I leaned my back against the balcony railing, trying to fully feel the wind on my back. This planet's sun had a healing effect, and its nature was close to perfect. There were forests everywhere. The constantly flowing rivers seemed endless. This planet had no sea, but it didn't need one; huge lakes covered in saltwater were enough to satisfy that need.
I closed my eyes, resting with the sun at my back, because I needed to rein in my mind. My mind was so clouded with complex thoughts that if I tried to untangle the knots, I wouldn't be able to move from this spot for hours.
Throughout my life, I had experienced many turning points: my mother's death, my father becoming head of the Weapon Security Bureau, joining Dante's team, meeting Yorleny, the arrival of the Incompatibles... It felt like I had never made a single decision with free will at any of these turning points. All these events started when my father wanted me to become a soldier at a young age. I had no other choice but to enter the Weapon Security Bureau. When Dante wanted me on his team, how could I refuse such a powerful man? For each one, I had such a strong excuse.
But what about the Maria incident? That was the first time I had ever experienced free will. For the first time, I had fought for a cause. But what happened? What happened!
I turned back to the view behind me and gripped the iron bars tightly. As I clenched my teeth, I could feel my failure and regret blossoming into a fiery rage inside me. I couldn't even begin to comprehend the dramas this anger would lead to, or what it would make me do.
It wasn't just anger that was driving me. It was restlessness, a drive to do what's right, revenge, pity, a heroic impulse, hope... In a cause where so many emotions coexist, who could be in the wrong?
"What do you think about regret, 210?" I asked my yellow box assistant beside me. The assistant had been silently suspended in the air for hours. After my question, it turned to me and asked, "In what sense, Master Vale?"
"Regret is a strange thing, isn't it? It gnaws at a person's insides. And regret born of helplessness and weakness is even worse... It makes you want to kill yourself. Yet, for most of human history, by the time people felt regret, it was usually too late. They didn't want to live with their regrets because they knew their lives were short. But now it's different... If you regret a mistake, you suffer its pain forever. For the one who regrets, eternal life is a hell! Immortality is an eternal torment!" I said, squeezing the metal bars even tighter.
"Sir... As your robot assistant, I'd like to ask if there's anything you need. Your questions contain too many human emotions, and I cannot answer them. But if you wish, I can play a relaxing song for you."
"No... Thank you, 210," I said and chuckled. "Traveling with you is no fun at all. We should give you a software update sometime."
"Of course, sir. When would you like to schedule it? What software would you like to add?"
"I'll install that software manually. Don't you worry about it..."
I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a metal tube the size of my little finger. When I pressed the button on the tube, the hologram structure on it came to life and started to look like a cigarette. It even had a holographic smoke rising from it. I brought the tube to my lips and began to inhale the smoke. It only contained a drug to reduce my stress level. The habit of not using any addictive substances was something that remained from my old times. Its resemblance to a cigarette was likely because I was old-fashioned, just like my old man.
"So, should I be afraid of my regrets, 210?"
"Why would you be, sir?"
"The things I'll do to fix my regrets... All the things I'll do to get my revenge..."
"What kind of things are those, sir?"
"If you had asked the old me, I would have said they were unethical. I would have said they were murderous, immoral, crazy things. But now, all I can say is that they're necessary. I don't know if I'll be proud after I carry out the plans in my head."
"Are you asking for advice, sir?"
I took another drag from my smoke, then turned off the tube and put it back in my pocket. "Even if you could give advice, I wouldn't listen to you. I know myself... In fact, I also know how much I want to win against them. Those fake gods..."
Just then, I noticed the balcony window slowly opening and turned towards it. Inside, a white, U-shaped table sat in the room, and at the table was Flora, the coordinator of that Unify facility. Her blonde hair was styled straight. With her glasses and the tight-fitting suit she wore, she looked ready for a meeting. But her trembling hands, which she constantly rubbed together, told a different story. She was looking at me through the glass with her blue eyes.
"She's very nervous," I said to 210.
"I can play a song for her too, if you'd like."
