DREAM

10th December, 2134

A snowy landscape, blending sky and earth. A pine forest in the distance is the only distinguishing feature. In it, a solitary grey wolf stands. Its golden eyes meet mine, calling me. I try to reach it, but I can’t move. Yet I want to. I need to. My whole body pulses with need. And every time I fail, I feel a violent pain. It hurts not to reach it. I cry, and wake up.
The clock read three in the morning. Was she inviting me to the other world? Through the window, the city lights gleamed as the gentle rain fell in a chaotic tangle, mirroring the chaos within me.
She was a breath of spring in autumn, but could be winter itself. A year without her. A year when the skies mourned, the winds screamed their agonies, the earth withered, and I numbed.
Since her death, this numbness has never left me.
I turned my eyes away from the window. Was I selfish for being unhappy, knowing that many would trade places with me?
I sighed and went back to sleep.
I lived in an apartment on the top floors in the city of São Paulo, the First City. I was born in Zênite, as the upper floors are called. Being always at heights, a fall was inevitable for me.
I put on a heavy black coat, took the elevator, and went down to the reception.
The android receptionist, Andi, wished me good morning, and I reciprocated. I passed by the old man walking through the atrium, Pavel, an android engineer from Kokusai. Whenever I saw him, I wished him good morning, but he ignored me with an expressionless face.
I boarded the aerotrain at the golden line station, sitting by the window. I opened the holoscreen to check the news, but since nothing caught my attention, I instead looked at the towering buildings that disappeared thousands of metres into the clouds and pollution, surrounded by spiralling airways, forming a vertical city.
While glimpses of nature were rare, adware sprang up when least expected, whether advertising a new android model or a new lab-made protein. I walked to the hospital, a mirrored building reflecting the neutral colours of the surroundings.
At the entrance, my android assistant, Takashi, greeted me.
I was working on a nanodevice, named CogniSynth, to access human brain memories in volunteers.
The day seemed endless, making me live through each agonising moment until the last second. I fought against the incessant memories of Maia invading my mind without permission, ignoring any boundaries.
My only wish was to end the day in a vain attempt to let my feelings go with a new dawn. Perhaps tomorrow would be easier to breathe.
As I packed my things to leave at the end of the day, Takashi arrived carrying a large envelope in his hands, labelled in elegant, slanted writing. It was her handwriting.
“This arrived for you.”
My hands trembled, and my mouth went dry. My eyes widened, and my heart raced, silencing my thoughts with its frantic beats. “Thank you. You may leave.”
The moment the door closed, I tore open the envelope. A letter fell out, along with a phone, a watch, and a compass.
I turned the obsolete red foldable phone in my hands, then examined the antique pocket watch from the eighties and a golden compass, along with a paper containing geographical coordinates. What did these things mean?
I opened the letter. My heart tightened with each word, and my eyes filled with tears. I could barely hold the paper as I read:
Akiko,
How are you?
Perhaps your anger and sadness have passed by now. I hope so. Many things were left unsaid, and I know your heart was broken. But I didn’t want things to end this way. So I prepared this for you, who wanted so much to enter my world. With this, all your questions will be answered.
Are you ready for this, Akiko? If you are, go to the coordinates this Sunday at 11 pm. If not, just go on with your life, and always remember me.
With affection,
Maia.
The strength drained from my arms, and the letter fell. My legs trembled, and I sank to the floor, staring at my distorted reflection in the shiny surface, unable to think clearly. I forgot how to breathe. In that simple letter, I could hear her voice, I could hear her saying my name. Even separated for a year, I could feel my threads connected to her.
It took a long time for me to regain my senses, recover my breath, and return to the present. The tears dried up. My hands no longer trembled. I picked up the items and looked at the coordinates, then put them in my bag. Only the letter remained. I let out a heavy sigh and picked it up, placing it in my bag.
]That night, I had the same dream. But this time something different happened. I finally walked towards the wolf. However, he was still very far away.

