[City center of lands of Aleksithimia – Nion"s apartment, the evening of the next day].Nion woke up from a long sleep. Slowly and reluctantly, she uncovered her face. Streaks of sunlight that penetrated the gla.s.s window before had disappeared. Her eyelids opened to the empty unlit room. No daylight, no gentler breeze that was present earlier, just a cold wind whispering, calling Nion to wake up. Next to her bed, the pointless alarm clock, glowing red, 7:02 pm. she was unable to tell for how long she was sleeping but it felt like the mysterious dream lasted an eternity.
Confused about its nature and more importantly the meaning behind those last words she heard in her sleep.
"These dreams, they"ve been...They"ve been so vivid." Nion ran her hands through her hair and realized that half of it is now gone. "What is going on with me..."
"Creator watch us...Keeper embrace us?" She frowned. "What did he mean by that. Who were these people in the first place...?" She sigh. "I don"t understand the meaning of all this." She shook her head.
She sat up facing the entrance door, dragged her feet off the bed, and rubbed her knuckles into her eyes while her legs were dangling slightly above the floor.
"It feels like I am missing something important...But what?" Nion talked to herself as she was stretching her arms, ready to get up.
Despite the confusion around her latest dreams or rather a vision, she felt surprisingly relaxed, awake, perhaps more awake than she had ever been.
"How come it is midnight already?" She yawned. "Urgh, I am so dull...Maybe I should just stay in my bed, just reading some stuff and doing nothing... It"s been a while..."
The soft breeze coming from the slightly opened window and sweeping inside the silent room made her turn around her head where she was facing her own reflections on the large window gla.s.s.
"Look at you Nion!" She slapped herself on the cheeks. "Get your act together! You got no time to chill out!" She jumps up from the bed and going to get ready to go out.
"Good evening." Said a pleasant female voice.
"Ah, Mitera...Good evening." Nion replied.
"How are you feeling today, I"ve noticed that you"ve slept longer than usual." Asked Mitera.
Nion deeply exhaled. "I was not feeling well..." Said Nion.
"You"ve slept almost 24 hours, perhaps, it will be better if I inform a doctor regarding that matter?" Asked Mitera System.
"Oh no! Doctors are the least people I want to talk to right now."
"As you wish. Also, I must inform you regarding your Social credit."
"What about that?"
"It appears that since you returned from your latest a.s.signment it dropped lower than the authorized level." Warned her Mitera.
"Argh! Below the average...?! d.a.m.n, that"s annoying!" She facepalmed. "Well... After everything that happened recently, I should have seen it coming."
"Shall I book a "Rehab Capsule Session" to raise your score?" Asked Mitera.
"Yeah do so...With my social credits below the average, I can"t even take public transport, right?" Asked Nion.
"Yes, correct. No public transport and all of your "Keeper" privileges are locked until you clear out the negative score." Replied Mitera.
"Tsk, as if I was a criminal or something..."
"Rules are rules." Replied Mitera.
"Why Aleksithimia had to create such a nuisance, we don"t need these d.a.m.n social credit c.r.a.p in the first place; Seriously, he really doesn"t trust the human race..." Nion said annoyingly as she dressed up.
"Social credit has an important task to maintain the stability and trustworthiness of our citizens. These credits serve on the purpose of the personal history record and are additionally the "Emotional Suppressor"..." Explained Mitera.
"Blah, blah, I"ve heard that like a million times. You should lose points of repeating "that" every time my score drops."
"I am sorry, I am simply trying to encourage our citizens to flaunt good credit scores, it is a benefit for everyone to have a healthy community."
"For junk sake, I got it! Send me the "Capsule" coordinates, I am going to go there now" Said Nion as she was closing the door behind herself.
"I appreciate your cooperation."
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Across the traffic lights, taxi lines with infinite ques of white umbrellas; Customers were patiently waiting for their turn. People, in a hurry on their way home, we"re stuck in the traffic as it always happens when it rains in the capital. All vehicle transport was completely automated and managed exclusively by "Mitera System Public Transport Services". This traffic system had been implemented to reduce chemical waste. Only electric vehicles were allowed to enter the capital premises.
