Two Kahns

"Carol involved in energy policy?" Kahn's voice was deep, but he couldn't hide his shock. He had always thought Carol was just a military figure involved in the war, but now it seemed his reach extended much further.

Rakien nodded, "Yeah, let's go."

Rakien and Kahn returned to the car and slowly drove along the city streets. Sunlight streamed through the car windows onto their faces, and the cityscape was just as they had expected—prosperous, orderly, but with undercurrents of turmoil.

"We must not get caught by the police or anyone else; we have no identities here," Rakien said, frowning.

Kahn agreed with a nod, and he whispered, "We should get some money. I found a mini-computer in the time machine cockpit; let's see if this thing works."

As he spoke, he opened his backpack and took out a futuristic mini-computer. As commands were entered, a series of complex codes began to appear on the screen. This computer had powerful remote chip reading and decoding capabilities; it was unknown if it could crack the firewalls of this era.

"We need money," he continued, "Without money, we can't move an inch in this world. Let me try scanning the surrounding electronic devices..." The device emitted a soft beeping sound.

"Done! I've locked onto an ATM not far away; let's see if I can remotely crack it."

Rakien didn't speak, just quietly watched as Kahn operated the mini-computer. After a slight vibration, the screen displayed a successful unlock message.

"Alright, this thing is amazing! The ATM has been cracked; we can withdraw some money," Kahn said, looking up with a gleam of joy in his eyes.

They found a secluded street corner, parked the car, and quietly approached the ATM. Kahn entered a series of numbers, the machine started to operate, and soon spat out a stack of bills.

"This should last us for a while," Rakien whispered.

The two quickly left the corner and returned to the car. Kahn looked at the bills in his hand and sighed, "Survival problem solved, what's next? Should we find ourselves in this timeline? Tell them what will happen in the future?"

"Sure!" Rakien agreed, then turned to Kahn, "Let's find Oren? You know, my past life!"

Kahn pondered for a moment and asked, "Isn't Oren a high-ranking military official? How do we find him now? We have no identities!"

Rakien shook his head, his brow furrowed, "Yeah, I vaguely remember his workplace was heavily guarded; it's indeed unlikely to get in. But I can't give up this chance. I want to find him, tell him that a terrible nuclear war will happen in ten years, and we must prevent this war."

Kahn said, "Why not find me in this world first? I'm a veteran, already discharged at this time, running a small bar in this city. We can start with him, tell him everything."

Rakien and Kahn drove around the city streets, their gazes sweeping over the crowds, searching for the familiar streets. Kahn nervously gripped the steering wheel; he knew the moment was approaching—meeting his younger self.

"Will he believe us?" Rakien broke the silence.

Kahn took a deep breath, his brow furrowed, "Let's give it a try!"

Finally, they stopped in front of a simple bar. A wooden sign hung at the entrance reading "Kahn's Bar," exactly the place they were looking for. The two entered the bar, the air filled with a faint smell of tobacco, and the wall decorations were simple and old. There were few people in the bar, and a burly man was wiping glasses behind the bar, a hint of fatigue on his face—it was young Kahn.

As the two approached the bar, young Kahn looked up, his gaze lingering on them for a second before his face stiffened, and the glass in his hand nearly dropped. His eyes stared fixedly at old Kahn, his face full of shock and confusion.

"You... you are..." young Kahn stammered, staring at this identical yet aged and haggard version of himself, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with terror and bewilderment, "Who... who are you?!"

Old Kahn didn't answer immediately, just calmly looked at him, and said slowly and deliberately, "Calm down, you're not crazy. Listen carefully, what I'm about to say is very important."

Young Kahn took a step back, his hand shaking so much he could barely hold the glass, his gaze shifting between his aged self and Rakien, finally focusing on Rakien: "...Who are you people really?"

Old Kahn slowly stepped forward, hands braced on the bar, and took a deep breath, "I am you, the you from twenty-five years in the future. We come from the future, traveling back here in a time machine."

Young Kahn frowned, his face full of doubt and fear. His hand instinctively reached for his waist, where a defensive dagger was instinctively hidden. "What are you talking about?"

Old Kahn ignored his movement and continued, "In ten years, this world will a terrible nuclear war, and 99% of the Oklara people will die in that war. And you, which is me, are among the few survivors. We are now traveling back in time to find you, hoping to find a way to prevent this disaster."

The air in the bar seemed to solidify, and young Kahn stared at his aged self, speechless for a long time, his eyes flickering with complex emotions.

"Nuclear war? Are you crazy?" he finally whispered, but his voice was no longer as firm as before, revealing a hint of wavering.

Old Kahn looked at him straight in the eye, his tone firm and heavy, "I know it's hard to believe, but your future self will witness all of this. Now there's a chance to change everything because we know what's going to happen, so there's still a chance, but the premise is, you have to believe us!"

Rakien stood aside, clenching his fists.

Young Kahn was stunned, the scene in front of him unbelievable. He exclaimed, "This is impossible, I must be dreaming, right?!" He lifted his hand and pinched his thigh hard, and the pain came instantly.

Old Kahn took a deep breath and said calmly, "Do you remember our hometown in Grayfen? You used to play in that field in front of our house when you were a child. Do you remember the puppy we had? Its name was 'Blue'." Young Kahn froze instantly, his pupils slightly contracting.

"Blue..." he repeated in a low voice, memories flooding back like a tide. Those distant details were something he had never shared with anyone, and this aged version of himself could actually say these things, and the key was that it was inexplicably identical to him.

"Are you... really from the future?!" Young Kahn's voice trembled slightly, his facial expression indescribably complex. He stared intently at his aged self, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Old Kahn nodded, his expression solemn, "Yes, I am you from the future." Then, he pointed to Rakien, who was standing silently aside, and asked, "Do you know who he is?"

Young Kahn shifted his gaze to Rakien, his brow slightly furrowed, "Who is this kid?"

Old Kahn sighed and slowly said, "He is the reincarnation of Oren."

"Oren?! Our neighbor Oren from back home?" Young Kahn was surprised.

"Yes, Oren initiated the nuclear strike in the future that triggered a global nuclear war and also died in that destruction," Old Kahn continued to explain, "He was reincarnated in the wasteland of the future, becoming Rakien. According to legend, reincarnation forgets everything from the previous life, but surprisingly, he has retained many of Oren's memories."