Esta sociedad funciona basada en una economía de créditos, que, al margen de lo económico (no hay dinero) valora lo personal, alimentación, formación, etc. De modo que cualquier joven, con una buena trayectoria, se independiza a los 14 o 15 años, disponiendo de unidad de transporte (TRANS) y vivienda independiente (RES).

No existe la propiedad privada, digamos que se dispone de todo para su uso (como el carrito del supermercado), está ahí, todos lo utilizamos, pero no te lo llevas a casa y te lo guardas.

Utilizas la vivienda (RES) más cercana en cada momento. Es personalizable (como tu escritorio, más o menos) y dispone de todo lo necesario. De esta forma todos disponemos de RES (y TRANS) en cualquier parte del mundo.

Dado que el Stat (gestor absoluto, similar a un sistema comunista) controla ‘ingresos’ y ‘gastos’ (prestación y consumo) del individuo, el sistema está optimizado para que cada persona disponga de ‘media vida’ libre, 6 meses al año de una vida turista y el resto de vida laboral.

Todo esto esta ‘montado así’ para evitar desplazamientos y transportes inútiles, nadie lleva equipaje a ningún lado, nadie almacena bosques en sus estanterías, ni rebaños de ovejas en sus armarios.

Nadie vive a una hora de su trabajo (en sus fechas laborables), ni pierde media hora en aparcar su coche (funciona como los carritos del supermercado).

Todo está organizado para minimizar el impacto ecológico de la humanidad.

Bueno, seguiré contando.

Se agradecen preguntas, dudas, comentarios, etc.

Bueno, como me imagino que esto puede resultar un poco ‘rayante’, así en frío, intentaré facilitar un poco las cosas.

Los personajes, de momento son:

Xabel, joven neurocirujano dedicado a realizar implantes neuronales en el CENTRO ESPECIAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN NEUROLÓGICA de New York, y además, protagonista de esta historia.

Nic, hermano menor de Xabel, joven, bastante crítico con el sistema y la sociedad en la que vive y aficionado a cualquier cosa que tenga relación con el S.XX.

Alex, compañero de trabajo de Xabel, neurocirujano de gran capacidad, muy ordenado y trabajador.

Victor, pastor alemán de 8 años, primer animal en recibir un implante neuronal, con una capacidad intelectual similar a la de cualquier humano. Sus dificultades de pronunciación no hacen más que disimular su rapidez mental.

Cesar, tranquilo orangután, líder absoluto del grupo y máximo exponente de los avances del centro, supera en un test de inteligencia a más del 90% de los humanos.

Mozart, loro gris africano, simpático y charlatán, también implantado.

Walter, amigo minusválido de Nic (Perdió sus dos piernas al utilizarlas como ‘tranca’ para salvar, heroicamente, la vida de un joven compañero atrapado por una cinta transportadora). Aficionado a restaurar aparatos antiguos, máquinas y reliquias en general. Todo un personaje.

Iré, con el tiempo, aumentando y detallando estas notas.

Xabel and Alex keep on talking a long while about all these strange changes in the center without getting any explanation for it. Meanwhile in the other part of New York, Nic leaves its RES to visit his friend Walter.

VOICE IN OFF:

Walter is a very special person and it is necessary to know certain important facts about him and his life. Years ago he lost both legs in an accident while helping a young colleague who was trapped in a transportation belt. Walter sacrified his legs to save the life of his friend. Then the STAT wanted to compensate him. But Walter only asked to get a proper RES and be free to enjoy his hobbies. Here it is to know that one of his hobbies is to collect and repair old machines (forbidden in this age). Since then he lives in his RES, designed by him, and he spends his time repairing “old stuff”. Walter, without legs and without prosthesis, decided to adapt the RES to his reduced body-heigt (means, that his chairs, tables, bed, wardrobe… do not have “legs”!). And to move around he uses a cleaning robot changed to a kind of wheel-chair.”

Nic arrives at the RES of Walter, opens the door with its old key and enters.

-Walter? It´s me, Nic.- he shouts out, bending his head a little bit.

-I see you, my friend! How are you? Welcome back, big boy! You know the way, I am in the garage.-  Walter answers from the back of the flat.

Nic, with the head shrugged between his shoulders, enters.

-How were your holidays? Tell me!- Walter embraces his friend.

