Someone once said that we are made of star stuff. It was quoted by an early astronomer named Carl Sagan in the late twentieth century, before man had ever left our ancestral home of Old Earth, and studying stars was a thing. Before the jump drive was invented, before the great diaspora from the Sol Sector and the 84 star systems coming under the Human Alliance Space. Even before we learned we weren't alone in the universe.
Star stuff. Carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms and other heavy elements, essentially made from the remnants of dead stars from billions of years ago. Evolved from the mire, revolutionized into a people group that would conquer the greater part of our galaxy. Clusters and clusters of star systems, trillions and trillions of progeny. An intelligent species climbing the ranks of power in a massive universe.
And here I was hiding under my blanket reading replica of ancient manga from the old histories. This is what I have come to, the great Travicia Briller, heir apparent to this sector's largest and most powerful corporation. Why am I hiding my nasty habit, might you ask? Simple really. I am a good girl, and good girls... Do. Not. Read. Comic books.
I could read on my BrainComp, but because I'm technically still a minor, it still gets monitored occasionally. I could buy a holo projector and read in a quiet sealed room, but there really is nothing on Briller Prime as exciting as reading manga on plexi-paper. Hard goods. Real print. Just nothing like it.
You can blame it on my older brother, Tomas Briller. I inherited his collected, a whole crate-full, when he left for basic training with the Allied Space Fleet two years ago. I've read them four or five times each now, but I still have to hide this nasty habit of mine.
I mean, there could be worse things a girl like me could get addicted to. High end transports, jewellery, stims, clothing, and goddess, don't get me started on shoes. My personal assistant spends most of her pay check each month on high end fashion shoes.
I get it, really I do, but when your personal shopper does all the shopping for you and you just turn up to receptions, banquets and social gatherings in whatever they have organised for you, you'd get sick of all those thousands of items of clothing and accessories too.
I'm telling you, it isn't easy being this rich and powerful. Being a senior high school student with a FULL social calendar, family and Briller Corporation obligations, and studying for college entrance exams on top of that, it is no wonder that I take every minute of free time to hide away and engage in the only vice I have that no body else knows about.
"Cia, Miss Cia, your mother is calling for you." A feminine voice carefully calls from outside my little cave.
"Pardon?" I jump from out of my bed covers and hide the dog-eared plex-print manga back into the lock crate under my bed and scramble for the main door before my maid can enter my bedroom suite.
"One moment, please." I quickly pull out a mirror on a grav-unit and let if float before me while I tidy my hair and de-wrinkle my dress. Lovely, pretty and oh so perfect, I flick the mirror towards my dressing room and quickly slip into my Bangel velvet flat pumps. These babies are worth my assistant's monthly pay check all by themselves.
Opening the door, I pause to look at the maid before me. Giving her a stern look, I watch her for a moment, reading any emotion she has on her face before I give her directions for cleaning my suite.
"Dana, a strap has come loose on a pair of emerald heals, please have them replaced. You will find them just inside the dressing room. Also, unpack the cosmetics that was delivered while I was in school, and have the bedroom window shades removed. I'm getting tired of the umbre look this season. I'd like them to be light silver please." Having said everything I needed to for my maid to keep herself busy for the next few hours, I turn to leave, but then pause.
"Also, place the crate from under my bed in my lock-up please." I murmur to her, pretending that it is completely normal to order the house staff to handle contraband materials. This kind of material isn't illegal, per se, but in the Briller household it is considered a career breaker, time waster and an illegal substance that must be destroyed on contact. It took my brother the better part of a decade to smuggle the crate-full into the manor. Far be it from me to destroy that priceless collection in one go.
Turning away from my maid, trusting her to follow my directions carefully, I adjust my speed and slow down, moving fluidly down the eastern hallway towards my mother's suites in Briller manor.
"Mother, you called for me?" I asked as I followed the maid in, who was waiting for me at her door. My mother's space in the manor is decorated in the latest baroque furniture to come out of the Bordeaux this season. Pale golds and warm charcoals colours, mixed with silk brocade wall hangings.
"Welcome, my Dear. Come in."
"Oh, I do love the white pigeons and sakura blossoms silk hangings, Mother." I compliment her as I sit down to her tea table by the bay windows. "The French style has a very Asian feel to it this season."
"Yes, this season interior is care of a new company out of New Paris," she replied as she gently waved a hand around her rooms. My mother, a beautiful middle aged woman of Asian European decent, dark hair, light blues eyes. She sits at her tea table elegantly, shoulders relaxed, ankles carefully crossed, sipping from a silver lined tea cup as she welcomes me in. "Have you ordered the interior for your suites this season? If not, I don't mind loaning you Percy Chase. He'd love to work on your rooms himself."
"No, I haven't, but I am inclined towards silver this season. What do you think?" I ask my mother simple questions and she answers them, back and forth like this as we dine on afternoon tea of foreign teas and petite fours, baked by our very own in-house chefs.
Twenty minutes later the small talk wraps up and my mother finally gets to the topic of the occasion for which she has called me for.
"I'd like you to take on another personal assistant once you graduate high school." She pauses to watch my reaction to her request. I keep my face free from any emotion and pour myself another cup of tea. Sipping the hot beverage slowly, I look at her over the top of my teacup. My mother isn't as well verse in hiding her emotions as my father or grandfather. She has these little tells, like the slight tightening of the edge of her full lips, or the slight up-turned angle of her perfectly shaped brows. Both of these two little tells lets me know that she is concerned that I will reject her offer, but as my grandfather has always taught me, never agree to any request or proposal on the spot. Keep the power in your own hands.
"Mother, please tell me what you require and I will discuss this with Grandfather and get back to you." I place my tea cup down, it's purpose as a prop having been fulfilled. Once she answers my enquiry, I can remove myself from the setting and continue onto my next obligations before our evening meal at seven sharp.
"Percy Chase promised an exclusive contract with Briller Manor if we could give his daughter a placement, not in serving staff, but something managerial. He is brilliant and I want him under our domain." It is a power play in the social circle she is exclusive to, but she requires my assent. She pauses for a moment then offers her payment.
"I will ensure your engagement affairs are held off for two years once you graduate university." She leans back in her seat and her body language says she knows she has something I want. The tension has gone from her face and this tells me that she expects me to acquiescent her request. And I probably will.
It isn't like I will be arranged to marry the next bachelor to meet my Grandfather's requirements as soon as I graduate university, but I will have only a small amount of power to choose my matrimony partner. The longer I can hold things off, the easier it will be to place someone of my choosing into the position that meets my family's requirements.
I smile at my mother, letting her know, non-verbally that she has given me a lovely surprise and I am interested in what she has to offer. But I don't say so, in such direct words.
"I understand." I nod, then remove the napkin from my lap and close the meal for now by placing it on my tea setting. "I will get back to you in two days. Please have your assistant forward on the resume and references."
"I will do, Travicia."
"I better get going. Grandfather will be waiting in his suite." I quickly give my mother an air kiss and leave her behind.
It isn't a bad deal, not so much for our family nor for me. I can always use one more assistant, and it isn't like I don't have the credits to pay for another staff member under my domain. Having Percy Chase, and his daughter in our care is a great idea, and I know that Grandfather will approve. I nod as I head off to my next appointment for the afternoon.
Another four minutes walking to the west wing of Briller Manor and I am waiting outside my Grandfather's suites for our early evening mentoring appointment. After this, dinner will be served at seven, music practice at eight, business studies at nine and if I'm lucky, I will have another ten minutes to read another comic before lights out at eleven in the evening.
My life is so very structured. I quietly sigh and knock on my grandfather's office door, and let myself in.