Hutch and Ren hadn't made it very far into the second area of the art installation, when they made their way back to Ren's grandpa, having heard the door open and close. Having been about ten minutes since they entered the space, they rightfully assumed the guide had arrived.
Their guide was a woman, far younger than Hutch had expected to see. She was tall, slender, and wore a business dress in a rich rose hue, form fitting, with a slight lift in the heel of her shoes. Her hair was chestnut brown with blond highlights that swirled around the French twist she wore, and a golden plated name tag was displayed prominently on the upper left side of her ample chest. Her features were soft and narrow. Eyes a grey shade of blue, and her smile revealed nothing of the teeth in her mouth. Even Hutch couldn't deny that she was attractive.
"Mr. Dodge, I presume?" She spoke, her voice was calm, a midrange pitch and deceptively pleasant to the ear, her accent typical for the region.
"You are correct," he replied, motioning towards Ren and Hutch. "And this is my grandson, Renaldo…"
"Just Ren, is fine," he interjected with a slight stutter while offering a scant wave.
"And our friend, Hutch," Mr. Dodge continued.
The woman's smile grew more genuine, her eyes joining in as she straightened her back, clutching the folders she'd been carrying tighter to her chest as she gave a bow.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Clara and I'll be your guide for today. Delightfully, we are the group, nice and small, so there won't be any need to shout or hurry anyone along. Hannah also informed me that you are locals to the area, so I brought these information packets that I thought you might find interesting," she explained, handing each of them a folder. "Inside you will find a couple of pamphlets on the history of our city, this tower and our two sister buildings that make up the complex, as well as a copy of the annual activity calendar. That way, if you are interested, you'll know when to return for the opening of new exhibitions, like the one you see here, outdoor holiday activities that take place in the back courtyard, such as the open hours for our skating rink, that is available now, or the upcoming lighting of the Christmas tree and New Year's Eve gatherings. Lastly, you can also find the list of the amenities and their hours of operations that we have available to the public, including the gym, salon, spa, restaurant, bar, and pool, and the numbers in which you can reach their front desks. We also provide a number of discounts on memberships and services for verified locals like yourselves. Any questions so far?"
"Ah, nope. None that I can think of," Mr. Dodge responded after sharing glances with Ren and Hutch, who muttered their 'none's rather quietly.
"Excellent. Then if you would follow me, I'll take you through security and we can get this tour started."
Going through the security check was a simple process that started by swiping the visitor's pass over a scanner and walking through the turnstile gate, and ended with a guard passing a metal detecting wand over each of them.
"Would I have to go through this process every time I came, if say I was only going to the gym?" Ren asked as the guard was finishing up with Hutch.
"That is a good question, and the answer is no. All publicly accessible amenities, the most popular being the 65th floor restaurant, can be reached via the exclusive elevators located on the west side of the building off Constance Drive, or you can take the hallway that goes passed the service desk and follow the signs. While there is access for both employees and visitors, as you will see, a proper badge is required to get through the security doors, preventing just anyone from wandering about the building," Clara explained as she led them passed the large staircase and down the hallway, stopping when they reached the end. "Given the nature of the many businesses that make these towers home to their head offices, security is one of our main concerns. However, just as important is being able to effectively get employees to where they need to be. That is why this building is equipped with multiple banks of elevators. Beyond the security gate, none of the interior elevators, go directly to the top floors. Of the ones you see here, for example, the four on the right go from the basement through to the ninth floor, while the four on the left go directly to the tenth, and the two behind me, will take us to the twentieth. From the tenth and twentieth floors, we can exchange elevators to continue our way up to the restaurant and observation deck. And for the athletic or insane, there are also stairs. But do not worry, I won't be subjecting myself to any of that, and by extension, yourselves."
"Greatly appreciated," Mr. Dodge remarked, a sentiment then Ren enthusiastically shared.
Hutch found the idea less egregious, but knew that even self-torture had to have its limits, although much to the horror of the others, he felt compelled to ask, "Do you need to go through security to climb the stairs as well?"
To which Clara replied, with a curious look in her eyes, "Yes, but I don't think anyone has ever asked that before, and a security badge is needed to get through the doors on each floor."
As the tour continued, Clara proved to be a vast wealth of knowledge as she told them about the tower and the various good works of the Cascel Tower Corporation, their affiliated businesses, and charitable foundations, and how they consistently give back to the greater community. The entire thing began to feel like some sort of campaign made up entirely of pro-Cascel propaganda.
Before reaching the observation deck, she had taken them to see the quality of the facilities for themselves. The gym alone taking up the majority of the tenth floor with a three-lane track encompassing the entirety of it. When they arrived, they were each given a complimentary three-day guest pass, valid anytime during the next year, drinks from the coffee and snack bar, and a further pamphlet that detailed everything the gym had to offer, like the types of workout classes that were available and when they were scheduled and the personal trainer services, and the numbers to call to check available room or to sign-up.
The salon and spa on the eleventh floor made them feel as if they had walked into a different building, the aesthetic being pristine, minimalistic, and calming. Small succulents and ferns were the bright pop of color in an otherwise neutral and pastel world. And on that same floor, employees could also find the wellness rooms for mediations, and hammocks for napping, although Clara was quick to point out that not all businesses allowed their employees to take advantage of those during work hours.
"And here we are, the famous Cascel Tower Observation Deck," Clara remarked, as they stepped off the elevator. "We are currently on the sixty-sixth floor, approximately 990 feet above the ground. Unfortunately, this time of year, we don't allow guests on the outside terrace due to the risk of falling ice, high winds, and the bitter cold. As you can see, ice is one of the larger problems we face this time of year. Even with the lack of snow, the temperatures are low enough to freeze condensation. In order to keep the view as clear as possible for everyone who visits, the windows are equipped with specially made heating elements and defrosters. Snow, however, has proven a hinderance in the past, so we keep a team of qualified members on staff, who are rigorously trained in the proper safety procedures necessary to work outside in these conditions, and snow removal using custom built snow-melters. I highly recommend coming back to see them. Over the years they've taken pride in putting on a bit of a show for onlookers, once the snow has been cleared. It's always entertaining."
The Observation deck was the lowest floor of the four consecutively smaller floors above, which they weren't taken up to see, being told that they were the private residence of the former owner of the tower, Evelyn Stanton. Stepping off the elevator, they were greeted with an open, panoramic view, the only obstructions being the support columns, currently decorated to look like sections of candy canes.
There were plenty of benches set around the outside of the floor nearest the windows, and the outdoor observation area extended around three sides of the building; east, west, and north, or backside of the tower, offering visitor's an excellent view of the courtyard and amphitheater below during the summer months. And dotted amidst the tables and chairs, were activity centers for children, and garden boxes filled with bushes and shrubbery, to make the space feel less void and more welcoming.
"Near the windows you will find information plaques about the landmarks to look for in the distance from that location or what the next city over would be, and the distance you are from it," Clara explained as they stepped further from the elevator.
Hutch couldn't quite comprehend the enormity or appreciate the scope of how vast the space was, imaging how his entire tribe's village could have fit inside with room to spare, and yet, it was completely empty except for the four of them.