Conference - Day One

The main platform of British Agglomeration's central maglev station was extremely crowded. Britain was connected to one of semi-tracks, allowing travels to Japan through France, Italy, Middle East, India and Korea. However, train currently awaiting for departure was already delayed by thirty minutes due to supposed terrorist threat somewhere on its track.

If something like this happened several decades ago, there would for sure be a panic and many people would cancel their ticket, causing the current train run to be called off. But nowadays, such "events" were something anyone travelling was used to, to some extent at least - the reason being chiefs' of maglevs transportation establishing proper security measures, which were nothing else than deploying regular fighting force to deal with "the problem".

Moreover, society's insensitivity became somehow natural. Someone was killed? Hijacked ship? Bank robbery by hacking CEO's implant? No one cared unless it was directly affecting them. Of course, people still felt fear when it comes to crime, and many suffered due to depression or psychological breakdowns - these things have not changed.

A human being had to look forward, not back and hope that nothing bad happens. At least those on the platform or inside the train, were able to taste some luxury in their lives as maglevs - the fastest transporters on Earth which allowed to reach other side of the globe in the matter of hours - could not be considered cheap, as even lower class tickets' cost was up to half the average wage in some countries.

Usual compartments had a place for maximum of four people. In one of them, John Marlow was sitting, wearing his full dress uniform. He was a man in his thirties, rather tall and blue-eyed with dark, quite long hair.

Aside from him, three others were an older and rather short Japanese woman, currently sleeping, some old, elegant man reading an actual paper book, and a pretty, young woman who took a spot facing John.

Outside, there were guards running around, and from one passenger to another, trying to calm down those most impatient. Concerning what specifically they were saying, hermetic windows would not let any sound to get through, but it was not hard to imagine what was happening based on people's reaction. Since the first communicate about the delay many troublesome situations occurred, even including a couple of fights, but station employees were managing to keep everythng in check for most of the time.

- Excuse me - the young woman talked to Marlow unexpectedly - Since you are a soldier, do you perhaps have a way to check on about this whole situation? I have an appointment for an important meeting and don't know if we will manage if this drags on...

Marlow took his eyes off window and looked at the woman. Her looks were astonishing - aside from pretty blonde, shoulder-length hair, she also had heterochromia with one blue and one green eye. To add to a pretty face, her body was slender and she had great proportions. The woman was sure aware of how beautiful she was, given the clothes she was wearing – a really modern blue and green set comprised of shorts, high stockings, sleeveless blouse and a thin coat, also sleeveles, and exposing her arms. Everything was shouting - self-confidence.

To be honest, John was not the person to pay much mind to other people's problems. He preferred to keep a proper distance to not get too invloved in their lives, unless matter was related to a potencial romantic interest.

- I regret to say that, but I'm a science officer so I'm not dealing with this kind of issues.

- Really? Don't you have any friend to check with?

Despite how much he liked her looks, Marlow did not like such situation. To begin with, there should have been already some news spreading over the internet and all she needed to do was to do a bit of digging. He was not much interested about what is happening since knowing would not change anything - there was no way knowing more would speed up anything. Nevertheless, due this woman's persistence, he finally gave up.

- Ok, I can try to find out.

John turned on his implant he kept off as to not be bothered during the travel. As soon as he did that, the full interface appeared in front of his eyes. Being an engineer, it was not hard to modify its look to suit you the best way possible and that is how Marlow's interface was. He had many acquaintances in the army, who could provide valuable information, but nothing came without a cost, so he preferred to not overuse those contacts. In the end, John selected the ID of person he had in mind and sent a link request, not expecting a quick reply, but he was mistaken.

- Hi, ho would have thought. John Marlow is calling me. Long time no hear. What's up?

- I'm fine, George, and how're you? How's your family?

- Never been better, though I have a bit to work on so not much time to relax, you know. Still, I doubt you're contacting me to ask me about Rosie pooping for the first time, so what do you need?

George's tone changed a bit. Usually, he was like that in unofficial talks he could benefit from - the guy was really businessman-like in such situations.

- I was called to attend a seminar, or something, in Japan, but the train has a delay. Supposedly some terrorists. Do you know what's happening?

Oakley laughed.

- That's all you want to know, John? Just a more aggressive group of garbagers tried to steal from one of transports. They've destroyed one of energy transmitters, that's why the line had to be temporary closed.

- How much longer will it take?

- Not much, I think. You are an engineer here, John. How much time it usually takes to replace a busted energy transmitter?

- Maybe ten minutes. Then, that's it. Thanks for the help, George.

- You're welcome John, but remember about your pal!

Garbagers were remnants of religious conflicts of the past. As they did not want to abide the rules of the new world order following their loss, they were forced to live outside of system. Even generations after the last person participating in the war on the losing side passed away, and despite attempts to reconcile, there was no agreement. Presumably because the more powerful parties saw no gain in accepting refugees.

- It should not take much time. Situation is already under control - Marlow informed the woman.

- So what happened then? - the older man, who was reading a book until now, jumped in the talk unexpectedly.

- Just a group of poor people trying to steal. They have damaged the energy transmitter, so there is no power in one of the modules on the way. I hear there are already works to fix that.

The older man shook his head, having an angry look on his face.

- After so many years, they still didn't learn. What's the point of living like parasites? They should finally regain their senses and move on. If not for themselves, then for children at least.

- But millions died - the blonde pointed out - How can we expect them to get over this easily?I bet if it was about any of us, we would not be able to let go. I will never agree to terrorism, but maybe if governments put some effort in helping them, things could become better for those people and such acts would cease to happen.

- You are very idealistic, young lady. And I would really like everything to be that simple. But it is not. If we could go over our differences, there would be no conflicts to begin with. I saw that war with my own eyes, casualties were not only among them. Many people died back then, including my son. This was my main reason to participate in war.

John was listening to this conversation and now felt bad for how easily he labeled this gentleman as a rich snob just because of the expensive book the man was reading. A short talk was enough to change his mind.

- So you were in military, sir? - he asked.

Old man smiled slightly.

- There is no need to be so formal here. Besides, I had much lower rank back then so I would have to be the one to call you "sir" - he sighed before continuing - I am not proud about how I was back in army. My joining was simply for revenge. I have been in my late fourties at the time, but still decided to go, even though my late wife was against it. The anger I felt inside was just too much to bear and I was desperately looking for a way to relieve it. Looking back, I was really stupid thinking killing others would change anything.

- So now you feel remorse for what you did? - this question came from the young woman.

- Sure, I do. And I also feel anger because those people seem to not want to change. I and many others who were there, we had to change to move on. No one comes without scars after a war. There were so many conflicts in human history, and people had to continue on living. What they are doing now is something I cannot comprehend.

- It is related to their religion. I do not think one can easily abandon their faith.

- And what is the difference between complex ideals and religion then? If someone tells you to kill another person just because they think differently than you, would you do that?

Marlow felt this was a decisive point. People often throw their ideals without giving them thorough thought, stating their way is the only proper one. If it was truly for wanting equality, they would not try to undermine other people's beliefs.

Nowadays, morality was in tatters and human lives were treated as nothing. Given governments could treat their own citizens like cattle, what about war outcasts? With those above unable to set a good example, one could not blame people for not caring about others. John himself was always ready to criticise others, often being a hypocrite who points out insensitivity, but cares only about his own business. Over the last ten years, it was mainly career for him as money and success were everything in this world.

A shutter closed, covering the train's window, meaning that it was now ready to depart. In maglevs, looking through the window was allowed only on stops and in areas where speed was considerably lower – the reason was that the view outside appeared as a blur at higher speeds and most of people were getting nauseous, and no one wanted passengers to vomit.

- You were right - the blonde said to Marlow - We are moving finally. It looks like I will make it with about one hour of spare time.

- Given there will be no additional delays - replied John.

- Please, don't say that. It may bring a bad luck!

Now, when he started thinking about it, the conference he was expected to attend seemed to be similar time to the woman's appointment, based on what she told him.

When he received an invitation, John was informed that many people will be attending, so there was a possibility their destination is the same, though it would have been a bit too much of coincidence. The blone was sure eloquent, but she did not have a kind of aura specific to researches - at least the type Marlow was familiar with. Moreover, Tokyo Agglomeration was the biggest layered city in the world, even adapting a part of the Pacific Ocean, and was well known for a place important meetings were often help.

