Ten Longevity Symbols
Fuehrer gazed at the label which read JOHN WAYNE 3405EA. “Was it armino?” “What?” “I’m talking about that metal border of the label.” “That…” Jamdiz tried to answer but he was also lost in thought. “Wasn’t it al…manum? Almanum … aminum… almineom…” He played with several words but was unable to come up with the right name. He unconsciously wished Nouvel was here. Fuehrer was unknowingly shaking his head.
Although it was unintentional, Fuehrer suddenly thought of Nouvel’s death because of that good-for-nothing metal, which had come from a thousand years prior. “Does it really matter?” mumbled Jamdiz. “Does it really make a difference? Armino or almanum?” “That’s true,” said Fuehrer, nodding his head in agreement. “Does it really matter?” said Fuehrer repeatedly as he began to shake off the mixed emotions he was feeling. The three tanks-- 3405EA to 3407EA-- had nearly finished thawing and were quietly humming. It was the sound of vapors and gases gushing from the 533 micro-decompression tubes which were tangled like veins in each tank. The thawing process had continued for a week.
Jamdiz grumbled that he was sick and tired of “classics.” When Fuehrer didn’t respond, Jamdiz cried, “I’m so sick and tired of this!” while kicking the tank. It was an unthinkable act of aggression had Nouvel still been alive. Even when conjuring up memories of the old Jamdiz, it was still an unthinkable act. Fuehrer thought that everything had changed. Out of nowhere, he felt as if Nouvel, who was drenched in blood, was still staring at him. “Damn it… I feel the same way.” Although he did not kick the capsule, Fuehrer was feeling terrible, as well. They referred to the armored tanks that stored bodies originating from the 20th to 22nd century as “classics.” Coinciding with the level of science, various cooling methods and tanks were used, which made the process tedious. For that reason, classics had adopted various nicknames: Damned classic… Bastard classic… Freeze-to-death classic… However, the frozen person was sleeping regardless of how shoddy or inferior the classics may have been… Fuehrer shook off the memories of Nouvel and looked through the clear see-through floor into the darkness and the tanks that spread across that darkness. Twelve thousand seventy five… 12,075 tanks, which they had been gathering for a thousand years, glistened like insect eggs. Although he had grown accustomed to the spectacle, he shuddered every time he looked at it. “Okay, is it almanum?” asked Jamdiz, chuckling, as he brought up the name of the metal again. It was an unfamiliar laugh. The old Jamdiz would have never laughed like that. “Armin? Alman? Alminum?” The light hit the label which glistened. In contrast to the unclear name of the metal, the label was clearly colored silver. JOHN WAYNE 3405EA was carved into the label; Fuehrer felt as if his pupils were being engraved on that label.
JOHN WAYNE probably had a real name a thousand years ago. He might have been a great person; however, now, his name had disappeared. It was unfortunate his real name had disappeared, but it was a trivial matter compared to the thousand years that had passed. Considering many things had disappeared, what was the big deal about someone’s name? For that reason, all 12,075 bodies preserved at Noas had the same name: JOHN WAYNE. They each had an administration number attached after that name. Only the president of the foundation or the director of academic affairs could access the real name of the patrons. Fuehrer thought that these two people (the president and director) probably needed mutual consent, as well. The completion of Noas was a secret that had been kept for a thousand years. Everything was established in secrecy despite the fact the people who created the secret and kept the secret had all disappeared.
