A knock on the door woke Ioanna. Her brief journey into the realm of dreams was interrupted two hours after it began.
"Is that you, Ioanna?" The voice behind the door reminded her of Thomas. The girl got up from the bed and quickly dressed, forgetting about her visit to the doctor, the "fifty-fifty, "and the happy faces in the control department.
"What happened? "Opening the door, Ioanna saw a young man with light curls falling over his forehead. He, like Samantha, was an exception in their world. His pale skin was unique against the backdrop of those around him.
"Where have you been?" Thomas asked, fixing his hair.
"I...,"the girl recalled the events of the last few hours. "I had some business. What's going on?"
"Good news!" he exclaimed. "I spoke with Richard Robinson and Marcus. You have an interview with the Archon this evening."
"Oh," a slight smile on Ioanna's face quickly faded. "Isn't it supposed to be at the end? Before the launch?"
"It's before the launch too, "Thomas continued to smile. "But also today. I thought one interview with the Archon wouldn't be enough. By the way, he allowed us to use the stationary equipment in the conference room."
"That's... great news," the girl tried to respond, striving to forget her visit to the Department of population control. "Where are you headed now?"
"To set up the conference room for the interview. And you?"
"I need to finish my business and I'll try to talk to Marcus."
"Oh, he's in the break room, "Thomas kept smiling, like a little kid. Apparently, he was about to see the Archon in person for the first time. As was she. "At six in the evening, "the young man snapped his fingers and headed down the corridor away from Ioanna's room.
Just as she managed to close the door, the phone rang. It was Armando, wanting to share news about the activation.
"It shouldn't have happened like this," the thoughts returned to the girl's mind like old photographs appearing before her eyes. Doctor Abraham and his fifty-fifty, "the syringe with the stabilizer... A whole series of memories surrounded her as she answered the call.
Armando Averino was overflowing with happiness. He had gone through the activation procedure. Within the next twenty-four hours, his reproductive system was to be activated. With this joyful news, he called his wife, discussing at length what name to give their child, how to arrange the nursery, and which school the child would attend. Ioanna listened on the other end, and tears began rolling down her cheeks. The risk that it might not happen was exactly fifty percent. After all, there was a high chance that it would not occur. She poured all her experience and strength into words that conveyed happiness.
"Yes, dear," she said, trying to hide her tears, which continued to stream down her cheeks. A simple mistake, independent of Ioanna herself, could prevent the birth of another member of the great Consolidated Nation. But Ioanna Averino couldn't utter the truth to her husband. Not now. It was still uncertain. The pendulum swung from side to side every minute. Uncertainty did not allow Ioanna to inform her husband about the possible outcome of their family life, which had only just begun.
The phone conversation lasted about half an hour. The sleeves of her blouse were stained with mascara from the girl's eyes. She raised one arm then the other to her eyes, wiping away tears of bitterness. Finally, Armando said goodbye. He expected her in six days at their apartment, even thinking about what gift to give her, as Ioanna was now going to give him the child they had dreamed of for so long.
Ioanna turned off the Pulse. She didn't want to talk to anyone or see anyone. Ioanna's chest tightened with anxiety, as if someone was pressing down on her. Attempts to calm herself that the chances for good were the same as for bad brought no relief. After all, the stakes were high. It wasn't just about breaking the Pulse and buying a new one, or damaging the Ether and repairing it. This was about a new life, which at that moment had as much chance of existing as of not being born.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on the mini-bar in her room. Ioanna got up from the bed and slowly approached the small refrigerator. Upon opening the door, she heard the clink of glass bottles clinking against each other. The girl took out a miniature bottle of whiskey and opened it. Next to the refrigerator in the wall was a built-in compartment, above which was a screen. As she reached for the screen, the internal systems activated, and a selection of cigarette brands appeared before her. Ioanna had quit smoked for a long time, but the temptation was overwhelming. She tapped the icon for "Spark" and a new pack appeared in the compartment. The "Spark" brand was the first to use genetically modified tobacco. Although there were a few other types of cigarettes, this brand was produced in a variety of flavors. Next, a lighter clattered out. The lighter was engraved with the word "Babylon". But that didn't concern her. Stepping out onto the small balcony, she looked at the capital and the Capitol across from her. Below, the number of protesters was increasing. Taking a few swigs of whiskey and sitting in a chair, Ioanna lit a cigarette and inhaled tobacco smoke for the first time in many years. Oh, that feeling when nicotine enters the blood and causes a slight, yet intoxicating effect. Her head began to spin, and her muscles relaxed. And the whiskey amplified this effect.
