Author: Kate Leslie
Category: Other
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/kate-leslie/561377-the_project_project_2080_book_1.html
The Project
Kate Leslie
Translation: Holger and Lori Flock (buchuebersetzer.webs.com)
Cover: Geopherae
Copyright © 2020 Kate Leslie.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
“You worked for the machines. It should be the other way around, machines should be making our jobs easier, but no, we work for them.”
Man 2.0. A sinister plan. Humanity lost?
Would you trade your emotions against an eternal life?
In a society ruled by a new generation of people who are more machine than human, where emotions are considered a weakness, 17-year-old Mia and her two-year younger brother Ben are left on their own after the death of their parents. While Mia takes a job to support them, Ben stays in school. On a day that begins like any other, there is talk of an attack. The target: Ben’s school. By the time Mia arrives, Ben has already been taken to an undisclosed location and Mia is not given any information about it. A stranger offers to help and, in her desperation, Mia accepts. He introduces her to a group of drop-outs, where Mia meets the witty and rebellious siblings Vi and Phil, who become allies in her search for her brother.
Meanwhile Ben and his classmates are taken to a military base to be trained as soldiers. To fight who? Their own kind. With a system of punishment and reward, the students are manipulated to obey orders and even report on their friends.
Julian
“Lukas Pohl and his group of terrorists are quickly gaining influence.”
Julian leaned back in his chair and fixed the man who had just spoken with an observant stare. Severin Will, one of his longtime friends. Severin’s brow was creased with worry. There were dark circles under his eyes. Julian could not help but notice that Severin was becoming increasingly negligent with his appearance.
Julian raised his gaze to the mirror on the opposite wall. His eyes met with those of a young, handsome man, appearing no older than twenty-one.
It was all that mattered in this shallow society. If you had the looks, success was almost inevitable. And a little money on the side opened every door. The money was the only thing he felt grateful for towards his father. He had left Julian with quite a fortune and with it the possibility to arrange life according to his wishes. But beyond that, he had left him little else.
“Severin, you look tired. You should take a couple of days off. You need to relax,” Julian said.
“How am I to rest? Pohl and his gang of criminals are causing me a severe headache.” Severin leaned forward and rested an elbow on Julian’s writing desk, which Julian noted with a raised eyebrow.
“Julian,” Severin pleaded, “you ought not to take them lightly. They start to pose a serious threat.”
Julian remained unfazed. He allowed himself a little smile, upsetting Severin even more.
„You know as well as I do,“ Severin continued, “in numbers, the filth is still superior to us. If Pohl manages to get them on his side, we will lose everything.”
Julian’s mind was drawn to Emilie. She was one of them. Filth – as Severin referred to them. Simple people, people without technical enhancements. They were a dying breed and stubborn Emilie would soon be dead too. It gave him a moment of regret on her behalf, not on that of the others. You could not hold back progress. You had to embrace the future. Progress in science had created a new race. Stronger, with a longer lifespan. However, Earth’s resources were limited and man’s longer lifespan would lead to overpopulation. Only one race could survive. As nature had always intended, it was the survival of the fittest.
Pohl and his followers had armed themselves and occupied a military base at the coastline near Porta Deus. The military had not yet managed to end their reign there. The base was located at a spot where it was hard to attack and heavily armed. Porta Deus was the main production site of the defense industry. It was Pohl’s hometown and he had many underground contacts there. Recently, he had tried to win over the public by addressing them in a broadcasted message, sowing dissatisfaction. Protests followed which where nipped in the bud. The population where too scared of repressions. A public display of strength, namely an execution or two, was all that it took to keep the common people in check.
It should have been impossible for Pohl to air the message. Still he had succeeded. The communication engineers had managed to intercept all following attempts. Naturally, Pohl could not be allowed to continue along this path. Luckily, he was still only a local disturbance. Should he reach more people, he could infect the whole country.
However, this “crises”, as Severin liked to call it, had brought Severin to the edge and had revealed his true nature. Severin was a weakling, an embarrassment. He was hardly better than those he called “filth”, but he was rich and knew the right people. So, Julian had to put up with him.
Julian sighed. “Don’t worry. The terrorists will be dealt with. A plan has been in the works for a while. We just need to implement it faster.” He pressed a button on the intercom integrated in his writing desk and asked to be connected to General Roth, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“President DeWitt,” Roth answered the call almost immediately.
“I want you to set our project in motion,” replied Julian.
For a long moment, there was silence on the other end of the line. Roth cleared his throat. “We are not ready yet. We need a little more time”, he said hesitantly.
“It starts tomorrow,” commanded Julian with finality and ended the call. With a smirk, he eyed Severin again. “If Pohl wants to play war, I will build an army to meet his.”