- Excuse me, but you have mentioned that you are a science officer, correct?

The woman talked to him again as he was pondering. She was surely asking a lot. Was she a spy? Or journalist?

- Yes, that's correct - John gave her a short answer.

The blonde moved a bit in her spot and leaned forward to Marlow, making a hand gesture for him to move closer. Wondering what this is about, the man leaned a bit too.

- Are you pehaps heading to conference in the University of Tokyo?

John was surprised to hear that question so fast after thinking there is a possibility they have the same destination. Of course, a certain amount of information was released in relation to the conference, but he was sure details concerning participants were not made public. The woman likely made a guess, however, he could not stupidly get into discussion and disclose any kind of data he had. It was popular for governments and corporations to send spies wherever there was anything to gain. Being aware of that, major raised his alert levels.

- I'm sorry, but I'm not a kind of person to talk about myself to everyone I meet - he tried to be as diplomatic as possible - We don't know each other and I don't feel comfortable talking about myself to a stanger.

The blonde blushed slightly, but was still motivated to talk.

- Keira Evergate - she made an introduction and extended her hand to Marlow – I'm a professor of classical languages with Ph. D. in archeology.

That was not what he exactly expected to happen. She seemed really young for being a professor, but given current medicine was really advanced, miss Evergate could have been older than she seemed. Though it was also possible to get such degree at a young age, if she skipped grades. Regardless, good manners required John reply accordingly.

- John Marlow, Earth Army's major, serving as science officer – Marlow spoke very officially and exchanged a handshake - Nice to meet you, Miss Evergate.

- Keira is fine. No need to be so formal. I don't think there is a big age difference between us.

She gave him an honest smile - Marlow, who was used to people's lies considered himself good at guessing their true intentions. Keira seemed to not mean any harm, but he still decided to stay moderately cautious around her.

- So what brought the question about this conference you have mentioned?

Evergate smiled, reached to her handbag and took out something small, then she showed it to John and pointed at his briefcase – it was only then that he found out his own invite card could be seen sticking out from the front pocket. Marlow felt embarassed by how silly it was, but Keira had the same card so it was clear both of them were invited.

- Well, there is no point to hide it then - he admitted - It looks like we are traveling to the same place.

- It's really an interesting coincidence, isn't it? I'm actually happy to meet someone who is also going there. You see, it's my first visit to Japan, and I'm a bit worried since I have a habit of strolling around too much and sometimes getting lost, and now we have less free time before the conference starts...

John understood where she was coming from. Similarly to him, Keira likely decided to take an earlier train to have more time to register at a hotel, maybe eat something, but most important to find a correct hall in one of the biggest universities around.

- Then you are looking for someone to accompany you and I'm that person.

- It's not like I'm forcing you. If you don't want to, I would still have to make it alone if I didn't meet you.

- It's not a problem, you can come along. It won't be that boring if I have someone to talk to on the way.

Miss Evergate clapped her hands happily, causing a commotion which led to old Japanese lady falling from her seat.

- Oh, my, I'm so sorry - she immediately went to help the lady - I didn't mean to.

- I'm fine, I'm fine - old lady stood up without problems, waving her hand to show nothing happened - Just don't do that again, please.

Old woman adjusted her eye mask and fixed the pillow to continue the nap.

Marlow did everything to suppress the urge to laugh at the whole situation.

- I might've overreacted - Keira admitted - I hope it won't trouble you if I tag along?

- I don't think it will. Originally, besides registering at hotel, I was planning to grab something to eat.

Miss Evergate look worried.

- Will we make it though?

John used his implant to revise the plan, just to be sure. He has already visited this country a couple of times in the past, mainly due to work-related matters, thus he knew about many places to get a quick bite.

- Without a doubt - Marlow assured her - You can always put the blame on me, if anything happens.

- If so, I'm going take you at your word. I won't hesitate to use this as an excuse.

The older man was looking above his book from time to time, but did not talk, while the Japanese woman kept napping without care of what is happening arount.

As for John and Keira, they kept talking for about twenty minutes, enough for maglev to reach Paris, when the woman decided to have a nap.

Marlow, however, was not used to sleeping when traveling as he could never feel comfortable to rest while seated. Nevertheless, he always had something to do. Given it became rather quiet in the compartment, he started the implant to go through the materials received in relation to the conference. It was true that he did check them couple of times before and even remembered a large part of contents, but whatever he got involved in, John alwys wanted to come prepared. Besides, the obvious lack of data in many areas of provided documentation made him really curious.

It was natural for engineer like major, a science officer who worked on vast projects concerning equipment for military purposes, to receive technical drafts of systems, devices or vehicles which would be useful for planetary exploration. However, many of these he got looked more like final blueprints that could have been already applied in practical usage. Marlow was wondering why would they want him there if they had such good plans right now.

Of course, everything was related to that New Gaia, a recently discovered, supposedly habitable planet, and since preparing for a long distance mission required time, they needed a capable team so the blueprints might have been a way to show off the engineers what kind of possibilities they will have after joining the project.

Still, aside from these plans, John also got photos of the planet's surface and some data from probes. That was rather suspicious concerning the planet was deemed discovered only recently. It seemed like it really was not a new discovery, and this information was kept secret for some reason until now. And if all of that was not mysterious enough, he met Keira - a professor of classical languages, who also has a Ph. D. in archeology. Everything led him to assume something was found on the New Gaia, but what exactly it was?

John was still deep in thoughts when the train's speed that could be seen on special display started to drop and notification was presented: "The train approaches the final station, Tokyo Agglomeration." As usual, information was repeated in various languages. Everyone in the compartment was awake now, looking through the window as shutters opened, showing a beautiful view at Tokyan mirrors.

Current Japan grew enormously to the point of not having enough land to build on, bringing forth various projects for saving and "creating" land. As a result, Japanese started to build higher and higher, and were even constructing on water, both on Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean. Since the waters in this region were dangerous and huge waves called tsunami were more frequent due to changes in climate, a team of engineers came up with unusual idea, taking the shape of well-known Tokyan mirrors, which are now listed among Seven Modern Wonders of the World, alongside the Orbital Ring.

These mirrors were a type of construction to leave a lasting impression on anyone and felt amazing regardless of how many times one would see them. People were various opinions about the mirrors' shape with some stating its similar to flower petals, while the others though it was more like fins. However, according to designers, they based the shape on sakura petals, so seemingly this was a correct interpretation.

Tokyan mirrors had different sizes as they were placed in a layered manner, having a honeycomb structure, allowing the operators to set how much water should be going through depending on situation, and producing energy in the process, which was an important part of the project.

This meant the mirrors not only served the purpose of safeguarding against tsunami, but additionally produced vast amount of energy, being one of the factors allowing the country to completely drop the usage of nuclear power plants.

Of course, these mega-engineering wonders could be dangerous to seafaring, but safety measures were put in place, and besides - there were much less ships sailing overall, mainly because fishing was now limited due to global trends concerning food have changes and only about thirty percent of consumed food were meat and fish.

While completion of the project was a huge success, it would not have been possible if not for the material called a glassteel, to which the mirrors owed their beautiful colors of red, pink and blue visible on mirrors. This glassteel was a hybrid of glass and steel as name suggest, a product of Poland, or - as many call it - the Military State.

Panels of this mega-construction were basically transparent when looking from inside, while the colors could be seen mainly from the outside. The idea behind the mirrors was simple in theory, but application was a different matter. Each panel looked clean and smooth when watched from the distance, however, the honeycomb structure was achieved by combining numerous glassteel panels, making it similar to a big sponge with a porous structure.

There were two main parts allowing them to not only protect, but also to produce energy: honeycomb shutters and humongous supports. When the water was calm, majority of "petals" was fully submerged into the water with only select sticking out. Under the water, they were slightly moving up and down, with honeycomb shutters used to adjust how much water gets inside and how it goes through to adjust the angle to which the panel could deviate from the default position. Firstly, the water going through the opened shutters was moving large, built-in marine turbines, secondly the energy from the panel's movement was gathered in support system.

