A Phoenix from Dublin

“So Adem, let’s see if we can talk. It seems like you might be ready for some more reintegration.”

Hours had passed. I had been returned unconscious to my room and hoisted back into bed. Bobbi had stayed with me, pleased that I had ‘returned to baseline’ so rapidly.

“Okay, let’s talk.”

“Where do you want to start?”

Blue. No, not there –

“It’s 2118.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m guessing I came to you in 2025?”

“…I’ll give you the story, please try and relax and keep your breathing regular – focus on that if things get tough for you, okay?”

“Okay, Mrs McSorley –”

“ – It’s Miss. We got rid of the concept of Mrs long ago. But anyway, just call me Bobbi. Okay.” She took some breaths to centre herself, resuming calmly and cautiously. “You had an ‘accident’ in 2025, and were in a vegetative state in hospital. You nearly died protecting your sister.”

Sister… “CeCe?”

“Yes. You were close to each other. Your father happened to be friends with a very prominent entrepreneur, Sochiro Kazikawa, who would become exceptionally famous. Because of you, this entrepreneur began cryogenically freezing young people who had been cruelly denied a shot at life. It was called the Phoenix Project, and it was top secret in those days.”

“Phoenix Project – Because of a phoenix being able to come back to life?”

“Kind of. Your father and the entrepreneur used to walk around Phoenix Park an awful lot together. You were initially cared for at a hospital a stone’s throw away from the park.”

“Phoenix Park…” I realised:

“I’m a Dub!”

“Good boy. Yes, you originally hail from the Dublin area. It’s why your accent is a little different than ours. Okay, shall I go on?” She eyed the monitors, seeing I was still calm. I didn’t reply, so she continued.

“You were eventually moved from the hospital to a research facility and put in cryogenic storage. The technology was in its infancy stage, so basically you were left to freeze while research and development tried to come up with long-term solutions to your situation. Before the Greater Wars, there was around a thousand in storage. Then everything changed.”

She, paused, waiting for me to ask. I was still processing the new information, so she got up and went for a glass of water, then returned to sit by my side.

“The Greater Wars was a complex conflict between the power alliances at the time. You probably could guess who would inevitably side with who from your own knowledge of global affairs, when it returns to you. It triggered widespread nuclear war, and the deaths of seven billion people. It’s shocking to think of it even happening.” She stopped. “Your family, from what we know, died in the war. I think you have kind of grasped that idea before. It sounds feeble but…I’m really sorry.”

I felt numb first, then experienced an awful sinking feeling. Of course, I knew by now my family were probably dead, but having it spelled out like that wasn’t easy to take. I could only hope that somehow my family hadn’t died in horrible circumstances, or if they had done, it would have been quick and painless. Scant consolation…

I suddenly saw their faces. Da, Ma and…Sis. Sis was my best friend. Tears welled up.

“Please go on,” I said weakly.

“Okay. Well, the entrepreneur we mentioned survived. By the start of the war, he became powerful and world-famous but couldn’t prevent anything from happening. He sat out the conflict with his team in a massive bunker below the ground here in what you would have called Uruguay, where the cryogenic facility was moved to. By 2045, he was out and trying to restore the world – even trying to improve it. His diary entries have been preserved and they are available at the University Library here. I’m sure one day you’ll want to read them.”

“How did he…fix the world?”

“Well, he had been severely abused as a child, so he was always aware of the power of psychology and therapy, also philosophy. I’m going to read from my notes now.”

She activated an app on her holophone, and a tablet assembled in front of her (presumably powered by nanotech) that loaded up a document.

“‘Kazikawa realised that true happiness was in creating a society in line with human nature, potential and aspiration, focusing on cooperation as well as individualism, knowing the human psyche and understanding it, while accentuating the positives. He was primarily influenced by the works of Jung, Sagan, and a touch of Freud. He led a departure from but not a complete rebuttal of market capitalism. In short, he viewed economics as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Market forces were never allowed to entirely dictate terms again, and people were seen as not being mere consumers, but more towards physical entities where ‘special spirits’ were housed.’”

She went on.

“I’ll keep things simple and quickly summarise what’s in front of me. Sochiro Kazikawa partially rebuilt the earth, and partially left it in the hands of Mother Nature to restore to a natural state. Four global zones were created where different cultures amalgamated respectfully, only slightly differing in ethos to each other. Megacities were constructed, often with recycled materials brought in by scavenger groups, who would go out into the wilderness and retrieve what they could, while often risking their lives in searing temperatures and radioactive wastelands. Energy became totally clean – safe Fusion power or natural elements were used to this end. Science, massively inspired by your situation, advanced exponentially – for instance cancer was cured, diabetes eradicated, and the horrors of Alzheimer’s were prevented forever. Genetic engineering driven by AI was ethically implemented. But socially, people connected deeper than ever before. From birth, everyone would be monitored, undergo therapy tailored to their own individuality, and be prepared for a fulfilling life of service in line with their own strengths and interests. It was all really, really easy once the focus of humanity was shifted back to the personal and wider society’s needs, and away from obsessive consumerism. Or any ism, really.”

“It’s a perfect world now?”

“Yes, and no. Yes, the overwhelming consensus is we've finally got things right. No one believes we’ve got everything totally spot on – that’s actually dangerous, dystopian and prevents further improvements. That encourages perfection because it allows patient, sensible growth, not stagnating as a fixed ideal. Humanity is designed to evolve. At the same time, life is very settled, on the whole. We fixed our house starting from the inside. So that’s what we project out, in terms of art, technology, or how people care for each other. And we do care for each other. There’s so much love.”

Bobbi looked blissful and sounded sincere enough, but at the same time, it felt a bit saccharine, like she was selling me a package holiday or something. I couldn’t help but feel deep cynicism, 2025-style.

“You said no as well as yes –”

“– We have two problem areas to work on. One is to overcome the full effects of global warming, the climate crisis, and of course the after-effects of the nuclear conflict. We’ve been dealing with that for over 70 years, and temperature rises have long since peaked, and indeed, are actually reversing thanks to our technological approach and ecological campaigns. However, a lot of damage has been done, and we’re all determined to repair that damage. We had DNA of extinct flora and fauna to reintroduce to massively enlarged natural habitats – thanks to Kazikawa’s preservation efforts. Over time, the human population is naturally and slowly shrinking down towards half a billion, and that is absolutely fine for the planet and its resources. We are all about recycling and efficient energy now. Life is harmonious, finally, and total recovery is inevitable.”

She got up and smiled. “The second problem can wait, it’s not a big deal at the moment, but has the potential to become one. Okay, lecture over. I’m sure you’ll have more questions, soon enough. That’s fine. Once again, I’m really sorry for what you’ve gone through. I promise, we all want you to recover, and to live with us. To give life a chance.”

“I need to ask…so I was frozen for a long time, right? Is that why my body feels so strange to me?”

“Your physical essence: This is an important question for you, I can see, and requires a serious answer. I promise, I’ll get you that answer. Just not today. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes, Bobbi.”

“And hopefully soon we can show you more of 2118 World! I think you’ll love it. What you saw from the rooftop was just a start. Your father’s friend did a great job, and we’re working towards totally fulfilling his dream. Our dream. You see, no one feels lost, hopeless, without a purpose –”

“– Alone?”

She pressed her hand to my cheek. “DEFINITELY not alone.”

I cried.