As always, Southwestern area of the resident on District F-4 was dense with a cloud of dust, blinding the eyesight of the passengers.
“And it is even worse today.”
Jungmin headed out to the street covering every inch of his body with toe-touching long coats and worn out bandanna, only revealing his eyes.
As it was past the morning rush hour the streets were empty but somehow the grocery owner noticed his patron and shouted.
“Jungmin! Aren’t you being an adult today? Are you on the way to get certified?”
“Yes, I am!”
“Haha! It would be good if they get you placed in the core area like F-1 or F-2….”
“Oh, no way. There is no way they would favor such an uneducated jobless man like me. It would be a miracle if they give me a job at least.”
Even though Jungmin said that, from the moment he woke up, he was hoping for it. Jungmin was considered to be ‘incompetent’ as he didn’t have any talent. Some actually had a miracle of getting out of being Borderer cause of coming-of-age ceremony. Even though no one knows the real reason of it.
‘Only if I could move to a different area…’ he thought.
The building he lives in is just one step away from being collapsed, and there is a giant crack in the wall, allowing dust to pile up just in a day no matter how much he cleans the house. The house was very near to the border of Barrier too, which at least prevented pollution getting spread to inside, but the area often got raided by Harks and Outers.
Some people do live outside of the barrier. They are called Outers. They are usually a group of great minds kicked out for being against to Union, Criminals and those who refused to live inside the Union since the end of WW3. These people were often exposed to the risk of getting robbed or involved in robbing. However, getting robbed wasn’t the greatest threat they had.’At least, I hope I don’t get to see those horrible creatures anymore….’
‘At least, I hope I don’t get to see those horrible creatures anymore….’
Harks appeared shortly after the WW3. Experts say that they appeared as the biohazards and radioactive dust that covered the entire Earth caused genetic mutation. Harks’ leather was so thick that gunpowder weapons such as guns and cannons, not even Energy Beam guns could not penetrate it. Just by imagining their giant sharp teeth, people shudder with fear so much they couldn’t help knock their knees together. As Jungmin worked at the crematorium, He got used to seeing horrible conditioned corpses. He was fearless to most of the things. Harks are one of the things he still feared. They occasionally attacked humans. They were agile and sneaky enough to get into barriers avoiding defense troops of Unions who had tools and weapons that can be a threat to them. Harks always found the areas where the barrier was weak enough to sneak into
Not only harks were life threatening to the humans. Mutated creatures called orcs were weaker then the harks but they were wild, strong, and they always moved in a flock. It is known that they were born 10 at a time, just as pigs and no other species could match their reproduction rate. It has not been 100 years since Orgs has appeared to the earth, but they already have created their own great society, and has been advancing quick enough to worry experts. They predicted that they will be a greater problem to humans than Harks later on. Apart from those two species, it is quite common to see a lot more mutated beasts which had great intelligence and strength outside of the barrier. Some said these creatures were created in the experiments of gene lab of 21st century of AD calendar, when there were no ethics and morals, but nobody knew what the truth is.
They say the radioactivity materials got much weaker as it has been 200 years after the horrible war, but humans could not expose their bare body to the air yet, so humans were still living in the barrier. Through Super Artificial Intelligence mounted computers, – well known as Ancient computers – hundreds of these barriers were constructed all over the globe in Year 1 of Human Calendar. Without these barriers, the Earth would have been probably ruled by harks, orcs and other mutated species.
Unions were built in the barriers, and they are the substitution of nation system human previously had. It is more like city-states. They divided the section by the distance from the central area. The most central part of barriers was named District S, and as further it gets, it was named District A, B, C, D, E and F as the outermost area.
Society in Union was naturally formed as a class society. It was because of the property of energy barrier that it gets weaker further it gets from the central section. With only a few million population per Union, Unions had an extremely sluggish society. A threat from mutated creatures was getting heavier every day, and the ones who can enter and exit the barrier was limited to Military, high-rank officers and businessmen. The monopoly of wealth and power in District S is hardly new. The people living in District S called themselves S-Class, and they wield absolute power in Union. People classified as ‘Capable’- Union’s high-class officers, including scientists, experts, and professional groups – and great businessmen live in District A. District C and D is where middle-class people live, like researchers, technicians, engineers and soldiers. District E and F was the largest area that covers over half of union, but 70% to 80% of Union population lived in which made population density very high and lowered quality of life.
District F is especially where the lowest class of Union lives in. As mentioned earlier, serious criminals are kicked out of the barrier, but minor criminals are sent to district F, making them live with ‘incompetents’ and poor families. Living with criminal state and being poor was inherited to several generations. This is the place where people have a miserable life of barely surviving day by day.
