Author's word
This book is meant to be the beginning of my new universe. In it, you will get to know the interesting fate of a character who, despite the contradictions and misunderstandings in his family, chose his own path and decided to make his old dream come true. While overcoming his path, he will find new friends, love and find happiness.
But his story won't end with this book, as this interesting and exciting story awaits us.
The story in this book is just one of thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands that are countless in my universe. Over time, you'll learn some of them. Some will consist of several parts. Some from one. But they will all have one thing in common: a new universe that lives by its own laws and rules.
A little about the universe
Forget about the familiar existence and structure of the modern cosmic universe. Forget that the Earth is round, that there are other planets. Imagine that our whole world is a flat map with settlements located at a certain distance from each other.
This world has nothing to do with our past, our present, or our future. Despite the fact that it contains technologies, languages, and resources that are familiar to us. Imagine a world without states, flags or nationalities. There are only cities and villages that differ in population, technology and resources. The same language is used everywhere – English. Cities and villages fall into eight categories:
1) Cities with diamond status. There are 5 of them in total. Each of them has a population of more than 50 million people. They have the highest level of development and technology.
2) Platinum cities. There are only 20 of them. Each of them has a population of 25 to 50 million people. The level of development and technology is very high, but slightly lower than that of cities with diamond status.
3) Cities with gold status. Their number is one hundred. The population in such cities varies from 10 million people to 25 million. The level of development and technology is high.
4) Cities with silver status. There are about 500 of them. They have a population of 1 million to 10 million people. The level of development of technologies and resources is average.
5) Cities with bronze status. They are also called “transport hubs” because they are most often used by routes connecting large cities. Most residents of these cities service trucks and cars and provide overnight accommodation for drivers and passengers. There are about 2,500 of them on the map. The population ranges from 100,000 to 1 million people. The level of development and resources is low.
6) Villages with a population of 30,000 to 100,000 people. There are about 5,000 of them. The level of development is minimal.
7) Villages with a population of 1,000 to 30,000 people. They are industrial areas for the manufacture of various parts for large cities and villages, as well as agricultural farms that provide food for the entire population of the planet. There are around 50,000 of them.
8) Villages with a population of less than 1,000 people. There are only 25 of them. They have the highest level of security. They are specially designed areas for the richest and most influential people on the planet to live. You can't just get here. Only with special permission, which not even all members of the rich family have. The best quality roads, the best food, the best views of natural beauty (depending on location, these can be mountains, lakes, rivers, cliffs, waterfalls and volcanoes). These villages are cottage complexes with different houses and an adjacent area decorated with sculptures, flowers and plants. They have restaurants with unlimited free food and drinks to suit all tastes. Products are supplied directly from farms via a special underground transport channel and reach the cooks' kitchens. This is done in order not to create unnecessary unpleasant noise within the villages and not to let strangers enter their territory. Fitness centers and beauty salons are also located inside to maintain the physical shape and image of residents.
The new chronology began with the unification of settlements into one integrated system, which we know to this day. Until this point in the year, the numbers were ambiguous and there were constant debates about what year it was now. Therefore, it often happened that one year could pass in one village and another in another. After all, all cities and villages were founded at different times. Apparently, this is why every settlement calculated the passage of time based on its own basis. After the unification of cities and villages, all dates were reset to zero, and at the same time, on the day of signing the joint agreement “On Unification and Mutual Assistance”, it was recognized to consider the date of signing a “New Era”. On this date, all settlements entered year zero.
According to the generally recognized belief, there was no Jesus, Buddha or other prophets and gods with whom the inhabitants associated their annals. The faith was and remains unified: faith in a bright future. It was in no way named or portrayed in artistic or literary terms. The population of the whole world simply believed that there was life after death. What exactly happens on the other side no one knows. Everyone imagines leaving this life in their own way. There are municipal temples in which the standard rites for cremation of the deceased are held. They look like small one-story buildings made of natural stone. Inside, there is a reception desk at the entrance and a common room with an elevator in the middle. The most important part is underground. On the minus first floor there are ovens for burning the bodies of the deceased, and starting from the minus second floor, several floors down, there are cubicles where the urns of the deceased are kept. The booths are most often rented by the relatives of the deceased, or are provided free of charge for a certain period of time, provided that the relative has a valid gold card of life support. There are also so-called "Places of Remembrance" on each floor, starting at minus two. These are quiet, secluded spaces that allow you to honor those who have passed away. They are also, like the booths, either rented or free of charge.
