Have you ever felt worthless?

Have you ever lost everything?

What will you do ? If you know that you don't have much time left to live your life

So...have you ever thought of revolutionizing your old life?

'He' who lost everything

'He' is worthless in the army of the future.

I would like to take a vacation. Escape the harsh reality of the future world indefinitely. To find happiness in the past

But meeting a mysterious woman in the sky where darkness had become impossible changed him.

'He' was not a scientist from the army who lost everything in the future.

'He' is not a nameless young man searching for happiness in the past world.

But he is

"Revolutionary"

Hello, this is my first time submitting a short story to the contest. And this is the second time writing a short story. Plus it's the first science fiction (fantasy??) story written.

Personally, I mostly write comedies. But this time I won't write a comedy because my attitude is...

Conveying the emotions of love from the characters to the reader takes time and cannot be done in just 12 pages.

Or maybe it's me who doesn't have enough skills. But I'll keep trying.

Thank you to the main sponsors Kind sponsor

✿ Ms word ✿

✿ Sunday ✿

And thank you to all the judges who joined in and helped Face Palm while reading this short story.

I love everyone

“Did you hear the news that William Logan will be removed from the Frontline Research Division?”

The deep voice of an older man dressed in a fashionable guard uniform rang out. The interlocutor immediately turned to look at the content.

"look for! Is this true!! Why is that?”

Another guard, who was the interlocutor, asked back. His face clearly showed his lack of understanding. The person who started the conversation turned left and right, looked around before covering his mouth and whispering in the ear of his fellow guard.

“I saw that the official went to check his life time from the time bank. I feel like he will only last until the end of this year.”

The recipient's eyes widened in shock. then blurted out loudly

“That kind of thing is a pity. Isn't he very useful to the authorities!?”

And with such a loud voice, the messenger like him hurried to pounce on the good friend whose voice was so loud he barely noticed the time. A deep voice whispered through his teeth.

“Tell me softly! It's because of that. Mr. Thomas was able to..."

“Don't any of you have work to do?”

Before the guard's voice finished whispering, The words trailed off and were replaced by the soft, smooth voice of the person they were 'referring to'. The young guard stood and stiffened automatically. The two of them hurriedly answered the question and quickly withdrew from it.

“Sigh....”

'William' sighed tiredly from what he heard for the hundredth time that day. To him, this news was truly annoying. Since two days ago this news was released. His story seemed to be the topic of conversation among everyone in the unit.

That only added to his frustration and annoyance. But it wasn't annoying that people in the unit spread rumors or lied about him. But because it was true, it made him so irritated for three days and two nights.

Yes, he is 'William Logan', a young scientist at the top of the Scientific Research Division who was kicked over the head after his work was stolen and had less than half a year left to live...

The story begins with him discovering new 'cells' to create biological weapons to use as combat soldiers in the event of a war and the population is in short supply. It's definitely not a combat robot. Not zombie corpses But it is a biological weapon that has a mind and can plan battles like a real human.

And the experiment almost succeeded. If he wasn't hindered by his own lifespan...

In an era where science is advancing like this The government therefore established the 'Time Bank', a bank established to allow customers to check their remaining life expectancy in order to live a worthwhile life. But he and many people know well. that this bank was created for the benefit of the government itself

It's such a dysfunctional bank. Because it is a bank that only transfers and pays.

Transferring your life time to others

and

Advance your life time and pay back twice as much.

By transferring and paying Terms depend on the account holder. And this is in the interests of the government and banks. to get double what users pay for

which he himself never transferred or paid Therefore, he could not know any guidelines, terms or conditions. of the bank But even though his life time is less than half a year left, He didn't think about withdrawing anything at all because even if he did, it would have no meaning anymore.

'He no longer has rights to his own research.'

After the authorities learned of his life expectancy The government sent another top scientist to take over in his place, no, more accurately, a 'thief'.

He had his own research stolen by 'Thomas Matthanton'!!

