Jacob’s Log, Entry 18964

“The end is near. I can hear my hands trembling. I can smell my own fear. It has come to this – a man without past is going to save the future…”

Jake and Romulus flew into HQ. Ryan stayed behind to help Sylvia with the shuttle docking procedures. Burns was expecting them. They told them everything. He seemed worried. He pressed a button on his desk and his voice hovered through the entire hall.

“Emergency briefing in 5 minutes! Be there!”

He then took some folders from the drawer and headed for the briefing room.

“Jake, Romulus, you too”, he shouted before he entered the room.

Ten minutes later the entire Resistance personnel was sitting in the briefing room. Anticipation and alarm was in the air. Burns started to speak.

“Until now you’ve always followed me. You’ve followed the cause of the Resistance without questioning it for a second. You’ve proven yourself noble and worthy. It’s time you knew what you were fighting for!

Eons ago the universe was ruled by the Arunites – incredibly wise and intelligent humanoid creatures. Their technology surpassed everything the Earth Concordat had ever seen. Nonetheless we won. The Arunites fled to this system. Earth started conquering their colonies one by one. They would soon reach Morningstar – the last outpost of the Arunites. Then it happened. The greatest wonder of technology the universe has ever seen! The Arunites used a cloaking device to hide the entire system…and they succeeded.”

The room gasped with amazement. It was getting noisy.

“Quiet”, Burns continued the story. “Soon after the cloaking the Earth Concordat captured the last remaining Arunite colonies. The last outpost of the Arunites turned into their final resting place. There are no resources on Morningstar. There is no food source. The only thing the planet has is water. Soon diseases struck the population and the Arunite knowledge and wisdom slowly began to die along with their civilization. Eons later the generators powering the cloaking field stopped. Imagine Earth’s surprise when an uncharted system appeared in the middle of the Empire! Morningstar was quickly colonized and a government set up. Razor Stone was appointed governor. He delved deep into the secrets of the system and found out about the Arunites and their lost knowledge. He learned of the key to the universe – “Control them four and you’ll rule all.” Since then he has been trying to colonize and control all four planets of Morningstar system. Razor Stone became the Overmind. I was appointed vice-governor and Stone’s right hand. As you may have already guessed I didn’t agree with his plans. That’s how the Resistance was born.

Now thanks to Jacob and Romulus we know where the Disruptor is. We must get to it! We must use it to destroy Morningstar Prime!”

Eerie silence befell the room. Most of these people had families on Morningstar Prime. Now their leader wanted from them to fight for their annihilation.

“I am sorry”, Burns continued. “We cannot kill the Overmind with such inferior numbers. Our only hope lies in the Disruptor. We must destroy one of the planets. Then the four will never be controlled and the universe will be forever saved. I cannot order you to do this. Those who still want to follow me – meet me in the hangars. All others…I wish you a safe trip to Morningstar Prime. I’ll pray for your quick and merciful deaths at the hands of the Overmind’s drones.”

Ryan stood up.

“No! No one is to leave! We’ve pledged our lives to the Resistance! We willingly forsake our loved ones to save the universe! There is no going back!”

His words went like a static charge through the room. People stood up and cheered with hands in the air. Burns felt his eyes watering. These men would follow him to their death if he wanted to. He quickly left the room and headed for the hangar. There was much work to be done

* * *

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“We’ve tracked Romulus Rayne’s DNA to Morningstar II.”

The Overmind sharply turned around.

“Gather the drones! Send as much troops as possible to the Colony Centre! Those pathetic weaklings are going for the Disruptor!”

* * *

In less than an hour the jungles of Morningstar II were shaking and quaking to the sounds of speeders and shuttles heading for the Colony Centre. Burns was giving final instructions on the radio.

“We cannot win this fight. It is only a matter of time before their reinforcements from Morningstar Prime arrive. We have to hold the line. Jacob, Romulus and Ryan will land at the back of the complex. Their task is to sneak inside and find the Disruptor and fire at Morningstar Prime and the Overmind. We have to buy them enough time to do that! God be with you all! We Shall Prevail!”

