Welcome To Angel Falls

"This is amazing," remarked David in wonderment as they exited the vehicle. "Is this really where I'm going to be living?"

"Yes," replied Vala as she strolled off towards the main entrance. "We bought an apartment here for you."

David had wanted to ask her where they were going in the car, but at the time he had thought better of it. The fact that a banking corporation was responsible for his transition back into civilisation seemed abnormal. Not that he even knew what normal was anymore. Did they still even use currency in the future? After taking a quick glance upwards and being unable to see the top of the Spire, he smiled widely and scurried after his orientation executive.

The lobby was immaculately clean and flooded with brilliant sunlight. The entire front facade of the building was constructed of gargantuan sheets of glass which were supported by stainless steel struts and cables. The sweet fragrances of fig and cedarwood hung in the air and reminded him of a holiday he'd once taken in the mediterranean. It gave him a sense of peace and tranquility as he breathed deep. It was as if the entire structure had been designed with the sole purpose of instilling a sense of calm relaxation. He liked it.

"What did you mean you bought an apartment for me?" he asked as he caught up with Vala.

"Aeon used their discretionary powers over your estate to purchase you some living accommodation. It was presumed that somewhere like this would be more to your liking than one of the city's housing blocks."

"You got that right," he replied cheerfully. "I only had a few hundred bucks in my savings account though. You know, when I croaked it."

"It's called compound interest, Mr Williams. Here," she said tersely as she handed him a file. "This is your latest statement. Three hundred and twelve dollars, and seventeen cents, at an average of three point one percent interest over three hundred and forty-eight years."

They stepped into a spotless, shimmering glass elevator at the far end of the lobby, which got David wondering how much the cleaners got paid to keep the place so tidy. A beautiful, clear female voice seemed to radiate from every surface of the elevator at the same time which said softly, "Welcome to Angel Falls, Mr. Williams."

"Err, thank you."

David didn't know where to look or who to address, but he gave a slight nod in recognition as his eyes roamed around. Buildings that greeted you: that would take some getting used to. It was all very polite and civilised. He shook his head in amusement before glancing down at the current balance figure displayed on the bottom of the sheet in his hand.

"Fucking fifteen million dollars?!" he screamed as the elevator doors silently slid closed.

When they reached his floor, Vala motioned for David to touch the back of his hand to a glass plate that sat flush in the wall. As he did so, a quiet beep sounded and the door to his new apartment slipped discretely into the wall void.

"Door access is controlled via a microchip embedded subcutaneously," explained Vala as she strode into the room. "The same applies to any other access system such as the elevator that we were just in. Lights."

As she said the word 'lights', the room he had followed her into was abruptly bathed in a warm, homely glow. Panels in the ceiling and oval glass domes on the walls illuminated the large apartment. A huge 'L' shaped leather sofa sat in the centre of the room surrounding a polished black glass coffee table. On the wall was a sizeable portrait-orientated video display screen which was currently switched off. Most impressive though was the fact that the entire back wall of the room appeared to be made of glass. He assumed it was a window with one hell of a view, but at the moment it was completely black, floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. It was the very definition of luxurious by anyone's standards and immediately brought a smile to his face.

"These are your new quarters. Everything is voice activated. Just ask Alice, she can explain anything you wish to know."

"Who's Alice?"

"She is your domestic artificial intelligence assistant, of course."

"Of course," David muttered under his breath. Desperate to relieve himself after the long drive, he stuck his head through a couple of doors until he found the bathroom. Everything was made from a material that looked like polished black marble, yet it seemed to have an unusual iridescent lustre to it that exuded a sense of opulence.

"I couldn't help but notice there's no toilet paper in here," he called out to her, "but there is a huge shiny crystal thing sat next to the toilet that someone's probably robbed from a diamond merchant."

"Ask Alice," replied Vala with just a hint of irritability. "Lots of things have changed since your time. She will explain how everything works."

She stopped at the door and turned to David as he walked back into the room drying his hands on his pants, "I'll check in with you on Saturday to make sure you're settling in okay. If you need me for anything urgent, my Ident-Code is on the top of the financial statement I gave you."

