The Orchestrated Rain

Evening

By the time the aerocar had reached the landing platform of the "Tower of Changes", the rain started. Slowly, it lent onto one of the open platforms just above the ground level, covered with small fountains from falling droplets. There was no way Marcus could reach the entrance without getting soaked to the bone and the longer he waited, the stronger the rain seemed. Realizing that the rain might soon turn black he gave the holographic figure of Layns, still sitting in the car, a look of resentment and little envy, and opened the door.

The hologram met Marcus again inside the Tower. Standing as clean and unperturbed as before, Layns pretended not to notice Marcus's condition, which was bad, to put it mildly. The dirty brownish water was streaming down his face. The ancient coat was sopping wet and it seemed that the slightest motion would tear it apart. The coat was not made of a smart fabric -- material that could change its temperature and even distance between fibers -- it was old cotton, unable to withstand the acidity of the rain.

For a long moment, Marcus was overwhelmed by the unpleasant feelings, trying to control his anger and frustration, but then the loud sounds of the environment returned him to reality. The place he found himself was very spacious and well lit and somehow gave an impression of a huge cavern with the dome barely visible and stalactites coming done.

The lower level of the "Tower of Changes" was a very busy place. People, holograms, fleets of drones, and countless other entities and variations were rushing physically and in virtual reality through it. Enclosed in numerous virtual or augmented environments, self-absorbed, they rushed through in the densely packed environment. And yet, there was no confusion, no chaos. All logistics here, of people as well as machines, was controlled by an AI. This was no calm garden of a residential tower, -- this was the City's central station in all its glory.

It has been a while since Marcus had visited the place. The sheer size and complexity of the station were hypnotizing. He was standing by one of the side entrances, away from major train platforms and elevator systems. Shining with reflected light, the maglev trains were soundlessly cruising the station, redistributing people and other entities, making sure that not a single minute was wasted on unnecessary walking or waiting. They were the main part of the station. If an analogy with the human body can be used, they, together with elevators for the third dimension, were its blood system. 

Slightly above the main floor, piercing the cylindrical wall of the Tower, were frequent platforms for aerotaxi and aerobusses, that also extended outside the tower. In the middle, the station, separated into several bundles of varying density, were elevator shafts, made of thick brown-green glass. They were bringing people and other entities from the underground transportation networks including ancient ones, like metro and trains, as well as their more modern, vacuum versions. Smaller, and much more elegant bundles of elevator tubes were rising up and disappearing in the high ceiling. Surrounding the support columns, they however spread thicker at the bottom and tightened up with height. After that, they branched out before entering the ceiling, like trees with small rooms attached, resembling foliation.

The entire place, despite its pure industrial purpose, appeared like something out of nature. Webs of cables and pipes, covering the walls and support columns looked like rainforest vines. Part of the water recycling system was masking itself as glass-covered lakes. By the ceiling, air dispersion and purification machines seemed like clouds from a distance. The resemblance was not exact, it did not even feel intended, but probably because of that, a glance around the palace was giving an aesthetic satisfaction.

This place was designed by a uniquely trained AI on both industrial architecture and Earth flora. Its goal was to achieve the maximum efficiency of all systems possible and make the result look pleasing to a human eye. When finished, the station was considered as a great achievement, -- the largest most complex, and, as was said, the most beautiful work of art done by an AI. Now, only one person was standing in awe, trying to comprehend it. Others, connected to, -- embedded in -- the NEt was just rushing through. And it was all right, just human nature.