-Happy to see you, Walter, because you won´t imagine what happened! I don´t stop thinking about what you told me about the saturation in the ionsphere, do you remember?-

-Why? What happened?-

-Well, listen Walter, in our flight back from Spain to New York we passed through an enormous storm. The airplane had technical problems with the navigation system, the music was failing, and then I took your key, this one here, and I searched another metallic object in the airplane, but there was nearly no metallic thing around, the seat-belt are made of other material, but then I went to the toilet - and what do you think what happened?-

-The key was magnetized.-

-Yes!! The key and all screws I found! All was magnetized! You are right, Walter! It is happening! It hurts all systems. All! Allthough the airplanes keep on flying as normal as before.-

-I knew that, Nic. Yes, I knew it. Come, there are a lot of things I would like to show you.-

Walter moves to his “studio”, a mix of office, laboratory and police-sample exhibition. The walls are completly covered with newspaper-reports, maps, schemes, the table is full of papers, files, the computer, a big chaos, perfectly controllled by Walter. He loves photography, computer technology and all kind of machines which require a high technical knowledge and so his RES looks like a garage or museum. (And not to forget about the rule that in the present society it is strictly forbidden to collect personal objects, and less if do not work!)

-Listen, Nic, all meteors entering into the atmoshere explote and since the 20th century this is strictly controlled. All satellites are equiped with infrared telescopes with a detector net formed by mercury-cadmium which transmit images in two dimensions like radar more or less. These satellites, in former times, were used to detect explosions and missle-attacks, but they also detect the entrance of meteors into the terrestrial atmosphere. If a meteor of a certain size enters into the atmosphere it is captured by the infrared signal and produces an electric power of averagely 1 kiloton. That is the normal way. But imagine, they registrated explosions producing more than 600 kilotons of energy. Compare it with the explosion of the Hiroshima-bomb with 12,5 kilotons.-

-Uff, that is really heavy, Walter, you make me nervious.-

-Don´t worry, Nic, these infrared-signals are taken by SBIR (Space Basic Infrared System). This system realizes statistics with all the incoming dates. So far, so good. But since 2 years they don´t realize any statisic because they don´t get dates. And if you analyse these 2 years before, the increase of the number of explosions was enormous, even of the smaller ones. I tried to find out the reasons of these dates and I searched more information. So, listen, Nic, at the end of the 20th century the number of explosions per year was 10, but the last realized statistic shows a number of 3000 explosions. And if in the 20th century the produced energy was about 1 kiloton per explosion, finally they calculated more than 20 kilotons per explosion. The speed of the radio waves increased a 200 %. And as far as I am informed they did not send new satellites into space in the last 20 years and neither we know about space shuttle-projects.-

-Puh, but what are the conclusions, Walter, I am getting to feel sick.-

-Conclusions? O.k. Let´s say, that we are trapped in a kind of magnetic bubble, growing and growing and - well - our present technology is not prepared to handle and to fight these high magnetic fields.-

VOICE IN OFF:

“In the 20th century the main problem of humanity was the climatic situation, that means the increasing temperature of the whole planet with the destructive effects for the ocean level or for the eco-system like the artic or antartic one. But in the middle of the 21st century the shockof a big meteor in the siberian desert of Rusia changed the angle of the axis of earth rotation. This shock accelerated the warm-up and defrosting of the poles. And although the scientists were calculating a big catastrophy, this shock did not produce the climatic break down on earth. It was the high energy consumption and the enormous pollution that finally caused the most serious health crisis in human history. This enormous crisis was the reason why the political system changed, the world power became unified and the STAT was “born”. A new life-style started, with less individuality (no properties, no private cars, new job-system and so on) and so the environment was saved and as well the natural resources.”

-And what more, Walter? Does it have any positive effect?-

-Never knows. Let´s say that mother nature is wise. Probably the increase of the ion-particle density gives more sun-protection to earth, maybe it will even stop the warm-up of our planet.-

-Yes, Walter, all that is possible. But, the STAT must be informed of all these things, mustn´t it?-

-For sure, the STAT is informed. And that is the critical point I am worrying about. It is really strange, Nic, because once the STAT was formed to continue research development and take care about the ecological control of our planet.-

-That is true. But, coming back to what we talked about before, if this “bubble” even protects us, why does the STAT keep all these facts in secret?-

-Because the negative effects of this “bubble” will attack our digital technology. And the STAT and all its systems are built up on the digital technology. Logical that they do not inform.-

-But there must be more behind!- Nic says.

-Yes, there is. Listen, Nic, 50 % of world economy is based on turism, right. That means, if there will be a risk for life to use airplanes, for example, people will stop travelling and break down the balance of our system. They can´t permit that.-

-But, Walter!! So the STAT is fully aware that millions of persons are in danger of life daily?- Nic is really upset.

- Yes, Nic, it seems so.-

CENTER OF SPECIAL NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH, New York

Victor, a beautiful Alsation, 8 years old, stays quite an relaxed in the white and fresh floor in the training-area of the center.

VOICE IN OFF:

“Victor has an I.Q. similar to a human being. He was the first animal receiving a neuro-chip implantation, applying the technology of brain-stimulation. As well is pioneer in the training-program and development of its new I.Q. His only handy-cap is his long tongue. Its mouth structure makes it more difficult for him to speak. Anyway he speaks, pronouncing bad, so it is not easy to understand him.”