"Wait. I have a question," he said quickly as she was about to leave. "I was curious about something that occurred to me earlier. There were a lot of those freezer tank things back at that other place. The ones with people in."

"Yes?"

"Well, aren't they all super rich when they're brought back as well?"

"Hardly," Vala replied, slightly amused. "Most of those people will be housed in one of the city's residential blocks and be placed on a living benefit until they find a job. The banking collapse of the twenty-second century wiped out most of the accumulated wealth of the population, including those in cryo-stasis. Very few financial institutions survived and fortunately for you, yours eventually became Aeon."

"Oh," David said with a blank expression on his face. "Lucky me then."

"Is there anything else?"

"I don't suppose you fancy showing me a smile before you leave?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in a friendly gesture.

"Goodbye, Mr Williams."

***

David leaned heavily on the window wall. It was cool to the touch and felt sturdy enough so that he didn't worry about it not supporting his weight. He was absentmindedly sipping an electric-blue drink which had been deposited from behind a small glass panel in the wall when he had enquired if there was anything to drink. It tasted sweet and fruity, but unlike anything else he could compare it to. It also seemed to be glowing slightly in the dimness of the room. It was only a luminous drink, but even the small things seemed deliberately unusual as if to keep him on edge.

The view had rendered him speechless when he'd eventually worked out how to disable the shade-screen feature of the windows. His entire smart-glass wall, floor to ceiling, had faded from jet black to completely translucent, revealing the awe-inspiring panorama before him. As the sun set over the distant alien cityscape, the sky had turned from a deep gold to an eerie blood red, something he assumed was due to either chemicals in the atmosphere, or the global warming problem that Vala had mentioned briefly. He could have stood there all night and watched the city slowly illuminate as the sun went down.

After a while he trudged over to the couch and slumped heavily into the soft luxurious cushions. It had been one hell of a day so far and all things considered, he thought everything had turned out pretty well. He picked up a brochure for The Spire that he had found in a welcome pack and began to idly flip through it out of boredom.

"Amy? I mean, Alice?"

"Good evening, David." The female voice that reverberated around the room was soft and enticing, without the slightest hint of it being electronically generated.

"S'up," he replied. "There anything fun to do around here?"

"What do you mean by 'fun'?"

"You know: amusing, enjoyable, entertaining. Fun stuff."

"There is an art gallery located on the twelfth floor which is currently exhibiting works by the famous sculptor Edvard Von Shlang. Among the pieces on display is his world renown..."

"That sounds utterly delightful," interrupted David as he cut her off.

"Would you like me to procure you a ticket for this evening?"

"I was being sarcastic," moaned David. "Don't you have a sense of humour?"

"The humour personality trait is an optional module that I do not currently have installed. Do you wish to purchase it?"

"Please, for the love of God, buy the fucking thing."

"Very well," replied the soft voice. "The upgrade will take place at midnight tonight when my system is next scheduled for an update."

"Fine," mumbled David as he flicked over a page in the brochure and stopped on a section teasingly entitled 'Sexual Health'.

"What the..." he mumbled quietly as he sat up straight. "What the hell is the Sexual Recreation Facility?"

The sweet voice in it's honeyed tones began to explain, "There is a sexual recreation facility located on level seventy. All citizens of The Spire, based on current medical guidelines, are encouraged to engage in sexual congress at least twice per week for their own physical and emotional wellbeing."

"You're shitting me."

"I'm sorry, I do not understand the question," replied Alice.

"Now this is what I call fun," chuckled David. "What's the deal with like, STD's and stuff in the future? If I hook up with a hot chick, is my Johnson going to explode the following morning?"

"All known sexually transmitted pathogens were eliminated following the Fielder Institute international immunisation program in the year twenty-three nineteen. Every female is also now fitted with a Gravida wetware interface implant which gives them conscious control of their reproductive system."

David whistled as he slumped back into the couch. "I have absolutely no idea what any of that means, but it sounds impressive. What about me?"