Ioanna pondered for a long time. Thoughts tormented her. She thought about family, work, John, and his path. Perhaps she even envied him. After all, he would go to other worlds while she remained here. With her life. And in the event of failure, there would be nothing more. Just this.
She spent over an hour on that balcony. Half a pack of cigarettes disappeared, and the bottle was empty. To say that she was drunk would be incorrect. But even in a slightly dulled state, Ioanna tried to find an escape that existed and did not exist simultaneously. The only possible way to distract herself was work. The work she had to finish. "Maybe this will help", the girl thought. Or maybe it wouldn't. But she tried to hold on. Just like she had held on when she learned the news about her parents' deaths. Like the day she saw her brother unconscious in the hospital. When John announced his decision to become a participant in the Fracture project.
Ioanna Averino left an ashtray half-filled with cigarette butts and an empty bottle, approached the wardrobe, and changed her clothes. Dark blue pants and a white shirt now fitted her body. The girl glanced at herself in the mirror and saw a broken person. She asked her reflection, "When will this end?" But neither she nor her reflection knew the answer.
The reporter decided to focus on what she did best and headed to one of the lounges where, according to Thomas, Marcus Gray, the Chairman of the Seventh district, was resting. The long, endless corridors led her to one of the lounges. Upon entering, she saw numerous sofas and chairs arranged in semicircles throughout the space. A huge platform extended guests to the very edge of the hotel. Chairs and small tables filled the platform as well. In one of the chairs, Ioanna recognized Marcus Gray. He was enjoying the view on this sunny day, slowly sipping his whiskey.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the Capitol?" Ioanna asked as she slowly circled the chair.
"Oh," Marcus returned to reality from his world of thoughts. "Mrs. Averino, are you busy with your work?"
"Not much to do," the girl replied with a smile, trying not to show her true feelings. "So I decided to gather material for a film."
"An interview?" Marcus smiled at her.
"Yes, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. Please, have a seat," the chairman slightly leaned forward. Ioanna took a seat next to him.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the Capitol discussing plans after the launch of the Fracture Machine?" The girl pulled a small disc from her bag, and it floated into the air. The recording began.
"Not today," Marcus brought the glass to his lips. "Today, the Capitol is busy with its own affairs. Discussions about experiments involving the extraction of energy from Primordial Space will only occur in a few days at the meeting," he took a sip. "I saw you today at noon; you looked sad. Did something happen?"
"What can happen to anyone?" Ioanna did not want to talk about it and tried to hide the pain inside. "Everyday problems," she waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh yes," the professor extended, "a big city brings more problems."
"I can't disagree," the girl clasped her hands together.
"And what do you want to ask about?" Marcus leaned back against the chair.
"What do you think about the recent events? I was in the city today, and there were many disgruntled people in the Capitol protesting and demanding the closure of the Project."
"That's logical, Mrs. Averino. Of course, they will protest,"the man adjusted his glasses. "The previous attempt to establish a connection with the Center of Primordial Space ended disastrously. And indeed. They fear a repeat. No matter how we assure them that everything is fine, that the launch of the Machine is safe, they will be afraid until the launch itself."
"I understand that,"the reporter added, "but where did they come from? What is their motivation?"
"Hmmm," Marcus pondered. He tried to find the right words. "Motivation?" His lips moved, but he was silent. After a minute of reflection, he continued, "They have existed since the beginning. When the Great Consolidation first occurred. Some citizens did not accept the new order. And if I remember correctly, they wanted to return to the old world."
"But what is the point of going back?" Ioanna had always been curious about why the Last thought that way.
"Let's imagine that the Consolidated Nation ceases to exist, and the Last Ones come to power with their ideology and mindset. And they subjugate us to their will. Would you like that?"
"Of course not, as their will and traditions destroyed their world."
"I agree, but still..." Marcus set the glass down on the table. "Such a drastic change in life did not sit well with everyone; many refused to participate in it, and..."
"They were sent to the Tenth district," Ioanna finished the sentence.
