Change the past

“So, how’d you do it?” my mother asked, leaning back in her chair with a knowing look. We were sitting in her office, surrounded by piles of documents and glowing holo-screens.
“I did give you a document, didn’t I?” I replied, crossing my arms.
“That’s right, you did.” She smirked, tapping a finger on her desk. “So now that you can contact the past with ease... what do you want to change?”
“This outcome,” I said firmly. “We’ve been at war with AI for two years now. And thanks to the nuclear war centuries ago, we’re stuck living in this isolated dome. If I can prevent both wars from ever happening, we can finally have the perfect future.”
She raised an eyebrow, her expression sharp. “Have you theorized all the possible outcomes if you do that?”
“Not really,” I admitted. “But I’ve planned this for so long. I’m sure that nothing will go wrong.”
“If you say so,” she said with a sigh, leaning forward and clasping her hands. “Go ahead and contact the past.”
“Thank you,” I said, standing up with a resolute nod.
Leaving her office, I headed straight for the machine. The moment I’d been working for so long.
“Alright,” I said to myself, cracking my knuckles as I approached the console. “It’s time to do this!”
I powered up the particle accelerator and quantum transmitter, then connected my phone and dialed Gaku’s number once again. This time, I wasn’t surprised when he picked up.
“Hello?” Gaku’s voice came through the line, clear and casual.
“Hi, it’s me again,” I said, trying to keep my tone steady.
“Oh, how are you? You’ve been acting weird the past two calls.”
“Well,” I admitted, scratching the back of my neck, “I made a bit of a mistake, so I had to fix that. I’m sorry for asking you to do something bad.”
“Don’t worry,” he replied with a chuckle. “I live alone, so I can break anything I want without getting into trouble.”
“Heh, you’re crazy,” I said, smiling despite the situation. “Anyway, you’re an adult, right?”
“Yes, but I’m still in school. Studying astro-science, if you were curious.”
“Perfect. Do you have any way to contact the government about the wars going on in your time?”
“Oh, so you’re already trying to solve your future,” Gaku said, sounding impressed. “I don’t have a direct way, but my father does.”
“Cool. Try to convince the government with your father to stop the wars and everything that’s causing them.”
“Okay... I’ll give it a shot. But I do have a question,” Gaku continued, his tone becoming serious. “What’s causing your future to be so terrible? What makes it so hateful?”
I hesitated before answering. “You said there are three wars going on right now. One in America, one in Europe, and one in Asia. Those wars were sparked by economic, political, cultural, and religious disagreements. They’ll grow bigger and bigger, eventually spiraling into a 900-year-long nuclear war across the world. Japan saw it coming and built a dome to protect its citizens, but outside the dome, everything is just... nuclear waste.”
“I see...” Gaku said, his voice thoughtful. “Well, I can’t make a direct change right away, but I’ll try to end those wars. Just stay put, alright?”
“I’ll be waiting,” I replied.
And with that, the call ended.
For a moment, I let out a relieved breath. But then, despite the quantum transmitter’s function to keep reality stable, everything around me started to warp.
“No... not again...” I whispered, gripping the table as the air around me twisted and bent.
This time, though, something different happened. New memories started flooding into my mind—memories of a world I’d never lived in but one that felt real.
He did it. Gaku ended the wars in the past.
The warping ceased, leaving only a crushing darkness.
“What’s going on...?” I murmured, just before my consciousness faded into the void.

---

Gaku’s point of view:

How do you solve wars? The question spun endlessly in my head. Leaders had to be convinced to find common ground, but such an effort required an unimaginable level of manipulation. Sure, my father had connections to the government, but the president? That was a whole other league.
“Baaabee! I’m hooome!”
The overly cheerful voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced toward the entrance of my house, where my girlfriend, Layla, stood with her signature playful grin.
“Huh, what’s up with the mess here?” she asked, stepping over a pile of broken glass.
“Just ignore that. I was busy with something,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “And stop saying ‘I’m home.’ We’re not living together.”
Layla strolled into the living room where I was sprawled on the couch. “When do you want to live together?”
“Whenever I’m done with my work,” I said, refusing to meet her eyes.
“Still that time travel thing? Ugh, you’re such a nerd,” she teased, flopping onto the armchair beside me.
“Yeah, yeah, love you too,” I muttered, half-smiling. “I’m heading to my father’s place. If you don’t mind, can you clean up the house while I’m gone?”
“Come on, I’m tired!” she whined.
“Please, sweety?” I pleaded, tilting my head and flashing my best innocent look.
“Ugh, fine...” she groaned, throwing her head back dramatically.
Satisfied, I grabbed my bag and left the house, heading toward my father’s workplace. Layla was a handful, but she meant well. Still, Rui’s requests were starting to weigh on me. I could stop helping him, sure, but helping him meant helping myself—and possibly stopping a catastrophic future.
As I walked, lost in thought, a sudden screech of tires made me look up. A police car had pulled up beside me.
“The president wants a word with you,” said an officer, leaning out of the window.
“O-Okay,” I stammered, caught completely off guard.
Maybe this wasn’t going to be as hard as I thought.
The police escorted me to the White House with quiet efficiency. As the car pulled into the sprawling compound, my anxiety climbed. Guards flanked us as we entered, leading me down long hallways until we stopped at an imposing door.
Knock, knock.
“Come in!” a firm male voice called from inside.
The guards opened the door, ushering me into a well-lit office. The president sat behind a massive desk, his expression calm but commanding. I nervously took the chair opposite him.
“Uh, greetings, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I stammered, fumbling for words.
The president smiled warmly, waving off my nervousness. “Don’t be so formal. I’m not here to hurt you—as long as you don’t try anything against me.”
“...I feel threatened,” I muttered under my breath before quickly adding, “Uhm, how can I help you?”
The president leaned forward, his smile unwavering. “It’s simple. A few months ago, a significant amount of the city’s energy was diverted to your house. I sent some people to monitor the situation, and it seems you’ve been discussing... time travel with someone from the future. Care to explain?”
I froze, but there was no way out of this. “Well,” I began carefully, “I once got a call from someone in the future. He’s in a really bad situation and needs me to stop the wars happening now before they escalate.”
The president nodded thoughtfully. “I see… All of them?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, unsure if this was the right answer.
“Welcome to the government team,” the president said, extending his hand. “You’ll help us create a better future.”
I shot out of my seat and shook his hand, my heart pounding. “Thank you, sir!”
Months passed. I have told the president the outcome of the future. And he started working on solving everything. The war in America then came to an end after tense negotiations and interventions. I mostly stayed out of the process—truth be told, I felt useless amidst the government’s intricate operations. The wars in Europe and Asia were nearly resolved, inching closer to peace. For the first time in weeks, I let myself believe that Rui might actually have a brighter future.
But then, everything unraveled.
My phone buzzed insistently. Rui’s name flashed across the screen.
“Hello?” I answered, eager to share the progress.
“FORGET EVERYTHING!” Rui’s voice erupted, frantic and raw.
“W-What are you talking about?” I asked, my heart sinking.
“The future I’m in is WORSE than the one before! I don’t care what’s happening on your end—let all those wars happen!” he yelled. Then the line went dead.
I stared at my phone, dumbfounded. Worse? How could it possibly be worse?
Why do I keep helping Rui? Why do I let him dictate my choices? I’ve climbed to a position where I can actually make a difference. Should I continue helping him... or should I protect the life I’ve built here?
What should I do?

To be continued…