The Mechanical Era

14th of January, 2067.

Sitting on the wooden bench of the local park, was a middle-aged man with short black hair adorned in a black suit. Cranking his head from left to right, he scanned the entire park with his sharp emerald green eyes for a particular man among the small groups. Upon completion, he took out his phone to look at the time. It was "12:34 pm", 34 minutes past the agreed time.

"Where on earth is he?" Howard asked himself.

He was supposed to meet an old acquaintance today. The two had settled to meet in person at noon on this exact date. He had even made sure to come 15 minutes early so he wouldn't miss out on meeting his old friend. Howard soon opts to contact him on his phone to ask him where he was, and why he was running late.

Just as the phone begins to dial, his ear picks up the sound of a phone ringtone singing out to the world just behind him. He turns around to see a middle-aged man with blond curly and wavy hair, trying to sneak up on him. He wore a plain blue shirt, beige pants, and some brown leather shoes. 

"Hey, Adam. You came here pretty early! Did I keep you waiting too long?" he remarks, his voice mingled with a sarcastic tone, all while making a smirk. 

"Damn it! I was going to sneak up on you, ninja style! Like the good old days!" Adam claimed.

"Those days are long done, my friend. We live in the future now," Howard replies. He keeps his phone down and taps the left seat of the bench with his arm.

"Come, sit down with me Adam. We got a lot of catching up to do," Howard offers the seat next to him. Adam kindly takes his offer and sits right next to him.

"So, what have you been doing over the last 40 years? I haven't heard from you since the war broke out," Howard queried Adam. It was only very recently that Howard had discovered Adam had survived. For nearly 40 years, both thought the other had died in combat, while they were lucky enough to stay 6 feet above ground. 

The only reason he discovered Adam was alive was thanks to a documentary of the war, made by some online influencers. As Howard was watching it on TV with his family, he immediately recognized one of the interviewees as his friend, thanks to his excellent memory and old photographs he saved on his phone. 

"Well, when I got drafted into the army, I thought I was gonna be a soldier for sure. But, thanks to my long experience fixing cars and working as a mechanic, I was deemed skilled enough and useful enough to keep me out of the battlefield. 

I repaired shitty military vehicles using overpriced parts that cost more than my yearly salary. 

Most of the time, they were either those simple vehicles the military used because they couldn't afford to lose the good stuff in combat or an older model of the more advanced vehicles. 

After the war, I reentered civilian life and pursued a career in mechanics. I gained a lot of experience during the war, so I decided to make use of it. I moved out of Florida and settled in the Texas Triangle to start a business. 

I did pretty well for myself. I started out small, my only employee being myself. However, as I got more customers, I managed to hire more people and make a good fortune for myself. I married a nice, and we had 4 children together."

"It was a pretty simple life, to be frank," Adam remarked at the end. He then turned to face Howard, his eyes keeping contact with his pair of emeralds.

"And what about you, Howard? What were you doing?" Adam questioned Howard back, curious about what Howard had been up to.

"Well Adam, you know me. I didn't have any practical skills of my own. Although I did have a mechanical engineering degree from Harvard, I was still drafted to fight on the battlefield located somewhere in the Maylasian Jungle."

"Shit, really? I thought that degree would have gotten you a position away from the fighting?"

"I thought so as well. It turns out they needed more soldiers at the time, and I was one of the only fit motherfuckers around who could have fought properly. The rest had to undergo some exercise before they could enter the battlefield," Howard explained.

"Oh yeah. I forgot how much of a fatass a lot of us were back then. How did you survive?"

"Well, I think it is attributed to one part luck, another part being an excellent shot and a slightly competent soldier, with the final part being surrounded by incompetent idiot commanders who got booted quickly," Howard explained.

"You rose the ranks?"

"I did, yes. I started at the bottom and ended up a Major by the end. Benefits include not needing to fight on the battlefield while being given your private tent. It was pretty nice. Probably the reason why I am sitting on this bench next to you today," Howard confessed.

"You know, one of the big advantages of joining the war early is that if you are lucky enough to survive AND gain a bit of experience in shooting, you are far less likely to enter the battlefield, as your commanders would want to save you for the important ones." 

"I see. What happened to you after the war?" 

"Well, I did what you did. I got back home and reentered the civilian economy. Most of my college debts got paid off thanks to my service, so I was financially better off when I got in. 

I landed a high-paying job in a big firm. After two years of working there, I moved into a low-cost area, while still keeping the job by working remotely," he replies. 

"Honestly, the war might have been the best thing whatever happened to me. I don't know where I would be if it never took place" he confessed to Adam. 

"Did the flying bullets teach you something about valuing your life, and your family?" Adam asked upon hearing his confession. 

"Yes, it did," he replied while nodding his head. 

"Speaking of family, how are your parents? Are they doing well for themselves?" Adam asks, changing the subject. 

