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"Ah...a good shower after a long day is the best!!" I gave my bed a longing look as I dry my shoulder length dark hair with a towel.

"And what's better... a cozy night rest!!" I jumped on my bed excitedly and tucked myself under the Marine duvet. Staring at the ceiling of my room, I couldn't help but smile as I felt peaceful deep inside my soul. My thoughts drifted to the different scenarios that had happened today, thinking about the words of Mr. Sri, I just wondered what he meant with his words, but I was determined.

          I relaxed my muscles a moment later; I put it all aside and tried to sleep. Then a buzz-cut hairstyle with a masculine face that wore a big grin appeared in my mind... It was Dan. I felt a little bit sad, thinking about him as he had told me a rather depressing story of his life after he left Alvadore High. Apparently, Dan did not transfer to another school back then as I had thought, he had actually dropped out. Dan's family were slightly above middle-class until they had an unfortunate encounter in their proprietary Automobile shipping business which led to them moving into the Low-lands to run an Automobile mechanics Repair firm. They were moving on a steady pace till a gang of robbers attacked, claiming the lives of his parents. Going by Dan's logic, they were assassins disguised as armed burglars as they rarely kill, they would most times leave the victim unharmed as long as they got what they wanted. Although it wasn't evident, there clearly must have been rivalry in play. Nevertheless, He now runs his family's firm in the Low-lands here in Bargon city, alone.

Despite the gloomy feelings I felt, A proud smile appeared on my face as I remembered his last words before we parted.

"You don't have to feel so bad for me... in fact, I already made a decision..... I'll make my name known throughout the world like my parents wanted, you just wait!" he had said with his hands on his waist and his chest puffed out.

'Idiot' I couldn't help but mutter as I smiled, my eyes wet from the overwhelming emotion I felt. I always thought I had it worst, but I was wrong. I tried to put myself in his shoes but I just wouldn't fit in because i knew I would have broken a long way back, I would have drowned and yet here he was, smiling happily and living on. He really has a strong mind~

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I squinted my eyes as I tried to open them, my vision was blurred by a ray of light that shone through the window, I grunted as I rose on my elbows, rubbing my eyes. Not hearing the familiar annoying sound I was used to hearing in the mornings, for a moment I felt guilty. Perhaps the lack of maintenance and harsh treatments I gave this loyal Home AI device had finally shown results.

Technology had broken through since 2500's and only continued to do so. Artificial Intelligence devices are much more interactive and now had visual features like projecting images and Device Auto-run functions, literally, capable of doing anything in day to day livelihood, save for physical efficiency. All you had to do was give prompt commands. I had read about the 2000's in the past, the age Artificial Intelligence devices were invented and it was quite funny how people would go through the stress of swiping and pressing what they called 'mobile phones'. Though, these inventions are quite respected throughout the world till date as they paved way to the new 'Tech-world'.

The innovative technology now are 'Photonics; Quantum and Vector devices' compared to the past. Vector devices have HUD (heads-up displays) and speech-input commands that makes user's experience smooth and easy, using photonic integrated circuits in its build while quantum devices have definite space to store physical objects, the only shortcomings being the existence of grades. High-grade Vector-devices and Quantum devices can only naturally be found in the Highlands, the higher authorities’ wings precisely. Majority of people in the world not belonging to the Top-class in the society have the Standard-grade Vector devices only while an average low-class individual would have no Vector-devices nor quantum devices, only old devices like smartphones which are clearly outdated. Just like the difference in class of people who own IOS devices, smartphones and computers in the past. I, on the other hand, only have this Smart Home Artificial Intelligence, the only possession I 'borrowed' from the Curtis' family mansion, which could do practically everything I wanted to do which was quite satisfying, until it broke, or so I thought.

"Good morning Jenkins.....It's past 8am in the morning. Now processing your Daily Routine." a flat monotonous sound resonated through the house as the AI device spoke.

"B-b but..."

"A reminder to clean up in the bathroom...Now Playing WWNC, Enjoy"

A hologram projected on the wall directly opposite the bed, as a handsome man recounted the recent news in the world in details.

“Roberta..... Explain why you have been ignoring my commands" she had not responded to all the commands I had given yesterday.

“Roberta had to Hibernate to conserve power." She said in her defense.

'Th-this.....' I felt a vein on my temple twitch as this AI device was clearly playing pranks on me. It wasn't funny, i could have lost a once in a lifetime opportunity yesterday if it weren't that Mr. Sri was an acquaintance.

*sigh*

She couldn't have done that, I'm overthinking things.

*yawn*

 I'll request for her maintenance later. Well, now that I have a job, I should get a Vector device soon.

I gave up on the topic and got off the bed to clean myself up in the bathroom. Several minutes later, I was cleaning my wet face with a towel reading the news headlines as the man went on, speaking in full details.

'EARTH RUNNING OUT OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN RAPIDLY!!'

When average people are asked what their basic or primary needs are, they go on and rant about food, shelter, and clothing and in this age, education has been added to the most basics of needs. The most important, obviously, is food and shelter, however, these are only second to Oxygen. I could swear that if micro-organisms could speak, they'd chop these people who speak of food being the most important on the head. Food is important no doubt, water especially, but these people do not even put Oxygen the most basic necessity for every being alive on Earth in the list at all.    

"The Universal League of Scientists have come together, critically analyzing and pointing out that this was naturally the result of the Third World War. According to Prime-scientist Gerard..."The hologram changed into the image of an old man at a conference giving a speech...

"Oxygen is an essential molecules in the atmosphere, in the troposphere precisely and are naturally recreated during photosynthesis...The destructive nature of the Nuclear weapons that had been launched during the World War had endangered our lives as plants must had absorbed excessive radioactive particles leading to their decline as well as Oceans. I'm afraid living organisms on Earth cannot withstand a large-scale attack like this and if it comes down to it, we'd have to move to our second home, since we've been able to convert the excessive carbon-dioxide into abundant Oxygen through MOXIE."

The hologram reverted back to the handsome newscaster and he continued with a smile as if everything was not at all, of his concern. Probably, not only him felt like that, for, People's believe in science had reached such level, the level of being capable of shaping out possibilities out of impossibilities.

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