"As part of your rejuvenation procedure, your DNA was genetically altered to include all current disease immunisations including MRA, NSD and Sarla."

"Okey-dokey. And on that note I'm content to remain blissfully ignorant."

"As you wish."

***

After cleaning himself up and changing into the only clean clothes he could find in the apartment, David once again stepped into the lavish elevator and rode it down to floor seventy. The view over the land surrounding The Spire as it descended was breath-taking. The immediate locale was filled with lush green parks, areas of wild woodland and glistening blue lakes that he made a mental note to check out later on.

When the doors sighed opened, David stepped out and found himself standing in a large, swanky entrance hall. It was immaculate and airy, with white marble floors and glass vases full of colourful fresh flowers. It was not at all like the knocking-shop he was expecting to walk into. A pair of double doors seemed to be the only passage off the main room, and a familiar looking flush glass plate in the wall provided him access inside.

"Welcome, Mr. Williams," chimed the same, sweet female voice that had greeted him in the elevator.

"Hiya," he replied as he stepped into one of many small changing rooms on the other side of the doors.

A video display screen on the wall showed a series of pictographic instructions which gave him a basic understanding of the layout of the recreation facility, and also served as a warning that the lighting level when he first stepped inside would be low. It sounds like a good idea to tread cautiously; he supposed you could stand on something quite unfortunate if you were not careful.

David removed all of his clothes as instructed, hung them up in a locker and slipped on a loose, soft cotton bath robe. When he was ready, he pushed a glowing blue button on the right-hand wall. The lights in the ceiling dimmed down as the door opened, and he stepped out into a dark, balmy room. The floor felt soft, like a pliable rubber, and warm to the touch under his bare feet. Slow, ambient music filtered through speakers hidden somewhere in the jet black ceiling, and he stopped for a moment to admired the subtle twinkling of the video effect that played across it. It reminded him of going to a planetarium when he was it kid. Staring up at the ceiling in here was like looking out into the depths of space.

A familiar myriad of scents gave David cause to pause for a second and take a deep breath. The room smelled of fresh ground coffee, marijuana, and sex; a heady concoction of recognisable and reassuring olfactory pleasures. He already liked the place because it was somewhere he felt more relaxed in. It was a warm, dark den of inequity which stood in stark contrast to the shimmering sterility of everything he'd seen outside.

Not knowing what else to do, on natural instinct he headed for the bar. David took his time as he weaved cautiously between the low, plush couches, careful not to trip over any of the shadowed figures lounging on them. When he made it to the glass-topped bar, he just stared open-mouthed at the shelved display of brightly coloured exotic liquids available for consumption. Before he had the chance to look for a bartender and ask about them, a soft voice gave him cause to turn around.

"You're a rejuve, right?"

David flashed a quick smile at the cute Asian girl who had sauntered up to him. She was dressed in a dark blue silk robe that was wrapped around her perfect little body like a second skin. She was absolutely gorgeous. It might have been the lighting that made it look that way, but her dark hair appeared to have a gleam of midnight-blue to it.

"I am, how could you tell?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"You look a little out of place," she replied with a smile. "My name is Kiki."

"David. Nice to meet you." He took her hand and shook it gently when she started laughing. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It was just a little formal, that's all," she chuckled. "We don't really do handshakes in the Rec. This is your first time here, huh?"

"Yeah."

David suddenly felt a little out of his depth. He ruffled his hair and glanced around the room. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the gloom, it became apparent that the dark figures that he'd been so keen to avoid tripping over earlier were in fact enjoying more than just some polite conversation. The room was filled with naked bodies grinding and bouncing slowly on top of each other.

"Oh wow," he said to himself. "So people just come here and..."

"Fuck?" Kiki finished his question. "Yes, they do. Many of us are too busy with our careers to worry about relationships and partners. The Rec has become our way of releasing some pent up tension."

It occurred to David that being such a luxurious and exclusive place, anyone that lived in The Spire must be quite wealthy and successful in their own right.

"Speaking of tension..."

As her words trailed off, David felt a warm hand wrap around his stiff cock. He flinched at her touch and gripped the edge of the bar so hard that his knuckles turned white. He hadn't even realised he was aroused and protruding from his robe.