The next day, I wished to sleep the entire day. I reread Maia’s letter thousands of times, trying to understand why, after a year, she sent this to me. She died; I know that. But what did she mean with that letter? How did she send it to me?
I sent a message to Takashi, “Find out who sent me the white envelope.”
I made some food, but it was hard to eat anything. I stayed in bed, in a lethargic state, staring at the wall, thinking about Maia. In fact, I only thought about her. My head didn’t stop for a minute, throbbing with the rebirth of a pain I wanted to forget.
I took a deep breath. As the saying goes, “No one can be wise on an empty stomach.” So, I ate, remembering the day I met her. The memory resonated in my thoughts, surpassing any will of mine to stop it.

***

12 April 2133

It was April, at the height of autumn, when a heavy rain woke the city. I cut my finger while preparing my breakfast. It wasn’t a deep wound, but since the cut was bothering me, I put a bandage on it. On my way to work, several train lines were cancelled due to systematic failures at the UNITED transport hub, causing me quite a headache, not to mention the delay.
However, the worst was yet to come.
“The director is calling for you,” Takashi informed me.
Well, normally I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but considering that I was leading one of the most important research projects on the American continent, it was likely to be an unpleasant meeting.
I walked to the office of the director, Joseph Morey, and his assistant, Sara, received me. I followed Sara and saw Morey through the glass, waiting for me with an expressionless face. His wrinkles only reminded me that he had been on Earth for far too long. The world didn’t need someone so insufferable.
“Sit down.”
He didn’t even wish me good morning, which I had expected, to be honest. This man was devoid of life.
I showed my most polite smile and sat down. “Good morning.”
He lifted his apathetic blue eyes from the holoscreen, raising his gaze through his glasses. “Very well, Dr. Akama.”
He did this on purpose. He always pronounced my surname wrong, Akiyama. If people didn’t have an easy-to-pronounce name, he simply shortened it to fit in his mouth.
“I’m pleased with the results of your research. We can now conduct human trials. I have already notified the technical team to contact potential volunteers.”
My blood ran cold. “I must select the volunteers. They are very specific people. We can’t use the traditional method to choose them.”
“There is no room for discussion. I’m just informing you.”
My body heated with a mild anger. I clenched my hands, trying to contain my rage. “The CogniSynth can severely affect the human brain. If people aren’t selected according to the criteria of my research, things will go terribly wrong.”
“We’re done here. You may leave.”
I stood up and leaned over his desk. “These people could die! We’re not talking about machines, we’re talking about human lives.”
Morey looked me up and down, thinking I would be intimidated by such a petty gesture. “If you are unhappy with my decision, file a petition with the Global Medical Committee. If it’s approved, I’ll gladly modify the terms of the testing phase. Until then, things will proceed as they must. Now, please, you may leave, I’m busy.” He turned his gaze back to the holoscreen.
I bit my lips, imagining how nice it would be if he disappeared from the face of the earth. But continuing that conversation was futile.
I rushed out, heading to the bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, taking deep breaths, searching for patience. What he was proposing went against the very Medical Ethics Code. And what was he asking of me? A petition to the Committee? Their response could take years.
I knew the people I requested for the experiment were hard to find, but there was no other way. If they used the traditional method, people’s brains wouldn’t withstand the CogniSynth, and irreversible damage could occur, maybe even death. Still, all he was thinking about was time. The sooner the results came out, the faster the prestige would come.
But I wouldn’t allow it. Filled with determination, I walked out.
“Takashi,” I said.
He was waiting for me at the entrance of my office.
“File a petition with the Committee. I need an injunction. I’ll send you the details. Talk to Hideaki’s assistant and schedule a meeting with her. Tell her it’s urgent. Let me know as soon as you get everything.” I sighed. “I need something sweet.”
“Do you want me to get you some dessert?”
