Surviving is Overated

Fiadh remembered what it used to be like. The struggles. The fights to keep above water. Barely surviving each and every day. The government kept making promises, each party saying they would bring lower prices, end inflation, make life enjoyable again.

They lied. Every single time. Eventually it didn't matter which "party" was in charge, because ultimately, they all answered to the all mighty dollar. They were all in it for the oligarchy which they were a part of. It took longer than it should have for people to see the truth through the rose-colored glasses that had been 'programmed' into them since birth.

Society had been brainwashed to stay in their 'class' and not question the 'way it's always been'. Those with money and power have advantages and rights not offered to those without, despite what is written on the books of law. Then in 2025, it all came to a sudden end, when the oligarchy became too arrogant in their desires to push down those tired of struggling to live while the 1% made all the rules to keep it that way.

The change had finally begun.

It was not an easy transition. Deprogramming society from the mindset of 'this is how it's always been' was a lot more difficult than one would imagine. It took years of revolutions and demands to be truly heard and for equality and change to finally begin to emerge... and be accepted.

"When I was your age, I was fighting to be taught the truth in school. Our instructors told us that they were teaching reality and what happened."

Fiadh said with a laugh before she continued.

"Hmm... what really happened, indeed... that doesn't matter now though, what matters is the here and now, because THIS is the reality and the truth to preserve."

"But Oma, doesn't history still matter? Like... what's that saying... 'if you don't know it, you'll be doomed to repeat it' or some shit like that?"

"Love, we 'knew' the truth and still repeated it. We knew about dictators like Hitler and how he came into power... then so many people jumped to give the same power to another even worse than him just 80 years after Hitler's reign ended... so many people fought to go right back to that life..."

Fiadh sighed as she shook her head before she continued.

"...So yes, history does matter but it does not matter as much as the present. This is what we fought to get achieve for so many years after 2025, My Darling. That is why learning about the here and now is so important... because you understand and appreciate the value of it... hopefully with appreciation for where we are now, society will never revert back to what was..."

"I guess it's just hard for me to understand it, Oma. I've only known how to see humans as humans. I can't picture focusing on anything else... it just seems... irresponsible and immoral to decide who has what rights or needs based on race or gender..."

Thyra responded with a look of confusion on their face before they continued speaking to Fiadh.

"Like you, for example, Oma... I use female based phrasing when addressing you because that is how you identify yourself. While biologically I have female organs, I see myself as so much more than just 'female' so I have never seen myself as a 'her' or 'she'... I am myself and I don't understand traits being associated by gender or race. Traits are not... scientifically they don't JUST work like that. I mean, who decided way back when that male gender associations can't express emotion?? That is soooooo... repulsive to me! Humans have layers, all of us... we can't be shoved into little boxes based on gender, race, culture. religion, or other bullshit!"

"It was indeed a different time, Love. People did not understand things as easily as they do now with the emergence of the empathic technology... that is why we teach the importance of it so much... without it... the majority of society struggles while a minority thrives because greed and power rules over common sense and decency."

Fiadh responds with a sigh as she walks over to a cabinet, opens it and takes out a beautiful, glowing crystal as she walks back towards Thyra.

"That is why your empathic lessons are soooo vital, My Darling... your generation is our future... we fought hard for this technology and oh... by the Gods was it a hard fight! Many died... many wanted to stay in their own little bubbles and had no desire to experience situations... but they sure wanted to make laws and judgements on things they never went through based on what they 'believed'.... when the ability to harness the energy of an empath was discovered, it allowed society to use that unique... emotional embrace... and transfer it to another. This is what truly allowed humans to break from from their narrow-minded views and lives."

"I guess I just don't understand why people were against the empathic technology, Oma... I mean... why would someone want to dictate laws and rights on situations that they have no first hand knowledge or experience with? Doesn't that make them.... unfit to make decisions on circumstances that they know nothing about? Like... how can a ruler of a country authorize war when they themselves have never served in a military station?? How can a human whom identifies as male say what a pregnant human who identifies as female should be allowed to do with her body??"

Thyra questioned as they looked at the glowing crystal in Fiadh's hands while looking at the empty tablet page in front of them where their essay should be taking form but was still not coming together.

"That, My Love, was the problem. Right there, what you said. You see, the world I grew up in lacked the empathic technology and instead it was run by greed and corporations, government that was owned by whoever paid the most... they all swore change but it was just smoke and mirrors. 2025 began such a nightmarish time in our history... there were days I wasn't sure that I would survive... we were programmed with phrases about how struggle meant strength and how much better people we were for all the traumas we went through and survived.... yeahhhh...."

Fiadh laughed but an echo of sadness lingered in the tone as she looked down at the glowing crystal in her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"But this... right here, Love... this was what saved us."

Fiadh continued as her body began to emanate a vibrant teal hue like the crystal in her hands before the glowing condensed back into the crystal.

"This will help you understand, My Darling. Better than I can with words... just be prepared, because it is powerful and it will fill you with more emotions than you may understand, but this is what I can offer you to help you with your assignment... are you ready?"

Fiadh asked as she held the glowing crystal out towards Thyra, hesitant to put so much emotion into the being of her grandchild, but she understood it was the only way.

"I'm nervous, Oma... I've studied the empathic stones and had some experience using them but this sounds like a lot... I mean, I already know that we are better here in 2050 than the dark days you talk about... I guess I'm not sure why this helps?"

