Inside, Wein was met with a grand staircase that curved all the way to the upper floor. Its frame was made of stylish and glowing wood carved in intricate patterns by talented craftsmen.
On either side of the room, plush velvet furniture was spread across the space, ranging from luxurious couches to small ornate tables. The décor was further elevated by angular holographic interfaces embedded into the walls, their sci-fi elements disrupting the illusion of the purely Victorian-era world.
"Welcome to your new home, sir"
Astra's voice broke Wein's amazement, forcing him to turn his attention to her.
"Astra, what are you doing here?"
"I will be assisting you for the foreseeable future as your personal AI assistant."
Wein was momentarily dazed, he had expected to be assigned an AI assistant, but not Astra. There were many AIs used in the galaxy, Astra was exclusively used by nobles and the highest elites of society.
In fact, he was under the thought that Astra was reserved solely for the Baron, and he would be given a lesser tier AI. This was unexpected.
"I will assist you in any services you might require, be it cooking, cleaning, and even act as your security detail."
"Sorry… I wasn't expecting that. I thought you were only available to nobles."
"You needn't worry, this is a personal gift from the Baron."
Wein was surprised. He had assumed his gift was limited to only the house, but it also extended to Astra.
During his term as a Trooper, Wein had learned a great deal about the functions in the Empire and part of that was due to Astra.
Astra was an AI that was far superior to any other AI in the Empire and perhaps even the whole galaxy. She was so advanced that it was virtually impossible to hack into the systems she governed over. Her intelligence allowed her to perform more advanced calculations and execute actions that would short circuit lesser AIs.
At a command, Astra could oversee and regulate the systems of Velmora, ensuring stability and security in matter of security, whether it was governing economic infrastructures or managing vast networks of information with inhuman precision.
The Astra AI model could enable even the most incompetent ruler the ability to govern over vast territories effortlessly, all while safeguarding and maintaining the systems of their territories.
There were many AI models, but the Astra model was the best, and that was why nobles preferred her.
Fortunately, the Astra models were independent from others, meaning one Astra could not infiltrate or override another Astra in another's domain being restricted to a single lord. This limitation was embedded in their code as an immutable rule.
"Thank you. Where is my room?"
Wein realised he was still carrying his suitcase and wanted to find his room first.
A soft beep sounded across the room.
"The elevator will take you there."
A door slid open, revealing the elevator. Unlike the cold, metallic elevators Wein had seen in the military and the command ships, this one had a homely touch. Its design blended seamlessly with the mansion's aesthetic complete with plants and paintings in its interior.
Wein steeped inside and it lifted him, while he listened as Astra continued her explanation of the mansion's features.
"There are only androids that I control within the estate. They will handle all your needs, including maintenance and meal preparation. Should you desire anything, arrangements can be made."
Wein nodded as he admired the artistry on the walls and the technology that allowed Astra to project visuals of what she was talking about.
When the doors opened, a long corridor stretched ahead, leading to an intricate set of doors with traditional handles an odd contrast to the sleek high tech interface panels surrounding them.
Wein, still carrying his suitcase made his way forward.
"Astra does this mansion have a pool?"
"Yes. There is an indoor pool, which I believe will be very much to your liking."
Reaching his room, Wein opened the doors. They swung open seamlessly, revealing the inside.
The room, his new room was unlike anything he had expected. It felt almost like a hollowed-out shell devoid of any personal touches, but despite that he could tell it belonged to a wealthy man.
Inside was a massive bed situated at the centre, its soft, sleek surface covered with pristine white sheets and maroon covers. There were large see-through curtains that extended from the ceiling that were tied neatly to the sides.
The walls were made of polished dark stone, but what caught Wein attention was the ceiling. Upon closer inspection, it had some artificial mechanism that could project things.
The entire room had that technology which gave Wein the idea that it was possible to change the view and style of the room at command, it was an intriguing feature though not his immediate concern.
On one full side, there wall was replaced by massive technological windows that at a glance, Wein could tell their function. The windows were made of a durable material making them as secure as the walls.
Additionally, the windows could also shift between transparent and the colour of the walls, providing either a scenic view or complete isolated privacy.
Through the glass, Wein could see the large garden of his new estate, it was not anything too big nor fancy, but it was refined enough for a high society person. Outside the sun had begun setting on the horizon and Wein witnessed the golden glow lying on the manicured garden and fountain which was twice as big than the one in the front.
At the far edge of the garden, the neighbouring property stretched wide. Wein suspected it belonged to another high-status individual.
He set his suitcase down and wandered the room before stepping through the open glass doors onto the balcony. The view was breathtaking.
Wein could see the city buildings in the far distance along with the sky vehicles doing their day's work.
On the other side, he could see the golden ocean gleaming under the glow of the setting sun.
Silence filled in and Wein stood still basking in the fresh and tranquil atmosphere he felt. There were no roaring ships overhead. No distant hum of machinery and no chattering of the working class bustling about their lives.
It was pure, undisturbed silence.
This was the life.
When it had become dark, Wein re-entered his room and began disrobing his uniform.
"Astra I'd like to have the best food, you can make on short notice. I am starving, while I wait, I will be going for a swim. I assume I don't need to buy groceries?"
"I will prepare it for you, sir."
Wein picked one of his shorts to put on. He took his uniform and found a wardrobe that was hidden within the walls. He stuffed all his military uniform neatly inside and the rest 'common clothes' he just threw on top of the suitcase he had opened on his bed.
There were other items inside, but Wein would deal with them later.
After while in his shorts, he strolled through the mansion following the suggestions of Astra and arrived at the indoor swimming pool, which was far massive than he expected.
The room was massive, almost as his room. Encasing it was glass which Wein could tell had the same technology as the wall in his room.
Below the glass reflected a white solid surface but, on the sides, it reflected the outside world. It felt like Wein was swimming outdoors.
He stood in front of the water and jumped in without hesitation and began stroking and swimming, to and from.
The water was perfect, not too cold, not too warm.
After a few minutes Wein resurfaced from the water, the wet liquid dripping down from his face with his long-wet hair sticking to his back. During his time in the army Wein had grown his hair, now it reached past his neck, but it was not too long to be a hindrance.
He stood up at the edge of the pool, dripping wet. On the side, he saw some towels neatly stacked on a rack.
He took one, dried himself and put on the slippers he came with, he then went to his room.
"Astra, when will the food be done?"
"It will be done in a moment sir, you can come to the dining room in the meantime, I have already prepared the setting."
Back in his room, Wein refreshed changed into his simple clothes, a vest and a tracksuit. He made a mental note to buy more clothes when he got the chance.
….
The dining room was as big as he had expected, the table stretched across the whole room, covered with white expensive looking cloth. Eight chairs were spaced evenly, three on either side and one each at the end.
The chairs much like the table were long and made of material that were reminiscent of what kings had in their dining halls.
As Wein approached his seat, he noticed the first android assigned to serve him in the estate.
It was grey, humanoid, and clad in a butler suit, though its design was simple. Its skeletal frame consisted of metal limbs covered with synthetic skin like material. The distinguishable feature was the oval head, which bore no facial details aside from a slightly darker grey indentation.
On the back of its head, he read the words.
'RXT68'
These were helper robots commonly employed by nobles and the wealthy across the galaxy who did not want sentient workers. The RXT was their model, sixty-eight was the unit number. It was currently carrying utensils and cleaning tools.
Wein nodded at the work it did and went to sit at the edge of the table. Sitting there he couldn't help but feel like a king.