It was Byzantine Cosmic Era Year Five. After waging war on the whole world, Anaheim emerged victorious. Uniting the world under a single banner has brought prosperity.
Territories that never had great access to technology or even essentials received tremendous support.
It was the new Empire's directive to develop all of the lands under its control. Regardless of whether it was a desert or jungle, the mechanical force of Anaheim or as they call themselves, the Holy Byzantine Empire, would descend from space and start working.
Before long, everyone would accept the simple fact that under this Empire, life was far better.
Even the greatest haters would begrudgingly accept that it was better than going by themselves.
Not that anyone tried to do something. Such people would swiftly disappear without a trace.
Over the years, the crown jewel of the Imperium became the three massive space elevators at the equator.
It was proof of humanity's ability to build enormous buildings.
~~~
[Entering atmosphere in 1 minute, return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts] A woman's voice spread through a linear train's intercoms.
Milly Anaheim was humming to herself and enjoying her no-gravity experience when she snapped out after hearing the woman speak. She floated back to her seat before fastening her seatbelt.
The girl got comfortable as she looked through the window at the massive projection of Earth over the train's window.
It was a holographic projection of where the train was at the moment; it was rushing down to the planet's surface towards the Continent of Africa.
'No matter how many times I see this… it never gets old.'
After the elevators were finished over a year and a half ago, she would use any chance she had to use the linear trains to move to space or return.
Once it was finished, these trains became a massive success.
Not success but a necessity like a car or a plane. Some people use them daily; whoever works in space would leave in the morning and then return to Earth by evening.
Eventually, Mily felt gravity take its course; she felt how she got pushed into her seat.
Several minutes later, she saw a growing city at the bottom of the pillar. It was a circular metropolis built around the elevator.
Even from here, she could see greenery in the city. Since this was the equator, it was extremely warm. Because of that, there was not only air conditioning everywhere, but also parks with a considerable number of trees and man-made lakes.
Apart from lakes, there were fountains in all the major squares and a considerable number of trees practically everywhere, making the city feel a bit cooler.
'Though those spinning towers generate cool air as well.' Milly always found these towers amusing on her trips. These towers generate cool wind and send it down to the streets below. How a hollow tower like that could do it, she has no idea.
[Welcome to the Ground level of Pillar Byzantium. I hope you enjoyed the trip, and thank you for travelling with PLTS. For discount tickets for your next trip to space, please check our online store.
You can always find tickets at an affordable price, and have a nice stay on Earth.] The announcer spoke through the comms as the linear train arrived at the station.
Unlike normal trains, these ones are vertical, so they are a bit different. There are a lot more doors, and it's more like a moving tower than a train.
Something Milly took a while to get used to.
Regardless, as the girl left the train, the platforms for the train were a bit different as well. There are a bunch of escalators that lead to the ground level. When one was at the back when leaving the space station, now they have a long trip down from a skyscraper-sized long escalator… or they can take an elevator, one of those.
That's the downside of a vertical train. But one gets used to it.
Thankfully, because of such an arrangement, there is rarely a long line at the ticket gates.
When Milly arrived at the gates, she saw familiar faces…
"Not you guys again." The blonde lady complained as before her were men in black suits and glasses.
"Your Majesty, please come with us, we have a private plane ready for you." One of the bodyguards asked in a borderline-begging tone. This woman is making their life hard!
"Nope! I will take public transport."
*Groan*
"Please!"
"Nope! Now I am off!" One of the Empresses of the World dashed out of the Pillar station. She pulled out a baseball hat to cover from the Equatorial sun. There was a huge grin on her face.
This was life! True Freedom!
Sure, she might be one of the 'Empresses of the World'. But there are several of them.
Her job is quite a simple one. After getting herself married, since everyone was doing that, she joined her 'sisters' as well. Well, she didn't want to wait anymore.
After becoming one of the Empresses, she ended up responsible for education. Something her family is good at.
Just like that, her family, the Ashfords, became the educational institution of the Empire. Private schools, public schools, universities and colleges, all of that, under her.
Now it would be a tall order, but she was an Empress; she could hire people, and that meant she could delegate her work.
All that was left for her was travelling! Just like now! The girl just returned from the latest colony on Mars.
Over the past five years, over 50 million people moved to space.
The population spread-out caused an interesting effect: land is much cheaper now. On Earth or Space, it's cheaper now.
As Milly was thinking about the changes, she rushed to the taxis outside the pillar.
She went to the first one.
"Hello! Take me to the North Train Station!" With that said, the girl got into the back of the car, her travel bag next to her.
"Alright." The taxi driver nodded as soon as the taxi began to float, then rushed out of the parking lot.
The new floating technology swiftly spread throughout the whole Empire. The designs for roads and cities changed considerably.
