0002. Dream Shuttle.Eight O’clock.
Daylight had fallen. The moon climbed in the heavens above, basking in all its glories. Its eyes, the color of nebula, watched mankind since its birth grow to its peak. It watched with interested eyes the countless trials mankind faced from the environment, from their enemies, and from themselves. It watched with attentiveness the hate they bred, the fear they fed, the lives they led, and the hopes they dreamed.
Tonight, it’s overseeing the wealthy having the time of their lives.
Some crowded in groups conversing about the current affairs of the world, and some feasted on the food laid out while the majority circled the bonfire, the flames rising to the beat of their heart, dancing carelessly, their heads drawn back, and laughing buoyantly. The wind carried their warmth and infected those within reach, the music filling the infinite s.p.a.ces of their souls.
It was peaceful.
Li Zhen walked the edge of the city sc.r.a.pping for valuable wastes in order to make a living. Although the leftover sc.r.a.ps is swarmed with treasures, the compet.i.tors are numerous in numbers. There are myriads like Li Zhen without parents, an orphan, body meager with hunger, foraging in the sea of wastes just to live, a chance to see another day, another night, a chance to see tomorrow.
Like Li Zhen they thought that maybe, if they’d keep at it, put in enough effort, and work hard, maybe, just maybe they could turn their lives around.
Iron is deemed a profitable waste. A pound of them can be sold for nine coins. Li Zhen only needed twenty for his basic necessities each month and one hundred to pay for a semester’s worth of school tuition.
Li Zhen could be considered self a taught erudite. Much of the knowledge learned originated from deserted sc.r.a.ps of old books that had seen past one’s prime found during his hunt and in between cla.s.s sessions when those wrinkled, worn out books are unable to provide him insight to further his learning.
Since childhood, he envisioned himself walking the campus of the Imperial College, dreamed of being in the forefront of the scientific and technological community, and becoming the pillars of the Kyushu Empire. So when it came to the pursuit of intellectual attainment, he took it earnestly with vigorous pa.s.sion.
Unfortunately, Hangzhou City, with only one public school, the quality of teaching could be said to be lacking overall. The last time a graduate hailing from Hangzhou City was admitted to the Imperial College was over two decades ago since the entrance examination is notorious for its compet.i.tive nature. In the entire Kyushu Empire, there are only two universities, one in the capital state and the other located somewhere in the eastern islands. Each year, hundreds of thousands would apply for admission and only thousands would be qualified for entrance.
It truly is a mighty force.
College entrance examination from ten thousand years ago had mediocre qualifications to enter because vast amounts, even the slightly average, were able to contribute to society. The people of the past were closer to the time of the Ancients and had far better insight and knowledge. They had more to contribute irregardless of their limited education.
But ten thousand years later, those who hoped of becoming the pillars of their country would have to endeavor several trials to be honored, to be hailed as one of the greatest talents. To have the Kyushu Empire recognize you as one of the prominent scientists and inventor able to bring about a dawn of new age or revive a thing of the past is one of the regal feats one could achieve in their lifetimes. Your hometown would be proud to say, with their backs straight, that they’ve given birth to such genius.
Li Zhen vowed to make his people proud.
But for now Li Zhen needed to focus of having the qualifications to become a candidate for the entrance examination. For entrance fees, you would need to spend at least one gold coin, equivalent to a thousand regular coins.
Li Zhen walked to the Qiantang Valley, a deep and narrow cleft with steep, rocky walls. Legend says it once used to be a pool of river. No one knows if its true or not.
Stepping on the grounds of the valley, Li Zhen’s eyes became sinister and full of greed, eager to search every inch and corner, finding wastes that could be deemed valuable. In no time, his bag looked impregnated, packed with sc.r.a.ps of wastes.
Li Zhen glanced a look at the time.
Quarter past ten.
Every night, just before eleven, he would close his eyes and dream of her.
Running out of time, Li Zhen sighed and rushed to the waste recycling station with the stuffed bag in his hands.
