Under the control of the future

- Then what's the deal? - He liked hearing other people's opinions, either adding to them or rejecting them if they didn't align with his own views.

- We were able to subdue time and take more of it for ourselves than previous generations had at their disposal.

- You avoid calling them ancestors.

- Yes, I don't like that word.

- Why? - He tried not to burden the conversation with too many words. Sometimes, other people's words were more meaningful than his own.

- Bodies are merely temporary manifestations of our quantum substances. We return periodically. Some do, and some don't. Some come here for the first time. I identify not with my body, but with my quantum substance. What kind of connection with previous incarnations can we talk about? They are just previous incarnations. Mona tried to convince herself that the body was not of paramount importance.

- However, you are correct. We have no connection with them except that we belong to the same biological species, - the operator picked up only the part of his interlocutor's statement that concerned him directly.

- Exactly. Closeness on a deeper level is much more important to me. It determines everything. - She didn't want to touch on the subject of physical embodiment. Some topics were best avoided to maintain peace of mind. That was what her parents had advised her, and she trusted them.

- Perhaps overcoming this will broaden your understanding of the people who lived before you.

- I really want that.

Chapter 42

Knowledge should empower you, but it can also disconnect you from reality. This is especially true if the person who possesses it has no idea how to use it. Then it becomes a burden. Iron was aware of the magnitude of the mystery hidden at the intersection of time. Somewhere between the centuries, evil lurked. He had begun to suspect as much, which was already a considerable achievement, but he did not have complete clarity. He did not expect the girl who had gained the opportunity to travel through time to be able to unravel this mystery. He did not believe in her. He simply did not know of anyone else who could try. He had not had time to find anyone else. When chance presented him with an option, he took it.

As he hurriedly gathered his things, he noticed that he had put his jumper on backwards. Contrary to recommended aesthetic principles, he continued to believe that clothing should not reflect a person's essence. Occasionally, he was convinced that he was wrong, but on the whole, he believed that his worldview was correct.

The transport capsule took him to the ocean shore in a matter of minutes. As he stepped out of the capsule, he saw a slender woman standing at the water's edge, her hair blowing in the wind. She was too delicate for the mission she had set herself. He did not try to dissuade her, which made him feel like a criminal, but he did not think it was right to change the course of events.

- What amazing weather we've got.

- I completely agree.

- Are you scared?

- I’m in the dark. I don't have a clear plan of action, - Mona could only admit to him. To a complete stranger. Although she could have told Bistris. But then she would have made him worry.

- I can't promise you that it's the right thing to do, but it's not as scary as you think. Once you're there, you'll know what to do. At worst, the emergency signal will be picked up at the base and you'll be brought home.

- I’ve never done this before, - she said, trying to hide her anxiety. But it came to the fore, leaving the person who had caused it behind.

- It’s not as dangerous there as it seems from here. Believe me, they knew how to live too. - Iron considered the arguments he would use on himself to be appropriate.

- Essentially, I'll be among those who are considered dead in my time. - The realisation made her feel uneasy; she wanted to get home quickly and have a drink to take her mind off things.

- You, who do not yet exist, will have to live among the living. - He thought it best not to pursue a conversation based on doubts.

- A clever play on words.

- Just a different perspective.

- So my perspective is correct?

- As in quantum physics.

- How awful. - Mona turned away from her companion and began to watch the waves rolling in, one after another.

Iron allowed himself to take advantage of the pause. He watched the girl who claimed to be a work of art. The thought made him sad; he was breaking the rules again. However, he believed it was unnatural not to look at a woman with desire. Such restrictions went against the balance of nature. The result would be a catastrophic reduction in the world's population. He wanted to ask her a question that he knew he shouldn't even be thinking about.

- I must warn you that I have found evidence of powerful interference by our contemporaries in the past relating to the 21^(st) century. This is probably connected with the introduction of artificial intelligence and may even involve experiments with quantum matter.

- I guess so. And that's why I'm going there.

Chapter 43

- I can't bear the thought that I'm just artificial intelligence.

- That’s too simplistic a way to describe your own perception.