However, Fuehrer and Jamdiz knew in detail about the origins of Noas. Nouvel had always talked about the history of the foundation; he had always stressed the dignity of life. It all started with a movie actor from the 20th century, a figure from the remote Middle Ages. Detailed public records were kept at the foundation. The year was 1954— it all started when John Wayne starred in the movie The Conqueror. The film was shot in a vast and endless desert located in the outskirts of Middle Age America’s Phoenix, Arizona. Unfortunately, abusive nuclear tests were conducted in that region until 1952. Without cautioning or offering any warnings, the government permitted filming, and within five years, 317 members of the cast had died of cancer. John Wayne was no exception. He lost one side of his lungs, and he lost another organ every time the cancer cells spread. A little too late, he uncovered the government’s plot. Not only did they allow filming to occur at a contaminated site, but also they continued to measure the contamination levels of the cast. It was the Cold War era, and the government desperately needed human data regarding radiation. John Wayne threatened the government, saying he would tell the world what he knew; the government pacified John Wayne, who was a big star at the time, with a deceptive explanation that seemed plausible. “Freezing” was at the crux of their deception… frozen human beings. When medical science discovered a cure for cancer in the distant future, they promised to revive John Wayne. Although it was an outlandish promise, it marked the beginning of Postmortem Trust which lasted for a thousand years. This happened in 1979.
Fuehrer once asked Nouvel, “Wouldn’t it be right to shut down the Snow Queen?” His pensive eyes asked the question “Why?” “I … I don’t think the people in this place should be woken up.” “Is that your personal opinion… as an individual?” Fuehrer hesitated in responding to Nouvel’s question. As a rule, Noas employees were forbidden to have “individualized” views. “No…that’s not what I’m saying.” “Then, what are you saying?” asked Nouvel. When Fuehrer remained silent, Nouvel continued speaking. “Patrons are asleep here entirely of their own volition. Twelve thousand seventy five individuals have signed contracts with Noas, and we must take responsibility for our side of the bargain.” “Regardless of who they are?” “It does not matter who they are… we are not individuals. We are Noas.” Fuehrer questioned whether an agreement made a thousand years ago was still valid to each individual. Personal thoughts always ended up being crude and invalid to Fuehrer who was a Noas employee. Located 300 meters underground, the Snow Queen was at the central dome of Noas and the home of 12, 075 tanks. Occasionally, a wind with no origin would make a whooshing sound, as it blew through the massive dome just as the wind did above ground. Instead of explaining the sound as being seismic waves, people liked calling it the “Queen’s cry.” Just at that moment, they heard the sound of the Queen crying. It sounded like a sorrowful cry, and it also sounded like a slow lullaby that soothed 12,075 eggs depending on how you were listening. Fuehrer concentrated on his work to avoid having personal, individualized feelings.
John Cusack Screamer was another figure from the 20th century. Through some undisclosed channel, he acquired the frozen John Wayne from the government. It was done in secrecy. In many ways, Cusack was a mysterious figure. He was an international lobbyist; he was an unlucky biotechnologist; and he was a retired CIA official… Although many views regarding who he really was surfaced in the following years, no historian was able to uncover Cusack’s past. However, there was one fact upon which they could agree: he was the founder of Noas. It was a time when the human race was unable to overcome cancer. Everybody was exposed to the possibility of being inflicted with various incurable diseases. Cusack was sure the frozen John Wayne would serve as the key for starting a prosperous business. The first thing he did was try to wake up John Wayne. Frozen with his lungs extracted, the gunman of the West did not open his eyes. Cusack knew from the beginning that he would not wake up— what he needed was John Wayne’s cells and genes. Along with his team, Cusack cloned John Wayne, and smoothly resurrected the gunman of the West. Underground science was responsible for those results, and this endeavor remained undisclosed above ground.
Cusack’s plan started from there. He alerted John Wayne’s resurrection to several former world leaders who were inflicted with incurable diseases. They were approached in secrecy, avoiding the eyes of religion and ethics. One-by-one, through unethical political and economic channels, a growing number of people began probing the possibility of Postmortem Trust. African and Asian dictators who had cancer; American and European bureaucrats; and the extremely wealthy inflicted with incurable venereal diseases sent their assistants. South American military cliques and Arab royalty also got news of this secret rumor. They were filled with doubt and evil intent, and several of them wanted to see John Wayne with their own two eyes. The well-trained and much younger gunman performed his role perfectly, even displaying wit. Soon after, Cusack started Noas, which turned out to be thousands of times bigger than he had anticipated. Patrons froze their assets and power along with their bodies. Noas had become a country hidden underground.
