Negeri Hari Esok (COMPLETE)

Start writing here…Hello!

Earth today. December 08, 3294. My birthday. I write memos and journals in my room. My morning routine every day. I wrote down everything that happened yesterday before I started my new day. As always, to learn and not make the same mistakes. I am a Scientist working in a Technology and Environment department. I work within the Engineering and environmental impact division. My areas of expertise are Mechanical Engineering and Oceanography. I need to tell you, nowadays, people’s abilities in the mechanical field are lacking. All of them are replaced by Artificial Humanoids with integrated systems or Artificial Humanoids of Integrated Systems. I need to explain, humanoids are robots or artificial intelligence that resemble humans with superior intelligence. Apart from being intelligent, they are also very good at carrying out various kinds of physical needs. The world of work is dominated by the humanoid race. They were first made in 2015, precisely on April 19th. It was 1,279 years ago. It’s been a long time. Since it was first introduced, humans who love technology and innovation have developed humanoids with the aim of making human affairs easier. As a result, humanoid development developed very quickly and rapidly. These Humanoids are like real humans. They interact and behave like humans in general. There is only one thing they cannot match humans. These are emotions that humans have. Millorca, a humanoid who heads the Technology and Environment department. Millorca, always commenting and complaining about my tardiness. He is programmed to always be disciplined with the rules that have been embedded in his chip and processor. So he only obeys the protocols set for him. Humans are not completely unemployed and are served like kings and queens. They actually work by controlling the activities of the Humanoid race. They monitor and control them from afar. So the name of Humanoid is artificial intelligence integrated by the system. A system controlled by humans. The true nature of humans since ancient times.

After finishing writing, I went to take a shower and after that I had breakfast before starting work. We humans today live in a small circle-shaped house and we call it a shell house. Because the shape is not completely circular or round but at the top it resembles a turtle shell. Its function is to absorb rain and make it an alternative source of drinking or bathing water. Because at this time the water supply is quite poor and rain rarely appears anymore. The rain that wets the shell or roof of my house is artificial rain that we make through sea water. Because the pipes in large cities like the city where I live now are no longer able to carry water to all corners of the place. The result of so much water use in recent years. In the past there were many humans but now there are few due to the influence of natural changes. So the human population in this world is only around 40%. You can imagine how little!

Therefore, the remaining ones used their intelligence to create Humanoids. While we are in the process of recovering our species which was threatened with extinction due to the actions of our ancestors, we made the Humanoid a substitute for our work. Even though we are few, our intelligence makes us creatures that can control anything. Including economics and welfare. Here, in my world, if a woman gave birth, she would be welcomed with joy by all of us. The birth rate is very small in this world. All due to the mistakes of our ancestors. The nuclear war that occurred caused the remaining 20% ​​of humanity to survive and 80% to perish. Those who remain must fight hard to keep life in this world going. It’s a shame that they have even decreased to the smallest number of 10% who are alive because they are unable to face radiation exposure due to nuclear war waste.

Back in those days, every couple who tried to have children was born with an abnormality. In the end it couldn’t survive and died. The average normal birth is only once in some couples. Every couple who has children takes 15 years or even 25 years before they can have children. All of this was told by my grandfather and grandmother who got the stories passed down from their great-grandparents. Ultimately we are able to adapt and control the environment. We use our intelligence to survive. The only and most sophisticated tool in the worst moments of life that have occurred. But even though the intelligence we have has been able to overcome many problems. We still can’t control the life we ​​want. We still cannot make humans give birth to many other humans. We may have succeeded in creating the Humanoid race but we cannot breed more of our descendants. All of this is the result of the wars fought by our ancestors.

The great war destroyed everything. Even though it was a long time ago, the impact lasted a very long time. To the point that I wonder why my ancestors could be so stupid? Why are they willing to do all that even though they already know what will happen? We have to bear all the consequences. They really don’t know themselves. Shameless and not feeling guilty about their sins to future people.

I ride my bicycle to my place of work. My bicycle is a bicycle designed with the ability to determine its own direction. All the items in my country are Artificial items which means they can do whatever they do even if they are controlled. The reason is to prevent a high number of accidents in order to preserve our species. Because the birth rate is very low. On average, new children are born after one decade or even three decades. It’s really sad. Therefore, artificial becomes our friend who helps us and makes our work easier. Even though my country is very good and very developed, humans’ bad habits of throwing away rubbish still persist to this day. The environment remains dirty even though there are many tools and technologies that can handle it. I think the only curse humans have is stupidity and self-consciousness. And also high egoism.

My bike doesn’t need to be pedaled. It’s like a motorbike but doesn’t have tires. So, our track is not asphalt but a road made with sensory lighting lines that direct my bike to where it needs to go. My journey only took eight minutes before I arrived at the office where I work. I got off my bike. My bike will go to the parking lot on its own and will turn itself off. All vehicles in my country are like that. The vehicles will turn themselves off at their designated spot. Their purpose in turning themselves off is to replenish their energy. Not like in the old world. Humans have to fill up with petrol to keep the vehicle running and it has to be placed in the parking lot. Here, we use the laws of thermodynamics by utilizing entropy. Simply put, the vehicle system traps energy released from the environment and then converts it into fuel energy. But even though it is called fuel, it actually does not pollute the environment.