"Yes, exactly. The Consolidated Nation is an ideal world, and therefore, since they were against a bright future and against the system, they are a threat to the system. Our world is..." Marcus looked up, "like a living organism, and every living organism has a defense system. In the case of a human, it's the immune system. It reacts to viruses, to threats, thus destroying the virus. The same goes here. They became a threat, and they were removed. Yes, not killed, because the Consolidated Nation is humane; human rights and freedoms and progress are a priority, but they were restricted."
"Have you ever been to the Tenth district?" Ioanna had never visited and wouldn't want to go to that place.
"Once. Only once, and that as a guest. There was a large-scale update of the technology, and I was a consultant. A dirty place,"Marcus took another sip of his whiskey and returned the glass to the table. "Murderers and thieves, those who are against the Consolidated Nation, those who can destroy the perfection of our civilization, are confined in the snow. The Tenth district is entirely surrounded by a hundred-meter wall of stone and metal. There are cities within it where those who ended up there live and work. Factories and plants. The only thing connecting the Tenth district with the Consolidated Nation is three points of entry and exit."
"Don't you fear they might escape?"
"They can't,"Marcus replied sharply. "All criminals are bound to the tenth district. If they leave, they die."
"That's terrible."
"It's necessary,"Marcus countered. "Moreover, the wall is designed so that only the guards can leave the territory. The exits are constantly closed and change their locations. Only once a month do the blocks align so that one of the exits opens. And even then, only for four hours. After that, the wall closes again, and the exit with it. It's during this time that rehabilitated criminals are released and vice versa." The man looked at the sky. He noticed barely noticeable distortions in the dome.
"Is it humane?"
"Of course!" Marcus exclaimed. "After all, they have food and water, medicine, education. They just live there. And we are here."
"Interesting," the girl summarized. "But let's return to the Last Ones."
"Alright," the professor smiled good-naturedly. "Do you know what the scariest thing is? Not weapons of mass destruction, but ideology. They have infected other people with the ideology of the charms of the old world. And those too decided to become the Last Ones. The Last Ones representatives of the old world."
"But there are many people at the Capitol right now, and they are against the project and so on."
"What made you think they are the Last Ones? They are afraid. That's different." Marcus glanced around and nodded. "When it became clear that the Last Ones were being hunted, they started to hide, but they continued to quietly promote their ideology."
"What's so special about their ideology that they want to bring back the old world?"
"The gods..." Marcus replied quietly. "They want to bring back the gods."
"The gods? But..." the girl was confused, as if trying to combine two incompatible ideas.
"When the old world fell, Mrs. Averino, the gods, the mythical beings that the people of the old world worshiped, fell with it. Instead, science and progress came. The gods could not withstand the blow of knowledge and human reason and perished."
"But I don't understand why..."
"Very simply,"Marcus replied. "Look... do you know what a soul is?"
"A soul?" the girl asked.
"Yes, that's right. The Last Ones believe that within every person there exists a soul — that which you are. And after your death, this soul goes either to heaven or to hell depending on your actions. If you were a good person, you will go to heaven; if bad, to hell. Eternal bliss or eternal torment. It's the price for your deeds."
"That's strange..."Ioanna couldn't grasp any of the words that had been said. "And do you believe in this soul?"
"No, of course not!" Marcus waved his hand as the guy brought him a new glass of whiskey. "I'm a man of science. I'm for progress."
"And then?"
"All their values and traditions are built on this concept."
"Is that bad?"
"On one hand, no, but on the other — it's power. Behave well and do as I say, and you will go to heaven."
"Ah... now I'm starting to understand."
"Exactly, but it's a very complicated question. For a long time, people of the old world were killed for making discoveries, for what they created."
"Why?"
"It contradicts the word of God."
"What?"
"The ancient texts that were supposedly written by the gods. Those whom the Last Ones believe in."
"That's... very strange."
"More than strange. And I don't understand it,"Marcus enjoyed the chill of the whiskey. It was freshly taken from the fridge.
"Is that all?"
"Besides the gods, they talk about freedom. The problem is that freedom is a fiction. All people are limited one way or another. But in their world, power provided freedom. Wealth. Abundance. In this way, the world was divided into two camps. People who enjoyed freedom and people who spent their lives ensuring the freedom of the first. Our world tries to be perfect. There are problems here too. But we are all equal here. You have as much chance to become Chairman as I do to become a reporter. I would be a funny reporter," Marcus smirked.
"Aren't we free?"
