Hypersonic festive break part three

Julie Conti stood in her Seattle penthouse on December 22nd, watching the morning rain streak down floor-to-ceiling windows. Her friends Carrie and Marie would arrive within the hour for their end-of-December shopping expedition. The itinerary was ambitious but entirely achievable in 2048: Seattle’s premium district today and tomorrow, post-Christmas Milan from the 26th to 28th, then Sydney for New Year’s shopping and celebrations.

The real indulgence wasn’t the shopping itself but the homes they’d rented. The Seattle mansion in Medina, formerly owned by a tech billionaire, now available on the luxury sharing market for those taking December sabbaticals. Eight bedrooms, a holographic entertainment suite, views across Lake Washington, and an AI-managed kitchen that could prepare Michelin-quality meals on demand. Cost for three nights split three ways came to what Julie’s grandmother would have spent on a used car, but in the post-AGI economy, it was merely a pleasant extravagance.