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the hallway of the hotel as they were expecting, but in another hallway entirely.

Seventh Heaven
     
    The door opened into a brightly lit hallway.  Ava and Asher had to squint, the light was so bright.  Dorian seemed to have no such problem with the change.  
    The hallway was five meters tall and ten meters long.  It opened into a large room filled with people moving about.
    Dorian led the way.  “Welcome to the Seventh.  This is our Jump Center.  It’s an airport of sorts, where all our agents jump from and back to.  Ages ago we used to just jump in and out anywhere, but random accidents kept occurring.  Agents jumping in right in front of a speeding hover bus—that sort of thing.  We find this simplifies things.”
    He showed them to the observatory deck where they could see for miles in every direction.  
    The Jump Center was high above the city below.  Outside, the afternoon sun was shining.  Skyscrapers and walkways stretched as far as the eye could see, with hovers and speeders zipping every which way.
    Asher’s jaw dropped as he looked out over the vista.  If Chicago had been impressive, this was absolutely mind-blowing.  He could almost feel the masses of people that surrounded him below.
    “We’re lucky the skies are clear.  Sometimes the clouds interfere with the view.”  Dorian allowed the couple to make their way around the observatory, checking out the full three hundred and sixty degrees.  “Sorry to interrupt, but we are on a bit of a schedule, I’m afraid.  There is a tour waiting for you, and then we have prepared a dinner for your arrival.  Many members of the cabinet will be attending, as well as the Prime Minister, herself.  She is most looking forward to meeting you two.”
    The couple exchanged glances, neither one knowing quite what to make of the news.  Ava was the first to break eye contact.  “Lead the way,” she said.
    “I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you for the tour, but I’ll see you again at the dinner tonight.  Not to worry though, you’ll be well taken care of,” Dorian replied.
    As he was speaking, a hover pulled alongside the observatory deck and docked with it.  A door slid open, and a smiling woman greeted them.  “Ava, Asher, I’d like you to meet Sylvia.  She’ll be giving you your tour and anything else that you might require during your stay with us.”  
    They said, hello, and Sylvia showed them on board.  Inside, the hover was spacious.  Long couches lined the passenger cabin walls.  There was a door at one end of the cabin leading to the cockpit.
    Dorian said goodbye, and took his leave.
    The hover’s door slid down, leaving Ava, Asher, and Sylvia in relative silence.
    “I understand you two haven’t been fitted with any tech yet, is that correct?” Sylvia asked.
    Bewildered expressions crossed the couple’s faces.
    “Right, I’ll take that as a yes.”  The tour guide left the cabin and returned holding two thin bands in her hands.  “Here we go.”  She fitted the first on Ava.
    The ends of the horseshoe-shaped bands went in the ears where they expanded gently, filling her earlobe.  Even though her ear canal was blocked off, Ava could still hear everything around her perfectly.  
    The rest of the band ran up the temples and across the forehead where two slim projectors protruded slightly at the left and right eyes.  After a few moments, she could no longer tell that she was even wearing the band.
    Sylvia helped Asher with his and then gave them a brief tutorial.
    “These will allow you to interact with our world and each other.  You’ll also be linked into the grid so you can access any info you may need know.  The bands will monitor your brain waves, much like the nanites that we use do, and if you want it, provide the information that you seek.  Only if that information is known, however.  For instance, it can’t give you any information about future events or what lies beyond our galaxy in space.”