the specs for the building Mvuto envisaged were as follows -
exterior/interior vertical/hanging gardens with irrigation system
large hidden room one bedrock in the basement to remind him of hell
top floor penthouse
residential floors
office floors
car spaces
creche
high-speed fibre optics
gym room as close as possible to eating area
deliveries/package scanning area
passive solar aspect
taller than or equal to surrounding buildings in height
water catchment on roof
signal towers
autonomous electrical supply
atmospheric water generator
lightning rod
This all depended on the building site and what the structural engineer had to say about the architectural designs Mvuto drafted over the weekend on CAD, and the interior design the following weekend -
organic shapes
ergonomic foyer with undulating reception desk and lecterns
infinity 3d mural wallpaper
themed facilities
floor space for chamber music
voice/fingerprint id = to open access or "lights on/off"
install flickering red and yellow LED lighting to look like a line of fire along the wall
forested translucent roofed eating area (vines growing over the roof)
First, searching for a vacant block online failed. However, two adjacent blocks, a mix of residential and commercial buildings could be demolished. Checking of visual aspects during seasonal changes and times of the 24hr day before progressing to the drawing table.
_____________________________
"so, what do you think?" Mvuto asked Brian and Carlton, stopping on the way home just to view some crumbling relics.
"it... needs some attention..." was Brian's expert opinion.
"geology reports pending before we buy." Mvuto puffed.
"the house isn't heritage listed? Looks like it could be." Carlton's eyes narrowed on the old house.
"hope not! It's all going to be demolished once it's approved".
"How tall are you planning on making your building?" Brian asked.
"level with the surrounding cityscape, the council would only approve a maximum height which all the other buildings are at."
"That means you could leap from building to building!" Brian nodded his approval.
"Why would he do that?" Carlton did not see the joke.
"buses take too long."
"Pfft! Are your parents really that rich?" Carlton directed his attention back to Mvuto.
"nope, it will be financed by an ally of mine."
"so ...he's the rich one?"
"In this lifetime, my friend is the administrator of a stockpile of the old wealth we've garnished and hoarded in various economies. The majority is stashed in a dependable bank. Liquid assets are mostly interest payments on loans owed to us, which are financing this little project."
"little?" Carlton's brow arched.
"yep, it's just a start-up! hoping to expand once it's made itself comfortable on the open market."
"What kind of business do you plan on running?" Brian asked.
"coding, until we find a niche."
"have you been studying coding? I haven't seen you once pick up a paper on the topic!" now it was Brian's turn to be incredulous.
"not me, Zuri. Photography is only a hobby she's picked up, a supplement to her major studies. New techno-gadgets fascinate her."
"what...what ....I don't know how to word this..." Carlton stumbled.
"don't dilly-dally, spit it out, Carlton."
"if you're the....DK, what is Zuri?" Carlton hoped he said that without implying insult.
"ah... Zuri is my 'son'. Zuri calls me Papa because I extricated him from his prison of marble."
"and just how did he get in there?" Carlton sounded like his mother.
"he hid in a limestone cave to escape a great cataclysm. Extreme heat melted the limestone and buried him, trapping him there for probably millions of years..."
"whoa!"; "What!" Carlton and Brian united in shock.
"...before I arrived", Mvuto added.
"that must have driven him insane!"
"he was incognizant most of the time, and he did have substantial difficulty adjusting to the intricacies of the human mind and body when..."
"How did you get him out?" Carlton asked impatiently.
"he could chisel away a tiny speck of the rock from inside, but he was buried deep. Although he had been slowly shedding thin layers of dust, he was still too deep inside to dig out. I had to find a way to crack open the rock, but the pressure of the weight surrounding the marble was a hindrance. We eventually blasted him out."
"bullshit! Explosives weren't invented until the 9th century ..." Carlton disputed.
"... re-invented"
"what was the recipe?" Brian had a fundamental interest in gunpowder.
"not saying... but Zuri was the ignition. Electricity only needs a tiny trickle of water to travel along."
"but electricity wasn't in... okay, I surrender", Carlton ceded defeat, "how did Zuri use electricity?"
"lightning, that is Zuri's 'thing'... wind, storms, lightning generated at a molecular level. I discovered I could amplify her power."
"how?"
"My true form is primordial dust particles."
"what the hell does that even mean?" Carlton is ever the sceptic.
"too much information?" Mvuto asked.
"no!... ah!...yes! Fuck!"
"can you handle a little bit more?"
"no! ... what is it?" Carlton dared.
"Zuri calls me papa not just in reference to a paternal bond. Papa has a double meaning... it's a familial term for overlord."
YOU ARE READING
MVUTO
Fantasya lot of Christians ask themselves WWJD? this story asks what would the devil do? a CONTINUATION of 'the quickening of fire' in a modern-era setting. the opening scene at a private boy's high school evolves into a darker storyline as the characters...