This object also breaks down CO2 and then converts it into oxygen for life’s needs. My office building is minimalist style. The shape is square like a cube but the corners are rounded. Everything is transparent so you can see all the activities going on inside just by looking at it from the outside. The reason given by the architects is so that people understand what they are doing and why they need to know. I walked into the office where the gate was made of glass. The automatic door opened and immediately recognized me by saying my name through the loudspeaker because there were sensors that had been programmed to recognize me. Also to let people know that I came to work today. The routine in the office where I work is to map areas that have the potential to be used as places to continue life.

Recently a continent was formed in the southern area near Antarctica. We are investigating the impact. Why could that happen. So I need to explain. In my world, people work in a simpler way. They use visual technology with verbal commands. That’s our job. But not entirely like that. Sometimes there are some things that need to be done with physical activity. I was a member of the team involved in this investigation. Millorca led this expedition. Actually, we don’t need to go there because there is technology that can do it. This technology uses a graphic sensor. We call this technology Air Sensoring Investigation (ASI). So the tool is like a small box that can fly up to a height of 1000 feet above sea level. This tool can map, investigate in detail, and find out the contents of an object down to the smallest part. In a short time, the tool will send a detailed picture to computers owned at the center and privately owned. So anyone who wants to do research will have no difficulty.

But we don’t use that tool because we need to know it directly. So the central council in the central city ordered us to conduct an investigation. Actually, the city where I live is not the center of the country. My city is just a small town devoted to the world of technology only. The central city is a busier city of civilization. Meanwhile, the city where I live consists of 5000 residents. All of them are workers and scientists. Although some have families, they are only a few. Therefore, we carried out this task by visiting the new continent. We are flying at above average speeds of sound. The development of aircraft has become much more advanced. So from my place, which is hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, to the continent located around Antarctica, it only takes 3 hours. Very short.

The world in my time is very different from the world before. It is so different that even finding traces of the past and past civilizations is quite difficult. However, with the sophistication of technology in our time, we can still find traces of civilizations in the past. Like in a country formerly called the Maldives. Now it has turned into an ocean with the remains of buildings buried deep at a depth of 1000 meters and recently discovered by my friends in the field of Oceanography. We know from examining parts of the ruins that it was a small country with a developed civilization in the past. The country is called the Maldives and as I discovered on international sites, now the internet has evolved into a tool that underlies life today. The internet is free for anyone to have at speeds that are beyond measure.

The journey which took 3 hours finally ended with us arriving. I can clearly see the new continent below. Arid with sand covering the entire surface. It will definitely be very soft when I later set my foot there. We started landing.

“Are you ready to go down girls?” Morgan asked. He is the Pilot on this mission. He is a human and not a Humanoid.

Morgan is tall with a brush-like beard. The smile he thought was cute but actually looked annoying. He has long hair down to his shoulders. His nose is not very sharp and his eyes are small. He looks strange with quite large lips. But he is a friendly person and likes to joke around, sometimes even annoying.

“Save your jokes you idiot.” Millorca said. As usual, he was very rude. He was programmed not to make jokes. It is programmed only to carry out commands and follow rules.

Morgan, who already knew Millorca’s attitude, just laughed at that. After all Millorca was just an item that would never understand a human’s sense of humor. I think the rest of humanity’s sophistication is a joke. Because of that I felt quite above that Humanoid.

“Take care of him, friend. I’m afraid he won’t come home.” Morgan said to me and laughed mockingly.

I just smiled in return. I didn’t know how to respond to Morgan’s words. Millorca brought 15 people with him. There are 20 of us in this expedition team. The rest I lead the group. Millorca is the team leader on this expedition mission. I was another small team tasked with researching this new continent. Why I was included in this mission is because I am the best scientist and the only one in this country. Apart from me, no one is my equal. I’m not arrogant. I am simply blessed and blessed with extraordinary brain abilities. But even with that, I still couldn’t find something that could make me peaceful and happy.

I have conducted many experiments on human nature to satisfy their desire to find the meaning of life. But my project and all my experimental results failed. I couldn’t find anything in that search. Then I tried to understand whether the loneliness I had in my life had any bearing on how my life actually worked. However, everything remains the same as before. The world I’m looking for is too noisy for any answers but also too silent for answers. It’s a contradiction but I came to that conclusion. I actually searched and continue to search by living my destiny. I want to find my Inner peace.

Millorca will research with his team members the conditions on the new continent. Meanwhile, I will examine the surrounding ocean by driving a small, sophisticated boat. After Morgan landed his plane in a wide area, we got out of the plane. I was the first person to set foot on that continent. I felt the ground was wet and soft as I expected. How could it not be, this continent was just formed a week ago. The formation of this continent caused the world to feel an earthquake within two days. A week ago I was attending a meeting with the central council when suddenly the shock occurred. State officials were angry and blamed scientists and geological technicians for the earthquake problem that occurred. The reason the officials were angry was because there was no notification that an earthquake would occur. Because in this era, technology is so advanced that it can detect an earthquake when it occurs. It is no longer in the estimating or prediction stage. Technology is now very capable of knowing when an earthquake will occur. High-rise buildings should be able to withstand earthquakes that occur. True, but the earthquake that occurred was very strong and exceeded the existing scale limits. But strangely, no buildings collapsed or roads split as a result of the earthquake. Everything is very normal.

