March 6, 3969 BC, Berlin, Barracks

A pile of rolled-up clothes colliding with my face woke me from my slumber.

"Wake up, Erik," Lucas' voice called out, trying to coax me into getting up, "The Merchant wanted to leave first thing in the morning, and we're not gonna let you make us late."

I groaned and rolled over.

"Come on Erik," Peter shouted out, "Don't tell us the ol' barracks aren't as comfortable as your… other residence."

"I don't think it's that," Carl chimed in, "I'd reckon he just doesn't get a lot of sleep there."

My idiot friends roared with laughter. Sighing, I slowly rose, making a grab at the clothes I had been thrown.

"Shut up, Carl," I groaned, slipping them on.

He gave me a slap on the back. "Aww, you know we're kidding, Erik. We all love your wife, really we do."

Hannah and I had gotten married a few years back. Since then I had made a habit of sleeping at her place and-

Keep in mind, when I say sleeping, I mean sleeping. We weren't as happy-go-lucky with our bodies as you kids are nowadays. I mean, sure, every once in a while, we'd-Waitwaitwait. You know what? Forget it. This is getting too damned personal…

-only slept at the barracks when we had an upcoming mission, such as today.

"Of course," Alfred interjected, "We all have Joseph to thank for pioneering the whole "marriage" concept."

Joseph and his wife, Jane, were the first two people to be married in our entire civilization. They had been married by Lord Bismarck himself in front of the Palace. It had been quite the celebration.

"Always happy to contribute," Joseph said before taking a bite of his breakfast apple.

"Seriously though," George said, causing us all to go silent, "I want everyone to be ready in five minutes. Mr. Jobs wants to conduct the trade mission in Venice as soon as possible."

Everyone rushed to get ready. About twenty years back, a man named Steve Jobs had been born into our civilization. Later in life he had proved himself to be a great Merchant. As such, he had been appointed by Lord Bismarck to conduct a trade mission with a nearly city-state, Venice. He was to negotiate a trade of some of our cotton in exchange for some of their furs. And we were to escort him.

It may not have been a very exciting assignment, but when you haven't left German territory in thirty years, the definition of exciting becomes broader and broader.

As we finally finished packing our things, we all filed out of the Barracks onto the streets. Mr. Jobs was waiting for us outside the city.

We began our march to the city gates. We got many waves from citizens as we passed. Our civilization hadn't grown much in thirty years, so pretty much everybody knew everybody. Not many more buildings had been built, but the Palace had been greatly expanded upon, in an effort to make it grander. After the renovations it was, as Lord Bismarck said, "More fitting of the name of Palace."

We were almost at the gates when I heard a familiar voice shout out, "Erik!"

With a smile I turned to see my beautiful wife, Hannah.

Peter started to chuckle but Lars slapped the back of his head. "Come on boys," he said to the others, "Let's give Erik some privacy."

I always liked Lars.

The others continued their march outside the city while I ran over to Hannah. Subconsciously though, I wasn't as cheerful as I appeared.

Something was happening. Something I began to notice a few years back.

Hannah's appearance was changing with age, as were others in our civilization. Her hair, once pure golden blonde, now had streaks of grey in it. Her once flawless skin now had various wrinkles embedded in it. She wasn't as physically fit as she used to be. Now, I am not a petty man, and these things wouldn't have bothered me if they were also happening to me.

But no. In thirty-one years, I didn't look a day over twenty-one, even though was actually fifty-two. Neither did any other military units, or Lord Bismarck. I didn't know what to make of it, but I tried hard not to obsess over it. There could be infinite explanations to… well, explain it.

I drove these thoughts from my mind when I reached Hannah. She kissed me hello.

"You run as well as you did when we first met," she said, "Must be all that military training."

"Must be, considering I've done practically nothing but train these past few years," I retorted, "Married some girl too, but whatever."

She laughed and gave me a punch in the arm. Her laugh was still as pretty as it had been when we first met.

"You better watch yourself," she teased, "I've got Joseph making sure you don't go running off with some English whore."

I snorted, "That's funny, because Jane has me making sure Joseph doesn't go running off with some English whore."

She gave me another punch. "Anyway, funny guy, I made something for you for the trip." She reached down and pulled out something from her basket. It was a small clay pot.

She handed it to me. "I've been making it in secret these past few months, for your deployment. Something to remember me by."

I examined it with my hand, turning it over and over. I glanced up to her with a smile. "I love it," I said, giving her a kiss on the check.

She pulled me into a hug. "Just promise me you'll stay safe, okay?" she said, the humor gone form her voice.

