Life and research in the Elbe Valley in 7300 AD. E-Book

Jörg Böhm

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 474

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

In the distant future: Two global catastrophes have drastic consequences for humanity. There are few survivors. The sea level has risen 150 meters. Society's task is to ensure health and nutrition. Aaron lives almost 5,000 years after the catastrophes in the port city of Elbtal. Intelligent, imaginative, and cooperative, he trains as a researcher among his brotherhood. He is curious about the missions and full of hope for distant regions and adventures. There are tasks to be completed and experience to be gained. Life at the research center, which focuses on animal husbandry and agriculture, is educational but not always easy. However, community and friendship are very important to the young people. And there is no shortage of love.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

Conclusion

IMPRINT

1

The brothers

"Hurry up, Strähne, you're making our time worse in the weekly exam," shouts Kater, his face red with anger. He is the most impatient of our group of brothers. I'm only checking that we're taking the best route through the thicket of trees and bushes and not constantly taking the wrong route again and again. But Kater is too stubborn for that. "Just rushing forward and then clearing long obstacles takes too much time," I say and stop. Locke, our journeyman, agrees with me. He looks at the sketch we were given before the cross-country hike. "We should take a different route. We have to go through the river, otherwise we won't get to the other section of the route. This will be the unusual part of the test. The water is warm and not particularly deep. Why else have we dragged all this equipment with us?" This doesn't suit Kater at all; he didn't get his nickname for nothing. He shies away from the water like cats. Nase leads the way on the bank, he is the tallest and strongest of the group. At 1.65 meters, he towers over us all by almost 20 centimeters. He brings the rope safely through the fast-flowing, chest-deep water to the other bank. We pull ourselves across, partly swimming, partly walking with our equipment, smilingly putting up with the cat's nagging. Patience and thinking are not his strong points, but unfortunately some brothers often follow him without comment for fear of his sneaky attacks. Thinking and combining are not his strong points, which is why he is not the journeyman of our circle of brothers, but Locke.

I'm called Streak in my circle of brothers because I've always had a light streak in my otherwise dark hair. My name number is B 621.3.4: B for brotherhood, 621 for the year the center was founded, 3 for the quarter in the year of birth and 4 for the number in the brotherhood. Each brotherhood usually consists of ten to twelve comrades, there are four brotherhoods per year. There are four quarters per year, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each hall has up to 15 brothers who come to the brothers' center between their first and second birthday and share all the tasks and problems with each other until they turn 18. After their final exams, everyone starts their professional life. The brothers then stay together for most of their lives in a residential community.

Locke is angry at the end of the exam day, he is the smartest of the brothers and is not satisfied with the results of the final physical and mental tests. Our group's supposed strength in the physical tasks did not prove to be the case. Kater's stubbornness led to time and team penalties and, as expected, he completely failed the mental tasks. Basically, he doesn't care, after the general training in the Brotherhood he wants to join the Protectors, where intellect is not the most important thing.

Locke, on the other hand, wants to join the scientists. After the low score in the Brotherhood, he has to take an extra test for this.

My strength is my ability to combine, I am curious and think carefully before deciding on an action.

Training and sport filled the days and years. Free time was scarce, but everyone should spend it as usefully as possible according to their interests. My paths often led me to the library, which was only open to me a few days a week. There are not many books left from which I learned about what happened on Earth in the past and how it came to the present state and life. This information led to the desire to train as an explorer. The training takes almost as long as that of a scientist, but you are allowed to leave the city regularly and occasionally get to know distant regions and cities.

We live in the year 1729 after the last world catastrophe in the Elbland city region, which stretches from the sandstone cliffs in the south to the coast of the Wadden Sea in the north. The central city, with only a few very old remains of buildings, lies in the valley of the River Elbe under a gigantic bell of fiberglass that protects us from storms, rain and heat. Most of the people live underground in thousands of hollow spaces equipped with living chambers. Around 2500 individuals from the brotherhoods, educators, medics, trainers and instructors, live in an underground complex with classrooms, sports centers and dormitories until the end of their training period. The sisters exist alongside the brotherhood and are educated and trained in the same way as the brothers. Around 150,000 people live and work under the dome. It is the technology center of northern Europe and has an important port for commercial and passenger traffic.

2

The first catastrophe

Around 2500 years ago, a number of apparently dormant volcanoes exploded following a massive earthquake on the west coast of America.

The earthquake and the subsequent tsunamis caused enormous destruction, but the explosions of the volcanoes made the scale of the disaster even greater. The ash clouds spread over thousands of kilometers. A few weeks after the eruptions, almost all of South and North America was thickly covered in ash. The power grid collapsed, water supplies failed, looting and violence caused chaos, millions of people died from the ash clouds, died of thirst or lost their lives to chaos and violence.

