Chapter 1: Judgment Day (part 1)

Ho Chi Minh City, September 23, 2145.

"Vietnam is currently the country with the most elite and advanced military on the planet, despite its small number compared to other countries. In particular, the navy with a fleet of aircraft carrier submarines is the strongest force, contributing to maintaining national sovereignty in the vast South China Sea. The entire military force is self-reliant. So they reduce the burden on the economy.

Moreover, Vietnam has the highest productivity in the world with an extremely large economy. The growth rate is extremely stable and continues to increase, quite fast compared to other developed countries in history. For fifty years, the people of our country did not know what an economic crisis was. In terms of agriculture, Vietnam has remained the world leader in exporting agricultural products for more than a century, although agricultural workers account for only 1% of the country's population. The main reason is that farmers are extremely proficient in using modern technology and the income from farming is extremely high.

Part of the reason for this feat is advanced science and technology, with the Vietnamese holding more than 25% of global patents. Vietnam is also the originator of three recent technological revolutions. Most of the world's leading technology corporations are headquartered in Vietnam. One of the typical examples is the feat of encroaching on the sea more than forty years ago, regaining the lost lands in the South due to rising sea level, reversing the desertification in the South Central region, etc.

In addition, Vietnam's education system is working extremely effectively when many Vietnamese universities are among the top and leading universities in the world. Countless scientific works have been born from those places during the past fifty years.

Especially in the last twenty years, our country has always been a familiar face with the Nobel Prize. There is a case in a year where five Vietnamese scientists are winning the same prize. "Nobel Prize" and "Vietnamese" have gradually become two closely related phrases.

However, this great achievement did not come naturally. One hundred years ago, Vietnam was just a middle-income country. The social economy of this time is still limited…"

Those were the words that Duc Huy, the boy naboy'scould read on a piece of smart paper, a device similar to a tablet one hundred years ago. It is also what has replaced tablets, laptops, or desktop computers.

The person holding it was sitting next to a desk made of what looked like his father's oak. Looking outside, Duc Huy had a moderately long face, pointed chin, quite handsome with large, energetic eyes lying under thin eyes, brows and tall enough to attract any little girl. He wore brown pants, a blue shirt, and a brown jacket with a scarf to wear temporarily because the temperature of the smart air conditioner was a bit low.

Besides, his father's office where she was sitting was a large room. The thing that made the room special was the books on the shelves. At present, books made of paper have become scarce due to the shrinking forest area. The remaining forest was guarded by UN troops with automatic machine-gun emplacements to shoot down anyone who tried to cut down trees, something that should have been done a century ago. His father was quite rich.

Huy's family was from Ben Tre, a province in the Mekong Delta. It was the land where Tribune Nguyen Ngoc Thang* was shot dead by the French when he resolutely defended his homeland, despite the weakness of the court, centuries earlier.

His father made a fortune with an esoteric coconut jelly production recipe. Then, his family moved to Ho Chi Minh City. His father spent most of his time in the suburbs facilitating business with contacts all over the Earth and villas on the Moon.

Waiting for so long, the boy decided to activate the smart bracelet he was originally going to replace. If people were crazy about iPhone models in the twenty-first century, now it's a smart bracelet. They were usually worn on the non-dominant hand. When the owner is activated, it projects a holographic screen onto the surrounding space, and one can swipe at it like a touchscreen phone in the XXI century.

Going into the Watch Play application, "Youtube" of this century, made by Vietnam, he saw a recommended video that had millions of views after only a few hours of uploading. Despite the violent warning, it still clicked watch.

- Let's see! – The boy said.

It was a picture of a yacht off the coast of Hawaii, the United States, a once-superpower. Before the whole world liked to go to Hawaii, now, people loved Phu Quoc like that. Talking about the boat, like most boats of that time, it moved by gliding on the water thanks to its high altitude jet engine mounted on the hull, helping to achieve incredible speeds. To put it more simply, all ships today are hovercraft, which were previously considered a top-secret military weapons. It was completely normal to travel in a large area like the East Sea in a day by this type of boat.