You may ask, "How is it that cities don't feud with each other over influence, resources, and territory?"
First of all, different cities have different levels of weaponry, and they are all dependent on each other. The resources that some have are not available to others. There is no point in feuding. A more productive and rational way is to establish and build partnerships on mutually beneficial terms. Diamond-status cities have the most advanced and powerful arsenal of weapons. If desired, they can wipe out all others. The board just needs to snap its fingers. Third, settlements, regardless of size, have no such institution as an army. There are few police to maintain order and private security companies.
All towns and villages have a democratic form of government. That is, every five years, a town mayor or headman (depending on the status of the settlement) is elected by an absolute majority of votes of townspeople and villagers taking part in voting. In cities, in addition to the mayor, whose powers include approving general city policy and signing ordinances, there is a city council. It is formed by the city manager from representatives of various sectors of the economy. When the mayor changes, the council changes accordingly, because every city manager wants to have a team he can trust 100%. Of course, this system is not without flaws, because the leaders have their families, friends and acquaintances, whose interests are actively lobbied by the authorities. But society has accepted such a system. Of course, there are masses dissatisfied with it, including among influential businessmen, but it has never come to general uprisings and rallies. More often than not, protests have been accompanied by peaceful demonstrations.
Since the establishment of the generally accepted treaty, the monetary unit in all towns and villages has been one – the Eurodollar. No alternative currencies exist anywhere. They existed before. But society realized that this was extremely inconvenient, as there were over 53,000 currencies.
There were earlier attempts to unify localities. First into several separate states, then into one. But these ideas did not justify themselves. They only fueled the ground for world and civil wars. In each city, in each village there were the most wealthy people, compared to the rest of the local population, who did not want to lose their power and property, money and wealth. So it was decided: let everything remain as it is. No states or unions. Only separate localities, each with its own orders and power. Depending on the territory – their own minerals and deposits.
At the signing of the universal treaty, a detailed map with territorial division was drawn up, where it was clearly indicated: who owns what territory, and where there are zones of common use. So-called "neutral zones". They are most often used for illegal transactions outside of settlements and gang warfare.
Again the system was invented, not without flaws, which the overwhelming number of the population accepted. Most of all, the town leaders and headmen wanted to put an end to wars and violence and concentrate on the mundane life of fixing and developing the economy of their towns and villages. On top of that, wars caused nothing but trouble.
All armies were disbanded. It was decided that henceforth, after the signing of the treaty, the settlements would have only a small number of well-armed police units with broad powers during their service. Its main task is to maintain order within the city and to enforce border control.
The population, as usual, pays town or village taxes into the municipal treasury. In return, the localities are obliged to provide basic social security in the form of education, medicine and emergency care. It is possible to choose one's social security plan depending on one's financial situation. Some preferred plans even have a number of significant benefits, such as auto and medical coverage. Contribution amounts are independent of paychecks. Each adult chooses for themselves and their children the plan they can afford. Payments are made on a monthly basis. It is similar to the payment for cell phone service. These tariffs are officially called "Life Support Cards" (LSC). In addition to the LSC, each citizen has a personal card that contains basic information about him/her.
There are four life support packages. The first one is mandatory for everyone. Below is a table describing the existing social security cards. The higher the status of the locality, the higher the monthly contributions, the lower it is, the correspondingly smaller they are.
The situation is exactly the same with salaries. A list of average salaries is given in the list below:
Cities with diamond status: 15000 Eurodollars/month.
Cities with platinum status: 10000 Eurodollars/month.
Gold cities: 7000 Eurodollars/month.
Silver cities: 5000 Eurodollars/month.
Cities with bronze status: 3000 eurodollars/month.
Villages from 30 thousand to 100 thousand: 1500 Eurodollars/month.
Villages from 1 thousand to 30 thousand: 700 Eurodollars/month.
Villages up to 1 thousand: 15000 eurodollars/month.
Let us understand at once why in elite settlements salaries are at the level of cities with diamond status. The fact is that people live there who are prepared to pay well only for the best of everything. The best cooks, security guards, trainers, beauty masters and even cleaners. The first three categories are hired only from diamond and platinum status cities. The last two are no lower than from silver status cities. How do you get a job like this? Only through an acquaintance or personal recommendation. You can't just pop in off the street. All staff is accommodated in special hotels on the territory of elite villages and undergoes a particularly thorough check for involvement in crime and connections with it. Employees are not allowed to leave. You live where you work. However, you will have to give up your family, as the residence does not apply to family members of servants. Only employees. Of course, there are cases when people keep their families and send most of their earnings to help their relatives. But this happens very rarely.
