Infineon

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Today's fantasy is tomorrow's reality.

The memory of the Great Collapse popped up again. Paul Striker could still remember the period of anarchy, mass murder, theft, and cruelty. A seemingly infinite few months in 2030 made the darkest corners of human nature emerge on the surface. At that time, the teenager lost everything: his mother, father, and innocence. Paul could not help thinking of the past. Time did not entirely heal his wounds.

The boy had turned into a man now. Paul Striker had been serving in the Police Department for twelve years, and this was the only job he had ever done. And the only one he searched for. Being on the side of power and order was not just his revenge on life but his unwavering commitment.

There was a cost to defeating chaos, however. Paul had to sacrifice a bit of his freedom. He had to take it away from the other people who needed order. And from others who disagreed with this but did not dare leave the city and the benefits of civilization. But one had learned to live with it.

Paul was six point seven feet high and had an athletic body. He had a small, barely visible tattoo of the infinity symbol on his neck. His dark hair and entirely black eyes made him look impenetrable. It fully fitted his behavior and lifestyle as well.

"Are you ready?", his wife Angelina asked.

"Yes", he confirmed.

"You should take some rest. Tomorrow morning, you leave and embark on your mission."

Paul looked into his wife's eyes and wondered momentarily if they were bound together by love and attachment or by something he did not entirely realize. Then he looked through the window and gazed at the beauty of that place.

How much has the world changed in just a couple of years? he thought.

Infineon has embodied people's dream of a clean, safe, and subject-to-order place. Built on the territory of former London, it has become the role model for smart cities in Europe and one of the leading cities in the entire world in terms of prosperity and sustainable life. The sound of a drone flying around intercepted his thoughts. It was as if this sound was just a slight reminder that perfection does not exist.

He went back to the bedroom. His wife Angelina Evert was expecting him. She turned off the lights. Though they knew they would not see each other for a few months at least, they exchanged just a kiss. Angelina fell asleep. Paul still needed to think. For the past few years, his career had been going forward as intended. His ambition was a constant source of energy for him. Starting from the bottom as a Constable, he was now serving office as a Chief Inspector. And if he could fulfill the mission he was awarded, he could immensely widen his horizon. Let alone that police officers gradually replaced the Military. As no formal wars were declared, militaries were utilized for only a few operations. High-rank police officers, such as Paul, could intervene in almost any operation – either within the city or outside if necessary.

As far as his wife was concerned, she had the same ambition. At the age of twenty-nine, she fulfilled the duties of a Deputy Chief in the Research department of a Controlled birth and gene editing center. She had been subject to gene editing recently. The therapy slightly increased her intelligence and was stated to decrease the speed of aging. She was above average for a woman's height, five-point seven feet, had long brown hair reaching her waist, and her deep dark eyes added a notion of mystery to her. Angelina was beautiful.

Paul woke up after just a few hours of sleep. It was enough for him. He took his daily dose of food additives and headed to the Social Sustainability department. He expected to meet with the City Managing Board and receive the last details and instructions for his mission there. He took the tube. It fled across the city entirely on its surface with no underground sections. It relied on a high-temperature superconductor possessing zero magnetic flux. The Meissner effect created an unreal picture until a few decades ago, only accessible to the imagination. The tube was fast and comfortable. Almost no one standing inside. Transportation perfectly met the needs of the two million in the city of Infineon.

When entering Shard, which has been reconstructed and now accommodates the city elite, Paul checked his wrist at the scanner. His digital ID showed on display, and he was authorized to continue to the elevators. Though he had the rank of Chief Inspector and enjoyed trust, respect, and high social status, he was accompanied by two guards. Paul reached floor 65. He had to make it higher on foot.

"Chief Inspector Paul Striker, it is our pleasure," said Mr. David Hern, the Chairman of the Social Department Managing Board. "Based on your pulse and stable physical indicators, you are in good condition to start the mission."

"It is my honor." said Paul.

"Now to the point. You are aware you must infiltrate a rural community and gather specific information. We will rely on your personal assessment as much as on our technology. The mission has no deadline. It will end when you decide we have all we need. You must travel to Eastern Europe".

This was new information for Paul. He expected to go to a community on the Island. Why on Earth would a former citizen of Infineon travel thousands of kilometers to join a rural community when he could do it only a few miles away from the city?

"With all due respect, Sir. I need more information. This would look quite suspicious to the locals."

"Correct. But the locals will be "forced" to accept you by their own nature, inspector. And we have selected you because we are sure you will be able to fit in there. The detailed plan and logistical arrangements will be proved to you in writing, point by point. We now want to tell you what you should grasp with your mind, not your eyes."

"Where exactly is the rural community located?"

"It is a village called Izgrev. It is in South-West Bulgaria and means Sunrise in their language."

"Why did you choose it?"

"Well, we had a discussion. Infinity proposed a few locations where we could focus on and conduct..., let's say, this social experiment. We had to choose between Bosnia's ancient pyramids, Berat in Albania, and Rila Mountain in Bulgaria. For some reason, all three places suggested by Infinity are not subject to 24/7 surveillance. People there cannot be tracked and scrutinized, and our satellites cannot overcome the solid electromagnetic waves emitted and surrounding those places. Dwellers would say these places are energy centers of high spiritual vibrations. Which, of course, does not sound quite scientific... Still, dense fog is out there, and we need to distract it."

"What answers are you looking for?"

"We want to know why these people are reluctant to leave their so-called "faith" and do not want to live in an environment managed by intelligent systems such as Infinity. What are the exact thoughts in their heads? What are the biochemical processes and substances generated in their brains? Why are they willing to live in the fucking Middle Ages..."

"Everything will be fine, Mr. Hern. There is simply no margin for error and doubt. Shortly, we will know the answer." That was Infinity's AI-generated voice.

Infinity occupied a hologram of the human female body. The feminine principle was significant as, subconsciously, people associated masculinity with being warlike and striving to conquer. On the other hand, the women-like image was easy to set up as cooperative and supportive, connecting all residents of Infineon. The system deliberately did not have a physical persona. Only a comprehensive and almighty image could appear anywhere – on one's wrist displays, home four-wall screens, and extensive information neon boards across the city. On rare occasions when a more profound impression and personal influence was needed, Infinity could directly emerge before one's eyes through their contact lenses connected by 6G to the system.

Chief Inspector Paul Striker received the instructions and detailed plan and left the building. On his way back home, he took an official car.

"Drive home", ordered Paul, and the vehicle headed in the right direction.

He thought sometimes Infinity was in control, not the Board members. Though the city elite had enhanced their capabilities and merged with AI, they were partly humans. Infinity had human-like behavior, but on the inside, it was a sentient AI: fast, intelligent, and able to foresee and predict events. It was also capable of creating events and shaping reality. Once, people believed in God. Now they had Infinity...