As they approached the Colony Centre the giant anti-air batteries opened fire. The Battle of Morningstar II had begun.

Jacob and Romulus were in a speeder driven by Ryan. They were approaching the complex from the jungle. One kilometer before the gates they left the speeder and waited. They heard the batteries and the sounds of a battle raging in the skies above them. Soon the ground troops should land and then they will be able to move. “We shall prevail!” came from the complex. The troops were attacking. Jake saw the guards at the back gate retreating inside to aid their comrades in the front. Now was the time! They ran towards the gate and undisturbed entered the complex.

Sylvia contacted them on the radio.

“There is a very tall tower near the back entrance. If I know my ballistics it is the best spot for an interplanetary weapon. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have troops to protect”

The three men hurried up the stairs avoiding patrols and troops rushing down to help guard the gates.

They heard Sylvia again.

“What the–?! Reavers!!! They’re-“those were her last words. The Overmind’s reinforcements had arrived.

Ryan fell on his knees grasping his blaster rifle.

“Ryan?” Romulus touched him on the shoulder.

“Go…just go. I’ll teach these pieces of junk what it means to anger Ryan of the Resistance!”

“What?! No! We need you!” Jacob tried to reason with him.

“No. Leave him.” Romulus looked down. “He knows what he has to do.”

With a vicious roar Ryan charged the next room killing the drones with his blaster. They eventually overwhelmed him but Jake and Romulus were far away by then.

They were now standing at the door to the Disruptor control room. There were some drones inside. They weren’t expecting an attack so they were easy prey. Jacob immediately started studying the controls.

“I hear troops!” Romulus was standing near the door and looking at the staircase. “Stay here!” He shouted to Jake and went out.

Jacob heard the door being welded shut by his blaster from the outside. He left the controls and ran to it. He banged and shouted.

“Do it Jake!” He heard Romulus’ voice. “Blast that damn planet and send the Overmind to me. I’ll be waiting in Hell!”

Series of blasters followed. No matter how much Jacob shouted Romulus never answered back. Jake returned to the controls.

Input Coordinates: Morningstar Prime

Blast Power Regulator: Maximum Power

Aiming Weapon…

Initiating Firing Sequence…

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Firing Weapon…

Jacob’s Log, Entry Unknown

“It has been done. Morningstar Prime crumbled under the powerful blast of the Disruptor. Watching an entire planet collapse into dust I stood there thinking. What if we hadn’t made it? What if the Disruptor was aimed towards Earth? What if… That was in the past now. Like my life. Like my friends. Like my family. I’ve annihilated them all along with 10 billion other people in order to save an entire race. But what is an entire universe of people whom I’ll never know compared to a handful I’ve held in my arms and loved?

End of Log…

Jacob’s Log, Entry 15496

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past”

            Jake was getting used to the shaking of the shuttles when leaving the atmosphere so this time he didn’t even bother to fasten his seatbelt. He was hoping the man they were going to see could restore his memories or at least some of them. He looked around. Ryan was cleaning his blaster rifle. He was clearly expecting enemy resistance and was preparing accordingly. Sylvia was reading a magazine since the shuttle was on autopilot.

            “I should’ve become a pilot”, Jacob thought. Then he realized the absurdity of the thought and smiled. He didn’t remember his past. For all he knew, he may already be a pilot.

            Romulus was sleeping in his seat. The last 24 hours were tiring. This was his second interplanetary travel for the day.

            Soon they reached Morningstar IV. It looked uninhabited. Moments later Sylvia was in control of the shuttle softly landing it near a small oasis. They went out and the desert winds instantly filled their mouths with sand. Jake looked around. There was nothing but sand for miles. The oasis was like an island in the ocean. He saw a small hut hidden under a palm tree which had managed to extract vital resources from the pond in the middle of the oasis and stay alive despite everything. They headed for the hut.