Suddenly Victor turns his head and lifts up his ears. He keeps quite just a moment, stand starts running as fast as if the devil will catch him. In the first turn his backfeet nearly pass the front ones, he tumbles, shocking a robot who was cleaning the floor. The cleaning-robot hits the wall, falls down and his display says “searching position, searching position,…” Victor keeps on running and barking. His barking alarms Mozart, a grey african parrot, as well animal of the training projekt. Mozart starts to fly in the same direction like Victor.

-Xabel is back. Let´s go, Alex, let´s say hello to him.- coments Cesar. Cesar i a peaceful orang-utan; he is the lider of the group of trained animals and he is the one who presents the best results of all. In intelligence-tests he reaches better results than 90 % of the humans.

-So glad to have him back again. I thought his holidays would never end!- Alex says to Cesar, leaving the instruments in its place, taking of the gloves and the laboratory-coat.

VOICE IN OFF:

“Alex is an excellent scientist with enormous talent and usually a very calm person. But in the holiday month of his collegue Xabel he had taken charge of the whole projekt and as well had been responsible for the three animals, both “jobs” were really a stressy combination.”

Alex an Cesar leave the laboratory to welcome its friend.

Victor, finishing his accidented race, finally is the first to welcome Xabel. Very dog-like he jumps up to Xabel who nearly does not stand the powerful “attack” of Victor.

-How are you, my friend?- Xabel punches him friendly while he tries to escape the long tongue. -I really missed you all.-

Mozart is the second in reaching Xabel, he waits for its turn, with patience, sitting on the entrance-chart of the center, with his head inclined and his eyes wide open. Meanwhile Victor still behaves very upset, unable to pronounce a word, jumping and licking.

-Mozart!- Xabel shouts out, touching friendly the parrot´s head.

-Welcome back, Xabel, how dark-skinned you are.- Mozart says.

-Yeah, a lot of beach, sun and fun, you know, we had marvellous holidays.- Xabel smiles.

A little later as well Alex and Cesar complete the group, coming together in the garden area of the center.

-Hi, glad to see you!- Xabel shouts out.

-Thank god you are back!!- Alex comments with a happy smile.

-How was Spain?- Cesar asks, embracing Xabel as well.

-Great, Cesar, great, really a very nice place.-

-And how about your brother?- Everything o.k.?- Cesar asks knowing very well that one of the main reasons of the trip of Xabel and Nice was to help Nic in his difficult moments and his troubled life.

-Everything o.k., Cesar, thank you for asking.- Xabel answers.

They all return into the center and Xabel puts his arm over the shoulder of Alex. -What has happened, my friend? These three were really stressy?-

-No, no, they have been great, don´t worry.-

-But? What´s on then?-

-I don´t know, Xabel, I think the STAT does not agree with our idea of the whole projekt.-

-What? But, refering to…?-

-I will tell you later, okay. First of all tell me: how were your Spain-trip?-

-Perfect, Alex, one day you have to travel that country. And Nic is much more motivated. Let´s hope that from now on he weill try to avoid problems. He still keeps his crazy ideas, I think, that seems to be impossible to change.-

-Wow as the ood?- Victor asks. The whole group looks at him, with eyes wide open, surprised faces. Cesar, who usually makes the “translator”, says

-I think he is asking about the food and how it was!-

-Ah, .., well, very good food, Victor, I´ll tell you, the spanish food is really delicious.-

Satisfied Victor keeps on his walk in the corridor next to Xabel.

Xabel whispers into the ear of Cesar -How did you know?-

-It´s very easy, he does not think about much more things than food!-

-Bad monkey!!- Xabel jokes with a smile.

On teir way to the training center the rest of the scientists welcome Xabel. Then Xabel and Alex look to find a quite place and finally enter in the meeting-room. It´s time to talk about all the things that happened in the last month.

-There are a lot of new people, am I right?-

-Yes, the last month we had a lot of movements- Alex answers -I will tell you. Just only a month ago the main target of our projekt was to improve technology, realize neuro-chip implantations in different species of animals, then observing and training them and finally break the limits of animal comunication.-

-Yes, correct, Alex, but, what has changed?-

-Yes, and I think that it is very important, that our results are used in the general human medicine. Remember, the month before you went on holiday, we realized a neuro-chip implantation with a young girl who suffered problems of global amnesia. And as well there was the implantation for a patient with Korsakoff-syndrome, another one was the old man with paranoid madness, then we had…-

-Yes, Alex, I do remember them very well, but what do you want to explain me?-

-And you know as I do that we control our patients for a long time, making stimulation tests, realizing rehabilitation, making training-programs.-

-Correct-

-Yes, okay, till this point everything o.k.! But listen! The last four weeks, the complete month, we did no operation or treatment for patients with health problems. It was another kind of patients. And each of them came into the center acompanied by STAT´s agents! Sometimes covered agents, sometimes without hiding it!!-

-And what happened with these people who were not ill?- Xabel is surprised.

