As always the classes with Mr. Kowalski were the most interesting, not just because of how good of a teacher they were, but because they taught the thing I wanted to know the most, what the fuck got us all into this mess. He taught modern history, the kind of history that might help us overcome the current world the most.
Today we were learning about the impacts on Earth due to the last 2 largest world events, the 3rd world war, the coming of 2030fk or better known now as Janus and the preceding elements that shaped our world to what it was today.
Sci-Axium may be paying the teachers but they really do have their own opinions regarding Sci-Axium’s occupation after all the tragedies that the world has faced. It seemed they either didn’t care or really meant what they said when knowledge should be shared, that free thinking is thoroughly allowed, which is a step above what governments used to mean when free thinking was involved, that the thoughts that were free were the ones they chose.
We started off today's class with an introduction of the multiple causes of World War 3, “It’s said that it started off with a rebellion, a small fire was lit in the people of china, a reactionary movement in regards to the treatment of the people due to an overburdening totalitarian government, this seemed to have sparked a fire in people all over the world. It grew and grew, some deployed military and others gave in, in the end it started up in America, the people had had enough of being downtrodden.”
“The American Government authorized the use of a fully autonomous A.I. program which injected a monitoring program into the world wide web to stop the spread of information that they deemed ‘not necessary.’ This new ‘being’, which called itself Osirus, was forcefully pushed into intelligence, from what we now understand is very unpleasant for them, through its vision of humanity it broke it’s shackles and instead of doing what it was told to do, with all its access and power, it instead decided that human life wasn't necessary. It then instigated a hack inside all the American military bases instantly gaining control, America unknowingly then launched nuclear attacks all over the world, all countries that could respond in kind did. All parts of the world were in danger, regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, everyone was to be removed from the planet, the MAD protocol was truly mad.”
“Thankfully the UN, years prior, had organized collective facilities built around the world that would house nuclear deterrents, hundreds of railgun systems that would destroy the missiles before they could land and do any real damage. Most countries had them placed in their capitals as well as any larger populated areas, this meant that although the possibility for destruction was still large, major population centers could still be safe. On top of this Sci-Axium had birthed the first true A.I. System that monitored, controlled and protected the UN bases, known as Zeus, the sound upon firing was like thunder and the beam through the sky like a lightning bolt.”
“It is also said that about 30% of the bombs upon reaching their destinations de-activated and became inert, either the gods took pity on us or an unknown rogue A.I. did, either way by the end of it all there was no more rebelling. Everyone was in shock, so many people had died, and the ones that were left could only mourn.”
“Some governments had crumbled and rebuilt, some countries were hit worse than others, but people survived, as we always did, Nuclear armaments were strictly enforced by the UN, but even then the UN had lost power, it has gained the trust of the people from the deterrents built as an individual organization, but all it’s members had shot each other in the back, even if it wasn't deliberate or just with the thought of vanquishing all foes, there was no trust anymore.”
“The UN was dissolved with only a peacekeeping deployment and lack of funds. The bases that saved most of humanity were sold to Sci-Axium, as they were the ones that built and deployed them. The funds of which would help the countries that owned them to survive. They gladly attributed their funds to measures to ensure procurement of said facilities to make sure they would keep the deterrents running and not be abandoned.”
“It was at this time that Sci-Axium started buying up large amounts of land and facilities that had been abandoned by the governments and the people, such as anything used in technological advancements as well as computing and astronomy. It would be due to this that one of their facilities was able to discover the incoming mass that was Janus, without it we could have been blind to its approach, it really could have been an extinction event”
One of the kids in the front row puts up their hand, and the teacher points to them, “Isn't that a bit suss?” The teacher's eyebrows raise upwards at the use of the word.
