New things that are just new

 

New things that are just new.

 

Science is amazing, the things you can do with technology are endless. It gets to a point where it is magical. The problem with that is there will be people that will use it for their personal gain. Which is why we of the Duralumin protectors must protect those who live their lives normally.

 

At least that is what I did before. Now I am retired. Just enjoying my old days that aren’t that old. I am forty-five after all. I am free to do what I want for the majority of my life and it is great. The only problem is that I miss the days I had on the force. There are plenty of things that I can do to keep me occupied. Virtual reality can give me plenty of things that are wilder than what I had in my past. But no matter how real it feels it doesn’t match up. I really don’t know why though. I can see and experience out of world sceneries or adventures. I can fly in the sky and run under the sea or even float in the space. Or rather I should say that I have been doing all of those for a few years now. At first it was great. Now I keep finding myself wanting something more.

 

I get up from my bed, it truly feels smooth to be able to put my feet down through the bed and have the bed assist me in getting up. Clothes? Depending what I want they can either form around me from my bracelet or sprayed on me if I want something softer. Food as well is delivered ready to my hands if I want to enjoy the sensation or I can just not eat as well. The core inside of me has plenty of nutrients to keep me healthy and full for days.

 

I want to visit my old job place today. I haven’t been there since I retired. I meant to go visit others sooner, but I never really felt like doing it. And it wasn’t because I didn’t want to see them. The opposite really, I miss them a lot.  Something just kept me from going. My intel provider keeps telling me the reason, but I keep ignoring it. I sometimes wonder what the right thing to do is. Whenever I listen to what I am told I get good results. But sometimes the result wasn’t the best, if I exerted myself more, took more risks.

 

But I never did, and it got me to where I am now, a perfect life someone might say. There are plenty of people that do not listen to the intel provider, we can see them going down a dark path usually. Most of the people I had to deal with in my job were people like that. So, the answer should be obvious. I keep wondering though. What is it that I am missing?

 

For transportation there are plenty of options, from your shoes that allow you to slide on the ground or even air. Well I say shoes, but it is just part of the so-called clothes. The boundary between shoes, socks and feet are really small and I can’t tell you where it is. For example, with devices you can just open up a part of the clothes like there is nothing there. And then it can go back to what it was before as well. It is all a complicated technology that I do not understand that deeply, Intel provider always tries to tell me, but I ignore it. I do not really want to know.

 

But yeah there are also personalized pods you can use to get to where you want, that way you do not have to pay attention to the journey. Then there are the communal lines that you can use to travel with other people. Then some peculiar ones that aren’t that popular, everyone can make all kinds of things after all.

 

I reach my old job building. It automatically knows it is me and grants me access. People that work here do not even glance at me. They do not need to pay attention to me after all.

 

I go to the third floor with the tube and see the familiar faces and a new one as well.

I talk to the old friends online, so the new person doesn’t hear me. They turn to look at me. With warm smiles and open arms. Nothing new has happened apparently. Things are the same old but they miss me. I missed them too. They introduce me to the new person; they join the conversation. I don’t like them. I am feeling worse than I was feeling before. I tell them that it was nice to catch up and I will be going now. They continue their work.

 

That was horrible, why do I feel this way? I sit down and a bench appears. Intel provider is telling me that I need help. I ignore it. I get water in my mouth and I calm down a bit. I need to collect my thoughts.

 

Someone contacts me, I look to the left and I see my old boss. He has grey hair even though he looks like he is twenty years old. Always gave me mixed feelings. They tell me that they want to talk about something in their office. I agree to it. I feel a bit better now.

 

When we get to the office, he starts by complimenting me. How I was the best worker they had and how it is hard to fill me place. What made me that good though? I ask that. He says that I always did according to protocol, and I was the most efficient one to do so as well. People can’t keep up with the machine advice usually and they might hesitate because of emotions or slowness.

 

I was an exception apparently. But it doesn’t matter, I don’t think I can do the same things anymore, I can’t follow what I am told anymore. I tell that to my boss. He says its fine, it is good even. There is something new he says. Something that cannot be handled by the intel provider.

 

I am interested, what could that be? He tells me that it is a worldwide issue. How could I help with something with that big of scale?

 

Apparently, I am that big of an exception. They need someone who followed the rules exceptionally and then started to look for something beyond them, I am not that great though. They also need someone who can fight. Why would they need someone like that?

 

Only for the people that went away from intel provider and excluded any technology that wasn’t in their control do they need people to fight. Any kind of other threat can be handled with technology.

 

He looks at me with a smile. He continues and tells me something shocking. The space sensors found some new particle. Something they can’t read. They sent something to intercept the particles and they lost contact. And the biggest part is that they are moving, quickly, towards us. Towards anything and everything really.

 

I am just staring at him. He doesn’t seem to be joking. Intel provider is giving me a new clearance level and I can access information he is talking about.

 

They are planning on sending someone out to the particles to give real live feedback on what happens past them so they can understand it better. Isn’t this a suicide mission? But, even so, I do feel like doing it. I wonder why though. It feels like the things I have been worrying about are fading away. It feels like this is what I should do.

 

I agree to do it. The boss seems surprised. I haven’t seen that look on him before. It is amusing.

 

I thank him and proceed to the next place. It is a research facility. I walk in and there is no one that isn’t looking at me. This is a new feeling. I suppose I would look at the person as well who volunteers for a suicide mission that involves the whole worlds future.

 

It feels good. I smile as I go to the place I need to go. I have the information about the missions. I have everything I need in the capsule. I walk into it and the lid closes. I don’t even feel that it is moving. There is a person who is telling me some important information about what is going to happen and what they are warning me about the situation.

 

They expect me to lose signal. I won’t be in contact with them anymore. It is a new and exciting step for me. There is other information that I do not care about. What I want is past the particles. 

 

I wait patiently until I am close to them. How long was it? I could easily know but I ignore it. I am ready.

 

…

 

A jolt in my brain, a sharp piercing pain. Afterwards, excruciating pain everywhere.  I feel like my whole body is being torn apart. But it comes back as well. Places that hurt before are feeling better than ever, then new places start to hurt.

 

I do not know for how long. I endure, I even like it. I start liking it. I want more of it. The pain is starting to fade? I push towards getting more of it. Another wave of pain. It feels phenomenal. This is what I was always missing. I start laughing. I wonder if they can see me. I do not know. I don’t know anything of what is going on, I can only react based on my body and senses. I haven’t felt this good in my whole life. There is no discrepancy. I feel complete.

 

I open my eyes. I can only see colours. Bright changing colours.