While old cities couldn't change that easily, the same can't be said for the new ones, like Pillar Byzantium. The city built around the Pillar was one of the newest types of cities with floating cars. There were multiple 'lanes' in the air. Hologram technology became widespread in roads and cars to assist in air traffic management.
This is to ensure no collisions occur and cities don't bloat. That means space is better managed. Meaning that roads and walking areas can stack on each other.
Such development is a sign of the 'Sci-Fi' era—something Milly enjoys to see as well.
From the air, she can see how the city is expanding as new neighbourhoods are being built. Among them, more skyscrapers are popping up in a matter of weeks. New companies are being created nearly daily.
From resource management to processing to food transportation to energy distribution.
This was truly… a Cosmic Era.
~~~
There are three major train stations that leave from Pillar Byzantium. North Station is particularly busy as it goes to the Imperium Capital, Constantinople. The second most used is the East Station that goes to the East and the Continent of Asia. Among the train stops, there is Zilkhstan… quite a popular place.
From food to beaches, the place became a tourist destination —a resort—quite a departure from its past as a Kingdom of Warriors.
Though all those Warriors are still around, as Zilkhstan doesn't have orphans, in fact, Orphans don't exist anymore.
There are several initiatives and organisations that deal with homelessness and related issues, such as orphans. The Emperor himself, who had to grow up homeless for a while, created these programs.
Among them, the talented children quickly get the attention they deserve; after all, orphans are the ones most likely to become dangerous.
Marcus is well aware that he should instil love for the Empire in them first. After all, the war just ended, and they could be orphans made by his Empire, not because of bad parenting.
Apart from Zilkhstan, the train lines can move all the way to Japan. The Island nation is no longer an island nation.
Floating technology is more than capable of building semi-floating bridges that connect islands to the mainland.
The better the connection, the more stable the empire.
After all, the smaller it feels, the better it makes, it's a psychological trick to bring humanity closer to each other.
People can't complain to the Emperor that he is trying to trick them, as after all, transportation is critical to an Empire anyway.
Back to the train stations, the last one is three times smaller than the one that goes to the North. Unlike the other two, South Station only goes to the southernmost tip of Africa.
Mostly, the South has been designated as residential and relaxation districts. Since countries don't exist anymore. The Empire has dedicated areas for specific purposes.
Most of Africa is either residential, tourist or for exotic trips.
Even then, Marcus was very picky about how he wanted this place to be developed. The Emperor is very serious when it comes to this place. After all, he loves Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards, as well as other animals. That is why he is dead serious about their treatment. Poachers are on his hit list.
To kill on sight, simple as that. Many people stopped doing that after a couple died while trying to get rare rhino horns.
As Milly was recalling all the developments, the taxi arrived at the train station.
The North Station is a literal skyscraper with four large floors stacked on each other; instead of spreading out on the ground, the newest train lines were built one on top of the other to conserve land space.
There are four floors, each floor has ten lines. These lines may start here, but they spread out in all directions after leaving the station.
Some of them even go south, east and west. Joining with other lines. The city was built with maximum efficiency; regardless of where you enter the network, you will reach your destination with minimal train changes.
The blonde lady with a smile strolled into the building after paying for the taxi. She swiped her travel card at the ticket barrier before taking the escalator to the top, where the most direct trains to the Capital depart. These trains don't stop anywhere but the major administrative zones.
Like Cairo or Damascus.
'Next one in five minutes~ enough time for coffee~.' Milly hummed as she strolled over to the coffee shop.
The girl loved this new life. She might have an 'Anaheim' surname, but not many know her or have seen her on live TV. She is quite incognito working behind people. Sure, if people dig enough, they could find her picture, but the new Imperial family is not THAT public. Marcus is a public person because he is the Emperor, but others? Leila from time to time appears on TV, but Anna? People can barely recognise her.
And that is for the best because Legion does make sure their images barely appear on the internet, especially when the Emperor became a father.
The Emperor of the World is a big softie with his two girls and one boy. Especially two girls. Milly is a bit afraid of what will happen to the world when those two grow up.
Instead of teaching them discipline and being a strict father, the Emperor is pampering them! Both Anna and Kallen were shocked to find themselves the ones who had to teach discipline to those two girls.
Though it's a bit different for Leila, who gave Marcus the Imperial Heir, however, the blonde said that she will never be pregnant again, as it was torture for her.
However, Marcus wondered if it was because she was pregnant with a boy. It could be different with a girl.
'Regardless, thankfully, I don't have any of my own.' Milly smuggly recalled the tired expression of her 'sisters'. Marcus is a sinister man who doesn't offer them much help with their kids. Simply because they wanted them, now they need to deal with it.
That alone made the blonde lady reel back and shelve the idea until she had had enough of travelling.
[The Next train to Constantinople arrives in 1 minute.]
"Right on time!" Milly smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. She watched the floating train roll into the platform.
~~~
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