1
Mia
“Ben!” Mia faced the door of her brother’s room and knocked. “Ben,” she called out louder. When she still did not receive an answer, she entered his room. Ben was asleep in his bed. He obviously had not heard her knock. Walking to the window to open the curtains, she stumbled over his school uniform that lay discarded on the floor. “Oh, Ben,” she groaned. "How many times do I have to remind you to hang up your clothes properly, especially your school uniform?” Sullenly, she picked them up. The clothes were all wrinkled. Now who was going to iron them, certainly not her because she had to leave for work right away. A glance at Ben’s bed told her he was still sleeping soundly, which she would put an end to now. Mia yanked the curtains apart and purposefully marched to his bed. How could anyone sleep so deeply? Ben had most likely spent half the night in front of his computer, as he did too often. He planned to become a programmer once he finished school. It would have made their parents so proud.
Mia’s gaze was drawn to the framed family photo on the shelf above Ben’s bed. It had been taken on one of her mother’s birthdays. Everyone was beaming at the camera. It had been a happy day. To celebrate, their father had taken them out to a restaurant. That had not happened often since money had always been tight. Although they had done relatively well compared to other families in District 2 for both parents had earned wages.
Three years ago, Mia’s parents had died in an explosion at the chemical plant where they had both worked. Mia and Ben had been left alone with no relatives to lend a hand. Ben had just turned twelve and Mia had been fourteen. Though they had received compensation from the company, it had not lasted long. They had had to give up the apartment and move into a smaller place in a cramped residential complex. The new place was on the fifth floor. It consisted of two small bedrooms, a main room that was the living room, kitchen, and foyer all in one, and a tiny bathroom the size of a shower
stall.
Soon after, Mia had quit school to start a job. She gained employment at a supermarket where she had been an unskilled laborer performing tasks such as stocking shelves. Once the compensation had been exhausted, they could not make ends meet and Mia had to take a second job working three night shifts a week at the local hospital. Through a doctor, she became a nanny for a family from District 1.
The majority of residents in District 1 in her hometown of Filiae were new generation people, so-called New Humans. New Humans had improved their capabilities through technical enhancements, which covered just about everything.
It had begun with implants from the entertainment industry that stimulated the senses, allowing people to immerse themselves in virtual worlds. Soon after, artificial limbs indistinguishable from real ones were introduced and then artificial organs that extended life expectancies. So, if an organ failed, it only needed to be replaced. Lastly, an implantable cerebral interface was developed that allowed the transfer of memories so humans were no longer bound to their physical form. Now anything was possible.
However, enhancements were only available to those with financial means. The New Human was superior to original mankind, also called natural man, in terms of strength and efficiency. Since New Humans considered natural man inferior due to susceptibility to diseases, and incapable to function properly, they were looked down upon and banished to live on the margins of society.
The Ahlers family, for whom Mia worked, were New Humans. Though the parents had undergone several enhancements, their daughter Ava, who Mia looked after, was, for the most part, original as far as that could be said about new generation children. After all, a child’s physical characteristics and capabilities could be selected. Children were “grown in a lab” with genetic material from their parents.
August Ahlers was employed by the city administration. Mia barely saw him. His wife Mara Ahlers did not work. Her purpose in life was parties and the latest gossip. Ava, the little daughter, was a nice girl. All in all, it was a good job, even though Mara Ahlers made life hard for Mia. The most important aspect was that the job paid the bills.
Mia took her eyes off the photograph and instead, looked at Ben’s face, which resembled hers, with his high cheekbones, straight nose and full lips. As an adolescent, Ben was currently in a difficult period in his life. Not a child anymore, yet not grown up. Mia gently shook his shoulder. “Ben.”
“Mmmm.” Ben finally moved yet made no effort to get up.
Once again, Mia shook his shoulder, albeit this time with more force. “Ben! Get up!”
“It’s way too early,” Ben grumbled, though at least he made eye contact. “Let me snooze a little longer.”
Mia sighed. “And when I come home from work you will still be lying in bed or sitting in front of your computer.”
At last, Ben sat up and glared at Mia through sleepy eyes. His brown hair was disheveled and stood out at all angles, definitely time for a cut. It was too long according to the dress code at school. He rubbed his eyes. “Come on, Mia, don’t be so strict.”
“One of us needs to be.” Frustrated, Mia shook her head and turned away. At least Ben should have the opportunity to get off the treadmill and make something out of his life. And in order to get a good job, he needed a degree. Mia went to the door and turned to face him. “So, now what, Ben? You know I can’t be late. Mrs. Ahlers does not appreciate it.”
Ben stifled a yawn. “Your boss treats you like a slave.”
“Perhaps, but the job pays the rent.” Mia went to her room, put on her jacket, and grabbed her bag.
When she faced the door, Ben was leaning against the doorframe. “I know. I’m sorry, Mia,” he said ruefully. He flattened his hair with his hands. At the age of 15, Ben was as tall as Mia, but soon he would tower over her.
Walking by him, she ran her fingers through his hair and messed it up again. “You can’t look too neat or you might not be recognized.”
