Interlude - Claire

  The planet Huzen7B gleamed under the light of its star. From above, it shone like a jewel, surrounded by shining diamonds that were its space stations. Ships of every size and shape wove a precise choreography between the monumental orbital platforms. The stations were of metal and glass, shaped in elegant arcs. The hydroponic gardens showed through transparent bays, their green contrasting with the white and silver of the hulls.

  Below, the slowly rotating planet gleamed. Vast blue oceans, orderly cloud formations and neatly sculpted landmasses sprawled below. As capital of the Mannfreid Duchy, Huzen7B was known far and wide. It hosted the headquarters of many galactic conglomerates and attracted both tourists and businessmen.

  On the largest continent, directly below the most stunning of the orbital platforms, rose a city. Its towers stretched high, impossible needles of white, gold, and black. Between them, floating islands drifted on anti-gravitic fields.

  One district on the outskirts gleamed brightest, set in the middle of verdant gardens. This was the Shin Saimdang Foundation. A name that had weight and power in the Empire.

  At its top, the penthouse. Dark, empty, and unoccupied for decades. Below that, the orphanage. Dozens of levels. Clean and well-funded. The children were well cared for. Acceptance promised care, education, and a chance at life. Below that, the university. Lecture halls, study rooms. Being accepted was hard; graduating was a badge of honour. And below that, the merchant levels, housing dozens of companies. Offices, meeting rooms, open desks.

  And then, the ground floor. The lobby sprawled, vast enough to hold a house within its arches. It extended far into the surrounding gardens, blending the outside and the inside in a bold architectural statement. The lobby bustled with activity, many races mingling freely. Humans, aliens, all welcome.

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  Below this whole world of money and knowledge and charity, lay the maintenance level. Hidden from prying eyes. A world of machines, noise, and harsh white artificial lights. Deeper still, darker tunnels held only the complex systems that kept the tower running.

  The elevator served from ground level to the penthouse, and down to the lowest maintenance tunnels. But it had one more stop. There was an additional level deeper. A level missing from every blueprint, missing from the elevator panel, accessible only with a specific code.

  That level had only one room. The room was dark and silent, with only the low hum of a machine.

  That morning, the machine woke. A panel flickered to life on the side, then lights illuminated a tube. The tube was narrow, barely wide enough for the human woman inside.

  Her eyes snapped open. She tried to move. Nothing.

  Her arms and legs refused to move. Her eyes went wide. She thrashed, but to no avail. Panic was evident on her face.

  Then, a melodic chime rang through the chamber.

  Blinding lights flooded. Revealing an almost empty room. In front of the medical pod was a simple desk, a chair. On the table lay papers, books and neatly folded clothes. Against a wall, stood a single metallic shape. An android butler. An old model, perfectly still.

  The pod drained and opened with a hiss, releasing her. She gasped desperately for air, until she finally calmed down. She was a human. She looked to be in her sixties with Asian features. She had dark hair, cut to shoulder length, damp from the liquid in the pod.

  She tried to step out of the pod, but her leg gave way and she fell. Panting, she crawled to the desk and used it to pull herself up. She collapsed into the chair. She looked around, disoriented, her hands finding the folded clothes.

  The android butler came to life. Its eyes glowed a gentle yellow, as it squared its shoulders and turned to face her.

  "Welcome, Claire Park. Shin Saimdang has been waiting for you."