-Remember, the average number of human patients has been usually less than 10% monthly, the main part of our work basically is with animals. And now, Xabel, now it´s the wrong way round, we are operating more than 10 patients daily!-

-But,… but who ist realizing that high number of operations?- Xabel can´t believe.

-There are about thirty now persons more in the center, surgeons, assistens, and they use our technology, i suppose, but then they don´t colaborate with us, that means, we have no contact with them, they work alone,… and later, you won´t believe it, Xabel, later these patients leave the center as covered as they entered. They do not stay here, there are neither control, neither training, treatment, rehabilitation … anything.-

-But, that´s crazy!- Xabel gets outrageously. -There is no control of their development?-

-Xabel, I don´t know at all what is happening in our center! And I tried to find it out; I asked them, but they avoid to give straight answrs.-

The following morning the virtual decoration of its RES appears with a tropical look.

“Good morning, your breakfast is already served.” the panel informs.

Nic and Xabel take their tablets with the continental breakfast.

-It´s quite early- Nic comments -What a pity! As much as I like to have breakfast in the terrace. But it´s still dark outside.-

Xabel smiles, taking the orange-juice. -What a great month of holidays we had here in Spain, I will remember a lot of nice moments. But - now it´s time to return to real life!!-

-Imagine, in the past people travelled with their clothes, shoes, t-shirts, they put even their tooth brushes in their hugh suitcases. Crazy. And calculate the costs for the STAT, if each one of us would travel with completeand heavy luggage around the world. Unbelievable, isn´t it?- Nic says.

-I think in the past the people did not analyze these facts, they were not prepared to think about saving energy this way. They travelled, for example, from New York to Spain with the whole golf-equipment.-

-Well, Xabel, let´s take a TRANS and go to the airport.-

They leave the RES. “No personal objects left in the RES.” the panel informs.

-Bye Bye!- Nic answers.

And downstairs in the hall another panel advices “Outside temperature: 15º C.”

-Thanks, thank you very much!- Nic says.

Outside in the street a lot of empty TRANS are parked. Xabel touches one of them in the roof and the doors open automatically. Both brother sit down in the car.

-Let´s go! Airport of Málaga!- Xabel orders.

“7 minutes to International Airport Málaga” is the automatic information of the TRANS.

On their way they observe the dark and cloudy sky.

-Seems to be a very rainy “good-bye” of the Costa del Sol!!- Nic smiles. -But even with the rain I would prefer to stay one more month.-

-Well, but the holidays are over, what shall we do. And I am really looking forward to return and be again with the guys!-

-Ah, there it is! Departure F, return of TRANS.- Nic finds the indication.

They leave the TRANS, pass the check-in and walk to the boarding gate. Finally they reach the airplane, take their seats and have a look out of the window, both of them with sad faces.

-Puh, there is really a heavy storm starting again. I don´t like it. Xabel, have you heard about the problem that we will reach a saturation in the ionsphere? They say that the magnetic field in the magnetic atmosphere is  becoming a dangerous risk for us, instead of protecting us.-

-Nice subject to talk about, Nic, right before the take off!- Xabel answers ironically.

-What happens? Are you afraid? Huhh, huhh!! Don´t be childish! Walter says that never before there had been such a clear reflect of the radio waves in the ionsphere like in these last months. And he thinks it´s because of the saturation of charge.-

-Radio waves? What about your are talking, Nic?- Xabel asks without understanding.

-Walter has still some radio systems of the 20th century…-

-Ah, better shut up, Nic! Walter, with all his stuff, will be in trouble soon. And you have got enough with your things.-

The airplane realizes the take off without any problems although a tropical storm and heavy rain is happening.

-Uff, makes me fear!- Xabel says.

-Ah, come on Xabel! Don´t worry!- Nic takes its headphones to listen to the music.

The flight continues and while reaching the travel height suddenly they fell that there are strange things happening and the faces of the cabin crew does not reallly express calmness!

-What´s going on?- Xabel asks anxiously.

-I don´t know, the music as well is failing a lot.-

-Ah, that doesn´t matter!- Xabel is getting upset.

-Yes, it does, because if the music fails and the airplane control as well . . . ; Walter was right with his ideas!- Nic says.

-Don´t start again!-

-Do we have a metalic thing with us? . . .  Ah, yeah, my keys!- Nic takes them out of its jacket.

-What´s that?- Xabel asks surprised.

-That´s the key of the shelter in the house of Walter. He is keeping the old key-system to close his doors, you know. Wait a moment.-

And Nic goes to the back part of the airplane searching another metalic object. A few minutes later he comes back to his seat - obviously very upset and nervous, and trying to keep calm he nearly shouts out

-It is magnetized, Xabel, the key is magnetized!!-

-Shut up, calm down, Nic, the people are looking at us-

Xabel is looking around to the other passengers and with a forced smile he explains

-Ah, sometimes my brother behaves a little strangly, sorry..!-

-Xabel, they are crazy, they are playing with our lifes, the key is magnetized!!-

-Shut up now, Nic, don´t be paranoid, We´ll going to have a lot of trouble.-

Members of the cabin crew finally go around to tranquilize the passengers and at the same time sounds the comunication-system

“Dear passengers, it´s your pilot speaking. We had some problems with the navigation-system, we solved them completly. Sorry for causing a little bit of trouble. The cabin crew will serve you in a moment a drink. The arrival time at New York will be at 14.00 local time. Enjoy your flight.”