Duc Huy did not care much for common knowledge because, at this point, the train in the video has stopped strangely. The way it stopped gave him goosebumps because the boat was like hitting a giant invisible mountain. The sudden rebuild while surfing in the water by jet engine caused several other rows and items to shoot out.

But that's not all. From the bottom of the sea, a giant octopus proboscis appeared. They quickly tore apart the yacht the way people in the last century tore a piece of paper. People could also hear the screams of every single person on the boat, the sounds of despair. The official video stopped at this scene. It's nothing for kids. However, Duc Huy still tries to suppress his fear by asserting that there are thousands of elaborately faked videos every day, especially with the help of artificial intelligence. All for the sole purpose of getting more views and clicking ads to earn more money. An obvious fact from over a hundred years ago.

Suddenly, the sound from the door of death startled the boy. A tall, muscular man with gray hair caught the boy's eyes. He had a calm face as he entered the room being "occupied" by a boy created by him and his mother.

- Father! - Cried the boy. I completely forgot the fear from the video just now.

- What are you doing here? – Duc Huy's father asked when he raised his boy in the air. He used to do it when a child was three or four years old.

- You're too heavy! Well, I can't lift you. – He said.

- I've grown up already. Eleven years old, nothing less. Don't try to lift your baby like when you were a baby! - Duc Huy spoke up.

- So what does my grown child need? - The father spoke up.

He understood his son's personality very well.

- There is a new smart bracelet model. I'm about to go to the store to buy it, but you locked my account.

- You already have one!? - The father spoke up.

- It's old. This one is newer. - Duc Huy spoke up. - Open an account for me, dad! Consider supporting Vietnamese goods as well!

Although he didn't like this because his son kept up with Joneser, the father had a soft, softened-hearted side. He did not lack money.

Currently, generations of Vietnamese children over the past century have lived in a period of strong economic growth. It could be said that every single child in this country in the twenty-second century spent at a level unimaginable in the last century. It was no surprise because their country was so rich.

Plus, they only studied one session a day, five days a week, with no extra lessons. Every week, their parents go to world-class amusement parks across the provinces.

Ignoring the train of thought about the children, he then touched a button on the tabletop to make a hologram appear. At this age, all objects such as tables, chairs, and walls can become electronic devices. At first, they were equipped with touch screens, then holograms for work and entertainment.

In addition, cash transactions have completely disappeared, at least in Vietnam, and were replaced by electronic transactions. Even preschool children now have their accounts and the amount, in Vietnam alone, is not small.

Suddenly, the contact message appeared. At the constant ringing of the bell, the man clicked the answer icon. Then, the image of a middle-aged woman with long hair suddenly appeared. There was an unhappy once in her.

- Huy is not coming to find you, is he? – Duc Huy's mother asked. - Do not let him keep up with Jones.

- What to do? - The father spoke up.

He thanked him for programming the communication system to only see the face but not the surroundings.

- OK. Recently, there are many videos of monsters attacking the internet. You should be careful.

Finally, the woman's face disappeared. Both people in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

- You can buy a new smart bracelet. From now on, you must learn to listen carefully. I will send a mini robot to monitor you constantly. – said the man. - Now go out of the factory. Dad still has to work.

- Yes. – Huy said.

The boy did what his father taught him. The space in his father's factory was so good that he wanted to stay there all week. The atmosphere was extremely comfortable with green trees and birds chirping. All the workers did their job cheerfully because they only cared about controlling the machine system with the help of artificial intelligence.

Honestly, this coconut jelly manufacturing industry was like a maze. However, the navigation app on the smart bracelet is useful to avoid getting lost.

- To be honest, it's still good. - Duc Huy spoke up. - Unfortunately, a newer product has been released.

By this time, the boy had reached the gate where a self-driving car was waiting. They looked a lot like the cars of the elite of the last century except with artificial intelligence and could fly for a short time.

- Go to the store. - The boy spoke up. - The place that sells smart bracelets.

- On the move, sir. Currently, the number of people queuing there is decreasing. It would probably only take about thirty minutes instead of half an hour. - The voice from the car's computer system sounded like an exemplary housekeeper.

