Livia had an incredulous look on her face. Mark's story was hard to believe. "And then what happened? How did you end up in the past?"
Mark sighs. He explained this for the third time. "The system lets me project my consciousness into my younger self. I was never planning to go back this far, but an accident near a black hole sent me 22 years into the past."
A text bubble floated around Alex with another question. "And what happened to the young version of you, did he ...die?" Inside her game pod, the girl wore a worried expression as the words left her mouth.
Mark wanted to reassure Alex. "No, I'm still me, I just have the memories from the future."
Steve looked pensive for a moment. He remembered a conversation two patrons of the workshop were having at the hangar. "I heard about this; somebody was speaking about a situation like this." He thought for a moment, trying to remember the conversation he overheard. "It was something about the ship of one guy in old Terra."
Mark understood his point. He heard about this concept during his college years. "I think you mean The Ship of Theseus. That is a thought experiment; it's nothing concrete. Think about it. Are you the same person you were when you were ten years old?"
Steve fell into an uncomfortable silence. He was trying to internalize Mark's words. After a few moments, he came up with an answer. "I would say that the answer is yes and no. I mean, while I do have the memories of that time, the things that I have lived through changed my way of looking at the world."
Mark used Steve's answer to clarify his situation."Yet you admit that your younger self is still there. It is the same for me. I am the same guy you befriended in middle school. The same guy who suffered the bullying and hardship with you. I am still the same person but with more experiences."
The teens fell into silence. The conversation became heavy and hard to understand, and all three of them were having doubts. Livia voices a question next. "If you come from the future, can you tell me something about what happens to me?"
Mark was expecting this question, but he was also fearing it. It was difficult to answer; after dealing with temporal mechanics during his previous regressions, he found the topic confusing. "The future I come from will be different from the future that comes. I have made changes, some were accidental while others I planned."
Livia wanted to know what sort of changes he made. "What did you do that is different?"
"Well, the first one was to win the Berant City lottery. That is one of the most significant ones. A lot of things changed after that. The truth is, I should have been more careful. I usually am, but I was trying to save my mom's life."
Steve recalled the conversation they had at Tina's Sweets the day after Mark's birthday. That day, Mark told him and Alex about winning the lottery. "Now I get it, the system is your Genie!"
Mark smiles. He remembers the moment with fondness. "That is right."
Livia protested. Mark had evaded her question. "You have not answered my question, Mark. What happens to me?"
Mark takes a deep breath. He was trying to avoid the question, but Livia managed to corner him. "The truth is that I don't know much about you. In my previous life, you were never part of our group." Mark hesitated for a moment. In truth, he never intended to change the course of Livia's life. It was one of his accidental changes. "...What I can tell you is that during our senior year, you found out that Sandy was dating your boyfriend and you ended your friendship with her."
Livia contemplated his answer. The teen never questioned how Mark knew about Sandy's betrayal. It was now clear to her that Mark was telling the truth. Her face became a bit sad for a moment. She looks at Mark with watery eyes. "I see, I guess that you really did me a favor this time around."
Mark felt guilty once more. To clear his conscience, he resolved to apologise. "Look, Livia, I am sorry for what happened at the supermarket. I have to admit that I felt a bit sour because of Sandy's comments, but that is no excuse to do what I did."
Steve wanted to cheer Livia. The loud-mouthed teen spoke his mind without thinking. "It's for the best. I like having you around. Besides, without you, the workshop would have never been the hit it is."
Livia looked at him with a mischievous smile. Her face flushed a little as she teased him. "So... you like having me around, huh?" Yet, hearing Steve's words gave her a warm feeling in her chest.
Steve realized how his words sounded, and his face flushed red. However, he did not back out. "Yes, I mean it. I'm not the only one. Alex is happy to have you, too."
Alex used another text bubble. She posed a hard question for the young man. "And what happens to me?"
Mark's face turned. Total Recall revived the moment of Alex's death in his mind. The feelings and emotions came back like a flood. His friends notice the change instantly. The mood in the cabin grew heavy, and the young man's silence answered the question for him.
Steve walks up to his friend and tries to console him. "Dude, don't worry, I bet that whatever it is, we can change it together. I am with you." He tried to sound stoic, but his avatar's tiger costume worked against him. The comical sight had an unexpected result. Mark could only laugh at the sight. Livia and Alex soon followed. In the end, Steve managed to improve the young man's mood, but not in the way he expected.
After a few giggles over Steve's antics, Alex fell silent. Mark's reaction could only mean one thing: she will die in the near future. Yet, the teen was more worried about Mark's reaction. The pain he felt was evident; it also meant that she was important to him. Her heart filled with a mixture of warm feelings and worry.
Livia's voice distracted the silent girl from her thoughts. "Alex, are you OK? I know that the news is bad, but, as Steve said, we will try everything to change your future." Livia walked up to her and hugged Alex's avatar.