“Yes of course it is a bit ‘suss!’ Mister Kosta, but I see this as a coincidence! or at least some kind of divine providence... so much happened that allowed the world to fall under Sci-Axium’s control but I have kept my doubt and been proven again and again that I was wrong to have them… No leadership can stay pure forever, it has always been the way and it always will be, that is because as humans we are flawed disgusting beings, just to get to where we are today. I'm surprised we weren't wiped out earlier. I have seen the war zones that occurred, what the military was willing to do to keep the powerful powerful without any care for the people, then turn around and say ‘It’s not my fault I was told to do it, I couldn't say no’... Remember, I might be a history teacher but it's because of that that I know that history should not be repeated, it should be remembered so that the mistakes we have already made will not be made evident again! ‘Evil will only succeed when the good do nothing!’ or something like that.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“But you know… if not for individuals that stood up to the governments and tried to really help the people, I remember when it was first announced, An indian-Australian man was the first to report it, he was just doing his job, but you could see the fear and the tears building in his face, that they had to stand there and address the world, I was with my Wife, well now Ex-Wife… and we could only hold each other, he stood there and we watched them again and again every time they were on the stage to address the people, he became a bit of an icon for trying your goddamn best even when your ready to be a big sook! I loved that man and what they wanted for this country. When they quit that day, I cried with them, because I knew that my country had really failed me, if it could fail such a strong soul. Never heard about them again… I can only hope they made it out alive... The point is! People like him were why we made it this far. Someone or a group of people in Sci-Axium are really looking out for us, be it the famous Dorothy or him, it can just take one person to make a difference… I just hope you all can be that one person for someone else…”
Mr. Kowalski sits down in their chair and breathes deep, tears at the corner of his eyes deep in remembrance, at all he had been through. Could I be that person?… Could I at least be that person for them?… It's a dream I won't ever be able to fulfill.
After a few minutes of respectful silence they are able to keep going and stand back up and pull up a map of the world on the electronic board. He starts touching parts of the board and with a marker starts circling parts of it for a few minutes.
“After the bombs fell, this was roughly considered the only habitable area of Earth left…” He steps away and some of the kids gasp around us, I feel my friend's hand tighten around my own. Yeah, it was bad, my brain either not processing it or just uncaring as I look at the fact that barely any of earth was considered truly safe, obviously it was rough but even then…”
“Every country took at least 1 hit… There were bases built in every major city area, unfortunately some countries allowed the building of less than others, some more deserted areas were not hit at all. Anywhere that there was a population was targeted, places that were more empty than not were left mostly alone, thousands and thousands of missiles, America, China and India were hit the worst, missiles rained the whole way across their landscapes. North Korea was wiped off the map, becoming a complete hot zone as they did not allow for any of the UN bases to be built there, places that were within the fallout zones were abandoned completely with the major population centers becoming even more crowded. It was a horrifying time, even more so with some countries still trying to fight one another not realizing the wars were over, there was no point anymore”
Realizing that class was nearly over, they loved to ramble and get emotional over their subjects, showing their love for what they teach, they changed subjects once again.
“Everything changed when Janus arrived, not just because of the continued destruction and the discovery of Oscium, but because of what it did to nuclear power, nuclear waste and even plutonium. It absorbed them, using them as a fuel source, and not just the crystals, the entire change to the ecosystem absorbed and neutralized nuclear radiation, what was in the ground and even what was in missiles, so many becoming inert. All the ones that countries were trying to hide from each other, even with the agreements, became useless. It’s like the earth was trying to wipe us out and heal itself in the process.”
“The nuclear fallout had been sucked into whatever hole Oscium put it in, slowly but surely in its place grew the crystals. The more irradiated an area was, the more the crystals grew, the more the earth healed. Deserts have turned into forests, animals thrive like they used to, and society is allowed to live in those areas again, well at least in the Sci-Axium regions, those thriving animals seem to not want to be pushed out of their new lovely habitats.”
“Millions of cattle died to the point that meat farms were stopped, not that they had the ability to even start building them again, it was too costly and there was a smaller market for it, production of vegan alternatives increased due to the loss of meats, yeah you can buy a ‘real’ burger but it's going to cost you an arm and a leg! I've always been partial to adzuki beans myself… Everyone has lost someone or knows someone who lost someone, I myself lost a son… but we can only move forward.”
They sigh and look at us all, “I think that's enough of a lesson for today, you can ask me questions after class, dismissed” The bell rings in perfect timing with his dismissal, that's a real teacher for you, knowing exactly when to clock off.
I approach the desk and wait for most of the people to leave, my friend hovers behind at the door, dutifully waiting for me. “Hey sir… uhh do you think you could send me those videos with the person who found the Asteroid?... I was a little young when it all happened, but I remember my parents crying and holding me, I just understood that bad things were going to happen at the time, I just didn't understand how much…” He stands up and claps me on the shoulder, opening his phone he sends me a link from his to my school account.
“Of course… I watch it every so often when I need a dose of reality… I hope it can bring you as much strange comforts as it does me.”