Therefore, we immediately created a team to carry out investigations and investigations. So I arrived on this continent. Millorca and I divided the mission and he walked with his group to the west while I and my team went east. Given five people it’s actually very few but they are the best people. I know them all. Jensen, physicist. A 37 year old bald-headed man with two wives and three children. Two from the first wife and one from the second wife. He has a happy life even though his household is divided. Second, Mike, a statistician whose hobby is sleeping with young women. He is 40 years old but is very great at serving 4 women at once. His scandal with one of the wives of high-ranking officials meant he had to be thrown out of the center so he was placed in my city. Third, Tom, a quiet man. A scientist in the field of chemistry. He once won a Nobel and he was very intelligent. He is very handsome but has a bad attitude. He is a very cold person. He doesn’t care and he’s a little arrogant. He rejected many women outright but loved one of the women in my group, namely Alicia. Yes, the fourth is Alicia. She is Morgan’s girlfriend and they will soon be married. Alicia is an expert in the field of Biochemistry and she once had an argument with Millorca who felt she knew more than Alicia in her field. Alicia has gone to Mars with Morgan and Mike to research. Fifth, is Russell, a big and strong man. He is a doctor and also an expert in software. He is a good man and loves his family very much even though his only daughter suffers from a genetic disease that makes her unable to walk.

Russel once asked me to make an artificial neural device that could connect it to the brain’s working system so that it could be used on his daughter’s legs so that she could walk normally. At that time, I had absolutely no idea about making such things. He was desperate before his very beautiful wife named Veronica came to me carrying her daughter in her arms and begged me very sadly. Long story short, I succeeded in making and creating a great new discovery. I never imagined it either but it really happened. Now, their child named Jenny can walk normally. Russel and his family never forgot my service and since then we have been close and friends. However, what Russel didn’t know was that I had to spend five days not sleeping to make that thing. However, my hard work paid off by getting a Nobel prize and making Tom, who used to look down on me, finally respect me. Because, after that, I won three more Nobel prizes with my latest discoveries. So that’s why I am called the best and greatest scientist. Because the awards I received were all very high and prestigious awards.

We reached the edge of the continent, namely a sloping beach that leads directly to the rocks located near the coast. I built a tent with help from Mike and Jensen. Meanwhile, Tom, without saying much, immediately took soil and sea water samples with Russel. Alicia maps the surrounding environment by flying a fist-sized drone and the personal computer she carries in digital form.

“Where is the boat?” Mike asked. “I want to go back soon and have fun with Rebecca.”

“The boat was there near the beach where Tom and Russell were. Rebecca, what other woman is Mike?” Jensen teased.

Mike smiled wryly. “None of your business Papa.”

I laughed at their little fight. Mike and Jensen are actually close friends so they always have small fights.

“Has the Statue finished taking samples?” Mike complained. He is the chattiest member.

“Why do you always call it a statue?” I asked.

“He almost never talks.”

“Who?” Jensen asked butting into the conversation. He turned his attention to Tom who was on the coast. “He?”

“Who else?”

“He’s like that. Never mind, don’t bother him.” I said.

“I don’t like boring and serious people. They have no humor at all. Their life is so cold and monotonous. It sucks.” Mike scoffed.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him. In fact, if I’m honest, I don’t like your chatty attitude, friend.” I said frankly.

Mike laughed. “I like people like you. You speak plainly.”

After that we finished building the tent and rested. Tom and Russell titrate and mix on the coast. They are researching the ingredients in their samples. They looked very serious.

“Friends!” Alicia exclaimed. “I discovered something strange. Come here quickly!”

I and the others immediately approached Alicia. Russel also came over. Except for Tom who remains focused on his work. We all huddled around Alicia and observed the oddities that Alicia found on her monitor screen. A 3D image showing this continent and all its contours. Complete with the surrounding conditions down to the details. Alicia pointed to a spot in the middle of the center that was sending the signal.

“What’s that?” Alicia asked with great curiosity.

Jensen, who previously seemed so joking, now turned very serious. He stared at the screen carefully. “I think it’s a magnetic field.”

“But why can the magnetic field transmit some kind of signal?” Russel asked, doubting Jensen’s opinion.

“I think I agree with Russell. It might not be a magnetic field.” Mike replied. “That’s some kind of signal.”

“But why does it have properties like a magnetic field?” Alicia asked.

“What do you think about this Jensen? You’re an expert at this.” Mike said.

Jensen scratched his nose nervously. “I can’t just guess.” Jensen looked at us all. “We have to go there to find out.”

I and the others looked at each other in doubt.

“Are you sure about this Jensen?” Alicia asked looking skeptical.

“I am very confident.” Jensen answered firmly.

“What if we don’t find anything there?”

“Alicia is right. What if we don’t find anything there? Remember, Jensen, over the past hundred years the magnetic field on Earth has shifted and the signals emitted by radio waves have also shifted very much. Don’t make a mistake in doing this.” Russell said.

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement with what Russell said.

“I want to know what happened. I think we should go there.” Said Tom, who came to join.

I agree with Tom and Jensen. “I guess we should try to find out.”

“We can’t just decide. We are a team and don’t endanger the team.” Alicia said protesting.