To make them operate safely, mirrors had to be placed far enough from the coast and the project caused both controversies and a dispute with Korea as portion of the construct was outside territorial waters of Japan. Fortunately, countries came to agreement where Koreans were largely benefitting from the energy created by the mirrors.

It has to be also said that many specialists critisized the idea and were predicting its huge failure, but they were all wrong in the end as Tokyan mirrors have been already operational for over fifty years now.

Given the Japanese were also able to acquire geothermal energy from Mount Fuji by creating a vast system of bore holes. Combined with the mirrors, the amount of energy harvested was creating a large surplus, so not only could they be self-sufficient, but were also making profits by selling the energy surplus.

Passengers were able to enjoy the view of mirrors, coast and agglomeration's platform owing to the designers of this part of maglev's vacuum tunnel. Instead of standard, metal components, the people responsible for this line decided to use the same material as in case of Tokyan mirrors, granting every traveler a chance to appreciate the beauty of a mix between the nature and technology.

The final section of the tunnel was especially interesting, though there were also many arguments between engineers during the planning phase about the curve next to Okinawa. It was originally expected to go in a straight line, but had to be moved by ten kilometers to keep this island - a sole part of Japan that was not overly urbanized - intact, as it was considered a sanctuary and a tourist attraction. This meant not only extending the distance maglevs had to cover, but also exposing the tunnel to additional strains caused by natural conditions, mainly salt water, though it was also harder to keep the line secure.

Despite the huge uproar the change has caused, the final result exceeded expectations owing to esthetic valious and the fact this modification allowed additional tracks to be created for icreasing capacity and maintanance of trains. As for the security - a network of artillery batteries and additional sea patrols were deployed in the area.

Marlow had a great admiration for solutions implemented by engineers involved in all of these project, and most of them the usage of glassteel which was in a big demand in constructions. When he thought about that, John was really amazed that such country like Poland reached this level of technology.

As many people nowadays, major was of a really mixed blood with his ancestors coming from various countries and background, and one of the family roots originated from Poland, though ended up in UK back at the time. Marlow's parents used to tell him stories about their respective families, so he heard a lot about the country's transformation into strongly technological and military nation. Who would have thought ears ago they could get so far?

Though this part of railway was surely an amazing achievement for humankind, it would really not mean much without the Japanese islands, which - with the exception of Okinawa - grew into a one humongous agglomeration. Initially connected by system of bridges, as many other countries, Japan adapted platform city's layout which became common years later.

Currently, layers of this agglomeration reaching hundreds of meters' height could be easily seen from the continent - the country was situated on total of five platforms, of which functioned as a building's floor, though being a suppored for thousands of buildings, mainly tower blocks as smaller, private buildings were something only the richest could afford. The only area in Japan, where there was no ongoing construction was lowest patform turned into a sanctuary similar to what was done in Okinawa.

Whenever he remembered that fact, John felt a great respect toward Japanese people for their willingness to sacrifice so much space to preserve the country's legacy and the nature, despite having not much land to begin with. This, and the fact they kept creating new parks and planting trees anywhere they could showed how much they still cared about the environment, all that even in the world heavily relying on technology.

Unfortunately, less room to live in also meant limited area for farming. In order for the best use of space they had, rice was grown on specially prepared terraces located on outer parts of city platforms. Similarly, solutions were in place for securing meat and fish, but here the process was much complex as it was largely based on artificial creation of tissues to build the food, and the amount gained was much lower than in standard breeding. Due to that, there were people in this country who were living mainly of rice. However, it was still a better situation than in many nations, where starvation was the most common cause of death.

Several hundred meters from Okinawa station, aforementioned rice fields and forests became a big tourist attraction. Placed on the outer sides, at the edges of platform, these were drawing attention of everyone passing thanks to being so different from the omnipresent harmony of concrete, steel and glass, though urban constructions had some appeal too. Besides that, it was also hard to miss a gigantic support of orbital ring sticking high into the sky out from the center of the agglomeration. The very first time Marlow saw this sight, he said "That's out of this world."

Maglev slowed down and was moving alongside the eastern coast until finally stopping.

- Okinawa Station - announced the voice coming from the speakers - Stop will take fifteen minutes. Please be sure to tak your luggage.

The station was placed high above the ocean level, allowing container ships to easily cross underneath. One could have asked why is the station not placed closer to the mainland or somewhere in the middle of agglomeration. There are several answers to that. Except from allowing higher line capacity, this kind of placement was also raising the security level and - what was probably the most important from the perspective of Japanese - did not take space within the country platform.

In case of continental maglev lines, these were built either high above the ground, surrounded by reinforced walls, which - in case of failure or "derailing" - would absorb the impact or limit the damage at least. Both problems were avoided by setting the track outside the agglomeration.

Once the train stopped, the older man immediately left in a hurry, saying a short "Goodbye". Japanese woman got up, but let out a slight groan as she tried to take out her luggage. Her eyes met John, who - since he still had to reach the final station - decided to help the woman.

- Please, let me help you - he offered, reaching to get the case out.

Old lady smiled and moved away to give him more space. It was no wonder she groaned while trying to take the case before - the luggage she had was extremely heavy. Marlow, despite doing work which required brains, was spending a lot of time working out and participating in compulsory, military trainings, but he still was surprised by the weight. And, what was more unusual, for the lady who was built as if the light gust of wind could take her away to carry something so heavy was simply amazing. He was wondering if this small woman is actually able to get to her destination without issues.

- You shouldn't worry, young man - she said with a smile as if she guessed what he was thinking, and opened the front part of the case.

Mechanical elements could now be seen by both Marlow and Miss Evergate. John quickly recognized that device - it was an advanced exoskeleton, and the type that required skill to be operated. But the woman started swiftly connecting the parts and quickly completed re-assembling. Previously moving with difficulty, she could now easily lift all her luggage.

- Thank you for the help. Have a nice and a safe trip forward.

With those words, old lady left. Major bowed to her as she was leaving. The sight of a sick person using an exoskeleton could be considered unusual since medical treatment was advanced enough to maintain the young figure even at an older age, but – for some reason – this woman decided to rely on the device more suited for physical labor. Though hard to comprehend for him, Marlow knew people had different opinons and circumstances.

- So we are left alone now - Keira got him out of thought - Train will be soon departing, but it's still about twenty more minutes to reach the final station.

John got back to his seat and looked at her.

- What do you suggest? Do you want to talk about the travel plan?

- No, nothing of the sort – miss Evergate quickly replied, gesturing – I had something else in mind. You see, man and woman in one compartment, alone. Don't you think this is a quite interesting situation? To be honest, I don't have too many chances to be alone with an interesting man.

These words made John completely speechless for a moment. Not that he never did an ONS or considered this kind of suggestion something unusual. The reason why he lost his tongue was mainly because of how attractive Keira was. It was hard to believe hearing she cannot meet any interesting man. This beauty who could possibly get anyone, asked him.

Sex was no longer the main way of producing an offspring, losing to artificial impregnation allowing vast possibilities for adjusting the future child. Of course, one needed a decent amount of money to afford this. Nevertheless, sex degraded to a status of carnal pleasure, while its role in reproduction was applicable mainly to lower classes in society.

Truthfully speaking, Marlow felt something inside once he saw her upon getting into the compartment. What just happened could have been considered a dream, but when it came to this, he felt strangely shy.

- Is anything wrong? - Keira seemed to be impatient type.

- No, it's just you surprised me.

- Oh, come on. Just decide if you want it or not. We don't have much time.

Her fashionable and really extravagant clothing was adding to her great sex appeal. The vest-like top was a kind of corset actually, noticeably exposing the cleavage, while shorts combined with stockings accented the long legs. Miss Evergate's outfit, due to the fact that she took off a bit during the travel, was uncovering more than it was covering.

When speaking just a moment before, Keira pulled the strings keeping the corset intact, making it slowly fall down lightly, showing her nice-shaped breasts.

John quickly looked around. There were many people walking on the platform, but the corridor inside the train was empty. He did not consider himself an exhibitionist - besides, these kind of practices were punished by Japanese law - therefore, he wanted to make use of really useful functions this high-class maglev offered for this kind of events.

- Give me a moment.