Thinking at this point, William became so annoyed that he raised his hand to smooth out his black hair that was normally smooth, but now fell onto his face because of the rain. The young former scientist's body was soaked with the rain from the sky. Slender onyx eyes beneath the frames of his glasses looked at the dark sky.

His body turned around and he walked away to the other side...

“Sigh!”

William let out another breath of the day. He lay down on the bed even though His body was still soaked, but he didn't care. He tossed and turned on the bed in the army quarters that had been arranged for him, as if doing so would keep him dry.

And it really is like that. The rectangular bed absorbs moisture from his body and converts it into electrical energy, stimulating the internal systems of the modern device to release hot steam at a temperature that is not too high. So that his clothes soon dried.

William twitched a small smile. Perhaps technology that was too advanced also displeased him. Strong hands removed the temples that were attached to his ears. Clear frames reflect neon lights in a room that uses human and neural sensors. William looked thoughtfully at the old-fashioned glasses in front of him.

They were old-style glasses with just a hook and prescription lenses. They were actually replicas of his grandfather's glasses. He himself had used his grandfather's glasses since childhood. Because in the past, his mother didn't have enough money to buy him glasses. Not even able to buy good food Even for a meal

So I had to find my grandfather's glasses from the storage room and use them to fix them. If I earn enough money to pay for the glasses, my mother will buy him new ones. Even though the glasses lenses are different types and have different benefits to his eyesight. But he chose to refuse. Because he didn't want to add any more burden to his mother.

He had to use glasses for farsightedness. I myself have always been short-sighted. But old glasses aren't very durable. When he was 16, one leg of his glasses broke and one lens shattered. As a result, it was the first time he had invented anything. By replicating the model from an imperfect eyeglass frame..

And the work that came out...is this pair of glasses...

William looked at the glasses again and sighed. He put it aside. Then close your eyes to rest. Or maybe it's to escape...

Escape from the harsh reality of this world.

He left his thoughts behind and immediately sank into a deep slumber. The neon lights catch on to the neural sensors that relax, so the room lights up slowly. Dim until it finally went out.

'Why did you choose to accept your fate?'

'who...??'

'Who is the person who determines your destiny?'

'Whose voice is that..'

'You think so too, don't you?'

'If at present you are not happy Let's go to the past.'

heavily!!!!

A young man woke up from his bed. His forehead was wet with sweat. William gasped for breath as if he had run the national Elampest. A strong hand grabbed the glasses at his side before picking them up and putting them on. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyesight to the scenery in the room that was starting to become slightly brighter as his neural sensors were almost fully awake.

The eyes under the frame of the glasses looked around. The room was still in the same condition as before he went to bed.

'Just a dream..it's just a dream'

William tried talking to himself like that and forgot. Words from the mysterious person in the dream and then take some time to think about what to do from now on. But no matter what I do, I can't shake off the words from my dreams.

"Oh...."

The figure made a nasal sound, not quite satisfied. He wasn't much of a stubborn person. Since he couldn't get the thought out of his mind...he would just leave it like this for now.

Tick ​​tick

The sound of an antique clock rings loudly in the spacious room. It repeated the starting point in circles like that, but the owner of the room still couldn't sleep.

Because I have been poor and survived. William was still stunned by those mysterious words.

Why was he having such strange dreams?

Think about this with your personal personality and with your previous career. It made him start to itch and the capillaries in his brain collapsed. The young man regained his composure and thought through the words spoken by the mysterious person in his dream. Even after hours had passed, he still remembered every word.

It started with a question from that mysterious person.

"Why did you choose to accept your fate...?"

A deep voice murmured softly. The brain immediately begins processing and interpreting the meaning of the words.

Why did he have to accept his fate?

It's because none of us can escape our fate...

That was a phrase that someone had said in the long, long time ago...

Then why would he...accept it? Since this is the era of the future Is there any reason for him to believe the words of an unknown person from the past that couldn't be proven?

Because of a strange dream event It made him start to really think about it...

Why do people have to accept their fate?

Why don't you think about fighting or resisting it?

Why....

Why....

Why....

The more he thought about it, the more questions arose that he couldn't answer. The young man then put this question away and started over with the next sentence.