Mike looked at me. “You are the leader of this group. The decision is in your hands.”

Honestly, I felt very excited by the mystery that appeared on the monitor screen. My curiosity suddenly hunted and oppressed my soul. I knew I would also endanger the team if I acted rashly. But the opportunity may not come twice. So I decided to go to that place.

I saw doubt, fear, and disapproval on Mike, Russel, and Alicia’s faces. But they still agreed because my decision as chairman was absolute. Because of that, we flew to that area, accompanied by Morgan. We were forced not to use the boat that we were supposed to use at sea to carry out research.

“We should have stayed where we were.” Alicia grumbled.

She looked at me with disapproval. It seems like she really doesn’t agree with my decision.

“What if Millorca finds out about this? He will definitely be very angry.”

Jensen snorted in amusement.

Alicia turned her head in annoyance. “Sorry, is something wrong Jensen?”

Jensen laughed for a moment. “Sorry, this is too ridiculous. Millorca, he’s a humanoid. How could he be angry?”

“He’s programmed to follow rules and carry out orders!” Alicia exclaimed in a high voice.

“Never mind Jensen. Don’t fish this too far.” I said to Jensen.

Alicia came over to me and pointed at me in the chest. “If something goes wrong later. You will be responsible for everything and I mean this.” She threatened me.

Russel embraced me in a friendly manner. “Calm down friend, even though I don’t agree with your decision. But I will still follow my leader.”

I was flattered by Russell’s words. I smiled and told him thank you. We were silent and didn’t speak for 15 minutes. I pay attention to all my friends. Jensen fell asleep for a moment. Even though the place we are going to visit looks quite close on the map, it is actually a long distance by plane. It took an hour. Even though the plane we were on was fast. This continent is very large and vast. Mike is enjoying watching videos of his vacation with his girlfriend while exploring space. When he and other expedition team members were on their way to visit Mars. Now in my time, people already live on Mars and they have founded civilization there. Although many of the main raw materials taken still come from the earth. First and foremost is water. They import a lot of sea water and then convert it into fresh water for their living needs there.

Even though humans have succeeded in living on Mars, the planet is lacking. The people there rely on materials to live from the Earth. Environmental and natural resource activists on Earth held massive demonstrations against this bad activity. Taking natural resources on Earth and depleting them. The activists move every month and Alicia is one of their members. He and Mike often disagree about life on Mars. Mike supports life on Mars as progress. Meanwhile, Alicia condemned it as an act that destroys life and the environment.

Russel was busy eating the bread and food his wife had made. Meanwhile, Tom silently stared at the world outside from behind the plane’s passenger window. I noticed that occasionally he stole glances at Alicia. What surprised me the most was that Alicia knew about it and she was also stealing glances at Tom. Sometimes they even looked at each other and when they looked away from each other, I saw Alicia smiling shyly and she was blushing. But Tom still looked flat and didn’t show any expression. But I’m sure he’s happy with what he just got. A meaningful look from Alicia’s beautiful green eyes.

“What are you reading?” Tom asked me. He very rarely starts a conversation unless it’s something that interests him and it seems like right now I’m quite catching his attention. Because he moved from where he was before and approached me who was sitting across from him.

I closed my reading book and looked at it at him. Tom took it and opened its contents. He seemed to like it. The book has a cover with a white background and a tree depicted entirely in black. The title is “Final resting place.”

“Tell me what is in this book?” Tom asked.

“The book tells the story of a man who lives in a world that always rejects his existence. According to his surroundings, he is unlucky and for himself, he is cursed. He is always rejected and thrown away. Until he finally found a place to run from the cruelty of the world. The final resting place for his sorrows.”

Tom listened seriously. After I explained it to him, he weighed the weight of the book in his hands. “Who is the main character?”

“Orhan who is a writer.”

“You like this type of story?” He sounded like he was interrogating me.

“I like stories about life. About the meaning of life.”

Tom stared at my book for a moment and politely said, “Can I borrow this?”

I love being able to share something I like with other people and of course I allow that.

“Of course you can borrow it.”

“Thank You.”

He returned to his seat and read my book. He drowned in it. Meanwhile, I noticed that Alicia was watching him all the time. She seemed annoyed because Tom was starting to ignore her signals of attention. Tom is like that. Sometimes he can seem like he pays attention to you and is interested in you and then he can very coldly ignore anyone. He doesn’t seem very interested in social interactions. His feelings often fluctuate and he is often quiet and very serious, stiff and cold.

“We have arrived guys!” Morgan exclaimed, appearing from behind the pilot’s room.

“Okay, okay. It’s show time.” Russell said.

“I guess I really have to find out something in this new place.” Mike said.

“I hope everything will go well.” Alicia said to me in a threatening tone.

Morgan woke Jensen who was sleeping. Jensen woke up and blinked. He then went to wash his face. Tom immediately got off the plane and was the first person to set foot on that place. We all went down and Jensen was the last to join.

I looked up and was surprised to find that as far as my eyes could see in front of me there was a mountain whose height according to my calculations was 9,000 meters. Much higher than Mount Everest.

“It couldn’t have happened overnight.” Alicia said, half amazed and half doubtful.

“Approximately how tall is it? I will bet.” Mike said to all of us. “In my opinion, 8,950 meters.”