“Oh my… he’s really an Asian!” screamed Jamdiz. The thawing system managed by the Snow Queen was breathing life into the tanks. Fuehrer and Jamdiz could see the faces of the patrons through the small window of the tank when the steam cleared. “Wow, he’s really an Asian,” said Jamdiz as he chuckled again. Fuehrer gazed through the window-- JOHN WAYNE 3405EA was a typical old man who had his mouth shut. As if giving testimony to the Middle Ages where the races were divided, the patrons were all pure Asians. Although he had thawed frozen human beings dozens of times, this was Fuehrer’s first time to see an Asian. “I wonder what he would be like?” said Jamdiz, grinning. Fuehrer felt a strange luster coming from the eyes of Jamdiz. Nouvel’s death popped into his head again. As an individual, Fuehrer wanted to erase that feeling.
It was at that time that the alarm rang warning against the discovery of a foreign body. Fuehrer was not flustered and he methodically scanned the tank. Although it was not a common occurrence, occasionally, there were some people who were frozen while wearing a cross necklace or rosary beads… “These Middle Age human beings…” thought Fuehrer as he waited for the result of the scan. 3405EA was clenching a foreign body in his right hand. “What is that? It’s not a ring,” grumbled Jamdiz. For the last stage of thawing, they needed to eliminate the foreign body inside the tank. Jamdiz slid his arms into the prosthetic arm and complained: “I mean… do we really need to do this anymore? Don’ you think?” “I think we do,” said Fuehrer. The Snow Queen was one big program. It stopped operating if an accident or problem was not solved. So, Jamdiz continued the process without complaining. Very carefully, Jamdiz started to slowly open 3405EA’s right hand. He was holding on to it so tightly… “Geez!” Soon afterwards, Jamdiz sucked in the foreign body and snickered; he screamed while pulling out his arms. Fuehrer opened the box on the right shoulder of the prosthetic arm and confirmed the foreign body. It was very smooth and silky-- it was a glistening piece of cloth. Fuehrer was shocked when he flattened the crinkled piece of cloth. “Look at this, Jamdiz!” A piece of cloth was decorated with a picture sewn with artfully crafted colored threads. “This is…” started Jamdiz who could not finish his words. The large, wall painting that decorated the main lobby of Noas was perfectly recreated in that small and artfully crafted piece of cloth. Anybody working at Noas was familiar with that painting. It was the Paintings of the Ten Longevity Symbols. Among the ten longevity symbols existing in ancient times, “life” had long since disappeared from the face of the earth. It was the 29th century.
BL7
3405EA looked into the air with a blank look on his face. Although he was probably looking at some point on the ceiling, it seemed as if he was looking into empty air because of the see-through wall. The elderly person closed his eyes. He could sense it was the future by the wall, the facility, and the feeling of his clothes. It felt like he was dreaming. How much time had passed? He thought of the passages of Zhuangzi and fell into a deep state of meditation. Passages popped into his head, and he could faintly remember flipping through the pages of a book and the feel of the withered and bleached paper. It felt as if it was yesterday.
He clearly remembered the small potted-plant; his study and the sofa; and his living room filled with ceramics. He had watered his potted-plant for the final time last week. It was a black pine that was small but vibrant like the rising sun over the ocean. Trivial thoughts like having to water the plant came to mind, as well. Memories of the week before could have been events that occurred dozens or hundreds of years ago. Pain overcame him. The familiar painful feeling of cancer stared to torment the flesh in a new way for the first time in dozens, perhaps hundreds of years. He continued to mutter the passages of Zhuangzi, but a faint smile radiated from his face. When facing a fork in the road, he had always made bold decisions. He lived without any regrets, and at this moment, he had no regrets. He was alive. He was right this time, and the reality that he had beaten cancer was beginning to sink in. He suddenly felt like a pine tree. He believed a week ago that the future of medical science would wrap iron armor around the bottom of this pine tree. In some ways, it was a conviction that lasted for dozens, perhaps hundreds of years. He was sure of himself.