“You got good luck now being able to scour them good materials.”
The boss of the recycling station handed out seven coins.
Li Zhen nodded with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“You plan on taking the entrance examination?”
“Yes.” Li Zhen laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hair.
The boss frowned. “Lemme tell you somethin’, forget ’bout it.”
“Why?”
“You could live a good life here, with a nice job and need not go lookin’ for garbage everyday now and then. Ain’t that right? Maybe do some small business or take over mines when you grow of age. Maybe even marry my daughter. Hah, you’d get a good family right here. Forget ’bout that entrance examination, it ain’t your cup of tea bussing around with people like them.”
The boss mused, his benevolent heart warm and tender advising Li Zhen.
“I’m going to go.”
“You wanna partic.i.p.ate in the examination? Well I’ll tell ya, you gonna need a hefty sums of money which you don’t got. You’d need at least a thousand coins, boy! But okay, say you’ve got the money, what if you don’t get in? All those years saving would go down the drain, ya hear me? Hundreds of thousands are goin’ to be partic.i.p.ating. Li Zhen, you’re playin’ with rough waters. Stay here instead.”
“Thank you for your concern, but I need to test.” Li Zhen spoke firmly.
“You don’t get it do you? Hundreds of thousands are goin’ to be competing against you! Thousands of them coming a from well off family. They got the money to splurge their wealth whenever. Paying a thousand coins for the entrance fee is but a small amount in their pockets, but for you… y-y-yo-you’ve used up years of your time pickin’ up garbage to save up now and no one from Hangzhou City ever pa.s.sed the entrance examination for the longest of times.
“I can.”
The boss complained, his voice raspy and used his reasoning to the best of his ability in attempts to convince Li Zhen to stay.
“Aigh, Li Zhen, why the need to be so stubborn? If others fails, it’s quite alright for them. It ain’t no big deal. It’s not expected for someone like them to be admitted on the first try unless you some rare born genius found in the legend of the legends! It means they just gotta work harder. Heck, their parents will arrange for them to try again. They got money you don’t got, Li Zhen. You got no parents, no patrons. If you fail, it’s over!”
“I can take it on.”
“Oh? It starts in ten days, you got enough money?”
“…..” Li Zhen was silent for a long time.
Li Zhen did not speak. He turned around opting to leave.
The boss shook his head and sighed. “I don’t believe people like us, people like you can make it. No one has ever got in for the longest. What makes you think you can?”
“…..”
Half past ten.
The moon darkened its silhouette, its figure clouded by the haze of smog.
Back in his shack, Li Zhen dug open a hole under the pool of sand and pulled out a square-shaped container made of rusted iron, its composition decaying through the pa.s.sage of time. Inside laid a stack of coins made of plastic, a common material used by the Kyushu Empire as their currency. The plastic material is more accessible to the average people and easier to create with the process of science and technology.
Li Zhen tossed the coins, seven in total, in the container. “Seven hundred and twenty…” Li Zhen sighed, his heart troubled. “Three years worth…”
No, he thought. Do not be discouraged. There are ten days left, you’ll find a way to cobble up the rest of the cost for the entrance fees somehow. There’s enough time. You’ll find a way.
Li Zhen closed the container and set it down gently back in the hole, camouflaging it with the sand in case looters come by.
“It’s late…” Li Zhen rubbed his eyes and looked around.
The lights are dim but it was doable. The shack is made of flimsy materials he dug up from leftover materials found in the deep expanse of wastes. The ground a lump of sand. There is no bed, no furniture, only a pile of old thrown away books.
Li Zhen didn’t have much. Only a shack which provided a roof over his head, money he saved up, and books for his nourishment.
Li Zhen opened his arms, reaching as high as the stars and yawned. He curled up in fetal position, using the sand as a platform for sleeping, and covered himself with layers of plastic he st.i.tched together to keep his body warm.
He fell asleep and dreamed.
