“I can see why they call this a utopia,” Troy says as we step onto one of the many courtyards.
“You have no idea,” Jack says.
He points to a window two stories up in a building by the road we came in on. A man and a woman are deep in the throes of sex. They’re visible to all who can see, and they’re drawing quite an audience.
“Is that a common sight?” Garrett asks, his eyes not moving away from the display.
“Very much so,” Jack responds. “There is no single mating here. It’s one of the perks of living in Icarian. You can have whomever you want and no one is permitted to judge or condemn you.”
“What if someone gets jealous?” I ask, turning my focus solely onto Jack.
“We have remedies for that,” Jack says, smiling.
I both shake and grow cold at the thought of what that could possibly be as I sheathe my Kopis. I’m hoping we’re not here long. I don’t like Lok being left unguarded in Pentras Tower, nor do I want to leave the others in the Outer Limits any longer. If they’re even still alive, I remind myself.
“This way,” Jack says, pointing towards a building at the other end of the courtyard. “Your rooms are ready for you.”
“We’re staying here?” I almost shout in surprise.
“Yes, Max,” Jack says, coming to an abrupt halt. “It’s part of your directive, or did you forget about it?”
Does everyone know? What the hell? Am I missing something? What do they know that I don’t?
Garrett takes my hand and we begin our trek again. We walk up a few steps into the building and are immediately greeted by Matrons, just like the ones in Thrace Tower. Only this time they are asking what we need in order to make our stay more pleasurable instead of ordering us around. Jack tells them we’ll need breakfast sent up in about an hour and then proceeds to give them our individual room numbers. The look on Garrett’s face is priceless. I have to stifle the laugh that is about to escape my throat.
“Max and I aren’t staying together?” he asks, surprised.
“As I said, Garrett, there isn’t any single mating here in Icarian. Everyone gets their own quarters. No one is allowed to share accommodations, as this leads to jealousy.”
We’re not permitted to have anything of value in the Outer Limits since it could lead to vanity. Looks like similar rules apply here in Icarian. So, is this city actually Dracken-designed and not created by the Patrician? Why would the Dracken build such a place if they were focused on science and technology? What have they been keeping from me?
The walls and floors are covered in white marble peppered with gold flecks. Sparkling pools filled with koi flow under walkways, Matrons hustle about, tending to those who have decided to spend time lounging in the lobby area. We step down into the center of the structure that houses a single lift. Jack pushes a call button and we wait a few moments before the doors open. Once inside, Jack selects several floors, the doors close, and we ascend. The first stop is the fifth floor. Jack hits the stop button and escorts Garrett from the lift. Jack returns, removes the stop, and we climb to the sixth floor. Again, he presses the stop button, but this time escorts Troy off the lift.
It takes more than a few minutes for Jack to return. The two of us ascend to the tenth floor, the top floor of the building. The doors open and Jack directs me around the shaft for the lift to an apartment. A biometric reader sits next to the door. There isn’t a door handle, so this must be the only way to get into the apartments. Jack instructs me to place my palm on the device. It scans my hand, changes to blue, and the door slides open.
The apartment is covered in plush white carpeting and white walls. Colorful paintings, like those in the lobby of Pentras Tower, cover the walls that are not glass. The room is separated by four columns and a cube in the center. In front of me is a common room with a long, white, sectional couch curved in front of a coffee table, and a flat screen attached to the wall between my apartment and the one next door. I walk around, noticing a kitchen and dining room against the other adjoining wall. The bedroom contains a large bed and a dresser. Around the corner from that is a sun-room with lounge chairs and a side table.
“Better than the orphanage, wouldn’t you say?” Jack asks as he stands behind me.
I continue to stare out of the windows of the sun-room, mesmerized by the open field behind our building. I feel him step closer, almost to the point that his body is touching mine.
“Yes, it is,” I finally reply.
I step around him and go back to the common room.
“If you need anything,” Jack says, following me, “simply use the call button in the kitchen and the Matrons will bring it to you.” He walks towards me and places his hands on my arms, caressing