"No need... I want her to be nervous."
"Mr. Vale, our guests will be here in five minutes," Flora said. Her voice was transmitted through the audio device on her collar to my earpiece. I touched my earpiece and spoke.
"Good, that means we have more time. Remember, I want to see them."
"Understood..." the woman said in a trembling voice. Then I took my hand away from my earpiece and sighed deeply.
"The plans I have for her... Oh, what am I even talking about?" I grimaced. "Am I really burning with such a desire for revenge? Am I so thirsty for blood? Have I really gotten this used to this damned dead galaxy?"
Just then, an incredibly fast spaceship passed overhead. We could only feel its shadow and hear the sound of its jets.
"I think our friends have arrived," I said, turning to 210.
"It would appear so, sir."
I put my hand in my jacket pocket. I took out my gloves and put them on. At that moment, the windows in front of us began to darken with a button Flora pressed. We could see inside, but the people inside would be watching the view behind us on a screen. According to Flora, this system was in place to give investors a good view when they arrived, since no one wanted to watch the digging machines outside.
"The nature and air here are really beautiful... Even though Unify has done everything in its power to ruin this place, there are still parts of it that resist, aren't there, 210?"
"Yes, sir."
Just then, Flora spoke into my earpiece. "Four of the Quartez council members have arrived. They'll be here in a moment..."
"I'll be waiting."
At that moment, the door to the room suddenly opened. A spiky-haired, excessively thin man in a suit, whose lower jaw was metal, entered with angry steps. He went up to Flora, slammed the holographic papers he held onto the table, and yelled, "Flora!" What is this nonsense?"
"Hello, Hous..."
Just then, the other council member entered the room. This man's hair was well-cut, and unlike the other man, he had a more gentlemanly appearance. With his white-gloved hands in his pockets, he walked slowly to the side of the room, leaned against a bookshelf, and said, "What's up, Flora?"
"I'm good, Gerhman... How are you?"
The third member was wearing a purple jacket. He entered with a gold monocle clipped to his nose and said, "Ah... Incredible... No matter how many times I come, I'm always amazed by this planet's atmosphere." He gestured to the window.
"Welcome, John," said Flora. Our eyes met, but I knew he couldn't see me. I looked at him for a long time. The man, as if relieved, sighed and moved to a table next to Hous.
"Alright, what awaits us?" This last man to enter looked old. For a man with so much money to look this old could only be by choice. The top of his head was bald, and he had a big, square pair of glasses. He looked at the holographic watch on his arm and said, "Please, let's hurry up..." Then he moved to a spot next to Flora. "How are you, sweetie..." he said, putting his hand on her leg. The woman placed her hand on top of his and said, "I'm well, Mr. Mahn. I hope you are too."
"Ich bin super," he said, and he said it so genuinely that he clenched his jaw and nodded his head.
There was one more thing that entered last. It was a security robot. It was pure white and at least six feet tall. As it tried to enter through the door, another security robot tried to stop it, but Flora allowed it to enter. The robot stood guard in front of the door.
The spiky-haired man named Hous, rubbing his temples, suddenly said in anger, "Are you done? Has everyone entered the room?"
"Hey, Hous! Would you calm down, buddy?" said the gentlemanly Gerhman. "We're here to talk business... We're not here to kill anyone."
"Yes, but it's an unplanned business talk! Where has it ever been seen that council members are called so unscheduled?" said Hous.
"I wouldn't have called you if it weren't important," said Flora.
"Oh, really?" said the old man Mahn. "Tell us, girl, I'm listening," he said, and put his hands on the woman's leg once more. This old man probably had an extraordinary perversion.
"We're all listening," said John, looking at his water bottle and then at the old man. Then he adjusted his glasses. "...How important is this 'important thing' you're talking about?"
"Very important."
"Come on, tell us," said Hous.
"A Bioethics Inspector came."
"We know. What luck that we were chosen out of thousands of companies. So what happened? Did the inspector have a heart attack on the way here or something?" Hous's heated rant never ended.