-Scoundred!!- Nic wispers altered.

-Will you shut up once and forever!!- Xabel is really angry with his brother.

-Xabel, look out of the window! Look, and tell me what you see!-

-I can see the sky, the ocean, … but…-

-Well, what I told you, we passed the storm, and now there is no magnetic field anymore!-

-Ah, stop it, please, Nic, forget about it, and please, for the rest of the flight, okay!-

-Have to tell it to Walter, will be interesting what he will think about it.-

The flight continues without any problem, but Nic keeps its anger about all the things that happened.

VOICE IN OFF:

“Nic always tried to find out the reason of several problems and nearly always finished analyzing the things with arguments against the current system of the STAT. He only changed to a positiv opinion in case of things or situations related with the 20th century.

To be honest, I don´t know why he adored that age as much as he did, seemed to have been a funny time.

Till the end of the 21st century people were living in their own houses. It was usual priority of life to become property owner in spite of the high energy-costs and enormous traffic problems caused of the daily movements of each person. In that age millions of persons were moving daily just going to work and returning at home!! They were spending so much energy without having in mind the enormous pollution and destruction of the environment.

On the other hand getting owner of a property like a house, a flat or apartment was not as easy as it sounds. Needed to be adult with a fix job and a stable income. A high number of marriages were made to assure the financial base to receive the mortgage for a property. And naturally this fact caused on one side the increasing number of divorces or on the other side put the family or couple together for ever just to keep the financial security.

Furtheron in that age people were not open to share things. To explain this the following example maybe helps.. Yes, they were sharing the big parkings, but each one with its own car. That means that they always had to look and very often to wait for a free place to park and later only were leaving the parking with its own car. There did not exist a transport-unit like today our TRANS, everybody used its own car.

I don´t know, Nic loves that age and I think it is not because he feels pain for it, he really admires the past. For me it´s difficult to understand, I think it was a complicated society.”

Finally they land in New York and landing happens without any problem. The brothers go directly to a RES, take diner and relax.

Voz en off

En el SXX la humanidad se preocupaba, sobremanera, por el calentamiento climático del planeta y las consecuencias que podría tener sobre el nivel del mar y los ecosistemas Ártico y Antártico.

Pero a mediados del SXXI, el impacto de un gran meteoro sobre la Rusia siberiana incidió en ángulo del eje de rotación de la tierra.

Este impacto aceleró el deshielo de los polos, pero no afectó al resto del planeta tanto como los científicos afirmaban.

Fue el disparatado consumo energético y la contaminación generada por éste, lo que desencadenó la mayor crisis de salud pública de la historia de la humanidad.

Esta crisis favoreció la unificación mundial de poderes y el nacimiento del Stat, con un nuevo esquema de vida, vivienda, consumo, etc. mucho menos agresivo con el medio ambiente.  

- Y qué, Walter, ¿alguna lectura positiva?.

- ¿Quien sabe?, se suele decir que la naturaleza es sabia. Posiblemente el aumento se densidad de partículas ionizadas ejerza de filtro solar, frenando el calentamiento del planeta.

- Pero Walter, ¿el Stat tiene que estar al día de todo esto, no?.

- Pues claro, eso es lo que más me preocupa. Es extraño, el Stat se constituyó precisamente con la prioridad del desarrollo sostenible y la finalidad de garantizar un control ecológico del planeta.

- Pero entonces, si esto puede favorecer el equilibrio climático, ¿porqué tanto secretismo?.

- Pues creo que por las consecuencias negativas de esa burbuja que afectan, tan negativamente, a la tecnología digital, eso debilita al Stat, Nic, es un imperio mundial basado principalmente en esa tecnología, ¡como no se van a callar!.

- Tiene que haber algo más   afirma Nic  .

- Claro que si Nic, sin ir más lejos, la economía mundial se basa en un 50% en el movimiento turístico, si existiera la alarma social de que subiendo a un avión te juegas la vida, el equilibrio del sistema se resentiría, y esto no parece que se pueda solucionar en unos meses.

- Entonces el Stat está poniendo en peligro diariamente, a sabiendas, a millones de personas.

- Eso parece, Nic.

-Well, it´s really pouring with rain- Xabel comments to Nic returning from the terrace of the RES -if it continous like this our holidays will be over.

-Don´t moan about it, we enjoyed a great month and I´m almost glad that there are things left which are out of the control of the STAT. The day we less expect ist they´ll program the rain days especially for our holidays.- Nic answers.