He reached to the control panel, activating the shutters, securing the door and displaying "Do not disturb" message. With this kind of setting, only the train's personel was able to get inside should anything alarming happen.

Once Marlow completed setting everything up - and it did not require that much time - miss Evergate was already sitting wearing only her shorts, holding a phallic device. And it was not a vibrator or dildo as many would have thought, but a much more advanced, contaception device. John could not remember its proper name, though who would in this kind of situation.

Keira has already pulled off her underwear, and put the phallic thing inside her pussy. After pressing a button, it made a characteristic sound, which was a confirmation that impregnation could not happen within the next several hours. Very useful innovation.

Major has been ready for some time now, having observed her "preparations". He got closer and embraced her, starting the act. They did not try anything crazy, ending up just a moment before hearing the familiar voice communication:

- Yokohama station. Yokohama station. End station. Please leave the train and remember to take your luggage. Thank you for choosing our service.

John and Keira quickly cleaned up and got ready to leave. None of them had much luggage as they both were heading to a two days, one night conference. After getting out on the platform, miss Evergate gave Marlow a strong mint gum, the type she liked.

Seeing many people crowding around, Keira took his arm and held to it tightly. This made John a bit confused as that kind of behavior seemed to be something one's girlfriend would do - she did not think they have became a couple now, did she? As many would say – love and relationship were not needed to have sex. And this blonde woman said before she only wanted sex, nothing else.

Marlow had some relationships in the past, however, it was not his kind of story. Or maybe it was because of making bad choices when it came to women? Regardless of that, feelings were not considered important nowadays since many people used carnal pleasures as means to reach their own objectives, thus it was natural to be careful around people with whom you got intimate. Such was the reality.

Maybe in the future, he would be able to get close to someone, get married and have kids, but at this point, John felt weird when Keira started getting so close just because they had sex. It was best to tell her as soon as possible, but it was miss Evergate to speak before he could.

- I just don't want to get lost - she explained - Don't think much about it. In this crowd, it would be easy to lose you from sight, so I want to be close.

Major gave her a look full of doubt.

- And you're sure it's just that.

Keira nodded agreeingly.

- This kind of intimacy is nice, but I didn't want you to feel any kind of responsibility, really.

She seemed like a cunning vixen. Just by speaking like that, you could make one strangely obligated. By using beauty and cuteness, in a heat of the moment, Keira has already gotten his ID, so Marlow could not be so sure everything ends after the conference.

It took them only five minutes to reach automatic pavement leading to level two of the are known as Yokohama city, though it was actually a district of Tokyo.

John, as a person familiar with this area, knew his way around. This city-state was built on five platforms above the original land, the only habitable area in the past. It meant that though there were five platforms, Japan actually had six levels, going from 0 to 5.

Alongside Keira, they get off the train on usual section 2. Of course, it would have been possible to go directly to different level from the station, but the security measures currently in place required them to go through subsequent clearence posts.

They have already gone through the first post, and the automatic pavement took them to the second and final post. The security in Japan was one of the highest on Earth and any foreigner let in had to go not only through documents and luggage checks, but was also asked many questions, to be finally injected with a temporary control chip allowing the public services to easily track their whereabouts.

This procedure was not considered something uncommon as many countries were using such approach, however, Marlow had mixed feelings each time he was forced to do this - sure, it was understandable that it for having him in check and to give a sense of security when visitng another country, but still, being tracked at all times...

Still, the freedom to move around was only partial as foreigners did not have access to every sector, and how many they could visit was directly related to the amount of visits in the country and several other conditions. Considering that, John had to choose a place for a dinner where both he and Keira were authorized to go.

In fact, levels from 2 to 4 were basically fully open, while in case of remaining two there were limitations concerning specific areas. However, they were in Yokahama, making a choice much easier owing to the amount of places with good food in the area and, moreover, foreigners could access all places except for level 5.

Still, before they could go to a restaurant, both had to go and register at a hotel. Taking that into account, and the place where the conference was to take place, he had three locations in mind with good connection to their destination.

- Have you decided on the place? - asked miss Evergate once they left the hotel - We need to remember about the time.

- University is in old Bunkyo City area, between Shinjuku and Taito, and we are south from there, it's quite close – Marlow assured her – We will go to Yokohama Ramen Museum, on level 0, then we will go to level 2. From there, we will board a jet train going to Kawasaki, through Shibuya and get to Shinjuku. Afterwards, there is an automatic pavemenet leading to Bunkyo, though we will have to pass through the campus.

Keira was nodding when he was explaining and once John was done, she said:

- So, the ramen museum, huh? I've never had ramen before.

She did not seem to care about the route her companion choose, and focused on the food.

- It's both like a soup and main course at the same time. A kind of a fast food.

Keira laughed.

- I know what's ramen, though I have never heard about eating at museum.

- You will understand once we get there.

Yokohama Ramen Museum, created over three hundred years ago and originally based on specific era in Japan's twentieth century, evolved through the time it was around into a place serving food from many eras, growing much bigger in size. Surprisingly, though it had its ups and downs over centuries, the place stayed there and continued to be a major tourist attraction.

The first theme park was focused on 1958 Tokyo, serving many tastes from back then. However, currently it was much harder to get ingredients, therefore the place had to be greatly modified. Though the space was large, eras were now divided into boxes, and either serving dishes changed to imitate the original taste or billing more for a single dish. Basically, the older date spot you chose, the more you had to pay.

- I don't feel confident about choosing which box we should enter - Keira was going through the list of dates, frowning - When it comes to history, I've always been interested in ancient times and classic languages. I'm not very good at modern history.

- So maybe I should choose? - offered John.

Selecting the oldest would mean the most expensive dish. Marlow, owing to his position and earnings, could afford even the most extravagant food, but he preferred to choose something with the taste he preferred, and – for some reason – his favorite came from the time of many technological inventions.

- Let's take the 2050s.

With these words said, a drone appeared in front of them.

- Please follow me - they were instructed by the machine.

Miss Evergate took his arm again. This time, he did not show any surprise.

Though they were inside the building, John and Keira could observe the sky above owing to the displays placed high above their heads. The museum was designed to be something like a mini-city with numerous narrow streets and building-like boxes, with important point being each such street appeared different and led to a different timeline - whoever was familiar with the date would immediately recognized which era they were in.

Marlow's choice took them to a box made of plexiglass with a small canopy sticking out front and a small sign saying "Breakthrough time". This name meant the time of technological improvement that happened back then, including revolutionary systems to help Mars colony grow in the future. There were several transparent tables outside, each with metal support and fully metal chairs to go with them. The same style was applied to the furniture inside, with exception to sofas which were made of some soft material. Lighting inside was mainly of green and blue colors.

Marlow and Evergate noticed quite many people inside, after being led inside by the drone, but most of those people were Japanes. The drone let them to the free table situated in front of the kitchen, allowing them to observe how the dishes are being made. As soon as they sat down, menu was displayed for both of them on the table's surface.

- Once you are ready to place an order, please mark selected dish on the menu with your finger - explained the drone - In case of any questions, please touch the biggest button in the upper left corner of the menu, and I or my colleague will come to assist you.

Following these words, drone went off somewhere with a swoosh.

- It ran away before I could ask what it would suggest - said miss Evergate, feigning disappointment.

- Would you trust someone without a stomach on that?

Keira laughed loudly. Some people even looked their way, curious what happened.

- Sorry, but this kind of service always amuses me - she explained - Why not hire people, but replace them with something like this.

John sighed. Many times did he hear similar questions and understood really well where these came from. Because, what is AI better at than a human being? First of all, it is not better in terms of overall intelligence, this had to be said, though it may not be for long. On the other hand, drones and robotes were good for simple, non-complex and repetitive tasks. But everything comes to one thing.

- I think we both know it's all about the money.

- Though I'm glad we agree here, it's still unfortunate seeing how many people don't have work because of these things. I wonder when they will start replacing us for more advanced jobs.

As a technology specialist, John started providing her with information on the topic, very detailed with objective look at both pros and cons, but it seemed to Keira it made him way too serious for a dinner conversation.

- Let's leave that – she said, focusing on menu – I've never tried ramen, so I'm not sure what should I choose. Could you give me a recommendation?

It was not an easy task for Marlow, who barely knew miss Evergate - there were many variants of ramen, but he had to know her tastes first.

