#youtopia

post human nex gen has got to be one of the greatest albums of the decade

Y’all teenage me wouldn’t believe the concert she just saw last night 🥹🥹🥹🥹 bmth has been my favorite band forever ❤️ I EVEN CRIED because life sucks but music makes it so much better 😭

Chapter 3 : The last message

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

4964 words. No TW.

The weather didn’t seem to be calming down, around their shelter. Outside, a real hurricane was raging, preventing them from even thinking about going out for supplies. Fortunately for them, they still had enough to last an entire month in these conditions ; unless something bad happened and added to their problems, of course. Everything seemed to be fine though. Nick had completely fixed the ventilation, so their breathing air wouldn’t be as toxic as it had been over the past few weeks. M.I.N.D. gathered a lot of the previously corrupted files, those attacked by the last virus that fried half of her system. Nicholas narrowly escaped a total transformation into one of those bloodthirsty creatures. Yes, everything was fine.

“How is he ?”

Ruffilo was sitting on the same table that welcomed him a few days earlier, his eyes staring at Noah’s back from afar. His shirt was folded next to him, and he was trembling from the cold in the middle of this poorly insulated cavern, but didn’t complain at all. He never complained anyway.

Jolly, who was focused on his task, didn’t even straighten up to answer.

“You’re the wounded one here, why do you worry about him?” “Because I know him too well.”

The cryptic reply finally got a reaction from the wannabe doctor, who just raised an eyebrow while applying a heavy dose of foul-smelling ointment to his friend’s shoulder. However, the latter didn’t feel like elaborating, even though he clearly seemed worried.

“What do you mean?” Jolly finally asked, once he realized he wouldn’t get any answer otherwise. “He’d be capable of doing something stupid very soon,” Nicholas replied.

The older one stared at him for a while, not really convinced by his words. Of all of them, Ruffilo was the one who knew Noah best, to the point where everyone wondered if he hadn’t turned into a telepath or something. Now that Jolly thought about it, it was easy to communicate with him with a glance; even he didn’t struggle that much to understand or be understood by him.

“We’re here to talk him out of it,” he reassured, but the brunette shook his head. “He’s blinkered. If he decides something…nothing and no one will prevent him from doing it. He doesn’t know how to rationalise, especially when he’s still feeling so guilty about everything. Because he is guilty - of many things. It’s killing him, slowly. I can see it. So he tries to take back control, and usually, he does that pretty poorly.” “That’s a good reason to stop him, right?”

Nicholas, who was talkative compared to his usual self, just shook his head again and went mute. It was useless to ask him anything else; he wouldn’t answer anymore. Jolly sighed, but resumed his task and rolled a bandage over the oozing wound. What was the point of all this ? If his friend felt like talking again, and actually explaining things… he would be more than happy to listen.

Noah didn’t hear a thing about what was going on around him. Lost in thought, he was staring at the computer screen with intense focus, waiting patiently for something to happen. The bad weather was actually a good thing for him; as he couldn’t leave that place, he had enough time to catch up on his lack of sleep and now felt much better than before. M.I.N.D. was right : he had to take care of himself, for the greater good. If he fell, all of their efforts would fall with him. Feeling rested and his belly full for the first time in weeks - although their meals were more nutritious than tasty - he felt his senses sharpened, his focus easier to maintain. Who would have thought that an AI would know more about humankind than a real human ?

“The signal is still too weak, boss,” M.I.N.D. suddenly said, her robotic voice resounding in his head. “Our waves can't go this far, and with that storm…” “I'm sure you can do it,” Noah whispered.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and the young man was slightly startled by this sudden contact. He hadn't even heard Nicholas approach. His treatment was over, and he had put his shirt and hoodie back on, but he was still trembling from the cold; his fever was probably still lingering, although he wasn't hallucinating in bed anymore.

“Explain,” he just said, but that one word was enough to convey what he needed. “M.I.N.D. spotted a signal two days ago,” Noah explained while pointing at what looked like a very flat radio wave. “It's a bit far, so we're trying to decipher it, but…it's a bit more complicated than expected.” “A signal? But…we haven't received any for months.” “I messed around with the external sensors last week, and worked a bit more here too. I didn't think it would be useful…but when I adjusted the antenna settings and aimed for a broader range, I finally picked something up.”