-Yeah, and you with your credits, you would have received a weekend of ecological turism, with rain included, because the humid countryside smells better…-

-It was your idea to travel to Spain, don´t reproach me for it!-

-No, never, what about a walk in the rain in the beach promenade? Will be lovely, won´t it?-

-O.k., o.k., and when will you change the configuration of the RES?, It seems that we are staying in the amazonean jungle!-

-That´s how I like it, I´ll pay and you´ll shut up. ok.!- Xabel says knocking his brother friendly and hugging him to the street.

“No personal object left in the RES” the control panel informs.

-Thanks- Nic answers with joking voice while going to the elevator.

In the hall another panel offers to them water protection “rain, outside temperature 20ºC”.

-O.k.,o.k. give us two of these anti-rain kits- Xabel presses the bottom of the panel.

The brothers take their anti-rain kits and keep on joking while starting their walk. In the promenade their conversation becomes seriously:

-I don´t know, Nic, but I think you´ll have to mature a litlle bit, fix targets, respect a bit more the rules. If you don´t change you´ll end in a optimating program and that´ll be…-

-I know very well what to do and what I want, but I can´t bear the manipulation we are subject to. How does the STAT know if something is bad or well done before having done it! That´s crazy! And if you don´t do what the pretend you to do, they penalize you immediately and once in trouble you´ll get more and more trouble.-

-Nic, you´ll only have to participate more in the system. Further on you can do things on your way. But first of all you´ll have to fit in the system, work regulary, behave a liitle bit more seriously. If you adapt to the system they won´t observe you anymore and you´ll get liberty for your things. Being a rebel has no sense. Don´t you see, the people are happy in our society.-

And they keep on talking about the situation while walking in the rain.

Old narrator, voice in off:

Nic was a little bit crazy, full of illusions, projects, hobbies … and with his individualism he shocked against the system. Nic loved the 20th century and this devotion for the “old days” caused trouble. In the actual society, the collection of relics, souvenirs or similar, for example, was only permited to the oficial places like museums. Private collection existed only in virtual form, otherwise the STAT declared it as illegal practice. The problem was, that Nic loved the relics of the 20th century.

-Do we take diner in the RES?- Xabel asks -Tomorrow will be a long day.

-Good idea, I´m hungry.- 

“Distance to the next RES for 2 persons: 1 minute” indicates the kenbox of Xabel.

-O.k.- Nic confirms with a smile  -look, that´s great, it is a RES right near the beach!- 

In the entrance of the building the control panel of the hall reminds them “Leaving anti-rain kits here”.

-These things make me nervous- Nic says taking off the anti-rain kit.

-Calm down, Nic! Let´s go, our RES is the number 112.-

- At what time do we have to leave tomorrow?- Nic asks while reaching the RES.

-At 9 o´clock, we´ll have to wake up quite early.-

They enter into the RES and while Xabel stars ordering the diner in the panel, Nic sits down in the terrace, enjoying the nice view to the Mediterranean sea.

-Good moments always pass by to quick- Nic regrets observing the sky. -Xabel, what did you order for me? I´m really hungry!-

-I can´t tell you, will be surprise because I don´t understand the menu at all-

-Oh, so we better keep the fingers crossed, I know very well your surprises!!- Nic jokes and opens the wine.

-Well, Xabel, I was thinking about our last conversation in the rain- Nic gives a wine glass to his brother.  In this holiday month you spent the credit you earned before working for the STAT. That´s correct, isn´t it?-

-Well, we spent a little bit more- Xabel answers with a smile.

-O.k. And all we spent for the trip to Spain, our stay here, the meals, entertainments and so on, the STAT deducts all our travelling expenses from your credt, am I right?-

-Yes you are- Xabel confirms.

-That means, explaining it with other words; the money you earned working, let´s say, one month, you give right back to the STAT spending it in one month of holidays.-

-Oh, no, don´t start again critizising the STAT- Xabel still smiles about the logical explanation of his brother.

-But it´s true, Xabel, calculating it like this, mathematically- on one side working, producing, earning and on the other side enjoying, spending holidays, paying your free time - the result is: 0!! That means for the STAT: no costs, all free!! That´s heavy, isn´t it!-

The smile in the face of Xabel disapears, his voice sounds seriously -But you mustn´t forget one important thing: the STAT invests in me, offers me all possibilities to develop my knowledge in neuro-surgery. It makes my dreams come true, you know. You are not the only one realizing that the STAT controls all and all of us, but, answer me honestly, Nic, our life-style, the quality of life we have, is much higher than ever before. We are really enjoying our life. Remember the former times, remember the 20th century- you know it very well and appreciate it a lot; how many people died for hunger, how were their job conditions, working, working with few days of? Remember those days - would you turn back time?-

-Yeah, but the people were free.-

-Pah, free, free to start wars, free to take drugs and kill each other, and … ah, there comes the diner!! I´m so hungry!!

