Sunday, 8:00 PM. Aether Capital Headquarters, Palo Alto.
The co-working space Sofia had leased for us was a masterpiece of modern tech-bro aesthetics. It was a massive, open-plan loft with exposed brick walls, polished concrete floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. It was filled with expensive, uncomfortable minimalist furniture, a fully stocked artisanal coffee bar, and enough high-speed fiber-optic cable to run a small country.
It looked exactly like the kind of place a mysterious European angel investor would use to throw his weight around.
I stood near the center of the room, a glass of sparkling water in my hand, watching the guests arrive. I was wearing a dark, unstructured blazer over a high-end black t-shirt—the uniform of the Valley elite. The [Silicon Ghost] skill hummed in the background, ensuring my posture, my vocabulary, and my micro-expressions perfectly matched the environment.