'Who determines your destiny?'

Of course it is. that when our destiny We have to determine it ourselves...

And how many people are there? To be like that How many people will get what they want? How many people live their lives according to their own desires? What about people who can't determine their own lives? Who will decide...

or even his life Who is the one who determined this?

Who is the person who appointed him to be born? Who was the person who appointed him to die?

Who....?

William shook his head irritably again. This was the first time he had ever known the word. 'The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't think of an answer.' It was a first experience that was not beautiful at all. The young man tried to relax his breathing and regain his composure.

He temporarily put the question from his mind and turned his attention to the final words of the mysterious person in his dream. If he could find the answer, He might also have the answer to the previous two questions.

'If at present you are not happy Let's go to the past.'

What does that mean?

If I go to the past, will I be happy...??

That kind of thing is no different from escaping... Eh, wait a minute.

The slender young man suddenly thought of something.

"Escape... the past..."

William subconsciously knit his eyebrows together. Since the keyword in the bully's head reminded him of something. But he couldn't think of anything. Causing him to raise his hand and rub his head like he likes to do when he's upset. Immediately, my eyes caught sight of the book shelf in the guest room.

It is square in size. Inside is a lock for keeping books organized and not stacked against each other. There is a clear glass barrier between the letters and the atmosphere outside. To keep books in good condition for a long time using special radiation to preserve paper.

But if we were to say, in this era there is no need to even have a book. Nowadays, technology has advanced beyond the need to sit and read a book. Just use today's communication technology to search for information and you will get the answer you want.

And the reason why his room has this book storage device... is probably because he likes antiques. So I want to preserve it. or collecting as a hobby Each of these volumes is at least 30 years old.

As for the reason he likes antique things, it may come from his childhood. He is poor and has always had to use only old or antique items. So it can make him addicted to liking these things....

A slender figure rose from the bed and walked to a stop at the book-keeping cabinet. His eyes scanned the things he had accumulated. But his eyes were immediately drawn to a large, glossy red book with gold borders.

Did he ever have this book?

William didn't hesitate to pick it up and check it to be sure. The clear glass slides open by itself as soon as the motion sensor in front of the glass detects movement. He took out the book and looked at the title on the red velvet glossy cover. This made the young man's eyes widen.

When on the cover there was a letter engraved that said

'The past of happiness

Written by Maria Scarlett

  April 30 , 2015  '

What shocked him was not the title associated with his strange dream. But it's the name of the author...because Maria Scarlet...is the one who betrayed the army and started the revolution!!

It is also the reason why the authorities had to change from engraving just serial numbers to adding additional identification numbers. To identify yourself as an official in the event of an escape or betrayal and to prevent enemies from entering the area in disguise.

In Maria's case, it only had 016 engraved on it. His number was 022 02814, with the last five digits being an additional identification number. and engraved numbers both his and hers It cannot be removed by any means.

She is also the person who invented the operational robot that is responsible for patrolling around the army and providing excellent warning. It has been widely used since the time she betrayed her and fled until today.

She was also the one who thought of revolutionizing the world by setting rules and criteria that were measured by her own standards and applied to the army. Then it spread to the people and spread to other countries as well.

What a person who has created so many stories. And he himself doesn't understand. How did this book get here?

The young man gulped. He took a long time to decide whether he should read it or not. If he had already read it...

Will his ideas change?

And finally, he chose to sit on the bed and open a thick book. His eyes flickered and read every letter written on the soft-colored paper.

The young man sighed and put down the book he had just finished reading. A slightly worried expression appeared on his handsome face. After reading He was able to roughly summarize it. that this book is this thick The author, Maria Scarlet, mentions....

The happiness she had experienced in the past And she wanted to go and experience it again. Therefore, she chose to return to the past. without paying attention to anything Because you have nothing left to care about

If it's normal He probably just laughed at the content of the pedagogical dream of a woman's happiness.

But if it's not now....

Now this book is like his life right now. A life that has nothing left and will be gone in less than half a year...

William bit his lip thoughtfully. If...he followed this woman. Will he find happiness?