Alex heard her words, but there was no response. A debate raged in her mind. On one side, she had her traumas and scars from the events in her past. On the other hand were the feelings of her friends and the love she felt for Mark. The girl understood that to change her fate, she needed to change; she needed to become stronger. However, A doubt remained in her head. How would she get stronger?
Mark noticed the girl's mental struggle. He reached towards her gloved hand. Alex, you don't have to be afraid. So long as I draw breath, I will be here for you. Even if you decide to walk away, I will support you.
Alex stands from her seat. Her gaze was fixated on Mark; this time, instead of writing a text bubble, her voice came out. "I... I want to stay with you, ... Mark. ...You are important to me."
Mark's eyes met the visor of her avatar. "Alex, you are important to me, too; more than you will ever know. However, while my body is eighteen years old, my consciousness is much older. I feel this is unfair to you. Besides, I hope that if you walk away, your life will not be in danger."
Hearing Mark's words, Alex felt intense worry. The girl dug deep and summoned all of her courage. She screamed her words for the world to hear. "I don't care. Please, I want to be with you. Even if we can not find another way and I die, I want to be by your side!"
Steve and Livia looked at the scene in silence. They were expecting Mark's reaction. Livia even tossed him a knowing glance. She was prepared to condemn him if he broke Alex's heart. Steve waited in silence, hoping for a good resolution to the situation. Both Mark and Alex were his friends, and he did not want to choose between them.
Alex's confession took Mark by surprise. This reaction was another event that did not happen in his past life. For a moment, he thought about turning her down. Maybe if he sent her away, she would survive. Perhaps if he even made her hate him, she could live. But knowing Alex, that would break her. It would be the same thing as killing her himself.
Mark took a deep breath. The young man tried to give a response that would not break her heart. "Alex, you are important to me, and I also want to keep you close. But I already lost you once, and I can't bear to go through that loss again. What I want is for you to be safe."
Alex stood there, in front of Mark's avatar, her resolve was unshakable; it was clear she would accept only one answer. Inside the VR capsule, she trembled. Her insecurities were screaming in her mind. Yet the feelings in her heart spoke louder; they encouraged her to take a stand, and, steeling her nerves, she spoke from her heart. "I don't care if I die, all I want is to be with you. Be ...because I ... I love you."
Mark had warned her; he clearly stated the consequences if she stayed with him. He was forced to accept her determination. The girl would not take no for an answer. In his mind, he felt a little guilty because he wanted her to stay. Having accepted her feelings, Mark stands from his chair and hugs her.
On the other side of Berant City. Inside the top floor of an office building, a well-dressed man typed away on his computer. Suddenly, a man barges through the door. The shouts of his secretary Soonn Followes. "Dr. Parker, please! Dr. Baxter is busy at the moment. He can not be disturbed!"
Dr. Parker voiced his anger as he cleared the frame of the open door and entered the office. "He will hear me whether he likes it or not."
Dr. Baxter waves his hand at his secretary. "Let him in, Janice, and bring us some nice tea. Dr. Parker is a distinguished guest."
Parker walks towards the man at the desk. "You can not push me out of the research. I was the one who made the breakthrough on the age reversal treatment."
Baxter had a calm demeanor; it was as he expected the outburst of his colleague. "Calm down, friend. Don't take it personally. It's just that some of the other members of our group felt that you are too close to this." Dr. Baxter gestures for the man to take a seat. "You have to admit, the fact that this blood came from a family member of yours can be taken the wrong way."
Parker Sat as he protested. "That is nonsense. I have experimented with assets from my family before, and no one had complained. The only reason they want to take this away from me is to deny my success."
Baxter spoke as he resumed typing. The man was working on his computer while addressing his guest. "That is not how I see it. In my opinion, they want to bleed out the evolutionist faction from power. We are the ones leading the conclave now, and they want to change the direction of our organization."
Parker spoke with passion. His convictions guided his goals. "Are they willing to hinder the progress of my work, knowing about the outside threats? If we are to survive, humanity needs to evolve."
Baxter barely looked at his guest while working. Nevertheless, his words showed that he was paying attention to Dr. Parker. "You and I know that. Yet, the Technologist faction has other Ideas on how to proceed. They have sought the help of the Welfare faction to undermine us. It's actually pretty clever if you think about it." A sinister smile creased his face as he praised his adversaries.
Parker's eyes brightened. He recognized his colleague's gesture; the two men have known each other for a while. "I know that smile of yours. "You have something in mind, old friend?"
Baxter glances at Dr. Parker. his eye reflected with malice as he presented his plans. "We will have to accelerate the conflict that was programmed to start in two years. That would take care of the Technologist faction. As for your research, let them deal with collecting the samples. Once they hit a wall, they will come crawling back. After all, you are the foremost authority in genetics of the sector."
Parker drew a pretentious smile. "I can always count on your planning, old friend." Both men continued their conversation while sipping on the tea brought by Dr. Baxter's secretary.