Days or Dates?

Part I

The rays of that burning thing in the vast sky, which have been used by the world enough, are now bathing the sea that captivates my gaze through the window, while the breezes from there temper the heat. On the other hand, daring this view, making this ride perfect, behind golden hair, something burns my eyes, a look no one could ignore. Rendering me utterly helpless, she adorns a stunning dark blue gown. Unfortunately, this precious creation of nature has fallen prey to the demon hiding in this gorgeous scenario, who has tightly bound that innocent to the seat. But today is special, as it marks the first job I’ve completed without any bloodshed. Since my teenage years, all I remember is slaughter. Yet, despite the countless deaths, I felt a nervousness when tasked with capturing this beauty defended by the military. Ever since I received the order, “Eren, you’ve got an interesting job this time, kidnapping a scientist from military protection.”, I couldn’t wait to talk with her. However, it’s not just her beauty that interests me. Although nothing lasts forever, no matter how impressive it is. As I reached the spot, pressed the pedal to the floor, and launched the car into the sea.
She was an easy prey, but she was already ensnared by a formidable predator. To claim her, I had to confront it. While she was in a shopping mall, with the shielding of vigilant guards. To create a diversion, I detonated the parking lot with nanobombs that creates an extraordinarily perilous explosion without any visible equipment, deployed by the nanodrones while she was in the fitting room. As the guards scrambled to secure the scene, two remained stationed near her. Emerging from the shadows, in a series of precise, rapid strikes, I disabled the guards effortlessly. They collapsed one by one, their defences shattered before they even had a chance to react. The path clear, I waited for her until coming out from the fitting room. As she stepped out, I sprayed her face with a potent gas, rendering her unconscious. Hoisting her over my shoulder, I made my escape through a window, descending with a pre-prepared cable. Before the security team could realize their failure, as their cars were blasted, I was already speeding away in the car I had parked nearby. I guess that my chief intended to humiliate me with a task as simple as this.

This secluded spot lies concealed beneath a dense forest, accessible only through the sea, with the sole exit leading through the trees. I’ve utilized this location for several of my past missions. Within, it holds a modified sanctuary—featuring a luxurious living room, a bedroom, a washroom and a kitchen with foods and medicines. Additionally, there’s a hidden car park, complete with a lane that descends to the ocean floor and another that ascends to the forest above. The facility also houses a meticulously organized weapon store. I really like the chilling entrance to here.

Upon leaving the cliff, the car soared into the sky, gliding for a few seconds. In that brief moment, the vehicle’s nano-shield activated. This shield, crafted from an advanced nanomaterial arranged in a resilient and flexible lattice, enveloped the car entirely. Originally designed for deep-sea operations, the shield provides protection against immense pressures and corrosive seawater. Its nanostructures dynamically adjust to preserve the car’s integrity and regulate environmental conditions, such as temperature and pressure. With the shield engaged, the car defied buoyancy, plunging into the sea, powered by the kinetic energy it had accumulated on land. Once it reached the ocean floor, I regained full control of the vehicle, manoeuvring it as easily as on solid ground, and guided it towards this spot.