Things are quite different with mercenary salaries. They don't have a steady paycheck. They work from order to order. You work, you get paid. Some are self-employed, some work for organisations that provide this kind of service. And it's not necessarily related to crime. There are orders such as ‘serve, bring’. But on their fulfilment do not earn a lot. If you really want to get good money, then you need to take on the ‘black’ or ‘dirty orders’. They are 100% related to crime and illegal activities, as well as involve violence and cruelty. Such cases are carried out through intermediaries, which are just the mercenaries. For their fulfilment they are already paid very well, but it is extremely difficult to get such orders without the appropriate reputation. Since no one will want to deal with amateurs.
Intro
762. A dark-haired young man of twenty-four, dressed in a light jacket and jeans, stands on the edge of the roof of a fifteen-storey building. It offers a great view of the neighbouring outdoor football stadium nearby. The vaults and façade of the sports facility are brightly lit with lanterns. A major annual fight tournament is scheduled to take place, with some of Ounvilshen's top fighters scheduled to participate. On the artificial turf, in the middle of the field, a couple of metres above the ground, a ring has been erected for the future competition. Its flooring was square and dark blue in colour, and the ropes enclosing its perimeter were red. The stands were still half-empty, as the fans had only recently started to be launched. The guy was carefully watching what was happening in the stadium through his binoculars. With one hand he was occasionally tweaking a couple of wheels on it, responsible for adjusting the clarity and range of the image. On the roof, not far from him, was a large black bag with the necessary equipment for his mission.
Finally, the boy lowered the hand holding the binoculars and walked along the roof to the other end and looked down. He was no longer afraid of heights, as he had successfully overcome this phobia after a series of tests. Below was a small street with cars parked on the pavement and the edge of the metal roof over the entrance to the building. Pedestrians were darting along the pavement, going wherever they were going: home, from work, from school, to the shop, to the stadium, for a walk. The phone rang. The guy took it out of his jeans pocket and put it to his ear.
The voice in the receiver, ‘Michael, I'm here. How's it going in there? Are you ready?’
Michael: ‘Ready as I'll ever be.’
Voice on the phone: ‘Well, if this thing works out, you'll be able to live a quiet life. In addition, this may be our last assignment together.’
Michael: ‘Don't say that, Fred. I think we'll still have time to work together.’
The voice in the receiver: ‘Well, I wish you good luck, and may everything go well the first time. You understand me? We may not get another chance, so follow through and let's get this over with once and for all.’
Michael: ‘I heard you. Thank you. I'll do my best. If I don't come back, leave without me.’
The guy tucked the phone away in his pocket and, after another walk around and survey of the roof's perimeter, went back to his observation post and started looking for the person he needed in the stands.
Michael (out loud): ‘Where are you? Show yourself…’
Childhood and adolescence
The early years
738. On a late January evening, four men were relaxing in an Ounvilshen bar after a hard day's work. Among them was Michael's father George. He was socialising with his friends, drinking beer from a large glass mug. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. Everyone was sharing their latest news and problems with the others. The mates listened to each other and supported each other. Finally, it was George's turn when all the problems and news of the others were sorted out.
Fred: ‘So, what's new with you?’
George: ‘Nothing in terms of work. Things are going pretty well, but not well enough to close the mortgage and feel secure in the full sense of the word.’
Buddy #1: ‘Ha ha, who here feels well-off? Look at you, finding the problem. You can never have too much money.’
George: ‘I mean, our expenses are about to multiply…’
Fred: ‘What do you mean?’
George: ‘Folks, I'm gonna be a daddy soon! That's what I want to drink to!’
Fred: ‘When?’
George: ‘The doctors said late February to mid-March.’
Fred: ‘Oh, you're so quiet! Let me give you a hug, Silver!’
Buddy #2: ‘What's it gonna be? A boy or a girl?’
George: ‘A boy.’
Buddy #1: ‘Have you thought about a name yet?’
George: ‘Yeah, we're going to call it Michael. We both like that name. There's no other options.’
Fred: ‘Well, let's drink to the future Michael Silver and his glorious father. May the kid be born healthy and strong and show this world that the Silvers are no hooey!’
