New York, 2110
In the heart of Manhattan, on the 128th floor of the International Trade and Commerce Tower, the New York Police Department (NYPD) hosted a dazzling banquet in honor of Deputy Commissioner Hikigaya Hachiman, who will soon be taking over the incumbent Head of NYPD Precrime Division, Commissioner Adolf Hitler, following the latter's retirement after a glorious 34 years of service.
The NYPD Precrime Division was founded 5 years ago when then-Colonel Hitler visited an orphanage to investigate the alleged abuse of the vulnerable inhabitants. There, he uncovered the ugly and brutal fashion in which staff at the establishment treated the orphans. They were flogged, kicked, forced into injury-prone labor, and force-fed with a variety of drugs and other harmful substances in order to mellow them.
At the time of the visit, three orphans were in a dire condition that rendered them semi-conscious albeit unresponsive. Hitler immediately dispatched an ambulance helicopter which sent them off to a municipal hospital to receive due treatment. The manager of the orphanage was arrested and sent to the penitentiary, awaiting trail for failure to fulfill his vicarious duty in ensuring the professionalism of his staff.
The investigation report reads as follows:
"On the morning of March 17 2106, at approximately 0800 hours, Colonel Hitler conducted an investigation on 4Kids orphanage, a controversial establishment accused of a series of abusive tactics employed by the staff there. An overwhelming amount of evidence was found at the site, which includes, but are not limited to: bruises and cuts across the body, swollen areas on eyes and other parts, a single count of genital mutilation, substance abuse, including dopamine, cocaine, heroin, and other less-conventional narcotics.
Three individuals were seemingly in dire condition and immediate need for medical attention. They were sent to New York State Hospital via an evacuation helicopter. Their identities are as follows:
Totsuka Saika, 11
Yui Yuigahama, 11
Yukino Yukinoshita, 11
All three of them belonged to the Preteen section of the orphanage. Consequently, the Overall-In-Charge for the section is currently being investigated.
No further updates from the hospital regarding the well-being of aforementioned subjects. However, preliminary prognosis from paramedics determined a low survival rate, somewhere around 20%."
Hitler read the report and frowned. So much degeneracy permeates this once great city! Over the past few decades, New York City has been on a continuous decline. It is no surprise that decadence leads to willful ignorance. After centuries of blood, sweat and tears invested in the city, the founders transformed a small Dutch colony into the most prosperous cosmopolitan city in the world. However, their posterity, being brought into a world of privileges and entitlements, were deprived of any hardships essential for character building. The once tenacious, resourceful, intelligent and morally upright populace became a dying breed. Consequent, the social fabric of the city decayed over time, giving way to a whole new breed of delinquents, drug addicts and felons. Crime rates skyrocketed as decorum and values gradually fade into the past.
Hitler knew for a fact that NYPD is losing a war against the crime epidemics. Violent crimes proliferated over the past decade while drugs continue to flow across borders at an ever-alarming rate. As society atrophies with time, the last vestige of social order gradually fades into obscurity. Some says that the end is nowhere in sight. Some says the end is now closer to us than ever before. Depending on interpretation, both statements are valid.
Hitler's was jolted abruptly out of his rueful rumination by the sudden activation of his SmartScreen. The holographic monitor indicated a message sent from the State Hospital.
It was addressed to Hitler from the Hospital Superintendent.
"Dearest Adolf,
It is of utmost joviality to inform you about the wondrous recovery of the trio. Further physiological checks are to be expected, but right now their conditions are more or less stable after we removed every ounce of drugs in them.
Mentally, however, there is much room for improvement. For reasons unknown to us, the trio have been undergoing a complete meltdown since yesterday. From their incoherent screaming I can make out but two words, "Adolf Hitler".
A prognosis by my psychologist colleagues indicates a mild Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is of great concern to us, for mental health is something you cannot simply fix with modern medicine. Therefore, I would like to request for you to meet the trio at the . It seems like you are the cause of their delirium, and my gut tells me that you will be able to fix this situation.
From,
New York State Hospital Superintendent
Paul Joseph Watson
Would you like to come over to our establishment right now? Y/N (Please select either one of the the choices. Note that the following dialog box is embedded with an executable linked to your Automated Vehicular Unit(AVU) that will activate immediately once you choose the former)."
Sharp-minded Hitler immediately knew something fishy was going on. He never once revealed his identity to the trio! Furthermore, in their unresponsive state, there was no way they could even register names in their mind.
So he selected 'Y', but not before running an antivirus on the file in case the route gets corrupted.
A safety shoulder strap clamped down on him as his chair morphed into a circular pod. Then, the floor underneath gave way and the pod rolled down the tunnel and travelled into the parking lot.
It then went up an elevated platform with AVUs parked beneath it. Upon reaching Hitler's AVU, a simultaneous series of actions, ranging from the opening of the AVU's roof, to the opening of the platform, to the opening of the base of the pod, and finally to the controlled descent of Hitler into the AVU, transferred Hitler into his vehicle. Then with a smooth swiping gesture, he sent the pod bounding back to his workplace, where it would return to its original state.
With the pre-programmed route sent over the message, the AVU swerved off into the street.
The AVU is an outdated piece of technology introduce to the public half a century ago. The fact that these anachronistic vehicles not only exist on roads still, but are also a predominant form of transport in New York City, speaks a lot on the decline of public infrastructure and the city as a whole.
In some wealthy metropolis, the network of roads that defined land transport for millennia were entirely decommissioned in favor of road-less alternatives. Such advancement in technology would never see the light of day in the crime-ridden streets of New York.