After a few hours, the girl regained consciousness. I had her bound to a chair. She whispered for water, her voice barely audible, I gently lifted the glass to her lips. She mumbled, “Where am I? Is anyone there?”. I stepped into the light, and her eyes locked onto mine, wide with astonishment. After a moment, she gasped, “You’re the one from the coffee shop!”. I gave her a small, knowing smile and replied, “Good to see you again.”
That coffee shop took me back to the taste of the coffee I had that day—it was incredible. My target was in sight. She called out to the officers nearby and told them to wait outside until she was done. That was my moment. I approached her, took a seat across from her, and asked, “Why are you wasting your life?”
She looked surprised and asked, “What?”
I continued, “Have you ever really looked at yourself? You’re stunning, but you’re always surrounded by those guards, and that suit... it’s ruining your beauty.” Her outfit—a black trouser and white shirt—truly did nothing for her.
She seemed taken aback, almost whispering, “I’m pretty?”
I simply replied, “Try wearing something that lets you see just how beautiful you are” and then I walked away. I remember how monotonous her life had become. Every day was the same—quarters to the laboratory and back again, all under strict military oversight. But each morning, she made a brief detour to a coffee shop on her way to the laboratory. The military provided her with tight security there too, so I knew I had to disrupt her routine to get through to her.
Finally, I have captured her. It took her a few moments to process everything before she spoke, her voice laced with sorrow. “So, all you needed was to kidnap me. Everything you said—just a bunch of lies, right?”
I looked at her intently for a moment and calmly replied, “I never lied. And now, you look more gorgeous than ever.” She smiled warmly at me and said, “Thank you!”
Caught off guard, I asked, “For what?”
She replied, “You saved me from them. I was so bored and disappointed with that life.”
I hesitated for a moment before saying, “But I’m going to hand you over to people far more dangerous than they are.”
Her smile faded slightly, but she shrugged and said, “That’s okay. At least it’s a change.”
Then, after a brief pause, she asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”
“It’s Eren. You’re Annie Foster, an expert chemist in nanotechnology, right?”
“Yeah...”
I leaned in slightly, curious. “So, why is this beauty under military protection?”
“You know, I’m the one who invented nanobombs. It was a previous project of mine, and from there, all my research was commandeered by the military. They saw its potential for mass destruction.”
“Oh... I also used nanobombs to blow up the parking lot over there,” I responded.
Her expression shifted to one of discomfort, and with a heavy sigh, she confessed, “I never wanted to create a bomb. It was an accidental discovery, but once the government realized what I’d stumbled upon, they forced me to develop it.”
“I see,” I replied, sensing the weight of her words. “So, what’s your current project?”
“Ah,” she hesitated for a moment before continuing, “We’ve invented an artificial nervous system. It’s an incredible work with nanotechnology—nanoscale sensors and actuators, intricately woven into biological tissues, forming a hybrid network that can transmit electrical signals with incredible precision. But… there’s a problem. We haven’t figured out how to connect it with human consciousness yet. That’s my current focus. I’m hoping I can finally do something good for the world with this one.”
I was taken aback. “No,” I blurted out, “You can’t do any good with that.”
She looked at me, puzzled. “Why would you say something like that?”
“Do you have any idea how many people I’ve killed?” I leaned in, my voice lowering. “I’m one of the most dangerous people on earth.”
She interrupted, “You’re confusing me. What does that have to do with this?”
“Just listen,” I said softly as I began untying her from the chair. As the ropes fell away, she smiled, a genuine warmth in her eyes, and stared at me with a gentle expression that seemed to ease the tension in the room.

I found myself drifting away, losing focus, when she suddenly raised her voice, snapping me back to the moment. “But you’ve always seemed like a good man. How on earth did you end up a murderer?”
With a heavy sigh, I confessed, “My mother abandoned me in a city right after I was born. A group of killers found me, and drawn to the fact that I had never cried, even when I was left all alone. They took me in, raised me as one of their own, and turned me into what I am today.”
She took a moment, letting the weight of my words settle before softly responding, “It’s like living in a world that’s almost hellish. But, you know, none of this is really your fault.”
I leaned in, asking, “Have you heard of Odessa Winters?”
“Of course,” she replied. “She was a great chemist, a pioneer in nanotechnology. She’s the one who created the nano-shield and developed the most advanced nanobots we have today. But... I also heard she took her own life, destroying her house and lab about 25 years ago.”
I nodded, then dropped the revelation. “She was my mother.”
Her eyes widened in shock, but I didn’t give her time to recover. “I was born with a dead nervous system. My mom... she replaced it with an artificial one made of nanobots. She even connected it to my consciousness.”
She stood abruptly, exclaiming, “Oh my god, what on earth?” Her disbelief was palpable. “She developed technology that took us 25 years just to begin to comprehend. But... how do you know all this?”
“She left me a letter, hidden in my memories. It only became accessible when I turned 18,” I explained.
“That’s... incredible,” she whispered, her amazement clear.
I pressed on, “Do you know why she destroyed everything? She realized how dangerous her technology could be. She didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. But I’ve proven her fears true—her sacrifice was in vain.”
“Why do you think it’s so dangerous?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“My mother said I’m as much machine as I am human. I process data rapidly, move with precision, and have an awareness that surpasses human limits. But the real danger lies in the fact that I control it all with my mind. If someone can control machines with their thoughts, it’s only a step away from controlling people’s minds. Imagine a world where everyone is wired into artificial nervous systems like mine, their every move dictated by someone else.”
She fell silent, absorbing the enormity of what I had just shared.