Survivors reported that people tried to flee north to the less affected areas of Canada and Alaska. There was rescue for the few hundreds of thousands who made it that far, or the lucky ones who quickly reached the open sea on ships and were able to escape to Europe or Asia.

The outbreaks occurred in 2481 AD, in a highly technological, peaceful, interconnected world of 5 billion people dependent on artificial intelligence and robots. There were satellite systems that provided mankind with information worldwide. Thousands of people lived in bases on the moon and Mars. Contact with the satellites and bases broke down completely a few hours after the eruptions. The lunar stations were still able to send information to Mars before they returned to Earth. What became of the Mars bases remained unknown. Due to the loss of satellites, worldwide communication was disrupted and information about the distant events was no longer accessible in a short time. Due to the loss of an infinite amount of data, mechanization collapsed in almost all areas of life, and the simplest things in private areas and in numerous, sometimes vital, things could no longer be realized.

A few weeks after the eruptions, the direct effects were felt all over the world. The sun rarely appeared. The ash clouds spread across the earth. Temperatures in all countries cooled considerably for several decades, with drastic consequences for agriculture.

As air travel was no longer possible, expedition ships set sail for America a few years after the catastrophe. They sailed from Europe and Asia to explore the coasts of the continent from Canada to Argentina and Chile. In many parts of North and Central America, they encountered no more people. On their return, the ships' crews reported ghost towns covered in meters of ash and rock. Only in the far north of America and in the east of South America did they find survivors of the force of nature.

3

The second catastrophe

The cooling caused the ice masses at the poles and the glaciers to grow. The oceans cooled, which also led to severe global pressures. Difficult years, with poor harvests worldwide, led to famines, uprisings against governments and people fleeing to regions or countries with seemingly better living conditions.

It took over four hundred years for the situation to gradually stabilize and for governments to ensure security in their countries with closed borders and military action. Especially in countries where agriculture was able to adapt better and faster to the cooling. The countries of Central and Southern Europe were able to provide for their greatly reduced populations in a relatively stable manner thanks to an advanced agricultural economy. Refugees from Africa and Asia were prevented from entering this zone by force.

This information was part of our lessons, but it did not lead to the life and reality in which we now live. What we were mainly told and taught happened about 800 years after the volcanic eruptions in South and North America.

Between Asia and Australia along the Indonesian island chain, a series of volcanoes erupted on the sea floor, which rose above the water level over the following centuries and connected Asia and Australia with a land bridge. While the individual eruptions were initially registered as quite harmless, the increase in eruptions and the rise of the volcanoes in the sea caused panic and mass exodus from the countries in the coastal regions worldwide. Countries and cities were evacuated and resettled. Higher-lying states opened their borders and tried to accommodate neighbors and their own populations. At the end of the eruptions, the sea level was almost 120 meters higher than at the beginning of the eruptions. This has been the current situation for over 1000 years.

Old Europe is now almost completely under water. Entire regions have been depopulated, towns and villages have been abandoned. England and Ireland are small islands with small populations and, like Scandinavia, are mountainous islands in the ocean. The Mediterranean is part of the Atlantic, which covers large areas of land in Europe and Asia as far as the former Black Sea. Large areas of Africa are also flooded by water. The Pacific Ocean is separated from the Indian Ocean by the land bridge between Asia and Australia and has flooded Japan, New Zealand and Australia as well as the coastal countries. There is very little information from this part of the world, and the exchange of goods across the sea is almost non-existent.

Large cities and countries disappeared under the rising water level, inland cities became ports for shipping traffic. Today, these ports ensure the supra-regional movement of goods and people. The port of Elbland is therefore an important center for contact with riverside towns in the Erzland or in the energy district on the Elster. The exchange of goods with the northern islands of Scan and Britannia and with the eastern Slavic coasts takes place via the port.

At low tide, the water recedes from the former fertile farmland and becomes the Saxon Wadden Sea. Only wooded ridges rise as green, sparsely populated islands in the shallow sea.

4

My name is Aaron

At the start of a new year, which begins on the spring full moon, around three moons after the winter solstice, all brothers who turn 18 in the coming year are allowed to give themselves a name. Together with the year of birth 621, we then have our individual call name. Everyone is given the opportunity to find their own name, choosing one based on a role model or one that they think sounds good. Kater thinks Alexandros is great. Locke, our journeyman, wants to work as a scientist in the future, Aksel is his choice. As an explorer, I will go exploring and get to know other regions. "My name is Aaron," I announced in front of our brotherhood at the naming ceremony.

After the ceremony, we meet our instructors, professors, masters and teams. Kater is immediately greeted loudly in his squad. The Protectors are organized along military lines, and they are responsible for protecting the center and traffic routes from weather incidents and technical failures.