He heard the sound of the door opening. Brief and quiet footsteps and the smooth humming of the machine soaked his ears like a gentle dribbling brook. He slowly opened his eyes. An unbelievable face was right in front of him with a look of disbelief and tears in his eyes. “Honey.” It was 3406EA. They both briskly reached for each other’s hand. Behind the shoulder of the trembling woman stood another familiar person who was also in tears. It was 3407EA. The three of them hugged. The foreign setting of the future made it more emotional.
“Mr. President, please accept my humble greeting.”
“There’s no need for that,” said 3405EA but 3407EA did it anyway. The floor was chilly because it was made of aerogel but it did not stop him from prostrating himself on the floor. It was a unique looking posture. He looked like someone suffering from a stomach ache; he also looked like an old dog lying on his belly. Like a faithful old dog, he did not get up for a long time. “You were right. I can’t believe this,” said 3406EA in a trembling voice, wiping her tears. “It’s nothing” said 3405EA with a big smile on his face. “I only made the decision... this person did all the hard work. Now, stand up.” Standing on his two feet again, 3407EA was at a lost for words and dropped his head. “You saved my life, Mr. President… Thanks to you…” Whether he was listening or not was unclear and 3405EA stared into space with a blank look on his face. The weeping sound of the Queen crashed against the outer wall and passed. As if 3405EA’s eyebrows were black pines facing the wind, his eyebrows twitched at the sound.
“Have you tried talking to people here?” asked 3405EA with his old eyes closed. “I tried... but they use a different language.” “They don’t speak English?” “That is correct. Mr. President, I think there have been many changes in the world.” “Uh-huh,” muttered 3405EA while nodding his head. A deep wrinkle appeared close to his lips, which were tightly sealed. “Mr. President, don’t worry too much. It’s highly unlikely the United States suffered some great calamity. Some kind of universal language was probably created... At any rate, the systems here are running normally, and I don’t think there’s any need to worry considering how developed the world has become.” 3405EA nodded his head in agreement while listening to 3407EA. “You’ve looked into the matter and I trust your judgment.” “The people standing around me looked very kind,” said 3406EA; she mentioned the people from the future had made a good impression. “Whatever the case...” said 3405EA who continued speaking. “I don’t know if that issue was taken care of.” “What are referring to?” “I’m talking about our fake funerals.” As if previously arranged, the three of them exploded in laughter at the same time. “And your funeral is a national funeral, right?” said 3407EA which induced a bigger laugh. “That’s all good... but it’s a shame I couldn’t see it,” said 3405EA while wiping his tears of laughter. Another explosion of laughter erupted. “Anyway... but don’t you think it’s a little cold? And nobody’s here...” “It seems as if they have gone for an interpreter. And it’ not cold at all. Could it be in your head?” “Is that so?” “Yes, Mr. President. You might be feeling cold because of the material... I had the same feeling as you in the beginning because everything was so bright and slippery.” Although he was comforted by 3407EA’s words, he still felt chilly. There was a slight shrill in his mumbling. “Whatever the case, I think it’s a bit cold here....hard. Are there any seat cushions here?”
Fuehrer was lost. When Fuehrer asked why Ginyuin was not coming, Jamdiz said, “For what?” And he pressed the forehead of Fuehrer’s forehead with his index finger and turned it. It was a jeer signaling Fuehrer to regain his senses. He was right. Just as the grinning Jamdiz had said, there was no reason for Ginyuin to come. Everything had changed. Ginyuin who was always filled with hope, no longer had a job. Ginyuin was the most skilled Middle Age English interpreter at the foundation. Six hundred years ago, the English and Chinese languages were abolished and a unified global language was created. Traces of English slowly faded away, and it disappeared entirely after three hundred years. A long time had passed since English’s transformation into an academic study. Noas was probably the only place on Earth where Middle Age English was needed. Blessed with a rare talent, Ginyuin was treated well at Noas. The sound of the Snow Queen weeping shook the outer wall of the control room. Fuehrer felt the resonance of the cry deep in his heart and he quietly remembered the first resurrection four years ago. Nouvel could not hide his excitement saying today was the day the three wise men were visiting the Queen. That day, which was only four years ago, felt like a thousand years to Fuehrer.
Medical science had made epic advancements. The incurable diseases of the 21st century had become remote stories from long, long ago. Although cancer remained in existence in new and varied forms, it was no longer the lethal threat it was during the Middle Ages. The majority of patrons after the 24th century suffered from mental illness. The tendency of viruses to attack the nervous system gradually grew stronger. Along with the development of civilization, the human race had strikingly changed into “mental” individuals, and as if somehow agreed upon, diseases had transformed into “mental” diseases. It was six hundred years ago when Noas had judged that it was time to honor the contract.
Just like that day four years ago, that day six hundred years ago was another unforgettable event in Noas’ history. They finally succeeded after failing to resurrect patrons on three different occasions. Noas was not responsible for the failures. The underdeveloped freezing technology of the 20th century had already caused the patrons to expire during the freezing process. Although the thawing process was perfect, people inside the tanks were already dead. Out of respect for the deceased, the foundation buried the dead in the ground; they adhered to the funeral practices of the Middle Ages. Patrons, who had been liberated from a frozen coffin, ultimately disappeared into another coffin known as the ground. The six classics that had been stored at the same time shared the same fate.
And JOHN WAYNE 1904NA woke up. It was a perfect resurrection in terms of life itself. Noas’ medical science had completely eliminated the cancer which had spread throughout the entire colon; including fatal diseases like myocardial infarction and hepatitis, as well as other minor diseases, it was their practice to cut out all diseases from the body. But there was a problem with memory. JOHN WAYNE 1904NA’s memory never returned, and he had to live as a new human being that had nothing to do with the original patron. Although they carried out the thawing process two more times, the result was the same. It was not simply a case of memory loss— it was a state of nothingness; many studies ensued but no reason was discovered. Regarding this unexpected result, the senior of the foundation decided that it was a “breach of contract.” The resurrection project, once again, went silent for a long time.
“What are memories?” That’s what Nouvel had said that morning four years ago. Although he did not express his opinion at the time, Fuehrer remembered lucidly what Nouvel had said. “If (memory) is localized in the human body, like in the brain or cells, it should remain untouched after the thawing process… it’s useless to run gadolinium brain tests. Isn’t this wonderful? There are still areas of the human being that transcend science… ” Nouvel was staring at the ceiling of the dome, but it seemed as if he was gazing at some place far away. “Even the Queen… doesn’t she belong within the sphere of science?” asked Fuehrer. As Fuehrer mentioned, the Queen had solved a problem that transcended science.
The Snow Queen was born seven hundred years ago. It was a time when scientific ethics ruled society- cloning and freezing human bodies were strictly prohibited. Noas went deep into the underground. The ruling powers backed the massive construction and kept the elaborate secret. Unlike Cusack Screamer’s prediction that it would become a universal way to extend human life, human freezing was an option for only a handful of the privileged. Rulers offered endless support for the sake of their eventual resting place, and Noas had accumulated trust money over centuries that reached astronomical amounts. The majestic building was a county in of itself; this was how the colossal artificial intelligence, the Snow Queen, was born.
If “Babylon” was the nickname for the computer that ran the world above ground, the Snow Queen ran the underworld. The evolutionary computer, the Queen, became the mother to all the patrons. Although human beings maintained a cooperative system with the Queen for half a century, the Queen and human cooperation would soon end. Researchers could not keep up with the Queen’s data processing speed and her speed of evolution. The same was true for the world above ground. The Queen helped Babylon, who was a twin brother to her, and she enlisted the Venus of Moons and the Meridian of Mars as vassals and used a countless number of the artifacts that had moved beyond the Milky Way as personal knights. Similar to patrons that were sleeping inside the womb of the Queen, Noas had to entrust everything to the Queen.
