The first day on the cruise just ends like that. The organisers announce that the refractive veil of the ship has been disabled, and since the ship has travelled sufficiently far away from the land, the ship is surrounded by the deep, starry night sky, as well as the sea view that expands even out of the human eyesight.
After the sumptuous dinner, we are on the top floor of our hotel block. Mirai has set up a telescope for stargazing. Normally, it will be the time for couples to be lovey-dovey in places with a good view, such as places that are elevated or along the rear of the ship, but somehow, just for today, we are the only people here. The rest of the passengers are still busy exploring the huge infrastructure of the ship on the first day, and I would expect the trend to resume tomorrow, when they are bored with exploring and shift to something quieter.
The telescope is a big tube supported by a tripod, with many wires intricately connected to a box that acts both as a processing computer and a battery source. Mirai opens the computer and synchronises her central processing unit with the telescope's computer. After some time, the setup is ready, and she directs the telescope in the direction of the moon. Then, she asks me to view it.
I look into the telescope. There is a small city set up there, but as far as I know, there is not supposed to be any infrastructure built there, yet.
- I just upload the images from my memory storage to the telescope's computer. What you are currently seeing is the moon in 2100. They construct a military base there in 2095 to fend off extraterrestrial threats, but it is already late at that point. Five years is not a sufficient duration to ramp up the military facilities. - Mirai explains.
- But I thought I just see, like, at least a few kilometres square of pure military facilities there? How is it built in less than five years, and how come we are still losing?
I can feel a sense of disappointment on Mirai's face.
- The only thing that I can feel proud of, as a member of humanity, is that thanks to the fact that the whole Earth has a common enemy, countries quickly negotiate and come to a compromise that all of the war funds will be shifted to combating the Intruders. That is what collective effort is capable of providing. The living standard of every country, from advanced economies to underdeveloped ones, rises exponentially, lifting everyone out of poverty. For the first time, the welfare of the planet as a whole, not individual countries, are maximised.
- Then, why the disappointed face that you show?
- You know, people always say that it is easier to flatten a whole mountain than to try to change a person's character. Among the rest of the world that is doing their best to defend their homeland, there are some that stray from that path, and put their profit on top.
- I mean, just a few individuals cannot inflict so much harm. What has happened?
- I believe you do not need to know at the moment. But, when the time comes, I would tell you. As well as the other related stuff.
I advocate for transparency as a science person, but I know I should not poke any further into stories I am not supposed to know.
- But, I can roughly give you some idea into the future, at least for my timeline. I will leave this to your interpretation but remember these. To some extent, it is not just a random occurrence, that you are the chosen person. Humanity could have gone astray, or they have already, and whether to correct their course of action is your choice.
- What do you mean by "my choice"?
- It is up to your interpretation.
The dim and soft moonlight shines on the ocean and the little cruise ship in the centre of it. They shine on the figure standing high on top of the hotel, who is using her fingers to alter her strands of hair. The deep bluish tone of her hair is highlighted by the vibe of the ocean and the light contrast between the shadows and the light. A sea breeze blows through, making her long, silky hair flutter in the air. Everything just blends perfectly in the colour palette of the night to flash out her sense of mystery that I rarely get to observe. They just make her words more impactful.
- Anyway, I can shift to the settings of a normal telescope. A telescope should be used for stargazing, right? - Mirai flicks one of her internal switches and the view of a militarised city on the moon disappears, leaving the natural image of the moon on the telescope glass.
The telescope rotates to a different angle. I can start seeing the celestial bodies outside the solar system emerging. The computer is doing its best to upgrade the resolution of the stars the more it zooms out to outer space.
I spend the next good thirty minutes getting amazed by the winter constellations in the sky. The telescope also gives annotation regarding the name of the celestial body, as well as simple data such as the distance from the Earth, size, period and classification. Although I do not have superhuman memory retention, just looking at the numbers and appreciating them is the last thing I can do to pay my tribute.
Suddenly, the telescope makes an audible buzzing sound, and it shuts down along with the processing computer and the battery. Mirai quickly shoves me off the telescope and takes a look at it, before I come to realise what is going on.
- What is happening? The battery is not drained yet. - Mirai looks at the telescope, then the computer, then the battery, and checks all of the wire connections.
I cannot fix that, so all I can do is just watch her trying to find the fault. After five minutes, she decides to reboot the system, and the telescope is turned on again. Mirai checks the computer data log and nods.
- The telescope is jammed due to some sort of electromagnetic interference. Maybe during the image transmitting process, something gets into its path and disrupts the signal. But that is all I know. - Mirai tells me.
- Well then, can you look into the telescope from the same direction again? - I suggest a random idea.
- Can.
Mirai takes another careful look at the image in the telescope. It has been reset to the default magnification coefficient. This time, she seems to realise something.
- Yuusha, check this out.
I come to the telescope and look. The image still looks disrupted, but I can see the traces of something being sent off to space from the Earth. A strong electromagnetic signal transmits information and disrupts our telescope only, surprisingly. The numbers reflected on the telescope vision tell me the exact time that the signal is sent.
Anyway, I am certain that the signal is not a result of human activity. We do not have any instruments that are capable of launching such a strong signal, and only our telescope from the future can detect and get disrupted by that frequency.
- Mirai, can you check the coordinates where the signal is sent?
- Sure.
Mirai extracts the data from the computer and sits down to analyse it. After a few minutes, she stands up and pats my shoulder.
- So, one good news and one bad news. Which one first?
- Anything.
- The good news, the source of the signal is rather easy to detect, and I have successfully pinpointed the correct position. But...
- The bad news?
Mirai projects her vision onto a wall. The map of the South Pacific Ocean again appears, but instead of the various cross marks and labels on the map, there is only one single mark, half-yellow and half-red in colour, denoting a point which lies at least two-and-a-half thousand kilometres away from any land area.
- It is indeed an Intruder's signal, after the elimination process. And the source of the signal is nowhere else, but...
It is located at Point Nemo, the most remote place on Earth, and is also the destination of our cruise trip. Troubles just keep finding us like steel balls attracted to a magnet. There is no rest once I accidentally engage in this long journey.
I walk towards the edge of the building and lean on the glass barrier. I look at the sky, my hopes slowly evaporating into the thin air like how the information is shattering me inside.
After that, I gather the last bits of my resolution.
- Argh! Fine. If life gives me lemons, I am gonna squeeze every last pulp of it into lemonade. Mirai, get ready. As soon as the cruise ship gets there, I will make sure that this underwater or something facility will collapse, sink into the deep waters and become a second Atlantic City. - I clench my fists and punch the glass barrier.
Ouch...
- That's the spirit! Now, let's go back to our room, and I will help you disinfect and bandage that wound. Give me some time to dismantle this setup.
I leave the top of the building with a burning spirit and a bleeding right hand.