Chapter 12 : Past

The cabin was a confined space nestled within the sleek confines of the hypertrain. Its walls, clad in muted shades of grey, seemed to hum with a subtle vibration that resonated through the air. Soft, ambient lighting cast a warm glow, creating a cosy ambiance amidst the futuristic setting.

Rows of plush seats lined the cabin, their sleek contours designed for maximum comfort during the high-speed journey. Each seat was equipped with a small armrest, adorned with a discreet control panel. As Lincoln tapped on his armrest, a holographic display materialized behind the headrest of the seat in front of him, which indicated the remaining time until his destination and also gave him options for media entertainment. His first stop would be the Imperial City, where he planned to catch an interstate train to Ontario. He was surprised to find that he had slept through most of the journey.

Compared to petroleum-based airplanes, hypertrains were known to reach three times the speed, making his eight-hour journey only up to three hours long.

The man sitting beside Lincoln spoke up, "I'm curious about what happened earlier." Lincoln turned to face him. "I was on my way into the cabin when suddenly the doors shut and the lights went out." The man continued, "Though this is becoming a common occurrence with all the energy crises happening." Lincoln nodded, feeling a bit uneasy. "Yes, you're probably right," he replied. Lincoln didn't feel nervous about the man's topic of conversation since there was no reason to suspect him of being involved with what happened. However, after spending so much time in isolation, socializing again made Lincoln feel uneasy.

The man had short brown hair and a piercing in his left ear. Lincoln also noticed a scar above his right eyebrow, which hinted at an interesting story. "You're not very talkative, are you?" the man asked, noticing Lincoln's silence. "It's not that," He replied with a chuckle. "It's just been a while since I've had a conversation with someone." The man then smiled encouragingly, "Well, I can be your first then. Let the conversation flow. Ironically, talking to strangers is easier than talking to people you know because you have nothing to lose." Lincoln nodded in agreement and pushed his overgrown hair back. "You have a good point there," he said as he eased himself.

As the hypertrain passed through a tunnel, the cabin lights brightened up.

"So, what's taking you to Canada?" Lincoln inquired, feeling it was his turn to ask some questions. "I just need to collect a few things. How about you?" the man replied, settling back into his seat. "I'm heading home," Lincoln answered. "Were you on a business trip?" the man asked. "Sort of," Lincoln replied. "Hmm," the man murmured, seeming to contemplate something.

The train emerged from the tunnel and the darkness of the vast ocean came into view through the transparent tube. The air fell silent for a moment. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lincoln scrutinized the man, noticing his pupils dilating. It suddenly occurred to him. "An iris, huh..." he commented softly, startling the man. "How did you know?" the man inquired. "The pupils dilate when the iris is in use because they're concentrating on what the brain is projecting," Lincoln explained. "I read about it somewhere."

In truth, Lincoln possessed a deep understanding of the iris mechanisms, having observed them in use by the people he interacted with, during his time confined within the organization.

"I see," the man responded warily. "So, you're military, huh?" Lincoln questioned. "Well, I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out, but it appears you're well-informed," the man chuckled. "Yes, I'm in the military. After all, neuralinked irises have only been issued to certain members of a few militaries. However, you could say I'm just an errand boy."

"How is it that the German military is allowed on Canadian soil?" Lincoln asked.

"German?" the man asked, causing Lincoln to realize his mistake. He had forgotten that he departed from France, not Germany. Hoping to cover it up, he quickly corrected himself, "Sorry, are you French? Your accent didn't suggest it." He hoped the man wouldn't ask any more questions. If the man happened to be a member of the German military, he could be linked to the organisation that captured him.

Thankfully, the man didn't say anything more on the topic.

"Ah, home," he murmured, after a moment of silence, as the train entered another tunnel, followed by the cabin's lights brightening again. "What's up?" Lincoln asked. "Oh, it's just been a long time since I've been home," the man chuckled. "Same here," Lincoln replied, letting out a sigh. "My parents passed away shortly before I left, and I haven't had a chance to process it," he added. "How did they die?" the man asked as the mood grew somber. "They were killed. Victims of the random murders that were happening across the country," Lincoln explained. "The Cloudy Age?" the man asked, and Lincoln nodded. "I thought those killings stopped over three years ago," the man remarked to which Lincoln sighed in relief. "They did, huh? That's good," he said.

"That was one hell of a business trip." The man commented, referring to how long Lincoln was away from home. Lincoln didn't reply, he just looked out the window as the train exited the tunnel.

"Ahh, war's a crazy thing isn't it?" the man exclaimed. "I wouldn't know," Lincoln replied bluntly. "Oh, but you would. Those killings are also spoils of war. Besides just looking at you I can tell you've been involved one way or another." the man implied, and Lincoln silently agreed. "It's the shittiest yet most real aspect of our world. There's no clear right or wrong, only strong or weak. You're either on the winning side or the losing side. But then again what is a victory? Everyone has their reasons for waging war, and everyone has their own justifications for it. But who is truly right? Only God knows. But does He? If He does, would He let the righteous win or lose? Does He aid or test them? Nothing is certain or guaranteed in war, except for its pain and trauma. You're never the same after experiencing it. You can never be the same." The man took a deep breath before concluding, "It's truly a shitty thing."