            Romulus and Jake went in while Sylvia and Ryan stood guard at the entrance. There was an old man inside. He looked weak and powerless but at the sight of the visitors he quickly stood up and stared at them with his blind eyes.

            “Who are you?” His voice was that of Death itself.

            “Travelers, who seek your help, wise one.” Romulus answered.

            “No one “travels” to this part of Morningstar anymore. Tell the truth or be gone!”

            “We are members of the Resistance. We are here to find out what the Overmind did to prevent me from remembering the location of a powerful weapon”, Jacob interfered in the conversation.

            The old man looked at him with his unseeing eyes and smiled.

            “You are noble, young one. Lay on the couch. Let my blind eyes see what others cannot.”

            “REAVERS!” Ryan flew into the hut. “The Overmind has sent Reavers!”

            “Hold them until Jake is ready to go! I’ll give you the sign!” Romulus jumped from his seat.

            Jacob was in a chemically induced trance. The old hermit was holding put his arms on Jake’s chest and began mumbling strange incantations. A battle was raging outside as well as inside. The hermit was trying to determine the source of Jake’s memory loss while Ryan was holding off the Reavers with his trusted blaster rifle. In five long minutes Jake woke up with a shout.

            “There was nothing I could do. Your past is lost forever.” The hermit was sitting on the couch.

            Jacob felt desperate. His last hope was dead. He was ready to give in. Then the old man spoke again.

            “Fear not, young one. He who controls the present controls the past. Leave your past behind and think of your future. For the future needs you! Go to the ice caves. There…”

            His speech was brutally cut short by a blaster laser piercing the thin walls of the hut. He was dead. Ryan once again flew in the hut.

            “Come on!” He blew a hole in the back wall and the tree of them went out into the desert and ran towards the shuttle. The machine guns on the ship started wreaking havoc in the Reavers’ lines. Sylvia was warming up the engines. She barely waited long enough for her companions to board and took off leaving the Reavers grounded in the desert sands.

            Once in outer space Sylvia turned the engines off and turned to Jacob.

            “Where to?”

            “The hermit said something about ice caves. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and told me to go to these caves.”

            “The ice caves? They must be on Morningstar III – the only place where you can find water in this system.” Romulus said.

            “Morningstar III it is!” Sylvia set the autopilot and continued reading her magazine.

            “Hmm…I’ve heard about those caves. I think Burns talked about them. Yes! Now I remember! He said there lives a real descendant of the Arunites. I think he said the old guy had lost it completely.” Ryan was thinking out loud.

            “Great! I’m about to seek help from a crazy old geezer whose grandparents supposedly ruled the universe eons ago.” The fragile flame of Jake’s hope was still weak.

            “If what Ryan says is true then this man is the key. The Arunites had wisdom beyond out comprehension.” Romulus lied down in his place. “Wake me up when we land”, he said and fell asleep.

                        *                      *                      *

            “Damn it!” The Overmind was furious. “How could they escape?! Useless pieces of scrap metal! Could you at least find out where they went?”

            “No, sir. The hermit was dead when we got there.” The guard looked down with fear.

            “Get out! And pray that Jacob doesn’t remember! Insolent fools!”

            The guard exited the office and ran down the stairs relieved.

                        *                      *                      *

            Morningstar III was a frozen piece of an asteroid drawn by the gravity pool of Morningstar Prime. There was nothing but ice on its surface and it was the only resource of fresh water for the system.

            The shuttle of the Resistance re-entered the atmosphere and landed near a cave complex. Sylvia stayed behind to finish reading her magazine while the men went out into the freezing cold.

            It took them two hours to find the right cave among the thousands. They saw a fire burning inside and quickly entered to escape from the freezing winds. A short man was sitting near the fire. He jumped on his feet at the sight of the men and started chanting some strange words.

            “Go away, go away

             Get out and let Jake and me play!”