"Woah," he whispered whilst quickly trying to conceal what was going on from the rest of the patrons. No one was paying any attention and wouldn't have cared even if they were. "Don't you want to chat first? How about a drink?"

"Oh, I think we can do better than a drink." Kiki's hand stroked his throbbing erection leisurely as she looked directly into his bewildered eyes. David was a little shy, and Kiki seemed to find that very amusing. "What do you say?"

"What, here?"

"You don't want me to suck your dick in front of everybody?" Her pouting lips were the sexiest thing he'd seen in a long, long, long time.

"Umm."

"Come with me," she whispered as she released his hard length and sauntered off towards the far wall. David followed her obediently, marvelling at the sights and sounds around him. Everyone appeared to be completely at ease having sex in front of one another, knowing that every moan and groan of pleasure could be heard by anyone else in the room.

They passed a small couch in a dimly lit corner where a young couple were tightly embraced. Their sweaty bodies writhed against each other as they both sighed heavily and rhythmically. It was the sound of a couple having sex that they'd waited the whole day for.

As Kiki led him towards a secluded entranceway, she stopped briefly to whisper into the ear of another girl. She too was spectacularly attractive and similarly dressed in a light silk robe tied loosely at her waist. The girl grinned from ear to ear before glancing towards David, removing a bright pink lollipop from her mouth and winking at him. She never said a word.

"You don't mind if Layla joins us, do you?" asked Kiki as all three of them entered the small room. Before David could ask what she meant, he turned and saw both of the them staring at him. Their intention was obvious; they meant to devour him. It was the same look you would expect to see on the face of someone offered a cheeseburger who had not eaten for three days. All of a sudden David felt like he was living in the dying seconds before a tsunami was to crash into him and carry him away.

"Oh no, not at all." His cool demeanour gave nothing away, but on the inside his mind was screaming, "Fuck!"

Kiki pushed on his chest gently and David slumped back onto a soft, spongy bench. It felt like nappa leather and was comfortingly warm to the touch. The room was small and unusually circular like some kind of a pod. Swirling images like backlit smoke, washed hypnotically across the video walls as if writhing in anticipation of watching what was to come. He glanced to his right as Layla curled up next to him. She smiled sweetly, twirling the luminous pink candy so that it clicked against her perfect teeth.

"So what do you think of the future so far?" asked Kiki as she straddled his hips and made herself comfortable on his lap.

"S'great," he squeaked before clearing his throat, a little embarrassed by the sound he had just made. "I mean, erm, this is all pretty strange to me, you know? I woke up like twelve hours ago. Yesterday was... well, it was a lifetime ago."

"I've met a few rejuves over the years," she replied. "Some of them find it impossible to accept what's happened, what the world outside is now like. You seem different though. The trick is just to go with it."

As she leaned forward and whispered the last few words, she kissed him slowly. Kiki's lips felt soft, and warm, and inviting. Her tongue probed his mouth as she sighed into him, her body leaning into his own as they both got lost in the moment. His hands found their way to her bottom and squeezed it gently which caused Kiki to let out a quiet moan. When their lips finally parted, David was left with a sweet taste in his mouth and a fuzzy warmth all over his body.

"Wow," he whispered and swallowed hard. "I've not been kissed like that for three-hundred years."

Kiki smiled and slid slowly down his body, parting his legs to kneel on the floor between them. Layla also crawled with a feline grace to join her friend in front of him. He watched wide-eyed as they both tugged softly on his cotton belt until it unfurled and his robe fell open. Their eyes were immediately drawn to his hard cock which he could once again feel throbbing in anticipation.

"Let's see if you're all thawed out yet," said Kiki teasingly.

She pinned his erection to his stomach as they both leaned down and began to softly suck on his balls. They took one each into their mouths and gently tugged in different directions. The sensation was unlike anything he'd ever felt before; the sight alone was almost too much for David to handle. He gripped the soft leather of the bench and breathed heavily as he watched the two young, gorgeous women suck and draw on his balls.