"The unprecedented compatibility between digitisation and AI companion technology brings forth some uncomfortable questions. Are we being toyed with by a technologically superior civilisation? Or is this phenomenon a sign of intelligent design? I know what I think, do you?"
- Cardinal Lloyd Doyle, Chruch of the One True God
The biting winter winds whipped across his face as soon as Valerian step out of the vehicle. Smoothing out his rumpled attire, his eyes settled upon the spectacle that was West Castle. Situated halfway up Teddy's Peak, the mountain fortress was originally an impregnable bulwark, meant to overlook the entire area on the west side of The Dimensional Gate. As Valerian headed towards his destination, his eyes were drawn towards the familiar murals depicting the history of his family and this particular estate.
The first mural depicted the raising of Teddy's Peak, a herculean effort involving the reclamation of swathes of land from the sea and the creation of a entire artificial mountain, just for creating a defensible position, when fears of alien invaders from across the gate reached a crescendo. The West predecessors threw the bulk of their wealth into purchasing land, building the fortress and fortifying the area. In a time when others in positions or power and wealth were leaving by the droves, the Wests chose to step up despite the possible danger. The noblesse oblige displayed then precipitated the rise of the Wests from nouveau riche to one of the preeminent clans thereafter, cementing their reputation as one of Humanity's stalwart defenders.
The second mural portrayed the triumphant return of the pioneering expedition from beyond the gate. When news of the boundless space and rich resources was announced by the world government and the decision to settle in the new frontier was finalised, the Gate and all its surrounding areas into priceless prime estate. Negotiations were made and most of the land was eventually handed over to the world government in return for various concessions and wealth, providing much of the impetus for the rapid development of the nascent West Metalworks from a small family affair to a large business entity.
The third and final mural was a portrait of the first West pioneer, Theodore West. At the age of 22, he volunteered to be one of the first few batches of colonists to settle in what is now called Pangaea. Being one of the first few humans to undergo digitisation, he felt a responsibility to make use of his newfound abilities to aid both country and family. Leveraging his artisan background, he successfully developed a method to incorporate mana into equipment and to provide better support the colonists in the hostile frontier, transitioned West Metalworks into a weapons manufacturing company, the precursor of West Weapons Conglomerate.
Nowadays, it served as nothing but a foil to the glory of the West family, a sign of past honour and prestige, a relic of a bygone era and a reminder of darker days. Nominally, the West family are still custodians of the West Gate and expected to defend the people in the event of an invasion from beyond the gate. However, with Humanity in clear control of both sides of the gate, such a scenario was hard to contemplate.
Past the murals was the inner courtyard, where a sprawling garden basked in one of the few sunlit areas of the castle. Valerian spied his target right where he expected. Snapping out of his reverie, he drew closer to his unsuspecting target. When he was just about to grab onto the shoulders of his target, he was loudly interrupted by a clear lilting voice.
"Must you always greet me in this manner, dear brother? Why do you persist with such childish antics," A slight hint of petulance slipped out towards the end, portraying a look of irresistible cuteness in the eyes of Valerian.
Sweeping his little sister into his embrace, Valerian replied, "I just thought I'd treat you like a regular person Vivi, after all, everyone treats you like a porcelain doll that could break from the slightest touch." After giving her another hug and a light peck on her forehead, he set her back down into her smart wheelchair.
As he tousled her hair with practiced ease, he gave his sister a quick look-over. Satisfied that she looked perfectly fine, other than her expression of chagrin, he sat down with her, entertaining her with his spurious stories of tomfoolery and delighting at her joy and reactions.
Half an hour flew by in what felt like minutes, and soon Valerian noticed the fatigue in Vivienne's expression.
"I think that's enough stories for now, you look like you'd fall asleep any minute now, bored out of your socks. "
"No I do not! You're slandering me, I was listening attentively. I like to hear your stories, Val."
"Alright, enough teasing. Go take a rest now, you don't want the old man to give you a hard time for nodding off during the banquet later."
"Do I have to?"
With a look of resignation, Vivienne activated her wheelchair by voice command. Valerian watched as the wheelchair sped out of view, his sister's face emitting a look of reluctance as she kept facing towards him. He had always felt guilt towards his youngest sister, who was born with congenial defects resulting in blindness and a weak physique. Through happenstance or otherwise, she was gifted with a fierce intellect, an exceptional countenance and a brilliant disposition. At an age where one should be out and about, enjoying the wonders of life, she had no choice but to be confined to the estate. This kind of torturous existence would have warped the minds of many into a brooding mess of negativity and despair, yet somehow she was able to find the strength of heart to look at brighter side of life.
Shaking himself free of this latest bout of introspection, Valerian chided himself as he focused on the challenges to come. He had to succeed in his next endeavour, for nothing if not for her. Having accomplished his purpose, he retreated to his private wing. Reviewing his plans for later, he could only hope that unexpected variables do not occur. While he could adjust his plans on the fly, that would only increase the chances of failure. Waiting for him at the entrance to his private wing though, was an unexpected visitor.
