He looked up, and the room flickered. The heavy mahogany wardrobe shuddered, its grain smoothing into a sleek, white polymer. The gaslight fixtures hummed, then snapped into floating rings of blue neon. Even the view outside shifted—the cobblestone streets of London were replaced by the shimmering, vertical spires of a city built on clouds.
"Welcome to your upgraded stay, Guest 1102. Please note that physical gravity is now a legacy feature and will be deprecated in the next patch. We suggest you tether yourself to the bed before the reboot."
When Elias checked into the Grand Belvedere, the lobby was a masterpiece of 1920s velvet and gold leaf. But as he stepped into his suite, his phone buzzed with a notification: