Let's summarize what's happened so far to clear up any confusion. I woke up to discover I had amnesia and was actually a civil servant. I learned I'd been paid throughout my unconscious period, and that I needed to complete my last three assignments to retire.
My first assignment was at a facility on Earth. There, I inadvertently caused the death of a mad scientist named Ukar. My second assignment was at the Dermovox facility. Significantly, I didn't cause anyone's death there. This was a crucial development.
Frankly, everything seemed to be going as planned. Although a few names had entered my life, I hadn't heard them again. For instance, John Crowrift… I'd expected that name to suddenly appear on the back of my neck one night, but no one seemed to recognize it. However, the name Dante Shade, which I'd heard at the Dermovox facility, felt somewhat familiar, unlike John's. In fact, after hearing that name, it triggered a memory in me while I was sleeping during our subsequent journey.
I mentioned my father before, didn't I? I saw him in his military uniform in my previous dream, standing over my mother's deathbed. Though he didn't hide my mother's passing from me, he didn't allow this painful event to unfold before my eyes. From another perspective; I couldn't be with my mother before she died. My father, being a soldier, wasn't particularly emotionally intelligent.
His emotional side manifested in a different way. When he was bored, or when I annoyed him, he'd say he wanted to spend father-son time, take our automatic flying car, and drive us to Guardian Park.
This park was one of the few that hadn't lost its original natural state. The reason it hadn't been restored with new technology was that the man who owned the park's deed was a very old, old-fashioned nobleman. Until he died, neither could the park be renovated by robots, nor could any company demolish it and claim the land.
The ones who maintained this solitary and neglected park were ordinary folk. Perhaps a programmer, a soldier, or a teacher would come, trim some of the grass, water the flowers, and clear the branches of the trees. In return, they'd walk their robot dog, lay their baby on the grass, and perhaps spend a lovely evening with their significant other.
It wasn't just well-intentioned people who came to the park. There were many who came from outside, trying to steal flowers. These people would walk in casually, confidently plucking flowers and stuffing them into their bags as if they weren't committing any crime. Of course, they could act so freely at first. Later, they drew considerable backlash.
The reason they did this was that natural flowers truly fetched a good price. Back then, it was almost impossible to find any living organism that could grow and thrive in soil. Plants and flowers were grown in nano-technological greenhouses, without soil. Was there any difference between them? Absolutely not. In fact, scientists had confirmed that plants grew more efficiently and healthily in technological greenhouses. But some people were nostalgic and preferred a flower plucked from the soil.
Because of this, flowers in many parts of the park had been plucked, and those areas had begun to barren. Later, although some people caught these thieves and gave them a good beating, they couldn't stop the thefts. Firstly, even if they handed the thieves over to the police, the police did nothing. The companies that wanted to buy this land had given such orders to the police. They were doing everything in their power to devalue the land.
Because according to the Environmental Change Law, if any company were to destroy greenery and build a structure on it, they would pay an incredible amount of money based on the greenery ratio per square meter. Especially if these were not simple green spaces, this ratio would be multiplied by a certain factor, increasing the cost even further.
Secondly, the elderly nobleman who owned the park was not vigorous enough to impose any sanctions on the thieves entering the park. He was bedridden… On the verge of death. His word held no sway in the outside world; he couldn't even speak. This old man, a very wealthy businessman of old, had lived for approximately 230 years, which meant he had seen many industrial revolutions.
My father had created a small artificial pond in the corner of this park by drawing water with a hose. Don't let me call it an artificial pond; only one boat could fit in it. In this era where rivers had dried up and lakes had been destroyed, even such a pond brought peace. He had released two artificial frogs into this pond, observing their reproduction with joy. He also had a flock of ducks he'd bought… It had cost him quite a bit, but he liked them very much. He named the mother duck Commander, and the ducklings strange names in order.
Now, you'll ask me how I remember so many details if I've lost my memory. I don't know… If I were only experiencing simple Retrochronic Visual Amnesia, as IVA suggested, I should only be able to remember things I've seen, right? Perhaps I was experiencing a different kind of memory loss.
One day, I got into a big fight at school. My father, being a soldier, didn't send a drone assistant; he showed up himself to pick me up. He was seething with anger, yet there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Before he could start laying into me, I tried to explain myself, but he cut me off.
"The teachers told me why you fought," he stated in a definitive tone. A long silence followed. Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me, and I blurted out:
"Where are we going, Dad?"
"To the park, Edgard. To the park…"
Normally, whenever my father had to come to school, he'd ban me from touching my broken robot dog for a whole week. But this time, he meticulously told me to bring it along as we headed to the park.
The park was as quiet as usual. Only a very old woman, dressed in a shimmering floral dress, lay on her spread-out blanket, picnicking. She was reading a book, her arm wrapped around a photograph of her husband.
Typically, kids of this era would either shiver at such a sight or, at the very least, wouldn't understand it. But I had lived among the folks in this park long enough to know what nostalgia was.
"Welcome, children… What happened, Marcin? Did Edgard cause trouble again?" the woman chirped, putting her book aside and waving at us. It was as if, while picnicking, this 120-year-old woman suddenly gained the energy of a twenty-something. She was swinging her feet in the air.
"Don't even ask, Ms. Seraph…"
"I'm not asking, Marcin. Just don't be too hard on my handsome Edgard, alright, dear?"
"I'll try not to be."
"Promise, Marcin…"
"I promise, Ms. Seraph." The woman's face was wrinkled with age, and she got breathless when she struggled to speak. So, when she lay back down and started reading her book again, she seemed to find a peace as if she were resting in heaven.
My father was busy with things he'd taken out of his bag by the small pond, while I played with my broken robot dog to avoid getting yelled at as much as possible. When I threw the ball, it didn't have a kennel around it, so the ball could always return to me, and this broken dog robot didn't fall into any coding errors.
After playing fetch with the dog for a while, I noticed my father setting up his usual chair and placing a bottle in the coffee holder. When I took the ball and went over to him, my robot dog kept barking.
"Dad, are you drinking alcohol?" It was something I'd heard about but never seen. I was surprised. Seeing it in a society that had last seen alcoholics 100 years ago was truly astonishing. Nowadays, people used different things to get drunk or addicted.
"Yes…" he said, pouring Scotch whisky into his glass.
"Why?"
"To clear my head…"
"You could have taken a serotonin band to clear your head."
My father took a sip of his whisky, then opened one of the nearby chairs and gestured for me to sit.
"Sometimes people want to clear their heads, but they don't want to lose their unhappiness while doing it. Clearing your head but failing to do so, that's the most beautiful way to clear your head, son."
As I sat in the chair next to my father, I asked: "Why are you unhappy? Is it because of me?"
"No…"
"Is it about work?"
"Would you believe it? Yes… It's about work."
"What happened?"
"The Supreme World Republic apparently wants to reform the national armies."
I just stayed silent. Even though the man had a grimace on his face, he seemed to have more to say. Being a ranked officer, he couldn't appear weak to those below him, nor could he share his troubles with them. When my mother passed away, he lost his only confidante. It was then that I realized my father had no one left but me. Just as I had no one left but him…
Then I thought a little more. Yes… My father was the only family I had, but I could talk to my friends. Like Garry… I could tell him everything I thought, play games with him however I wanted, and we could even secretly make a list ranking the girls in class. But my father… I wasn't even sure if my father had any friends.
"Edgard… Countries keep making mistakes. First, they entered the 4th World War. Then, wounded and having lost almost everything, countries gave all authority to the Supreme World Republic. They believed the salvation of the world was only with the S.W.R. And then, as if giving so much authority wasn't enough, they said, 'Let's exist as states under a single Republic and law,' and all countries carelessly accepted it. I can definitely understand that, but this is still a country, still an empire. A country with ministers, with autonomous legal experts, with citizens.
Yes, the war defeated us and brought us to the brink of extinction, but wasn't the reason we fought to be free? Now that the Supreme World Republic can control our armies too, why do countries still exist? If there's no independence, what's the point?"
"Why do they want reform?"
"They think these old-style armies will be useless in potential space wars. As if they don't have their own army, as if it's not enough to use our army, now they've started interfering with the structure of our army too. I… I fought in space for 10 years just for the Supreme World Republic! 10 years might have passed here, but it was about 30 years on the planet I went to. Now they're telling us that armies will be robots, and if you want to stay in the army, you'll become a Enchanced!"
"So, you're going to be unemployed, Dad?"
"No… No matter how little importance countries have left, a country is still a country. Especially if that country is the Neo-Britain Empire… Can the Chief of Staff of this empire simply become unemployed so easily? I don't think so."
"So what's bothering you?"
"You wouldn't understand, don't bother your little head with it…" I didn't know if I should take that as an insult. As my father drank from the bottle incessantly, I could see the glistening wetness around the corner of his mouth.
"I want you to tell me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes… Absolutely sure."
"Let me put it this way. The Supreme World Republic (S.W.R.) no longer wants humans in its army. As you know, being Enhanced is very trendy these days. It's a known fact that Enhanced individuals don't need as much food, waste disposal, or water as humans do. The S.W.R. wants human soldiers appointed by countries to be relieved of their duties and replaced by robots. They're saying that any remaining human soldiers must be at least captains, and those captains must be Enhanced. Even a Chief like me can't convince them to change their minds, because the other countries supported this decision. Or maybe they didn't, but that's what we're told. The Supreme World Republic isn't very transparent."
"Why don't they give up…?"
"Because the Republic is all about money… I can't help but wonder if we made a mistake after the 4th World War, leaving the entire planet's control to the Supreme World Republic. Even though there's no financial power that can stand against the S.W.R., it's incredibly frustrating that they're still chasing money. Because the scientists of that era coded all the software that controls and governs the Republic to build the richest and most powerful republic. The S.W.R. has an insatiable desire to be an unstoppable force, and with all its logic, it's striving to be the strongest. Logic… They're a government trying to do what's most logical for humanity… We have a Republic obsessed with progress." He paused for a moment, then continued:
"There are many rebellions in the colonies, as you know. It takes a really long time for soldiers to reach the colonies by spaceship. Throughout these journeys, spaceships have to be specifically designed for humans. To meet the soldiers' needs, they require large storage areas and enough supplies to fill them, as well as special living quarters. They want to turn humans into robots to get rid of all these requirements."
"But weren't Enhanced individuals said to live longer? To live a higher quality of life…"
"A higher quality, but more robotic life…" He paused for a moment, examining his glass. He was trying to rein in his anger. "I don't know, Edgard. My human side just can't accept it. Not just all those people being unemployed, but I also can't stomach robots becoming soldiers, or the mandatory Enhancement of remaining humans…"
"Aren't robots good? They don't make mistakes, after all," I said, throwing the ball to my robot dog at my feet one more time. Then I yelled: "Don't bring the ball back and go into sleep mode there… See how well they obey."
"Sometimes, mistakes are necessary," my father said, taking another sip from his glass and grimacing. Then he started refilling the whisky. "We humans, to become soldiers, go through countless historical war simulations and train for years. We learn the atrocities of war, we feel emotions. Perhaps even compassion… That battlefield teaches us not just how to shoot, but war itself. The horror of war, its cruelty… But those robots are just weapons that hit their targets better than humans." He took a big gulp from his glass. He coughed a little. In the 2400s, any human body unaccustomed to alcohol would react quite normally. As he refilled the glass once more, his eyes watered, and his nose ran. He pulled a tissue from his bag and blew his nose. Normally, these needs should have been taken care of by a robot assistant. "Edgard… Shall I tell you the difference between a human and a robot? Humans take initiative. Even without knowing why."
