Chapter Text
This is my final chapter. If you are reading this, I assume you have read all my entries before this message. The world is to end within this year, and many of us have lost all hope in even the smallest possibility of extending our stay another year. We’ve tried everything: Artificial nutrients, changing the genetic structures of those horrid beasts, even something as terrible as attempting to modify corpses into anything edible or usable.
Perhaps I am writing this last entry as some sort of closure for myself. After all, I never expect anyone to read this. Writing is all I know how to do – what is left in the world for me if I cannot write? It is the one thing I will not allow them to take from me.
Every final chapter must come with some sort of recap on the story as a whole, yes?
I suppose it all started with her. The self-proclaimed “Enchantress”. It has been years since I’ve written her name, yet her memory is still fresh in my mind. Nearly 200 years ago, The Enchantress created the foul creatures we call “beasts” in this world. Horrible pieces of rotted, mangled flesh and tar sown together with the world’s string of fate. Set on a mission to conquer the world, The Enchantress cast her beasts all across the world to fulfil her goal of being at the top of the world. However, these beasts mutated far, far beyond her control.
Oh, do excuse my commentary, but I cannot laugh at The Enchantress for her failure. For we were not able to predict their mutations either – perhaps if we had, we would have been able to fight them while they still possessed a weakness.
These beasts chase the living down for sport. We caged one down for research, and even after a year of monitoring, it showed no signs of hunger or tire. We were to assume they raved the world because of how they were programmed at their core. They trampled over all livestock and agriculture, rendering us both helpless and hungry. The air is hardly breathable due to the lack of living organisms to convert CO2 to O2.
Ah… Perhaps we should have worked harder to preserve the environment, rather than engineer new weapons to try and destroy the beasts. Maybe then, we would have more people alive to help us brainstorm new ways to extend our life.
All that’s left of our observable world – which, frankly, isn’t much – is the Parfaedia Institute of Research. I still fondly remember the days it was an educational institute, instead of one dedicated to try and fail to save our world. After it was deemed too dangerous to send children outside, the Institute quickly remodelled itself to become a research facility.
Perhaps if we had invited more families to live here, there would be more people alive…
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
Perhaps the only way to solve this terrible mess we’ve made is to build a time machine, and fix the mistakes that keep everyone up at night. Perhaps that’s all I have to say. Perhaps I am going mad, writing a detailed journal I know no one will ever read.
Perhaps, perhaps.
Yours truly,
~
Éclair raised his pen to sign his entry, but hesitated a second before his pen hit the page. He felt as though he were about to sign his own will – as though he were giving up right before the race was finished. “This is my final chapter” – Bah! If he were one to give up, Éclair would have been gone long, long ago.
Yours truly, We will live another day.
With a smile and nod at his revision, Éclair reached for his drawer to add his entry to the others.
Just as Éclair opened the drawer, a frantic man slammed his door open, nearly stopping Éclair’s heart. “Professor! Be careful with my redwood door, it’s the last of its kind-” “Éclair, oxygen levels have dropped by over 5% in just the past week, and Latte refuses to spend any of her resources helping me fix it. I’ll need at least-” The man continued rapidfire speaking, Éclair feeling a touch dazed from the sudden noise.
Espresso was one of the two lead researchers at the Institute. He was a man who commanded great respect from everyone around him. Espresso never took any time to mourn or dwell on the past – He always faced the present head on, without even a hint of doubt or fear in his eyes.
“Professor, please, slow down – It will all be resolved in due time,” Éclair reassured, seeing how physically and emotionally dishevelled his friend was. Espresso sighed defeatedly, sitting on Éclair’s miniature sofa. “No, no, not this time, Éclair,” Espresso breathes, putting his hands on his head, “I don’t- I don’t think we have the resources to find the fault in the machinery and fix it. And oh sweet Divines am I tired.” Éclair watched as Espresso sunk into his sofa, with his legs hanging off the edge.
Now seated in silence, Éclair took his paper entry to add it to his collection. “What is that? Don’t tell me you’re still in the practice of writing history books,” Espresso sneered pessimistically, outstretching his hand. “Ah, something of the sort,” Éclair hummed, handing his entry to Espresso.
They experienced another brief moment of silence as Espresso read through Éclair’s paper at an inhumanly quick pace. Espresso was the only person Éclair knew to be able to read at nearly 10,000 words per minute, and still come out with a comprehensive understanding of what he had just read. After their few seconds of silence, Espresso murmured something to himself. “Excuse me?” Éclair asked, to which Espresso spoke clearer: “A time machine.”
Éclair let out a nervous chuckle – surely Espresso wasn’t so tired that he saw these playful words as a realistic option, yes? Espresso hummed, handing the research paper back to Éclair. “Éclair, could even a time machine fix the mistakes that have been made?” “Of course, Professor! Why, only one thing would need to be changed!” Éclair responded instantly, suddenly shutting up. He got excited easily, and had a difficult time stopping his train of thought after getting started. However, at the raise of Espresso’s eyebrow, Éclair continued.
“I- My paper writes that- Well, really everyone’s paper writes that the Enchantress started everything, but- Actually, to be fair, the Enchantress’s creations do mark the start of the world we know today, but I don’t think it’s the prime reason- Oh, and when I say that, of course, I mean that-”
“Éclair.”
Éclair cleared his throat, “Sorry, Professor,” Espresso’s time was valuable like no other, and despised it when people failed to get straight to the point. “Dark Enchantress’s rule began with the assassination of a single man – A man who had the strength and bravery to take down The Enchantress and her beasts before they could mutate. Think of the butterfly effect! If I could just prevent his death, perhaps he could…” Éclair’s voice died out, his body sinking down with realisation. “Sorry, Professor, we really shouldn’t waste our precious time and energy discussing this. How can I help you with the oxygen levels?”
“Time travel…” Espresso mumbled, getting up and leaving the room.
~
“Impossible! Utterly impossible!”
Éclair winced as Latte threw Espresso’s papers into the air, papers fluttering all over the room. The corner of Espresso’s mouth twitched downwards for a moment, before he regained his normal composure.
Latte was the second of the two lead researchers at the Institute. She was always the voice of reason when Espresso got too involved in his work. She was incredibly intelligent, in every sense of the world. Latte would do anything to make the future a better place, but still put deep care and thought into every single one of her thoughts and actions.
“Latte, what do we have to lose?” Espresso said, just a touch of frustration tainting his voice. “You’re absolutely right, Espresso!” Latte sneered sarcastically, “let’s all use the rest of our resources on an impossible project that’s just doomed to kill us faster! I really underestimated how big your brain is, Es!” “Would you rather rot here and watch everyone die for the next year, Latte?”
Latte flinched from Espresso’s words. Her mouth opened slightly, as though she were about to speak, but nothing other than ragged breath came out.
Espresso took a deep breath before continuing. “Latte, there’s no question that suddenly investing in time travel would be an extremely risky venture – Let alone the risks that come along once we discover how to utilise time travel. But Latte, I am miserable. Everything I have done has amounted to nothing but more bodies on the street. I’ve already begun my research on the subject, and I do not intend to stop.” Espresso turned around, and started towards the room’s exit.
“Es, you could kill us all.”
Espresso stopped walking, and turned around to look into Latte’s eyes, his voice quieter than Éclair had ever heard it. “Perhaps that is the only solution,” he whispered, before taking his leave.