            Romulus and Ryan looked at each other.

            “It’s ok. Go. I’ll meet you in the shuttle” said Jake drawn by the old man’s strange but powerful aura.

            Soon he was alone with the Arunite.

            “I see you already know my name. I suppose you know what I seek.”

            “In due time my friend!
             But first to my needs you must attend!”

            “What do you need?”

            “Are you good or are you bad?

             Do you think I’m really mad?”

            Jake thought for a while before answering. He really believed that man was crazy. But is that what he wanted to hear? What if he refused to help?

            “Yes. I believe you’ve lost it!”

            “Honest you are, you’re emotions are pure

             Now I will tell you what you must endure.

             Do you care for the future or do you seek the past?

             Only one question you are allowed to ask!”

            Jake’s eyes went dark. He wanted nothing more than to remember again. But he had a duty to the Resistance. It was he that lost the report in the first place.

            “I seek the future.” A warm tear came down his left cheek. His past was lost forever.

            “In the Jungles you will find

             Where the weapon hides.

             There where you cannot look

             Is the place where the Disruptor they took!

             One is colonized – One is not!

             One is cold – One is hot!

             Control them four

             And you’ll rule all!

             Control them four

             And you’ll rule all!

             Control them four

             And you’ll rule all!!!”

            The Arunite went mad. He started running around chanting these strange words. Jake hurried out of the cave and back to the shuttle. As he left the Arunite settled down.

            “May the three moons of Arune guide you, warrior! You are this system’s last chance. My work here is done. I can finally lie down and rest…”

            Jacob reached the shuttle and Sylvia hurried to take it out into space. Jake told them everything.

            “The jungles are on Morningstar II. That’s certain. But where is the place where we cannot look?” Romulus was at a loss.

            “Normally when we need to look somewhere we send a drone”, said Ryan.

            “That’s it!” Romulus jumped. “What do we do when we cannot send a drone?” His eyes were burning.

            “We…go on foot?” Jacob didn’t have a clue.

            “Exactly! We go on foot. There is only one place on Morningstar II where we cannot go on foot – the Colony Centre! The Arunite knew we are the Resistance and was trying to lead us to the answer.”

            “Great. The Disruptor is in the Colony Centre. And how do you suppose we get to it? And if we do, then what?” Ryan was pessimistic.

            “The Arunite said something else. He chanted a strange song. Something about uniting them four and ruling all.”

            “That’s nothing. Just the legacy of the Arunites. Maybe the old geezer heard it somewhere”, said Ryan.

            “Still, we must tell Burns everything. Even that.” Romulus was determined. He turned to Sylvia. “Take us to HQ”

            “Right away!” She put the magazine away and set coordinates. The shuttle made a sharp turn and headed for Morningstar II…

Jacob’s Log, Entry 14875

“The hardest thing you can imagine in your life is to try to find out what you cannot remember”

The shuttle shook and trembled when it started its approach of the Morningstar II’s atmosphere. Jacob watched how the flames engulfed the wings and how they slowly died. When the trembling seized Romulus got up from his seat.

“Come on Jake. We’re here.”

“But…the shuttle hasn’t landed yet.”

“The shuttle is bound to the Colony Centre. And we don’t want to go there. Come on.”

Jacob unfastened his seatbelt and followed Romulus as he walked all the way back to the shuttle’s emergency escape pods.

“Get in”, he said as he opened the hatch to one of the pods.

Jacob barely succeeded to fit himself into the tiny pod. The though that Romulus also had to get in made it even smaller.

“Don’t worry”, he said. “I’ll take another”

He leaned inside Jake’s pod and set the coordinates on the computer terminal. Then he closed the hatch, initiated the starting sequence and quickly entered his own pod. Moments later the two escape pods separated from the shuttle and began their free fall towards the dense jungles below. About 10m above the trees the parachutes opened and the pods graciously touched down on solid ground. The hatches opened. Jacob crawled out of his pod. Romulus was already waiting for him.

