Page 49 of The Sovereign: Part One
He nodded toward the styling console, where an interactive display hovered just above the surface.“And this?”
“Hair and cosmetic assistance,” I said.“I’ve read that in the old world, it took women up to two hours to get ready for the day or a night out.I wouldn’t leave the house if I had to do that,” I joked.
“No wonder old-world socializing had higher rates of conflict, everyone was already exhausted by the time they arrived.”
I laughed, moving toward the wardrobe system as a puff of cool mist activated, refreshing the garments inside.“A valid perspective.Efficiency might actually be saving lives.”
Beyond the dressing alcove was my kinetic suite.“The floor adjusts dynamically, shifting textures based on the selected routine: stable for high-impact workouts, subtly resistant for endurance training.”
The panels reacted to our presence, displaying a serene, panoramic landscape—today, the same mist-covered mountain range I often defaulted to.
“A high gravity sequence can be initiated, allowing for enhanced muscle engagement through a simulated resistance field,” I continued.“The adaptive equipment responds in real-time, recalibrating based on strength output, while retractable panels reveal multi-functional surfaces.One moment, you can utilize the wall-climbing mode, and the next, it can function as a resistance station.Even recovery is responsive; cooling zones and compression therapy integrate into the space, ensuring muscle restoration is as advanced as the training itself.And, like the rest of the home, it maintains itself, the self-sanitizing environment erasing any trace of use the moment you step away.”
Maxim stared at me for a moment.
“What?”I asked.
“You have a talent for presentation.Has the prospect of property brokerage ever crossed your mind?”
I breathed out a laugh.“I suppose it could be lucrative if I were in the Barton family, but I’m afraid they have the corner on the market.They have a rather large collection of Hiven for that.”
“Fair enough,” he said, following me into the somna.
As we walked, Maxim took my hand in his.As an older home, the somna was more spacious than those in modern residences of the same square footage, yet it remained intentionally uncluttered.My bed sat low to the ground, almost level with the floor itself, a broad, integrated surface with a softly illuminated base.Two side consoles flanked it, each minimal in design, holding only a few carefully chosen items—one with a sleek resting dock for personal accessories, the other empty, awaiting something of meaning.
A few standing plants added depth to the room, their broad green leaves a quiet contrast to the pale tones.The walls were smooth, the white panels interrupted occasionally by paintings of my own creation, each an expression of the thoughts I rarely spoke aloud.
Maxim let go of my hand and walked over to the console on my side of the bed, gesturing to an empty frame.“What’s this?”
I crossed the room and bent down to hold it in both hands, brushing my fingers along the edge of the frame.“It’s meant to hold our first photo.I bought it the day I graduated Tier Four, the same day Hyperion offered me a position.I know it’s silly.Photos are so expensive and aren’t all that common anymore, not with digital archives and life-logs, but I wanted something real.A moment I could hold.It was a promise to myself, that if I stayed the course, put my heart into the work, followed every protocol, one day it would lead me to you.This frame was for that moment.”
Maxim exhaled, as if absorbing what I had just said.When he finally spoke, his tone was thick with sincerity.“It’s not silly at all.I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more than to be worthy of that.”
I set down the frame and turned toward him.“You already are.”I looked around, gesturing to the space.“Besides the empty spare somna, that’s everything,” I said, offering him a small smile.“You’ve been given the official tour of our Sablestone.”
He blinked, just once, as if the words had landed somewhere deep.
“What?”I asked.
“You… called it ours.”
I hadn’t thought about it.The words had simply come out that way, but standing in a somna that was now complete just with him in it, I realized how right they felt.
“I did,” I admitted.“Because it is.”
Maxim’s gaze softened, and for a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
I cleared my throat, turning toward the acquell.“I should change into something more comfortable.”
He nodded, stepping back toward the threshold.“I’ll wait.”
“Calyx,” I said, “lounge wear, please.”
I disappeared into the dressing alcove, exchanging my attire for something more relaxed.When I returned, Maxim stood near the transpane, watching the rain trace slow paths down the glass.He turned at the sound of my approach, taking me in with a small, approving smile.
“Better?”I teased.
He nodded, his expression warm.“For you, yes.But for me, just as breathtaking.”He gestured to the stasis bay.“I’m glad it’s in the somna.I won’t feel so far from you.”
