Dream... Come True?
Samuel was admiring the night sky from the window of his room at headquarters.
Looking down at the esplanade next to headquarters, he recognized Valeria chatting animatedly with other high-ranking members of the regime at an outdoor fair.
Next to her was Ada, the feared chief of the secret police. But far from their usual stern appearances, they all laughed casually while savoring delicacies from the stalls.
Even the ever sullen Valeria seemed like another person, with a radiant smile as she playfully elbowed Ada and they both burst out laughing like old friends.
He noticed that next to her was also a young, tall, and handsome man who had his arm around her shoulders.
From the affectionate way they interacted, Samuel deduced that he must be Valeria's boyfriend. She looked at him blissfully as he won her a huge stuffed animal at a fair game, causing her to plant a kiss on his cheek.
—Who would have thought, the fearsome enforcer had her romantic side— Samuel thought somewhat mockingly when seeing this new side of Valeria as just another loved-up girl at the fair.
He couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy. He had wasted his best years serving a cause whose nature he couldn't even remember anymore.
His participation in an alien war whose details had faded from his mind was a source of frustration. What had he gained in return? Only scars, killer instinct, and the need to run for his life.
A deep sense of guilt invaded him. He wished he could cry, but curiously his eyes remained dry, as if they had lost the ability.
He also felt a strong sense of urgency, of having ruined everything and being against the clock. But he didn't understand why he felt that way, it was an abstract, vague anxiety.
Seeing Valeria placidly enjoying the life he never had fueled a bittersweet mixture of envy and sorrow.
Tormented by his emotions, Samuel decided to go for a walk around the fairgrounds to clear his head. The cheerful atmosphere, with laughter, fireworks, and neon lights, contrasted sharply with his state of mind.
As he pensively passed the merry-go-round horses, a figure emerged from the shadows and stood before him. It was a young man, with similar features to his.
—It's been a long time, brother— were Daniel's words, full of sincere affection. Samuel was startled to recognize his brother.
Taking a spoon, Daniel offered him a piece of cake in hopes of reviving those moments they had shared in the past. —We can pick up the business right where we left off. I remember we made a great team before my... transformation— he added, pointing to the scar on his neck.
—Brother...— Samuel stammered, his trembling voice reflecting the amalgam of feelings he was experiencing. —I've missed this, I've missed you so much...—
His brother walked orbiting Samuel. —Why have you gone back to your old ways, brother? Why have you gotten involved with the army again? Is it because of that girl?—
—Come, let's take a walk around the city— his brother suggested, stopping abruptly. Together they left the bustle of the fair.
They walked along a bridge suspended between the gigantic buildings, surrounded by a festival of flying cars.
—Samuel— he said in a serene but meaningful tone, —maybe it's time for you to kill me, this body is about to die. I'm sorry, Samuel. Your brother is gone.
—To continue existing, I need a new body. And you are my only option.
14.1 Dreamer girl
Upon reaching the indicated floor, she immediately clinically analyzed the scene. The broken glass, blood traces, laser burn marks... unmistakable evidence of a violent confrontation with alien technology.
One of the officers at the scene approached Ada: —Let me brief you, Inspector. We received reports from residents about two individuals falling from this window. By the time we arrived, they were gone.
Ada examined a sample of the viscous material on the ground. Its molecular composition confirmed a non-human origin.
—Possibly, although this looks more like a confrontation between two non-terrestrial entities with special abilities— Ada concluded while collecting more samples to analyze.
Ada examined the human remains scattered around the room, confirming that several people had been brutally preyed upon there. Clearly that hunting style was characteristic of the first wave.
One of the officers expressed dismay at the macabre scene. Ada simply looked at him coldly.
—Save your sentimentality for later, officer. Here only the facts matter: we have an active predator in the city with a modus operandi similar to before the collapse.
After collecting more data in the room, Ada noticed a blood trail at the main entrance of the building.
—We have a survivor—Ada stated, pointing to the trail.
14.2 We are absolute predators
Ada took out her book, reviewed the taxonomy of her enemy, this was going to be her first time facing one of them. Perhaps the first encounter after the human victory in Atlantis?
My great-grandparents used to tell me stories about what life was like before that day.
"The whites brought with them machines that performed wonders," my grandfather used to recount in awe. —Their ships were gigantic and their steam engines could transport the load of ten thousand men.
—Their technologies made them seem invincible, and many considered them the undisputed masters of the world.
It was hard to imagine a world where technological supremacy was so pronounced, where only 2 or 3 cultures exerted such an overwhelming influence over entire regions.
We considered ourselves the pinnacle of the food chain, the masters and lords of everything that inhabited the Earth. We had no real enemies, only humans of a different color or different features.
There was no opponent that could rival our supremacy. That's what colonial propaganda touted.
The accounts of those pre-Great Collapse times emphasized how humans saw themselves as the undisputed owners of the Earth. They possessed technologies and abilities that allowed them to rule over flora, fauna and natural resources.
####:...
After the failure in the Middle East during the Great Offensive, my great-grandfather came home. He gathered everyone and said we had to leave the Philippines and head to Australia.
In his own words: —It was a trap— he began, as the rest of the family gathered to listen to his story.
We thought we were fighting to regain control of the oil fields, but it was a masterful distraction.
—Countries rich in natural resources became precise targets.
He detailed how the invaders specifically attacked strategic locations: mines, production centers, refineries, cities and sites for extracting essential resources. This led to the collapse of supply chains.
After reminiscing on the anecdotes and stories transmitted through generations in his family, he continued on his way until she reached a bridge. He found a girl lying next to the concrete.