- It would've been a bad idea to recommend something just like that. Do you have anything you particularly like or dislike? Do you prefer meat, fish or vegetables?

Keira wondered for a moment, before replying:

- Honestly speaking, I usually eat mainly vegetables, but that's mainly because of the trends around the world - she was obviously talking about food production limitations - I tried both meat and fish, especially as a child, however, it was not the case recently, so maybe now would be a good time?

John thought as much, though he expected she was the type to try some extravagant food before, simply by looking at her. Given the fact she had a position that would get her to the conference of this level, it meant Keira was a bit of a hot shot at least in relation to her profession. With low demand for history, archeology and classical languages, this woman got really far so it would have been natural for her to travel a lot to get connections.

First time he saw her, miss Evergate seemed like a rich, young woman. However, all these predictions he made were obviously off he was mistaken. It seemed like she was just a person who simply worked hard to get here - something he really respected given his background. Still, this wondering made Marlow hungry.

- What about ordering the same thing then? - he suggested - This one is seventy percent veggies, thirty percent meat.

- Yes, this one looks good, let's go with that.

No additional discussion, no concerns, no questions. If one could agree with every woman like that, this world would have been much better.

They both ordered a chicken ramen.

- Is this the first conference of this type for you? - John asked, using a time they were waiting for the order to have a chat.

This question was something he felt had to be asked. Despite being so self-confident back in the train, she seemed more like a child enjoying a field trip now.

- I had chances to participate in some small conferences in Europe as a student, but one like this is really the first - she explained - This was completely unexpected to be honest. When choosing these studies, I knew my life may get hard, because it's not like they ask everywhere for archeologists and classical philologists, right? I simply chose what I like doing. Especially languages, I find them beautiful, an ideal that is long lost now. Comparing our current world to the one we have today... - she stopped - You know, I went against my parents when I set my university plans in motion, and I didn't think something like this would happen. Without a science degree, it's hard to make a good living, and here I am, in Japan, all thanks to several works of mine. At least, that's what I heard from my boss who was approached by the people organizing this conference.

John was listening to her story, and found several points they had in common. It was true that he joined many conferences in his life and was consulted in relation to many important projects, however, he was also recruited based on his theory works several years ago. Nevertheless, having more experience than miss Evergate, Marlow wondered about the full picture of the conference and was sent by his superious, same as his current companion.

- You said before it's not the first one for you - Keira got him back to earth, as both received the food.

- I've been to quite many conferences, though each time it happened in the past, I got detailed information. And it is not the case for this one...

Miss Evergate's eyes dilated as she heard that.

- So it's not just me who is in the dark here...?

John nodded, grabbing a spoon.

- It's not like there was nothing, of course - he explained - Still, I get the feeling there's a lot of stuff missing. Well, at least we know it has something to do with this New Gaia planet.

- It does?

Major choked, surprised by her reaction.

- Wait, you didn't know?

- No, as I said, I got some works done which my boss sent me and then was told to go to a conference without any context. It's considered work-related, so there was no way to decline. Besides, who wouldn't want to go to Japan if someone else is paying? I wonder what they need me for?

Marlow already had his own suspicions, but nothing he could be sure of.

- Maybe for some translations? - he suggested.

Keira giggled.

- I wonder what could there be to translate. It's not like there are aliens who use Latin or Greek, is it?

At this point, John would not exclude any possibility, however, he did not continue the topic. They had to keep track of time to get to the conference on time, and the plan was to be there no later than fifteen minutes before it starts.

The plan major devised to reach their destination was spot-on. Once they reached Shinjuku, they walked onto automatice pavement leading to Bunkyo.

Being on level 2, Marlow and Miss Evergate still had to go through the campus and reach level 5, as the conference was to take place in the biggest hall University of Tokyo had.

In order to reach level 5 platform area of the university, they had to reach main entrance first.

By the time they got there, a huge crowd managed to gather, though most of them were journalists and some onlookers. No matter how much time passes, some things simply do not change, and it was the same with queues and crowds during important events - no matter how well everything was planned.

Such gatherings always attracted various kinds of people who tried to use journalist's presence to protest or send messages that were important to them. Lately, the most common things people liked to bring up were unemployment and ecology. However, this time was different as John and Keira could here many voices calling for restoration of Earth and dropping colonization efforts.

The only word that came to Marlow's mind when he heard that was "bullshit". Whenever something like this reached his ears, he felt strong irritation for the people's stupidity. Anyone who was spreading such catchwords must have been unaware of how bad was the situation concerning natural resources and food. He would like anyone to provide an alternative to colonization efforts, he really wanted that and - if it made sens - John would support it, but no one came up with alternative in the last fifty years. And most intelligent people around the globe were working on this problem. Either they were actually stupid or there were no alternative excluding exploration of other planets.

Major could have further elaborate on this topic in his thought if it was not for Keira who was nervously looking at the hour – the time they had left reduced visibly and queue did not seem to get any smaller.

As they both have started to lose hope of arriving on time, there was some commotion up in the front - at least several people yelled in protest, but a security both went through the crowd, all the way to the spot were John and Keira were.

This type of robots was one of the biggest innovations of this century - with most advanced cognitive functions and complex reactions, they were able to appropriately adjust to various situations. Their looks intentionally appeared non-human – walking on four legs, having two pairs of arms and completely square torso, these faceless machines were only able to move around and act owing to complex receptor and emitter systems. They were not made human not because of current technology limitations, but because of humanity's feelings as giving robots human shape became really controversial since 21st century. It was a type of manifest to show that AI will not replace people.

It was obviously a lie. Maybe majority of robots was only capable of less complex works, but they were not that far from creating autonomous entities, and such machines would have probably been around if not for governments keeping the matter in check – to them, robots were a threat to workplaces, although corporations were opting for introducion of more advanced AI employees. This state of affairs stayed that way for years now, however, no one knew how long would this last.

- Good afternoon. Authorized Orion class robot. Lady, gentleman, I can see that both of you have invitation cards - the voice came from the machine as two arms reached each of them respectively - Would you let me verify the authenticity?

Miss Evergate immediately took out her card to let the robot scan it, but was stopped by Marlow. It was a fact that they were in conference's location, and the robot was surely Orion class, however, one could never be to careful. Therefore, John activated his implant and sent a request to the robot for it to disclose its serial number and affiliation - in accordance to regulations introduced by the International Bureau of Robotics and Cybernetics, popularly referred to as IBORAC, each "intelligent device" (as robots and complex interfaces were called as a group) needs to have a dedicated identity card, including information major requested. Inside the household, such information can be protected by password if owner sets it, but every institution open to public was obliged to keep this kind of data available.

Request was processed through encrypted protocol, allowing John to confirm the robot has all necessary permission. Only after doing so, he and Keira both passed cards to Orion which put them into sockets in upper section of its torso, just under its head.

- Authenticity confirmed, please follow me.

Tu Marlow's and miss Evergate's surprise, they were not lead through the crowd, but in opposite direction leading to the main lobby. From there on, they have followed the robot into a corridor parallel to the one where they saw the long queue. In comparison to what they saw back there, only several people passed them and it was weirdly quiet on this way. Moreover, as the robot moved forward, subsequent password-coded doors, accompanied by many sensors, were opening. Only ten minutes were left to the conference's start and Keira yet again held John's arm.

- Is this really a correct way? - she asked - Until just a moment ago, we went according to instructions they've sent us...

- You are correct, miss - Orion confirmed - The place you were at was the main entrance. However, due to high interest in the conference among journalists, measures had to be taken to allow participants a safe passage. That is why we are using the passage for the University's employees. There is no need to worry.

Based on the robot's explanation, this course of action seemed reasonable.

- Why didn't we receive any kind of update then? - major wondered.

- Decision was made only today, as more journalists and independent observers came. Information was available at the reception desk, but it is true no update was sent, therefore I apologize for the inconvenience. However, we were aware that not everyone will visit the reception, hence Orion unit was deployed to assist.

John did not argue. It was true that they went straight into the section from where they could go to the assembly hall, simply because he knew the University a bit.