“No need.” I dismissed him with a hand wave. “I’ll buy it myself. I don’t want to stay here at the moment.”
He blinked, stiff. “Understood.”
The dessert I wanted was only available at a shop in Centralia, the middle part between Zênite and Netheria, São Paulo’s underworld. The bustling activity and terrible traffic in the airways contributed to an unbearable noise of vehicles, advertisements, voices of people, androids, and all the chaotic sounds of the city. Despite being filthy, we considered Centralia the true heart of São Paulo.
I took the only airtrain that connected Zênite and Centralia at the Esmeralda station. I leaned my head against the window. The hour-long journey was lengthy because it looped around the exterior of the buildings. The holoscreen displayed a strike happening in the three main central hubs. Workers from Sessota, the largest nanotech investor in the Americas, filled the streets, carrying signs, demanding higher wages, job offers, and reduced working hours. Not even the rain intimidated them.
I looked away when a noise echoed behind me. I peeked at the carriage, and a hooded figure jumped through an opening in the ceiling. My heart raced, and I shrank in my seat. Under the chair, I tried to see the figure again, but they had disappeared. What’s happening?
“No one was supposed to be here,” said a hoarse voice, muffled by a mask, above me.
I screamed in fright and hit my head as I got up. Still dazed, all I saw was a covered face, except for singular eyes of unusual colours: dark amber, speckled with brown.
“Why?” I sat down, massaging the bump forming on my forehead.
“How did you get on this train?”
I frowned. “At Esmeralda station, I usually…”
She waved her hand, silencing me. “It doesn’t matter; you have to leave now.”
“The next station is in ten minutes, but I only get off at Magenta station.”
“This train won’t stop.” She walked to the centre of the carriage, and an opening in the ceiling appeared. “Come on.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you want to die? This train will collide with the next one and explode.”
I stepped back, my heart racing even more. “No, what are you talking about? Explode?”
She calmly extended her hand to me, and I understood she wasn’t joking. If that train were indeed going to explode, it would be either go with her or choose death. I moved towards her and grabbed her gloved hand, but instead, she put me on her back and jumped out. It all happened so quickly that the next second, I was clinging to her with all my might as the gusts enveloped us. How can she stay so steady? Who is she?
On top of the train, she walked to the edge, held my legs, and jumped to the balcony of a building. I screamed and squeezed her neck so hard, making us lose balance. Before rolling on the ground, she pulled me forward and hugged me as we fell. I closed my eyes, feeling the adrenaline coursing through my body, preventing me from thinking straight.
“Are you okay?” Firm hands moved me.
I opened my eyes, staring at a filthy ceiling. I sat up, feeling no physical pain. “I don’t know.”
The drawn and dirty walls extended across the floor of the old building, almost abandoned if it weren’t for the neighbour’s light on.
“Come.” She passed through the glass doors.
Despite her bossy tone bothering me, I followed her. We walked through a dark hall, smelling of mould, which made me hold back a cough. Dust surrounded us, and lights coming through the broken windows illuminated the destroyed furniture. Breaking glass echoed, scaring me.
She retraced her steps. “Just rats.”
We reached an area of lifts, and while we waited, we stayed silent. I mean, in my mind, a whirlwind of thoughts was crossing each other. I didn’t even notice when the lift arrived, nor when I entered, only the corrupted music playing, scratching my ears.
The doors opened to an empty space, devoid of windows. The only light came from something in the centre of a table.
“Sit there.” She pointed to a chair and started fiddling with the equipment.
I hesitated. What the hell was she doing?
“You’re from up there, aren’t you?” she asked. “No need to answer; you smell like Zênite. What’s your profession?”
“Why would I tell you anything?”
“Answer if you want.” She shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. What a crazy situation was this? “Are you going to kill me?”
She took her eyes off the equipment, piercing me with her gaze. I swallowed hard in front of her intimidating presence, making me instinctively retreat.
“Do you want to die?”
Facing the coldness of her gaze, I remained silent. My thoughts scrambled, and my heart beat so fast that the thumping became almost audible in the silence.