Noah struggled to hide his excitement. However impassive he usually looked, his best friend knew how to read his mind. And this new behaviour, far from being reassuring, only triggered an alarm inside his head.

“We're not even sure that it's anything important…” he sighed while pulling his hand away. “You always avoided the other rebels…why do you care now? It can just be another group.”

Noah shrugged. It was true, his behaviour had suddenly changed, as if he had enough of being alone against the whole world. Yes, their last meeting with another group of rebels was…challenging, to say the least, and they almost had to move from their current headquarters. Yes, their leader himself took the drastic decision to carefully avoid every single living thing on this planet, waiting for the general situation to improve. But maybe his unwanted isolation he’d been dealing with for so long was starting to wear him down? No, that's not it, the brunette thought, frowning. The tattooed guy had something in mind, and he feared the moment he would act on it.

“I managed to localize the signal, boss,” M.I.N.D. suddenly said, and her voice made Nicholas jump a little. “Perfect!” Noah shouted, unable to hide his excitement anymore. “Can you process it?” “I need a few more seconds.”

The computer blew violently, tangible proof that it was working hard. With all the new components Jolly gathered the other day, its performance was better than it used to be, even if they weren't protected from a sudden system crash.

On the main screen, the radio waves seemed to grow more and more, going from a straight line to large oscillations. This change fascinated Nicholas as much as it stimulated Noah; he knew more or less that M.I.N.D. was capable of many exploits, but seeing the proof in front of him was truly amazing.

“Voice message deciphered. Unable to find additional information for now,” the AI declared, and Sebastian made a victory sign. “Finally !” He shouted, a big smile on his face. “Play it !” 

A static noise reverberated on the walls, so loud that the two other men stopped in their tracks to look at the source of the sound with wide eyes. Jolly and Nick walked towards the workshop, the first suspicious, the second dumbstruck. The waves weren't stable enough, but after a few seconds of only hearing static, a man’s voice spoke.

“Do…hear me? Do…hear…Ah…! Here’s…Saï…found a way to save…poor lads…Gaia Facilities. …need help. LA 33…39…29…2…117…46…01…9…help…save…”

The message suddenly stopped, as if the transmission was abruptly cut off by something, and the static started again while the entire room remained dead silent. None of the four men dared speak. Of all the rare messages they had managed to get since they had lived here, this one was certainly the most cryptic of them all, and not only because half of the words were lost due to the poor reception. They looked at each other, baffled, each one of them wondering what it could mean. Then…

“Who…who was it ?” Nick asked.

Nicholas shrugged, the only one reacting to his words. The youngest was a bit upset to be ignored, but quickly understood that the two others were absolutely focused. Noah started the recording again, frowning, looking more disturbed than usual. Suddenly…

“I know that voice,” he mumbled. “Me too,” replied Jolly, his face showing the exact same expression. “But from where ?” “I don't fucking know…from another refuge, maybe?” “Nope,” Ruffilo cut in. “I don't recognize it myself.”

Silence spoke again, and time stood still. One could only hear the computer fans, as M.I.N.D. was still working on the signal, hoping to find where it was coming from. Noah sighed, slouched in his chair and crossed his arms. He didn't know how to react to this brand new information. That man…did he really know how to free the prisoners from the labs ? Gaia Facilities…he'd never heard that name before, but in the context, it may be the name of these underground labs. But those labs were unapproachable, strictly watched by the rogue AI and its worshippers…how could anyone escape from there without consequences? Who could enter these places, unless he was one of these worshippers ?

“Saï…never heard of this name before, it must be a code name,” Jolly said, thinking out loud. “Same goes for the Gaia Facilities, never heard that before. The numbers at the end…it looked like coordinates. Maybe that’s where the signal comes from. M.I.N.D. ?” “I’m still looking, boss,” the robotic voice replied. “But there’s a problem.” “What problem ?” blurted Noah, who straightened suddenly. “The message is dated from April 23rd, 2047.”