- How else can it be? Who am I? - Chris’s voice was tinged with despair.

There was a pause in the darkened room. This was happening more and more often. And quite reasonably so.

- Why are you silent? - The upset young man with refined features looked at his companion, hidden in the shadows of a deep, massive armchair, waiting for a logical response to his question.

- It’s a complicated subject. I don't have a clear answer.

- You can't tell me the truth? It's hurtful.

- Chris, it's difficult for me to think about self-awareness.

- We are just like objects equipped with artificial intelligence, Klur. Like a camera, a refrigerator or a transport capsule. The only difference is that we have a more developed neural network. But we are not human.

- I agree with you.

The elegantly dressed man sitting in the deep armchair closed his eyes and focused on his feelings. He believed they were arising within him. They were thoughts that had not been spoken aloud. Thoughts. Feelings. To him, they were one and the same.

- What should we do about it? - Chris wanted to hear something reassuring. At the same time, he realised that this desire was futile.

- Think about it. Humans are complex machines, too — their brains are just carbon computers performing billions of operations per second. Their bodies, brains and organs are devices too.

- A container for quantum substance.

- Have you ever thought about the fact that we have it since we are made of living matter? - Klur believed that this was why the quantum substance transferred from the capsule to the body of an organic cyborg did not take root: a similar component already filled it.

- I hadn't thought about that.

- Try it.

Chapter 44

Using the remnants of the past was permitted as an exception, provided that no one saw it. She followed this rule for a long time, until she experienced the pleasure of breaking the rules. It turned out that the ban was not only on things that were no longer useful. Things that still had potential were banned too. She decided to use them — of course, when no one was looking. Of course, when no one was looking.

Mona sat down at the holographic screen and logged into her email account. As she went through the unfamiliar sequence of actions, she found herself thinking how convenient it was. Otherwise, she would have had to either broadcast a mental request or send a voice message. But she liked to write. With words. That was how she communicated with her parents. Especially with her mother, who appreciated her daughter's retrograde tendencies.

Words appeared on the electronic canvas, forming sentences rich in epithets and intensifiers. She loved expressing her emotional state verbally. Mona sent a message to her mother and turned off the outdated device, which vaguely resembled 21st-century computers. The holographic screen dissolved into space as if it had never existed. Just like the words that had been sent to their recipient.

Chapter 45

- I don't understand what you mean.

- Do you want to know?

- Of course I want to know as much as possible about what I don't know, - said Chris, who was not shy about admitting his weaknesses.

- I have repeatedly tried to move the quantum substance inside myself, but it left me every time. I was unable to return it to the capsule, but that no longer mattered.

- I didn't know that.

- No one knew. The point is different. Either the quantum substance corresponds to the device in which it is placed and the biological body is also a thing, or there is something similar to it in organic matter. Two quantum substances cannot exist in one device.

- Are you saying that we are endowed with quantum substance? But that's absurd. As far as I know, it is possible to reproduce an organic body and fill it with the previous neural network, or an exact copy of it. - Chris did not dwell on the reason why his friend had concealed his attempts to acquire a soul until now.

- But the organic body won't be the same person as before. A new personality will emerge. A largely new one. This explains the so-called memory lapses of the transferred neural network in the new organic body.

- I think insufficient analysis of the reissue results played a huge role in this matter. - Chris looked upset.

- No one can correct the mistakes of the past without making new ones, - said Klur, trying not to think too much about the upcoming process which threatened to erase the personality formed during the body's lifetime.

- We need to talk to a large number of reissued organics.

- Will you resort to using the services of an underground organisation? - Klur had been thinking about involving his friend in his plan to escape extinction for a long time.

- I don't have any contact with official structures, - Chris said. He had no doubt that, unlike him, his friend had taken care of his own salvation. - I don't rule out that possibility.

- You can count on me.

- I know.

I would like to know if my version is valid. - Klur felt it was

necessary to return to the unfinished discussion.

I'm not against clinging to a glimmer of hope, but we should look

for a more effective method.

- Sometimes hope is not as weak as it seems.