“Let’s go. We’re almost there.”

Romulus walked into the dense bushes and Jacob followed. They walked for about an hour through the jungles. Jake noticed that although there was dense vegetation all around, the path they were walking on seemed to have been used frequently. Soon he saw a small building covered with a thick net of plants. Romulus was heading straight for it. When they got to what seemed a giant door, Jacob noticed a retinal scanner. Romulus interacted with the machine and soon the door opened revealing a staircase leading underground. At the end of the staircase a monumental view appeared before Jacob’s unbelieving eyes.

They were in a large hall full of men in military uniforms. Everyone was flying around in a hurry and they didn’t even seem to notice the two men at the door. It was like a busy beehive. Romulus and Jake went to the other end of the hall. There were two men sitting on a table covered in maps. One of them looked at them with surprise.

“Romulus? Jacob? Where have you been?” His voice sounded stern and decisive. He was Liam Burns – the leader of the Resistance.

“Bet ya five creds that they were drinking again” the other man was Ryan – Burns’ right-hand man.

“Cut the crap Ryan!” Romulus sounded angry. “This is important!”

“I’m listening”, said Burns.

“The Overmind must’ve found out our mole. He did something to Jake and now he doesn’t remember anything!”

“Damn! You blew it! This was maybe our last chance to destroy that son of a gun and you two threw it away!”

“But…”

“But nothing! You had to notify me of his plans before sharing a pint!”

“Can someone please explain to me what’s going on?” Jake was getting restless.

“Ok”, said Burns. “I’ll tell you all about it. You were our moll in the Overmind’s office. You worked as his secretary before Romulus recruited you for the Resistance. You provided us with vital information until one day the Overmind received a report. It was about the Disruptor – a powerful weapon left over from the Arunites. “

“The Arunites?”

“The Arunites were a powerful race of humanoids. They ruled the Universe from one end to another. Until they reached Earth. The powerful Earth Concordat amassed a giant fleet of space ships and warred with the Arunites. Although they were wise and their technology far surpassed our own, they couldn’t defeat the unbreakable Earth spirit. Little by little the Earth Concordat advanced and soon the Arunites were on the run. They fled to this system and it proved to be their final resting place. The Disruptor is a powerful weapon of theirs. It is capable of disrupting a planet’s magnetic field and thus shattering it to pieces. Two years ago the Overmind’s people found it. Since then they were trying to find out how it works. It seems they’ve succeeded. The report you caught came from the facility in which the Disruptor is kept. It was too risky for you to steal the report so you memorized it. Unfortunately the Overmind has taken precautions. The report stated the exact position of the weapon. We need it! And now it seems we’ll never take hold of it”

“There is a way” said Ryan. “There’s an old hermit on Morningstar IV. He’s healed me many times before. He may be able to find out what the Overmind did to Jacob.”

“Excellent!” Burns was excited. “Ryan, take Sylvia and the shuttle and lead these two to the hermit. Arm yourself. Expect hostiles. The Overmind is probably scanning the system for Romulus and Jacob’s DNA.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Do not fail! This may be our last chance!”

Moments later Romulus and Jake were boarding the shuttle. Ryan was already there. They met Sylvia. A pilot for the Resistance. They had no time to waste. Soon the shuttle gained speed and took off and flew over the tall jungle trees.

* * *

“Overmind?”

“Send the drones”

“Yes, sir!”

Jacob’s Log, Entry 15676

“Isn’t it strange how you can feel about someone and don’t know why you do?”

Jacob and Romulus left the house and headed towards the nearest Cosmo port. It wasn’t so far away from Jake’s place but they were in a hurry so Romulus stopped a speeder. Five minutes later they were already entering the port through the front gate. They stopped to buy tickets and give the routine DNA sample and ID card scan. The shuttle was leaving in half an hour so they sat at a nearby café.

“Jake” Romulus began. “I know it’s hard for you but I must tell you. You have a wife and a family here on Morningstar Prime.”