"The inspector didn't approve the Volem creature." This sentence froze everyone in their tracks. The water John was sipping got stuck in his throat, and he coughed, saying, "Well, that's interesting," with a sarcastic smile.
"How can this be, Gerhman?" asked the old man Mahn.
"How can it be? We had the inspector lined up. Everything was in place. I spent a fortune to line up that stupid inspector! Where the hell is he?"
"From what I understand, Gerhman, you've made a mess of it," said John.
"Someone shut this crank up, or I swear I'll kill him!" shouted Gerhman, moving away from the bookshelf he was leaning on as if to walk towards John.
Hous, whose hands were trembling with anger, said, "Yes, Flora is a lady we know, but let's not ruin our professionalism this much, guys, am I right? So this inspector... Who is this inspector, Flora?"
"A man named Arthur Vale."
A hologram immediately appeared in Gerhman's hand. "I can't find the name Arthur Vale anywhere. Are you sure such an inspector exists, Flora?"
"Let me take a look," said Hous. John threw the hologram to Hous. At that moment, a hologram appeared in Hous's hand. "Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any data. Are we out of the loop...?"
"He sounds like a very mysterious man," said John. "Brave enough not to approve the Volem creature, is he? You said Unify gets investment from Quartez, right, Flora?"
"Absolutely... I've told him times."
"How did he figure out there was something wrong with Volem... Didn't you give him your data?" asked Gerhman.
"We did, but he wanted to collect data himself."
"Hahaha," said the old man Mahn, laughing loudly. "An inspector who actually does his job, huh? I haven't seen one of those in centuries. And what luck that it happens to us? Damn it, Gerhman! You're bringing your bad luck into our business, are you?"
"I don't think this has anything to do with me."
"It's very strange for a man with no background to be an inspector," said Hous.
"They don't make someone with no background an inspector. This Arthur Vale..." At that moment, John leaned in and began to talk. "...did he notice anything else strange?"
"What kind of strange thing?"
Mahn let out a deep "Oh..." and squeezed the woman's leg tightly. "...It doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Then let's find this Arthur Vale and..."
"And what?" said John.
At that moment, the man named Hous rubbed his temples and walked towards the window. If the glass hadn't been there, we would have been face to face, but as he watched the outside on the screen, I was watching him. His casual attitude while speaking, his fake expressions, the color of his eyes... I could see everything.
At that moment, I realized something. I knew this man. Yes, if these men were using the "god particle," even if I didn't know them, I should have heard of them. But to know them... to know them... to have seen them before... This was what fueled the anger inside me. It stoked my hatred for them.
"Just bribe him and let him go. The idiot is probably a new inspector and doesn't know to ask for a bribe. That's probably why he rejected Volem," said Hous.
"What if he doesn't accept the bribe?"
"Ah..." Hous sighed. "Just kill him... An inspector whose name isn't even in the records is just a new inspector. I'll talk to Director Toxa and arrange something. I don't think it'll be a problem."
"We're going to kill a bioethics inspector? Look, this isn't a development inspector or an oversight inspector. We have bioethics inspectors in the palm of our hands. We don't want to provoke them... I think we can convince him," Gerhman said from the side.
"Let's do it the old way," said the old man Mahn from behind. He leaned closer and smelled Flora's perfume. Then he whispered to the woman, "Your perfume is quite nice, by the way."
Flora reluctantly thanked him while John asked, "What's the 'old way'?"
"Let's give him a few implants..." said Gerhman.
"Let's arrange a vacation for him on Antay Planet," said Mahn. "But as you said, let's give him a few implants before his vacation. Implants that increase pleasure. Let's find out his past and arrange a few robots based on his taste in women. Real people, if necessary..."
"Ah..." Hous sighed. He was still looking into my eyes, but all he saw was a forest bathed in sunlight. "How strange... Arthur Vale... An inspector who appears out of nowhere, huh? Very mysterious, isn't he? I think we should just kill him. We'll make it look like an accident so he doesn't become a bigger problem for us. No background... Probably on his first assignment, and on his first assignment, he has the courage to reject an investment from one of the biggest corporations, huh? You have to nip it in the bud. Those types of people are usually nothing but trouble. We need to cut off his head before he becomes a problem for us!"