Li Zhen awoke into a familiar dimensional s.p.a.ce. Only a full moon and the twinkling, luminary stars could be seen in the heavenly body abode. Li Zhen sat on the crimson colored ground and waited for her appearance under the starry night.
Over a year ago, a strange woman constantly appeared in his dreams. Every night around eleven she never failed to make appearance. With time, he found himself enjoying her company.
Quarter to twelve.
“She’s never this late…” Li Zhen was feeling anxious.
“Zhen.” The woman unveiled herself in front of Li Zhen who was lost in thought.
“Zhi!”
Their eyes locked on each other, a silent battle ongoing and looking like a contest but after a moment, the two companions burst in laughter, tiny wrinkles appearing on the corner of Li Zhen’s eyes, his soul brimmed with happiness of her marked appearance.
“You’re here.” Li Zhen grinned widely. He reveled in and enjoyed her company.
Li Zhen has no recollection or knowledge of her surname, only that she is called Zhi and she too does not know of Li Zhen’s surname, only that he is named Zhen.
“So, what did you do today?”
“I spoke of what you told me to my teachers and peers. I told them the world was destroyed by a nuclear bomb. I was cursed with their venomous tongue at first but after some explanations my peers commended me for my given knowledge. Hehe, I felt my ego being stroked.”
“Ah, certainly it will be like a nuclear bomb.” She smiled showing her pearly white teeth.
“Thank you.” Li Zhen thanked her from the bottom of his heart. Without her teachings, his knowledge alone would be limited. Without her guidance, he was not too sure he’d have the needed confidence to try for the entrance examination.
“Come, come. It’s time for mathematical lessons. What did you learn last night?”
“Umm.. functions and integrals?” Li Zhen questioned. “Hey, why not bring your Ancient Books with you? I could learn better.”
“Pahh, what ancient books? What ancient times? Its modern science and technology, ok?”
“Our calendar is modern and up to date.”
“Modern my… what modern?! Your time looks ancient.”
“You are ten thousand years older than me…” Li Zhen softly muttered and fidgeted about uneasily with his head down, fingers fumbling with each other, and jittery eyes refusing to meet her sneering gaze.
“!!!” The veins in her temples popped. “Are you asking for a beating?! Hmmphh!” She snarled, huffed, and crossed her arms with flare. The nerve of this uncouth boy.
Did he not know it was taboo to talk of a woman’s age?
“…..”
Moments of silence.
Zhi sighed. “Launch Angle for Maximum Distance. There is no wind. An arrow is shot straight into the air. What angle will the arrow, if shot, travel the most distance?”
Li Zhen frowned, uncertain of the question. “Angle?”
“At what degree of angle will the arrow travel the farthest?”
“Umm… do not know…”
“Lesson to remember. It is at a 45 degree angle. It’s like this, a ball thrown at a 45 degree angle will have the greatest range because it offers the greatest amount of height and distance. Anything more or less will simply reduce the distance traveled. This is basic mathematics. Ten thousand years later, basic knowledge is really lost?”
“…..” Li Zhen gave a wry smile.
From what he uncovered, the times of the ancients used mathematics in their every day lives from the most simplest task up to the most complex form based on their occupations and daily actions. The common people of Zhi’s time need not study for basic mathematics for it is a given to know the simplest of forms.
Ten thousand years later, only the privileged know of basic math.
Li Zhen’s heart throbbed in excitement.
The past year gave Li Zhen the knowledge he’d never thought to gain in his lifetime. He was anxious to pa.s.s the entrance examination and enter the Imperial College. Only by doing so would he be able to be useful and make contributions to the Kyushu Empire.
As Zhi would call it, he had the spirit of a revolutionary pioneer.
Li Zhen’s eyes twinkled, he could not wait for the future he dreamed.
Soon after.
A sense of dread arrived, a feeling no stranger to Li Zhen. It is the feeling of his realm being ripped apart, the sense of a dream ending.
“So fast?”
The two looked at each other with sudden understanding.
Their eyes tender and minds connected.
“What is your name?!” They asked in unison.