Over the next few weeks, all those who wish to train in the various branches of science will have to undergo a wide range of tests and examinations. Only then will a decision be made as to which direction the training will take. The choices are medicine, education, research or construction.

A large proportion of the brothers join the tradesmen, sailors and nurses, becoming fitters, food technicians, fishermen, sailors, nurses for children, the sick or the elderly.

A small group forms under the banner of "explorers". A boy from my fraternity and four other brothers also want to become researchers. An older, muscular man introduces himself to us. "I will be your master for the next five years. My name is Antes 599 and you will each be assigned to an experienced explorer over the next few years, who will be your mentor. You will get to know him tonight at the research center, just like the sisters who are starting their training with you," he surprises us with some news. Until now, we have never had contact with sisters of any age. The first few months of our lives, when we lived with our mothers, have not stuck in our memories.

5

At the research center

Two of us went back to our living quarters to get changed and pack writing materials for the induction in the evening. "I'm so excited! Firstly, because we're going to have mentors and secondly, because we're going to meet nurses," I say to Eric, who lives in a room with me. He is going to start training as an educator. "We have already welcomed our mentors and sisters. We are four brothers and ten sisters who are moving into a camp for a month from tomorrow morning," he explains. "First time not sleeping in the fraternity. You must be very excited! I hope you won't feel too lonely!" I'm happy for him.

Together with Brother Haruki, we make our way to the research center. It's early afternoon and the sun is shining through the dome. It promises to be a warm evening. On the way, we talk excitedly about what lies ahead. We know roughly what to expect, but like the surprise with the sisters, not in detail.

Antes is already waiting for us at the entrance. "Follow the signs that say 'Hall'. I'm still waiting for the other students," he greets us. The complex, which is partly underground, is inconspicuously located on the edge of the city. Ropes hang from a steep slope and various floats, boats and beams are attached to a pool of water. These are probably needed for training. We follow the signs and reach a room where a few adults and a girl are sitting in a circle, in the middle of which is a table with an old world map. I count 21 chairs, ten of which are already occupied by men and women. There is one empty seat between each of them. We stand indecisively at the edge and wait to see what comes next. Two more girls come into the room and join the other waiting girls. Shortly afterwards, Antes comes into the room, followed by a girl and four other boys.

"Good evening, instructors, mentors and students. The mentors call out a name and that person sits to the left of their mentor. Then we start a question and answer session. I am Antes, a master," he says and walks briskly to one of the free seats. Shortly after he reaches his seat, a woman with gray hair comes into the room. She bows in greeting and takes a seat next to Antes. "My name is Robinia, I am the master," she introduces herself briefly.

"As you have known since your school days, the main task of our community of countries is to ensure the health and care of the people who live on Earth. To this end, there are many contacts with the various regions and countries that communicate with each other in order to create optimal safe living conditions. A wide range of decisions need to be made by expert committees, universities, specialists in various fields of agriculture, medicine, technology and other bodies that meet to improve health and nutrition everywhere," explains Robinia.

Then a woman stands up and says: "I am Agnes. Student Noah, please come to me." And so it goes on. A mentor stands up, introduces himself and gives a name. I come to Arved.

"I ask questions and Noah starts with the answers. As briefly as possible. Why are there researchers?" Antes continues. "In the years after the disasters, researchers looked for and collected food sources and raw materials so that the population of the centers had work and food. Today, they maintain, renew and search for contacts and resources in other regions and countries," Noah answers. Arla should name the raw materials that were particularly in demand. "Metals in particular were salvaged from the destroyed regions and cities and secured for the processing centers. The ore country is the center of metal production in our technology hub," Arla answers the question. Melvin introduces the energy suppliers: "Hydropower and hydrogen are the main sources. Hydropower from six dams in the energy district is used to generate electricity. These are located at or next to bridges that dam up rivers and streams up to 150 meters high and generate energy with huge turbines. This energy is used to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen is used to power gliders, ships and agricultural technology." "Very good," praises Antes.

