PRELUDE

TOMORROWS DREAM

NOVEMBER 5TH, 2365

The hospital air, damp and stuffy, does nothing to aid the chill that runs through those in crisis. Dr Felix Eisenmann, a title which, after today he claims only out of bureaucratic courtesy, was one such person.

Despite being on the good side of Forty and favoring the results of a semi-active lifestyle, he feels the drop in temperature with a spiritual intensity, deep within in his bones. It suffocates his ears, numbing him to the external world, of the sterile hallway which he ambles through.

At some point he stops in a doorway, the room inside is lit only by a dim bedside lamp. Like every other time he’s looked at her in the last month, the image of their destroyed house blankets itself over his mind.

It had been his fault, his damn fault, and now he was loosing everything.

He moves to sit next to her, taking her relaxed hand in his. For the next hour or more, he does the only thing he can: to sit in helpless silence at his mothers bedside.

Her body is frail and weak, more so than before. She wasn’t his parental rock anymore, her dark hair; now a shocking white and thinned with age, only fits to cap off the person he no longer recognizes.

She sighs, opening her eyes as she smiles up at him. Save for her smile, he thought. Her smile has remained to the very end.

“I’m sorry mother.” Felix croaks, squeezing her limp hand in both of his, cold against his own.

“Why? You did everything you could.” She breathes, attempting to focus her washed out eyes on her son.

“No, I didn’t… I failed.” Felix chokes back tears, shaking his head, “It’s my fault the system shorted out… I should have been there to save you… I let you down, I let Dad down…”

His head drops, shoulders shaking.

“Hush foolish one.” She rasps, “Your Dad is in a better place. Don’t blame yourself son, it’s not your fault, it’s just life.”

“Life needs to fuck off,” He snaps, shaking his head and letting go of her hand, “First it was May, then Dad. I’ve tried everything to save you, but I can’t… I can’t do anything right in this stupid fucking world.”

He stands and kicks his chair backwards, turning to hide the frustration in his face.

“It is stupid,” she smirks, “And yet, you’ve been trying to save it since you were five years-”

“I got beaten up for that Show and Tell, remember?” He interrupts, she ignores him.

“You knew even then that something needed to be done, all you can-”

She falls into a fit of coughing. Felix grinds his teeth and wipes his brow as he paces back and forth.

Stolen novel; please report.

She catches her breath and continues.

“All you can do is your best-”

“Thats all I’ve every bloody tried to do” he barks, rounding on her, gesturing with his hands “I’m sick of hearing it, I’ve given them everything, my work is enough to change the world ten times over, but none of these selfish, ignorant, vice-driven apes give a damn! They’d rather pour their money into getting fucked off their faces than doing anything for humanity.”

Felix throws his hands up, turning to resume his comforting circuit of the tiny room.

“I take it the meeting didn’t go well.” His mother says after a moment.

“No.” Felix mumbles, “They’ve used the ‘incident’ as evidence of my negligence, not only did they force me off the board but they’ve retained the patents for everything I’ve ever invented for them.”

“They can’t do that!” Her words mirroring those he’d said to his lawyer. “You practically built that company.”

He looks away, wishing he could keep it from her. “The money they loaned me, for the medical bills…” he sighs, “It wasn’t a loan, I was so desperate to save you, I didn’t read the contract properly.” He takes a moment to calm his shaking hands. “They bought me out, of my work, my job, my shares in the company, everything.”

“Do you really need them?” she asks.

“If I can’t change peoples minds, I can’t change the world.” He grumbles. “And who knows how long the earth can hold up against the sun.

“Then do that.” She says,

He pauses in his pacing, to turn and stare at her, she continues.

“Make them realize, all of them, that what they’re doing is wrong, that they need to change, in order to heal our world.” She coughs again.

This time she isn’t able to stop. Felix rushes to her side, grabbing her shoulders, holding her steady, telling her to breathe. He fears the worst and hits the button for the nurse, hoping against hope that they can do something in time. His mother grips his hand, and stares into his eyes as they grow still. Empty.

“Mother?” he mumbles through tears.

Her hand falls away as the nurses burst in.

He lets them take her, but he can’t hear or process the world around him anymore.

He stands alone, letting time flow past him. His awareness of the Nurses fussing around him is muted while his mind wrestles whit his mother’s final wish.

‘Make them realize.’

How could he? Was it even possible?

The medical staff had long cleared the room before he moves again.

“Goodbye.” He whispers to the quiet room, “I will make you proud mother, somehow… Sleep well”

He turns and walks out of the room.

Down the corridors, through the doors, into the night. He ignores the cold air as he crosses streets with faceless folk, to the park where he played as a child, and comes to rest on the bench where she had sat to watch him play.

And he sobs.

Howling into the black empty void of the play park, abandoned and hollow in the early morning hours.

He mourns for his loss, alone.

Until the sun rises and warms him.

To when his presence disturbs passing mothers and their offspring on the innocent school run.

He sees himself walking to school, to the lessons learned and wonders discovered, and to that fateful decision he made all those years ago; to repent and repair the sins of the greedy dead, to save this world so that future generations can enjoy nature once more.

He stands and brushes himself off, wiping his dried and sticky face. She was right, and there was nothing they could do to stop him now.

“I will make you all listen.” He proclaims to the world at large, “Even if it bloody kills me.”

As he walks into a new unknown, the image of her weakened body lying in that sterile bed floats to the forefront of his mind, his last familial connection in this world had been severed.

“I will save this planet, for you mum, and for all of humanity - no matter what it costs.”