5 minutes later, Hitler arrived at the municipal hospital, where the AVU automatically found a spot in the parking lot. A chairpod was already stationed on the elevated platform directly above the spot. With controlled acceleration technology, Hitler was sucked into the chairpod, much like the style in which UFOs suck aliens in.
The chairpod rolled along the elevated platform towards a wall, where a secret entrance opened up and engulfed the chairpod.
After traveling up a tunnel, the chairpod broke the surface into a large meeting room. It parked itself in front of a giant table, presumably its original position, and unfolded back into a chair. Disoriented, Hitler surveyed his surroundings. Seated at the other end of the table was none other than the correspondent to his message.
"Mr Hitler! Fancy seeing you here."
"My pleasure as always, Mr Watson."
After a short exchange of formalities, the duo got down to business.
"As you know by now, the trio I mentioned earlier descended into madness and won't stop calling out your name in their senseless babbling. Nobody knows how to put a stop to it, but we deduced that perhaps as the very person they were obsessing over, you can find a way to pacify them."
"Sounds weird. I never once mentioned my name back at the Orphanage. How did they know my identity?"
"Beats me. Anyways, I think you should really go have a look at them."
Hitler followed Mr Watson. After taking the elevator down two levels and walking through a series of corridor, they reached the room where the trio were warded.
There was a one-way mirror which exposed the interior to outsider view. The trio were restrained on their beds as they screamed and wailed. It was an unnerving sight to behold.
Hitler, upon entering the room, brought forth a rhapsody of aural cancer from the trio. They screamed his name in unison and started to blabber incoherently.
Suddenly, one of the trio, Totsuka, turned towards Hitler and screamed with full force words that sent chills down the latter's spine.
"ADOLF HITLER, DO NOT RETURN HOME BEFORE 7. YOU WILL BE MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD BY DANIEL KANT. HE IS GOING TO SHOOT YOU RIGHT IN YOUR CHEST AND HACK YOU INTO PIECES. BE CAREFUL OF DANIEL KANT, THE MAN WITH A MACHETE."
"ADOLF HITLER, DO NOT RETURN HOME BEFORE 7."
"WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT RETURN HOME BEFORE 7."
"DO NOT RETURN HOME BEFORE 7."
The last sentence was repeatedly echoed by all three of them. The chilling words ricocheted off the walls and attacked Hitler's eardrums, engraving the message deep into his brain.
Hitler left the hospital thereafter, his confused mind full of thoughts and questions. Why did the white-haired boy describe a future event with such precision. What if it was actually a prohecy, not just a hypothetical scenario? How did all three of them get to know his name in the first place?
The more he tried to piece the puzzle together, the more credible the tale appeared to be.
Hitler looked at his watch. It was 6:30. He was en route back to his house, but intuition told him to heed the boy's advice. So he cancelled the route, took a detour, and traveled around the city.
6:59. Craving for dinner, Hitler parked his AVU along a boulevard. With his left palm, he hovered over the smartwatch, which turned the device on. A holographic screen emerged from the watch.
"Siri, order a bowl of Chow Mien Upsized from Wong Enterprises. Spiciness: Mild; Salt-level: reduced."
"Your order has been processed. 15 USD has been deducted from your account. Your current balance is US$649,047.00. Food arrives in approximately 15 minutes."
7:00.
Hitler grew increasingly skeptical over the whole situation. What if it was a fluke all along. Why did he listen to someone who was obviously not in a sound state of mind?
A few minutes later, his smartwatch began to vibrate.
It was a from his neighbor.
"Hi Hitler, just to let you know that someone intruded into your property today. Probaby stayed there for hours. I had him subdued a few minutes ago after catching him trying to escape. He is now detained under my watch. Police will arrive in 1 minute. The guy was armed with a shotgun and a machete. Consider yourself lucky for not returning home before 7 like you always do, or I won't be talking to you right now.
Hitler froze. He was too stunned to respond back or offer a token of appreciation. How? Just how did the boy predict his future with that degree of accuracy. A million thoughts encircled his mind. So preoccupied was he that when the delivery drone finally arrived, he did not even notice the delightful aroma of the Chinese food.
Finally succumbing to hunger, Hitler drew his attention to the delicious bowl of Chow Mien and wolfed it down voraciously.
After finishing his meal, he received an audio message from NYPD.
"This is a message to Colonel Hitler.
Sir, we are afraid to inform you that your house, having been broken into this afternoon, is currently under investigation, and will be out of bounds to everyone except authorized personnel. That includes you, sir. The house would not accommodate anyone for a few days. Should you need a place to stay in the intervening time, we have come up with a list of suggestions. Expenses will be fully covered by NYPD. Alternatively, you can choose your own motel. However, it is up to NYPD's discretion to determine whether or not your accommodation would be sponsored.
We have sent the list of recommendations to your inbox. Please reply to this message with a choice of your temporary residence.
End of message to Colonel Hitler."
Hitler downloaded the list from his inbox. He skimmed through it and was disappointed to find only the worst and cheapest locations in the city. However, one motel caught his attention. The preview image looked surprisingly familiar.
With a series of elaborate hand gestures, Hitler zoomed in into the details. He viewed the location from a street-view level, and that was when he made an amazing discovery. The motel was directly above Wong Enterprises! Delighted, Hitler made his choice and replied to the message.
With the help of the in-built routemeter, Hitler was driven to Haven Inn. The android receptionist iris scanned him and directed him to a room. He unlocked the door, again using iris scan.
Hitler plopped into bed, tired beyond description. What an eventful day! He thought as his eyelids grew heavier by the minute, and finally, overcame with exhaustion, Hitler fell asleep. In his dream, he envisioned the infinite possibilities the boy's talent could yield...