-Uah! What´s that?- Nic shouts.

-Gazpacho, don´t you know it? You stay a month in Andalusia and don´t know the Gazpacho?- Xabel asks surprised.

-Uff, I thought it was a kind of juice, did not expect something salty!-

-But it smells good, doesn´t it? I love it.- Xabel smiles while serving the tortilla.

-Yes, it´s great- Nic answers.

-I miss the guys, one month is really a long time without them, you know, they are like a family for me- Xabel coments with sad face.

-Family?! Wow!! If you call a dog, a monkey and a cockatoo your family, then tell me, how do you call me? Funny idea to be brother of an animal farm!!-

-No, Nic, don´t misunderstand it. But you know them, they are like persons and I love them very much. And Mozart is not a cockatoo, it´s a parrot, okay!-

-I´m joking, Xabel, don´t worry. But one thing I would like to know; how do you arrange that they are living with you in the RES? It is strictly forbidden to have animals.- Nic asks interested.

-Well, I have a special permission similar to the family permission which as well gives you the right to stay continously in the same RES. That makes life easier, believe me. But in these days Alex takes care of them, that means, they are with him in the science-center. Poor ones.-

-They´ll drive him crazy!-

-For sure, poor Alex.- Xabel laughs. -May I order a tea for you, Nic?-

-Yes please.-

And while having the tea, they listen music, relax, talk about Spain and the holidays,

Voice in off:

“In the last years the scientists had advanced a lot improving the programs of neuro-stimulation, cultivation and implantation of neuro-chips. The first experiments were made with animals and the results had been surprising because in certain cases the treated animals got a superior I.Q. than the humans. These programs were used for mediacal treatments but as well planned as projects with social target, for example, to push the correct education and integration of young people. In the beginning these programs were used to keep the crime-rate as low as posible; furtheron their aplication improved generally the mental health of the society.”

Both of the brothers enjoy their conversation in the relaxed environment. Xabel represses a yawn. -Uah, I´m really tired, it´s quite late. We should got to bed, don´t you think so?-

-Yeah. Good night, Xabel.-

-Good night, sleep well.-

Xabel stays a moment with its Kenbox checking the flight-dates, than also goes to bed.

Walter se dirige hacia su ‘estudio’, una mezcla entre oficina, laboratorio y exposición de pruebas policiales. Las paredes están repletas de notas, mapas, esquemas, etc., en las mesas no cabe un papel, archivos, ordenadores… un caos perfectamente controlado por Walter.

Aficionado a la fotografía tradicional, a la informática y a todo lo que requiera un mínimo conocimiento técnico, su res es todo un museo, más en una sociedad en la que la conservación de ’objetos personales’ está, más que en desuso, prohibida.

- Mira Nic, desde el S.XX se vienen controlando las explosiones de meteoros en su entrada a la atmósfera.

Los satélites van equipados con telescopios infrarrojos con una línea de detectores de teluro de mercurio-cadmio que generan imágenes 2D, como un radar.

Esos satélites se utilizaban, antiguamente, para detectar explosiones y lanzamiento de misiles, pero también detectan la entrada de meteoros en la atmósfera terrestre.

Cuando un meteorito de tamaño razonable entra en la atmósfera, se desintegra emitiendo una señal infrarroja y liberando una energía promedio de 1 kilotón; aunque se llegaron a detectar explosiones de hasta 600 kilotones.

Para que te hagas una idea, la bomba de Hiroshima ’liberó’12,5 kilotones.

- Walter, me estás asustando.

- Tranquilo, te explico, esa señal infrarroja es detectada por los SBIR (Space Basec Infrared System), realizando con esos datos una estadística.

Pues bien, hace varios años que no hay ninguna estadística de estos sistemas, no hay datos.

Analizando las de los años anteriores, el crecimiento, tanto de pequeñas, como de grandes explosiones, es alarmante.

Intentando analizar esa información, saco estas conclusiones:

A finales del S.XX se detectaban unas 10 explosiones anuales, en las estadísticas del último año publicado se superaron las 3000 explosiones en el año.

Si en el S.XX el promedio era de 1 kilotón, la media de energía liberada en cada explosión, del último año con estadísticas, es de más de 20 kilotones.

La velocidad de las ondas de radio ha aumentado un 200%.

No tengo conocimiento de que se haya enviado un satélite al espacio desde hace más de 20 años.

Tampoco tengo conocimiento de que algún equipo espacial haya vuelto a la Tierra en este tiempo.

- Conclusiones Walter, conclusiones, me estoy poniendo enfermo.

- ¿Conclusiones?, estamos encerrados en una burbuja magnética que crece hacia dentro y hacia fuera y nuestra tecnología no está preparada para superar esos campos magnéticos.

