Looking through all of her scheduled appointments, Vivian was excited to see Del as her most recent request that she quickly accepted. Vivian and Del had been dating for several weeks now, but this was the first time that he had been a client. He hired her to join him at a Gala hosted by the CEO of Stellar Dynamics, one of the most powerful corporations in human history, and certainly one of the most violent and ruthless in pursuit of its goals.

Regardless of the number of ultra-rich psychopaths that were going to be in attendance, the highest-class affair was something she was very much looking forward to, especially as she would be able to spend it with Del. 

Vivian had very much settled into her new home. She was generally pretty good about cleaning up after herself after it had been drilled into her head for so long, but now that she had her own space with nobody constantly looking over her shoulder, some things started falling to the wayside. Her floor and furniture was gradually becoming covered in discarded clothing, and many of the surfaces were gathering dishes and trash that she never felt like putting away.

Ordering a companion wasn't an option that she was aware of until weeks into her residence here, but when she did finally realize that she could, she hesitated. It still felt like somebody would be watching over her, and she wasn't exactly wrong. Instead, the layer of clothing that covered the floor continued to grow as she ordered more outfits, trying to find the perfect one for the Gala.

After a week of mulling on several different outfits, Vivian settled on a tight dress with a deep v-neck and a high cut exposing her thigh. She completed the look with a pair of high heels and a rose in her hair that she would order on the day to make sure it was fresh.

Vivian was well-trained in etiquette, but took time to brush up with some digital practice and studying old movies and TV shows.

Vivian was ready hours before the gala started, but she never felt so. Even up to the moments before Del arrived in his personal transport, she was still meddling with her hair or jewelry and adjusting how her dress sat. When she heard the subtle hum of the transport arriving on her landing pad, Vivian rushed to the door, then calmly and elegantly exited to meet Del.

"Whenever I'm not with you," he said, "I seem to forget just how stunningly beautiful you are." Del was himself dressed to the nines in an understated black tuxedo with a high collar that accentuated his jawline. He also had a handkerchief in his pocket that transitioned to red to match Vivian.

"Speak for yourself," she said.

The two met with a gentle embrace and a kiss before stepping into the transport. After weeks of her residency on Nexus Spire, the novelty of the wondrous city and the massive spire was starting to wane, but it still took her breath away as they sailed through the skyline. Vivian expected the transport to take them to the top of the Spire, but they were instead whisked away to a tower that stood in solitary near the edge of the city.

The exclusivity of the Gala was clear at a distance. There was a line forming that their transport locked into. Gradually each vessel would land at a pad on the rooftop where the passengers were dropped onto a red carpet that led them to a large, luxuriously decorated space. Vivian was already growing tired of the red carpets that the rich and popular insisted on for their events, but she had to admit that this event was far-and-away the most opulent that she had been to yet.

She was surprised to see a lack of paparazzi and camera drones. It was refreshing to not have hundreds of people closely inspecting and critiquing her appearance, but it was also more unsettling to have them replaced with the critical eyes of a bunch of ultra-rich psychopaths.

Vivian could feel their gaze on her. She felt out of place, but also exactly where she should be. Every person she looked at had an air of darkness around them and would fit well as the villain in a film of television show, and head among them as the host of the Gala. Anton Walsh-Perez stood just inside the entryway to greet each arriving guest. His silver glow was hard to ignore as Vivian approached on the arm of Del.

"Mr. Bojang," Anton said, "I'm glad you were able to make it." The two clasped hands in greeting.

"You say that as if I had the willpower to refuse." Del laughed, then gestured to the woman next him. "This is Vivian Frost."

"Welcome, Ms. Frost." Anton kissed her hand. "A name befitting of that beautiful platinum mane. I do hope you enjoy your stay. Just make sure Mr. Bojang stays out of trouble, would you?"

"Certainly, sir. I won't be loosening my grip anytime soon." Vivian smiled and laughed.

Many of the rest of the guests had an expectedly unsettling color to them. Vivian knew that most of the people invited here had attained their wealth through the oppression of anyone and everyone they could take advantage of. Seeing their dark auras up close was exciting to her. Many of them were blacks, blues, and greys, but one guest radiated a deep red that sent chills down Vivian's spine.

For the most part, Vivian was patient. She didn't mind waiting by Del's side as he introduced her around the room and made innocuous conversation, but when she saw the man surrounded by red, she couldn't help but tug on Del's arm and point him out.

