The wind was blowing and whistling. Plumbeous clouds were crawling over the city. A purple blinking light was there, small, and far. A storm was preparing. Lightrays were filtering through them and falling on the High Hara. Its streets were moderately crowded by black suited and well-dressed people who were rushing to their jobs. Grey and shiny skyscrapers were rising from the ground like tiny anthills. Beyond them, hidden under the towering giants, there was a dark smoky valley, with a strip of granite walls behind it.. Haguel felt so distant from up there. The Drekavac Desert beyond it, lost in the horizon.
He put his feet on the eaves. He looked below to guess how long would've taken to hit the ground. Not enough time to understand that he was giving away his life forever. An helicopter soared to his position. It was carrying a man who was recording him for the regional newscast. Another buzzing sound reached his hear.
"Mr. Ikuinen come down with your hands up. That's an order" commanded a strong voice through a loudhailer.
He didn't flinch. His mouth bent in a off putting smile.
"Mr. Ikuinen do it now. In the High Hara you're under my jurisdiction. Execute the order" remarked the voice showing a bit of desperation.
He didn't care. He moved a little when a door was opened a few steps behind him. A black-haired woman appeared there.
"Listen to the commander. Come home," shouted her.
He turned and looked at her. Her eyes were hard to forget. Heterochromia was still a rare mutation to pull off in a lab.
"You know that I love you and that I will forgive you for everything which has happened so far. I know that right now you're not yourself"
"Have I ever been truly myself?" asked him.
She didn't expect that question and didn't know how to answer.
"As I imagined. You're part of it too"
She ran towards him, trying to reach his hands and avoid the inevitable.
He jumped.
The Aokigahara Tower's spire moved away from him.
Fast.
Faster.
The skyscraper's glasses became a unique dazzling river. The sun seemed closer. He was like a leaf in the wind.
Then he saw it, for a mere second. The sky twitched and the clouds blackened.
A storm will come, he thought in his mind.
The bombastic roar of thunder resounded in the room.
"Did it shake you up?" said a feminine voice.
He woke up and went to the window.
"Yes. Today isn't the right day for a furious gale" answered him.
He moved away from the window and went to the bathroom. He peed. A dark liquid mixed up with the toilet's water.
He then went to the sink and looked himself in the mirror. His hair were greasy and his eyes and skin the usual yellow with shades of green.
"Do you think that today will be an easier day?" asked her while standing at the bathroom's door behind him. He was able to see her gorgeous eyes, one blue and the other green, in the mirror.
"Don't know. Yesterday we had to move a lot of stuff which came from the Hara to the border's dumps. The rain won't help us anyway"
She touched her abdomen.
"Still swollen?"
"Yes Tithon...yes" said her while bending herself a bit to ease the aching.
"Wait Endymion, I'll check if we have anything left to help you with that"
He went to the fridge and scanned it.
"Ah...There's no need for it. All the fish and vegetables has been used during our anniversary and since then their price went up. We can only afford to buy a bunch of steaks and one or two packs of pasta"
"Wait, maybe I have some water left" remembered him.
He closed the fridge and opened a small box. Inside it there was a small bottle of still water.
He took it and gave it to her.
She drank half of it than handed it back to him. She kissed him.
"What I would do without you..." said her to him.
He looked happy now that she looked better.
"I'm good but you don't have to thank me. It was actually a gift of Lady Gehenna. She gave it to us during her birthday. Don't you remember that whiskers came in our home with Mazu's Water in their hands?"
"Yes, I remember but I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you do for me" said her while kissing him on his cheeks.
"Really. Even though we don't swim in gold and water like the snobby and spoilt people of the Hara"
She didn't say anything and kissed him again.
While they were kissing a jarring sound got their attention.
"No, not again. We fixed it a month ago and we had to give up our legumes and coffee rations. This is not fair"
It appeared like their washing machine was broken.
