The Masterpiece

One year later, the city of Dubai was a glittering jewel of titanium and glass rising from the golden desert sands. At exactly twelve o'clock noon, a fleet of sovereign helicopters circled the summit of the Celestial Spire, broadcasting live television coverage to over two billion viewers across the globe. The final, ceremonial carbon-nanotube spire segment—a sixty-meter tapering needle of polished composite alloy—was lowered into place by a heavy-lift Sikorsky…