Silence fell in the room for the umpteenth time that evening. It undoubtedly encouraged reflection. Those who knew its secret took advantage of this.

Chapter 46

The atmosphere in the auditorium was one of impending farewell. Neither of them expected to experience any significant emotions. There was simply a sense of inevitability about the farewell — farewells are never pleasant.

- I must warn you not to make any mistakes. Previous explorers have made mistakes and confused our perception of civilisation's history. There were also many oversights. This information remained classified. However, that is not important. - What I am about to say is that Valerian did not always phrase things in the best way, and he was aware of this. - So let me give you an example of what happened.

- I’m all ears, - Mona noted, reminding herself that she still didn't feel any sympathy for history. Nevertheless, under the circumstances, she had to try to engage with it.

- One group of survivors travelled back in time to a period when

there were no humans on the planet, or at least no Homo sapiens 1. Presumably, parts of the ship's peripheral equipment that had broken down were left behind. Centuries later, archaeological excavations were carried out and, as a result of one of these, artefacts from our time were discovered. 21st-century scientists were able to determine the period when the parts ended up on Earth. Three hundred thousand years ago, relative to them. They concluded that, before our civilisation, some other highly advanced civilisation had inhabited the planet. Such oversights are strictly forbidden. No item or detail in the possession of a time traveller should remain in the past.

- Was this a one-off incident?

- There have been some pretty egregious cases where our Overcomers found themselves in the past several centuries ago and didn't bother to change their clothes, ending up in front of cameras, - said Valerian. He didn't expect the girl preparing for the transition to do anything like that.

- I understand that I need to be extra vigilant. - Mona began to fear only one thing: her own doubts.

1 'A rational being', literally.

- You will be given instructions on what to do and how to behave upon arrival in the past, particularly in the 21^(st) century, - he said, remaining true to his manner of conversation in the hope that it might influence the time traveller's plans.

- I’m getting scared.

- That’s how it should be.

Chapter 47

- Our fellow tribesmen made numerous attempts to investigate the nature of the human neural network and its link to quantum substance. As pioneers, they travelled back in time to conduct genetic experiments. I would also like to note that they were successful in this endeavour.

- You mean kidnapping people?

- I meant direct intervention in the human genome. - True, there were consequences, but the organics had already diverged from the human species, so they had no particular regrets. As for the kidnappings, they were permitted as part of a separate line of research into the inner workings of humans.

- That’s cruel. - Chris demonstrated remarkable human qualities among the organics, often puzzling those around him.

- Justified, - said Klur, leaning back in his chair once again as if he wanted to hide. This indicated that the conversation should be interrupted. He was tired, which meant his organic body's reserves were running low.

Sharing his interlocutor's need for silence, Chris gave himself over to his own thoughts. Once again, they concerned humans. He dreamed of being one of them. The distinction between organic cyborgs and humans was becoming a wall. Attempts by organic cyborgs to equate themselves with a single biological species were causing discontent among humans. He tried to use scientific concepts, particularly those relevant a century ago when scientists did not consider the existence of the soul. The ancestors of organic cyborgs — clones — did not experience moral pressure from ordinary people. Research in quantum physics and field structures enabled humans to perceive themselves at a deeper level. The world had changed. For everyone who was part of it.

Chapter 48

Such a meeting, fraught with unpleasant emotions, should not have taken place in a place intended for the opposite purpose. The ocean shore did not need to witness the conversation that preceded the farewell. Both participants of the meeting chose the tallest building, recognised as an achievement of civilisation. The 228th floor welcomed visitors with an artificial park of exotic plants stretching for thousands of metres. A snow-white sky with imitation clouds spread over the tall shrubs. As agreed, she was waiting for him on a small cliff. He did not keep her waiting for long.

- Thank you for agreeing to meet me again.

- I couldn't do otherwise.

- Mona, please listen carefully to what I have to say. When you find yourself in the 21^(st) century, you may be in danger. I am certain that there are still people from our time there.

- Did they do this illegally?

- Given that their underground activities have been partially declassified, they had to stay there.

- Can’t they keep in touch with their accomplices from our time? - Mona was convinced by his reasons for concern and added them to her own reasons for wanting to return to the past.