"I would like to inform you that you"ve received two voice messages." Said Mitera.
"Let me guess...One is from my brother?" Asked Nion as she stopped in front of the red light facing a busy street.
"Correct." Replied Mitera.
"And the other one?"
"It is from "Seconda Keeper"."
"Seànn..." Nion murmur. "Start from my brothers" message," Nion Ordered Mitera.
"To all Keepers units. Due to the recent complications at Elpida"s boarder, Quarta"s duties are currently being suspended." Said Aleksithimia"s voice.
"What, did he just do that?!" Nion stopped walking in the middle of the street, jamming the traffic.
"A unit from the "Third Wave", has been recently a.s.signed as the new generation Keeper, code name "Sesto" will take over the Eastern border as its first a.s.signment." Said Aleksithimia"s voice.
"Third Wave? So, I am being replaced by an android, huh...Perfect!! Long-life to you and your junk!" Angry, Nion moved forward, aggressively shoving people away from her path.
In the Grey City or how the citizen called the capital, during the evening it looked like vehicles were floating over the ground, soundless, slowly advancing with the traffic flow to their destination. Along the wet flickering asphalt street, small groups of people were gathered in front of big publicity screens that were disposed of all around the city that were usually presenting flash news. Multiple augmented reality holograms that were visible only with Kanjöga collar were disposed everywhere on the streets. Each hologram was promoting its own products, starting from the brand-new body augmentations and its upgrades, cosmetics, food, online retail stores and many more.
"May I." Asked Mitera.
"WHAT?!" Angrily whispered Nion.
"Shall I play the second voice message?"
"Do whatever!"
"Understood." Replied the gentle female voice of Mitera.
"Good evening Nion, it is Seconda speaking. If you are listening to this message, I hope you are doing better. I am running out of time, so here is the main purpose of my call. When we were in Elpida you mentioned that the brother of the deceased child was in the city hospital, do you remember?"
"HOW COULD I FORGET!!" Nion put her hands over her mouth.
"Worry not. When I"ve learned from Aleksithimia that you hit your head and were unconscious I took the initiative to locate that child, I hope you don"t mind."
"Please, please, please, give me good news!" Nion was impatient to hear the what was coming next.
"The good news is that I could find the child. Brown hair, approximatively 7-9 years old, brown eyes and pale skin. I"ve spoken to the doctors, they said that you went to visit him yesterday evening, so I am confident that"s the right one."
Relieved, Nion deeply exhaled as her hands became shaking of joy.
"So, yeah, he is with me. Waiting until you arrive." Explained Seànn.
"Seànn, you are the sweetest person I"ve ever met...I owe you!" Smiled Nion as suddenly her att.i.tude got much brighter than just minutes ago.
"Okay, now the bad news is that due to the cerebral shock he lost some parts of his memories." She made a short break before she continued her sentence. "It is none of my business but maybe you would share what happened between you and him, them?" Said Seànn over the voice message.
The loud noise of children screaming and playing on the background.
"Good evening Mister Janviers, I am yours in a minute," Seànn spoke to someone. "So, yes, he is under my care. He asked me about his mother and his brother, I said that someone who may know their whereabouts is on her way to meet him. So well, he is waiting for you."
"Seànn, you are the best!" Nion smiled.
"When you will feel better, please head to Némless, it is a small village located around 11 hours away from the capital. I am sending you the coordinates, in the case you"ve never been to Némless, be sure to hide your Kanjöga and try to wear something casual, do not bring your "Keeper" outfit. The population around here is mostly rebels and propaganda activists from the "Metro". All of them are very nice, but I a.s.sure you, it is for the best to avoid raising their attention." She explained.
"Némless huh...Never been there." Nion said full of inspiration. "I guess there won"t be the best moment to travel a little bit, after all, I am suspended unit with "clouded" credit. Still, how I am going to explain everything to him..." She sighed.