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Quote

"Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
- Langston Hughes.

What does this mean? If our dreams are lost, then our life isn't worth living? X has a serious problem. He doesn't see his life going anywhere and worries that his best years are behind him. What is left for him but a simple walk when he used to fly?

Summary

X spends his morning in his penthouse apartment reflecting on the funeral from the previous night. In the course of his thinking, he accidentally injures a small bird. Fortunately Zero comes to visit and can mend the wing. X and Zero both take a ride to the local university, hoping to straighten out the remnants of Dr. Caine's will. It is at the basement lab where Anyi reveals Dr. Caine's unfinished project before his death... and the significance of his last and greatest discovery.

Trivia

The first bit of this chapter is told from the bluebird's point of view.

World

I'm going to take this time to outline the general setup of Earth. Not too important; there have been drastic changes since World War III.

America - All that is left of the United States. They were hit hardest by the first attacks from the middle east. Their ability to respond was minimal. The country split apart, with many refugees fleeing to Canada and Australia. Central America belonged to the United States before the war began.

Antartica - It's a wasteland with no population. It has of late been used by the military for testing purposes, but other than that it is empty.

Australia - Through a strange twist of fate this became the economic centre of the world, containing the brilliant and enormous city of Cluster One. After the war, it was one of the few that managed to keep it's status in both territory and power. It also took a risk in funding the terraforming behind Venus. Now with a firm establishment on both planets, it is the centre of the United Nations for the entire solar system.

Brazil - Fortunately it was spared most of the bullets. However, losing access to global commerce because of the war definitely did damage to all of South America. It boasts the only remaining natural eco-system on the planet.

Canada - Another one of the major powers of the world, it managed to salvage from the extensive damage done to the United States. In doing so, they became a much more prominent presence.

China - Although this country was prominently involved and attacked during the war, it survived and became much stronger. It now a democratic society, run by the people. Next to Australia and Canada, it is considered one of the foremost powers in the solar system.

Egypt - The only country to survive after being directly involved as an ally with the middle east.

Germany - After the complete collapse of Russia and their cessation from United Europe, Germany managed to claim a lot of the land during the war.

Hawaii Republic - The smallest nation to exist now after the United Declaration had been signed on United Earth Day. It is a formal alliance of most island nations, despite the distance between them. The Republic includes Taiwan, New Zealand, Madagascar, Hawaii, and several smaller islands. It is merely an alliance, similar to Europe in the early part of the century.

India - It was one of the defensive countries, maintaining it's borders but pursuing no opportunities. It is most responsible for the complete destruction of the middle east.

Japan - After the collapse of Russia and subsequent war, Japan managed to claim mainland soil to itself.

New Africa - These countries saw unification as a single government with so many advances made economically and technologically in the past century.

United States of Europe - With the complete loss of government in many countries, Europe was thrown into complete chaos. With the help of Canada and Australia after the war, the people were re-united as a whole. The USE consists of: England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Ukraine, and Italy. All other countries could not be salvaged, but their culture still remains in small parts of the world.

Science

Regeneration: Habitat: Appliances/Utilities: Transportation: Teleportation: