Standing in front of Rilliseu's grave, Ehoi looked outside the force field. As always, the black clouds poured down rain and thunder, and the rocks hurled by winds gushing at speeds of 150 km/hr crashed into the force field making a dull and heavy sound. Eduum furtively pulled Ehoi's hand- he was standing silently.

"Dad, let's go."

Eduum blinked his lucid brown eyes and looked up to Ehoi. His eyes were a spitting image of Rilliseu's eyes.

"Don't you want to see mommy?"

Eduumnodded his head with a sulky look on his face.

Nearly completing his basic education, the light of intelligence flickered from Eduum's eyes. That was enough education. Learning anything beyond the basic education would only be a hindrance for Eduum in his life. There was the fear that knowledge isolated from reality would cause a fatal mental defect. Infinite mass, minus volume, theories that simultaneously understood the location and momentum of a particle, and the list goes on and on - Eduum did not need to know the totality of human knowledge, which had accumulated for 15,000 years. What Eduum needed was the basic knowledge to maintain biological existence.

Big crises usually start from small mistakes, and mystical phenomena become a part of our lives once we know its principle and encounter them frequently. The human race did not need to pay attention to the energy they were using. Never failing once, for 7,000 years unlimited amounts of energy, which had been created using the same techniques, had always been at that place like air from the beginning.



That day, an airship was flying over the ocean to dispose modified uranium, which was used as a catalytic converter to divide hydrogen and oxygen the humming of the airship supervisor was as sweet as the glow of sunset. As the human race possessed fear due to that immemorial day of nuclear fission in their dormant conscious, the dumpsite for the modified uranium was placed on a satellite outside the atmosphere and eliminated the threat of a nuclear explosion all together.

However, that day was different from the other days of the past 7,000 years. The moment the airship ascended above the ocean, packages of modified uranium poured out from the crack of the door, which was not completely closed. If the cargo room door had been checked properly or if the modified uranium had been completely burned according to the guiding principles or if (the uranium) had been completely coated as it usually was or at least, if the altitude of the airship had been higher or lower, the human race would not have met its final day. This could only be understood as the will of the creator to weed out living organisms that had stopped evolving.

The perfection of not making a single mistake for 7,000 years had erased the consciousness to be "cautious"from the human race. If the altitude of the airship had been a little higher, the modified uranium that had been ineffectively coated would have burned in the atmosphere, and if the altitude had been a little lower, there would have not been enough heat to activate the catalyzer.

The human race, which had experienced the destructive power of uranium nuclear fission, mobilized all the knowledge that had been accumulated up to that point. After that, nuclear reactors disappeared 1,000 years later and (the human race) developed huge power plants that used the separation and fusion of hydrogen and oxygen. This was the greatest achievement since the beginning of the human race 8,500 years ago.

Not to mention the enormous energy created by separating and fusing hydrogen and oxygen in the water, 546 million tons of hydrogen, which was the most abundant element in the universe, could be found at every mile interval in seawater. The enormous water-splitting power plants and pure hydrogen provided unlimited amounts of pollution free energy, and the human race was liberated from worries regarding energy. After the seawater had been decomposed the gold produced as the surplus changed all the structures of civilizations to gold, and the 4340.81 millions tons of pure oxygen created by separating hydrogen from one mile of seawater made the pure oxygen plants obsolete. However, hydrogen was more dangerous than the enriched uranium which was used in primitive methods. The energy created by separating and fusing hydrogen and oxygen amplified by several hundred times the radioactivity of the modified uranium used as catalyzers, and on top of this, the explosiveness was unthinkable when adding the nuclear reaction of hydrogen atoms. The modified uranium, which was dropped by mistake, created a chain reaction throughout the entire ocean, and any place with water could not escape the calamity.

Ehoi who was watching with content his son and daughter playing innocently inside the force field grabbed a tree as soon as the earth began to shake. As the separated hydrogen and oxygen fused together, the atmosphere created massive amounts of water, and because of the pouring water, the continent, which had been one, divided into several pieces while earthquakes occurred frequently.

The humans that had survived the great calamity were loitering outside the force field. However, calling them "humans" was problematic. Like the numerous creatures living on the earth up to 13,000 years ago, four legged creatures numbered over half. The radioactivity that blanketed the earth was transforming them into mutated creatures. No, that's not true. Human genes were turning back the clock of evolution. In order to survive in surroundings encountered for the first time, the body transformed into various forms, as retrogressive body parts were revived quickly. Linguistic abilities were lost and replaced by simple sounds, and the whole body was covered in hair to stay warm. Canine teeth evolved to eat creatures of the same race , and fingers and toes became sharp to avoid becoming prey and the tail bone became developed to aid walking on all fours.