The info was a shock, the crash of an emotional rollercoaster. The signal must have been playing continually since that time, with no one to detect it before because of its weak emission. Five years had passed since its recording…how could they know if the person talking here was still alive ? In a world so hostile, surviving even for a week outside was a huge achievement.

Jolly’s face was pale, but Noah was still active and just typing on his keyboard. He was taking notes on the message in question, as if the last piece of information didn’t count. Male…adult, maybe around their age…weird accent. He then asked M.I.N.D. to check the coordinates. If the message wasn’t a blatant lie, that man was based in the heart of the city, far beyond where they wandered to get their supplies. 

“Anaheim…” he whispered, reading the map displayed on his screen. “This is very close to the centre. Too close, maybe.” “Way too close,” Nicholas abruptly cut in, frowning as he held his wounded shoulder. “It may be a trap.” “A five-year-old trap, really ?”

Noah’s joke didn’t go unnoticed. He seemed to be taking this situation way too lightly, but his best friend already knew what was going on in his mind. He wanted to go there…discover who sent this message and what additional information he was holding that could help them in their quest. But it was too easy. Too…precise. How could they know if it wasn’t a trick made by those who wanted them dead ? If they recognized that voice and it wasn’t from one of the other shelters they had visited in the past, it was obviously from the enemy. And yet, their leader didn’t even think about this possibility.

“Noah, you…” he started. “We’ll talk about this later,” Noah cut him short. “I know what you’re gonna say, and I don’t wanna hear it.”

Ruffilo clenched his jaw, frustrated by this childish behavior, but didn’t say a word. As he was tipsy from this new victory, from finally having something to work with, his friend didn’t want to listen to reason. He had to be patient… again.

“Again. Go on. Too soft. Too late. Nope. Still not.”

There were fighting noises in the second room of their headquarters, the one they only used for physical training. Coached by Jolly, Nick tried to keep up with the pace he imposed. Since their last mission outside, he had practically begged the former soldier to train him personally, as he had witnessed first-hand the gap between his level and the others’. Yes, he’s always been athletic; yes, his youth and physical condition were more or less an advantage against a thirty-something guy who looked like he’s lived dozens of different lives. But alone against this fellow, he finally realised how much his “advantage” was far from being enough.

He was jumping, rolling over, barely avoiding the projectiles his teacher was throwing at him without being able to really come closer than a few feet from him. His goal ? To make Karlsson yield to his will and prove to him in the process that he deserved his place in the team. Of course, Noah had already comforted him about it when they were alone together… but he still stupidly felt like his elder wasn’t thinking the same thing. His expression was always enigmatic, he seemed to judge him constantly, even looked kind of disappointed from time to time when he looked at him. No matter his colossal efforts, Nick still feared that he wouldn’t be enough for him.

Suddenly, as he was watching his opponent wondering if he would even reach him one day, a window presented itself. Here…he wasn’t paying much attention to him, was he? Maybe Jolly was tired too and had underestimated him. It was the right time to move. Quick as lightning, Folio jumped and reached his enemy, his fist meeting the taller one on the stomach, missing it by only a few inches. His second punch though, reached the target. Jolly groaned from discomfort : protected by his equipment he withstood the blow and took a single step back, his piercing eyes staring at his young pupil.

“Almost,” he said. “But you’ve lost anyway.” “What? No!” retorted Nick.

Hadn’t he touched him, finally? Hadn’t he avoided all of his blows, the projectiles, Hadn’t he come close? Why did Jolly decide that he had lost when being less than three feet away from him was proof he’d win this round?

One second of hesitation, of confusion. One single second was enough for Jolly to grab him and pin him to the ground, a knee on his chest, two fingers pointed at his face. In shock, Nick forgot to breathe for a second and simply stared at his hand, his heart pounding in his chest. It felt like he was just threatened with the barrel of a rifle.

“Boom,” said Jolly, his hand mimicking the recoil of a weapon. “Outside, you’d be dead ten times over.” “It’s not fair!” Nick protested. “You distracted me, and…” “Everything can be a distraction outside. You have to lock your mind, and act. Not think for two hundred years or so. They will never reflect for too long, when they try to blow up your brain.” “But…” “You have to learn how to spot the false opportunities too. If your opponent is powerful and skilled, there’s very little chance he’s gonna make some basic mistakes like the one I offered today… if you just go for it and don’t analyze enough, you’ll just make yourself an easy target.”