She finished fiddling with the equipment.
“Ready?” she asked a few minutes later.
I leaned in, frowning. “Ready for wha…?”
She pressed a button, changing everything around us.
A beat escaped my heart, increasing the agitation born within me. I widened my eyes in amazement. Suddenly, there was an entire universe around us. Stars, constellations, galaxies, and holographic planets floated before our eyes, so real that I almost felt the stardust landing on my skin.
“I-incredible,” I let slip.
Except that what truly left me speechless was observing her at that moment, the stars reflected all over her being. All that threatening aura had disappeared. Invasions? Trains exploding? Death threats? None of that existed, only the sparkle in that person’s eyes as she watched the cosmos. It was all that mattered to her.
“You know…” her voice sounded gentle. “I think each person is their own universe.”
Her deep and inscrutable eyes met mine. She leaned over the table, bringing her face close to mine, making me hold my breath. “Would you give up your universe?”
Not knowing how to react, I remained silent. Then she lowered her head, laughing. Her low laugh echoed, waking me from the trance. I laughed back, not knowing why.
She turned off the projector. “Let’s go.”
In that darkness that only she knew, she held my hand, bringing a strange comfort even with her icy presence. What just happened?
We returned to the entrance. She looked around.
“How did you get hurt?” She referred to the bandage on my finger.
“This? It’s nothing.”
I was still thinking about what she said, trying to keep up with the new sensations that sprouted within me. Her words caused me anxiety, but not in a bad way.
Then, under that rain, she put her hands in her pockets and turned, walking away, disappearing into the darkness of the streets. The coldness of her body still brushing against me.
From that day on, I would never be the same.
I finished eating and received a call from Takashi.
“Yes?” I asked, tired. The tension weighed heavily on me.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” he said with his usual politeness. “An android delivered the envelope via Postais. I checked its serial number, and it’s deactivated.”
“Can you access the owner’s information?”
“No. Its memory has been wiped, and I can’t access any information.”
“Is that possible?”
“It’s very difficult. You’d need to hack into the Aether Network system to break the security protocol, corrupt the android, and gain access to its entire system to alter or delete it. But it seems to be the case.” He paused. “The person who did this is very skilled. I’ve never heard of this before.”
“I see.” I already suspected I wouldn’t get any relevant information. “Wait for my call, I need to do something.”
“Okay.” He hung up.
I picked up my phone, the watch, the compass, and the coordinates that came in the envelope. I turned on the phone. Large, distorted pixels filled the tiny screen. I searched through files, galleries, and contacts in vain—all empty.
Why? The question echoed in my mind.
I picked up the broken watch, showing the time as 1:4:18. I shook it, tried to open it, but there was no indication of its origin. I held the compass, which also didn’t work. Finally, I looked at the coordinates indicating an abandoned bus station on the edge of Centralia. Why did she want me to go there? My head spun with unanswered questions. I took a deep breath, resting my forehead against the table.
I spent the whole day pacing in circles. My thoughts revolved around Maia and her question. Prepared? How would I know? All I could think about was that my life continued. I had my work, my family, my research, to which I devoted all my attention. And I had another choice. One where I continued my life only with memories of her.
That night, I didn’t dream of anything. There was a small hope in me that an answer would appear in my dreams, but it was just a futile expectation.
When I woke up, I was still melancholy. My empty eyes stared at the horizon. I read the letter again, focusing on every word. Her voice echoed in my head. Maia, what do you want from me? I wanted to deny it, but I felt compelled to seek answers to the questions that had tormented me for so long. I wanted to understand what happened and if it meant…
Then a click made my mind find the answer. The answer hidden deep within me, held by my heart, unlocked by Maia’s words. That day, she asked me if I would give up my universe.
I looked at the letter. “Yes. I’m prepared to give up my universe to enter yours.”

Chapter end