Another door opened with the robot's touch, showing a much wider corridor, where several dozen of people already gathered, talking to each other while waiting to enter. Some of them were also accompanied by Orion class robots. Marlow even recognized some familiar faces, but had no intention to approach them - not only as to not made miss Evergate uncomfortable or rather because he simply did not like some of them, and there were also those who simply pissed him off by being close-by.

- Hi John - no matter how much he tried to stay away from others, it did not mean the others will not approach him - The best always arrive late, huh? Long time no see.

Upon receiving the invitation, major already had assumptions who else may come to the conference, and one of them was the exact person who just appeared out of nowhere and started the conversation.

The man in question was professor Adam Barszcz, from Poland, with this really hard to spell surname, though also one of the best physicist around when it came to space travel theories. Alongside another professor, Oleksandr Pavlov, they have created a theory applying black holes to create space tunnels allowing connection between solar systems.

Nowadays, in every school one could learn that the easiest way in physics to travel from point A to point B is not by going through the segment connecting them, but by folding the plane for the points A and B to overlap. However, theory was one thing, and applying this in practical use was something different. Black holes were known for warping the space for years and there were speculations that they could lead to various places in the universe, though no one could actually confirm that. Moreover, if it was the case, one had to understand how this connection is created and to how many spots one hole could lead. In order to achieve that, given there is confirmation of black hole tunnels, humanity needed the way to set proper trajectory and navigate when passing through the tunnel - this is what Barszcz and Pavlov managed, though it had to be said that only several probes made it through in the last ten years, or so was officially made public.

Marlow respected both professors, although he had mixed feelings about them, originating from his student times when he was invited for a drink to celebrate a well-received theory he submitted. John never forgot a hangover he had afterwards.

Professor Barszcz was a tall man in his fourties with long, black and grey hair. For the conference, he decided to wear an expensive and very extravagant suit. What was weird was the fact professor did not have any assistant with him - it was the first time for major to see this man alone.

- Welcome, professor Barszcz.

Marlow's greeting was much more official than the way professor greeted him. Barszcz reacted to his words with a smile.

- Don't be so stiff, John. I told you many times you can talk to me casually. I treat you as a friend. Just call me by name - his eyes met Keira - And who is this beautiful lady?

The woman was about to reply, but John jumped in to make this meeting more official. It sounded much better to be introduced in such circumstances.

- This is miss Keira Evergate, professor of classical languages and...

- ...archeologist.

It looked like Barszcz knew who she was by hearing her name. He bowed and kissed her hand, a really old style gesture.

- It's nice to finally meet you, miss Evergate. Your translations helped us a great deal!

Hearing these words, Marlow frowned, and when she looked at him, Keira felt dumbfounded. Not long ago, they have talked about the conference and this woman seemed to have no idea why she was invited. Translations were indeed mentioned during their discussion, but that was it, nothing about these being related to famous physicist.

- It's a pleasure to meet you, sir - miss Evergate looked confused, but she managed to give a natural reply - I'm happy I was of help, but I'm not sure...

- You wouldn't even imagine how important it was - Barszcz appeared restless about this topic - I can see John was unaware of your work? - he added, looking at Marlow eyeing him.

- Would you be able to elaborate on that, Adam? - major no longer kept his official tone – We travelled with Keira from London, wondering what this is about, and here you say these translations were used for something by you?

Miss Evergate also wanted to ask something, but then professor Barszcz put a finger on his mouth and said.

- It's classified. Miss Evergate was not told what exactly this was for. I apologize for all this secrecy, but you will soon learn the full story. Just be a bit more patient. Let us go inside.

Finally, the entrance door opened and everyone could go inside. This time, human security was responsible for checking cards and showing participants to their seats. John was sent to the section for military personnel, while Keira Evergate and Adam Barszcz were to join scientists.

Personally, Marlow considered himself to be more of a researcher than army officer, therefore he was slightly confused by this division, but there was no reason to complain.

As they were going their respective ways now, Keira looked at him once more, and major bowed his head and smiled in response. Miss Evergate seemed a bit pale now - she returned the smile, but it felt rather tense. It might have been stress caused by sitting among a bunch of new people she did not know. Still, given how self-confident she seemed when John met her for the first time, this current behavior did not fit her.

Marlow got to his chair, greeting people sitting around. According to his watch, conference should have started about five minutes ago.

There were no conversations heard in the crowd, it was rather quiet – to the point that the officer on John's right appeared sleeping, though he might have been using his implant instead. Major was not such a busybody to actually check on him.

A Japanese man, appearing to be in his early twenties, went on the platform. He could have been older though as younger appearance for older people was quite the trend in Japan nowadays, so it was hard to actually guess the age.

- We apologize for the delay, but we are still awaiting for several important guests to arrive - he explained - Please, be patient for a bit more.

Organizing a conference for several hundred people was surely a big challenge, with many foreigners being invited. Hosts should have taken potential absences into the consideration – this kind of situation could have happened, and they should carry on even if someone is not present. Unless some of the speakers were still not here. But even then, it is something they could amend for by changing the speaking order.

Of course, John did not know the whole point, so speculations he made could be completely off. Given they have even more time, Marlow started his implant and closed eyes, diving into internet. However, he could not do that for long since the call request appeared just a moment after he turned the device on.

- What do you think happened? - Keira asked slightly scared - I honestly hope it's not because of terrorists. Adam said that such things are common for big conferences...

Barszcz was quick to get casual it seemed, and the mention about terrorists was not completely off.

- They usually say it straightforward if anything like this happens - major replied - It's not a matter you keep hidden if people's lives are at risk.

Although he said that, it was still true that sometimes governments went their way to keep inconvenient events a secret. Still, he was really sure this was not the case here. The country in which they were right now was considered one of the safest places in the whole world, mainly because most of dangerous people were simply unable to set a foot on a ship, train or airplane heading to Japan, and it would have been really hard for terrorists to get through.

Marlow himself knew a lot about the ways to deceive identity controls, but getting weapons in was a completely different matter - going through a security check would show these, leaving only the option of organizing weapons inside the country, which was not an easy task.

In Japan, only forces accepted by government could use weapons, and selling guns without a permit was a serious crime for which one could be sentenced to death. More natural way to get a weapon was by using a 3D printer, though these were under a tight surveillance. Besides, even a well-equipped terrorist group would have a hard time dealing with this University's security, including Orions which were multi-purpose and could be turned into decent bodyguards, should situation demand it.

The biggest threat was related to implant hacking, which - in highest-edge versions - could make it possible to control actions of the person wearing it, though it was really tricky, required a proper software and the setup of the implant should include motion assistance. Due to sheer amount of required effort, it was something terrorist could rarely afford.

However, it was also true that some of protesters could turn to actions considered terrorism, but Marlow did not want to scare Keira unnecessarily.

- You sure about that? - miss Evergate still asked for confirmation.

John thought it was probably Barszcz who was telling her this kind of things just to tease her. Despite being a well-known physicists, appearing very calm and serious, those who knew the guy were aware of his stupid sense of humor. Hopefully, conference would start anytime now, forcing him to focus on something else than a stupid teasing.

- This is what I personally think. Knowing security they have here, we are safe inside. Even if anything happened outside, we wouldn't hear it as they resolve the situation. Just relax and wait for the conference to start.

Keira did not say anything for a moment, but finally replied:

- I'll try.

- Just don't worry about everything Barszcz says. This guy has a tendency to tease people so you better not believe everything he tells you.

The channel was now closed and Marlow felt relieved as miss Evergate seemed to understand his reasoning in the end. He also felt unrest at such times, but did not want to go crazy because something like that.

Fortunately, his earlier conclusion proved correct a several minutes later, once remaining participants were led into the assembly hall by a group of Orions, which had problems to get them through the crowds that supposedly grew even larger over the time they have spent inside.

- Ladies and gentlemen - the same Japanese man appeared on the platform again - As a representative of our university, I would like to once again apologize for the delay. The conference caused a big uproar, therefore we have faced some logistics problems. But now, we can finally begin. Let me start by introducing myself. I am doctor Kojiro Amane, materials engineer based here in University of Tokyo, and a staff member of a project we will be discussing today.

Applause could be heard from here and there, though many simply listened with no reaction. John was in this second group, and just wanted the reason behind this conference.