Tom took out a gadget-like tool that we call Remote Sensing Calculation (RSC). The tool is like when we use a gadget. It only needs to be directed at the object you want to observe and then as if taking a photo, the tool will calculate something, even the temperature and composition of the materials contained in an object or environment. The tool is very sophisticated. You can even map anything in an instant.

“It is 9,010 meters high.” Tom said.

I’m a little glad my calculations weren’t too far off.

“Crazy, so high.” Russell said in amazement.

“Is this mountain the one emitting that strange signal?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know. But it might be true.” Jensen replied.

“In my opinion, something inside is sending that signal.” I said.

“Well, we have to find out.” Mike said.

We also drove a car called Rover. This tool is a vehicle that can pass through various kinds of obstacles. This vehicle is capable of passing through muddy roads, rocks and ice. The rover was only able to pass through that area. It cannot stand fire and is easily destroyed. Actually, the Rover is an ancient object that is still used today. The Rover can accommodate up to ten passengers. Since there were six of us, the rest was filled with our belongings. Morgan stayed put and set up a tent to await our return. He and Alicia kiss before leaving. I glanced at Tom, wanting to know how he would react to that. He didn’t react in any way, he just kept quiet as usual and ignored whatever other people were doing.

“Hey, you’re so quiet.” Said Mike who approached Tom and embraced him. “You very rarely speak. “I’m starting to get suspicious, are you a humanoid sent by that bastard Millorca to spy on us?”

I almost laughed when I heard that. I think it’s too much for Mike not to know the real difference between Humanoids and humans. I saw Tom look at him seriously and take out a loaf of bread which he had tucked into his coat. When he got out of the plane, Tom wore a coat because the air outside the plane was very cold. It wasn’t just Tom himself who was wearing a jacket, but so were we. Tom handed Mike the bread he had and said to him defiantly.

“You want to prove I’m not a humanoid? Feed me that bread and you’ll see the difference.”

Mike shrugged. “I don’t think I need to.”

“Indeed not.” Tom replied coldly.

We use Rover. Russel served as driver. He is indeed quite skilled at driving compared to the rest of us. I was in the middle and sat next to Mike. Russel and Jensen sat together in the front seat. Meanwhile, Tom and Alicia sat together in the back. I glanced for a moment, Alicia was embarrassed and her face was constantly red. However, Tom did not show any interest or concern for her. He remained focused on paying attention to his surroundings. The Rover doesn’t have a cover, it’s like a Sports car. So, if it rains, we will all get soaked.

“T-what book is that Tom?” Alicia asked nervously. She sounded like she was trying her hardest just to start a conversation with Tom.

Tom glanced at it for a moment and handed it to Alicia. “You can read the title, right?”

Alicia held the book which was mine. Alicia looked sad about Tom’s cold attitude, but she understood it and knew enough about his attitude.

“Is the story good?” Alicia tried to sound friendly and welcoming to Tom.

Tom just glanced at him and didn’t say anything.

Alicia smiled wryly. “I guess I’ll have to find out for myself.”

We were all silent listening to their conversation. I saw Mike looking at me with an expression that said, ‘I feel sorry for Alicia.’

“Okay, we’re here.” Russel said breaking the silence between all of us.

“Okay, let’s go down.” Mike said and he went down first.

Tom and Jensen carried things while Mike analyzed the surroundings with the projector glasses he had. This tool is glasses that can observe anything in the environment down to every detail contained in even a stone. Composition and even down to the elements. The tool is called a Glass Projector. Usually abbreviated as GP.

“What did you find Mike?” Jensen asked.

“These rocks are formed from Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Everything is the same as on the land where we live.” Mike said.

“I saw something strange there.” I said and pointed to a plain that led downwards like it formed a cliff and a deep ravine.

Everyone came up to me and was shocked to see what I showed them.

“It’s a cave.” Alicia said not believing her eyes. “That cave is very, very big.”

Everyone was very surprised. Even Tom showed the same expression of surprise as us. Very different from usual who is always indifferent to anything.

“That’s so crazy!” Russell said. “Is that really a cave?”

“How could it be so big?” Jensen asked in amazement.

“Are there super-large creatures living in it?” That might sound stupid. But Alicia was really scared.

“Stupid.” Tom teased.

Alicia turned to him and pouted. “You don’t know how scared I was!” She complained accompanied by a blush on his face. She doesn’t seem very capable of being angry and annoyed with Tom.

Tom didn’t reply to Alicia’s words. He just ignored it. But I could see a little, he was smiling faintly, almost invisible to anyone. I think Alicia saw it too and that’s why she smiled secretly after scolding Tom and seeing his smile. Alicia seemed happy with Tom’s little attention to her because her face was constantly red. I feel sorry for Morgan. What would happen if he found out that Alicia didn’t really love him? They will even get married soon.

“So what’s your decision chief?” Russell asked me.

I was pensive and sat on a large rock thinking about the steps I should take. Everyone looked at me.

“Who intends to go there and find out?” I asked them and looked at them one by one.

“I.” Tom answered firmly.

“You’re kidding, right?” Alicia looked at him and asked in disbelief. There was obvious concern on his face.

“Is there something wrong?” Tom asked back in surprise.

Alicia looked away sadly. “No. It’s just that it’s dangerous.”