"I understand, Dad…"
There was a moment of silence. My old father, realizing he had talked too much, felt he had to change the subject.
"Well… Forget about me. Why did you get into a fight, let's hear it," my father finally said. The question came at a moment I least expected the topic to shift to me.
"Same old stuff…"
"Racism?"
"Yes… Because my mom was Australian, they don't want me around. They call me violent and ostracize me. They do this even though they know my mom died after treatment, which really gets on my nerves. I can't take it, so I jump on them and bang their heads against the wall."
"Those are actions that prove them right," he said, and the old man chuckled for a long time. "You're doing exactly what they say." My father took a sip from his glass and continued speaking. "Your grandmother, and even her mother, refused to get treatment even though they got sick from the bomb. You know, when these neurological disease incidents started to emerge, autonomous regions inhabited only by Australians were built. These were special towns built for Australians who didn't want treatment. I can understand why they didn't want it, because the treatment had a very low probability of causing a fatal illness.
Your grandmother and her mother never left that town. I met your mother when I went there on a mission. Her beauty captivated me. No prejudice could stand against that beauty, and I fell in love with her. We flirted for a while, lived as lovers for a while, and then got married. Even though both our families were against it, we got married. To get your mother out of the autonomous region, I took responsibility for her, and we moved here together. To Riverloop… It wasn't forbidden for us to have a child, but we knew that any child we had couldn't become a civil servant in any way. Or be free in any way… Even when they married, someone would need to take responsibility for them."
"Then what happened?"
"Your mother knew I wanted a soldier for a child. She secretly left home, secretly broke my assistant's code to get approval, and secretly got treated. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad about this. I had seen many people fall ill right after treatment, but at first, everything was going well. You were born, you took your first steps, you started going to school. You know the rest… But I want to tell you this, son. Your mother, Jenny, was truly a great hero, son. Even though she came here to seek refuge in Neo-Britain territory, just like my family, she was a true hero."
"Oh… What a lovely father-son time you're having…" a voice rose from behind us, from a distance. The owner of the voice wore a long black overcoat that enveloped their entire body. They had a bony jaw and prominent cheekbones. Despite their masculine facial features, their blue eyes seemed very sympathetic. They paused for a moment and smiled. Then, extending a black-gloved hand, they said: "I hope I'm not interrupting your fun."
"No… You're definitely not," my father said, seemingly clenching his teeth.
Despite the visitor's sympathetic eyes and gentle demeanor, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should be wary of this man. He extended his hand to me and said: "You must be Edgard Grom, correct? Son of Neo-Britain's Chief of Staff… Son of War Veteran Marcin Grom…"
"Son of the Chief of Staff of an empire that no longer exists," my father interjected.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. What is your name?" I asked.
"My name, young man…" He snapped his fingers. A drone assistant, gliding on two wheels, followed him a little further away. It quickly came behind the man, dropped a metal piece from its belly, and returned to its place. The metal piece that fell to the ground transformed into a chair, and as the stranger sat down, he said: "…my name is Dante Shade, young man. Pleased to meet you."
"And who are you?"
"He works for the Supreme World Union… Pardon me, Republic…" my father added.
"I can say I'm a close friend of your father. And it's impossible not to mention that your father is also an incredibly great joker. The Union became a Republic about 20 years ago and gained all authority… Isn't it funny that he still confuses them?"
My father tossed his glass into his bag. He started drinking alcohol directly from the bottle. Dante Shade smiled when he saw my father's state and turned to me:
"Would you like me to give you a little history lesson, young man? More than a history lesson, I'd like to give you a life lesson. It might even be an explanatory anecdote about why your father, a true tough guy, is so angry.
Countries might have been the first to conquer space, but countries had other preoccupations. Politics, war, hunger, global warming, etc. That's why the first conquerors of space were private companies freed from such concerns. During the Age of Expansion, many private companies from many countries were roaming uncontrollably in space.