- I understand that many of you came here with limited or no information concerning our project - dr. Amane continued - The project is a complex plan, not easy to explain without access to vast amount of data which we could not share beforehand due to security concerns. This effort is too important to allow leaks.

First time since entering assembly hall, Marlow actually heard people whispering. If project required a high level of confidentiality, many - esepecially reporters - were wondering what kind of effort this is. However, given the words everyone just heard, John was curious why so many journalists were let in - talking about information leaks and allowing reporters at the same time seemed like a big contradiction.

- I would like to clarify that main concerns were not related to people involved, but to the data transmission. Inside this assembly hall we have an isolted network through which everything of importance will be sent with encryption directly to implants of everyone who was invited to participate in thje project. Reporters, being only observers, will have an access to carefully selected data. Please turn on your implants. After receiving a signal, please confirm the connection to our network. Once we confirm everyone is ready, we will proceed to main part of today's meeting.

Marlow did not trust such networks, regardless of what this man said. Even if isolated, they could still be infiltrated, should anyone skill be inside this hall. Truthfully speaking, major had enough skill to actually hack into other people's implants, though he would never want to go that far, no matter what. Due to his cautiousness, John connected to the network, but set additional security measures in motion to be on the safe side.

After joining the network, everyone got an access to a complex interface with numerous windows, lists, reference files, photos and many other resources. The title page was showing the project name - Future. Syncing was ongoing and it was still not all, however, some miniatures of technical drafts immediately picked major's attention - he made a gesture to enlarge one of them, a blueprint for spaceship construction. Short look was enough to recognize parts from the drafts Marlow received - the ones he thought were ready to be turned into a proper ship. Apparently, he was wrong and the technical draft sent before the conference was actually one of the modules of a gigantic space vessel.

- Ok, since each of you has access to our network now, please welcom professor Mathias Kaller, who is a head of the project.

Following these words, dr. Amane went off the platform, being replaced by a man who seemed to be in his natural eighties, though he could be much older given the current medicine. Professor Kaller was of middle height and was partially bald with longer, white hair on the sides and the back of his head. The man had really pale, blue eyes, which seemed blurred as if he was unable see the world around – despite that, once he looked at the people around, these eyes suddenly became alive.

- First of all, I'm happy to see so many promising people in one place. Greetings to all of you. I presume many of you already had a chance to look through the data we have shared a moment ago. I am sure each of you had some thoughts, some predictions about this mysterious conference. Some of you even participated in the project in various ways, though not always being aware of the fact. Having said that, and without any further chit-chats - the use of less official approach woke some less focused people up - let me officially announce: we are sending an expedition to the New Gaia.

This statement raised a commotion, especially among reporters. Any topic connected with improving economical condition and status of humanity could turn into a great hit. Until now, colonization efforts were far from bringing results, mainly because of the most promising planet, Mars, requiring much more time to be terraformed than expected. In that aspect, this New Gaia was completely different and not that challenging.

However, despite having a similar climate and weather conditions to Earth, New Gaia could be still considered an enigma as there were still way too many unknowns concerning the planet. Having in mind it was discovered only recently, already planning for expedition was something unheard of. John was sure many scientists around were sceptical about the news, but the would be interested in the topic regardless as any new data could be worth a lot.

While he has already seen some of the drafts, when looking through more recent files, Marlow became preoccupied with the blueprint of multi-module ship, which actually seemed to be more like several ships bundled together. Modules it was comprised of were connected by detachable arms, also acting as bridges allowing crew to move between the ship's sections. The construction shown in the plan felt really familiar since major discussed similar idea in his thesis back in student days.

Based on short analysis of available data, major could tell that it required a vast amount of work to put together so many brilliant ideas for one project. Though on one hand John could feel proud by seeing his work reflected in this blueprint, on the other - he was not informed it is being used. Of course, as a science officer, he knew about the procedures concerning his works, and was aware military can make use of them despite Marlow's name being "on the paper". Still, it would have been nice to actually be informed. A single technical draft of one module he received was not enough to actually notice connection to his old work.

- As all of you, most likely, already know – professor Kaller continued – The New Gaia has a climate similar to Earth, with slightly different air composition, and being two times bigger than our home planet. Moreover, the land-water ration is seventy to thirty percent, giving us a lot of space for colonization.

No whispering, no interruptions, no questions. Everyone was listening in complete silence, although it was obvious many peope have already focused on studying the shared materials.

- The information we have gathered concerning the environment, especially in terms of living organisms is still quite limited, but even with the current data we can say for sure that – if resources are managed properly – food production and natural resources would not only cover humanity's needs on Earth, but would also create a great surplus.

Mathias Kaller proceeded with further explanations based on the data displayed on the graphs which were now being shown to everyone via their implants. Subsequent screens were not only referring to the food production, but also mining and acquiring other resources crucial to humanity. The numbers looked really promising.

When looking at all these graphs, John's instict told him there has to be a catch here. There is always a "but" when you see something like.

- Of course, even though we have gathered all this data, further research proceeds slowly as we are relying solely on probes, and this method is not only expensive, but time-consuming, and the time is running short. Although we are aware this is really soon, and the decision may be sudden, however, a decision was made to send a manned expedition before the end of century.

For the first time since Mathias Kaller started speaking, whispers could be heard in the assembly hall.

- Planned expedition is aimed for both research and establishing the very first colony on the planet, which - we hope - will also help in learning more about the New Gaia.

Many would expect the manned flight to be organized at some point. The thing is it was way too soon. Forget the distance or money - building the ship of this size is a matter of years and it would be still just a prototype when finished. The technology for travels between systems has been prepared, but tested only with probes and without any manned ship. Given they will be able to complete the ship's construction, who would be crazy enough to board a first ship of this type, using a space tunnel which was never passed by human crew?

Major could feel the scepticism in the air. Professor Kaller must have been aware of how unbelievable his statement was.

- It will be the very first expedition to the New Gaia, a stepping stone all colonization efforts so far. This planet can become our new home.

There was an uproar in the reporters' section. Finally, one of journalists was allowed to speak:

- Many of us heard a rumor about the planet being already inhabited by another sentient species. Could you confirmed that?

Mathias Kaller did not reply immediately as if he was planning his answer.

- We have no data to support this claim. However, I can confirm we have found structures that show signs of being created by some intelligent beings. Having said that, our team made sure to send signals and messages to which we did not receive any kind of response.

Afterwards, professor was giving answers to various questions, of which many were related to speculations about aliens, including seemingly destroyed probes. The session went for about fifteen minutes, then reporters were informed open part of the meeting was concluded.

Following journalists leaving the assembly hall, professor Kaller looked around.

- All of you gathered here are specialists, constructors, researchers or experieneced soldiers. The reason why you were invited is simple: you were nominated as candidates for the very first expedition to the New Gaia. I understand this is sudden, but I would like you to put some thought into the possibilities it will give you. We will not force you to join, it is voluntary.

- How do you expect us to agree with only vague information? - asked someone - What about these aliens reporters are talking about?

- Unfortunately, this information is confident and will be shared only with those who will decide to join the project. You have fifteen minutes to choose. If you stay in the assembly hall after this deadline, it will be considered an agreement and a contract will be sent to your PEC.

Mathias Kaller left the platform and sat down.

People started talking to each other, some were for sure using their implants to consult with families, significant others, friends or employers.

- How can we agree to such uncertain deal?

- We don't know how many years preparations will take. They may plan to leave within seven years, but how can they be sure this actually happens? Some of us may not live that long.

Marlow was in agreement with these concerns. Construct the ship, plan the route, train the crew, run medical examination - there was a lot to do. It was not like going on vacations, it was not so simple. He was not among those people, but some had families or maybe other people important to them. What would they do? Simply leave everyone behind?

John, who was a single man was not sure too. Because how could he know they will live through this expedition? Of course, Earth was degrading more and more and new planet was needed without a doubt. Still, he did not have a bad life here - with a bit of luck, he could easily live for another one hundred years with secure funds. Besides, why make this kind of decision years before planned departure? What if someone changes their mind over time?

- Okay, who said we cannot be sure everything will be ready on time? - some new voice echoed, coming from somewhere around the place professor Kaller was seated.

