him later – and now she’d allow herself a moment of relaxation. She scanned the crowd for Phoenix. She spotted him in the middle of the floor, people streaming both ways around him – those who spent the last hour in the Sun were off to see what other venues were all about, and to enjoy countless attractions. Those who were scattered between Mercury and Neptune were now arriving to see the central point of The Universe. The music was back on and so was the golden glare on the walls to greet them.
‘That was pretty damn good,’ Phoenix said as soon as she came over to him.
‘Thanks.’
Radiant Perenelle, Ambrose and Nectar joined them, all with beaming smiles of success. Six months of hard work, but it was worth it.
The crowd, gathered in the middle of the dance floor, now started to move to the rhythm of the music, so they gravitated towards the bar area to get drinks. Amaranthine reached for her idatron to pay, but she was forestalled by Mr. Paramonos, who excused himself from the big circle of his tycoon friends and came up to them, placing an order with a passing Hebe.
‘Well, congratulations to all of you, that was a piece of excellent work,’ he said with a broad smile, ‘I am truly impressed. May I propose a toast,’ he raised a glass of champagne from the tray delivered by the hostess, ‘to Amaranthine and her wonderful team.’
Amaranthine thanked him with a charming smile as everyone raised their glasses, forming a tight circle. The tiny bubbles danced in the golden liquid as they brought the glasses to their mouths.
‘Do you mind if we join you for this toast?’ they suddenly heard a voice behind them.
None of the glasses reached the mouth of its holder. All six arms froze in a striking realization of whom this voice belonged to.
All eyes turned towards the man who stood behind them.
His tawny face, covered with deeply etched wrinkles and accessorized with silver eyebrows and hair, was an icon. Right in front of them stood a living legend: a man so remarkable and powerful that it took everyone a few seconds to take in his presence and react accordingly. Amaranthine met him once before and she remembered this effect he had on people. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to react differently, even if she saw him every day.
‘It would be our privilege, sir,’ Mr. Paramonos recovered first, simultaneou
sly giving the waitress a telling look, and passing his glass to his left hand to free the right one for a handshake.
The Hebe reacted immediately and perfectly, delivering two additional glasses of champagne. She was the only one immune to the old man’s spell.
In the few seconds that it took Hebe to deliver the drinks, others also managed to shrug off the initial awe and meet the new arrival. The man thanks to whom they all breathed and walked. Zeus Lomax, though nobody ever used his real name. He was known to every living human on Earth as ‘Dr. Life.’ He was, as usual, accompanied by his assistant, manager, spokesman, and lifelong friend Tsuneo Walker, the same man that Amaranthine saw speaking on The Immortal News that morning.
‘You must forgive us for not revealing ourselves earlier,’ Dr. Life said with a smile, ‘but we enjoyed the show too much.’
What a diplomatic way of putting ‘we didn’t want to ruin your launch by drawing everyone’s attention to ourselves,’ Amaranthine thought. Wherever and whenever Dr. Life and his companion turned up, they immediately stole the spotlight, be it the announcement of the presidential elections winner, or the update of SETI’s newest signals of potential extraterrestrial forms of life. The thing that could excite the Immortals of the Earth more than the presence of the Cure inventor, would have to be no less than the discovery of another planet fit for human habitation.
‘How did you put it, Mr. Paramonos? To Amaranthine and her wonderful team.’ The eight glasses travelled up and met with gentle clinks. This time the exquisite liquor reached its destination, chilling the throats and flowing with warmth over the stomachs.
I’m drinking the world’s finest champagne in the company of the most important man on this planet, who came here on my invitation to see the result of my work, Amaranthine came to realize. This is a dream. She has never felt more accomplished in her entire life.
‘What an honor to have you here tonight, sir,’ Mr. Paramonos said. ‘And you, Mr. Walker.’
‘I couldn’t miss the biggest event of the decade, or, for that matter, disappoint the beautiful Amaranthine,’ Dr. Life smiled. ‘She’s been very persistent and I felt I could not possibly resist her invitation this time. Congratulations, Amaranthine, what a remarkable venue and a magnificent show. We may make people immortal, but what would they do with their long lives without you? You entertain them all.’