The Queen solved the memory problem four years ago. The Queen resumed the project for the first time in six hundred years, and she opened up her own womb and drew out a classic. That was how Noas’ first blessing, JOHN WAYNE 2137NA, opened his eyes. The thawing process went perfectly. He lucidly remembered his past as a United States Senator during the Middle Ages, and Noas had completely extracted the AIDS virus from his body. It was the moment that Cusack Screamer’s fantasy was realized.
Noas’ success, which was achieved in complete secrecy, excited the leaders of the world. The day Cusack’s hypothesis turned into reality, large scale celebrations were held at the main building above ground. Nouvel, the representative for the researchers made a congratulatory speech: “The only thing I can say is that the three wise men have made a visit to our Queen. They left their camels on the rooftops of Babylon, and with uncharted information they came to the stables of the underground. Our remaining task is to reach the point the Queen has arrived at by figuring out the solution on our own. Although the human race could not reach that point, human science did.” And unable to hide his displeasure, he said, “We can all become Jesus Christ. Everybody here is Christ.”
Nouvel felt guilty but Fuehrer provided no help. The President of Noas made Nouvel read the scripted congratulatory address. He was a figure from above ground. As the president of a legal foundation, he was a prototypical businessman who managed patron money and used it for politics. Noas, which was divided into two parts- above ground and underground- was headed by Demoerin and Nouvel. Although Demoerin’s Noas and Nouvel’s Noas were different, Noas was ultimately one, and both of them were fundamentally prohibited from having personal individuality.
In the corridor leading to living quarters, Fuehrer ran into Ginyuin who was smiling radiantly. Jamdiz was also there. “Where are you going?” asked Fuehrer as a greeting, and Ginyuin’s response was unexpected. “Ah, I’m on my way to meet the patrons.” “Really?” Fuehrer was momentarily flustered but immediately nodded his head. Jamdiz whispered as he lightly pressed Fuehrer’s forehead. “I’m going just because I’m so bored.” Fuehrer pushed away Jamdiz’s finger and Fuehrer nodded his head once again. Fuehrer could not look straight into Jamdiz’ sparkling eyes. “Do want to go?” asked Jamdiz. Fuehrer felt he had no choice but to submit, as Jamdiz’ voice carried an implicit threat. Fuehrer nodded his head once again, as he looked at the glittering floor lit up by an artificial sun. Two shadows suffering from ennui followed the curves of the corridor and disappeared. Another shadow followed them like a small stain.
Looking at Ginyuin who was talking with a bright look on his face, it seemed like old times. Ginyuin usually spoke to 3407EA, and in-between those conversations 3407EA would relay the contents of the conversations to the other patrons. The patrons were all shocked regarding the amount of time that had passed-- a thousand years-- and the bored Ginyuin enjoyed their reactions. After the conversation continued on for thirty minutes, Ginyuin, once again, looked bored. “Ah, ah,” exclaimed Ginyuin as he rubbed his hands together. Jamdiz interrupted just as the conversation between the two men had tapered off. “Can you ask about this?” asked Jamdiz as he handed over a small metal piece. It was the familiar label which was torn off JOHN WAYNE 3405EA’s tank. “What do you want me to ask?” Ginyuin looked perplexed. “I’m talking about the material… the material…” He handed the piece of metal to 3407EA who looked at it carefully. Fuehrer could pick up from the Middle Age English spoken in spurts the word “aluminum.” Jamdiz was peculiarly overjoyed. “I’m right… al…manum?” Smiling at Jamdiz who was screaming with joy, 3407EA said, “Aluminum!” It was a smile as radiant as the metal.
Mr. President!