"What are we going to do now? I was washing the dress for an interview" lamented her.
"Can't you ask to one of your colleagues to lend you one of theirs?"
"I won't. Last time they said that we're ragamuffins. How could we do it again with people like that?"
She was angry and he didn't know how to cheer her up. She started scratching her yellowish skin in a compulsive way.
"Don't..." he stopped her.
"It's not time for...oh, god" said him while looking at the small clock on the table.
"What?" asked her with tears in her eyes.
"I've got to go. I can't be late. We can't afford to get me fired. I'll think about a way to solve the washing machine"
He hugged her and quickly went to the door. She stayed there, in the dimmed lit little flat. To her it seemed smaller this time. Like a prison's cell.
Tithon ran to the closest bus station. His clothes became wet in no time. Haguel's streets were crowded and dirty as usually and infested by peddlers everywhere. They were trying to sell fake high-quality foods like olive oil, garlic and oatmeal for ragged prices. This is what most people resorted to since Lady Gehenna started bringing all the alimentary industry under his control.
After getting off the bus, he went to a convenient store and bought a portion of bread, a box of fried chicken and a soda for his lunch. While leaving it a young man started puking on the ground. He avoided him swiflty. On his way to the subway a woman approached him.
"Good morning Tithon. On your way to work?" asked her.
"Yes...Yes Ms. Lintah. Is there anything you would like to talk about because I'm in a hurry today?" asked him a bit confused while increasing his pace.
"Not much. Just wanted to remember you're five months behind with the rent's payment"
"I know Ms. Lintah. Give me a week and I'll get them to you in no time"
"I don't have all this time. You have till tomorrow. I don't want you to push you out of that hole"
"I'll manage. Now I have to go. Have a nice day Ms. Lintah"
He sighed and then moved on. There was too much pressure on him and he just wanted to get free of all this concerns.
He took off at his station and walked up the stairs. He found himself in a square with a big roundabout. In the middle of it there was a huge building, a red box surmounted by a hundred chimneys.
"Today the factory looks beautiful, doesn't it?" asked a trembling voice behind him.
He turned and saw another worker, one of his colleagues. He didn't remember his name but it wasn't the first time he spoke to him.
"Don't think so mate. After a century working here it still looks abhorrent to me" answered Tithon.
"Yeah, sometimes I think that I've lived four or five lives there. It's just a crazy thought, you know"
"Man, we're not paid enough to think about it. Let's go. I don't want to piss off the supervisor. This isn't the right day"
They both walked to the building and steeped in. Tithon lost his acquaintance after reaching his locker. He changed his clothes and put on the protective suit. He then managed to clock in his badge before his shift started.
The display showed him where he would've worked.
"West Sector Branch 27...that's tough. I hope that they won't send you beyond that to manage some classified stuff" exclaimed one of his colleagues.
He took a pair of gloves and a mask and reached one of the transportation tubes set in the building. He waited for it with ten workers who were wearing the same outfit.
The bead, this is what the transportation's modules were called, took twenty minutes to reach the destination. He was a bit anxious. Usually, the West Sector was about dumping stuff which came from the headquarters in the High Hara. The level of toxicity caused by an overflow of acids was unbearable.
"Alright squad. We have seven containers to check and dump. Make sure to keep your masks on because the vapours could affect your Ankhs" ordered the shift supervisor.
"Mmmm...sir, I still have to get the latest version. I'm not sure if I can..."
"I don't care Perteklinis. I won't get you back we can't afford to miss this shipment. Surely trimming eighty years from your Ankh won't be so bad. At least I'll have the next century to forget about your hebetude"
Tithon felt a bit uneasy. Everytime a supervisor showed him and his colleagues that they weren't relevant his blood used to seethe. He just wanted to show them, to the people who were above him, that they weren't allowed to treat them like animals.
"Don't. He won't listen. It's better to let it slide" told him to himself to get past it.