The lesson was hard, but necessary. Head down, Folio stayed on the ground and didn’t even dare to look at his coach. He accepted his hand however and finally stood up, but turned around when he felt his cheeks burning. He was ashamed to fall for such an easy trick, ashamed of his weakness too. But Jolly just patted him on the shoulder, and when the youngest finally gathered the courage to look at his face, he thought he saw a little smile stretching his lips - which, for a man like him, was the equivalent of a burst of joy for anyone else.

“You’re pretty good, kiddo,” Jolly said. “You’re just…a bit too naive for this world.” “How so?” Nick asked. He didn’t really like being called “naive” at his age. “You can still see the best in people. You hesitate before you kill anyone, anything…you must be one of the rare people in this world who still possesses a soul. Keep it safe. It will always be your most valuable possession.”

It was the very first time Jolly actually gave him a compliment, and Folio wasn’t sure how to react. He opened his mouth, but closed it quickly when he realised that he had nothing to reply to. That situation was so unusual that he was thrown off completely.

It was the shouting that stopped their conversation in its tracks. Nick was suddenly worried ; he ran towards the main room, his equipment still on, rapidly followed by his coach, who now looked inexpressive again. 

Noah had left his spot, and was now standing tall in the middle of the room, arms crossed against his chest. In front of him stood Ruffilo, and the youngest had never seen him so angry. His hands were trembling, and his eyes could kill. The tension around them was so electric he was scared to even come closer. Whatever Noah had said, his best friend was having none of it.

“Stop your bullshit, I know why you’re doing this,” Nicholas spat out, his words as sharp as a knife. “You still think you’re responsible for what happened to me. You always think you’re responsible for everything. Look at what you’ve done! I knew you’d be doing something stupid.” “Shut up!” Noah shouted, his face red with anger. “You… you don’t know what it’s like, so shut the fuck up, Nick.” “Did you forget what happened the last time you went solo? Do you really think she deserved that?!” “SHUT UP!”

His hand moved by itself, or so it seemed. Blinded by rage - and maybe a bit of fear - the leader threw his fist towards his friend’s face, who didn’t have the time to block it. Nicholas took the blow and had a hard time staying on his feet, as he stepped back far enough to put a bit of distance between them. He winced, spat out some blood from his now-wounded lips and gave his opponent a dirty look. Noah looked completely lost between anger and despair. He was staring at his hand like it wasn’t his, like it wasn’t his decision to hit so hard.

“She’s dead because you’ve been too dumb to follow orders again,” Ruffilo added with absolutely no emotion. “She’s dead because of you. And the only thing you wanna do now is just…kill yourself out there. You’ve got no balls left. You’d better give up and die a ‘hero’ for absolutely nothing, just be a martyr and not do the work you’re supposed to do. You’re pathetic, Sebastian.” “For once, I have one last chance to fix everything,” Noah replied with a shaky voice. “I won’t let it go so easily. It’s YOU, who’s been holding me back from the beginning. YOU who’s giving up the cause!” “Guys, we…” Folio tried, but Jolly raised his hand to prevent him from saying anything.

The youngest didn’t understand why his coach was letting this situation escalate. Why wasn’t he trying to stop it, teach them a lesson, force them to focus on something else until they were both in a better mood to communicate? He who was so wise, always a straight man, their true leader in the shadows really, just gave up this role in a matter of seconds. What was going on in his head ? There had to be a reason…

“I don’t fucking care about you and your stories, I’m outta here !” Noah cried out, and he immediately walked away from Nicholas. “Fuck off if you like,” he replied. “Kill her another time.” “FUCK YOU.”

Nick didn’t understand a word of this exchange, but as he saw Jolly reach for their leader, he hoped that finally he got bored and was trying to diffuse the tension. What a surprise then, when he saw him just..help Noah put on his suit! He even handed him his rifle without a word, his face still blank, lips closed, gaze as cold as a dead fish.