At this stage, owning a talking car, although not everyone had one, was not unusual either. It's the expression of the class of the noble families on Earth and the Moon. And the number of families considered "noble" in Vietnam has reached nearly ten million already. The rest were also wealthy. The poor disappeared decades ago. It's not difficult to understand why Vietnam's income tax was low compared to other developed countries in history and the price of goods was also extremely cheap.

Right after that, the car quickly departed into the city. Before leaving, Duc Huy took one last look at the industrial park. There were no chimneys or columns of black smoke like in the previous century, but instead a white building like milk. Good twentieth-century people would think they were entering some kind of research institute, not an industrial park. The industrial area of ​​the twenty-second century itself was shrinking in his sight before disappearing altogether.

Duc Huy then watched another video on Watch Play to pass time. To get into District 1, he had to go from Binh Chanh District to Binh Tan District, to Tan Phu... a long journey to District 1 even though Duc Huy was just sitting in a smart car with an air-conditioner on it. Fly a bit and then run on the road to arrive.

About the video, it has more than a million views, and the person who posted it took his life to make sure it was real. The way it was introduced was quite similar to the previous paragraph. Despite the fear, the boy still clicked to see.

This time, he saw a forest fire in China. Of course, at a time when the remaining forests were more valuable than gold, people didn't mind using artificial rain to put out fires. However, in that forest, there seems to be a mysterious creature controlling the flames. Most importantly, this flame is blue instead of red or yellow and this is more like a battle than a forest fire.

- Confirm. Went into the inner city. - The sound of the car pulled the boy out of the haunting video.

- Why are there so many fake videos lately? – Duc Huy wondered.

Then, he looked at the view of the city to forget this.

Ho Chi Minh City of the twenty-second century is no different from New York of the twenty-first century with its skyscrapers. Their heights are all eight hundred meters or more, far exceeding the tallest building in Vietnam in 2020, the Landmark 81. Even so, there is no trouble for the jet-powered flying cars that are currently flying. go.

Speaking of cars, some were still running from the traffic police for flying in the wrong area. Next to flying cars, people also saw airplanes and drones delivering pho, noodle soup, spring rolls, and spring rolls according to customers' orders.

Even higher were the hot air balloons. Although it looked quite similar to the hot air balloons of the past few centuries, it possessed electrogravitic technology to break spacetime that Duc Huy does not understand.

Besides, people also saw tube houses from ten to thirty stories high. Foreigners may not understand this house, but it is a true symbol of wealth when each house is owned by an individual. In many countries, the gap between rich and poor has widened due to the development of technology. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, everyone's getting richer and richer.

However, Huy was still a bit obsessed with the other two videos.

- What's the Date Today? – He asked aimlessly to get rid of the obsession of the other two.

- Celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the Southern Resistance War**, sir.

The Southern Resistance Wa was the event where the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam clashed with the British, French, and Japanese forces shortly after September 2. It was a fierce battle when the Viet Minh, with rudimentary weapons, fought against an overwhelming number of enemies, armed with both tanks and fighter planes.

"Will Vietnam be able to fight like its ancestors when there is war again?" - Duc Huy thought.

In general, some people are no longer interested in history. This is not carelessness, but there's so much to do. People always thought about having to travel to the Moon or Earth, which restaurant to eat at, and whether to buy a maid robot or not. Vietnamese people now only cared about working and living.

However, the boy was quite different, as he had an uncanny fascination with history. It's concerned with the feats of heroes in Vietnamese history. They often wondered if their souls were watching over this country.

- Are you still affected by the video? - The car asked and pulled him out of his thoughts.

- But do you think it's fake? Don't shy away, I'm not going to be shocked by that nonsense. – Huy said.

- I arbitrarily downloaded some cutting detection applications when I saw that you were a bit attentive and still could not detect signs of counterfeiting. – The A.I said.

- You mean those stories are real!? – Duc Huy said while looking outside. – By the way, there seems to be something strange in the sky.

At this moment, the clear blue sky was gradually turning black. Something like a hole was forming. The whole city sky seemed to be slowly being torn apart by a giant hand. For some reason, it felt a chill down its spine at this sight. Right now, he felt like he had some sort of physical strength, like a predator watching over the city.