“You’re always picking on me.” Ben could not resist a grin.
Mia patted his shoulder. “Hurry up, you have to leave soon too. I’ll see you tonight.” She hurried to the door. “And don’t forget your lunch.”
“Yes, Mia. No need to remind me of that. I’m not a child anymore,” Ben called after her.
As Mia stepped outside, she was instantly enveloped by a warm haze. This part of the city was constantly polluted since the big factories here shot soot out their tall chimneys around the clock, even the facades of the congested skyscrapers had a permanent coating. Respiratory diseases were not uncommon.
Mia hurried to the subway and scrambled down the stairs two at a time to the platforms. Below ground, the smells were even more uncomfortable than at street level. It reeked of cheap booze, urine, and every effluvium the human body could produce.
Mia managed to hop on the train just before the doors closed. Puffing, she dropped onto the next empty seat and retrieved a book from her bag. She used the commute to educate herself, wanting to earn a GED as a self-taught student. She had quit school at 14, a year younger than Ben was now. Most likely, he would graduate first.
“You’re reading a printed book? That’s rare nowadays. Back in my youth, there were printed books. Today, everything is digital.” Mia stopped reading and looked up. Across from her sat an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a benevolent smile.
“This is an old math book. I bought it from a used bookshop.” Mia held up the cover so he could read it. “That has not changed over time.”
“You are right. Two and two still equals four.” he smiled. “I miss the old books,” he said wistfully, “having actual pages to turn and the smell. It’s like missing old friends. Hardly anyone reads nowadays. I loved to read adventure stories when I was a kid. I immersed myself in the stories, it was like I was living another life. Nowadays, it’s all about gathering information. Everything has become too impersonal. Do you read many books?”
Mia shook her head. “Only textbooks. And most are in digital form. My brother still goes to school. Sometimes I borrow his tablet.” She thoughtfully caressed the cover of the math book. “Sadly, we cannot afford to buy books for pleasure.”
“That’s too bad.” The gentleman’s voice was full of regret. “That’s the problem nowadays: Life is a struggle for survival and we’ve accepted it.”
The conversation was interrupted when they reached the checkpoint for District 1. The two districts were separated to protect the inhabitants of District 1 and naturally, their possessions. As was common, two controllers accompanied by several guards boarded the train to scan ID cards and, providing there were no complaints or a conviction of a criminal offense, you could continue the journey and enter District 1. New Humans were in charge of the judiciary system since they were not guided by emotions in their judgments. Usually, trials lasted one day, which ended with the judgments. Sentences were harsh to discourage violating the law.
Though there was nothing wrong with Mia’s ID card, she was still nervous every time she went through the checkpoint. She might have permission to enter District 1 since she worked for the Ahlers household, but the privilege could always be taken away from her, at which time, she would lose her job too.
The controller stopped at the bench where Mia sat and wordlessly held out his hand. Mia handed him her identification card. He scanned it with his reader and instantly a humming sounded. Her card had been accepted. Without looking at Mia, the controller handed her ID card back, then held out his hand for the identity card of the elderly gentleman and scanned it. No humming sounded; instead, the scanner displayed a message. The controller signaled two guards to come over, who grabbed and pulled up the older man by the shoulders. The controller sternly eyed Mia. “Are you two traveling together?”
Before Mia could reply, the old man shook his head. “No, we are strangers.”
The controller continued staring at Mia thoughtfully. “You have been cleared,” he finally said. “So, every
thing should be fine for you, just make sure you do not attract attention again. I’ll add a note to your data.”
As soon as the older gentleman was removed from the train, it continued its journey. The remaining passengers started to whisper assumptions. Mia leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees, and buried her face in her hands. Adding a note to her data could cost her permission to enter District 1, resulting in the loss of her job.
The train pulled into Mia’s station and she exited on wobbly legs. Once outside the station, she took a deep breath and continued her commute on foot. The stark contrast between the streets of District 1 and those in her neighborhood never failed to surprise her. Here, streets were bright and spacious and the houses had shiny glass facades. There were also many green areas, thus fresh air. You immediately felt free.
Along the right side of the road was a park that Mia never walked through since following the road was shorter. Today, however, she felt the urge to enter and involuntarily slowed her pace. The path cut through green grounds with bushes and trees pruned into geometric shapes. A statue stood in the middle of the park surrounded by flowerbeds with ornamental plants. The statue portrayed President Julian DeWitt. Mia knew his face from the public news channel that broadcasted all over the city. She and Ben did not own a TV. The president gave speeches on important occasions and holidays, which were basically the same each time. He praised the achievements of their society, the opportunities technical enhancements provided each individual, and all the freedom people had. Mia wondered if he was even aware of natural humans’ poor living conditions, the ones who could not afford technical enhancements, the ones who faced poverty and spreading diseases. Disgusted, she turned away from the statue.