"Did you think of something so crazy? We..."

A deep voice spoke softly. He wanted to laugh out loud at the idea of ​​following this fantasy book.

Going back to the past doesn't mean you'll find happiness...

But if you don't try, you won't know....

The young man gripped the book tightly in his hand. His handsome face revealed a slight smile. With a decision that seems like it's not his at all right now

It's okay, don't worry about anything.

Because there's...there's nothing left for him to worry about anymore.

William glanced at the time on the dial of the room wall clock, showing exactly two o'clock in the morning. Which is the type that was popularly used...40 years ago.

I told you already.. that he likes antiques

A slender young man walked towards the door that was already open for him. He turned and looked at the room he had been staying in for the last 4 years, then turned and walked out of the room.

“Ho...OK, Mr. Logan. Please enjoy your long vacation."

The deep, old voice of a tall young man rang out. William nodded and replied.

"Thank you, Commander."

Mr. Commander Hooligan smiled at his words and stepped aside as William walked towards a large white capsule against the faint horizon that lay motionless on the rails.

"Press the number of the year and decade you are going to go and then press the green button. If you don't remember, there is an operations system built into the device. If you need help from the system, press the yellow button."

The young man in the time machine's capsule man's uniform spoke to William, who nodded in understanding. The young man turned and bowed to Commander Hooligan one last time stepped into the giant capsule.

'Please select the year and decade'

sound

IA

The sound of the giant time machine William glanced at the number on the cover of the book in his hand before running his finger down to trace the number on the paper.

'The decade you want to travel to is the 90s.

s

Please specify the year of the Christian era.'

William dipped his finger on the thin, clear key again.

'The path I want to take is the 90s.

s

The year 2015 is preparing the path.'

William heard this and took a deep breath. Then a flash of light from outside caused his eyes to sting so much that he had to close his eyes and raise his arms to protect him.

And when he opened his eyes again...he was already in the electric train that was popular over 40 years ago...

People crowded into canned food. William began to feel dizzy with the crowd. But as luck would have it, the metal train began to slow down until it finally came to a complete stop to release and take passengers to the next station.

William didn't hesitate and rushed out of the subway platform by running without thinking for his life. Squeeze and collide with many unknown people walking around the station.

William stopped running and stood there panting. Sweat drenched his back and sharp face. But he didn't really care. William turned left and right and looked around. Many pictures of buildings appeared. He must have run into a construction zone...

William began to walk slowly, surveying his surroundings. There were no workers or anyone at this construction site. He walked up the unfinished stairs of a 1990s building.

s

Go on and on before you stumble upon several paint buckets lined up.

William looked at those buckets with blank eyes. He went to lift up the paint bucket before...

Sa... Taad!

Pouring the paint over his body, he dropped the paint bucket that had a little bit of paint left on the ground. He walked over and picked up buckets that were lined up and poured them on his body again, and again, and again.

Until the last bucket of paint

Sa... Taed Taed..

William Logan smiled at the reflection in the clear glass panels on the wall. An image of a tall, slender young man appeared. A body and outfit with colors all over from head to toe.

It is a rare sight to see William Logan, a young man who loved cleanliness, sitting with paint smeared like this.

Have you tried something you've never done before... Have you tried doing something you hate? I tried doing things that I never thought of doing. Once I tried it...it was good too.

William walked up to the top of the construction building. He looked at the two metal platforms that were placed next to each other, the ends of the two metal platforms extending outward from the building. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something with a soft golden color on the side. At the end of the iron sticking out of the glass with nothing to support it...

He saw a young woman in her 20s wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and trousers of the same color. The white-gold hair that came out of the white wool hat matched the outfit and moved with the gentle breeze.

William looked at the other end of the iron that was stationary on the floor of the building... and found two sandbags placed on top of the end...

Balance your weight so you don't fall down when you get to the end...

The young man began to turn left and right. Until he came across some sacks that seemed to be quite heavy, piled up four or five of them.

The body is clear and doesn't wait. He walked over and picked up the sack and placed it on a few ends. Then take some steps towards the end point outside the building.

