The world is on the brink of war

A few days before, the world we know as planet Earth was going about its "everyday" business as usual. People were already accustomed to daily news about armed conflicts breaking out all over the world, the emergence of terrible diseases, and new developments that improve life and at the same time pose a potential threat to humanity.

Last year, 2022, there was a boom in the development of IT, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, due to which all spheres of life changed at an incredible speed, which man himself couldn't keep up with. Both mentally and physically implement the ideas generated by AI. In 2023, many experts predicted that humanity would achieve technological singularity — uncontrolled progress. So far, this has not happened, but… It always happens suddenly.

In Japan, which had been isolationist for almost its entire history, this detachment from the news of the approach of World War III, which many analysts believed would wipe out humanity, was particularly noticeable. Although the country itself was still a key center of high technology. Recently, their corporation «Mukibutsu», had made significant progress in creating nanobots, robots the size of a living human cell. It was assumed that with their help it would be possible to make changes to human DNA almost at the genetic level to cure diseases or somehow improve the body.

***

Tamiya Keshita's day began at 7:00 with an alarm from a special app for polyphasic sleep - when you sleep for a shorter period, but several times a day. Keshita thus saved time, devoting more time to things. Although, it seemed that he was more interested in another feature: he remembered dreams better. They are based on memory and the subconscious, so the guy looked for answers to his questions here. But being a person of a rather scientific mindset, this wasn't the main area of search.

Having lost his parents several years ago, Keshita had to deal with all the difficulties alone. Although he initially tried to make the "easy choice", the boy overcame the difficulties and became a successful student, completing the course ahead of others and becoming a graduate student in a research laboratory at a university in Tokyo.

"The morning has come, the sun has risen,

"A morning full of hope…" The alarm clock rang.

Keshita immediately jumped out of bed and began to exercise to quickly get invigorated and begin his daily routine, like a soldier on duty.

"Open your heart with joy
And look at the blue sky.
Listen to the voice on the radio
With an open heart.
Turn your face to the fresh winds
One… two… three…"

After finishing his morning routine, Keshita quickly pulled on a pair of loose black pants and a T-shirt over his slender frame, threw his sweatshirt over his shoulder, and picked up his college bag. After looking around the apartment and scratching his ever-itchy neck, he turned off the light and slammed the door.

His marathon didn't end there. He quickly rushed past other Japanese people, hurrying to school or work. People in Tokyo live in constant hustle and bustle and pursuit of success. It's in their blood. Keshita went down to the subway station, checking the time. The guy wasn't much different from an ordinary Japanese office worker or student: neat short black hair, sharp features. And even dark brown, almost black, eyes didn't distinguish him from others. His uncharacteristic tall height only emphasized his strict image, and only the tattoo around his neck contrasted with it.

"Within a second. But maybe it was worth leaving earlier? Professor Iendo said that an important study was to begin today…" Keshita was worried, scratching his neck.

“I hope they give us a grant, otherwise… tomorrow is already rent payment day, and my wallet is as empty as Nebutori’s stomach.”

Nebutori is a gluttony yokai from Japanese mythology, obsessed with food and sleep, and never able to get enough food. Keshita's nightmares only served to further confuse his thoughts, and his food was biology.

On the subway, Keshita listened to audio recordings of Richard Dawkins' lectures. Sometimes in the original, to improve his English, but more often in Japanese, so as not to miss a single detail. The graduate student was captivated by the ideas of the "selfishness" of the gene and that humans are nothing more than survival machines. Keshita closed his eyes and visualized what was said in the lectures to better remember and give free rein to his own imagination. He had little interest in the rest of the world.

Keshita squeezed all the juices out of his time, continuing to listen until he arrived at the lab. As if he was chasing something, but he couldn't remember what. He usually arrives first and starts preparing, but not this time.

"Oh?" It escaped Keshita's lips involuntarily.

"Oh? Is that how you greet people in your lab?" A stranger reading a book responded.

Short black hair showed her commitment to business style, when pragmatism and time came to the fore. And the simple appearance of a sweatshirt and a skirt with sneakers — practicality or laziness. Since the girl at such a young age was already sitting so "importantly" in this laboratory, it means all the time was spent on gaining knowledge, which was confirmed by the early arrival and the book.

"Oh, sorry. I was just surprised, since there's usually no one here at this time…"

"So you're that Tamiya Keshita. The workaholic student?"

Keshita nodded sheepishly as he headed towards his desk.

"Nice to meet you, Aoki Miku. Fourth year student in the molecular biology department." Turning around, she introduced herself reluctantly, a certain disdain in her voice.

Cold or rather arrogant blue eyes suited her last name and character, piercing through, as if looking into the soul. Unlike Keshita's eyes, in which, on the contrary, one could drown.

“B-beautiful… I thought only those in the humanities departments were like that…” Keshita thought, a little embarrassed and frozen in place.

"Nice to meet you. Will you be doing your internship here?"

"What? I finished it a long time ago, and I've already completed my fourth year. So, they invited me to continue my studies here." Miku answered and returned to the book.

"So you're a workaholic too, it turns out. And it sounded arrogant."

"Hmm, maybe so. Sorry if I offended you. You just interrupted me on an important point."

"Oh, sorry. What are you reading?" Keshita sat down at his desk.

"Haven't you heard? I'm busy. Everyone will be here soon."

"What's wrong with her?" Tamiya thought to himself.

· · ·

"This awkward silence only made me more tense, argh!" Miku suddenly turned to Keshita.

Tamiya tensed up. Miku looked even more tense. And to get rid of this feeling, she was ready to go on a frontal attack like a bull.

"She's ready to kill me for the sake of inner peace, to finish reading the book!?" Keshita thought.

“You should have heard that recently our university received large amounts of data on a new development, and it’s not entirely clear what it’s related to.”

"Data that even America's super AI couldn't decipher?"

"Exactly. Their decryption is so important to the Americans that they shared them with leading universities in Japan. Just to overtake Russia and China."

"Yes, I followed it. It's strange that it was in the biological direction that they found the solution, and not in the information or physics. In my opinion, the guess about the connection with human genes helped to figure it out. It was given by the "witch" with cold as steel eyes, piercing through with a look and leaving only emptiness… And…"

"That's an idiotic nickname." Miku returned to her book.

"Now it all fits together. That's why they took her into the lab."

"Medieval thinking: calling those who can see beyond their noses witches. But at least now you understand."

And indeed. Miku felt better, and she continued doing her job. Keshita also felt relief at first, then cold shivers down his body, but all this quickly changed to…

Anticipation.

"If she was taken and the data is still being deciphered… could this really be the breakthrough in genetic engineering we've been working so hard to achieve?"

Keshita began to breathe heavily.

"And I will be as close to this event as possible and… have access. Perhaps I will finally restore the damaged areas of the brain and return the memories."

Keshita, smiling contentedly, opened the files with his developments in order to prepare them for today and be as useful as possible, not to miss the chance.

"What was lost will be returned!"

This day was just beginning.

Summer will end in war.