Children of Sun - The Gift

Chapter 6 - Shelter, 2042 AD

After the restless night, Mux opened up the canopy membrane and jumped out to wet cold ground. He stretched up his stiff body, examining the place he chose to spend the night. Max couldn't see anything - the snow all melted, giving up a thick morning fog. Like a giant chameleon, shelter immediately shrank its size and adopted its color to the surrounding, becoming indistinguishable from neighboring boulders.

Staying in the tent wasn't very comfortable. The adaptive camouflage material perfectly blended into the surroundings and made it a perfect hiding spot. Last week, it served him well, providing security and protection during this long hiking trip.

But, the upcoming winter made nights longer and colder. Max required something more substantial to survive the approaching winter in weeks. And he needed it quickly.

He unpacked a square obsidian plate of a phase-array antenna and placed it on a flat bolder. A small green triangle appears on the right top corner of the smart glasses HUD, indicating a connection to a global network. Max browsed through available networks and selected PlaNet. It was the obvious choice. This wasn't a free but reliable and secure network, supported by myriads of small satellites, spread evenly in medium earth orbit.

Max believed they still respected privacy. That was their business model, after all. He went online - the surroundings turned translucent as E-glasses placed a three-dimensional workspace in front of him. He was surrounded by a 3-D matrix of colorful containers representing categorical choices and waved his hand, progressing and digging through nested pictograms. He found his virtual storage box, checking for hidden traps - all clear - Max signed in relief.

He logged into his private space and gained access to the vast network of sensors left behind. To his satisfaction, there was no sign of pursuers anywhere close to this area. The last sight of someone following him was in Rome - the dead-end Max set to confuse anyone following him.

The mesh cameras captured an unassuming person who showed his photo, asking questions. It looks like he lost them for now. Also, the clan had been known for its persistence - they would never give up. But, in the waiting game, Max had a distinct advantage. With a newfound longevity gift, he can wait as long as it takes.

With this weight out of his shoulders, Max felt a great sense of relief. It looked like he found his "Safe haven."

It was time to stop running and concentrate on building something more permanent. He needed a place to live and survive a harsh mountain winter.

Max switched to shopping apps and created a new virtual basket.

The Great Reset wasn't just the force of destruction. It also created unique opportunities. Shadow banking, the global internet, and drone delivery were among the few that survived and thrived. They connected millions of vertical manufacturing spots with billion of customers around the globe.

The bank transaction was out of the question. Besides, he still could access his accounts. It also meant his new location could be exposed to a bank or someone else, for that matter. Max couldn't risk it. Secure transfer to a different financial institution could take months to complete - he couldn't wait that long, and he needed to keep it quiet. Using cash or hard assets was the only choice.

Max's first choice was to buy a building robot. He browses through multiply choices. Apparently, building robots evolved significantly over the last five years, becoming more specialized. Max finally found what he was looking for and ordered a standard construction bot plus some essential supplies.

He selected cash on delivery as a payment option and sent a request for a transaction. Next, he placed a small brick of silver on the landing pad he prepared earlier - a relatively flat and free of rocks area with a sizeable 2-D barcode image projected on the top.

Max had time to do something else like exploring the area or selecting construction plans - the cargo delivery would not require his presence. And, probably, it would be safer to keep some distance from this spot. But all he could do at the moment was sit and wait. He was overexcited and anxious to see his new toy.

The delivery drone had arrived in a couple of hours. Max couldn't see it, but he instantly recognized the hissing sound of powerful electrical turbines.

The transaction took less than a minute, and it was spectacular. The large cargo drone dropped down, piercing shallow clouds. A flat black and yellow platform carrying a large cargo container sank at free-fall speed, decelerating just before the surface. Floating inches above the ground, it dropped its load while snake-like attachment snatched the payment. With a loud boom, a drone darted up the next moment, disappearing in the clouds.

Wasting no time, Max unlocked the box. The sidewall fell to the ground, exposing the machine's gray rounded surface hiding inside. An expert in system design, he could appreciate the technology concentrated inside modern machines. And he was eager to see his new toy.

A human size, six-legged, oblong-shaped machine had a small dimension for its kind. Its metallic black surface reflected no light making the bot almost invisible in a murky box.

The robot came to life - it climbed out the box, looking for the light. It crawled to a sun-lighted spot, spread wing-like solar panels, straightening rear legs to catch maximum energy from the afternoon sun. No wonder they call it scarab. It looked exactly like those desert beetles, only a hundred times bigger.

Max went back to the tent and dived into a virtual space. He uploaded a design library and called up a collection of simple and easy-to-build housing designs.

The smart glasses projected the row of pictograms, representing different categories. After selecting stationery, cold climate, and single person, the final row showed a few dozen models to choose from - starting with the small tent size sleep-only pod to compact but roomy vertical houses. Max chose a traditional cabin design with room enough for a bed, table, and comfortable chair- that should be good enough for the first season. He spent another two hours customizing the design - not that it was necessary—just an old habit. Finally satisfied, he sent the design to a bot and called it a day.

It was noon the next day when Max woke up. He didn't sleep all night watching construction progress. Even though he was just a passive observer, it was pretty entertaining.

The bots don't sleep and require no supervision. All it needed to keep working was a constant inflow of energy. The solar array was the first item that appeared. The bot ran back and forth, picking parts from the container and attaching them to an already assembled structure. The foldable flower of solar panels had been erected in less than an hour.
Next, the robot started digging and plowing, making a flat surface for the foundation. After two hours, the bot had created a perfectly flat surface. Somehow, it managed to compact it, so it looked and felt stiff.

Bots kept producing new items from the bottomless container. A mineral processing plant appeared - bulky apparatus with an irregular shape. It created a grey foamy substance when fed by small boulders. Loaded to a rear bot container, it became building material. The bot slowly progressed through the foundation, throwing a spray of droplets from its mouth, forming a complex geometric structure with machine precision.

It took a whole week to finish the build. Typically, those bots operated as a team of six or more, working in perfect synchronization. With enough energy and materials, they would erect a large building overnight. And, it was easier and more economical to rent this service rather than buy the whole set.

The finished place was instantly recognizable as a traditional Alpine chalet. After two more containers were delivered to replenish food storage and to bring some comfort, Max moved to a new place.

It was the first night over last year when Max felt relaxed. He was sitting in front of a fireplace, warming Glencairn glass in his hand, savoring the taste of rare whiskey. The wind howling outside threw snow against the window. It made him realize how remote he was in this part of the world.