I squeezed her tighter. "I promise," I said. We released each other, and with a final goodbye, I reluctantly exited the German Capital of Berlin.

So far, this wasn't as fun as it used to be.

March 20, 3969 BC, Wilderness, en route to City-State of Venice, Mid-Afternoon

We had been traveling for two weeks. According to Mr. Jobs, the river we were following would lead us straight to Venice.

I had been relatively quiet. Despite being home for thirty years, strangely enough, I found my head was clearer out here, without all the hustle and bustle of our small capital. So, long story short, I'd been thinking, mainly about the age conundrum.

I quickend my pace in order to catch up to Joseph. When I came up next to him he turned and looked at me. "Hey Erik," he said, "Something the matter?"

I thought for a moment the best way to phrase my words. "Kinda. Joseph, you've been married even longer than I have, right?"

He nodded.

"And, throughout these years, have you noticed anything… different about your wife?"

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

My patience wore thin. "I mean our wives, as well as everyone else in Berlin, have noticeably aged yet we, members of the military, as well as Lord Bismarck, look just the same as we did thirty years ago."

Joseph seemed to pause and think about this. His behavior was beginning to really irritate me. Did this matter to him at all? Had he really not noticed this?

He spoke. "I suppose you're right. But we're constantly training, keeping physically fit. It's probably just making us appear younger than we really are."

I shook my head. "I thought of that, Joseph, but I don't think that's it. And it's driving me crazy trying to figure it out."

He gave me a nonchalant slap on the back. "Don't worry about it, Erik. I'm sure everything will work out to be just fine."

I slowed my pace to separate myself from him. I was now even more frustrated than I was before I spoke to him.

April 3, 3969 BC, Wilderness, en route to City-State of Venice, Evening

We made camp in a clearing in the forest. Once we were all set up, we sat around the fire as Martin cooked the food. The horses that were carrying our cotton and other goods were grazing nearby.

Despite traveling with him for four weeks I still didn't know much about Mr. Jobs. I decided it was a good time to learn some more about him.

"So, Mr. Jobs," I said loudly, halting the small side-conversations that had been going on and bringing a silence throughout the camp. "What made you want to become a merchant?"

He looked a little surprised, but seemed willing to talk regardless. A smile grew on his face. "First off, call me Steve. If someone doesn't I may forget my own name." A few of us chuckled at this.

"As you all know, I was born about twenty years ago. My father was a farmer and my mother worked in the Palace. They met when he went there on business one day, and the rest is history."

"As I was growing up I was curious as to the distribution of my father's produce to the people of Berlin. The bartering system fascinated me, and as life went on I devoted more and more of my time to the study of it. My father was somewhat disappointed when I told him I didn't intend to follow his craft, but he and my mother still loved me and were proud of me, especially now that I'm being sent to Venice to make a trade on the behalf of Germany and Lord Bismarck himself."

I nodded, generally interested in his story.

"But now I have two questions for you."

It was my turn to be surprised. Nevertheless, I motioned for him to proceed.

"You all have been Warriors since your own inception. Have you ever thought of doing something else?"

Glances were exchanged throughout the camp. It seemed like an obvious question now, but our minds had never actually crossed this idea.

George spoke up. "We are Warriors. We have always been. It is all we know."

"But what about Lars?" Steve argued, "He wasn't always a Warrior."

We all turned to Lars. He wasn't nearly as reclusive as he had been when he had first joined our ranks, but he still seemed somewhat unnerved at all the attention being brought on him. He gave a shrug as he began, "I was a miner from the beginning, but I didn't particularly like it. Than one day I heard there was an opening in the Warriors, and I apply. I was accepted, and have been here ever since."

Jobs nodded slowly, taking it in.

"What was your second question?" Otto asked.

Jobs turned toward him.

"You all are roughly thirty years older than me, right?"

Otto nodded.

"Than why do we all look the same age?"

Joseph and I immediately made eye contact.

April 17, 3969 BC, Wilderness

"Are we there yet?" Peter moaned.

"Peter," David replied, "I have know you for over thirty years, and you are still the same whiny kid."

"I am not whiny!"

"Yes, you are."

"Would you both shut up?" Ralph interjected.

"Seriously, though," Alfred spoke up, "Are we there yet?"

"We should be almost there," Carl answered, studying his map.

We emerged from the forest. Below us, the river we had been following followed down the hill we stood upon into the ocean. And on either side of that sat the city-state of Venice. Fishing boats could be seen lazily bobbing it the distance, and farmers and miners were visible all over.

"Huh," said Alfred, "Looks like you were right, Carl."