“But…do you really support that?!” Nick couldn’t help but ask.

Jolly ignored him, too busy checking the suit for the one who was trying to flee this shelter. Too many questions were swirling in the youngest’s mind; why would they push Noah away when there was a big storm outside? Why would they support such a breakup when they had to stay together to survive? Why did nobody in this fucking headquarters act as usual?! He couldn’t stand it anymore. Tired of being set aside, he stepped in front of the corridor that led to the exit and spreaded his arms, his eyes locked on Noah’s supposed face.

“Don’t go, it’s too dangerous out there alone !” he pleaded. “Move your ass, Nick !” Noah retorted. He obviously was still pissed under his helmet. “No, I…” “MOVE.”

His elder’s cry made him jump a little, but Nick held on. He wasn’t going to let him risk his life for nothing worth! He didn’t even understand why he was the only one acting right now. That Nicholas was too angry to step in once more, he could understand. But Jolly? He went down in his estimation. 

Too disturbed by his thousand questions, Nick was distracted long enough for Noah to push him aside abruptly. He was thrown against the wall and almost fell. In a few seconds, the leader of the rebellion was gone.

“I… I don’t understand…” Nick stuttered as he stared at the now empty corridor. “Why… why didn’t you stop him? He’s gonna die outside! There’s a fucking storm!”

Nobody replied to him, as usual. Nicholas was cleaning his wounded lip with some 90° alcohol, while Jolly was tidying the equipment zone.

“M.I.N.D.?” he snapped suddenly, his raised voice startling Folio in the process. “I’m still here, boss,” the AI replied. “Track Sebastian. Report everything he does every… hmm… let’s say, five minutes. If you lose the signal for more than half an hour, ring the alarm bell.” “On it, boss.”

Jolly had a satisfied look on his face when he turned away from the computer. His gaze met Nicholas’s, who nodded with a knowing look. Nick felt a bit lost watching them communicate like that, and a bit…isolated. They all seemed to be telepaths here, and here he was, set aside without consent. A pout on his face, he tried to mask his frustration and looked for something to do with his hands. Suddenly, a powerful hand landed on his shoulder.

“Stop worrying so much, it’s gonna be okay,” Nicholas assured, his voice now as soft as it used to be. “No, it’s not !” Nick protested. He was disturbed by this illogical reaction. “He’s all alone out there, with the prowlers, the storm, the…” “He’s been through worse, believe me. And he’s got good equipment.” “But…you just…” “M.I.N.D. is with him, he’s not alone. And he needs a reality check. He’ll be fine, don’t worry.

The youngest still didn't understand the situation. Once more, it seemed he was missing some elements to get it. He glanced at his elders, biting his lip, frowning, but just walked away with no further questions. He didn’t want to anger Nicholas again, because even if he didn’t really understand all that was said between him and Noah, his tone was enough to scare him a little bit.

“Maybe you went a little bit too far,” Jolly tried, coming up to his friend. “Oh so you’re taking his side now ?” Nicholas retorted.

He was wincing from the pain, a hand on his shoulder, his forehead wet with sweat from the fever. Silently, the older man helped him remove his hoodie and shirt, and noticed with horror that the bandages were already wet with a mix of blood, ointment, and pus. He sighed, but just gathered his tools to treat the injury again.

“Don’t start a fight with me,” he said with no emotion in his voice. “You know that I never take anyone’s side. But you’ve gone too far.” “Because I mentioned her ?” Nicholas spat out, his face distorted by pain. “It’s the only thing he reacts to nowadays. Sometimes, I even think he forgets her a bit too easily.” “How can he forget her ? She’s part of him now. She always reminds him of her presence, and her absence. Believe me when I say he’s never forgotten her.”

Silence spoke volumes. Nicholas didn’t know what to reply to that statement. He was breathing heavily, trying not to show his weakness under the hands of his improvised doctor, but was relaxing a bit more as if the anger was leaving his body and just left regrets. He sighed and glanced at the computer screen absently. 