“Can’t we go see them before we leave?” Hope burned in Jacob’s eyes.

“No. I’m sorry. It’s too risky. I can’t explain here. The Overmind has eyes and ears everywhere. Once we get where we are supposed to go all will be cleared for you.”

Jacob’s eyes darkened. He didn’t remember his family or wife but he still felt his heart beat faster. Many more questions arose in his mind. How does his wife look like? What are his parents like? For now it seemed those questions would remain unanswered for it was time to board.

The shuttle looked magnificent. It looked just like an ordinary plane but shorter. It had two symmetrical wings on both sides. It was colored black with white strips on the left side and the Overmind’s logo on the right.

They boarded and tried to find their seats. It was crammed. The end of the workday meant that all people living on Morningstar II had to travel back home. Jacob and Romulus sat down.

“Please fasten your seatbelts and don’t leave your seats until we leave the atmosphere. Have a nice flight.” Came from the speakers situated all over the interior of the shuttle. Moments later Jake felt the two engines starting. They quickly gained power and launched the shuttle towards open space. After a minute of shaking and trembling the giant hull of the space ship left the atmosphere and proceeded towards the second planet in the Morningstar system.

“Romulus?”

“Yeah, Jake?”

“Tell me about my past. How long have you known me?”

“We were born on both sides of Concordia Street. I think we first met at the age of 5. You were playing outside with your new bike which I desperately wanted to ride on.” Romulus smiled. “Since then we were almost inseparable. After we grew up a bit we started pulling off pranks on the entire neighborhood.” Romulus seemed so far away. He looked as if he had forgotten that Jacob had no memory of it all. “Remember when we tricked old Mr. Roust that aliens have landed? He barricaded his house and didn’t go out for three weeks!” Romulus burst into laughter. Jacob instinctively laughed with him. He didn’t remember. But something inside him made him laugh.

He felt alone. As if someone had taken away an important part of his soul, split it into numerous pieces and spread it all around him. Jake felt helpless. His past was not his own now. It belonged to those who knew him and remembered it.

While the shuttle was on its way to Morningstar II, in the centre of Aegis, in a giant building reaching for the skies, a man was hurrying up the stairs.

“Is he in?” He asked the secretary.

“Yes. He is expecting you.”

“Good” said the man and opened the door.

The office had an impressive view of the entire city. It had modest furniture but it still looked elegant enough to hint the visitor that the man inside is an important person. That man was standing near the window with his back to the door.

“Yes, Haley? What is it?” He didn’t even bother to turn and face his visitor.

“They’ve left for Morningstar II. Should we apprehend them when they leave the shuttle?”

“No. They aren’t going to Morningstar II Colony Centre. I believe they’ll be leaving the shuttle far before it reaches the Cosmo port.”

“What should I do?”

“Go to the Cosmo port here on Morningstar Prime. Get the DNA samples of the passengers of the last flight. I want to know who the man with him is.”

“Yes, sir. Right away” said Haley and left as quickly as he had come in.

The man in the office picked up the phone.

“Dr Brenner, I believe we’re about to test your theory. Is the chip really untraceable?”

“Yes, Overmind. Even if they find it they won’t be able to extract it without a lethal end for the patient. There’s already been 12 hours. The chip has melded with the brain cells and extraction will cause it to explode.”

“Excellent” the Overmind closed the phone. “Dear, dear Jacob. How can you show what you stole from me if you cannot remember it?”

An evil grin lit his face. Rarely did he smile but when he did it always looked sinister. He was the Overmind – leader of the Morningstar system appointed by the Earth Concordat. And the Resistance’s worst nightmare…

Jacob’s Log, Entry 15866

“How can you’ve known someone for so long and don’t even remember him? The same way you can love someone whom you’ve never known before…”

            Jacob entered his modest homestead. It was almost what he had expected: a small one-storey house with four rooms and a long corridor stretching from the entrance to the backdoor. Most of the houses in Aegis were the same. It was part of the Overmind’s plan of bringing equality and equilibrium to the whole Morningstar system. And that plan was the cause for the birth of the Resistance.