They started moving when Perteklinis approached him.
"Tithon, may I go with you today? You're more experienced and I need someone to cover me in case the asshole decides to shout at me again" begged the newbie.
He thought about it. It wasn't the choice but decided to go with it.
"Alright but you'll have to follow all my istructions"
Perteklinis seemed happy about it and showed him a cheerful face.
They walked to one of the seven rovers which were stationed a few feet away from the transportation tube.
"Can I drive?" asked Perteklinis, hoping for a positive answer.
"Not today. You're here to learn" answered Tithon a bit annoyed.
He liked newbies but he couldn't bear some of them because they used to put him in a bad situation due to their lack of skills. He hoped that the task would've been over as quickly as possible.
They arrived on the site where was located one of the seven containers. They climbed some stairs and reached to top of it. It was massive. It was a huge dump. There was everything there: cars, furnishings, food, electronic devices, batteries, ...
"Wow, this is all the trash which is produced in the Hara. Those rich pricks don't know what's valuable and what's not" said Perteklinis disgusted.
"Have you ever been rich son?" asked Tithon.
"Well...no... no. That's not the point"
"It actually is. How do you know that you won't be acting like them if you were rich too?" asked him while he started climbing inside the container.
"I... I don't know. I don't know if I can become rich. I have all the time in the world but when I look at you, I think that there's no way I can move to the Hara. What about you? What would you do if you were crazy rich like the Halars?"
Tithon jumped down the stairs and landed on a bunch of boxes made of plastic and some needles. He frequently fancied how his life could've been out of Haguel. No one ever asked that question to him.
"So..." insisted the kid.
"I think...I'm thinking. In the meantime, whe have to move these boxes out of there in order to carry them to the recycling centre" orderem him while figuring out an answer.
"Alright boss" said Perteklinis while he was picking up some of the stuff he was ordered to move.
"I think that I would make sure to get a proper house and a new washing machine for me and my fiancee"
"Just that? No pleasures, just needs" Perteklinis seemed a bit disappointed.
"Alright. Maybe a huge car, a black Phalaris with chromed tire's rims. A pool to have a swim and taste the smell of pure water in the morning. Loads of fruits, vegetables, legumes, coffee beans, fish and all the food which is too expensive for me right now. I pretty much like to have a neverending supply of Ankhs for me and Endy"
"What about having an army of servants?"
Tithon looked at him aghast.
"No. Absolutely not. Since I was born I've been a servant, I don't want to put this burden on other people's shoulders"
"Well, I think that four centuries of servitude deserves at least a millennium served by polite butlers and voluptuous courtesans"
"That's bullshit Perteklinis. Do you really want to become like our masters?"
"I mean..."
"Shut up and work. You're just eighty years old and you already want to be an abusive prick. That's such a shame" said Tithon with a disappointed tone.
Perteklinis lowered his head and didn't reply. Tithon felt a bit bad about the fact that he had to destroy the dreams of a young lad just because his life wasn't succesfull.
"I'm sorry...I didn't want to..." started saying him when a sudden crash interrupted him.
"What...what was it?" asked Perteklinis with a trembling voice.
"Stay here, I'll get down and take a look at it. Don't do anything, just wait"
Tithon went up the stairs and got out of the container. It looked like someone or something collided with the container's front. He jumped on the rover and drove to noise's source.
He found that there was a medium sized hole below the container's base. It was too dark to what was inside it. He turned on the flashlight on his suit and went in. The bore was wet and sticky. A white smelly liquid was spread on the hole's walls. After a while his eyes started seeing what looked like a body. It was lying on the floor, lifeless. He tried to move it to understand which was its face. It was heavier than he thought. After trying his best to turn it on his back, he scanned it from its feet up to the hair. It looked like a male, probably one of the oldest generations but the scars looked recent. He still wasn't able to figure out how could someone die. The corpse presented a little scar on one eyebrow and a small tatoo on the right shoulder. It looked like a triangle made of intertwined spirals.