In District F-4, the outermost area of Union, residents wished to move at least to F-3 or F-2. There was no one not knowing getting closer to central district make their life quality much better, whereas their ability could not get them out of District F, forever.
Unlike the early age of Union, because of the danger of mutated species, the number of interaction and communications between the Unions got reduced. As about 200 years passed with such environment and circumstances, the society got sluggish and opportunity of getting to a better social status never really happened now. So people hoped to move to the safer district, often phrased as core district. Well, at least the core district of their zone. It requires getting a good job which would provide them a good house with a high salary, or they will have to earn a lot of money to move their house, whereas there is a tiny chance of doing that because of a number of jobs a Union had. Because of these, the society naturally formed a class system.
Jungmin knew he was born by artificial insemination. The Union he was living in gave up sending Jungmin for adoption because of his records. He dropped himself out of school and ran away from adoptive family, both for several times. So instead of trying to adopt him, Union gave him a place to live and public job until he reaches the legal age. He started working as street cleaning or working on the farms owned by Union,
In Jungmin’s case, who has no support from the family nor any particular ability or skills, there is no doubt he will live such a miserable life of concerning tomorrow for life, and he will slowly fade away, quietly, without being remembered by anyone.
‘Still…!’
Jungmin closed his hand tightly, just as he was hoping for his wish to be granted.
Jungmin could arrive the office after repeating to hide to corners several times, away from an occasionally blowing whirlwind that sucked up the whirling the dust high up in the air. They slangy call this place ‘Bee house’ in a self-mocking mood because it is full of high buildings filled with small, old poor rooms just like bee hives. Between the Bee houses, the only one low-rise building of District F was revealed as dust got little less dense. Ironically, because the high buildings were so crowded, the mall building seemed to be more expensive and comfortable. Sure they are in fact.
‘How I wish I could work in that office!’
Jungmin sighted taking a short glance at the 12-floor office. The inside of office was so neat and comfortable, unlike his house. He needed to sneak in and stole glances at people as he was so sorry for messing up the clean floor with his dirty shoes.
Fortunately, the Resident service – the most visited service by people – was located nearest to the entrance. Previously, the Social Welfare Service was where Jungmin visited every time when he got to the office. Under legal age, without any job nor sponsor, Jungmin was on welfare and public jobs. But the Social Welfare Service was located at the innermost place, and to be there, he had to endure the officer’s strange glance at him in frowzy clothing, ending up feeling timid. It was fortunate to have fewer people around, maybe i is because of the time. Jungmin hid his lean and bony body under his rug reminding coat, pulling his collar up.
“Greetings, Mister! How can I help you?”
The Receptionist asked with her sweet tone. Her beauty was indeed awesome, as it was something well known as the envy of people in District F. Jungmin felt even more small to face her, he was nobody like her.
But the Receptionist’s eyes rested on the screen, after giving short, dull glance at him. For her, it was just another common look of losers in this town. Though her careless attitude was a big relief for Jungmin.
“Well, I’ve reached a legal age today…..”
“Oh, then you’ll have to go ask third-floor front desk for that.”
She gave another look at Jungmin, this time with interest. It was unusual to see someone reaching their legal age in the middle of a month in this district. It is way more common in District A or B.
It was long ago, right after when the war was finished and aftermath almost dragged the humanity to extinction. There was a small change made to Solar system despite how it kept its order for a few billion years. It was an asteroid settled in the gravitational force of the earth, becoming another moon. Strangely, the birth of new life was concentrated to the period of a new moon and dark moon.
‘Hmm, Could this man be artificial one as well?’
It is banned now but there was a year where the global scale of artificial insemination of human was made to cover low pregnancy rate. This is the year when these artificial humans reach their legal age, of course, she didn’t know that though. While training, she heard they sometimes visit the office to be certified in other districts, but it was her first time actually seeing them. She also heard the rumor that they are usually talented.
‘Could he be a Dropout then?’
Not only artificial humans but people considered useless were sent to this district as well, mostly from the core strict. After taking another look at shabby clothes and dusty face, her face had become peculiarly expressionless. She was busy enough not to bother with such losers.
At third-floor, Jungmin met a middle-aged officer with silver wing medal. Proudly displaying the evidence of hours he served for barrier defense troop, he took a high-handed pose and looked at Jungmin. As he found no respect from Jungmin, his face got impassive and he searched Jungmin’s profile. His eyes were fixed at one point of the screen, but soon he didn’t bother to.
