Taro

The worries of nature being destroyed, food to eat and water to drink, resources to go around, all ceased to exist. Anyone could get anything at the click of their fingers. Technology advanced so far to the point humanity was able to colonize multiple star systems, sharing their knowledge with other lifeforms, but one key component was lost from all this… creativity. 

2000 long years passed after the dark age, humanity grew comfortable with the current developments, believing they had achieved everything, there was no reason to continue. This birthed a new group of people, ones known as ‘Creatives’ they were so rare that only one showed up every few centuries. But when they did, they’d push through barrier after barrier, breaking the threshold of what was known as logic.

There was one creative, who lived somewhere during the year 5700, but, was forgotten, as nothing notable had been accomplished by such a person… so back to waiting the people went, for the next creative, that would push pass logics confines, and reach, infinity. 

“Owwwww…”

That hurt, how in the world does a branch from a tree just snap off like that. I wasn’t doing anything except walking… it’s not even windy, this city must have something against me, no wonder I want to leave so much.
I mean, even though there’s everything one could want here it doesn’t… feel, fulfilling… I guess? Like, I want to do something, be something. Not just sit around, not a single person even needs to work in this place. Which is fine but, I need a place I can direct this drive I have to accomplish something.

“You alright there Taro?”

Catching a voice behind me I turn around, still rubbing the back of my head from earlier.

“Ah Keila… I’m fine”

In front of me was… I guess you could say was a friend but it’s hard to confidently say that, as I’ve never been one that was close to others, I never saw eye to eye with any of them. I wanted to explore and have fun but they just wanted to relax… which is fine again, since our ancestors did work incredibly hard for the current present.

I’m getting a bit side-tracked.

Keila wasn’t a human, she was actually an android, from what I learned they’ve been around for the last millennium. There was an event that took place back then. Many casualties were caused because of it. But as I stand here watching her moving the branch that slammed on the top of my head, it almost seems crazy that humans were fearful of them.

“You’re still not thinking about that are you?” Keila asked me.

I couldn’t help but look down at the ground, hands in my pockets, the fact that I wanted to be something was unique. I’ve heard it from everyone, my late parents, classmates, professors. Someone like me shows up once every few centuries. But that doesn’t make me feel special or different. It makes me feel broken.

“Like I said, it’s as if the cosmos itself is calling me…”

Reaching my arm out to the sky it felt like I could touch it, there’s so many stars, so many different places out there in it’s vastness, but, if you’re not the lucky one that’s born a creative you’ll forever be stuck in the place you were born, as communication between systems couldn’t be easier, simulations that can beam a version of you across the empty space… and everyone's fine with that. To me, I feel like traveling their physically would be all the more fulfilling.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret, remember what happened to the last people who believed they were more than they actually were.”

This is the exact reason. How does one know if they’re the creative, since technology is so advanced, if one tries tampering with it, not possessing the spirit and ability necessary. It can erase them from existence.

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out”

Turning back around I stomp off down the street. The old me would have said I’d forget about it but not anymore. And I was well aware who Keila was talking about, it made headlines everywhere, on earth and other planets, the people she was talking about were my parents. They were researching inter-dimensional travel, from what they told me it was the thought of having absolute freedom in space. The ability to warp through time at will. In which during an experiment testing the power source of something unknown went wrong. Causing the biggest accident in the last 500 years. An explosion that could be seen from the moon.

They knew a problem such as that could occur, that’s the reason their research centre was deep in the mountains, the furthest possible point from any human life, they were the only two people that perished during the accident. Nothing was left, not a single document or object. But despite knowing the risk involved I want to continue down that path myself…

Man I am tired… seems the suns finally set.

Walking a bit deeper into the cities park I do a downwards swipe with my left hand, bringing up a holographic menu I navigated to the furniture area, selecting the ‘outside couch’ a small cube materialized. Snatching it from in front of me I throw it down, not even a millisecond later it puffed up into a full sized couch. Falling onto it I quickly sank into the cushions.
This is how I’ve lived the last 8 years since my parents passed, as a wanderer, with access to the network there really is no reason to have a physical room… I wish I did though… but I’m not ready to settle down in one place yet, still being confined to this city I prefer to move around, it at least tricks me into thinking I’m exploring. Placing my hand on my eyes I slowly began to shut them—

“Ahh!”

I was caught off guard by a sudden shout in the distance, quickly jumping up I recall the couch by waving my arm in a swirling motion before picking up the pace toward the sound. My blood was boiling, something’s finally happening. Is this what the old civilization would refer to as… adrenaline.

“Who are you…”

Reaching the location I was slightly annoyed, in front of me wasn’t some mythical beast or anything of the like… no, instead, I was staring at a girl, my age, she was just kneeling on the ground, she looked scared. Ugh, just someone who took one to many steps away from their comfort zone.

“Man I’m leaving—
“Wait!”

I came to an abrupt stop, and I don’t know why… just like how the cosmos called to me it felt similar, as if, turning my back on this person right now would bring nothing but misfortune.

“Listen if you can’t handle being in reality just go back to the simulation” I said whilst turning around.

“What are you talking about?…”

Instead of looking scared like before. She was now looking at me if I just said something so incomprehensible that it’ll make even a worm look smart. Why did I think of it in that way… I don’t know.

“You know, the simulation, it’s where most people are these days?” I replied back confused, but by the looks of it, seems it didn’t do much of help as she put on an even more confused expression.

“Like… virtual reality?”

Virtual reality… I haven’t heard it being referred to in that way my entire life, wasn’t that a term used around four millenniums ago?

"I guess so yeah, but we all just call it the simulation, it’s the main hub located within the network, that’s common knowledge..” 

I watched as she stood up from the ground, due to the dark I wasn’t able to make out her appearance but now, I could clearly tell, something was off, the clothes she had on were something I’ve only ever seen in fashion history, there were no fluorescent stripes and there were obvious design flaws. Far from the perfection of clothes we have today.

“Show me your wrist”

I grab her arm and pull back the hoodie sleeve, something is incredibly wrong with this situation…

“Could you not do that!” she shouted before roughly tearing my hand off hers.

“Hey, um, what’s the date?” I asked.

There’s this feeling in the back of my head that’s making me nervous… someone suddenly shouts, wearing clothes that are older than anyone currently alive, and not only that but, she didn’t have a network key.

“It’s February 12th 2025… why?”

I drop to my knees… it couldn’t be… father, you mentioned something like this.

“Taro! Listen to this, we’ve almost succeeded, there’s just a few more tests left before it’ll be achieved… but I can’t help but feel like we’re missing something, a piece of the puzzle. Proof that time warping is possible, if only something or someone would give us a sign.”

The missing piece of the puzzle… could it have been this. This girl that’s standing in front of me, confused out of her mind…

She’s warped 4000 years into the future…