Thyra questioned nervously as they feared touching the glowing crystal, they could already feel the emotional vibrations flowing from it and it made them very anxious.

"That is exactly why it helps, My Love. There is knowing from hearing me speak about the dark days and the fight for survival... but you can never truly understand it unless you experience it through my eyes. That is what makes the difference... it shares the emotion of the experience with you, allowing you to understand what it truly means to be in a situation. This is what allowed humanity to transcend beyond the bubble of material wealth and power... This is what puts everyone on an even level... we all feel and experience life together as a whole... and only as a whole can we truly do what is right for all humanity."

Fiadh answered while she held her hand open and gave a half-hearted smile to Thyra because she knew this would be difficult for them both.

Thyra closed their eyes and reached towards the glowing crystal in Fiadh's hand, the energy was overwhelming the closer their hand came to the crystal. Thyra quickly grabbed the crystal and squeezed it tightly as Fiadh's hands embraced theirs. The empathic transference began.

In an instant, Thyra became immersed with the experiences lived and emotions felt by Fiadh during her life. Thyra was overcome as tears fell down their face, as they struggled to breath once the transference finished. It was only 30 seconds, but for Thyra, it felt like forever had passed in those seconds as they began to scream from everything they experienced. Fiadh took the crystal from Thyra's trembling hands and set it aside before embracing Thyra.

"There, there, Love... breath, it's okay now... remember, it's all in the past... what is important is here and now... do you understand, My Darling?"

Fiadh said while she continued to comfort Thyra, holding them tightly while feeling guilt over having shared everything she did with them, despite it being necessary.

"I... I had no idea, Oma... how did you survive? I... it was just... sooooooo much! I didn't know... like you talked about the days before but... I didn't know still... it's just so... much..."

Thyra explained while still trembling from the emotional transference they felt as they found solace in Fiadh's embrace.

"Now, you know what was before, Love... you know what we fought for and how we came to a better world for humanity through the empathic technology and transference... Now you truly know what life was before 2050... why it had to change... and what we fight to protect. Now you are prepared to write your essay."

Fiadh answered while wiping the tears from Thyra's eyes and her own eyes, before handing them the blank tablet.

Thyra nodded as they took the tablet and closed their eyes and began to digest everything they experienced. As Thyra focused and held the tablet, words began to form and recite out loud from the tablet.

"The transition of life from the past to the present year 2050 has been truly transformative in many ways. Humanity has emerged triumphant to break the cycle of survival and struggle that our earlier generations were programmed to accept. Humanity today no longer accepts that archaic and cruel methods are the way to make a person strong. Today, humanity embraces the way of empathy and emotion. Our older generations grew increasingly frustrated with the dismal way of life that they had been forced to comply to. This resulted in a revolution of the people against the oligarchy that sought to maintain the status quo.

As technology advanced, more and more it became obvious that the single factor society lacked most was an ability to truly understand situations and circumstances outside of their own. This is how the empathic technology and transference program began to unfold. While there were many arguments about the use of this technology being cruel because it transfers the emotional experience of a situation from one person to another, it seems more immoral to force others to go without rights or conform to an idea because it fits the mindset of a small population in control.

With the use of empathic transference, humanity can move beyond the black and white viewpoint that crippled the generations of our past. We have now been given the unique perspective to truly put ourselves in one another's shoes, so to speak, and in doing so, we can experience the situation of another. A person who is biologically a man and identifies as one, may believe firmly in abortion being wrong, for example. Through empathic technology, this individual can be infused with the emotional experience of a 14 year old biological female being faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The empathic transference will allow the biological male individual to feel every moment as though he were that young pregnant teenager. The fear. The anxiety. The uncertainty. The pain. By experiencing the exact circumstance and situation of another person, it creates the ability for another to empathize and understand.

This is how empathic technology has created a more uniform collective understanding for humanity to grow from. Humanity is no longer able to make judgements without having a firm understanding of the experience and situation. This has allowed humankind to grow exponentially in a short amount of time when looking from an emotional and mental intelligence standpoint. Society is no longer separated by class and riches, instead there is a fundamental understanding that all persons have a right to live life without undue struggles being placed upon them.

Humanity understands that strength is not defined by surviving hardship after hardship, instead, strength is defined by being unafraid of change, emotion, and differences. Strength is accepting each other as we are and working together to create a continued improvement of life for each new generation. Strength is putting human rights above monetary greed, creating treatments for disease and illness as a goal to improve humanity - not a means to make billions of dollars. Strength is working together as one force of good despite the many differences separating us, rather than tearing one another apart over them. 2050 has become a beacon of hope for future generations because of the changes and rise of empathic technology. Learning about history is one thing, but experiencing every emotion and moment of it as though it was happening can be the defining difference between what is repeated, and what is a lesson learned."

The words flew from Thyra's mind onto the tablet perfectly as they smiled at Fiadh. Thyra knew that Fiadh had fought for them to have this better life. Thyra truly understood the sacrifices that Fiadh had made for them after the empathic transference, but they also understood fully how far society had come and how lucky they were for that growth on a global scale. They would never take for granted the life they had, the rights, and lack of struggles. After all, doing nothing but surviving is overrated.

© 2024 Luna Verity

Concepts and situations in this story are based on items from a book in progress by Luna Verity © 2024