Away from the City of Lux lies a hamlet full of retired men and women that lived simple lives. Living in brick houses that are powered by solar panels placed on the clay tile of their roofs. A gated community that was quite separate from the technological look of the city. Reminding him that Lux itself was an anomaly to the world.

Robert halted his motorcycle and raised both hands at the sight of automated turrets pointing their lasers on his chest. A humanoid droid, controlled by someone, walked out of the gate, demanding what his purpose was in coming to their hamlet.

“Delivery for Mr. Corey Stiles.”

Robert said loudly.

“Stiles? Wait. Don’t move.”

“Stiles,” the drone called. “Delivery here. Who’s delivery company are you?”

“Pei.”

“Oh. Give him an Access Token.”

“Sure?”

“Biometrics here say that he should be the guy. Scanned him. Said here that he should be fully ganic.”

“Scanning. I’ll be. Okay, come in.”

The gate opened and the automated turrets went passive. Robert dragged his motorcycle inside the gate community and saw a stocky old man with a prosthetic that seemed to lack the synthetic skin that most prostheses have.

“Nice meeting ya. Quite a long journey from that cage, eh?”

Robert shook hands with the old man.

“Snow’s bad. Ah, I should mention that the main roads leading to the countryside markets were closed because of the ash snow.”

“That’s bad. Thankfully we stocked up.”

Robert placed his motorcycle on the side. Searched the saddle and found the materials that he had to deliver. He had the old man sign and match the biometrics of the package before handing it.

“Do you mind if I take a rest?”

“I don’t. I sympathize with the four hour drive.”

Robert rested his shoulders while watching the old man carefully open the package and pick up the replacement panels.

“Solar cells?”

“Some of the Photovoltaic panels stopped working after a nasty night. Had to find the best PV and I only knew one bastard who could deliver it to me.”

“You a Mil-Vet, Sir?”

“Served in the Union and fought in the Middle-East and African Wars. Quite a fight that was. You are Merc, son?”

“Was one. Gave up and became a Courier.”

Mr. Stiles picked up the PV cells and inspected it with a tool. The diagnosis tool showed that they were in brand new condition.

“Good. I can deal with this. Hmm, you can help me. I’d pay you. I mean you boys are quite handy. You plat, right?”

Robert nodded and followed Stiles on the small substation of their community. Above the small substation were panels laid flat on the roof with a gap between them that allows maintenance work.

Mr. Stiles started working. Robert assisted on removing the dead panels.

“I heard terrorists stared fighting again.”

“Gangsters.”

“What’s the difference these days? They are all armed to the teeth and cruel. That city is no place for decent men. For decent folk to live. Tell me. Why do you live in that place?”

“No place to go. Heard that other towns and cities are more decent. Sadly, everyone who thinks so tends to fill those cities, and take the jobs available, leaving nothing for others. Might get a decent one if you are patient, but it is hard to do.”

“You are a platinum courier for Pei. You must earn a lot.”

“I do, sir. And when you earn this much. Is hard to let go of a good income.”

“True. Must come with danger. Pei's boys are always a target for the shit they carry. Got any problem with that?”

“None, thankfully.”

The old man pried the panel, Robert dragged the toolbox on the side and handed the screwdriver to Mister Stiles.

“Lot of us folk here got out of the city. Hard living when you’re not in a city these days. Most jobs are there. And all you find in rural areas are folk like us. The young go into the city and the old that are done with the city come back to places like this.”

“Nice place, no wonder a lot of people are coming here,” Robert squatted and looked up. “Hard not. The world’s strange. People are clamoring and excited for simple living. Back then we wanted flying cars and robots serving us. But when we have it, we tend to reject it. We folk here don’t want the ‘noise’ of technology here.”

Robert stared at the solar panels. The old man snorted, as if he knew what Robert’s implying.

“Food, water, shelter, electricity, and an internet connection are the basis of life now. We would be fools to live here without them. And many of us want to spend our days in leisure, not work our bones.”

Robert held down the panel and looked at the wind brushing past. Not far from the hamlet was a forest. Greenery that he hadn't seen for days. No, it would be right to say that for a hundred years. A reminder that even though the cities are technologically advanced. Mother earth’s saplings are still struggling against the concrete and steel. Ever so stubborn.

Even the air seems lighter here. He couldn't smell the smog that he had thought permanent. Like a reminder to him that there’s a world outside of the city.

It’s not all concrete and steel out here.

Robert’s eyes stayed on the small lake that the hamlet was using as a water source. He looked down and saw children running around the Hamlet as if they cared not about the snow.

“Lots of kids.”

“It’s Christmas. Our children seem to prefer spending it here. Cities can be quite loud when celebration starts. The noises are terrible.”

