Crowd: A Dystopian Social Network Thriller (Final Draft)

Will she get the smart flat?

The next day, Rain and Benjamin took the auto-cab to Kahlo Park, one of the safest and trendiest districts in the city, according to the Crowd District Hotlist. Green Kahlo Park blossomed near the center of the city and boasted with postmodern galleries, holistic health bars, and deadwood print shops. Young biracial families, tech students wearing recycled clothes, and hip business men drinking granola-lychee smoochies strolled around colorful sidewalks. Cleaning bots hovered around and cleared the litter.

"Can you really afford it?" Benjamin asked Rain as he watched the lush surrounding pass by.

"According to my profile, I can get several discounts."

The auto-cab parked in front of the estate, a three-story brick building with artist studio flair. The estate agent walked out the door and shook their hands with a smile bright enough to blind.

"First of all, congratulations on your fabulous graduation, Misser Cruzada. Or should I say—welcome back to the Crowd family?"

Benjamin rolled his eyes.

Rain nodded. "It's been an incredible year."

The agent ushered the two into the two-room apartment. White walls with an orange tint welcomed them. Minimalism deluxe. The agent extracted a foldable bed from the wall and expanded its size. "Almost king-size."

The kitchen space was placed in the small corner and offered high-tech compliances.

"You've got a drink dispenser with one hundred different tastes, an e-oven, an adaptable cooking plate with touch sensors and a built-in dishing machine cleaning with steam."

She pointed toward the bathroom. "We offer you a smart Japanese toilet and a pressure-sensitive steam shower."

Rain swallowed. "That's all inclusive?"

"We believe that the tenant should move in without worrying about anything but her contribution to the community."

Benjamin sighed but stayed silent.

"Oh, let me show the windows," the agent said.

They walked across the living room. "You can either use voice commands or touch the context-related functions via your AR vision to activate them."

She wiped the air near the ground-to-ceiling windows. They opened a hundred percent and flooded the room with sunlight. "Perhaps seventy-five percent is better."

Another voice command dimmed the wall-windows. "In case you haven't noticed, you also have a beautiful view of Kahlo Park."

Rain's mouth flapped open. Beautiful was a dead word by now, but it was the first that came to mind. Pyre trees, a few e-bikes tucking below, and families BBQ-ing with solar grills at the nearby park.

Rain wanted to jump out and hug everyone, but one obstacle remained.

The estate agent ogled Benjamin like a zoo animal. "You two aren't moving in together, right?"

"Why not?"

"Well, you do need to be on Crowd to lease this flat, not to mention a minimum ranking of three point five."

Maybe bringing Benjamin was a mistake, but Rain needed a second opinion, and Quinn was too down to give objective feedback.

"I'm just helping her decide."

The agent released a fabricated chuckle. "Ahhh, I see, well, it's never too late to log in. If you need any help, just ask away."

"I rather stay free."