"Haruki, you can answer something about agriculture right away. What are the main foodstuffs?" Antes asks the next question. "Potatoes, vegetables and other agricultural fruits as well as meat from neighboring regions. Many vegetables mostly from the eastern countries, fruit from the southern countries. There's seafood and algae caught or farmed in the Atlantic and the Leipzig Wadden Sea." "Aaron, you can answer the question about the countries that are on Earth right away," Antes asks me the next question. "Countries are regions that are not flooded. We live in Germania. In our neighborhood there are Scan and Britannia in the north, Slavia in the east and southeast, Mediterranean in the south to southwest. Across the Atlantic, the northern and southern islands of Grassland and Patagonia. African south of the Atlantic, beyond the Mediterranean. And to the east of Slavia is Asia, the largest country. In the ocean to the east of Asia, there are still large inhabited islands that we have no contact with," I reply. "After the countries, Rahul lists the languages that are spoken," Antes turns to the next one. "We, Scan and Britannia, speak Baltic and learned a little Slavic at school. Slavic is spoken in Slavia, Latin in Mediterran, Franco in Grünland and Latino in Patagonia, a language similar to Mediterran. In African they speak Africans, north and south with slight differences. In Asia, two languages are spoken, Eastern and Western Asians," he replies. "That's right. Mila, what means of transportation are available to us?" he continues. "In the cities, there are scooters for individual transportation. Some of these are powered by muscle power. For larger loads, there are electrically powered scooters and trolleys that run on sliding rails. Between the big cities such as Prague and Elbland, electrically powered magnetic levitators and small gondolas for passenger transportation glide on suspended rails, usually next to or above the rivers. For trade routes across rivers and the sea, there are motorboats and sailing boats that are also powered by hydrogen. Hydrogen is used to power freight and passenger gondolas that are not tied to the suspension rails, as well as agricultural technology and transportation vehicles for cross-border supply," she replies. "Ricke, what do you know about our center's contacts with other cities and countries?" "Elbland is the technological center of Germania, Scan and Britannia. Elbland is connected to the southern countries that make up Mediterran via the Elbe and Vltava rivers through the Vltava-Danube Canal. Mediterran mainly supplies food, Scan metallic raw materials, Britannia fish and goods from grassland. We receive raw materials and food from Slavia. There are few direct contacts with African and Asia. We supply machines of all kinds, medicines, chemical products and energy. Southern Germania supplies many animal and plant foods and all kinds of vehicles," Ricke lists.

"That's almost it. Sofia, what can you tell us about our immediate environment?" Antes looks at her sister questioningly. "Apart from large areas used for agriculture, dense forests dominate, providing the raw material for chemical production, among other things. Clothing and medicines are made from them. Flax, hemp and jute are grown for the production of clothing. The sea provides some of our food," she says briefly.

"Very good. Now we're almost finished and we'll move on from the questions to the conversations. I would like to give you some advice for the rest of your journey: You will have many experiences in your private and professional lives. Writing these down in a diary can be very useful for your life, so start as early as possible. The table will now be cleared and you can talk to the students and instructors," Antes points to the room.

There is water, tea and small, tasty dishes on a table. I look around uncertainly at first. As I reach for a cup, a nurse grabs it at the same moment and we both flinch, not knowing what to do. She is just as tall as me, has long brown hair and an open smile on her face. "My name is Aaron," I introduce myself. "I'm Mila," she replies.

6

The introduction

The next morning, we have to leave our rooms earlier than usual to get to the training center. Beforehand, we wash up, eat with the brothers and talk at length and loudly about the previous day's experiences to the other brothers. The fact that I have spoken to a sister is particularly in demand. "Her name is Mila and she has long dark hair. She asked me why I wanted to become a researcher. But that's all we talked about," I end the round of questions and head into the research center.

Robinia is waiting for us there and leads us into a room with lots of books and maps. "Have a seat. I will now tell you about your training plan and the topics. The basic training lasts three years. After that, you will be candidates and will spend another year, accompanied by an experienced researcher, solving tasks that are set for you and that await you.

You will be trained for five months in each subject area, and in the sixth month you will repeat the previous topics.

The daily routine starts at nine o'clock, as it does today. Depending on the subject, there will be lectures, technical excursions, outdoor activities, physical training, discussion groups or teamwork until you eat together. All subjects are taught in Slavic, Latin and, of course, Baltic. That is why we start with languages in the first six months. Other subjects include languages, history, energy and technology, health and food, countries with meteorology, medicine, nature and agriculture, vehicle technology and leadership in the final months. You will steer and repair water gliders, boats and vehicles. They are necessary for the connection to smaller regions that are not connected to the glider system.

Regular group and individual sports are part of the training. We have team sports as well as martial arts, climbing, swimming and endurance running.

After lunch there is an hour's rest. Then we continue with another three hours of training. Group work is the rule until the evening meal. These can be either repetitions of the day's work or freely chosen. They serve the purpose of team building.

All researchers who are currently at the center or in the city region eat together at 9:00 pm. This is followed by a get-together to get to know each other and cultivate friendships among the researchers.

I've talked enough now. Are there any questions?" she concludes the presentation of our near and distant future.

Silence, no one wants to show their insecurity or curiosity in front of the others.

"Shy and reserved students don't become researchers," she urges us to be more active. Haruki takes the floor: "Will we be wearing uniforms, or what kind of clothing should we request in our brother complex?" he wants to know.

We should order short and long robust pants, thin and thick shirts and rainproof summer and winter jackets. "Order specifically for researchers," she gives us a tip. We can choose the colors and patterns ourselves.