Mientras Alex y Xabel comentan apesadumbrados su nueva situación y se preguntan cual será su papel en la nueva estructura del Centro, Nic sale de su res con intención de visitar a su amigo Walter.

Voz en off

“El conocer a Walter no puede dejar indiferente a nadie, es un tipo especial, todo un personaje.

Perdió sus dos piernas al utilizarlas como ‘tranca’ para salvar, heroicamente, la vida de un joven compañero atrapado por una cinta transportadora.

Preguntándole, el Stat, por como compensarle de tan importante trauma, Walter sorprendió a todos pidiendo que le dejasen vivir apartado de la sociedad, disfrutando de sus aficiones, que no son otras que restaurar aparatos antiguos, máquinas y reliquias en general.

Desde entonces vive en un atípico res, diseñado por él mismo, a las afueras de la ciudad y se pasa la horas arreglando ‘trastos’.

Walter, con sus piernas cortadas, decidió hacer lo mismo con su res, ‘le cortó las piernas’, es decir, se hizo un res en el que todo está a su altura y se desplaza por él sobre un robot de limpieza adaptado para ese uso.”

Nic llega al res de Walter, abre la puerta con su vieja llave y entra.

- ¿Walter?, ¡soy Nic!   exclama Nic ligeramente agachado  .

- Ya te veo, ¿cómo estás?, bienvenido grandullón, ya sabes el camino   contesta Walter desde su taller  .

Nic, encogido, va en busca de su amigo. 

- ¿Qué tal todo?, cuéntame, un abrazo hombre.

- Que ganas tenía de verte, Walter, no te puedes imaginar lo que nos pasó. No dejé de pensar un momento en tu teoría sobre la saturación de carga de la ionosfera.

- ¿Y eso porqué?.

- En el viaje de vuelta, Walter, sobrevolamos una gran tormenta, el avión tenía problemas con sus sistemas de navegación, la música también fallaba mucho, entonces cogí tu llave y me puse a buscar otro objeto metálico por el avión, no había nada metálico, en el cinturón no se imantaba, a saber de qué aleación está hecho, pero me fuí al aseo y ¿adivina lo que pasó?.

- La llave estaba imantada.

- Si, la llave y casi todos los tornillos que encontré, tienes razón Walter, algo está pasando. Eso afecta a todos los sistemas, sin embargo, los aviones siguen volando como si nada ocurriera.

- Lo sabía, tengo que enseñarte algunas cosas, Nic.

Se dirigen a la Zona de Formación, entre los saludos y recibimientos del resto de compañeros del Centro.

Buscando un poco de tranquilidad, entran en una de las salas de reunión, donde poder sentarse a charlar un poco de las vacaciones, los chicos, etc. e ir poniéndose al día. Después de una tranquila charla, Xabel pregunta:

- ¿Mucha gente nueva, no?.

- Si, este mes ha sido bastante movido   contesta Alex  , es lo que te contaba, hasta hace un mes parecía que la línea que seguía el proyecto eran las técnicas de desarrollo cerebral realizando implantes neuronales a todo tipo de animales, buscando, principalmente, romper fronteras en la comunicación animal, ocupando esto la mayor parte de nuestro tiempo.

- Si, claro, ¿y que ha cambiado?.

- Yo creo que utilizar nuestros avances en la medicina es algo inevitable y además bueno para todos. En el último mes, antes de tus vacaciones, realizamos implantes a un chico con problemas de amnesia global transitoria, otro con síndrome de Korsakoff, un señor con demencia paranoide senil, una chica saliente de un infarto cerebral…

- Si Alex, claro que sí. ¿A donde quieres llegar?.

- A todos ellos después de intervenirlos, les realizamos técnicas de estimulación, rehabilitación, adaptación y formación cuando es necesario.

- Si.

- Pues eso Xabel, este mes casi todas las intervenciones que estamos realizando son a humanos y no, principalmente, por cuestiones de salud, cada paciente que entra por la puerta del centro va acompañado de Agentes del Stat. Unas veces más discretamente y otras menos.

- Y toda esa gente entonces…

- Hace un par de meses las intervenciones en humanos suponían menos del 10% del total, ahora es al revés y estamos superando las 10 intervenciones diarias.

- ¿Qué dices?, ¿quien está operando?.

- Se han incorporado unas treinta personas, entre neurocirujanos, asistentes, etc. que realizan intervenciones, se supone que utilizando nuestras técnicas, sin dar ninguna explicación, ni presentarse a nadie.

Creo que, salvo un caso que se complicó y aún sigue internado, no he vuelto a ver por el Centro a ninguno de los intervenidos. Xabel, no hay ningún seguimiento, al menos por nuestra parte.

- ¿Se han vuelto locos?   contesta Xabel indignado  .

Y… ¿quién controla la evolución?.

- No sé absolutamente nada de lo que pasa, desde el momento que salen del Centro. Siempre que he intentado interesarme por alguno de los pacientes, me he encontrado con todo tipo de evasivas.