Infineon

BEYOND THE BORDERS

June 1st, 2048. For the first time in his life, 33-year-old Insp. Paul Striker left the territory of former London, now called Infineon. He went by air using one of the dedicated Bell V-280 Valor – a tiltrotor aircraft developed in the second decade of the XXI century by Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin for the United States Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. It was a successful model that has been upgraded constantly throughout the years and reached high flight-proven agility, speed, range, and endurance. It could be applied to both military and humanitarian crises. It was a guarantee that Paul would be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. Nobody expected any disaster or assault during his flight to Eastern Europe. 

The European continent had changed. States were functioning as an aggregate of smart cities. Smart cities were run by technocrats and AI, forming city councils or departments carrying different names. The role of State governments was to facilitate the relations between the residents in the smart cities and the inhabitants of the territories outside them. Governments tried to push legislation for these patches of land and gradually expanded the scope of so-called "Natural parks". They had to do all this work step by step at a time. Thus, it could be generally accepted by public opinion.

By nature, and because of the long training and professional service, Paul Striker was calm and steady. Today, however, he felt something. It was due to an imminent clash with the unknown. Sensors in his veins detected indications of interest and excitement.

It is normal, he thought and gave up on his feelings. Infinity would not mind.

From the bird's eye, he saw the remains of a once big city. Ashes and ruins covered a vast plain crossed by a river. In the northern parts, he noticed restored buildings, densely moving small objects, and few vehicles. This must have been once Paris, he thought. Since he was born before 2030, he knew some stuff about the Old World. He had even seen it and experienced it, tasted it. Unlike many young people who knew nothing about the world before them. And if they knew a little, that knowledge would have been shaped by the media, the Social Stability department, and other formal sources. 

Paul flew over a significant piece of wasteland. Nothing to notice, nothing to remember. A few small and decaying villages judging from the small number of houses. Finally, he reached Progresso (i.e., former Rome). According to his information, the city sheltered about 1.5 million people. Most of the Progresso population comprised people who had immigrated here during the last decade of the Old World and their descendants. The city had been managed by an intelligent system, an AI with a similar interface to Infinity's. His wife Angelina once told him that it is the same system. Still, they have chosen a different name and outlook to build the impression that today's world is multipolar and based on decentralization. It is only now that he thought about it for the first time. Not only were people living far away from one another, separated by thousands of kilometers, but they also thought they led different lives and had nothing in common. "Divide et impera" – a phrase he saw on the top floors in the Shard building (and later checked), where the City Council held private sessions.

All these strange and decadent thoughts were distracted by something beautiful. Paul could now see the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea. He was amazed. The view of the Adriatic Sea unlocked something new in him – the desire for success, safety, and stability was put in the backyard, and now a new passion arose. A short-term feeling, a dramatic shift caused by a single view... He felt he had nothing to lose and, at the same time, had so much. Far away from cities built by humans and AI, far away from any order imposed or voluntarily accepted. Looking at nature in its pure beauty. Did he feel free for the first time in his life?

The Bell V-280 Valor loudly announced that it was flying above a territory not subject to constant satellite surveillance. Due to possible electromagnetic disturbances, he would have to divert from the planned course. Paul checked his info and found he had reached the former Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina with its "magical" mountains. In a few declassified documents available to civil servants, exciting information was provided by retired military organization pilots. He had been testifying to strange phenomena that happened here at the end of the XX century, a period Paul was unaware of. More specifically, their completely sane, healthy, and well-trained colleagues went mad after reaching the edge of Visoko and staying above for just a few minutes. They had been speaking about red-haired women who could blow up any kind of military equipment just by using the power of their minds. It sounded nuts. However, such statements have been designated "secret" documentation and military equipment has gone missing in this region. Located only 15 miles northwest of Sarajevo, the edge of Visoko looked like a shed or cottage abandoned by some 19th-century peasant. However, Visoko possibly kept deep secrets that are still unknown to humanity. The Pyramid of the moon and The Pyramid of the sun were only a few hundred feet away. The pyramid of the moon is one of the world's largest—and oldest—step pyramids, comparable in glory to the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids.

Finally, Paul reached NeoMetropolis. The city partially retained what once was Bucharest. Modern tech was part of everyday life here. AI was alive and used by most of the citizens, but the city was managed by a single person who was human and called himself a "mayor." Though the Romanian Government was the first to propose AI to govern, this model faced public backlash. AI, called ION, was presented to the public and state officials in 2023. It was designed to support and advise the Prime Minister on all matters. Romanian society initially accepted the innovation but decided not to expand ION's role in administering the state and the cities. It was a surprise for the political elite.

Still, the communist history of the country was the reason why society wanted to prevent this scenario from happening again. The last remnants of old tradition could be seen in how society functioned here. One could see small, privately-owned businesses open and markets full of private owners and tradesmen. This was disturbing for a man accustomed to the lifestyle in Infineon, dominated by large corporations. The Bell V-280 Valor informed Paul via Infinity: "Welcome to Neometropolis. The bridge between the civilized world and the world of pre-modern tribes. Please stick to the initial plan and take all precautions for your safety and the safety of the mission". Paul got off the Bell V-280 and immersed himself in the urban atmosphere.

The Inspector had to stay for the night at Neometropolis. He had to go a kilometer and a half to the "Black Cat" hotel. Paul paid cash for his nightstand and could use paper money for the first time since childhood. He also had an arrangement in the evening. At "The Ultimate Hangover Club," he was supposed to meet a Bulgarian man in his 40s who was dealing with taking refugees across the southern border. The Bulgarian was named Ivan and could speak decent English. He provided Paul with a paper exemplar of a passport. Paul asked how he was supposed to take care of that stuff. The Bulgarian prompted without hesitation:

"You will have to get used to keeping paper stuff in your hands occasionally, especially in Bulgaria." Paul had a short chat with that guy about tomorrow's organisation details. 

After their conversation in the club ended, the Chief Inspector stopped his eyes on a section with VR sets. They were labeled "Your second life." He decided to try it out and test the VR culture of that place. He wore the glasses and transitioned to a shiny world of club lights and beautiful women. Eastern Europeans had their values and taste for life. The VR set used haptic technology, letting him touch and feel all computer-generated objects and ... bodies. Hopefully, my wife will never know I tried this, thought Paul.