"Will it be the same as in the previous training, three days of learning together, one day off and then three days of training again?" Mila wants to know. "Yes, in principle. As you should gain experience, knowledge and practical training from as many researchers as possible, it may happen that a researcher with special skills stays at the center for a short time. You will then be allowed to work and learn with them for several days. The days off are then canceled," she explains.

The mentors who have called on us are our direct contacts in case of problems, but they also teach us in various subjects. They are researchers who are older or no longer go on excursions outside our center, or only for a short time, due to physical problems. When silence returns after a series of questions, Robinia leaves the room and returns to the group with a young sister and an older brother.

7

A sensitive topic

"This is Andrey, he's an experienced mediator, and Sister Pia, she's a doctor at the medical center," she introduces the guests. "In your training so far, you have learned about the biological issues of our reproduction. Until yesterday, brothers and sisters were separate. During your training, you will get to know, appreciate and love each other. Problems and previously unknown situations will arise. Andrey and Pia will explain things to you and answer your questions," she says.

"In the past, women and men were usually united in domestic partnerships. This partnership of convenience was called marriage. In this community, children were conceived, raised, cared for and loved. They later left home and often continued on the same path. After the catastrophes, this proved to be ineffective. The communities and rules you are familiar with were created at the center. Sisters and brothers can only enter into sexual relationships after the end of their education, from which a child is born, usually at the age of 22 or 23. It is medically regulated that relationships entered into before this age have no consequences as far as children are concerned. They serve to gain sexual experience, to develop sympathy and affection and to mature physically and mentally," says the young doctor, talking about a subject that has been full of mystery until now.

Andrey continues: "New, close, intense and physical contacts and relationships will also develop between you," he points to us. It's not just me, but also the other sisters and brothers who are visibly uncomfortable with the situation. "It's usually the sisters who have their first intimate contact with older brothers from other years. I'm responsible for problems that arise from affection, distance and separation," he says, describing what can and will happen.

We are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. We all look furtively around the room and examine the potential partners out of the corner of our eyes.

We sit there speechless, awaiting the next piece of hard-to-digest information. It comes in Pia's extensive speech: "You're wondering how this is organized and controlled. It's simple biology. In the past, without their knowledge, the brothers were given substances in their food that prevented conflicts from occurring and inhibited various bodily processes. These have now been discontinued. In future, the brothers will become stronger and, unfortunately, some will also become aggressive. It is quite a bit different for the sisters. Sisters can conceive children with a certain regularity. This is regulated hormonally in coordination with the medical centers until they are ready to give birth. Sisters in most parts of Europe, especially in the cities, are allowed to have children with appropriate age and success. They choose the father of their child, for which they are advised. This prevents him from being related to her. If the choice and the contact are successful, she moves into the maternity home. Intensive monitoring takes place there until the birth of the healthy child. In the first six to eight quarters after the birth, the mothers stay in the maternity home with their children, after which they move back in with their sisters," she explains. The sisters have become more restless and want to know more.

"We don't know our parents. Are there any siblings or other relatives in the group? Will we meet any parents among the researchers?" asks Arla.

Robinia answers: "No. There are no relatives in this year group and no parents among the researchers. There are siblings among the older students."

Ricke wants to know how often a sister looks for a father. "That depends on the success and health of the first child. If it is strong, smart and healthy, then the sister is informed and she is allowed to choose a father again," explains the doctor. "And this continues until she is 35 years old."

I want to know: "What does success mean for the sisters, what role do the brothers or fathers play?" Andrey smiles and explains: "If you are friendly, successful and clever, you might be chosen as a father. There are not only female researchers who can choose you. In the future, you will have numerous contacts in the many professions that you will also get to know during your training, whether it's doctors, technicians, educators, farmers and much more. You have the same opportunity to make contacts as your sisters, and you are in demand. Be nice, polite, cheerful, be special. Since you have few outward differences, you must recognize intuitively or through observation what the sisters like. The women decide who they choose, and often very clearly. I have four children by three women." You can see his pride.

Pia concludes: "It depends on the expected health and genes of the child. Strong, healthy and small are our characteristics and we need to consolidate them.

Nevertheless, there are restrictions, the number of individuals in the centers should not increase, so the births are coordinated with the number of sisters and brothers who have left us in the past year. Either because they died or moved from the center to other places."

Mila asks the doctor if she has given birth. "I have been selected once by the health commission so far. But the brother who was supposed to be the father wasn't at the center at the time. I'm sure it will work out again in the next eight years. Then maybe with a different partner," she whispers.

Robinia takes the floor again: "It's time for lunch. After the rest break, we'll form three rounds, two with three and one with four students," she informs us. "Who will form them?" asks Noah. We should decide as a group, we are told.

8

Everything new

Melvin has an idea: "There are fewer sisters than brothers. Let them choose or draw lots." Everyone agrees with him. Carlos and Melvin are chosen by Arla and Ricke. Haruki and Rahul are chosen by Mila, and I and Noah go to Sofia.