He was speaking with such arrogant confidence from his despicable mouth that I couldn't take it anymore. The time had come for a ghost from the past to appear before him. The time had come for a punch from a nightmare to land on that confident face. The time... had come...
"Lower the glass, Flora," I whispered. As the man was saying these words, the screen was rising, and the man noticed that there was someone behind the glass.
"What is this, Flora?" he said as the glass opened. But the moment his eyes met mine, the man's arrogant look vanished. First, he pulled back as if a spider had jumped on him, then he approached the glass to make sure what he was seeing was real.
"No way..." said Hous. "...This can't be real."
John, Gerhman, and Mahn... They all looked at the glass in shock. As Flora pressed the button and the two panes opened, I stepped inside. Hous, startled by my entrance, fell backwards onto the floor.
"No! You're dead! You can't be here! You're a ghost!"
"Who is this man, Flora?" shouted Mahn. "Robot, teach this insolent man a lesson!"
"Allow me to introduce you to Arthur Vale," said Flora.
The lights on the robot at the door suddenly lit up, and it was walking towards me with heavy steps when I said, "210..." And my robot assistant immediately extended its laser finger and blasted a huge hole in the head of the colossal robot.
"Arthur Vale, is that you? Edgard Grom? You..."
"Is that a laser gun?" shouted John. "What bioethics inspector's assistant has a laser gun? This is ridiculous! Dammit!" he said, and went to pull out the gun in his pocket when a metal ball fell out of my jacket pocket. The metal ball rolled towards him. Then the metal ball opened up and turned into a spider, and before the man named John could even draw his gun, the spider started to electrocute him. As the man was zapped repeatedly, blood had already started to pour from his nose and the smell of burning flesh was in the air.
"You're killing him!" shouted Gerhman. My glancing at him was all it took for him to fall silent.
Hous dragged himself backwards on the floor until he reached a chair and stopped there. "You..." His laughter echoed throughout the room. He was laughing as if he had gone crazy. "...You should be dead. They said all of you died. I... I know I saw you there."
"Yes... I saw you too. On Titan, wasn't it? On that planet full of corpses..."
"Everyone on Titan died!"
"But you didn't, Hous!"
"We... Po protected us..."
"I know. Do these friends of yours... Do these friends of yours know that you're using the god particle? From what I can see, they do. You were there when Po died! Did you kill him? Did you do this to steal his research!" I said and took the gun out of my jacket pocket and pointed it at him.
"No! Stop being ridiculous and put that gun down!"
"When I first looked at the Volem creature, I thought what I saw was a mistake. Then I thought about it in more detail. There was a very small possibility, and even thinking that possibility was real seemed like a very interesting idea." I placed my finger on the trigger of my gun. "There was only a battalion of a thousand men from the Weapon Security Bureau on Titan. Most of them died! And the memories of those who didn't were erased. But I see you remember everything and you're not dead! We had chosen three people to be Po's assistants, and you were one of them. We made eye contact over Po's corpse! I never forget a face once I've seen it! Tell me! Tell me everything you know! Or I'll kill everyone here without batting an eye!"
"Please stop!" shouted the old man Mahn. Flora was busy watching everything in utter shock.
"Yes!" shouted Hous, shielding his face with his trembling hands. "I didn't lose my memory! I know! Po... Po had found the god particle with the experiments he was doing on the Incompatibles, but he wasn't killed. He killed himself."
"Nonsense!"
"You must have read the reports! You know this too!"
"He may have been a mad scientist, but he was a greedy man! He would never take his own life! The story that he lost his mind while studying the Incompatibles is a load of crap! I don't believe that for a second!"
"No! He killed himself because... Because he wanted to get rid of you..."
"What do you mean?"