The biggest change of all came in the reproduction system. The physical act of sexual intercourse taught in the basic education's history of life class happened everywhere outside the force field. Their procreative acts were more intense than their fight to survive. Ehoi could not understand why they were absorbed with procreative acts. The male reproductive organ was very large, and for some of them, as if reproduction was their sole purpose in life, their genitals, which had grown longer than their bodies, was to the point it could seek out female genitals on its own. Furthermore, the group that was formerly known as women gave birth to many offspring, and they formed several pairs of breasts. For these creatures for whom the human mind was disappearing, living creatures served two purposes: objects for sexual intercourse or food.

*

As Eduum's sperm and human eggs saved for preservation purposes failed to fertilize repeatedly, Ehoi and Rilliseu felt a sense of urgency. In a situation where scientific equipment could not be used, for Eduum's partner they needed a perfect woman with a womb sturdy enough to give birth and a woman who possessed genes that were not mutated by the radioactivity.

Eduum was born from Rilliseu's womb as a result of Ehoi's sperm fertilizing a egg Ehoi's father had been preserving and studying, not Rilliseu's egg, which had been contaminated through radioactivity. Ehoi and Rilliseu were amazed that an embryo had been born and raised from a human womb, not a machine. However, Rilliseu's somatic cells, which had been exposed to radioactivity, displayed the special trait of aging at a quick pace. Rilliseu's womb which had gutted out ten months to raise Eduum no longer exhibited cell activity.

There was no somatic cell that could be used in place of the womb. Rilliseu had been exposed to radioactivity, and Ehoi was already getting old. With no other alternative, he removed and divided the lower part of Eduum's lung, made an artificial womb, and implanted a fertilized egg.

He had to create a woman who was perfect biologically. That was the only way to prevent to a certain extent genetic retrogression and disease incurred through family inbreeding which would happen inevitably in the future. That was why a third party egg that did not belong to Rilliseu was necessary, and fortunately, there were human eggs saved for preservation purposes at the bioresearch lab. However, among the seven preserved eggs, only one was remaining.

The fertilization of Eduum's sperm and human eggs saved for preservation purposes failed repeatedly. Only after using six of the eggs did Ehoi realize there was a problem with the artificial womb he had created with Eduum's lungs. A trace of male hormones was discovered on the cells of the artificial womb created by Eduum's left lung, and (the fertilized egg) was not implanted (properly) because of the negative reaction. There was no other way but to create an artificial womb by using Rilliseu's kidney, which was the only one remaining at that time and less polluted by radioactivity, because her other kidney melted due to thermal storm the eggs had been growing at the cell division stage.

Ehoi knew better than anybody that a new woman could be created by using his own somatic cells. However, the woman that would have been created using his own somatic cells would have been another version of himself. The biological age of the cloned woman would be the same as Ehoi's present age, which had showed signs of growing old.

Rilliseu and Ehoidid not take their eyes of the artificial womb for a moment. They could not sleep as all their hopes were pinned on what was growing in that (womb). In order to avoid seeing images of the past, which came across their mind when they closed their eyes, they immersed themselves in an almost psychotic state.

*

Calendar of Mankind: September 30, 15005

For the first time in a long time, Ehoi got time off from work. Gleeful with expectation, it was clear that Rilliseu was gleeful with expectation. A good karma plant aroma rose from Rilliseu who was wearing natural chlorophyll fiber clothes given only to the family members of the ten Policy Decision Committee (PDC) members.

"Director, don't worry about the institute. You get some rest. You, too."

The research security officer greeted them with a smile. Not just anyone had the privilege of traveling tothe small natural plant island in the South Pole where privileged classes liked to vacation. The effort exerted by Ehoi to gain this privilege was tremendous. Ehoi was the first 350 year old to become the director of the research institute in its 7,000 year history. Although he could do nothing about the 150 years of required education and the 50 years of aptitude testing, he was able to finish the 200 year specialized education curriculum in only 100 years because he possessed a will absent in other people.

It had been 12,000 years since the complete revelation of the structure of the human gene arrangement. However, gene modification was stuck as being a method for curing diseases and extending life. It had been 10,000 years since disease factors had been eliminated except for the weak viruses spread by the National Academy of Science and the average longevity of humans numbered over 950 years old. Furthermore, advancing outside the atmosphere had been strictly prohibited. That was God's domain, the place where the creator resided. God's words controlled society, and when humans were born, the no humans outside the atmosphere law and the no gene modification law were planted into their subconscious. However, for some reason, these laws did not apply to Ehoi's father. As the director of the Bioresearch Institute was one of the ten members of the Policy Decision Committee, he enjoyed the greatest benefits; however, the reason his father gave up the position had nothing to do with that.