For dinner, Robinia leads us into a large hall where young and older sisters and brothers sit, stand, eat, drink and talk in a colorful mix. "Find a table and queue up at the food counter."

We can't find a big table and split up. I go to the counter with Sofia and Carlos. "I'm curious to see what's for dinner here," Carlos comments after taking the plate and cutlery. "A starter of seaweed, herbs and nuts. The main course is fish or poultry with seaweed patties, and for dessert a fruit plate with raisins," explains the sister on the other side of the serving window. I choose poultry, as does Carlos, and Sofia goes for fish. The food is delicious, although Sofia complains that it is not seasoned enough. "During the nurses' training, we also tended an herb garden. We were allowed to use the herbs in our dishes," she explains. Me and Carlos like it, no matter what spices are in the food or not.

We wait to find out where and how we can spend our break. In a large glassed-in room, we see loungers, armchairs and hanging chairs that invite us to relax. Some of them are already occupied by young and older researchers. They look up briefly to see who else is joining them. There was a sign at the entrance saying that no more conversations were allowed after the bell and that it had to be quiet for an hour. Our group looks for some loungers and armchairs at the edge of the hall. I take a hanging chair and observe the researchers who are sleeping in the hall, mostly dozing or reading. There are almost sixty sisters and brothers who have gone to rest one by one. Most of them are still relatively young and under thirty years old, with a maximum of ten older than sixty. There are significantly more men than women in the room. After the bell, the door closes and it is completely silent, with only the occasional sound of someone changing position or a sheet of paper being turned over. A heavy snore comes from an older researcher in the middle of the room. Mila's gaze meets mine and we both have to smile at the sound. As the day and today's information are not easy to process, I doze off a little and apparently fall asleep until the gong and the murmuring in the room wake me up. We gather in front of the door and fool around.

"I was just falling asleep when the loud noise woke me up. Then I was wide awake again. Did it wake you up too?" Mila asks me. I say no and explain that I was still watching the researchers in the hall and thinking about the information from the morning because it was really bothering me. "We brothers haven't given much thought to where we come from and how it came about," I explain. Mila's face turns red and she explains: "That was explained to us relatively early on. But not how and when sisters and brothers find and choose each other."

Visually, we brothers are very similar, and the sisters are also very similar on the outside. The height is almost identical, the sisters have longer hair, and the hair color varies only by a few nuances, similar to the brothers. There are hardly any with black or blond hair; I have seen one redhead among the older brothers. "You probably won't find the right partner based on their appearance. He has to be special," Mila dreams to herself. "But we've still got a few years to do that," I reply as we walk back into the classroom.

Robinia and Georg greet us after the break and ask if the food was tasty and if we can start the afternoon well rested.

"Imagine you come to our city region from Scan, Britannia, Mediterran or Slavia. What do you notice, what do you like and what don't you like? What is special? Discuss this in the group. Try to do this in the respective language as best you can. After four hours, explain it to your friends at home. So here, of course, to the other groups," Georg explains the task for the next few lessons. "Where do we solve the task? Here or in the city?" asks Haruki. Robinia and Georg confer briefly and tell us that we can collect impressions in the city for three hours and then have one hour to process them and make them presentable. We all make our way into the city, our center is just over two kilometers upstream on the right. We brothers walk past our accommodation and meet Kater from our circle. He's not looking happy. "I was only two minutes late. But I was excluded from the communal dinner and had to get something from the apartment complex. But there's no one here. I only found a little food in my quarters," he complains.

We have to move on and separate from the other groups at the first bridge. Near the bridge is a lock system which, like many others, regulates the Elbe to protect it from flooding from the mountains in the south and from the tide from the north.

After the bridge, there is a large, wide area with sports fields and fruit trees. "We used to climb the trees when we were at school," explains Noah. Sofia is amazed that the sisters were also in the meadow. "Apparently the teachers arranged it so that we couldn't meet," I conclude. We walk further along the river. Large chunks of sandstone bear witness to mighty buildings of the past. "I've read that this is where the old town began, these were buildings erected to protect the city. Not from the weather, but from hostile people," I pass on my knowledge to my two companions. Sofia explains to us that there are still remains of large churches and magnificent castles where princes and kings lived over 3000 years ago. Only stones and a fragment of a bridge remain. "But there are still works of art from that time. There is evidence in pictures and books. The originals are probably kept safe in a salt mine in the south of Germania and are rarely shown to the public," says Noah. Otherwise, there are many flat buildings to discover, where countless people go about their work, and various automatically controlled vehicles cross our path, which slow down if we disturb their route.