Tom looked at him calmly. Alicia still looked away. She couldn’t help looking straight into Tom’s eyes.

“I will be back.” Tom said with full confidence and determination.

Alicia cried. She now doesn’t try to hide his feelings in the slightest.

“I will take your word for it.” Alicia looked at Tom earnestly. “Remember, you are leaving hope for someone.”

Tom looked surprised but he remained silent and he returned to being cold by ignoring Alicia’s attention. I don’t understand, what’s in his heart? He changes his attitude so easily.

“I’m coming too. My curiosity cannot be silenced.” Jensen said excitedly.

“I think I’ll stay here with this scared girl.” Mike said teasing Alicia.

Alicia stepped on Mike’s foot so hard that the man screamed in pain.

“I’m coming too. I want to know what’s in there.” Russell said.

“Okay, the ones going with me are Tom, Russel, and Jensen. The rest, Alicia and Mike will stay behind to guard the goods and wait for our return.” I said in conclusion.

We also prepare the tools and materials needed for the investigation.

“What did you bring?” Jensen asked Tom who saw him carrying a small stick like a stick with a sharp blade at the end. It was as long as Tom’s arm.

“Weapons just in case.” Tom said.

“I don’t think we need it.”

“I think we need it.”

“Tom is right, we don’t know what threats we will face in there. You better bring weapons.” I said.

So we armed ourselves with simple, highly sophisticated weapons. After that we left. Mike built a tent at our place as a post and to wait and guard our equipment. When we had just descended a little of the plain that sloped downwards, Alicia came and approached us. Tom to be precise.

“Please take good care of yourself.” Alicia said in a sad voice.

“Why are you paying attention to me?” Tom asked harshly.

“Tom,” I scolded. “Don’t question it. Appreciate what it does for you.”

Tom exhaled heavily. “Okay.”

Alicia took a photo from her coat pocket and gave it to Tom. “I-I-I’m sorry if I was presumptuous. But, will you return it to me when you come back?”

Tom stared at the photo for a moment. Photo of Alicia during college. She is very beautiful with her trendy clothes and beautiful green eyes in the photo. I once heard from Jensen that the two of them were actually college friends. She and Tom were even laboratory partners. Jensen himself is the lecturer and they are both the best students at the university. But Jensen said, something happened between them and made Tom distance himself from Alicia. I found out Tom loved Alicia from Russell. Because Russell’s wife, Veronica, is Alicia’s best friend.

Tom took the photo and put it in his jacket pocket. “Are you happy now?” Tom asked in a mocking tone.

Alicia didn’t seem to care and she smiled sincerely and lovingly. “Thank you Thomas.”

Tom nodded briefly and turned around and away from Alicia. He turned his head for a moment and said bitterly. “Don’t put me in a difficult situation. Poor Morgan. He loves you very much.”

Alicia froze in surprise hearing that and she felt very guilty. Alicia lowered her gaze and hugged herself.

We left her alone lost in thought. We descended down the steep slope and then walked for three hours to reach the giant cave. We arrived at dusk in front of this large, eerie and scary cave. Jensen turned on the automatic lights on all of our clothes. The cave was very dark and I could feel the aura of darkness inside.

“It’s too late to change your mind apparently.” Jensen joked.

We chuckled at Jensen’s joke.

“Are we going straight into the chairman?” Russell asked me.

“Have you assessed the surrounding environment?” I asked Tom.

Tom nodded without speaking.

“Okay, let’s go in.”

I’m the one at the front. The smell of the cave gave off a salty smell. Of course, this continent was formed not long ago and has been submerged in the sea for a long time. So it smells salty. However, the ground we stepped on was softer than the one outside. I walked down a mostly dark street. It was like a tunnel that led to the heart of the cave because the road we were on was so long. The road took us further and further from where we came.

“I don’t like us getting more isolated in here.” Russell grumbled.

“I don’t think we’ve seen what’s interesting here yet.” Jensen said. “Have you gotten any clues from the existing radar?” he asked Tom.

Tom shook his head. “There are no signs of anything.”

“Strange. The signal is coming from this place.” I said.

“Maybe Alicia is right.” Jensen said desperately. He was very excited to see what this place had in store.

We all sat quietly on a large rock in this cave. I looked at their faces one by one. Jensen and Russel sat gloomy and their eyes looked down. Meanwhile, Tom remained calm as usual. Suddenly a roar was heard and we were all very surprised. We all immediately got up and searched for the source of the sound. We walked quickly and chased each other.

“Fast! This can’t be missed!” Exclaimed Jensen who was running in front of us excitedly.

“We’d better be more careful.” Tom said stopping me from going after Jensen and Russel.

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

Tom looked worried. “I’m just worried. We’d better be more careful.”

I nodded in agreement with Tom’s words. “We’re going to be careful and figure it out.”

Tom nodded in agreement. Then, his cell phone rang and he took it from his clothes pocket. Are my eyes wrong? But what I saw was really true. The incoming call was from Alicia. I felt happy seeing Tom smile at what Alicia did for him. I was quite happy to see him appreciate Alicia’s little attention to him.

“Hello, Tom, are you okay in there? I heard a sound and I was worried.” Alicia said worriedly.

Tom answered dryly as usual. “I’m fine.” Tom’s answer was short, concise and clear.