Name: Jungmin
Date of Birth: 15th July, H.C. 104
Background: New Human Project Subject, long-period probationer. Test results; First test – Incompetent, Second Test – Incompetent, Third test – Incompetent. Dropped out of school at age of 17, at Grade 1 of Highschool. At age of 17 years 4 month, he ran away from the adoptive family.
Residence: District F-SW4 124-27-024
Management: Qualified for child welfare
Notes: Status of probationer gets cleared when they reach the legal age.
“legal age confirmed. Wait for a moment.”
The tone of the officer had no expression just as the receptionist in the first floor. District F was where uncivilized borderers live, and it is a place where losers gather around. It seems that Jungmin’s record wasn’t peculiar enough to draw his attention.
Watching potbellied officer’s back of heading staff-only area to get something, Jungmin couldn’t erase the bitter smile from his face. He imagined a man boasting about fighting Harks on his days on defense troop. Jungmin met a similar person in his middle school. They are innocent, normal people who formed a basis of the Union.
‘I hope I had a parent like him at least…’
He found out how cruel the world is only after living all by him. He never knew the world isn’t kind enough to treat one well if one is incompetent. He never knew how small he was to live all by him before he ran away from his family. He regretted protesting to his families by dropping out of the school and running away from them for being incompetent and their careless attitude on Jungmin. If he admitted himself back then, he might not have to concern about the job. At least he was born and grown in District B, and he could have lived District B people’s life.
It was not so long before he woke up from regretting mood of thinking the past by the footsteps. He lifted his head and saw the officer. He noticed that there was a slight change to the officer’s look on Jungmin. Jungmin was good at catching the change of small details, but that was just not enough to meet Union’s standard.
“Hmm. There is a gift for you celebrating your coming-of-age. No one knows what this box is for, there is no name of the sender. Have you… Have you found your biological parents? Well, I doubt it.”
He asked with a puzzled expression.
Most people heard about the project that revealed Union’s greatest political scandal. New Human Project Subject meant that Jungmin was born by artificial insemination. Creation of barrier and development of machines reduced the danger from pollution and mutated species, significantly increasing the average life span. This lead avoiding pregnancy, and it led to decreasing population over time. WGC had no choice but artificial insemination.
But the project was canceled after a year. It was due to massive exposure of corrupt businessmen deeply related or participated in the project. As artificial humans were born as orphans without any agreement of their parents, there were heavy blames and criticism of moral issue. But there was a more important problem. WGC has destroyed their data of semen and eggs during the early stage of the project. Therefore, not only artificially born humans like Jungmin knew who their parent is, but the biological parents don’t know that they are a parent to someone.
Additionally, it was the Progressive Party’s suggest that birth of hundred thousands of babies can lead financial problem, adopting them and educating them. The progressive party attempted to attack the conservative party by criticizing the high-funding inhuman project, exposing corruptions, and they succeed.
As 300,000 babies were born anyways, budget and human resource were spent inevitably, but it was soon proved right that new politicians had stopped the project. The result of the project was a failure. Just as anthropologists predicted, lack of love and care from parents lead artificial humans to be incompetent and made them be the lower class of the society.
Jungmin was puzzled. What do you mean by biological parents? There are rare cases where people found out they provided their sperm and eggs allowing them to find their child, but you cannot count on that. Most of them don’t even know they have a child.
“I doubt it.” the officer claimed.
There were only powders that seemed to be some kind of foods in the box. The officer thought maybe someone felt pity about pale bony Jungmin and thought they might give some food for him. The officer lost his interest in Jungmin after seeing Jungmin’s blank stare him.
“Your resident for next few years was assigned to the house you live in now. There was no criminal record and you settled down well but Union judged that no supports will be made. Not any longer since you were classed as incompetent. Fortunately, WGC has gifted you $5000 for being a legal age as artificial human. Use it well and live well.”
Jungmin nodded with silence. He felt better at least he got small fortune at least, and that made him thankful to Officer’s words.
“Also, we will deliver the box that you got to your house as it is quite heavy. $5000 will be transacted to your personal bank account on your visit to the Audit office. Oh, right. The audit office is on the second floor.”
“Thank you very much!”
“But first you will have to get an injection of adult resident bio-chip at Health Care Center so follow me.”
“Alright!”
Yes, Jungmin was hoping for a small change in his life, he was stunned when he actually got those – A weird gift and $5000.
‘Who on earth would send this to me?’
But there was no time for that. Potbelly was already heading to the Health Care Center. Jungmin followed him hurriedly, with his mind was up in the air.
Translated by Channy
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