The grand ballroom of The Crown Regent in New York was a sea of bodies, a glittering tide of high society packed so tightly it felt like the room itself might burst. Outside, paparazzi and onlookers formed a barricade, held back by a small army of private security.

  New York's elite had all converged here, drawn by the spectacle of the year: a wedding of monumental implications.

  Cocktail hour was in full swing, and though the official ceremony was still some time away, the air buzzed with champagne-fueled gossip about the couple of the hour.

  “I thought Caleb was still laid up in a hospital bed. How the hell is he getting married?”

  “Modern science is a funny thing. We’ve cracked interstellar travel, but medicine has plateaued for years. I’ve never heard of anyone actually recovering from a vegetative state.”

  “The bride’s here, the groom’s in a coma. How does that even work? A wedding by proxy?”

  “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. Medicine might have stalled, but in other areas… The Carrington family owns a high-tech firm, partnered with Aethelgard, that makes these ‘Human Mobility Rigs.’ They’re just going to suit Caleb up in one of those, and he’ll be able to walk down the aisle.”

  “I’ve heard of those. Are they actually market-ready?”

  “Been ready for a while. The factory production lines are already set up. I was in the closed beta last month—it was incredible. You can move freely just by using brain signals.”

  “Brain signals? Doesn't that require a bio-chip implant?”

  “Yup. Helios Biosciences developed a custom chip just for it.”

  “Damn, the Mordants have some serious pull to get their hands on Helios tech.”

  “Exactly. So today is basically a product showcase. Which means someone from the Carrington Family has to be here, right?”

  “Whoa! You think we’ll actually get to see the legendary Sebastian Carrington?”

  “Get real. Sebastian Carrington at a wedding of this caliber? His son, no, his grandson might make an appearance, if they’re lucky.”

  “True. The Mordant family might be a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, but compared to a trillion-dollar behemoth like the Carringtons, they’re small fry.”

  “‘Small fry’ is putting it mildly! Helios Biosciences is a Carrington subsidiary. The Carringtons are the trillion-dollar players. The Mordants just run a fund—most of that money isn't even theirs. Out of their ten-billion-dollar portfolio, they’d be lucky if a few hundred million was their own capital.”

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  “Exactly. The Mordants can act like hotshots in front of us regular folks, but to the Carringtons? They’re not even worthy of polishing their shoes.”

  “Speaking of which, the bride is from the Whitmore family. They’re no slouches either. Why would they let their daughter marry a man in a vegetative state?”

  “You haven’t heard? The Whitmores look pristine on the surface, but that burnout son of theirs, Seth, has bled them dry.”

  “Tell me about it. The Whitmores still owe my company a billion for that construction project.”

  “I’m out three billion. If it wasn’t for the family’s reputation, I’d have gone straight to Edmund himself by now.”

  “Man… The Whitmores were one of the great Texan dynasties. To think they’d be brought down by a punk kid like Seth.”

  “That's life.”

  .....

  As time passed, the five hundred tables in the grand hall filled to capacity. The aisles were a warren of journalists and hovering camera drones, all jockeying for position.

  At precisely six o’clock in the evening, the house lights dimmed. Every eye in the room turned to the main stage.

  A lavish performance began, featuring one of the most famous bands in the Americas. When their set concluded, the master of ceremonies took the stage.

  “Respected guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to…”

  The tycoons and socialites below paid him little mind, lost in their own hushed conversations.

  “So, you think the Carringtons will actually send someone?”

  “I’m honestly just curious to see how a man in a coma gets married on stage.”

  “I heard Caleb Mordant is awake, he just can’t move.”

  “Paralyzed head to toe? That’s basically a vegetative state with window dressing.”

  “Who cares about Caleb? I’m here to see the bride. In Texas, they call Lila the most beautiful woman in the state.”

  “Well, look at her mother. That was Becky, the most brilliant—and beautiful—research scientist in the Americas back in her day.”

  “Such a shame. A beautiful life cut short.”

  “Heh. If she hadn’t died, how could Edmund Whitmore have married the governor’s daughter?”

  “Edmund’s something else, man. Knocking up the governor’s daughter while he was still married.”

  “And what good did it do him? That bastard son is the one who ran the family into the ground.”

  “Haha, guess that’s what you call karma.”

  “Poor Lila, though…”

  “Poor? Don’t waste your pity. Even a broke Whitmore is richer than God to the rest of us.”

  “That’s true, haha.”

  “Shut up, look at the stage…”

  A middle-aged man had joined the MC on stage.

  The MC announced, “As you all know, the groom, Mr. Caleb Mordant, is experiencing some… mobility challenges due to his tireless work for his family’s enterprise. You may be wondering how he will be joining us today. To explain, please welcome the Chief Technical Officer from Helios Biosciences and a consultant for the Carrington Group’s ‘Sunbeam Mobility Rig’ project, Dr. Jonathan Pierce!”

  Polite applause rippled through the hall, accompanied by a fresh wave of whispers.

  “Called it. The Carringtons didn’t send a family member.”

  “Of course not. Why would they?”

  “Talk about kissing ass. The Mordants are actually using their son’s wedding for a product launch.”

  “It’s the Carrington family. Their influence is massive. If you could get one of their top people on stage at your event, wouldn’t you?”

  On stage, Jonathan Pierce gave a slick, concise presentation on the mobility rig.

  “The A-Series is our full-body exoskeleton. Even if a user has suffered catastrophic skeletal damage, the rig can articulate their limbs, neck, and even facial expressions. The Z-Series is a pure neural interface model. If the user’s body is functional but their brain’s motor cortex is damaged and cannot issue commands, this system bypasses the problem, allowing for complete freedom of movement. This is the model the groom is using today. We also offer the C- and D-Series, among others, for varying levels of assistance.

  Furthermore, we are developing a custom configuration platform to provide tailored support for any specific patient impairment. We look forward to sharing more with you soon.”

  The applause that followed was thunderous and genuine. This technology was a miracle for patients with neurological disorders and disabilities. It was the promise of a normal life.

  Not long after Jonathan left the stage, the grand doors at the back of the ballroom finally swung open.

  A man and a woman entered, arm in arm.

  On the left was the groom, Caleb Mordant, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, a calm smile on his face. Beside him, radiant in her gown and breathtaking to behold, was the bride, Lila.

  Caleb walked with an uncanny smoothness, almost—but not quite—human. His movements were fluid and confident, with only the barest hint of rigidity in his posture.

  If they hadn’t been told beforehand, no one in the room would have ever guessed they were looking at a man who, on his own, could only move his eyes.