The friends roared, and each began to clink their beer-filled mugs with each other. Some had beer overflowing over the edge, dripping onto the table and leaving small puddles.
745, summer. Michael sat on the penultimate step of the stairs at his parents' house. George was standing in front of him, bent over, tying the laces of the boy's trainers. His father shook his head and pronounced: ‘Okay, that's it. It's done. But, you know, it's about time you learnt to tie your own shoelaces. You might start getting teased at school because you don't know how to do it.’
Michael: ‘Dad, why do we have to go to that zoo? I don't want to go there. Can I stay home?’
George helped his son up, looked at him and squatted down to be at the same height as his son.
George: ‘Michael, this is, after all, just a group trip together. You'll visit another city, they'll give you a tour, and you'll see the zoo. You've never been there. How do you know it won't be interesting? Maybe you'll like it!’
Michael: ‘Are you coming with me, too? I know the other kids' parents will be there.’
George: ‘Unfortunately, I won't be able to. I have another flight to catch in a couple of hours. But I'll be mentally with you. Okay? And I'll see you again tomorrow already.’
Michael lowered his head and stared at the floor. George touched his fingers to his son's chin and gently lifted his head up so that he was looking into his eyes.
George: ‘Look, we'll definitely go out somewhere, the three of us: you, me and Mum. Like an amusement park. We'll ride the slides till we're nauseous. Would you like that? It's just that I really can't get off work right now. You know?’
Michael smiled, nodded animatedly, and hugged his father tightly. He hugged him back. Then he stood up to his full height, took his son's hand and opened the front door to the street.
George: ‘Okay, let's go, the bus leaves school in 30 minutes. Don't forget your rucksack…’
747, September. It was a warm sunny day. Michael and Fred were sitting on a bench in one of Ounvilshen's parks. Michael was dangling his legs back and forth as the bench was still a little high for him. He was leaning on the bench with one hand, and in the other he was holding a cream ice cream cone in a waffle cone, drips from which slowly dripped down his fingers and fell onto his clothes and onto the bench. Fred was reading the newspaper, cross-legged.
Michael: ‘We've been waiting for him for half an hour…I don't think he's coming any more. We'll go without him as usual…’
Fred broke away from reading the newspaper and looked at the boy, putting it aside.
Fred: ‘Please don't be angry with your father. I know you wish he would spend more time with you besides dinners. But, believe me, some people don't even see their fathers that way. He's trying really hard, Michael. For you and for Mum.’
Michael sighed: ‘Yeah I understand. It's just that we've been planning this trip to the moon park for so long, postponed it many times, and now I'm here and he's not here again…’
Fred: ‘It's not “didn't make it”, it's “couldn't make it”. These are different phrases. In the first, the person didn't come of his own free will because he just didn't want to. And in the second, the person didn't come due to circumstances beyond their control.’
Michael jumped off the bench and headed towards the entrance to the Luna Park, ‘No matter how you look at it, the result is the same in the end.’
Fred quickly jumped down from his seat, grabbed the items on the bench and ran after Michael, leaving the unread newspaper there. It remained where it had been. The wind blew and flipped through a few pages, as if reading today's city news in passing.
After Michael turned 10 years old, something changed in his mind in terms of thinking and relating to his father. And also his work. He realised that there were more important issues than whether or not to go to the moon park. That there are certain responsibilities in a family that need to be fulfilled.
From the moment Michael entered the transport school, George thought from the beginning that in the future he would employ his son in his company. That the one at the initial stage to gain practical experience and help him in the implementation of orders, receiving for this his share of the profits. And then, after working a decent amount of time and understanding how the whole kitchen is organised, and completely become its co-owner, receiving a share in the form of 50% of the total profit. George himself planned to retire in time in the full knowledge that his life's work was in good hands. But for the time being, there was no such talk. His father believed that it was too early to have them and that he should let the boy enjoy his childhood as much as possible.
It was a family tradition to gather around the dinner table and share with each other the news, achievements and failures of the day. This tradition was started by George. It strengthened family relationships from within, giving family members insight into the challenges each of them faced, helping them to work together to address their circumstances and providing sufficient and appropriate support. Generally, relationships within the family were trusting. No one tried to hide anything from each other – whether it was problems at work or at school, with colleagues or classmates. Everyone understood that family is a place where you can talk and share with others.
