OTHERS: Five elements

CHAPTER 1.2: NEW MISSION

21 March 2033, 6:50am

As I was walking down the stairs, I crossed path with my neighbor. She lives in the apartment across mine. A German woman, with striking blonde hair, vivid green eyes and a beautiful smile. We just greeted each other before parting ways. I don't know if she is taken, or seeing someone. I even don't know her name. Every time I try speaking to her, I lose my voice. A few times I wanted to ask her out for a drink, but I was too shy. On the other hand, I feel like I'm still not ready for a relationship. Even though it's been more than two years since Mary left me, I still can't get over her. To this day, I remember her beautiful and breathtaking smile. Her eyes, chestnut brown, paired with her long dark hair. And unlike me, her tan was a bit darker. For me, she was the most beautiful girl.

For a while, I was thinking about her as I walked down the street. I usually take the bus to work, but since I woke up early, I decided to walk a bit. As I strolled through the city, I overheard people around me commenting. Most of the comments were positive. People would turn to look at me. Some would step aside. I also heard two boys talking about us-the soldiers of the World Safety Organization. One of them said:

- "Look. He's a soldier-a real hero. I want to be like him one day. Do you think he has superpowers?"

Hero. That word has been echoing in my mind for a while. Who are heroes, really? What makes a hero a hero? Is it good deeds? Or is it an act of courage? Do heroes always do just things? And, in the end, what is justice, anyway? How do we know that something is good or bad? The world considers us soldiers of the World Safety Organization heroes. We fight to save humanity, against our common foe-the Others. That is also the goal of the World Safety Organization.

The World Safety Organization was founded in 2030. A month after the first incident-the first attack of the Other on a human being-the nations of the world decided to create an organization to fight against them. All wars came to an end. There was no more inflation, which had nearly destroyed Europe. People no longer waged war against one another. A new enemy had emerged. It was as if nature itself sought to punish humanity for all the wrong things it had committed in the past. Yet, no one is perfect. Every person has made a mistake at least once in their life. What's important is to learn from it and ensure it never happens again.

The World Safety Organization established its first base in Austria, which also serves as the main headquarters worldwide. This is where I work. Later, the organization built other bases across all continents to recruit soldiers. Everything happened within a short period. By the end of 2030, the organization had already begun operating actively and enlisting soldiers. Any individual, regardless of gender, could become a member. No one was forced; everyone had the freedom to choose. Initially, there was a training period, where recruits were introduced to military life. Those six months of training were hell. A person had to be fundamentally transformed in a short time to be ready to fight for global security. After the training period, each soldier was asked whether they wished to continue or withdraw. I was part of the first generation. Following my training, I chose to proceed. Later, I was assigned a mentor who guided me through missions and provided instruction. His name is August. Today, he holds the rank of general and leads the World Safety Organization. He is from Austria, and it is said that he is the best soldier the organization has ever had. And I had the honor of being his student.

While my thoughts were occupied with Mary, August, heroes, and the World Safety Organization, I arrived at my destination. My colleague Hans approached me, who was preparing to leave.

- "Hey, Mark, how are you? What are you doing up here so early?"

- "I woke up early and got up before my alarm. I couldn't sleep anymore. Are you ready?"

- "Yes, I'm ready for the transfer. My flight leaves in an hour. I'm going to Australia. They decided to send me on missions there. I'm sorry we won't be working together anymore. You've been a great colleague, and I've learned a lot from you. It's clear that you're August's student."

- "I'm not that great. You can't compare me to August. He's a genius after all."

- "Come on, don't be modest. You are undoubtedly the best among us. I heard you're getting a new colleague. He's from Mexico. He just finished his six month training and wanted to continue working in Europe, so they sent him to us."

- "Really? How do you know?"

- "I have my sources. And take care of yourself my friend! Don't be too hard on the new recruit. I hope you'll socialize with him more, because you rarely have gone out with me, despite my persistent invitations."

- "I'm just not into going out and that sort of thing. And I went out last night because you celebrated your birthday."

- "It's the only time you went out with me. And you didn't drink much."

- "I prefer going out alone. And I didn't want to drink much because I have to work today. And not to keep you any longer, hurry to your flight. Take care, my friend!"

I said goodbye to Hans. He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the airplane. I'll honestly miss him. But that's life. When one door closes, another opens. As I watched him leave, I heard someone speaking to me from behind.

- "Are you Mark?"

I turned around and saw it was him.