Robert stared down the children running around. His eyes were on the couples watching their children. Somehow, it reminded him of a haven, a place back in his other life where they see silence from the geothermal storms and emissions.

 

After fixing the solar panel, Robert bought coffee from the vending machine inside a convenience store they built in the village and walked to the little dock on the lake after getting permission. He sat at the end of the dock with his eyes on the lake.

He had a dream once.

To finish a big job, use the money earned from that pay, get a house near a lake, and live out the rest of his days. That was his big retirement plan. A retirement plan that failed because of a bullet to the head.

“Crazy world.”

And then he was back in a parallel world inside another man’s body. His soul merging and becoming part of an organization. He had thought that he could experience a lot of the old day, but yet here he was one hundred years in the future.

He leaned forward while taking a sip of his coffee. He wondered to himself if he had woken up far into the future. Would he have seen the same old sight? Or will this world remain as it is? He didn’t want to know.

Robert had no plans living that long. His soul had been shredded, sacrificed, and strengthened. He was a soul pretending to be a human in a dead man’s body. He was alive and yet at the same time, he sometimes felt that he was not.

A man must have purpose if he wants to live long. He didn’t have that purpose and when he thought he had found one. He was put to sleep and slept too long. Too many years had passed. He felt that he had lived two lives and both lives ended in a tragedy.

Kato Lores was betrayed and killed

Robert Oswald was sacrificed twice.

It if wasn’t for the Deadman’s intervention. If it wasn’t for his soul clinging to Robert Oswald’s body. He would have ended in a tragedy.

Sometimes Robert felt he was being pushed into a direction he didn’t want. As if the world wanted him to fight and fight. What kind of fool would want to fight everyday? He might have been desensitized by the killings and beating. And perhaps his heart had already hardened because of some nightmares in the past.

Despite all of that.

He didn’t want to fight without cause. Action without cause was meaningless. At least he wanted to be paid if he wanted to use his hands. 

CASE gave him a cause.

It gave him purpose.

If there was one thing he didn’t appreciate with CASE was the way it collared them into this servitude to the protection of a world that the citizens shouldn’t know.

To run the shadows and protect.

But he had seen their evil.

Their inaction to the woes of children who extended their hands to be saved by them.

To be stoic in front of gutted men, women, and even children. To leave them alone because it didn’t matter. How could one have a good opinion of them?

Nonetheless, there were good people in that organization that were held back by this ‘Greater Good’ that they think was so righteous. He had already confirmed that CASE still existed and was far more hidden.

He also knew that the moment he placed a foot down on that world. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy such leisure time.

Purpose was always this one thing that people clamor about. And he wasn’t different. He would have loved to have a purpose. A cause that was enough to die for.

At least he had thought of that strongly until he slept for one hundred years. An existential dread covers him perpetually. The meeting with the Deadman with the tattered robe was like meeting a figure close to God.

All because he held the same title of a Deadman.

He also recalled that this world was closed-off and whatever dream of magic returning would be hard to achieve in such a closed-off world.

It was already hard to believe that he possessed a body. And it was even harder to believe that he had met that kind of being. It only served a reminder that all that he knew was nothing more than stardust that gained sentience.

And yet despite all of that he would come back to his personal worries as if that was all that mattered to him. You don’t worry about the world unless it concerns you. You don’t care about wars, you may argue about it, but it means nothing to you.

Robert cared about his own view of the world.

Those that didn’t enter his view of the world meant nothing to him. All he cared for was what he could see and reach.

There was once a dream.

A dream that he had sought to live like the people here.

Free from the clamors of the mega-cities.

He had two lifetimes already.

He had seen a lot for a lifetime.

It was like he was just walking until his legs gave in.

Well, you might as well use that last bit of energy in you.

Robert recalled her words again. He hated the idea of her memories fading away. He hated losing the one thing that made him take a step forward.

Then he came to realize why he found  himself moping about.

I really am envious of this.

Robert squeezed his face with his hands and grunted. He warmed his body up with a sip of the coffee can and then stared lifelessly at the lake. He could hear the solemn wind. The lapping of water. Wind brushing against the leaves. The background noises of the televisions. The giggling of children running around the dock. An old man scolds as he carries his tools back.

Robert sighed at these noises.

His heart became heavy.

And then he lost control.

His eyes warped and he pulled his pistol out of the holster and pointed it on his own forehead. Feeling the barrel of the gun on his temple.

“Bang.”

He muttered silently before placing his pistol on his lap. Then looking at the notification on his smart glasses that arrived. Robert leaned forward, and then sent a short message to the drunkard that sent him a text.