"Hmmm..." Del held his chin after scanning the man's bearded face. "That's Dr. Hayden Ibarra, head of  SynGen Cybernetic Pharmaceuticals. I know his company, but I haven't met him yet."

"Shall we?" Vivian asked. Del was surprised at Vivian's forwardness. After many conversations since they had met, Del was under the impression that she wasn't a big fan of the ultra-rich class. At this point, he was surprised that she was still with him, or that she'd even agreed to go with him. Of course, she was getting paid, but he expected this to be something of a torrid affair for her. Instead, she was reminiscent of a kid in a candy shop.

As they approached Dr. Ibarra, the man's gaze drifted to Vivian and stuck to her. Vivian wasn't sure if it was her stark-white hair, piercing blue eyes, or her exquisite dress that had caught his attention, but he was laser-focused on her until she stood before him.

"Dr. Ibarra," Del said, presenting his hand to shake. "I'm Delano Bojang founder of-"

"TitanArc Foundry." Dr. Ibarra finished the sentence for him with a smile as he took Del's hand. "I've heard of it. Quite explosive growth your company has been seeing!"

"Thank you, truly!" Del let his cool demeanor drop when he shook the man's hand, unable to hide the humble blush in his smile. Dr. Ibarra was happy to be fawned over, but Del could see his gaze drifting over to his beautiful companion, and he couldn't blame him. "Please, let me introduce you to Vivian Frost."

Dr. Ibarra presented an open palm to Vivian, but she hesitated for a moment before taking it. The darkness surrounding the man was a kind of violence that was a stark contrast to the man's outwardly pleasant presentation.

"I must apologize for staring," he said. "You seem to stand out in a crowd in more ways than one."

"I hope that's a compliment." Vivian smirked as Dr. Ibarra gently took her hand.

"Standing out among all these people is not an easy feat."

"What is it that makes me stand out?"

"Certainly your eyes and hair are a beautiful statement, but if I'm being honest, it was the lack of a readily available profile that caught my attention."

"Refreshing, isn't it?" Del said.

"Any particular reason for it?" Dr. Ibarra asked. "Beyond privacy concerns, I suppose."

"Well," Vivian said, brushing her hair off the back of her neck, "I don't have a BSI, and I didn't care to set up a facial recognition thing."

"No BSI?" Dr. Ibarra raised an eyebrow. "Now that is quite the feat. I doubt there's a single other person here at the gala that doesn't have one. Maybe in the rest of the tower below us either. How is it that you made your way to this part of society without a BSI?"

"I have to admit, I don't think it would have been possible without my white knight, in a manner of speaking." Vivian hugged closely against Del's arm.

"Oh? You saved her?"

"I interrupted a bad situation, sure, but after getting to know her a bit, I'm starting to think she could have handled herself."

"Oh stop!" Vivian playfully slapped Del's shoulder.

"What?" Del laughed. "Anyone here can see that you're in very good shape, and that guy was pretty scrawny."

"The guy had a knife though..."

"Even so, I think you could take him."

"I may not know much about you, but on first impressions alone, I'll have to agree with Mr. Bojang here," Dr. Ibarra said with a smile. "I certainly wouldn't want to get in a fight with you."

Despite his outwardly warm demeanor, the dark aura surrounding Dr. Ibarra betrayed a violent and malicious persona to Vivian. She blushed and smiled coyly nonetheless.

Their conversation was short as Del's purpose here was to interact with as many people as possible. Vivian had no issues. She was glad to be out of Dr. Ibarra's presence. She didn't care to be in the presence of any of the trillionaires attendance for very long. She'd had a few qualms about Del, and she still did, but when compared to the rest of the ultra-rich at the gala, Del's presence was easily the most comforting and inviting.

Most of the rest of them were quite similar in their apparent psychopathy. They were after money and political power, and were willing to use anyone and everyone to get it. There was, however, one other standout.

"Whoa, who is that?" Vivian asked. She didn't need to point him out as Del was very much aware of his existence the moment the man entered his eyeline.

"Yeah... That's Alaric Voss," Del said. "As you can tell, he's a bit eccentric, even more so than anyone else here, which is not easy to do." Del chuckled to himself. "Kinda reminds me of that Bond villain, but instead of gilding a woman, he likes to cover himself in gold."

"Yellow, actually." Vivian was compelled to correct him.

The man was solid yellow from head to toe. In addition to his wardrobe, his skin, hair, and even his eyes were the same perfect yellow hue. If his appearance wasn't loud enough, Vivian could see the matching yellow color extending beyond his physical body and beaming like a star.

