Future's First Marriage, Later Love - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A man dressed in a high-tech uniform was handing out watch-like devices. Mai Hai walked over and, after presenting his credentials, the man smilingly took a watch-shaped object from a nearby basket. He tapped away, entering data, and said with a grin: “From now on, for any consumption in this establishment, just place the reader against the sensors found at every doorway. Enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you.” Mai Hai pulled his suitcase inside. Immediately, someone approached with a machine resembling an old-fashioned supermarket barcode scanner, swiped the reader on Mai Hai’s wrist, took his suitcase, and led him to his room.

Carrying his backpack, Mai Hai followed the attendant into the elevator to the top floor. They stepped out into a corridor lined with thick, deep-red carpeting. The walls between the room doors were adorned with paintings and photographs rich in Egyptian character. Halfway down the hall, the attendant smiled warmly: “Sir, please place your wrist reader against the circular indentation on the door handle.”

Mai Hai followed the instruction. With a soft ding, the door swung open. The attendant handed him two small booklets—one on Egyptian history and culture, and the other a manual on how to use the reader, as these devices varied by planet and region.

Once the luggage was settled, the attendant bowed. “Sir, I wish you a wonderful journey in Egypt,” and withdrew.

Mai Hai tossed off his jacket and, wearing only a charcoal-gray sweater, flopped onto the soft, oversized bed. He began flipping through the brochures.

The sunset on the cover was likely taken over the Suez Canal. Opening it, his eyes landed on a line of small English text. Since Mai Hai was the First Prince of Pandora—and had passed the Level 8 English exam back in the 21st century—this was no challenge for him.

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt. It spans two continents, Asia and Africa, with the majority in Northeast Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Bordered by the Mediterranean to the north and the Red Sea to the east, it is a vital junction between Asia, Africa, and Europe… It is one of the cradles of human civilization, often called the Nile Civilization…

Having never had much interest in dry facts, Mai Hai tossed the booklet aside and lay back comfortably, arms tucked behind his head and legs crossed.

Without realizing it, he drifted off. A short while later, he bolted upright and began rummaging through his bag. Finding his phone, he saw a string of “death-threat” missed calls from a certain someone. He hurried to call back, but the line was cut almost instantly. Mai Hai took a deep breath, wondering if the man was having another “episode,” when his phone chirped. It was a text from Polack, brief and to the point: In a meeting.

Mai Hai thought for a moment and replied: Arrived safely, no need to worry.

Polack replied with three words: Be careful.

Mai Hai could easily imagine the guy trying to look indifferent while saying something caring, so he mischievously sent: Mm, miss you.

After hitting send, Mai Hai hopped off the bed in high spirits. He took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. While drying his hair, he noticed that from this angle, he could see the Egyptian Museum. It looked even more weathered than it had on television—hardly surprising, given how many centuries had passed.

The Egyptian Museum was located in Tahrir Square in the heart of Cairo. In this era, political divisions were based on planets; former nations had become “regions,” which were further subdivided. Local leadership groups still managed their own affairs, but conflicts were now moderated by the Planet Council or, if necessary, the Galactic Office.

Before the trip, because he was supposed to be with Polack, Mai Hai hadn’t paid much attention to the itinerary. After all, with Polack around, his movements were subject to the General’s whims—the classic “bowing under someone else’s eaves.”

Now, seeing the museum—the world’s most famous and largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts—he decided to grab dinner and then go exploring.

The hotel was 50 stories tall. The first floor was the lobby; floors two through ten housed gyms, supermarkets, bars, and clinics. Floors ten to fifteen featured various themed restaurants, while sixteen through forty-nine were guest rooms, increasing in luxury with the height. The top floor included the pool, a revolving restaurant, and an observation deck. All this luxury, of course, was reflected in the price.

Carrying a mix of Earth Village currency, a camera, his phone, and a travel guide, Mai Hai headed to the restaurant.

The center of the dining room featured a Pharaoh-inspired structure, and the tables and stools were shaped like inverted pyramids. Mai Hai couldn’t resist snapping a few photos. Since it wasn’t quite peak dinner time, the room was relatively quiet.

It was a fully automated buffet. Mai Hai took a plate and followed the instructions in his manual. In front of the food stations were vertical panels with small circular holes. He held his wrist up to one. Suddenly, a small white tray carrying the specific food he wanted pushed through a glass-like membrane. The tray included a pair of small tongs. Intrigued, Mai Hai used the tongs to move a small piece of cake to his plate. Once he replaced the tongs, the tray retracted, and moments later, an identical cake appeared in its place.

After filling two plates and grabbing a carbonated drink, he found a window seat. A boxy robot wearing an apron pushed a cart past him, carrying freshly baked pizzas. Mai Hai pressed the red button on his wrist reader. The robot precisely reversed back to him and spoke in a mechanical voice: “How may I assist you?”

“I’ll take the pizza on the far right of the second row, please,” Mai Hai said.

The robot placed the pizza on the table, tapped its palm against Mai Hai’s wrist reader to process the charge, said “Enjoy your meal,” and continued on its way.

Trip to Egypt (Part 2)

Having enjoyed his dinner, Mai Hai set out with his bag, glasses, and a universal Earth credit card. His destination: the Egyptian Museum. It was nearing evening; the streets weren’t crowded, with only a few people browsing stalls or groups discussing where to eat.

Rarely able to enjoy a moment of true freedom, Mai Hai was incredibly happy. Before transmigrating, he worried about work and survival. After transmigrating, as a Prince, he was constantly flying between planets for diplomacy or studying etiquette and statecraft.

Now, finally, he had time to relax. He arrived at the museum, which was divided into four floors, including over a thousand exhibition halls and two large libraries. The first two floors housed the evidence of ancient civilization, while the third and fourth showcased the evolution of Egyptian technology.

The museum’s entrance incorporated ancient Egyptian art; the outer gate was a circular arch with European-style reliefs of Pharaohs in the niches—one holding papyrus, the other a lotus, symbolizing Upper and Lower Egypt. The gardens featured statues of famous Egyptologists, sphinxes, obelisks, and stone carvings.

The first floor displayed artifacts from the Old Kingdom (27th century BC) through the Roman period. The second floor contained specialized rooms for mummies, jewelry, coffins, and papyrus documents. One could see massive stone statues, gilded chariots, prehistoric pottery, and documents covering ancient science, law, and literature. He even saw mummies thousands of years old lying in coffins encrusted with gold and gems, perfectly preserved.

The third and fourth floors displayed exhibits based on technological progress across hundreds of halls. The third floor focused primarily on the advancement of daily-life technology…