How were the United Nations going to monitor space when they couldn't even solve problems between countries? That's why they established the Supreme World Union to represent Earth compared to other planets and colonies and to maintain order in space. This Union, with its 12 institutions, ensured the smooth running of affairs in space. This institution was not only supported by countries. A large portion of this Union's income came from the companies whose rights it defended, which is why it could be a neutral union.
Companies earned, paid taxes to countries with their earnings, and kept them afloat. All minerals, plants, and sciences collected from space were transferred to countries and their people. So what were countries doing? They made weapons. They started wars. They engaged in pissing contests with other countries, trying to tighten their iron fists. While all this was happening, it was always the people who suffered.
Countries knew they could control people as long as they had land. So what did people do? As soon as the Interstellar Expansion Regulation came into effect, they started fleeing to space, to live in colonies. Because they were fed up with their countries. With their controlling, old-fashioned, largely useless countries…
While countries here were chasing wars for trivial reasons, those in space were developing science, inventing weapons, conducting experiments. I can name two colonies more dangerous than all the countries on Earth combined. You know this too, Marcin."
My father merely sighed deeply. Dante Shade continued to narrate.
"While countries here were grappling with simple problems, the Supreme World Union, with only space authority and 12 institutions, largely disregarded by nations, was trying to maintain control over the galaxy.
And it wasn't complaining either. Not until the great 4th World War erupted and countries and people came to the brink of annihilating each other." Dante Shade turned to my father, accusingly, and changed his tone. "After the war, millions died. Water resources, the atmosphere, nature were completely ruined. The economy was shaken to its foundations. You poisoned Earth so much that it became impossible to clean. Earth and its inhabitants were in such a dire state that some predicted the world would be gone within 150 years." He looked at my father and smiled, but unlike any of his other smiles, this one wasn't unsettling; it was genuine. "After the 4th World War, the Supreme World Union didn't want to help you. You begged for their help. As countries, you asked them to curb you, to govern you. Space was a big enough problem for us."
"Get out of here!" my father yelled, standing up.
"You know this too, Marcin. The Supreme World Union governing the countries on Earth was just another burden for them."
"F*** off!" my father screamed, saliva dripping from his mouth. It was then I realized my father might be drunk.
"The Advanced Technological Unit of the Weapon Security Agency could destroy all your countries. We were the true owners in space of the companies that brought you technology! We never needed you or your army. We are calling your army for help in space because we are extending a hand of brotherhood to you."
"Damn it!" my father said, sitting back down in his chair and burying his face in his hands: "What am I doing? What is this demeanor? All these actions as a president are nothing short of a disgrace."
"You shouldn't care so much, Marcin. You're aware of it, that's why you can't maintain your composure. The presidency is no longer an important position as it once was. It's nothing more than a simple civil servant… That's why I came, Marcin."
"Why did you come, Dante?"
"For a job offer… Tiberion Solegard, the President of the Supreme World Republic, wants to meet with you. He's offering you the directorship of the Weapon Security Agency."
"Directorship? Why?"
"Perhaps he trusts you. Perhaps he thinks about what can be gained if a man as loyal to his country as you were to his, becomes loyal to the Supreme World Republic, who knows?" Dante extended his hand to his robot assistant, and the robot assistant gave him a chip. As Dante placed the chip in my father's hand, he bowed to both of us one last time.
"I wish you good day." As the man bowed, I noticed that everything below his throat seemed to be machine. Until that moment, rumors of people becoming immortal had been circulating, but I didn't really believe them. There were many people who claimed that experiments were being done for Cybernetic humans, that they would exist after the Enhanced ones. But this man, Dante Shade, even if not fully Cybernetic, seemed mostly robotic.
Before the man slowly disappeared among the grass, he turned to me and said: "It looks like we'll be seeing each other again, Edgard."