In the low-altitude regions of the Andes Mountains, close to the Antarctic continent, there existed tropical jungles, and further on, forests. The deepest part of these forests was intricately designed like a maze, making it difficult to exit once entered. Perhaps for this reason, this place became a key stronghold for the remaining members of the Resistance.
Ten years after the demise of their comrades in Antarctica, they continued to dedicate themselves to their mission, striving to gather like-minded individuals and to rebuild for the future.
"Ugh... damn it."
A man dressed in a camouflage jumpsuit leaned against a tree near their secret hideout, blood seeping from his wounds. He appeared on the verge of death, and the area was littered with similarly dressed bodies. They were all members of the Resistance living in the Andes Mountains.
Ten years ago, during the failed mission to rescue the children of IDYPIA, the already small Resistance had dwindled even further in numbers. These survivors had scattered and hidden themselves in an attempt to survive. AG, however, was determined not to miss this opportunity. They had deployed satellites worldwide to relentlessly locate the hidden secret bases of the Resistance and intensified their efforts to eliminate them.
"Why... why are you doing this to us..."
He trembled, his hand shaking as he glared at one of AG's Special Forces Operatives, AG241.
Bang!
But AG241 remained expressionless and pulled the trigger aimed at the Resistance man.
"Target eliminated. Mission complete. M."
AG241's voice held no emotion whatsoever. He simply followed the mission diligently because the AG Security Center considered the Resistance as a threat to the survival of humanity in IDYPIA.
And that was true for the other AG Numbers as well. They were Special Operatives working exclusively for the AG Security Committee's orders in service of IDYPIA. Among them, AG241's skills stood out the most.
"Return."
"Roger."
So ended the resistance against AG with the death of the last remaining Resistance members. It had been 28 years since the rebels had risen and the Resistance had been active.
However, AG remained vigilant. As a precaution, they upgraded the brain chips of the people in IDYPIA to further suppress emotions. They also deployed dozens of surveillance artificial satellites and hundreds of surveillance drones within IDYPIA.
As the mission to eliminate the remaining Resistance forces came to an end, AG Numbers who were approaching retirement from their combat missions were assigned new tasks according to their abilities. The plan was to place these loyal AG Numbers in hard-to-reach areas with surveillance drones, preparing for any potential contingencies.
Among them, AG241, who had shown exceptional results, was assigned as a Security Agent at the Noah Tech School.
***
Two more years passed since then, in the year 2122. Society continued to experience peace, and the same held true for the Noah Tech School.
Students who had undergone Emotion Reset lived peaceful lives in the school. They entered the school at the age of 15 and spent a total of three years in white uniforms: white shirts, white pants, and white shoes. They maintained a straight posture with squared shoulders and followed a routine where they attended classes and took exams. Seated at perfectly arranged desks, they repeated their daily tasks of attending various subjects, doing assignments, and adhering to a strict curriculum.
The AG Security Center sent Overseers to the Noah Tech School to monitor students' states through their classes and assignments, collecting data accordingly.
Upon graduation, each individual's assignments were allocated based on their abilities, ensuring that no one in IDYPIA was left idle. Everyone worked together like cogs in a well-oiled machine, contributing to the society's harmony and productivity.
"M912."
"..."
"M912!"
"Yes! Yes."
Dressed in a neatly tailored gray uniform with a gray name tag, Marty was taken aback by the authoritarian voice of the Overseer but managed to respond with a single loud voice before regaining composure. It was evidence that the brain chip was functioning properly.
"I asked if your history report is completed."
"No, not yet... I'm still working on it."
Initially, she hesitated in her speech, but the brain chip corrected her pronunciation and made her speak more fluently. The Overseer glanced at Marty's eyes for a moment and then turned and left toward the door.
"The deadline is this afternoon. If you're late, it may affect your assignment after graduation, so please submit it on time."
The Overseer seemed to pay little attention to Marty and delivered only what needed to be said before leaving the classroom.
"Okay…"
He never called her by her name, of course. In Noah Tech School, individual personalities were not needed. Instead, they were referred to by the numbers assigned to them from birth.
"My name is not M912, but Marty."
As the Overseer left, Marty let out a deep sigh with a dark expression.
Why do they keep asking for history reports when I've learned about the history of IDYPIA since I was a kid? It's not like this is the only subject I'm studying...
Marty, who had been grumbling, contemplated whether to modify the report she had written in the lower grades and submit it. Even though she had many questions and doubts about the lessons and assignments, she couldn't ask questions or speak up. In Noah Tech School, students' curiosity was not considered important.