He did not believe in the word of god. He regarded the word of god to be simple metaphors of human history, and for that reason, after he retired from his post as the director of the Bioresearch Institute he cloistered himself in an underground lab and researched in secrecy.

Humans had limitations on earth. Any living organism would no longer evolve in an environment without trials. Human did not need to make any efforts to survive. Bad emotions were eliminated from the genes, and in a world filled with love for one another, love without hate had become void.

It had been 7,000 years since the National Academy of Science, which went to the point of observing every change in human cells, formulized the halt of human evolution. All living organisms sought to change into a better form. The fact this process had stopped indicated devolution. In a three dimensional space, only the past and future existed- the present did not exist. The moment a three dimensional creature sensed the present, it had already become the past. Living organisms that were governed by this law of nature had only "backwards" or "forwards."

If natural evolution had stopped, his father held the conviction that a vent for evolution had to be opened in any way. He wanted to open a path towards a mental evolution, not a physical evolution. The objects of his experiments were his children who were cloned by modifying his own somatic cell genes. Close to a hundred older brothers and sisters of Ehoi could not survive a single day as they could not bear the burden of their brains. Ehoi was born after those failures.

As a result, Ehoi possessed several emotions like volition, tenacity, sorrow, and rage that had already disappeared from other people. And, Ehoi was not born in a life manufacturing factory. He was born in a secret lab his father had built which was 250 meters underground, coated in plumbum and a special alloy that was one meter thick to avoid the surveillance waves of the National Academy of Science, which could penetrate 200 meters into the ground.

As soon as the transparent metal cover of the two-seater light-speed vessel to Natural Plants Island had closed, Ehoi grabbed Rilliseu's hand. "Thanks to you I get to vacation to the Plant Island of all places. This is the first time we have vacationed together, right?"

Rilliseu's voice was filled with excitement.

"Sorry about that."

"We agreed not to say that."

"Oh, that's right."

"Ho-ho- ho. I was so taken aback the first time I heard you say that."

"That shocked look on your face is still fresh in my mind. Ha-ha-ha."

"But of course! At that point I didn't know what it meant."

Inside the light speed vessel, the light dimmed while pleasant memories flowed and a hologram woman guide appeared.

"I am J-29, the guide computer that will take care of both of you. The light speed vessel will be departing shortly. The distance to Plant Island will be 6,430 kilometers after take off. The current time is 17:30, our departure time is 17:40, and we will arrive at our destination at 17:50. For a moment, there will be a change in cabin pressure."

They heard a vroom before their ears popped.

"Hold your nose and exhale."

The attendant smiled and pointed to her nose. As soon as Rilliseu held her nose and exhaled, blue blood vessels popped on her forehead. The attendant laughed aloud.

"Ho-ho-ho. Are you okay now? If you need anything, please call me. My call name is J-29."

The hologram disappeared. It was at that precise moment. When they felt a tremble, they thought it was a movement that had something to do with the take-off. However, their surroundings turned white and a bright sun rose over the horizon. The people around the light speed vessel screamed. "Fantastic!"

As if entranced, Rilliseu let out a sigh of admiration. But Ehoi felt uneasy. It was a white sun he had never seen and for a project of that magnitude, there was no way that he who was a Policy Decision Committee member would not know about it. Something was happening.

"J-29, J-29."

As soon as Ehoi urgently called her, she appeared with a silly grin on her face.

"Did you call?"

"What is that?"

"Well… it's a phenomena that does not exist in our program."

The attendant looked at the white sun and before she finished her nonchalant reply Ehoi let out a thunderous sound.

"Page the Policy Decision Committee at once."

"Okay."

The attendant who had just replied tilted her head to one side.

"It's strange. I can't connect to the committee. I will try again."

He felt a booming vibration. Something crossed Ehoi's mind. Nuclear fission, which he had seen from the his father's education program when he was young, eliminated almost all living creations of the earth 13,000 years ago. Ehoi did not hesitate.

"PDC member Ehoi initiating the AHE-10 emergency code. J-29, head immediately toward coordinates T5227, Y3336."

"What's wrong?"

Rilliseu looked at Ehoi with a bewildered look.

"PDC member Ehoi, human race survival emergency alert AHE-10 code initiation. The coordinates have been adjusted. We are departing."

At the same time the attendant stopped speaking, the light speed vessel glided like a shot arrow. Ehoi was making calculations inside his head. Forty seconds before the white sun rose, the distance of the flash of light was 1,000 kilometers, 15 kilometers to his father's underground research lab. If that was the case, how much time was left before the shock waves hit here? Damn it, only about 10 seconds left.

* From now on all of SF will appear serially in two installments