The person, who raised their voice was a brunette woman much younger than Mathias Kaller. She seemed like na eccentric type - while wearing trendy shorts and high shoes, she had a white shirt with a tie and a white lab coat on her shoulders.

- My name is Asako Zelezinska, and I'm this project's coordinator. Let me give you some more context as Mathias is way too easy-going here. You seem to be greatly mistaken if you think you are irreplaceable. We've been already working on this project for some time now and have a core team. It's us who are giving you a chance to participate in this great project, and we are under no obligation to give you more details until we see it fit. As a person responsible for meeting deadlines here, I can assure you that we are proceeding according to plan. If you want to keep complaining, just leave now. You have all received a contract draft, just read it and make a decision.

They were obviously toying with people in the assembly hall. First you tell those people they are a selected group, making them important, then you say the project is ongoing, and it is an opportunity they may lose if the do not join. Within such short amount of time this kind of situation puts a lot of pressure.

Marlow felt conflicted. He was really curious about the technology used in ship's construction and the possibility of alien presence, but at the same time he knew expedition will be full of dangers. After going through the contract, it seemed like a pact with the devil with many restrictions, including a complex NDA.

John wanted to know how they want to deal with all those problems he could easily notice, however, it was obviously no chance to get everything clarified. This whole setting was like a devotion change. Before he knew, major's body automatically raised from the seat, but once this happened he felt someone's hand on his arm – the hand belonged to the officer, who seemed to be sleeping before. Right now, the man was no longer focusing on implant and looking at Marlow with a serious face.

- Better think twice, boy – said colonel, as this was the man's rank – They might have said it's fine to leave if you don't want to join, but remember we are in the army. Don't think they will go easy on us if we run.

John felt offended being called a boy. Colonel looked like a man in his natural fifties, but the appearance could be misleading. Given living for two hundred years was possible, while keeping a young look could be kept even past the age of one hundred, this man might have been over that. Undoubtedly, colonel had a lot of experience, therefore Marlow did not want to take his words lightly.

- I keep forgetting military work is different than normal one.

- Well, you are quite right - colonel agreed with John - Though you said that as if we were crazy or something - he smiled - Colonel Ryan McRae.

- Major John Marlow.

Both men exchanged a handshake.

McRae was looking around, assessing the number of people who left - obviously, many already went out, but much more stayed, although some appeared to be hesitating.

- Not like I wouldn't expect that - colonel spoke, fitting in his chair - When they first told me, I've warned them.

- So you knew, colonel, sir? I didn't even know about the reason for this conference...

McRae's lips shaped as if he was smiling, however, there was no change in his eyes, that is why John could not tell if it was an actual smile.

- First of all, call me Ryan, John. There's only a small difference in ranks between us, besides we are not on active duty now. And about your question: yes, I knew, mainly because of the role they got for me.

It was unusual for high ranking officer to speak that way about official communication. With the way he sounded, colonel seemed to be another eccentric Marlow saw today.

- But I won't explain everything to you, John. It's not my responsibility. There's a lot of roles required for this mission.

It looked like getting to know some more details will take a bit longer due to the issues with some of the reporters who would not leave the assembly hall.

- It's necessary - colonel told major, seeing him observing the journalists - They surely want to know everything, but if giving all details was that easy, no one would have to leave this room. It's better to keep some information untold to open public for now.

- And what kind of information would that be?

- For example, the topic of aliens. There's indeed an alien installation on the planet, though with no living soul. Still, Kaller will explain.

That was finally something new Marlow has learned. After a while, Mathias Kaller appeared standing on the platform again.

- Apologies for the delay - he referred to the problem with reporters - Let me thank you for staying here and deciding to participate. Since the most crucial question was asked, I will start with that.

New materials started popping up on PECs, showing many photos of a humongous constructions, though taken from afar. What they could see were structures similar to buildings encompassed by a round wall, everything appearing to be made of some type of metal.

- As I said before, we have no information concerning the presence of aliens on the New Gaia, but we indeed encountered a big installation which appears to be nothing else than a megacity. Our team tried various means of communication, however, to no avail. We did not receive any kind of reply over several years now. This led us to a conclusion that the city was abandoned.

- Why are all the photos taken from a distance? There is nothing showing a closer view.

Upon hearing these words, professor Kaller appeared grim.

- All the probes that got too close were destroyed.

Seeing a commotion, he immediately added:

- But there were no aliens. It is just that the city is highly advanced and it seems there are automatic processes in place, making it react. The reason why we lost probes was an active force field protecting the city.

Professor made several hand gestures, setting up a virtual screen showing the city model, or rather its general outline.

- This is based on all the materials gathered from all the probes we have sent. Force field is placed just outside the outer layer of city wall. There are total of six entrances we are aware of, each between a pair of towers which seem to be emitters supporting the force field.

These words created yet another commotien, followed by heated discussion going on for several minutes. The point many have raised concerned the force field being active and supposedly acting as a sign of another sentient species inhabiting the planet.

John, who was technology specialist and also a lettered person, knew that with an appropriate power source, it was possible to maintain automatic systems. Moreover, he felt it was very unlikely for any alien race to keep quiet if someone is inviding their yard.

- Excuse me, but many of you seem to forget or are unaware of this fact - Marlow decided to join in the discussion - However, well-manged automatic systems, with a proper energy grid in place, are capable of functioning autonomously until all power is used up. You should be aware that humanity already has many technologies which would continue to be operational for years even if the whole population dies.

The audience calmed down, and professor Kaller clapped his hands.

- That's a spot-on insight. As major Marlow said, there are automatic systems used by humans. And what we have on the New Gaia is likely this type of technology, although much more advanced than what we know. Scans showed that there is no sentient biological life within these walls, but even without living beings the city systems are functional. Based on the state of installations outside, it appears that it's been at least two thousand years since these were abandoned. But to continuously function for that long, this megacity must have an amazing power core, though it's not yet the time to mention this part. Now, Asako, please take over for me.

- Of course.

The woman in lab coat appeared on th platform again. She cleared her throat before starting her speech:

- I would like to thank you all for staying and deciding to help us with this huge effort. As I have already mentioned, I am the coordinator of this project and it is my job to make sure everything works. In order to make this happen, each of you needs to know about the plan and its current state.

Zelezinska was keeping a steady pace when speaking, which appeared to be kind of robotic at times.

- One of the most important elements of the plan is construction of a modular spaceship capable of long distance space travels. The name of the project - Future - is also the name of the ship we are building. This is a joint, global effort engaging numerous countries gathered in continental groups. All of you have already seen the blueprints of the ship, and probably wondered how long will it take to build it. Before we can get to these details, please let me tell you the story behind this final version.

The digital display set earlier by Mathias Kaller were now showing the gigantic model of the ship with detailed information for every module.

- A group of specialists was working for several years analyzing many technical drafts and academic theses, performing complex tests in order to incorporate only the best solutions. What you can see now is the frut of their continuous work. The aim was not only to create a ship that will be able to reach the New Gaia, but to make it spacious, comfortable, fast and durable. Fully constructed prototype will be comprised of five modules, each representing a continental group, created by selected specialists. While they will be combined together, each module is also capable of functioning independently.

Explanation made by Asako gave John a much better idea as to why he could see so many familiar elements he had in his old thesis. The blueprint team responsible for Future project shared with them eliminated most of the weak points Marlow's draft had.

Following the presentation of said blueprint resulted in even more questions being raised. Concerns were related to availability of raw materials, factories capable of producing required parts or capacity of space docks. Moreover, not all elements could be created in space docks, and thus had to be delivered there from the surface. Completion of the ship demanded cooperation from numerous industries. John did not know how many engineers and other construction specialists will be involved, but would not expect such project to be completed in this decade, making it impossible to send the expedition in this century. With that said, what he heard next nearly made him fall from his chair:

- Based on the current progression status, we should complete the construction within a year - seing faces full of doubt, she continued - To clarify, this project has already been in progress for the last three years. Until the previous year, it was mainly a preparation of prefabricated parts, which are now being connected in various space docks.

As more information was getting unveiled, the more amazing it was something that big was kept in secret for such a long time. It turned out, as per what John learned from colonel McRae, and though it seemed ubelievable, orders were being disguised as construction of small transport vessels.

Presentation made by Asako Zelezinska concluded the first day of the conference.