- Bump
"Oops!"
Marty, who was about to leave the classroom for the next class, was surprised when she bumped into a student. The student had neat and tidy long hair in two braids, and she paused for a moment before glancing at Marty. Marty quickly stepped aside, and then other students followed suit, exiting into the hallway in the same manner. They all had uniform expressions and walked with a uniform pace. Marty felt dizzy.
It's like I'm suffocating.
When did it start?
She had always felt different from the others.
Even during training to control farm robots with brain chips, she longed to go outside and play when she saw the dazzling sky through the window. And when the experimental penguin died, tears welled up in her eyes. All of this was just her personal feelings, and she often felt confused about what was right. But now, she didn't want to let go of all these feelings she was experiencing.
What am I exactly? Why am I different from others?
While peaceful IDYPIA was undoubtedly nice, the monotonous daily life made her nerves more sensitive and sharp, and sometimes it left her feeling lonely.
"Submit the history report here."
"Understood."
That afternoon, Marty submitted her history report. It wasn't exactly the same as the one she wrote in junior high, but the content was monotonous. She showed it to them exactly as they wanted. With this, she deceived them and concealed her emotions. But she had no choice.
- Bang!
At that moment, a loud noise came from the neighboring virtual classroom. Unlike the other students who paid no attention to the disturbance, Marty's curiosity was piqued, and she peeked inside the classroom to see what was happening.
"Did you just hit the capsule with your fist, M498?"
"Yes."
"Why did you do that? Why did you leave the virtual class?"
"I can't really express it well, but somehow, it felt like my chest was tightening, and I felt suffocated."
"Suffocated?"
The Overseer seemed puzzled and couldn't quite understand the boy's explanation.
"Yes. But what is the point of all this? What am I, exactly?"
"Umm..."
"It's strange. Virtual classes don't seem to suit me. The capsule feels cramped and suffocating..."
"Well. M498, look into my eyes."
"Yes?"
"Just look directly into my eyes."
The Overseer forcibly held the boy's face and scanned his pupils.
"Anger, fear... Negative emotions are intensifying, causing your pupils to dilate."
"Ah..."
The male student quickly pushed the Overseer's hand away.
"Your emotions are getting stronger and it's becoming dangerous."
"Dangerous? Me?"
The boy stammered in confusion, and his body was trembling so severely that he was barely recognizable.
Oh, I shouldn't be feeling this way... Huh? What am I thinking right now?
Marty, flustered, experienced an unfamiliar emotion for the first time - a sense that something was amiss with someone else. She couldn't fathom why she felt this way, but it left her with a gut-wrenching sense of discomfort and claustrophobia. She scanned her surroundings and swiftly exited the vicinity of the classroom.
Ah Uh. What's happening? What is this feeling?
Marty, steadying her breath, mulled over her thoughts. She eventually concluded that her annoyance was due to missing an opportunity to encounter someone who might have been akin to herself.
And then, shortly after.
"Let go of me! Let go! What did I even do wrong!!"
Marty saw three Security Agents, dressed in dark gray suits, white shirts, black ties, and black shoes, escorting the male student she saw earlier. The student was fiercely resisting, trying to shake off their grip, but it was futile.
"Hey, M498."
As the student, referred to as M498, intensified his resistance, an Agent with a short, slicked-back hairdo approached him.
- Swoosh!
Struck by a tranquilizer, M498's body immediately went limp.
"Let's go."
The agent who tranquilized the student was named AG241. True to his former status as an AG Number, he handled the situation swiftly and efficiently. Witnessing this, Marty was shocked. She had an intuition that M498 might never return.
"What is it?"
"Ah..."
Barely managing to compose her startled expression, Marty found herself standing in front of AG241. She didn't know why she had approached; her body had just moved on its own. However, as she watched the student being dragged away, a cold wave of fear washed over her.
"Bathroom."
However, Marty deceived AG241 with an expressionless facade, feigning an absence of emotion. Observing this, AG241 looked intently into her eyes and then stepped aside, clearing the way for her. Marty walked slowly, like any other student, not looking back as she rounded the corner of the hallway and hid herself. Then, she breathed like a fish returned to water.
Calm down, calm down!
Having barely managed to steady her breathing, Marty lifted her head. Through the small window, she could see the sunset. It was as if the dimming twilight, flickering with starlight, was searing her soul.
Why did I do that? Why am I acting this way?
And there was someone who had been keenly observing Marty's actions from a distance – it was Tyra, the very student who had bumped into Marty earlier in the classroom.
***