“Be careful there. Take care of yourself, okay?” Alicia replied.

Tom immediately hung up the call. To me it was cruel but that was Tom’s nature.

After that we went for a walk together. Jensen and Russel were way ahead. We can still catch up with them because our cellphone screens already know where they are by tracking their footsteps. Tom and I walked side by side. I felt like I had to ask Tom something I’d wanted to ask for a long time. Maybe he won’t like me but I’m curious and ready for the consequences.

“Tom,”

Tom turned to look at me briefly. “What?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“Is it about that woman?” He asked casually as if he didn’t mind at all.

I was surprised that he could guess it correctly.

“H-how did you know?” I asked, still half surprised.

“I know everyone is curious about my attitude towards her. I also know that you are always watching us.”

“I apologize. I do not mean,”

“Never mind, I’m tired of making people curious and guessing.”

“I feel sorry for Alicia.”

Tom was silent for so long that I thought he was no longer interested in talking about this. But then he started talking.

“Me and Alicia are classmates. We are in the same major. However, the fields we work in are different. I am more interested in Physical Chemistry and Alicia prefers Biochemistry. Alicia and I first met in our chemistry majors. Alicia is the smartest student in my department. I used to admire her.”

Tom smiled at the memory. I was a little surprised to see a smile on Tom’s lips. He has a nice and sweet smile. He is much more handsome with a smile. He was silent for a moment then continued.

“I fell in love with her.”

“Until now?” I asked interrupting his words.

Tom smiled faintly. “Correct.”

“But why do you always act cold to her?”

“I used to be so crazy about her. Her white hair and beautiful green eyes. She is a very, very beautiful woman in my eyes. But she rejected me.”

I was surprised to hear that. “You ever confessed your feelings to him?”

Tom nodded. “I did that stupid thing and embarrassed myself for the rest of my life.”

“Why do you say that is the stupidest thing?”

Tom exhaled heavily. “I already knew that she would reject me.”

“Why?”

“I was a geeky and bookish kid. Meanwhile, Alicia is a famous woman and model at the University. She is a woman who is highly sought after by many men. Alicia is a smart woman and I also happen to be the smartest student. So, we met at the Laboratory and were made partners by Professor Levinsky.”

I smiled when I heard Professor Levinsky’s name mentioned. “I know Professor Levinsky.”

“Oh yes? Wow, interesting. Professor Levinsky, likes me and I’m his golden child. I was surprised to find out that I was partnered with Alicia to help her with her research.”

“Wait a minute, are you the head of Operation Steinehem in Weindaman country?” I asked in amazement.

“How do you know?” He asked in return.

“I know about the secret operation. So you are the one who caused that country to be able to regrow the plant population there which was starting to become extinct?”

“Correct. Me and my team did that.”

“Great.” I praised in awe.

“Thank You.” Tom replied humbly. “Alicia always feels superior and smarter than me. Ever since he found out that I was the head of that operations team, she always wanted to beat me. She considers me her rival. Gradually, she actually came to admire me. We are also a reliable partner. She became my deputy. We always walk together. We always spend time together. Then, Alicia fell in love with me.”

“Then why don’t you guys go together?”

Tom was silent for a long time before answering. “I am disappointed and hurt. I loved her so much but was so naive too. Until in the end, when she rejected me, my heart hurt and I was traumatized by her rejection. Even now I still love her. I’m honestly scared. I was always afraid to love other people and express my feelings. Ever since Alicia rejected me, my world collapsed. You may call me a coward but I won’t care. I spend my days alone in my room. Looking for my escape by focusing on my field. Focus on learning and have the ambition to be smarter than anyone. A dream I had from childhood. I thought, if I spent time diverting my thoughts to the field I was studying, I would forget about Alicia.

But apparently not. I can’t forget it. But I also don’t want to have any hopes for my fate with her. I don’t like to imagine that one day we will be together or something like that. Too sad and lame. I also realized that I probably wouldn’t be able to live with her. I’m not a rich person. She is beautiful and she has lived in luxury for a long time. So, there is a big gap between us that lies behind our social lives. So, I don’t want to expect anything and imagine anything between me and her. I was so devastated by her rejection and then Professor Levinsky came to help me out of my nightmare. He realized the intelligence I possessed and offered me a cure for my suffering.

I will realize my dream of winning the Nobel prize and becoming a great scientist. Then not long after I had the upper hand, I met you. I think you know how I used to be, right, so arrogant and underestimating you. But it turns out you made me realize that I was actually deceiving myself all this time. You’re much smarter than me. You are humble and you are far above me.”

“No Tom. I just did what I had to do. I just focus on my dreams. I never wanted anyone’s praise. I just want to change this world for the better. I never wanted to be taller than anyone. I just like working hard and the most important thing is that I am always curious to know.”

Tom smiled. “I know and you are smarter. You’re the greatest scientist. Don’t deny it. Therefore, I admire you.”

“I am honored to receive praise from a great professor like you, Thomas.” I said with all humility. “But please, don’t talk about me. I’m afraid I’ll get a big head.” I chuckled. “Back to Alicia okay?”

