Zurich Meet Tomorrow by Alastair Reynolds - Book - Page 12
in orbit, a seven-star chandelier perched thirty thousand
kilometres above the Gulf of Guinea. Reaching it is cumbersome,
though, even with the new shuttles. The consortium has decided
to lower a cable from the hotel, an immensely strong carbonnanotube filament, all the way down to sea level. Climber
capsules will ascend it to orbit: the world’s space elevator.
There is a downside.
‘The two-week ascent will be quite enjoyable for the first
few days,’ Mister Zhang says ominously. ‘After that, it will
become slowly more boring and claustrophobic. Your job is
to minimise the overall misery of the experience.’ He claps his
hands and smiles startlingly. ‘Of course, once our customers
disembark at our wonderful hotel, they will soon forget the
hardships of the ascent.’
Amaka nods dutifully. The parameters of the climber,
the allocation of its interior spaces, the size of its windows,
the quality of service, have all been finalised before her
involvement. All she is required to do is to sign off on some
nice veneers, some tasteful circadian mood-lighting, some
aromatic ambience and indoor breeze-effects.
‘Zebrawood would go well here,’ she offers hesitantly,
dragging a fingernail down the pencil sketch she has already
prepared. ‘Arranged with a vertical grain, to mirror the direction
of travel. I have a reliable supplier. Expensive, but worth it.’
‘Splendid,’ Mister Zhang says, smiling at his associates.
‘Zebrawood it shall be!
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