"Does he?" Vivian asked. Del cocked his head. "Turn women yellow or whatever?" She made Del laugh, but continued. "I mean, what does he do?"

"He's also in biotech. Has his hands in plenty of pies, but his organ cloning business is the largest in the galaxy. It's called Carcosa." Del shook his head. "Kindof a terrible name, in my opinion. I'd rather not be reminded of a carcass when I need an organ transplant, but considering how big his company is, I might be the only one that feels that way."

"Seems like an interesting fellow," Vivian said.

"'Interesting' is an interesting way to describe him."

"So, you know him?"

"Not really. I've never met him in person, but his eccentricity and reclusiveness have bred more than a few rumors."

"Ohhh?" Vivian's interest was piqued at the prospect of ultra-rich gossip. "Do tell."

"The guy's company, Carcosa, is based on a planet that he settled and also called Carcosa. Word is that no other people than Mr. Voss have set foot on the planet. What isn't rumor is that his company is almost entirely run by AI."

"He doesn't seem like much of a recluse if he comes to these galas."

"That's a fair point, but I don't think he comes very often. In fact, now I'm wondering why he's even here in the first place."

"Should we go find out?"

Even though the man was spending his time alone in a corner, it was difficult to approach him. Mr. Voss carried a steely gaze without emotion whatsoever. When Del and Vivian approached, his demeanor didn't change in the slightest, but he still had the courtesy to shake their hands in greeting and introduce himself. Vivian expected the yellow substance to rub off on her hands and was surprised to see none. It wasn't a topical makeup, but rather a color that had been directly applied to his skin.

"What brings you to the gala?" Del asked.

"I've been told I need to keep up appearances to boost and retain funding. My physical body might be here for business purposes, but please forgive me if my mind is elsewhere."

"Of course, Mr. Voss," Del said. "I doubt if many of the guests here are fully present."

Much of the interaction between Del and Mr. Voss took place in cyberspace after they had exchanged greetings and contact info. Vivian could do little except inspect the man's image up close. 

"I hope you don't mind me saying," Vivian said, "that's quite the appearance."

"I could say the same to you," Mr. Voss said.

"Can I ask for some skincare tips?"

"Replace your skin with a genetically modified variant," Mr. Voss said. "Not to say that your skin isn't already perfect in many ways." His tone was straight forward, but Vivian and Del laughed nonetheless. Mr. Voss's expression didn't change at all.

"Oh, stop!" Vivian blushed and looked away.

"If not to change tone or hue, at least to boost your UV protection and significantly reduce risk of cancers," Mr. Voss continued. Though it had suddenly become an awkward attempt at a sale, Vivian found herself interested in the prospect. Mr. Voss tried to sweeten the deal. "We can do it while keeping your current, immaculate skin intact. If you so choose, we can put it on a mannequin for you to display, or even a companion for... a little more."

"That's... uhh... quite the offer," Del said. "What do you think, Vivian? Has science gone too far?"

"On the contrary, Mr. Bojang," Mr. Voss said. "Science hasn't gone far enough. Not yet, anyway."

Neither Del, nor Vivian were willing to press Mr. Voss any further. When the conversation petered out, they moved along to the next psychopath. For the next few hours, they drifted along, Del networking with as many people as he could, and Vivian basking in the questionably forward compliments toward her.

The night concluded with a high-altitude firework show. The explosions lit up the night sky and the surface of Nexus brighter than the second sun. They were far enough away that the sound was reduced to a low rumble like a distant thunderstorm.

Shortly after the display, Del returned Vivian to her home on the Spire. Their contract for the night was complete, but after hearing all the things that the attendees had to say about Vivian, Del couldn't resist staying for a few hours. He was rich enough that he could have just about anybody he wished, but he didn't want to have anyone. Rather, he was ecstatic that Vivian would have him.

And have him she did. Del repeated many of the compliments they had heard as whispers into her ear while they were together. In those moments lost in ecstasy, Del wasn't fully aware of just how close they were becoming. It was no longer just sex, like it had always been for him. He was starting to see the woman in his future.

It was frightening in a way that he had never experienced before. It was novel and exciting. He knew passion, but never for another person. When they parted ways with a kiss, he felt suddenly empty and alone. He had to resist the urge to return to her and ask her to move in with him. He knew he wouldn't be able to resist for long.

Vivian was already asleep by the time he had stepped out the door after he had gotten dressed. She wasn't asleep for long.

She began to stir at the ruffle of her bedsheets, but before she opened her eyes, a black bag was pulled over her head and she was bound.