- Confirm. The satellite climate control system has been thoroughly tested. No anomalies in climate change were recorded. - The car answered. – It seems to have come close to the Technology store, sir.

Although mentally prepared, the long line of people waiting to buy a bracelet made Duc Huy a bit overwhelmed. He wondered if thirty minutes was the minimum. The living standard of people on this land is very high at present. Most people work little and spend a lot of time playing and shopping. Therefore, it's normal for them to appear in large numbers to buy smart bracelets.

Even so, the boy didn't mind. In general, sometimes there're also a few drones with two robotic arms running from the store to massage, so it's not difficult to wait. Some of the more skilled massage robots were also happy to serve with a single transfer.

- How long have you been waiting? – A man asked.

He looked like a foreigner with blond hair, not sure if he was from Europe or North America. He spoke Vietnamese extremely well. It's understandable because Vietnam's now a leading power.

- Yes, I just arrived. - Duc Huy replied politely.

- You're lucky. In the previous product line release, one had to wait all day. - The man spoke up. – I bought a special ticket for a spaceship from the Moon to Vietnam and Earth to buy and then sell it to the rich people up there. Vietnamese goods of Vietnamese goods are of the best quality in the world, but the domestic price is so cheap that it is unimaginable. From the countryside to the cities, from the mountains to the plains, you Vietnamese are truly happy. The giants on the Moon are not as happy.

In the past, the Moon was originally only for astronauts. Then, a series of pioneers took up the test. Finally, a bunch of billionaires from around the world came to build their own Paradise. It could be said that the current standard of living on the Moon is extremely high.

However, Duc Huy dared to take his life to affirm that Vietnam has the highest standard of living in the world. The rich neighborhood on Sister Hang is also not comparable. It was not luck but the work of countless generations, including those who fought for independence two hundred years ago.

Ignoring his train of thought, the boy was finally able to enter the store. It had to say goodbye to the man from the Moon Palace.

"Welcome to the Tech store, where the latest smart bracelet models are. Due to the extremely limited quantity, please reserve in advance."

A moving sound resounded. It was from a plane with four wings the size of a domestic cat, which was popular and cheap in this day and age.

Duc Huy's father often said that "limited quantities" were just tricks to get people to accept high prices. Even so, the boy also rushed to register to buy a smart bracelet.

- Is there anything else? – The boy asked the seller.

- Let me check it out. – The young salesman spoke with a happy look when he caught the cleverly disguised prey.

Although he knew he was being lured, the boy and many others had to accept it. In general, the excellence of technological products still made him feel satisfied. He ran faster than the old bracelet his father had bought him.

Just like that, the boy wandered out of the store like everyone else. It paused for a moment and then watched another video, this one being someone's view of the city captured by a mechanical fly, a camera with wings the size of a real fly, and being broadcast live. In this stage, it's not uncommon to use a mechanical fly to record everything, although the price of a fly of this type is not cheap. One more proof of Vietnam's wealth.

More importantly, the scene that was about to appear is one that no one will ever forget. It would change the boy's life and all of humanity. Forever.

In the middle of the sky that seemed to be about to rain, a series of jet fighters of PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam) flew. They're not different from their cousins of the last century except that they can all take off vertically, armed with electromagnetic cannons, energy weapons, and machined in guns that fire millions of rounds a minute travel to the upper atmosphere like walking. They're the Smig-30s. Until the Smig-35 is researched, the Smig-30 will still be the main combat vehicle.

- What the hell is going on? – Huy wondered.

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* Nguyen Ngoc Thang (1798 - 1866) was a martial general of the Nguyen Dynasty, belonging to the generation that participated in the first war against the French of Ben Tre and Cochinchina. He is also known as the leader of the army.

** The War in Vietnam, codenamed Operation Masterdom by the British, and also known as the Southern Resistance War (Vietnamese: Nam Bộ kháng chiến) by the Vietnamese, was a post–World War II armed conflict involving a largely British-Indian and French task force and Japanese troops from the Southern Expeditionary Army Group, versus the Vietnamese communist movement, the Viet Minh, for control of the southern half of the country, after the unconditional Japanese surrender.