            Jacob searched the rooms one by one. Finally in the bedroom he found what he was looking for. Under the bed he came across a wooden container. He opened it. It was full of old black-and-white pictures and a CD. He examined the pictures. He saw himself on most of them with some strange men in military uniforms. On one picture he saw himself holding a flag on a long handle. The flag resembled a sun surrounded by four stars on a black background. The words “We Shall Prevail!” were embroidered beneath the sun. The flag seemed vaguely familiar and brought a smile to Jacob’s face even though he had no idea why. He them turned to the CD. He closed the box and hid it under the bed. He went into one of the rooms with a Receiver and inserted the disc.

            The same words on the flag flashed from the big screen: “We Shall Prevail!”. A group of men in uniforms like those on the pictures were running through a training course in what seemed a dense jungle. Jacob got suspicious.

            “These men, valiant and noble, have abandoned their lives to fight the ultimate evil threatening their home system – The Overmind! They will train long and hard until they feel they are ready. But no matter how ready they are they will still be outnumbered. That’s why we need you! If you are watching this tape, then you know where to go. The Resistance needs you! Morningstar needs you!”

            With that the video material ended. Jacob was confused but starting to get a grip on what’s going on. He now knew that whoever he really was his fate was tied with that of this so-called Resistance. He had so many questions. Who was this Overmind? Why is the Resistance fighting him? How did this tape come into Jacob’s possession? . He had no idea where to continue his search. Then he heard the buzzer. Quick as lightning he hid the CD under the couch and cautiously headed for the door.

                                    *                      *                      *

            Romulus was still smiling when he got to Jacob’s door. He pressed the buzzer and waited. No answer. He pressed it again but there was still no one. He got nervous.

            “He’s fine…I hope. Maybe he’s still sleeping”, he thought.

            Finally he heard a noise coming from inside. He was relieved. Jacob opened the door and stared at the man at his doorstep. Romulus was looking at him with a big smile on his face.

            “Hey, Jake! What’s up?”

            “Who are you?”

            Romulus’ smile froze. He looked into Jacob’s cold and lifeless eyes and got worried.

            “You don’t remember, do you?”

            Jacob was still as hostile.

            “I am Romulus. Last night you and I got drunk with beer and now you don’t remember even who you are”

            Romulus couldn’t hold his laughter. Jacob seemed startled by his giggle. He didn’t remember this man but something inside him assured his mind that it’s ok.

            “Come in”, said Jacob. “ I have so much to ask.”

            Romulus was still worried. His friend didn’t seem to remember anything. It was unusual for beer effects to last that long. He stepped inside. They sat down on the couch.

            “Now tell me who you are and how do you know me”, Jacob begun asking questions.

            “Ok. I am Romulus. We’ve known each other since we were kids. And as far as I’m concerned you are my best friend.”

            “Romulus…”, Jacob mumbled as if he was in a trance. He knew that name. That convinced him.

            “I…I remember!”

            Jacob began his story. He told Romulus everything except the box and the CD. He was still unsure. When the story ended Romulus’ eyes were wide open.

            “That’s unheard of! Something very wrong is going on! I drank bear last night! I remember just fine now! Damn! We have to notify HQ”

            Jacob sharply turned to him.

            “HQ”, he thought. “Maybe I should tell him everything.”