Suddenly a shadow deprived him of his light. All became dark and it was hard to analyse the body.
"Hey Tithon, it's better if you get out. The shift supervisor wants us back in an hour because the high floors has decided to close the sector a few minutes ago"
That was odd.
"Did they tell you why? We've been here for only forty-five minutes"
"Nope boss. It seems like we're going to enjoy a longer rest today"
"Wait. Couldn't they send us to another sector?"
Another voice answered to his question.
"Time to go. Stop asking questions and get out of the hole" commanded it.
He climbed out of the bore and slapped his trousers to get rid of the dirt.
While they were on the rover on the way back to the transportation tubes Perteklinis asked him a question which he kept in his mind for a while.
"What did you find there? Was it like a dead person?" joked him
"Nothing. It was probably a hole caused by atmospheric erosion"
"What? What are talking about?"
"When...no biggie. It doesn't matter"
"Ok but you stayed there for at least ten minutes. I think that it's weird"
"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything exciting kid. Now keep your eyes on the road. I've let you drive because I wanted to let you have some fun but don't crash it, ok?"
"Sure boss"
They made it back to the headquarters. He didn't know why but he felt the eyes of every supervisor on him. They were scanning him head to feet.
"See you tomorrow boss. We can go out for a sip of water sometime, if you like" told him Perteklinis.
"I..I'll think about it. See you soon Perteklinis"
"Sure, and call me Kurban anyway" said him while heading toward the exit.
He was surprised. In all those years no one ever interacted with him during workhours.
It was a good sensation, but he was still unable to savour it. The dead body was still stuck in his mind.
He was walking out of the building when a smart suited manager crossed his way.
"Out of my way Haguel's scam" shouted him.
He didn't reply. It wasn't the right time to get in a fight. Nonetheless he tried to keep the only detail which could've helped him single out the individual in a crowd: long grey hair pulled together by an infinity shaped claw.
He went home after managing to buy a little piece of fish and two huge steaks. The stars were already gracing the dark blue sky. Shiny like gold and purple like plums. In his block just a few rooms were still lit. His was one of them. He walked up the stairs and reached the door of his flat. He got in and found Endymion crying on a chair. He put the groceries in the fridge and went beside her.
On the table there was a piece of paper.
She looked at him.
"What's that?" asked her.
She handed him the paper.
"Did you know about it?"
"I..." started him.
"This eviction warning says that we're 6 months late with the rent's payment. Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"I didn't want to put you under pressure. I wanted to manage it without creating you any worries"
"I thought that our relationship was based on truth. I thought that you trusted me"
"I do and I won't ever stop trusting you. It's just...there're already a lot of problems and adding another one could've been a bad decision"
"I understand it, but we should've talked about it. You're not alone"
"I know and I'm sorry..." tried him to console her.
She tilted her a bit and let one of her tears wet the document.
"What are we going to do about it because I've failed the interview thanks to that old washing machine"
He felt her delusion too. Then he put his right hand on her shoulder and hugged her. At first she resisted it but after a while she let herself go.
Her heart was accelerating due to a mix of sadness and anger.
"We'll get out of it. We've been suffering for too long. Tomorrow I'll speak with the boss and I'll ask him for a promotion. After a century it's time to change. The next millennium will be better. I promise you"
She didn't say anything.
"I think that what've seen today could potentially be our turning point"
"What...what did you see?" asked her.
Her face looked more placid.
"Me and a young lad called Kurban went working in the West Sector..."
"West Sector...I thought that they closed it after what happened recently with that guy who put on a show in the High Hara"
"Who?" asked him.
"The one who jabbered about a conspiracy...Nevermind. So what happened next?"
"So, I and Kurban were working in the dump when a crash interrupted us. And then..."
"Do you like him, this Kurban? I've never heard you calling one of your coworkers by his name..." asked her suspiscious.