"Let's take three scooters. We'll get around faster and back again," I suggest. The electric scooters are parked not far away at a charging station. We ride until we reach a bridge that crosses a slowly flowing river. "We completed our last team test with the Brotherhood near here. We had to use aids to cross the water," I explain to the two of them. Sofia tells me that she went climbing with her sisters for a few days. Noah built a raft with his brothers and sailed down the river to the sea.

Thanks to the scooters, we quickly reach the research center via another bridge. Robinia and Georg welcome us and tell us in which language we should each present our excursion. My small group is to describe their impressions in Slavic. We each have one hour to prepare.

"Slavic - even that, I can't do anything with it! It would be easier with Latin," Noah complains.

"I don't have any problems with that at all. The language has always been easy for me," I reassure him.

We gather our impressions and try to put ourselves in a guest's shoes. "The sports facilities and the orchards leave a positive impression, but overall there is too little nature in the center. The old sandstone buildings could also be better presented and explained. We would also be interested in the history of the town," we conclude our summary. We will also mention the bridges and water features, we decide. After the preparation time, we go into the hall for the presentation. Surprisingly, not only Robinia and Georg are waiting for us here, but also a large number of brothers and sisters. Robinia explains: "They are researchers and listeners from other disciplines who are curious about your findings on the center." I spot Pia, the doctor, among the guests.

The first group has moved on to the next bridge. They present impressions that they found remarkable. The dams and the dome protecting the river valley in particular were part of their presentation in the Mediterranean language. It was our turn next. Noah and Sofia left the presenting to me. The main message of our observation will be that there are too few green spaces in the city region. There are hardly any flowers or insects. Beehives and flowering plants could improve the quality of life in the region. Honey would be a very welcome by-product. We would also find information about the ruins on the other bank helpful for visitors to learn about the city's history.

The last group focuses primarily on the residential areas and the river from the perspective of guests from Britannia. They have different living conditions and find ours quite interesting, but not worth living in. The air quality is also poor. The inlets and outlets of the river should be enlarged and fully opened more often.

After the presentations, the researchers in the audience retired for a consultation.

"It's interesting to see how the other groups solved the task. Is there an assessment and is the group assessed at all?" asks Noah before the discussion begins.

"Now we want to discuss the guests' views," Robinia opens the round after the researchers present have deliberated. "Of course, we are particularly interested in suggestions for improvement from your point of view. Ideas on how things could be done better are helpful. You are the future of the center and can change it. Or we can make changes together now," Georg welcomes us to the discussion round, in which everyone in the audience can take part. "As the first group didn't mention any points of criticism, I'll start with a question for group two. You want more green plants under the dome. How should they be watered?" asks Josefa. We discuss this briefly and Noah answers: "The fruit trees near the play area are supplied by an irrigation system. The paths along the river could be planted and just as easily watered from the river. Flowers, herbs and flowering shrubs, as well as fruit trees, will attract insects and improve the air quality under the dome," we are sure. Pia surprisingly asks in Slavic: "How do you imagine the information about the remains of the building will be presented? In different languages?" I answer in Slavic as well: "I've seen pictures in the media of what it looked like before the destruction. They were impressive, huge buildings. The pictures could be shown with explanations in different languages," I reply.

Alex turns to the group around Mila: "What don't you like about the living and working spaces underground?" Haruki answers: "In the past, it was necessary to find a way to provide shelter from the weather for as many people as possible. The tunnels and living chambers were a costly but good long-term solution. However, with the construction of the dome over 80 years ago, the dangers have decreased and the quality of life has improved significantly."

Mila adds that when the gates on the river are opened for larger ships, everyone immediately feels the better air quality under the dome. Many enjoy the time and relax by the river.

"Thanks for the questions and answers. Very interesting approaches that will be discussed further tomorrow in class at Antes and for which solutions will be sought," Robinia concludes the discussion.

The groups then break up and everyone prepares for lunch together. Pia comes up to me. "You speak Slavic very well. Did you enjoy learning the language at school?" she asks.

"I found it very easy to learn. I was able to memorize some things just by hearing them once," I explain. "Then our teacher got me a book. Reading was very easy for me. And you?" I ask back. Pia explains to me that she completed part of her medical studies in Prague. As the largest city in Europe, Prague has a very large university where many sisters and brothers receive their education. Prague is the most important trade and information center in Europe. Traders, researchers and scientists from Asia, Europe and Africa meet here to exchange experiences. "It's interesting that you speak Slavic so well," she says and looks at me with a smile. Then she says goodbye with a "See you soon!".

9

First lessons

After lunch, we spend some time in the center reflecting on the day together.