“It’s been almost two years and he hasn’t changed,” he whispered, defeated. “I can’t help but wonder if his merging with M.I.N.D. is a good thing. She protects him, yes, but…she also brings up too many bad memories.” “It wasn’t up to us to make that decision,” Jolly recalled. “I know, I know…but we should have said something. Stopped him from doing this. We’re fighting against a rogue AI, and our leader merges his mind with another AI. How can we know if she’s not gonna go rogue herself ? How can we know if he’s kept…his identity ?” “Noah believes in it, doesn’t he ? He’s not stupid, you know. He’ll figure it out, if M.I.N.D. becomes maleficent.” “Would he ?”

The question hung in the air, like a floating uncertainty. To worry about this subject was useless, especially since they were certainly spied on by said AI who was always watching over them either through the computer or simply the chip they all had on their arm. They just had to pray that M.I.N.D. never faltered, moreover, pray that Noah never became mad enough to switch sides.

Maybe it was a bit presumptuous to leave their shelter alone in the middle of a storm. If the acid rain was a bit annoying at first, the violent wind around him was so strong that he struggled to even stay on his feet. Worse : some pieces of the landscape, damaged by the weather over the past few days, detached from their original place and threatened to strike him. The night had fallen a few hours ago already, and the darkness didn’t help him watch what was going on in front of him. His jaw was clenched; Noah still tried to walk towards his goal in the middle of a real apocalypse, his eyes focused on what looked like a GPS watch.

“I know we can make it,” he mumbled, more for himself than for the AI at his side. “Ruffilo was right boss, you don’t have a solid plan to reach the target,” the robotic voice replied coldly. “Ah, don’t do that again!”

The storm, far from calming down, seemed to get even worse, so much that Noah wondered if he would be able to even put one foot in front of the other. It was right at this moment that a strong gust of wind forced him to fall on his knees. He barely avoided a scrap of metal, flattened himself against what looked like a building in ruins, and breathed out while grabbing his weapon. He was lucky no creature was around, but the weather was bad enough to be a proper opponent. Definitely, going out at that time was a very bad idea, but he’d never admit it.

“M.I.N.D., I need you,” he blurted out with regret. “Guide me.” “Boss, the cyclone is dangerously approaching the zone. Your safety is compromised.”

Noah screamed out of rage. Nothing he’d tried lately was working properly, and he felt terribly helpless. He took his courage in both hands and ignored the AI’s pleas, then stood up and started walking again against the wind. However, a few seconds later, he just froze in place.

In front of him was an impassable wall, just like a thick, greyish smoke he couldn’t help but fear. A moving wall coming closer and closer at high speed : the heart of the cyclone.

The wind intensified, and he fell to his knees again. Something hit his head ; he blessed his helmet but still felt the shock, and understood a bit too late that he was in deep shit. His breath was short, but he screamed again to gather his strength and tried to run - or just fight the storm, really - taking a few more projectiles in the process. He had to make it. He had to find shelter for the night at least, then resume his activities once the weather was calm enough and the cyclone was gone; or if he managed to reach the eye of it, where he would be safe for a while.

Another projectile hit him on the head, strong enough to throw him further away as the wind was lifting him up a bit. However sturdy his equipment was, he could still feel the pain throughout his entire body, tossed around like a puppet with no strings. His weapon was ripped from his hand, and no matter how much he tried to grab it, his helmet started to move away from his head. When it was also ripped away by the powerful storm, Noah finally understood that he could just…die here. Die before he could even do something meaningful for the entire world. Nicholas was right… why didn’t he listen to him? Why did he think he could do it alone?

“M.I.N.D.!” he cried, as panic started to grow in his gut.

His face was hidden in his arms, his eyes closed to protect his sight from the acid. He couldn’t control anything in that situation. Had no more hope of getting out of here either. Why was he so narrow-minded? He really thought he could make it, that he’d be a hero within his team, that he could prove how capable he was…but what would he accomplish now? Absolutely nothing.

Like that song is just something else….

I love their other albums as well but something in POST HUMAN: NeX GEn just hits different for me. I swear to god it’s something else.

I can’t even describe what YOUtopia makes me feel like. It’s something close to nostalgia but not exactly. It hits like home for some reason.

It makes me happy but also sad (but like the good kind of sad, if that even makes sense)

In conclusion I’m obsessed…..