North, District 14
Westway, Hatermoor
05.33 NPM
The glass doors of the big mansion opened as soon as Rachel stood on the terrace. She had just come back from a lot of work today. She not only attended half of the congress events but also did some business in her company. Her fatigue tolerance had increased so that she could still seem to have quite the energy lit up by late afternoon.
Walking a few steps inside, she heard the sound of two AI robots approaching. They were Tenor and Bass, the guards as well as the main servants of the big mansion.
"Rachel Rachel, it looks like you're back." Tenor, with a shrill male voice, took over Rachel's sleeve bag and white blazer, leaving only the strapless red dress on her slender body.
"Rachel Rachel, I have a message for you," Bass said.
"Oh? Is anyone coming? "
"Yes, Rachel. Your mother came and left a message for you." Bass then displayed a hologram in front of Rachel, who was sitting at the dining table. The mother's face appeared on it, "Rachel, the Richmann's are having a family dinner tomorrow, and you have to come. I'll hit you if you're absent!"
As soon as the message arrived, Rachel just sighed lazily, "What else are they going to discuss? It's boring."
"Maybe they'll ask you to get married soon, Rachel." Tenor replied from the kitchen, while the robot carried a tray of food and mineral water for its master automatically.
"Whom am I going to marry, Tenor?" Watch your mouth."
"Tenors don't have mouths, Rachel, only speakers," Bass argued.
Rachel rolled her eyes tiredly. The two robots that had been inserted with selected brain cells from their masters were indeed very good at talking and arguing. "Tenor, please show me the results of today's congress since I didn't follow it to the end," Rachel ordered as she started eating Tenor's food: bratwurst and sauerkraut, foods that are very rare and pricey nowadays.
"Okay, Rachel."
Five seconds later, the super-thin screen as wide as the wall in front of Rachel had changed its view, showing the other half of the Congress program after the break she had to leave earlier. It was quite long, well over an hour, and not a minute of the show went unnoticed. Her mouth chewed slowly, occasionally lifting the tip when she heard the "bad opinion" from several people in the meeting.
"Gosh, they even started a coach debate..."
"No coach has been invited to the congress, Rachel," Bass said, causing Rachel to glance at him sharply. "Shut up, you noisy robot!"
"Oh well."
The two robots fell silent again, and Rachel became more focused when someone from the right-wing of the Congress spoke about the issues of poverty and food security, two issues that she did not have time to criticize.
"This is a structural problem..." said the man in the sky-blue shirt with glasses, "One of the qualities of human life is determined by food intake and nutrition. Synthetic food is not always the mainstay of the government..."
We humans have a sense of taste that has for a very long time rejected pasta, liquid, or pill foods that are said to fulfill the whole nutritional intake but lack the tiniest bit of art in the process of consuming themâŠ"
Rachel gave a faint smile and said, "Hm, art. Well, it's contradictory but interesting," she said quietly.
"I'm a researcher, and it's not uncommon for me to find someone regurgitating the 'food' because they don't like it, or even think they are... sorry, disgusting," the man continued, very politely speaking, not only from his tone but also from the gesture. Rachel was curious. How could someone be so polite after witnessing the arrogance of their debating opponents?
"Besides, the price of these 'foods' is also not cheap, and the reason stated by a lot of entrepreneurs is the technological process used. All of you in the government may always be sensitive that this is the cause of structural poverty that persists in modern times."
"Yeah, that's right, mate," Rachel responded, nodding her head as she went back to her last bite.
You may have never seen what extreme poverty looks like, because you live in the city center, but not like me. I'm just a man who comes from the outskirts, the outskirts of the countryside..."
"From those judgments, I strongly suggest that the forests in the north should be protected to restore evolutional history with the help of technology, instead of creating new ones that actually can't outperform what was existing naturally."
Rachel frowned, interlacing her ten fingers in front of her chin, "Who is he? He seems... a simple and traditional person, close to ancient..."
"He's Niels Geyer, Rachel." Tenor displayed his search results on the hologram, the biodata, and the profile picture of the man. "He's an archaeologist from Cohlin University."
"Archaeologist?"
"Yes, Rachel."
"No wonder he thinks so. Interesting man." Rachel smiled lopsidedly, looking cute. Not long after that, Bass' voice scanned something, "Rachel's pupils dilated, her blood pressure and dopamine concentration increased, and she smiled..."
Rachel frowned. "What are you doing?"
The LED light on the robot's flat face formed a smirk emoji, "Rachel Rachel, are you interested in Niels Geyer?"
****
North, District 12
Foxadon, Grena
The 22nd of January, 2157
07.30 NPM
Rachel slashed the steak with a slightly odd taste on her plate lazily. Her taste was completely absent, plus the conversations around the dinner table sounded boring to her. Ah, but luckily her family was rich, so they could afford exclusive food instead of pasta, liquids, or pills. The sensation of a family dinner will certainly no longer exist if things like that are served.
"Rachel, I just remembered that a few days ago was your birthday, didn't you? Sorry I didn't get to say it." Lissa, a cousin who was quite close to her, spoke. Rachel just smirked, "Yeah. No problem, it's nothing. "
"So how old are you now?" Anita, her maternal grandmother, continued.
"31 years, Grandma."
Ah, you've grown. I still see you as my little granddaughter to this day."
"Your little granddaughter has turned into a grown woman, Mother. But it's a shame she won't marry and give me a grandchild." Vero, his mother, laughed jokingly, not caring about Rachel, who was glancing at him sharply in annoyance. She always talked about it until Rachel embarrassed herself.
"But I'm sure Rachel must have a secret lover," whispered Jackson, Rachel's most provocative cousin.
"Don't make up rumors, Jack!"
"I think you're the one making up the rumor that you don't like men because you never date or get married, Rachel."
"Gosh, I am still strongly attracted to men!" Rachel argued, resigned to being bullied.
"Then who is the man you are attracted to? Introduce me," continued Lissa, squinting her eyes coquettishly.
Rachel didn't answer anymore. But more or less, her mind was reminded of what the chatty robot Tenor said yesterday afternoon: Niels Geyer. Gosh, the man is indeed attractive, but that's all it is: interesting, nothing more or less.
"I heard you spoke maliciously in the congress of parliament, Rachel. Is that true?" One question jolted her out of her reverie, her eyes narrowing in disapproval. Marie was the member of the family with whom she often clashed the most. "What kind of mean-talk do you mean? I'm just saying what everyone should say."
"Ah, do you think so?" Marie nodded, looking a little jokingly, "Then what about your business?" Have you given up on your research project? " She continued.
"Given up? Why should I give up?" Rachel couldn't believe what's Marie thinking, "Looks like you have to improve your mentality and mindset, Aunt Marie."
"Rachel!" warned Alan, his father, who had been silent all this time in the front seat. "Watch your mouth!"
"Instead of you laboriously doing such strange and impossible research, you better get on with your clothing business; it's more fitting and easier."
Rachel sighed for a moment, put down her knife and fork, and looked at Marie intimidatingly, "There's nothing wrong in the clothing business. The biotechnology and artificial intelligence businesses aren't wrong either. It's just your big mouth."
"Rachel!" said Alan again, louder.
"Why are you so interested in taking care of me, Auntie? Do you want some stock in my company? I can give it to you if you want."