"Probably, he even asked me to get out for a water's glass...."
"Not bad, not bad at all"
"Anyway, I went checking and I found a body. It was like...dead"
"Are you joking? Our society doesn't experience death anymore since..."
"Since the Ankh implementation, I know but I...don't know how to explain..."
"Probably it's one of the automated units which are used in the Hara to assist the elders"
"Never heard about them"
"One of my colleagues told me that before I went to the interview" reassured her.
"It's so..." he paused a while to yawn.
"Hard to explain but it looked real. It could change our society radically"
"Yes but wait, it could be a hoax. Anyway, we have to go to bed because tomorrow we'll start changing our life. You convinced me but don't betray my trust again, alright?"
"Yes darling" said him while kissing her on the
They turned off the lights and went to bed.
"Goodnight" said to each other and closed their eyes.
The next day Tithon and Endymion woke up as usual. A bit tired but hopeful.
"Are you ready?" asked Endymion while dressing up.
"Yes, are you?"
"Always. I've to go now. Make sure to bring good news today. A little surprise could be expecting you this evening" teased her.
"Mmmm...that's interesting" said him excited.
"Bye love. I've left you a pack of biscuits on the table and a little apple I've found in the fridge. Do not throw up outside of the bathroom because I've cleaned the flat yesterday. And put something on your skin. Today is a great day and you look particularly yellow"
"Sure love. Have a nice day!"
He stayed there alone for some time. He ate the apple and a took a biscuit from the pack. He was already tired, and his belly was a bit swallen. He went to the mirror and tried to fix his skin problem as Endymion said. He've had this problem since he was born. Like all the other peole who lived in Haguel. After all those years it has become somewhat tolerable, even though it was like being eaten by the liverfrom the inside.
After fixing himself, to a certain limit, he left the flat and went to the factory.
On his way to the entrance Kurban greeted him and started talking. Tithon didn't seem bothered by him.
"How is it going boss?" asked the young man.
"Kinda nervous. Still thinking about what happened yesterday"
"You still haven't figured out what was that?"
"No. Endymion told me not to worry because, in her opinion, it was just an automatic unit of the Hara"
"Is she your wife? What's an automatic unit?"
"Yes, she is, and I don't know" answered him while crossing the entrance.
As they got into the factory a man, probably one of the people who worked with the managers, approached them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I need Tithon to follow me," said him.
"Wait, why? What's happening?" asked Tithon confused.
"Just come with me"
"Good luck boss. See you in the evening" said Kurban while detaching from them.
Now he was tense. He just hoped not to come back to Endymion with bad news.
He was brought to a room on the third floor of the building, which was made of a table and a few lights. He entered and found two black suited men at the table with an envelope in front of them. They were weirdly similar. Like twins. A unique combination in Haguel. A woman was seated on a chair a bit far from them. Her hair were black like anthracite and her eyes white as snow. She was wearing a smart dress made of a white blouse and a dark tight skirt. On her right hand there was a ring made of gold and lead shaped in a letter from an alphabet which was unknown to him. She was staring at him.
"Are you Mr..." started one of the supposed twins.
"Just call me Tithon. I've been working here for ages"
"Oh, altright" said the one who broke the ice.
"We want to show you something" said the other one.
He opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper and some pictures. He then handed Tithon a couple of them while retaining the paper.
"Do you know what's that?" asked them both while pointing their fingers at a medium seized portion of the pictures.
"It's...it's just a thing I found yesterday during work. It's nothing really" answered Tithon under pressure. She was still looking intensely at him.
"Who knows about it?"
"Just me and...and my trainee. But he didn't actually...see it"
"Are you talking about...Kurban Perteklinis?"
"Yes...I mean, yes...Are we in tr..." he was really afraid.
"It just depends on you Tithon"
"Why...mmm, why?"