"Unfortunately they both died in a car accident in '28'. Their tesla spontaneously combusted, catching on fire while trapping them inside. I couldn't even arrange a proper funeral, as I was still a soldier then," Howard answers.

"Oh. I am sorry for your loss," Adam replied.

"No worries. I am over it now. Besides, I new family. One that I started myself."

"Really? Tell me about it."

...

The two continued to talk for a few hours, catching up on the last 40 years. They talked about their families, their work, and anything else the two wanted to know about each other. Once they were finished, they got up and took a walk in the park, stopping just outside the parking lot.

"Good times in a shitty world, that's what I call it." Adam agrees with Howard's statement about their time in the early 20s, before the war and before college. A time when he, Adam, and the rest of the friend group got together and played games.

"Welp. I guess we should be going now. It was nice talking to you, Adam."

"Likewise, Howard. We should hang out again, like old times. I mean, if we are free that is," Adam suggested.

"Good idea. I will hit you up when I am free. Catch you later." Howard starts walking towards his car, to get back home to his family.

"Wait, before you go. Can I ask one more question?" Adam calls out. Howard stops in his tracks and turns around to face him.

"Sure, go ahead."

"If you had a second chance at life, would you do things any differently?" Adam asked. Howard felt the question was familiar as if someone had asked him before. Regardless, he quickly gave Adam a reply.

"Probably spend more of my time gaining skills to help me stay out the battlefield, hanging out with friends and family, and less time mindlessly scrolling on Tiktok, arguing with brainless strangers all day," Howard replied.

"You really have changed, Howard. I will see you around," Adam commented, before turning in the opposite direction and walking away. Howard gets into the front seat of his car, maps his route through the GPS, and starts his journey back home.

As Howard was driving back home, his phone started to ring and vibrate inside his pocket. A call from his wife, according to the touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard. Howard answers the call, not expecting much.

"Hello, honey? What is it?" Howard asked.

"Honey! Have you heard the news? Our girl is having a baby!" she spoke enthusiastically and blissfully. Howard could not help but smile at the news, sensing a feeling of joy in his heart.

"Really? That's wonderful news! I thought she'd never have one. You know how much of a workaholic she is."

"That's what being a doctor like, Howard. They are always working, day and night," she replied.

"I guess so. Regardless, I am really happy for her. I hope she gets paternity leave to properly raise the kid."

"I hope so too, Howard. Anyways, where are you right now? Did you meet your friend?" his wife asked, switching the subject.

"Yes. I did," Howard replied.

"What did you talk about?" she asks, a little curious.

"Mostly the past. I talked about my occupation during the war, and he talked about his. After that, we discussed our family, our boring jobs, and our children. That's all," Howard answered her question.

"And what about me? What did you tell him about me?"

"I told him that you are a great pain in my ass," he told bluntly, and in a serious tone. However, being his wife for the past 27 years, she had managed to catch his dry sense of humor.

"Oh, you're such a charmer, Howard. I know you secretly think I'm the best thing that ever happened to you," she responds.

"You got that right. I will see you soon honey," Howard replies, before hanging up. He makes a stop at a red light and waits for it to right green. Unbeknownst to him, a reckless driver driving around 65 miles an hour loses control of the car and rams Howard's automobile into incoming traffic.

Howard tried to quickly drive forward to ensure his car wouldn't hit, but luck appeared to not be on his side. A speeding semi-traveling at around 20 miles over the speed limit, was headed straight for him!

"Mother-" Crash! Woosh! Bang!

The car is sent flying 15 feet in the air before crashing back into the asphalt road. Pedestrians on the side immediately called 911, to inform the emergency responders about the situation.

His unconscious body was dragged out of the car and into the back of an ambulance, headed straight to the hospital. Despite the attempts of Miami's skilled doctors, utilizing the latest modern technology to save his life, it was no use. At 5:12 p.m., Howard Bright is pronounced dead at the age of 62.

…

Howard wakes up in a dimly lit room, illuminated by the rising sun's rays coming in through the tall stained glass windows. He finds himself in an unfamiliar environment, lying on top of a bed covered in a heavy blanket. As he tried to get back up, his body felt a great pain, as if almost every bone in his body was broken.

"Ow! Fuck..." he cursed, before laying back down. He tried using his eyes to look around the room, sometimes leaning his head left and right to get a better view. The room he found himself in was tiled with a checkered floor pattern, with white walls surrounding him.

The full springline windows were made of multiple pieces of stained glass pieces, all cut and shaped to form perfectly with each other, crafting a beautiful piece of artwork that performed as a window.

"Where the hell am I?" Howard muttered, feeling out of place in this strange room. The last thing he remembered was getting into a violent car crash, before passing out. His eyes soon stumbled upon a mirror, hanging on a gothic golden frame on the wall.

Using all his might, he sits up straight once again, enduring the pain to get a look at himself. The mirror reflected an image of a peculiar young man, with pale skin, straight silver hair, and a pair of jet-black eyes. He found himself in the body of a stranger.