The Unknown

Chapter 1

The world didn't end with a bang, or with a whimper. 

The End of the World Ceremony was scheduled for October 19th, 3001. The two months before it was filled with final premiere events, coffin-themed runways, children going on farewell school trips, and a universal effort to preserve documentation of proof that humankind had once, truly, existed, and was not just imagined by a lonely God stuck in the traffic of dimensions.

It was truly the greatest occurrence, and everybody wanted to look their best for October 19th.

October 20th was the closing of the blinds. The retirement of Earth, which chose to isolate itself to pursue more obscure habits, like volcanic jewelry, or the making of cloudy art.

Planetary rights were first recognized fifty years ago. Asphalt Greenery and his band of protestors had managed to claim over 37% of the Bandwidth, gaining the attention of nations like the African Union, and the Federation of the Northern Lands. The Subcontinent chose to ignore Asphalt while the Republic of Atlantis simply rotated its government -for the fourth time in a Calendar Year- to have a pro-planet ruling party. 

What was this Calendar Year called? 

Raya blinked once, twice, then shook her head.

This is the fourth time this question is given.

"I know, Em" Raya bowed her head. She had a short access memory, courtesy of her parents' late paid fees, and the last time that they had revised Visible History was over a few hours ago. It could have been the fourth or hundredth time, it didn't matter. "This is the fourth time of how many?"

Em's border lights turned into a deep pink-red. 

Future Prediction feature has been deactivated.

Back to light blue. It was called the Year of Light. Em turned off his/her border lights, then on again.  This should help you remember it.

"You know I won't. And I can't focus again."

Em leaned back, tapping the side of his/her wrist. It hasn't been four hours since you had your enhancement.

"No?" Raya slumped in her chair. "Em, let's delay this session then."

That will incur a fee of two dinars.

"How much is my total debt?"

18 dinars without this addition.

Raya looked at the wall on her right. There was a paper canvas of a ship sailing to a dark horizon, a vintage her mother had secured from before the closing of museums, and focused on the sails. The sails and the moon were the only elements of light paint, that and the reflection of the moonlight on the winking waves. The rest of the painting was a graduation of blue to black, of deep red to purple. It clashed horribly with the light interior of the room.

"So twenty total."

Em nodded. Today is December 1st. The session will be delayed by an increment of one week, to December 7th 3014. Confirmed?

"Confirmed," replied Raya, still looking away. Then in a quiet voice, "Twenty dinars."

Em's border lights turned off, and a silence settled over the room.

The ship was commanded by a sailor of near antiquity, a country then known as The Netherlands. A team of researchers had estimated the whereabouts of the lost Kingdom of Atlantis, relying on machine intelligence and decades of submarine exploration. The drought of 2051 decisively unearthed the first major ruins and then it was just a matter of crossing the sea and claiming the evaporating island, and republics had been trendy then. That was when the first government was instilled, with the Euro. In quick consequence came the Dollar, then the Yen, then the fourth and last time the Dinar.

"Twenty dinars," repeated Raya, in a defeated whisper. "For all the good my sessions are worth."

 And then, right before her memory moved to the next empty slot, she fought to memorize her learnings. "October 19. The Ceremony. October 20. End of the World. Asphalt Greenery. Fifty years ago. It was the Year of Light. Asphalt. It was the Year of...

It was the Year of... something."