"Because we think that you didn't see anything relevant. We just want to make sure that we're on the same page" said one of them as he was handed the piece of paper which has been jealously kept by one of the twins.
He took a look at it. He didn't say anything. His mouth moved a little by formig a small arch.
"Nothing happened yesterday, do we agree?" asked them while handing him a little box.
He opened it and shook his head a little.
Immediately after that the woman left the room without detaching her eyes from him.
"You're free to go now Mr. Tithon"
He woke up and rushed out of the room with the box and the piece of paper.
Kurban was waiting for him there.
"How did it go?"
"We can't talk now. I would like to invite you at my house tonight. Come after midnight" said Tithon with a cautious tone.
"Sure. Do I have to bring something?" asked Kurban with an happy face.
"Just yourself. I have to go"
"Are you not going to work today?"
"Apparently I've paid leave today"
"That's awesome man. See you then" said Kurban as he went to work.
He moved towards home and on his way to the flat he met Ms. Lintah.
"Good afternoon Tithon!" started her.
He looked a bit confused. She usually wasn't available this early because she used to work late.
"Afternoon. I was going to call you about the rent when..."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's all settled"
"Really...really?" asked Tithon without understanding what was happening.
"Yes it's all covered. I've to go anyway. Have a nice day Tithon"
He greeted her and proceeded to his flat. He still wasn't able to understand how his debt had been exctinct.
He walked in the dining room and put the box and the piece of paper on the table. He then sat on the threadbare couch beside it. He stayed there, trying to understand what was happening that day.
He had a soda and ate a bite of white bread. Time passed. In all those years this was his first free afternoon and he didn't know what to do. He just stayed there waiting for Endymion to come back home.
After eight hours the door opened and she came in. She was calm and radiant.
"Hey Thon" said her as they kissed each other.
"How're you and what are those?" asked her while looking at the thing which where standing on the table.
"These're....let's start with you, ok? How was your day?"
"Oh...ok. So, something strange happened today. The firm with ehich I had the interview yesterday called me back and offered me a job there" said here enthusiastic.
"That's wonderful! Did they tell you why? It seems kinda crazy"
"They told that they've received a call from an unknown source which helped them think about their choice. Anyway what about you?"
He took the paper and gave it to her while keeping the box in his hands.
She read it quickly and her eyes lit up.
"Is that for real?" asked her.
She was happy but she wasn't able to believe what was written there.
"Apparently...yes"
"After a hundred and fiftysix years they promote you. Finally but they told you why?" asked her.
"Probably they've noticed my hard work"
"Isn't it related to the object, the body you found yesterday with your friend Kurban?" asked her with an hint of suspicion in her voice.
"No, It was just a minor irrilevant thing after all" lied him.
He had to.
"And Kurban isn't my friend. I like him, that's it. He will come here later" added him.
She smiled and then hugged and kissed him.
"And what is it?" said her while taking the box from the table.
"Do you want to open it?"
"Alright. Let's see what's in there"
She started unwrapping it when a glass cube emerged from the paper.
"Wait, is that...a watch? It seems valuable"
"Let me see" said Tithon while taking it from Endymion's hands.
He opened the cube and extracted the watch. He admired it for some time. It was a 1940s model made of a buckle of 18 karat gold. The chronograph featured date and moon phases. The movement was made of 23 jewels. The bracelet was brown leather. A minuscule flashing light was set on the dial. On its back there was an engraving. Two letters, a L and a T.
"What does it mean?" asked Endymion.
"I don't know. Maybe 'Lucky Time' or 'Lost Time'. I really don't know"
"A mysterious and fascinating gift. That's interesting. The DIYU has impressed me today"
"Also, our rent has been fixed. I don't know who did it but we don't have to worry about it anymore"
"I'm so happy about it. Tonight we'll celebrate a new chapter in our life. I just hope that things will continue to improve and that we'll stay together, whatever will happen" said her while hugging him.
"We will. I promise you"