His parents made sure that Michael had a silver life support card throughout his childhood, up to the age of 18. He was even jokingly called ‘silver boy’ at school, although there were quite a few other kids like him. After all, the security card covered most of the medical expenses, including medicines. And there weren't many children who were completely healthy. Everyone was sick from time to time. Knowledgeable doctors were most often located in cities no lower than silver status, which still had to be reached. For this purpose, it was necessary to pay a daily intercity LWC at a high rate, but even this did not cover all the costs associated with, for example, complex operations in a foreign city. Therefore, if something really serious happened with health problems, the investment in the GLC, even with gold status, did not pay off, because they had to go to another major city, where the card of the conditional Ounvilshen was no longer valid.
Michael was very lucky with his parents. They had a strong family, whose relationships were built on mutual trust and respect. His mother worked as a waitress in a small cafeteria, his father as a driver for transporting goods of various complexity. It was decided that the son would follow in his father's footsteps and also become a driver. Although the choice of school for the future profession was not easy for the parents. The thing is that when passing the final tests there were several areas in which the boy could prove himself: programming, martial arts, vehicles and weapons. There was no doubt that he could make a good mercenary. But considering how many risks this profession entailed, the parents decided that it would be better for the child to choose a more calm and understandable direction. So they gave him to the school of transport. Michael's talents were good, plus the very idea of continuing his father's work bribed him with its traditionalism. Especially since it was not a job for hire, but a continuation of the family business. George worked for himself: he had a small firm, co-operating with partners in terms of receiving orders and renting transport for transporting goods. He had his own rather small personal lorry, which was not suitable for every job.
Since cities with bronze status are transport hubs and specialise in transport, the boy began to master most of the existing land, surface and air vehicles. The training vehicles were designed specifically to suit the modest stature of the trainees (scaled down prototypes of the original versions). Practice and training took place not only in the city where Michael grew up, but also in other cities. As it would be impossible to fit all the transport on the territory of one school. By the end of his training Michael should have been able to drive all types of existing transport. At least, that is what was recorded in the graduation certificate.
By his character, Michael has always been a determined, persistent boy, trying to study diligently, so as not to let down the expectations of his parents. After all, they did everything possible for him to live comfortably. Adherence to family values, attitudes and traditions has always been a priority for Michael, but already at the age of 14 he realised what path he wanted to follow, regardless of parental expectations. Yes, due to the existence of a certain education system, he was obliged to follow it. To graduate from what he had begun to learn. But after graduation, when adulthood was to begin, the boy set his sights on reaching a completely different level in terms of finances, opportunities, and influence. There were plenty of such ambitious boys and girls graduating. However, not every child achieved their goals and resigned themselves to an ordinary life.
George was involved in transporting cargoes of various categories, from foodstuffs to military equipment and explosive chemicals. In addition to him, there were three other drivers on staff. A logistician was given separate authority, organising the shortest, least congested and safest routes. From time to time George also had to hire a team of mercenaries to escort the cargo and make sure it got from point A to point B smoothly. It was a small group of four men that he had been working with for quite some time.
The leader of this group was named Fred. Yes, the same Fred they'd sat in the bar with. And who was so genuinely excited about Michael's imminent birth. By the time the boy was just 14, Fred was 52 years old. He looked like a typical daredevil: a T-shirt with a giant skull print on the chest, a black leather waistcoat with no buttons, pierced ears with piercings, red lenses, worn torn long shorts and black sports trainers with ornaments on the edges. Behind his back hung a short-barreled shotgun, with ammunition on his belt. At his sides were pistols in holsters. His group had two identical brown Safari jeeps with machine guns instead of back seats. George felt quite secure with mercenaries with such a solid combat arsenal accompanying him.
During the transport, one jeep was in front of George's car and the other was behind it. Since Michael's father and Fred were best friends, and the former was a regular customer, Fred always gave a substantial discount on his group's services. In addition, he was a frequent guest at the Silver house. He could even come uninvited to a party, or just show up when he had some free time on his hands. At the table Fred often talked about his orders and the trouble he'd been in lately.
Michael always admired him: his courage and bravery, fearlessness and selflessness. Secretly from his parents, the boy always dreamed that when he became an adult, he would be trained for the military, becoming a successful mercenary like Fred. He dreamed that he would help the local population and protect them from trouble. A bright pipe dream of a naive boy immersed in his dreams. Only then he didn't know that such a job involved not only good deeds, but also dirty orders, which Fred deliberately didn't tell him anything about.