After the three men from the future left, 3407EA wailed: “Can you believe it? Mr. President, you have been resurrected after a thousand years.” 3406EA was teary eyed and giddy with joy. She was probably thinking about her children that would be thawed later. 3405EA opened his eyes, which he had shut tightly, and seemed overwhelmed with emotion, as well. “Good, please speak in detail.” “Foremost, Mr. President, your illness can be completely cured. You will regain your health. And you will be able to receive your trust fund in annuity payments. It’s exactly as the contract states. As we expected, language has been unified into one language. And concepts of nation, race, and nationality have all but disappeared. They say that a long time ago, the entire human race experienced a time of awakening. Peaceful times flourished afterwards… and the golden age of civilization… and…”
“Take your time…”
“Yes, I will relax.” said 3407EA bowing in submission, as the sound of the weeping Queen passed through the corridor. This sound had the power to silence the patrons who had traversed great distance and time. 3405EA closed his eyes and did not budge until the sound completely passed through the corridor. “What about the United States?” he asked with a tense voice. 3407EA answered in a composed tone of voice, speaking slowly. “Although the traces of nations have disappeared, he said the United States and China were at the center of the Union. However, he said he was not qualified to speak about the flow of history. As an interpreter, he had studied enough just to answer questions frequently asked by patrons.” “And what about Korea? What happened to Korea?” He did not know the meaning of the word “Korea.”
“A thousand years have passed, Mr. President.”
“As far as I know… I thought about it this way. I think this is fate. Although all countries have been unified into this Union, Korea probably exists in some form, perhaps as some metropolitan borough, don’t you think? Mr. President, the gods have surely chosen you. Perhaps the 29th century Korea is looking for the return of a strong leader. For that reason, I believe this is Heaven’s will.”
“You know…” said 3405EA. “Is this a dream… I mean… Is my former self dreaming of the present… or was my present self dreaming of the past…” After quoting Zhuangzi, he put his hand over 3407EA’s shoulder. “Without you, my dreams would’ve never have been realized.” 3407EA’s shoulder heaved with emotion. Just like a faithful dog that grew old spending a thousand years by his master’s side, his wizened face was, once again, overcome with deep emotions. He looked more radiant under the light of the artificial sun.
When returning to his quarters, Fuehrer was able to become an “individual” only after locking the dustproof door. He put his hand on his forehead and was lost in his thoughts. Before parting ways, Jamdiz had pressed his finger into Fuehrer’s forehead. In the past, nobody initiated that kind of contact. Fuehrer was slowly growing afraid of Jamdiz. He was also growing afraid of Ginyuin, as well as being afraid of himself. “Damn it…” said Fuehrer as he shook his head. He could not stop himself from thinking about Nouvel’s death. “Oh, Nouvel,” he said. He buried his head inside his arms. That was his individualized will.
“Most likely, the Queen’s solution was from another planet. Although a long verification process was necessary, it’s clear that one of the many followers of the Queen that were beyond the Milky Way had gathered some information. Was it perhaps the will of god? To finally permit the resurrection of human beings…” Fuehrer unknowingly shed tears as he recollected Nouvel’s words that day four yours ago. The individualized tears he shed for the first time were hot and painful. What was the will of god? Although the three wise men had visited the Snow Queen, another entity had visited Earth. And then everything changed.
As BL7 visited Earth…
Good Morning
A thousand years ago and even after, the viruses that attacked human beings each had their names: Ebola, AIDS, SARS… If BL7 was a little more hospitable to human beings, a notorious name would have been given to it, as well. However, it was not named because they did not give human beings time to give it a proper name. It happened four years ago, the year of Noas’ first successful resurrection.
They did not reveal who the source or who the carrier was. No sanitary satellite in the stratosphere detected their invasion. Even Babylon, the Earth’s operator, did not foresee their invasion. Plagues started to interrupt around Earth, and the human race was not offered time to even investigate. Within the span of three days, the population of life on the American continent had reduced by half. They were infected by contact and airborne transmission; incubation time was a mere two hours. The BL7 (bio safety level 7) was the deadliest virus in history. The brains of the infected melted down, and in an instant, their souls left their bodies. It spread like the fires of hell. The human race had been annihilated.