            “Listen to me Jake! You and I are both of the Resistance. There is a box under your bed containing pictures of its leaders and a propaganda CD. You mustn’t talk with anyone about it! We are going to Morningstar II and straight to HQ! You’re going to tell them everything you remember and we’ll find a way out of this. Pack your stuff. We’re leaving…”

            Romulus’ voice was cold and decisive. Jacob took the box from under his bed. He put the CD inside. They headed for the door. Jake turned and took a last glance of his home. He was sure he won’t see it again soon…

Jacob’s Log, Entry 14515:

“A normal human being turns a new page in his life once, at most twice per life time. I have turned a new leaf so many times that I’m not sure there are any pages left to turn…”

Jacob woke up with a splitting headache. He looked around. Somehow he had ended up falling asleep in the junkyard. His mind was a blur. He had been drinking again…hard. A thousand years ago drinking beer wouldn’t be such a problem. But now – in the year 3007 – drinking too much caused a bad loss of memory. This would eventually wear off in a couple of hours so Jacob lied down and fell asleep again.

A couple of hours later he woke up. He still didn’t remember anything. This wasn’t good. He had never experienced such a prolonged loss of memory, and neither had anyone on Morningstar Prime. Something was wrong. He reached in for his wallet and took out the ID card.

“Jacob”, he read the name on the card. “Harbinger Street #157”, the address didn’t sound familiar at all. He tried to get up but his legs were still too weak. He fell down.

“What the hell is going on?!”, he shouted helplessly. He lay there for about an hour and finally managed to get up. That was the easy part. Knowing where to go next – that was tricky. He only had a name and an address. He checked his cash. Sixty Credits was all he had left. He made his way out of the junkyard into a busy street. He was still feeling weak so when a passer-by accidentally bumped into him he instantly fell down.

“Are you okay?” The man looked worried.

“Yeah, yeah…I’ll be fine.” He got up and tried to catch a cab. A yellow “Disaster 9” model stopped nearby and Jacob quickly got in.

“Where to?” Cold, metallic voice came from the driver’s seat. It was a drone. Jacob was surprised but not because of the drone. He was surprised that his mind didn’t react at all at the sight of the machine. It was like he had already seen many like it.

“Harbinger Street #157” Jacob read the address on his ID card. The speeder instantly gained speed and took off into the incredible aerial network of the giant metropolis Jacob was in. He couldn’t hide his amazement. Incredibly tall buildings, speeders flashing by in an instant – it was like a post modernistic painting of a loony artist. Bright colors and high pitched sounds – it was as if he was psychedelic. Five minutes later the speeder slowed down and landed near a neat house with carbon walls and fiberglass windows.

“That’ll be 60 Creds, pal”

Jacob felt lucky for the first time today. Giving away his last money he got out of the cab and walked anxiously to the doorstep of the house which appeared to be his own. A retinal scan was placed on the left side of the door. Jacob opened wide his left eye and the warm light of the scanner confirmed what he already knew.

“Welcome home Jacob”, a soft voice greeted him and the door opened. He plunged into the darkness of his home hoping that there will be something inside that would help him recover his lost identity…

* * *

While Jacob was still recovering from his weakness in the junkyard, in another part of the metropolis another man woke up in his bed. Romulus looked at the clock.

“11 o’clock! It sure must have been a busy night. I wonder when it will wear off…” He was talking about the memory loss. Fortunately for him, in about an hour he started remembering. He remembered going to “Haley’s Bar” with his friends – Jacob and Sparx. He remembered ordering cold beer and from then on, he assumed, the beer did the rest.

“I wonder how Jacob’s doing”, he went to take a shower while his breakfast was still in the cooker.

Two hours later having washed and eaten Romulus went out of the house and straight for the Tubular stop. He was heading for Jacob’s house. The Tubular arrived shortly. It was all routine from there. Romulus was fed up with doing the same thing over and over again when trying to go to another part of Aegis. Sure, the city was large and except for speeders, the Tubular was the fastest way around the metropolis, but it was annoying – checking your ID card, depositing Credits, DNA sample…it was just unneeded. If someone tried to kill the Overmind he would never use the Tubular. Every time Romulus got on the Tubular similar thoughts went through his mind. And today it was no different.

He got off on Harbinger station and walked to Jacob’s house.

“I wonder if he even remembers”, thought Romulus and couldn’t hold his smile…