Music of this Chapter
OR1-EP1: Rainbow Nation (1)
When McNeil woke up from his drowsiness, he first noticed the dim light above his head, and then his body that had undergone some strange changes. For an old man who always accompanies the medicine bottle, the sudden disappearance of the pain is enough to make the dullest person notice the abnormality. He raised his right hand and was surprised to find that all the wrinkles on his hand had disappeared, which in his opinion was a more exciting fact than any good news. If the old people who stepped half-footed into the coffin can exchange their life gains for their youth, they may be willing to give everything. This is caused by the instinctive fear of death. McNeil, who had returned to his youth, finally began to look around this small room. The room was very empty. There was nothing except a simple bed and the old light bulbs that flickered from time to time. You could not even see the windows. It must be the result of some malicious engineers being lazy.
Now, he has more opportunities to fulfill his wish, but he must be more cautious. The man in black told the truth. McNeil may no longer be where he was originally. He didn't know where it was on the earth. He couldn't act rashly until he found out more information. He first used this bed as a search object and found a humble trademark on the bed sheet. To his surprise, the above content was written in French, and McNeil could not help but suspect that he might be in France or somewhere in North Africa. He understands the distribution of each major language. French is the official language in France, North Africa, West Africa, and Quebec in Canada. Other countries in the world may prefer to use English to label. So, since he guessed that he has a great probability of being outside of America, he must find a way to return to America as soon as possible.
McNeil opened the door and took the first step towards a strange world. Outside the door is a slightly narrow corridor, and the air is full of a pungent smell, which may be caused by the long-term accumulation of domestic garbage. Silence surrounds everything around. This abnormal tranquility is always disturbing. McNeil prefers a slightly noisy environment. He turned his head and looked across the corridor, only to see the man in the black robe walking towards him unhurriedly.
"What's this trick?"
"Before I talk about tricks, I want you to see what you look like first." The mysterious man took out a mirror from his jacket pocket. McNeil quickly looked into the mirror, and he unexpectedly found that he appeared much younger in the mirror. In fact, McNeil doesn't care about his appearance, but he has become bald since he was sixty years old, and this incident always makes him worry. Many people are plagued by hair loss and baldness. McNeil is particularly unhappy. He thought he had a chance to compete with the well-dressed old gentlemen. The bald old man looked like a paralyzed patient who had been lying in a nursing home for ten years. As long as this problem is resolved, he has no intention of paying attention to other issues related to appearance.
"This is really surprising. I can't think of any technology in the world that can make people young." McNeil looked at the still empty corridor, "Presumably you don't plan to tell me the principle of this technology. It won't be sold to us... So, what is this place? Algeria or Tunisia?"
"I am not obligated to tell you where you are now. Naturally, I have no reason to tell you what to do, or that most people, including you, are exploring their own goals instead of being pushed by others to accomplish some missions." The man in black stepped back, "If you have to make a clear statement, then my answer is, do what you think you should do, that's enough."
The man in black suddenly disappeared, as if he had never left any traces here. McNeil blinked, he suspected that he had hallucinations. After he repeatedly confirmed that the mysterious person had disappeared without a trace, he gave up the thought of continuing to search. There is no doubt that McNeil is very curious about the origin and identity of the man in black, but more than this, he should consider how to survive in this strange place. He didn't even know which city in which country it was. McNeil walked along the corridor. He didn't miss any clues. Unfortunately, he was not very proficient in French, otherwise he should have realized what the strange graffiti on the wall meant.
There is only one thing he can be sure of: the level of technology here is very backward. McNeil was born in an era of rapid technological advancement. In his long life, he has witnessed the demise of countless traditional industries and the rise of emerging industries. Before he was 20 years old, the influence of the Internet and related industries on the world was comparable to the tremendous changes brought to human society by the steam engine during the first industrial revolution. The generals he respected most also joked that everyone in the future would interact with these Smart products are a lifetime companion. Therefore, McNeil can easily infer the overall condition of the city from the surrounding environment. It seems that the Internet is not popular, and the Internet itself may not even be born. He has not heard any sound from electronic devices so far.
McNeil, who had just left the building, found a black man looking straight at him, to be precise, at the leather jacket he was wearing. McNeil and his leather jacket have become a symbol of a living fossil old man like pipes and top hats of the old age. He used to wear this dress only for convenience, and later it was to show his past achievements and existence value. Of course, the black man in shabby clothes could not afford the price of the clothes, but he would make a lot of money if he took the clothes and sold them. McNeil thought about it this way, he watched the black man with a trace of fear in his eyes tremblingly retreated, and then flew away like an escape. This gesture shocked McNeil. He thought there was something more terrifying behind him, but he didn't find any abnormalities. It seems that the black people here may be living unsatisfactorily, or they may regard McNeil as a vagrant who came to make trouble.
McNeil walked out of the dilapidated residential area and came to the street. Several children in hats passed by him on bicycles, McNeil snorted dissatisfiedly and turned to see an old car passing in front of him. In McNeil's impression, this car is an old style about seven or eighty years ago. When he got an impression of the concept of car, there was no such classic car on the market. Against the scorching sun above his head, the languid youth walked to an old man who was selling newspapers not far away. He has always respected those old people who are forced to work to earn a living. He is also 80 years old. He can live in an official nursing home, while some people can only live on the street. This situation makes him feel a little ashamed.
