The Memory I Never Had

As soon as I stepped outside, everyone who had been waiting there, about twenty people I think, turned to look at me.

It was still morning, so I could see everything clearly, catching new details about her house this time.

The entrance looked like one of those typical American homes, with a wide yard and a concrete path leading from the front door to the sidewalk. You’re probably picturing a lush green lawn, right? But because of the haze, life on Earth no longer existed. Instead of grass, there were artificial plants. Not the kind from my time that tried to mimic real ones, but plants that seemed to be… robots. The yard was vibrant and colorful because of them.

These people, or rather humanoids, were waiting on the sidewalk, keeping a respectful distance from her home. The path between them and the ride that awaited us was surprisingly short.

We all stepped out and made our way toward the vehicle.

By definition, a car is any vehicle that moves on wheels. But what I saw was floating, and it looked nothing like any car I had ever seen before, so I’ll just call it a vehicle.

As we passed them, just as Luna had warned me earlier, they began bombarding me with questions all at once. No cameras or microphones, just their voices and those piercing gazes.

“Where did you come from? Are you really human? What year are you from? Did you come alone? Who are you? Who sent you?”

Those were the questions I managed to catch before stepping into the vehicle in silence, with Alba closing the door behind me.

Who sent me? That was something I wanted to know too.

“They look more human, like Alba,” I said from inside as I glanced back at the crowd outside.

“They probably sent the most 'normal' ones they had so they wouldn’t scare you,” Dom’s voice replied from the driver’s seat.

“Dom! It’s been so long since I last saw you! How are you? The last time I saw you, you…” I began, my tone turning melancholic, but he cut me off before I could finish.

“I’m doing great. We androids recover in minutes by swapping a few parts here and there. Don’t worry. And you? Are you recovering well?” he asked, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

“I’m fine too, thanks to Luna and Alba.”

“That’s good to hear. Let’s head straight to the Jardim,” Dom said enthusiastically as he started the vehicle. “Oh, and I almost forgot. Luna, Chefe asked me to pass along a message.”

Dom’s voice shifted to mimic Chefe’s, as if he were playing back a recording:
“Luna, the council has summoned you to give testimony regarding Inertia. After you show her the new quarters, go straight to the council building. I can’t disclose much, but this is crucial for us as well. Don’t avoid it this time.”

“Tsk.” Even from the back seat, I could hear Luna’s irritation as she sat in the front, next to Dom.

“It seems they’re desperate to gather evidence against us, hoping to claim you,” Alba explained, filling in the gaps about the territorial disputes I had missed during my recovery period.

“But wasn’t my will enough?” I asked.

“It should have been. But you know… laws are made to control the masses; they don’t apply to the elite,” Dom replied.

Some things, it seemed, hadn’t changed at all since 2025.

“Fine, I’ll go. But only on one condition: Teo goes with me,” Luna finally said.

“Great, now that that’s settled, let’s get going.”

Dom accelerated, and even from the back seat I could see the speedometer stretching across the center of the vehicle. We were at 100 km/h when I first looked. I glanced out the window, and when I looked back, it read 500 km/h.

My body seemed to adapt quickly, but could the human body really withstand such speed?

“Guys, 500 km/h is insane! I’ve never gone this fast before. Isn’t there a risk of accidents at this speed?” I asked, genuinely concerned.

“Don’t worry. I’m in control, but the vehicle is automatic. Every car in the region is connected to a single system and fully automated. The chance of an accident is 0.000001%,” Dom reassured me.

“So there’s still a chance!” Rei quipped as he suddenly appeared like a phantom among us.

“There is, but it’s one in a million. Don’t stress. The system says we’ll arrive in under an hour,” Dom added.

During the ride, we talked about various things Rei had learned about the year 6025 while I had been stuck in that place. At some point, Rei asked Luna for permission to share something he could no longer keep to himself.

“Luna, when can I tell her about… that? I think Inertia is recovered enough now,” he said.

Tell me what? Is there something everyone knows except me?

“Inertia has recovered physically, but her mental health is still uncertain. She needs a psychological evaluation first. Don’t rush things,” Luna replied.

“About what? I’m fine! You can tell me, Rei,” I insisted.

It didn’t matter if I failed any mental health assessment. My curiosity was too strong now to wait.

“No, you’re not, and this isn’t the right place,” Luna shot back.

I glanced at Alba, silently asking if she knew what they were talking about. Her worried, almost frightened expression told me everything before she quickly looked down.

She knew too.

I hated the idea that everyone knew about this except me.

“I don’t care about that. Everyone here knows it except me. I had plenty of time in that place to sort through my thoughts, and I feel mentally sound, even after everything that’s happened so fast.”

Luna stared at me through the car’s central rearview mirror as I spoke.

The silence stretched for about a minute while she deliberated. Finally, she asked.

“Inertia, do you have any siblings?”

What?

“Siblings… not that I know of.”

“Who lived in the room next to yours?" she pressed.

“One was my parents’ room, and the other… my dad’s office. I’ve always been an only child. What are you talking about?”

“You can tell her, Rei. Either way, her brain won’t overexert itself trying to recover a memory she never had,” Luna concluded after assessing me.

What?!

Rei didn’t hesitate. As soon as Luna gave the go-ahead, he began explaining what he had been holding back.

“Inertia, you know I went two whole weeks without any contact with you. A lot happened after you disappeared that day. We’ve got some travel time ahead, and I’m barely staying awake as it is. I feel like I could fall asleep any moment, so I want to take this chance to tell you.”

“What happened?” I asked anxiously.

“I’ll start from the beginning…”

End of Report 24