"Damn..." Lincoln exclaimed. "You'd be amazed at what one can learn through observation," the man replied, chuckling softly before releasing a deep sigh. "Just observing, huh?" Lincoln inquired, and the man shrugged in response. "When will there come a time without war? Without suffering? A time of pure... peace?" The question hung in the air, devoid of an answer.

"By the way, I just realized I haven't asked for your name," the man said, hoping to ease the tension between them. "It's Lincoln, what's yours?" Lincoln asked. "My name's Adelar." The man answered with a chuckle and looked outside past Lincoln's shoulder. "It won't be much longer now," Adelar added, as a voice in the cabin announced their approach to the destination. "Time flies, doesn't it?" Lincoln commented as the hypertrain gradually came to a halt at the station."It certainly does," Adelar agreed as he stood up from his seat to allow Lincoln to exit. "You're not getting off here?" Lincoln asked, and Adelar shook his head. "I'm looping back."

"Why?" He asked and Adelar's next words triggered Lincoln's instincts as he formed an energy blade in his hand and pointed it at Adelar's neck. "I'm heading back to Germany," Adelar had said calmly, while Lincoln's fear overtook him. "I knew it," He muttered.

Adelar chuckled lightly in an attempt to calm Lincoln down. "Relax, there's nothing I can do to you," he reassured. "Turn that thing off, there are numerous cameras in here" Adelar suggested, gesturing towards the blade fused with Lincoln's arm. He obliged but kept his guard up. "We were instructed to collect someone with force, but I didn't know it would be you. You've survived this long and even managed to escape from one of the most heavily armed facilities on the planet. I don't think I'd come out of this alive if I tried to take you in," he explained, but Lincoln remained cautious to which the man then urged, "Just leave. I'll inform my team soon enough. As you can see, I'm done with this mission. And maybe this job entirely."

With a wary eye on the man, Lincoln took a step back, "Sit down," he ordered. Adelar laughed before complying. "I was going to do that anyway," he replied. "Nothing is going to happen to me, right?" Lincoln asked as anxiety got the better of him. "Nothing. Just leave and head back to your hometown. We can't do anything to you once you're gone." Adelar assured him.

"Why are you doing this?" Lincoln asked, easing himself. Adelar replied with a firm look, "Like I said, I'm done with this job. Talking to you may have helped with that." Lincoln nodded in understanding and made his way to the cabin's exit.

As the cabin doors slid open, a stream of people began to pour out. Lincoln cast one final glance back at Adelar before taking a step outside.

"Adelar?" Crystal inquired, her voice echoing through the ethereal space, struggling to recollect where she had encountered the name before. Slowly, their forms materialized, and they found themselves observing Lincoln from a third-person perspective as if watching the events unfold from a distant vantage point.

"Isn't he one of the people that murdered Lincoln's parents?" Crystal asked, in her normal voice. "Yes, he is," Destry answered. "Oh... but how do I know that?" Crystal asked.

"Well, though you may not recall it at this moment, there was a time when you experienced a fragment of Adelar's memory. Or rather, you will experience it." Destry replied and proceeded to provide an intriguing explanation.

"Think of it as a form of déjà vu. You may have encountered it before, or you will encounter it in the future, but in either case, you can retain the memory. Adelar and Lincoln cross paths once more, forming a close bond that leads to the connection of their memory orbs. It's challenging to determine precisely why this occurred. It could be that Adelar shared his experiences with Lincoln, or it could be the result of Lincoln's memories being tampered with so much that it's unstable now." Destry continued.

"It wouldn't be surprising if you begin reliving his timeline through the perspectives of other people he has interacted with. After all, you're not merely reliving Lincoln's memories, you're exploring his entire timeline from his vantage point. It's similar to playing a game where you log into a character and experience their story, but this particular game is so unstable that you find yourself drifting into the stories of other characters as well. Nevertheless, this will provide you with an opportunity to learn more, which I consider a win." Destry commented, shedding light on the matter.

Crystal nodded, her senses heightened as she surveyed the surroundings, a nagging feeling of confusion settling within her. "Why do we suddenly have the ability to communicate?" she questioned, her voice filled with curiosity and suspicion.

Destry thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "I'm not exactly sure, but it seems like this is a point in your memory where you would usually wake up from stasis. But since I'm guiding you now, we're stuck in this state instead. However, I can sense that soon you won't be able to access Lincoln's 'past' anymore. You'll only experience his 'present' and some occasional flashbacks." Destry guessed. "Does that mean Lincoln is forgetting his past entirely?" Crystal asked.

"What do you mean?" Destry asked, his tone filled with curiosity. "Every time I relive a 'past' memory and return to the 'present,' Lincoln forgets it as if it were just a dream. It feels like the only reason we can experience his 'past' is because the 'present' Lincoln is dreaming about it," Crystal explained.

"That could explain why he's unconscious," Destry observed.

"But then again, he wasn't always asleep when I relived the 'past'," Crystal pointed out.

"Then maybe he was daydreaming. Dreams can stretch out for years, but in reality, only a minute would have passed," Destry clarified.

"That makes sense," Crystal agreed, her gaze fixed on Lincoln's world fading into view as Destry's form started to dissolve.

"I guess our time is up," Destry announced.