McNeil glanced at the contents of the newspaper and found that there were no English words on it.
"Dude, you should find a job, not have fun here." The old man said dissatisfiedly.
"It seems a bit difficult to find an English newspaper now." McNeil said absently, "I regret not studying French when I had the opportunity before."
"I think so." The old man sighed. "We are second-class citizens, and we don't have a future if we don't speak French... However, compared to those who can only live on reservations, we have a decent life. At least we don't worry about life danger."
McNeil heard the word reservations. He secretly guessed why the reservation was prepared, and continued to say half-lied: "It's not easy for everyone. I used to work as a security guard in Hammerfest, and recently came here to make a living. Unfortunately, I ran out of money, and now I can't go back."
He did have a certain connection with Hammerfest, but his brother Jake McNeil was on duty there, and he has since caused one of the greatest tragedies in GDI history-second only to the destruction of the GDSS Philadelphia. However, McNeil is familiar with everything about Hammerfest, and even if he is thoroughly questioned, he can still pretend to be a resident who has lived there for at least ten years. Camouflage is an indispensable skill for soldiers and commanders. In the uncertain situation between the enemy and ours, wishing to win by head-on confrontation is just a silly fantasy.
"Poor old Jacob, he hopes to build this area into a developed area that doesn't depend on mining. But now that this kind of thing happens to his son, all commercial constructions have failed." The old man read the contents of the newspaper, "Yes. Who would have thought that Adalbert was suddenly involved in a murder case?"
There are also a few names that McNeil has no way of understanding. Jacob can be English or French or German. Adalbert is probably a name that Germans would use. Then maybe Jacob is not Jacob but Jakob or Kobes.
McNeil looked at the photo in the newspaper. It showed four policemen escorting a young man with a hostile face. They must have wasted a lot of time in arresting this suspect.
"Those who want to complete their careers throughout the ages will probably be hindered by various emergencies. For example, I became a vagrant on the streets." McNeil mocked himself, "If someone wants to improve the local economy, that's not what he can do alone. It requires everyone's cooperation."
"It's really a shame. Old Herzog is the most conscientious director I have ever seen in my life. It is precisely because he is too particular about moral and procedural justice that he was squeezed out of Paris by those people. Unexpectedly, he cannot escape the scandal."
At this moment, McNeil outlined a clearer picture in his heart. Director is a title during the French Revolution, and here is South Africa, and the official language is French. It can only show that France has replaced the British Empire as the world's hegemon at some point in the past, otherwise French will not have the basis for full popularity. Nevertheless, considering that the old man in front of him speaks English like himself, perhaps the French method is not very popular. In addition, the newspaper did not use the AD year, but instead used the French Republican calendar that McNeil had in mind, which had been deactivated hundreds of years ago. To be honest, he didn't understand why someone would invent a new calendar that was not practical just to make a difference.
"It seems I have to find a way to go back, or I'll starve to death here sooner or later."
"There are other ways, such as being a miner." The old man suggested, "I also worked as a miner when I was young...When I got older, the bank where I deposited my deposit went bankrupt."
"...You can try to go to Paris, maybe there is a different opportunity."
"Young man, I can't afford a ferry ticket or air ticket to Paris. If I voluntarily go to Siberia to do hard work, I definitely don't have to pay." The newspaper seller said helplessly, "In the name of EU, Europe has become their paradise. The only difference between us and the natives living on the reservation is that we will not be blatantly discriminated against by some people."
McNeil's blood froze. He once thought that EU was a joke, at least for the rest of his life, but the facts the old man said completely subverted his perception. It seems that the matter is not just as simple as France's hegemony. The emergence of the EU shows that the failed integration movement has achieved a relatively satisfactory result.
With the opportunity of small talk, McNeil gradually figured out the ins and outs with the assistance of the old man. Europe, Africa, and North Asia are ruled by a giant named United Republics of Europia (URE or EU), and the twelve-star flag on the blue background has become a symbol of unshakable hegemony. However, EU can be regarded as a relatively common thing in McNeil's concept. When he learned that the entire American continent on the other side of the ocean was controlled by a monarchy called the Holy Britannian Empire (HBE), he just feel that his outlook on life is completely reimbursed. McNeil has always despised monarchs, especially those princes who sit in the desert and enjoy the blessings. He can't imagine why some people will be willing to succumb to the slavery of princes and nobles in the new era.
"Are you short of helpers?" McNeil thought about it and decided to make a living as the top priority. "As long as I can get a job, I don't care about income."
The old man looked at the thick calluses on McNeil's hand, and asked suspiciously:
"When do the current security guards have so many opportunities for actual drills? When I served in the local militia in Rhodesia when I was young, I couldn't shoot ten shots all year round. Even the current recruits did not have the opportunity to fight."
McNeil suddenly realized that he was ignoring an important issue. A slightly experienced person can quickly discover that McNeil is a veteran rather than a security or other professional practitioner. He could only consider himself unlucky. He could not imagine that an old man selling newspapers on the street had such a wealth of life experience. Sure enough, he should not underestimate his peer who was about his original age.
"...This is my hobby, hunting." McNeil defended solemnly.
TBC
