Chapter 1: Millenia

It started with greed.

As if on cue, man's lack of control over his inventions followed next. A bloody war between man and machine for over two centuries was the outcome during that evolution. Humanity had to restore its name again among the food chain from scratch. This time, a new system was made: one that involved governance. Countries were merged together to form Units, and under each Unit were thirty districts. Earth's surviving humans in the new world began to understand one thing after the devastating apocalypse: the survival of their kind depended solely on their ability to accept their differences and harness supreme control over their creations.

The perfect utopia millions dreamed of, was just a doorstep away from being achieved, then came the sudden orchestrated plague which decimated an entire Unit. It wasn't just a big blow to civilians in the other Units - it was the start of how everyone began to be on the alert. They believed that anything could happen next.

Year: 2106

Livingstone stared at the projected screen behind the woman who stood on the high podium in the lecture hall. With her back as straight as the stem of a tree, she added emphasis to the gestures she communicated to her audience. The lecturer was a petite woman with smooth pale skin. Curiosity was embodied in her style. There was a great sense of voltage about her. Her students always tried to get her to tell them her age; their best guess was mid-forty or fifty, but she would never tell. There was something very intellectually challenging about her. Maybe it was the way she was put together, maybe it was her face or maybe it was just her appearance.

She wore a satin leopard-patterned scarf around her throat, though it was strictly against the university's regulations. Her thick-rimmed glasses blotted out her eyes from afar.

Livingstone raised his wrist to his focus and checked the time for the umpteenth time. The advanced device wrapped around his left wrist confirmed the hours he had spent in there.

10:49 am, it read.

He could not wait to make an exit through the main door once the lecture was over. As if on cue, the lecturer's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"And that was the beginning of a new beginning," Ms Zaida, their lecturer proclaimed zealously, as she brought her first History class with them to a close.

Moving her attention to the techno watch wrapped around her wrist, she tapped on the necessary controls needed to turn off the projector, as she proceeded to walk to the center of the podium.

Her audience watched her move her fingers on the watch: a device which gave teachers and lectures alike the upper hand when it came to having access to all electronic gadgets stationed in Learning Institutions, as well tracking down the roll-call of students.

The ontel: a highly engineered device, which was uniquely similar to the techno watch, but distinctively different, served as passport and ticket to civilians in the new global world. It allowed easy communication between citizens. To some extent, it acted as a tracking device; and with one's access code, was used for the payment of goods, since it also served as one's personal monetary bank.

"So, any question needing to be answered?" Ms Zaida broke through the silence with her high-pitched voice, as she cast her eyes to the audience.

The spacious hall in which her audience found themselves in was well-ventilated and filled with all kinds of people: the serious ones, the sleepers, the confused ones, the ones who can't wait for lectures to end so they can leave, the writers, the ones who fall in the 'I'm always tired' category, and of course the ones whose primary aim is to ask questions and be known.

Their seatings were arranged in sloping tiers to help spectators see over the head of those in front.

Ms Zaida literally looked ever ready to answer any question as she continued to fix her eyes on the audience with her hands clasped behind her back.

Livingstone wondered just how many questions she could take in a row as he sat comfortably in his seat and watched her just like everyone else did.

After a minute or two of silence, his peripheral vision fell on the first hand to ask a question.

It was a girl, and it didn't take long for her to become the cynosure of all eyes. He noticed that the hand belonged to a raven-haired, tawny brown skin girl. Her compusure suggested that she was a brilliant student. One, who was a force to reckon with academically.

Her visible cheek dimples did not go unnoticed by him, as she threw Ms Zaida a smile when her eyes landed on her.

"Yes... Millenia Hummers," Ms Zaida drawled the name of the student, as she looked up from her techno watch to meet her eyes, obviously, after catching her name from her device. "The floor is all yours."

The student, Millenia, nodded and began when she realized that all ears were tuned in to her.

"So, my question is, why were better measures not put in place to decrease our rising population in the past, aside from the use of advanced genetic biotechnologies such as the use and implementation of beta BCG as you mentioned earlier," she paused, "also, why did the past ruling governments even see that as a good initiative to support? I mean, I just don't get it."

"Thank you for the question Ms Hummers," Ms Zaida begun, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she took another step forward and shifted her direction to face the audience. "I believe that the past ruling governments thought that the best way to reduce competition amongst the rising populations for earth's natural gifts such as land, air, and water was to go by the use of genetic advancements as suggested by scientists," she continued, "what they did not know was that this method of depopulation was in effect going to bounce back against us, humans. In my idea, I think Cryogenic storage systems could have been developed or education on family planning could have been enforced and included in school curriculum back then."

The clacking sound of Ms Zaida's heels when they came into contact with the oval hard floor was the only noise which resonated in the hall aside from her strong audible voice. Taking a step toward the edge of the podium, she then continued what she started, "but I guess, what's done is done, and that can not be changed. The more reason why we all must make sure history this time around is changed, and never repeated."

She paused.

"I wish I could answer further questions from each one of you but unfortunately I guess our one hour and fifteen minutes class session is over." Sudden groans and rumblings were the response heard. "But anyway, I guess we shall all converge here at the same time on Thursday. Have a lovely day."

She threw them an genuine smile, draped her hands around her torso, and watched her students pack their stuffs before making an exit.

Livingstone rushed out of the hall, and without a second thought; he strode toward the direction of the library with an odd-looking book in his grip. He pushed a few strands of dusty brown hair from blocking his vision as he made a turn through another hallway. Diverting his attention to the eye-catching cover of the book in his grasp, he almost collided with a female, but he was quick enough to steady her. However, the pile of books she had in her hands did not see a need to be steadied, as they fell on the tiled floor with a thud.

His candid green eyes locked eyes with the lightest shade of brown eyes he'd ever seen when she tilted her head to glance at him. She looked familiar, like he'd seen her somewhere. He dismissed the idea of rendering an apology in order to leave her behind, and bent down in a squatting position to help her with her books. She was clad in a suave ash loose pants matching a fitting white top. Around her neck, was her student ID, and around the same neck, was a gold-looking pendant accessorizing the region.

She was very pretty, although not necessarily in an obvious way. Stealing a glancing at her student ID without her notice, he peered at the name on it, looked back at her, and muttered her first name under his breath, "Millenia."