A Visitor to the Future - 42 - The Next Step
With my curiosity for corporate history and auditing sated for the time being, we got to talking about more mundane matters. I asked about Alexandra and Sasha's adventures over the years, which she was more than happy to tell me about, her tone more excitable and relaxed than her usual business-like demeanour as she did so. They'd sailed on almost every body of water on the planet, and a few more that weren't. Tungsten asked a lot about Alexandra's day to day routine and the various checks and balances that the whole auditing team had in place. Before I knew it, the sun was setting, the sky beneath the dome of the office turning to a pale orange.
"You should both stay for dinner," Alexandra said, "We can always accommodate guests."
Dinner was absolute madness, with the whole group happy to have company. Sasha's selection of music ranged from sensational to an assault on the senses and Blaise's choice of liquor ensured that tongues were loosened and the atmosphere very enjoyable. Regolith and Alexandra were definitely the more grounded pair of the group, with Regolith often acting as the foil for Blaise's jokes, which always added to the bit. I found myself crying with laughter at one point - but looking back on it I could not recall exactly what at. The immortals of today seemed to act a lot like the youths of the past, at least when they were enjoying themselves - good fun was truly ageless, it seemed. Even a thousand years later, having a good laugh over dinner was still in style. It was the kind of senseless socialisation that I'd had with friends back in my own time. I felt a bittersweet pang in the pit of my stomach at the thought, and sighed deeply to myself.
Of course we stayed the night. Wonderous new revolutions in the alcohol Blaise had consumed aside, he could not see in the dark to fly us (though apparently he'd considered getting the Bio-dev work done), and the thought of the Consortium picking us up he considered a personal affront. They put me up in a small cabin that Alexandra described as "functional", but to me was extremely comfortable - standards must really have increased since my time.
I fell asleep, in the end entirely forgetting that I was on an airship at all.
_
I woke up the next morning in something of a panic - I had the feeling that I had slept through my alarm clock, and missed an appointment. Of course, I hadn't - there had been no need to set an alarm since I had first woken up in the Consortium. It was completely stupid, and I chastised myself for it as I got dressed.
And yet, the brief feeling of mundanity brought me back to the bittersweet feeling I had last night. I began to think about the routine I had left behind - and the people associated with it. There was a woman at the local coffee shop who knew my favourite order by heart. There was always a traffic jam when I had a medical appointment to go to, and I could sometimes see an older man on his balcony, watering a small pot of plants. What had happened to those people? What about my friends?
What had happened to my family? My home?
I was beginning to realise that they were truly gone. To me, I had seen them but a few short weeks ago. To the world it had been just over a thousand years.
I could, in theory, look up what information was available on the Infranet. Sarkona had hinted a few times that it was an option, but they had cautiously briefed me on the fact that some information from my own time may no longer be available - lost to poor archiving in the pre-Consortium world. It was completely possible that I could look up someone I once knew and find nothing. And that scared me more than not knowing at all.
So, in the morning I talked with Tungsten about it in the bar of the Peeping Tom. I explained the thoughts that were running through my head in detail, the inquisitive CI always willing to listen.
"I can see your predicament," said Tungsten once I had finished, "But if I may - you have forgotten something."
I furrowed my brow, "Like what?" I asked.
"Even if there is no digital record of the people you once knew in the Consortium, there is still a living record of them," he said, pointing to my forehead, "Up there. If you'd like, you could volunteer whatever information you know to the Consortium as a matter of public record - and then the records will remember the people you once knew."
"What if I get something wrong?" I asked, "Or misremember something?"
Tungsten shook his head gently, "To be blunt, that doesn't matter. The Consortium has long since learned how to deal with personal accounts in historical records, especially where the cryocontained are concerned. You'd be listed as the source - some historians actually might contact you to help build on what you have volunteered. If your information couldn't be verified, it would simply be listed as your account, no more, no less. No-one would fault you for misremembering a few details - any information on that time period at all would be considered valuable."
I thought on Tungsten's words a great deal as we said a cheery goodbye to everyone, and Blaise flew us back to the lofty heights of Anchor - this time in a larger, more traditional-looking helicopter that attracted a great deal of attention as we landed - apparently the design even more of a relic than the Crux Axiom. He stepped out with us and gave us another handshake by way of a goodbye.
"Now listen, mate," he said, "We'd all love to hear from you and how you're getting along in the Consortium. Me, Sasha, the boss, even Regolith - we all know what it's like to have to adjust to the Consortium, and for us it was a lot more gradual. And if ever you feel like you need some company, just drop us a message. We'll always be happy to see you. Besides, I have a load of jokes that are hundreds of years old - who else could I tell them to, and have them laugh like it's brand new material?"
And just like that, with a smile and a wave he was off into the crowd that had gathered around the helicopter - not to take off into the skies, but to deliver a lecture to the gathered crowd on the antique craft he had flown here today, "Now listen up, you all, this is the Crux Cumulus, one of the best pre-Consortium craft designed..." His voice faded into the distance.
Tungsten and I made our way to a nearby bar where Sarkona was waiting for us. It was a bright and airy space, all transparent glass and steel, with a magnificent view of the sea. There wasn't even a traditional counter - small drones fetched whatever you wanted from an area in the back.
"Welcome back!" said Sarkona, a big grin on their face, "Good to see you both! Was it a fun trip?"
"Very enlightening," Tungsten said, "For us both, I think. Regolith recommended a number of papers for me to read on auditing, and our friend here has learned about some history straight from the source, as it were."
I nodded, deciding to tell Sarkona about the decision I'd come to. "I think I've also got a good idea about what I'd like to do next. I've been putting it off long enough. I think it's time to go home."