Only a few human beings survived in certain regions. Nouvel had hoped that many human beings had survived just as they had done, living in shutdown facilities. Demeorin, who had led two hundred people from the ruling class to refuge, made an emphatic speech that human beings still had the power of civilization. Human beings had survived on the moon and on Mars. Just as Demeorin had mentioned, human beings had survived on the South Pole and in various regions around Earth. However, the thin line of communication started to dwindle progressively. BL7 had swarmed the South Pole, and they spread the plague to the moon and Mars through unmanned transport ships and other kinds of carriers. And a year prior, Babylon was shutdown. After locking down domes which had five protective layers, the Queen sobbed. Although Jamdiz mumbled that it was merely seismic wave activity, he felt for a long time that it was the sound of the Earth weeping. It seemed that along with Babylon, the light of hope had been extinguished.
Noas broke the rule and froze the two hundred leaders at once. “The Earth will one day naturally create an interferon,” said Nouvel who was trying to instill hope, but Demeorin, who persuaded them to get frozen thought differently. Demeorin was already worried about the food shortage problem. Although they could bring down the remaining food on the surface through an unmanned transportation tube, any form of food had the possibility of being contaminated. Food from the underground was the only safe form of food.
Fuehrer cried under a faint light. And he suddenly thought of the small piece of cloth he had put in his pocket. He slowly took out the cloth and held it in his hands; and he slowly spread the cloth on the palm of his hand. The stitching of the sun, moon, rocks, and pine trees, as well as various animals and the smooth feel of the cloth consoled his individualized self. Fuehrer buried his face inside the pictures. As if the sun, moon, rocks, and short pine trees were being rained upon, Fuehrer wept continuously drenching the cloth in tears. And Fuehrer soon fell asleep.
It was a good morning. As always, the artificial sun served as the light, but it was a day when he felt as if the weather above the ground was beautiful, as well. That’s how Fuehrer felt that morning. He received Demeorin’s order from the hologram monitor, and he met Jamdiz and Ginyuin at the restaurant. “Is it our turn now?” asked Jamdiz as he cut the meat. As an employee of Noas, Fuehrer nodded his head. Fuehrer sensed an odd expectation from Jamdiz’s grinning lips.
Suddenly, he thought of Jamdiz’s face, which was different than the face he was seeing now. Fuehrer would never forget Jamdiz’s face, which was filled with horror, as he bashed Nouvel’s head with a paomaetic pipe for the first time. His face probably looked similar to Jamdiz’s face. It was Nouvel who looked peaceful. “Forgive me… I forgive you…” muttered Nouvel before shutting his eyes. “Because I’m not an individual… I’m not an individual.” Fuehrer’s heart wailed with sorrow. Although Demeorin had given the orders, nobody else could have known who had given the orders. And nobody was punished. After consuming the remaining meat, the three got up together.
Regarding one particular issue, Nouvel was always in conflict with Demeorin. It happened seven months ago when the food supply had nearly run out. “What conclusions would Cusack Screamer reach if he were alive?” thought Fuehrer as he picked up the paomaetic pipe. “It’s not going be a walk in the park today,” mumbled Jamdiz. Ginyurin chuckled. “That’s what it seems like,” responded Fuehrer. The three shadows carrying pipes quickly passed through the glistening curved corridors; the Queen’s cry followed them like a large stain.
Good morning.
As soon as Ginyuin raised his hand and screamed, the patrons clearly looked happy to see him. Fuehrer, who stood behind Ginyuin and Jamdiz, silently looked at the floor. Their faceless voices felt uncomfortable. As if enjoying himself, Ginyuin continued the meaningless conversation. “What?” asked Ginyuin raising his voice. “What is a seat cushion?” Although he turned his head and asked Fuehrer, he did not know what the word meant. Fuehrer shook his head violently. Jamdiz was holding the pipe behind his back and shaking it.
Demeorin made the decision that the safest form of food was frozen in the interior of Noas. Just like his resounding speech that guaranteed the survival of human beings, a magnificent cry reverberated against the dome’s outer walls before passing. Although there was no reason to use paomaetic pipes, it was a method perfected after dozens of tries. It was a question of flesh. Everybody wanted tender meat, and Jamdiz preferred that method. Fuehrer closed his eyes. “Good morning,” he kept muttering to himself.
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