"We? We all have equal access to education. If you and I decide to become engineers, then we will both gain knowledge in one form or another equally. Success will depend on ourselves. Next, medicine. You are a reporter, I am a Chairman, but we both go to the same doctor and receive the same treatment. In their world..."Marcus paused. It was evident he had forgotten what he wanted to say. "In their world, if you were born into a Chairman's family, you would get the best education and the best hospitals. But if you were unfortunate... your life would not be easy."
"Incredible," Ioanna was amazed. Could this really be? Maybe it was Marcus's madness playing tricks on him. Rumors were going around, after all.
"In our world, we have created a system that provides all of us with a comfortable standard of living. But if you want more, you will have to work. The basic and secondary needs are met by the government. Everything else is up to you. Here's what's most interesting..."Marcus leaned toward the girl. "Not all of us want to be bartenders; not all of us want to be reporters. Some want to be writers; some want to be artists. Some thirst to build engines for the Ethers. Some wouldn't mind becoming Wanderers. The most interesting part is that this is where the secret of our world's success lies."
"What secret?" Ioanna was now seeing her world from the outside.
"Fulfilling a person's needs provides the government with fuel for development. A happy person does not think about money, health, food, and so on. He begins to create."
"And the government uses his creations."
"Exactly!" the old man exclaimed. "The cycle closes. The government cares for the citizen, and the citizen cares for the government. An endless circle of development."
"So we have achieved heights? So we have built a perfect world?"She saw the mystery hidden in the layers of centuries.
"Yes..." Marcus smiled. "We have given people life, and they have repaid us with greatness."
"But if everything is like this... then why do the Last Ones want to bring back the old world so badly? Why?"
"Freedom, Mrs. Averino. In our world, freedom is equality." Marcus pointed with his hand at the Ethers flying far away. "In theirs — superiority."
"Is that so?!"
"Exactly. Some of them thought that our Department of Population Control and Development is a limitation of freedom."
"And what do you think?" Ioanna deep down agreed with this position. If it weren't for the sterility virus, she wouldn't be facing such problems now.
"I completely agree," Marcus raised his finger. "All the children born in our world are wanted. Their parents wanted them. No unwanted pregnancies, no pain, and certainly no artificial interruptions. Only those who desire can have a child."Marcus looked at the girl. "But the most important thing... Parents undergo suitability assessment. Based on this, they are given permission for activation. This means that every child will be raised properly. He will grow up in love and care. Support and assistance from family will be his foundation... In the old world... it was different."
"And yet... are we really free?"
"Everything I said..." Marcus smiled, "is the price of life."
"Oh. I see. But how do you know so much?" Ioanna was surprised by his knowledge.
"I've lived a long life, Mrs. Averino. I've seen and heard a lot. This is one of those things."
"And they so desperately want to bring back the old world? But how?"
"There's no way," Marcus replied sharply. "The most they can hope for is that people will come to their senses and be consumed by greed."
"That can't happen."
"The good old science won't allow it!" the old man laughed. "After all, reason is stronger than base instincts."
"Thank you,"Ioanna smiled slightly, for the first time that day.
"Oh no, thank you, Mrs. Averino," the old man downed his glass. "But still, I really must get back to the Chairman's duties that I don't want to deal with. You see, I'm drunk,"and the old man laughed again. "But it's necessary. I apologize, but I need something..."The chairman saw the bartender and nodded again. "Have you ever had a White Horse?"
"What?" the girl stopped recording. "No, not once."
"I love it; you can drink as much as you want, and then a glass of White Horse, and the alcohol inside is neutralized."
"I don't drink that often," Ioanna had had a small bottle of whiskey just over an hour ago.
"I recommend it. It's expensive, but worth it."
Marcus Gray left the platform and approached the bar, drank the crystal-clear liquid in his glass, and headed for the exit. One could see how his swaying gait became straighter. The White Horse was working.
Ioanna continued to ponder the Chairman's words, and everything in her head wouldn't fit how the Last Ones still existed after so many years since the Consolidation. And do they exist today? But she remembered what the children raised on the ideology of the Last Ones had done to her brother at his graduation from school. In her purse was a pack of cigarettes. She opened it and took one out. There was a lighter on the table. Lighting up, she looked at the capital, and one thought filled her mind: "Tenth District, then!" She took a drag. "That's where they belong."