"That organization of yours, whose name I'm forbidden to say! He wanted to get rid of that organization's strict rules! He wanted to turn the god particle into a business, but the organization wouldn't allow it. That's why he had to die. That's why he cloned himself... On another planet, at another facility. In exchange for our help, he promised to clone us too. Normally, cloning is very difficult, expensive, and not fully functional. But with the technology Po found, it was possible to create a nearly 100% identical clone. You could even transfer your memory to it. Thanks to the god particle..."
"So you're saying...!"
"Po is alive!" When I heard this, I shot the table with the gun in my hand. A piece of wood broke off from the table and flew to the side.
"What do you mean, he's alive?"
"Please don't shoot me! I'll tell you! But if Po finds out about this, my life will be over!"
"I don't think you have a choice here!"
"Okay! Okay! Po is at Mars University right now... He's teaching there under another identity. It's easier to do research while teaching because no one finds a professor who experiments strange. Under the guise of government investments, he's making a fortune from the clones he sells on the side..."
"Then why are you here?"
"For a job! For money! Quartez needed protection against Evoke Systems' cyber-attacks. With the support I got from Po, I pitched my project to the company. After all, I had helped him when he was making the machine to clone himself. He owed me... And Quartez took me in thanks to the Volem investment. Please... I'm begging you, don't kill me... I've told you everything I know..."
"Ah..." I said, rubbing my temples. I needed to stop and think to process all the information I had just learned, but I knew I didn't have time for that. I took my gun off Hous and pointed it at the old man named Mahn. The man had tried to dive under the table before I could shoot, but the bullet went right through his head, and he fell face-first onto the table. As blood gushed from his head and spread over the table, Flora was out of breath from the adrenaline.
Gerhman was trying to escape, using one of the notebooks he had grabbed from the bookshelf as a shield, but I fired a bullet at him too. The bullet went through the book in his hand and then through his throat. With a huge hole in his throat, he slid against the bookshelves, leaving a large bloodstain on the books. When my gun turned to Hous, he was trembling uncontrollably.
"Then we'll do this..." I said. "I want you to be aware of the power I hold, Hous. I know the secret of your Volem creatures, and as an inspector, I can even cause Quartez to be shut down."
"You can't do that!"
"You don't get it, do you? You think I died on Titan... But I've died many times. My last death was very epic. I became more than a ghost... I was erased even from the dusty pages of history hidden in the deepest archives. I have nothing to lose. I have nothing to fear losing."
"What do you want?"
"I have a plan. I want this planet. But a deal is a two-way street, right? I'll allow you to create the Volem creature. Quartez can get as many creatures as it wants, but then there will be a 'misfortune' on this planet. I'll find a suitable cover story and completely close this planet off from the outside world. No one will know what I'm doing on this planet... Not even Unify..."
"What difference does it make if I accept? Even if Quartez accepts, will Unify?"
"As long as Quartez accepts, it's enough for me... I'll convince Unify..." I said, and glanced at Flora. It didn't seem like she would respond.
"You've killed three council members here! How can I give you a planet? Not even the president of Quartez has that authority!"
"But..." I said and stood up. "...what if I were a council member?" I walked with heavy steps to the man named John, who was lying dead on the table. "Then Quartez would listen to one of their biggest sources of money like you, right?" I put my hand into the collar of his suit and pulled out a holographic paper. "John Crowrift... It's a pretty good name, isn't it?"
"To want to do something like this is beyond insane."
"It's up to you to convince the company here, Hous." I put my gun in my pocket. "I would have liked to talk to you at length, but it seems you're in a hurry. You have a council to convince, after all..."
Hous put his hand on the floor and forced himself to his feet. I, meanwhile, was walking back towards the balcony. There was no better time than this to watch that beautiful view.
"You're a madman!" shouted Hous from behind me. I, with the wind at my back, inhaled the clean air.
"Talk to your president... Give him my offer. Tell him who I am. But only to your president... I don't know who your president is, but if he knows me, then he'll accept my offer. Besides... The name John Crowrift suits me quite well, don't you think?"