The front view is a view of a building from the 90's.

s

Lined high and low, contrasting with the bright blue sky and soft white clouds. The sun was behind the clouds so it wasn't hot and the sun didn't hurt the eyes.

William took a deep breath. Bring fresh air into your lungs Try to remember every detail you saw.

Because this might be the last time he'll get to see the views of the 90s.

s

It can be like this...

"You have a nice color."

The voice of the woman next to him sounded, William turned to look and raised his eyebrows at the half-sarcastic words. The woman turned her eyes to meet William and gave him a friendly smile.

"What are you doing here?"

The young woman asked further when she saw that William was silent.

The young man thought about the answer to her question. From the beginning, he originally came to...find happiness.

Which he thought...even though he couldn't find much... But he found happiness in this era.

It was fun to do things I'd never done before.

Doing things you hate isn't bad.

Did things that I never thought of doing. It's not as bad as I thought.

Overall...it's not bad.

William then turned to look at the woman who was looking at him again and answered that question.

"I came to find happiness..."

The girl looked at him curiously. Big, sweet, emerald-colored eyes showed unconcealed interest. A soft voice asked further.

"You don't have much time, do you?"

William was startled by the woman's question. He looked at the beautiful face in front of him but didn't reply. The woman saw this and smiled widely and looked away from the eyes under the stained frames of her glasses to look at the sky in front of her instead.

“I am the same as you. There's not much time left. that I will be here"

William listened intently to what the woman said. This could be the feeling of meeting someone who is just like you.

Although it was strange...but he felt a little happy. That at least in a time like this I could meet someone who was the same as him...

"I have a serious illness..but that doesn't mean I have to accept the fate of leaving this world."

The woman began to speak again. William was beginning to piece something together. The woman looked at him silently and continued.

“I try to do things differently. I don't lie frozen in bed. I don't take my medicine on time. I don't want surgery..."

The woman took a deep breath before turning to look at his face seriously. She spoke in a firm and clear voice.

“And the reason I did it was because I wanted to determine my own destiny. How can you be sure that the way others behave is correct? Why do you have to follow someone else's orders and let him determine your destiny...?”

William was silent. The slender eyes under the frame of the glasses in this era widened slightly. In his brain, it was like he heard the sound of something being torn apart. The words of a girl whose name he didn't even know made him realize the answer he had been asking himself since that strange dream.

Realizing the reason he came to the past

He didn't come to find happiness.

He came to change... his own destiny.

He came to determine his own life. without having to follow anyone's orders

He came to... break the rules of the world's destiny.

He came here...as a revolutionary!!

"You came here to decide your own life like me, right..."

The young woman continued after seeing him silent for a long time. She took another step forward. Bringing the fragile body closer to the tip of the iron.

There was no reason for her to die of a terrible disease....

"no"

The girl looked at him, puzzled. The young man turned to face the sky again and said.

“You made me realize that the right thing is not to accept my fate. But the right thing is..."

"It's a different kind of change."

At the sound of the young man's voice, he jumped off the top of a tall building and pierced the sky with the force of the earth's gravity. And before his body hit the granite floor in front of him, a large hole appeared inside, so bright white that he couldn't see clearly.

His body was sucked into that large hole and disappeared before sight as if nothing had ever happened.

All that will be left is the small smile of the girl in the sky. A hand came up and held my hair behind my ear. The sleeves of the thick shirt were pulled down to reveal the vermilion number 016 engraved on the white wrist...

- Fin -

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Descriptions Zone

- Elampest, the writer's joke is similar to the Olympics. Just change the vowel.

- William has long felt suspicious about his fate. Because of his poor childhood

- But he tried to ignore it, but really asked how many people would be so stimulated that they would even believe it.

- Maria saw that blind spot and chose to recruit William to continue the revolution.

- Regarding the disease, Maria didn't make it. But she just couldn't say it all. 'You don't have much time left to stay here. Because you have to go to another era for treatment.' That's all.

End of the explanatory zone. Thank you for reading.