“Alright. Alicia fell in love with me and when I found out, I was half to death happy. But also half to death sad. Why does she only love me now when I can actually act normally with her as if I never loved her. She actually wasted someone who truly loved her and she didn’t realize it. She’s probably now half-dead hoping for my attention to return to the way it used to be. But I don’t want to say that it won’t happen. She just missed the opportunity to do so. Before.”

“But, she loves you now and will you hurt her heart?” I asked in a demanding tone. “She may not have thought much about you before but maybe now she does. Can’t that make you forgive her and respect her feelings?”

Tom looked at me coldly. He came back with his strange, annoying attitude. “I loved her too much and longed for her too much until she rejected me and made my heart freeze because of it. The only concern she gave me was her vehement refusal. You don’t know how traumatized I was with all the hopes I built for her only to see a terrible reality with everything I believed could make my life happy. I deceive myself too much. I was too stupid to love the wrong woman and therefore, I refused to show that concern. I do hurt myself and my heart over and over again in this way, but this is probably what was destined for me. I won’t possibly get it. What’s more, she is with Morgan and is going to marry him. So, we should all just be rational. Live our own lives and make each other’s dreams come true.” Tom said coldly.

I understand Tom still has high hopes for Alicia. But he was very disappointed and he was very hurt. Because he really loves Alicia. But the way he dashed his hopes for the happiness he longed for with Alicia, for me was too naive. He saw through the glasses the wound inside him. I really want to help him change his bad perspective. But I still won’t have much influence to convince him. Because all the changes came from his heart.

“I understand how you feel, Thomas. But, maybe sometimes you should change your point of view.”

“I'll try.” Tom replied briefly. “Have you ever loved a woman? I never heard or knew you had a past with women. Jensen has two wives. Russell has a wife. Mike has many girlfriends. Alicia, her, with Morgan. But you, I never heard of you with a woman. Why?”

I was silent for a moment. Stunned for a long time. Then i said, “I have never felt like loving a woman and being loved. I don’t know what it feels like and I think I’m afraid.” I said with complete honesty.

Tom placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

“You will definitely get it someday. Pure love and eternal love. Because you are a good person.”

I felt ashamed of myself at Tom’s praise.

“You praise me too much, Thomas.”

Tom smiled and walked ahead of me. It turns out that Thomas, who I once thought was an arrogant person, was actually a humble person. A very kind person and respects others. Maybe Alicia would really fall in love with him if she knew Tom’s true nature, which was very good. We caught up with Jensen and Russel who had already arrived at our destination. They stood in front of a huge hole that gaped open in the middle of the cave. Like a well. It’s dark and very deep inside.

“What took you so long?” Jensen asked in a displeased tone.

“We are lost.” Tom answered briefly.

I smiled hearing that.

“That’s why you should pay more attention to us and follow us well.”

“I don’t think you should say that.” Tom threatened. He didn’t hide his annoyed expression.

“Why?” Jensen challenged.

Tom brought his face closer to Jensen and looked at him closely.

“You are not the leader of this team. You don’t have any authority.” Tom said softly.

“I know that but you guys are wasting time with your stupid conversations.” Jensen snapped.

Tom is holding his hand tightly and I’m sure whenever he wants to do it, he will and it will end badly for Jensen. I just can’t imagine what it would be like. Therefore, in order to avoid lasting problems, I put my hand on Tom’s shoulder and asked him to just stop and calm down.

“I apologize. I am wrong. I should have directed you instead of having to wait for me.” I said humbly.

“You should have thought like that earlier, chief.” Jensen said mockingly.

Tom wanted to attack Jensen again but I held him back. I don’t want any feud between us. This is also my fault so I take responsibility by apologizing and returning to focus on the mission. We all turned our attention back to the big hole. Tom uses an automatic sensor tool that can record and map the environment even down to the deepest part of the hole. Tom stiffened. We all turned to him.

“What is it?” Russell asked in a worried tone.

“You won’t believe what I see.” Tom said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He handed me the tool which we called the Analytical Environment Database Calculation or Environmental Analysis Calculation Database, abbreviated as AEDC. The tool is like a ball that is the size of a palm and has a fingerprint sensor on the top to open access for the user. The tool will then do its job automatically once it has been accessed and only the user can use it. This means that the data immediately becomes a patent belonging to the user so that other scientists cannot plagiarize their work. The tool was made by me and I only made 15 of them. All of this has spread throughout the world. I left one for Tom when we were partners in the laboratory analyzing the DNA of blue whale fossils in the waters south of Guyonoki Island.

I stared at the screen that displayed data on the environmental contours of the cave and the large hole. I was astonished. Of course now I understand why Tom’s expression suddenly stiffened. I saw a smooth object inside the AEDC. According to Russell’s estimates, the object appears to be a smooth rock with a surface that can reflect light and signals. According to Jensen, the stone can absorb sounds and vibrations and then transmit them in various directions. Our speculation came to the conclusion that this object was causing the signal we got some time ago.

“We need to go back and discuss this again with Mike and Alicia.” Said Jensen who was starting to forget our little fight earlier.

I nodded in agreement. “We have to go there and it looks like we have to come back here tomorrow.”

Tom and Russell also nodded in agreement. We decided to go back to join Alicia and Mike who were outside waiting for us. However, after we arrived near the mouth of the cave, we were surprised by what we found. Dawn began to rise and we walked out to greet the dawn appearing on the horizon.