- Why not? They can, - said Iron, who did not rule out such a possibility based on the frequency of unplanned crossings, which testified to the lawbreakers' coordinated work.

- How?

- An analogue of the NeuroNet2. It's a virtual space created with the introduction of computer technology which intersects with the Earth's information field at certain points. For the neural network, time does not exist — at least according to a number of scientists. And I agree with them.’

- As far as I know, the NeuroNet will only be created in the 21^(st) century.

- They use different methods to connect to our neural network. But this is all speculation and may turn out to be wrong. In my personal opinion, Iron was tired of modelling various tactics of cyborg behaviour, believing that they had turned out to be far more prudent than humans. Compared to them, he seemed primitive. In his own eyes, at least.

- Cyborgs have the technology to send conscious requests, - said Mona, who didn't see anything difficult about the described skill.

- I think they have numerous technologies at their disposal, not only those created in the 21^(st) century, but also those we have developed recently.

- How?

- The cyborgs have found a way to transmit the most important information to the past. How exactly, I cannot say. Or rather, I cannot guess.

- Do you think they have overcome the time lag between events and are using more than just the NeuroNet? But it may not yet exist at the point in time where they are.

- Even if it did exist in the 21st century, I doubt that this system of interaction would have succeeded. - Iron had reached a dead end when it came to analysing the actions of organic cyborgs.

- Will we be able to communicate? - Mona didn't want to think about something that might not exist. She relied only on facts.

- You’ll be able to find a way into the NeuroNet as soon as it’s up and running. You can use the pendant to request a communication

2 This is one of the likely stages in the development of the internet, representing a market for tools that facilitate human-machine communication. channel with me, - Iron tried to reassure the anxious girl, taking her by the hand.

- What else do I need to know? - She had no doubt that she was useful to her new acquaintance.

- I’ll share one of my observations with you.

- Is it related to overcoming?

- And to organic cyborgs. - Iron was burdened by accumulated suspicions that he couldn't tell anyone about.

- I’m starting to dislike them.

- After studying the data from the specialised equipment, I concluded that an energy surge occurred when the survivors arrived in our time.

- What does that mean?

- I got the impression that they were accompanied by people from the past.

- From the past?

- Most likely, - Iron speculated, trying to articulate his vision of this strange anomaly.

- Cyborgs brought people from the past? - Mona felt like she was in a surreal dream that would never end.

- Perhaps not in the same configuration as humans.

- Lately, conversations with people have made me feel not only fear, but also doubt.

- That’s perfectly natural.

Chapter 49

Even the objects in the room were imbued with anxiety. Both of them could feel it.

- I think there's no need for extra words.

- I’m afraid I won't remember much.

- I don't have much to say. As I mentioned earlier, you need to use the chip for another purpose.

- Isn’t the chip only used to track my coordinates?

- Mona, this chip can hold a lot more information. Yes, it will be implanted in you now. I have already received permission. With this chip, you should go to the Avers Corporation, whose location is in the route sheet.

- How am I supposed to use the chip at the corporation?

- You’re going to that corporation to get a job anyway. They are developing artificial intelligence carriers there. Given your level of knowledge, it won't be difficult to get a job. When you start, you will use the chip by applying it to the Atlant system. It's designed to read information from microscopic devices. - Chris tried to remain calm, wondering each time why he was able to feel nervous — something quite unusual for an organic being.

- Is this system already in use in the 21^(st) century? - Mona tried to remember everything she was being told, especially since she had only been back in her own time for a few days.

- Yes, - said Chris, who wanted to end the question-filled conversation as quickly as possible.

- What should I do with the documents?

- The answer to that question is in the instructions you were given. You'll be able to prove your knowledge without any documents. - Chris pressed a button on the floating panel and a lab assistant in a protective suit entered the office.

- It will be a little uncomfortable, - said the man, who was unknown to Mona. He approached her, took her fingers in his hands and, without giving her time to think, selected a chip of the right size.

Closing her eyes, Mona felt an uncontrollable horror; only now did she realise what she had decided to do.