One night, inside of the fifth or sixth library I visited I found something. It looked like an ordinary scroll cast aside in one of the archive sections of the library. I went there occasionally when I was tired with the consoles and their four panelled walls. This scroll was different, when opened instead of scrolled writing there were lights and floating text. It was a portable console, I had never even heard of such a thing. It was connected to the other libraries I had visited as well as another, it had a search function and an ability to identify objects via a lens. To me it seemed magic. It was more of an archeologist than I, and knew more than I ever would, much more than the other library consoles.
I didn’t dare show it to anyone, who knows what an archeologist would do if they wanted it for themselves, and someone without knowledge of history well…they might even destroy it and kill me for witchcraft. I doubted that but still, I kept the scroll for myself.
Keeping it changed me, I began the cataloguing. I would pack for a trip, scour some of the countryside and document any objects that I found. During those trips I felt like a true archeologist, discovering the secrets of the world first hand, not being force-fed by pre-loaded holograms. I discovered many things on those trips, strange species of insect, old Earth languages, some discarded energy weapons. The p-c identified them all, chirping away and linking me to further readings. I began to spend more time out of the cities, the trips became longer. Even though I packed more supplies, I often ended up eating from the forests on my return. Those trips were some of my best years, I felt more alive than I ever had.
It was on one of those long trips that I found something, it looked like a city, but it was almost completely destroyed. And the houses…they weren’t like the homes me and my kin lived in, the ones built by our ancestors. These were of a different material, lacking the chrome finish. They seemed more basic, almost rustic, but it was hard to tell. None of them were left standing, in some places it would be hard to tell a house even stood. I waited for a while and watched the ruins from a hill. I was torn, exhilarated, between two emotions. The archeologist in me went wild, who knew what I could find and catalogue in this ruin. The other part of me was scared, I had never seen or heard of anything like this. I wasn’t prepared.
—
I stayed there for months, slowly combing the city and cataloguing its contents. Most of it was just rubble, but I could classify the plants growing on top and make guesses as to the origins based of the chemical make-up. There was a lot of carbon, some iron, once I found the remains of what I presume to be a glass window. The first night I was sure to return the way I’d come and cover my tracks. I hid the entrance to my new workplace, although it was unlikely I’d encounter any other archeologists. The ones I had met were mostly content to live in and journey between the libraries. It was possible I would encounter someone with a different hobby however, outside the cities there were still a few out there who were old enough to remember real professions. They were rare but some of them were dangerous.
It was weeks before I found anything noteworthy amongst the rubble.
—
The scanner didn’t recognize it, and I didn’t recognize how odd that was until much later. It was a book, written in a script I didn’t recognize, and upon scanning it there was no found entry. I thought it might be an ancient text from my ancestors, from ancient humans. I was so excited, so close to them. I drank wine, just a small glass. I’d been carrying the sealed bottle for years, it had never seemed like the right occasion before. Under the stars I thought I saw lights in the distance.
I continued to scour the remains of the city, or village, but found nothing else noteworthy. I’d named it Rome for short, the name from the libraries of an old city long forgotten. I opened my console and regarded the world map, I had marked my site. It was on the fringe of a cliffside, and I was surprised to see I was relatively close to the mysterious seventh library, that was marked on this p-c map, but on no others that I had ever seen. Between me and it there seemed to be a forest, and a body of water. I considered potential routes, I had forgotten about the library, enthralled with the console and the new life it breathed into my hobby, as well as my Rome. I could get there with a boat, maybe stopping at one of the island colonies. I hadn’t been there in a while, some I am still yet to visit. Ultimately, the direct route seemed the most practical, it was short but the terrain was challenging. I thought it was a good time to leave, I was about finished here and besides maybe this new library could provide some answers. Perhaps it even had accounts of my Rome and the people who used to live on the land where I was camped. And besides, I could swear the lights were getting brighter.
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