"We've known life and its facets in Elbland for some time now, but consciously seeing the city with foreign eyes was quite a challenge," Haruki says. We agree with him and are excited to see what awaits us over the next few days. After lunch at our home, we head for the city center. The mentors usually split us up and give us tasks. On the one hand, we are given information about countries, regions or production sites, and we have to prepare presentations on these topics. On the other hand, we are also put through physical tests. In addition to long-distance hikes along the coast and a search for a way back through forests and bushes, we have learned rock climbing near the training complex. This included knot-tying and technical skills, which Alex taught us. Together with Agnes, he showed us how to belay ourselves when climbing, which we then practiced for several days under supervision until we were allowed to climb independently on the rock. As the weather was still stormy and rainy at the beginning of Spring, we fled to the center. Either at the so-called power apparatus, or we were given material to study. On some days, we also meet researchers who tell us about their tasks and experiences over the past few years. These are usually trips to Scan or Britannia, which revolve around the procurement or research of food or raw materials, but more distant excursions to Slavia or Asia, which lasted several years, were also undertaken. One of the researchers lived for a time in Asia in a village settlement where a wide variety of animals were bred. Her aim was to establish trade contacts so that the animals could be transported to Europe as food. Through their initial contacts, supply agreements were made so that Europe could supply agricultural machinery and Asia could transport the animals to the Mediterranean via rivers.

A researcher traveling in Britannia had a special experience. A large ship, which was to bring machines to Grassland, took him along on the journey. He was asked to help in the cook's kitchen, which was no problem for him and a pleasure for the crew, as he often had to cook during his training and also during his time as an explorer. After two weeks of travel, they arrived in Grünland. While the ship was being loaded and unloaded, he used the time to explore the region and make contacts. In the process, he learned that in the southern regions of the continent, which had long been covered in ash, the length of time and heavy rainfall had led to urbanization. Initially only through seeds brought in by birds and wind, but increasingly also through repopulation. Small settlements and areas have emerged where food is grown and there is a need for agricultural technology. He therefore used the information after his stay to develop new food resources for Britannia and Germania. These reports only made us more curious about our training and future missions.

10

Boat trip

After three weeks at the center, we learn from Antes that we will have nature and agriculture (N/L) on the curriculum for the next six months, in addition to languages, due to the expected weather forecasts for the coming year - it should be less stormy and wet in spring and summer. We will take advantage of this for outdoor education. This will be followed in autumn and winter by training in energy and technology, which we will probably already have contact with in the forest and in agriculture.

Antes divides us into two groups. Three brothers and two sisters will form a community for the next six months. I'm delighted that Mila will be part of my group. Georg will be our mentor who will accompany us. Josefa will look after the other group.

"Georg's group will first go to the forests and mountains south of the center, while Josefa's group will get to know the farming operations between the center and the agricultural areas along the Mulde River. This will last for around eight weeks. Afterwards, you will come back and talk about what you have experienced. You will stay at the center for two weeks, where you can have your clothing renewed, relax and meet friends. Then we change," Antes informs us. Before lunch, we receive more information about what we need for the excursions. We are given equipment such as lamps, a compass, a pocket knife and a rucksack. The next day, our group will travel by boat to just outside Slavia. A forest ranger will pick us up there. Josefa's group will get on a boat at the harbor and sail along the shore to the mouth of the Mulde into the northern sea and then be picked up by land vehicles.

It all sounds very exciting, and we chat amongst ourselves during the break, all excited and eager for the adventure that awaits us over the next few weeks.

After the rest break, Georg calls his group together: "As we will be boarding the ship at the landing stage in the city tomorrow morning, you need to pack your luggage today and request extra clothes from the clothing stores. Above all, you will need pants, thin outerwear, underwear, rain jackets and sturdy shoes. Also ask for hats, as they are always useful in the forest. Bed linen, towels and toiletries are available at the training location. If anything is missing later, we'll find a solution," he adds. After the short speech, he leaves us with the time of the meeting point. We should be ready with all our equipment at the landing stage after lunch. Our group says goodbye and sets off for the centers. We get our equipment in the clothing stores. "I wish you dry weather. We've already had groups come back from their first excursion muddy and with a cold," says the brother after handing out our gear. At the accommodation, I try to get all the items into my rucksack. In, out, in, out. It's not going to work. Noah comes into my accommodation. "Are you having trouble packing too? I'm going to put several things on top of each other tomorrow, otherwise I'll never get it into the rucksack," he tells me. After almost despairing, I decide to do the same. When everything that can't be put on is packed away, the rucksack weighs a considerable amount. And there are still things on my bed that I will put on tomorrow. I tie the second pair of shoes onto the rucksack and get ready for bed. It takes a long time for me to fall asleep and I wish that Eric, my brother from the dormitory, was there so that I could talk to him about my excitement. But he's also on a field trip as an educator. After a restless sleep, I am woken from my slumber by the alarm from the brothers' quarters. I wash, get dressed, put on my lunches and the rest of my clothes over my usual clothes, and then set off to see Noah.

"I can barely walk with the tower on my back. I think I'm going to fall over at any moment," he explains with a laugh, and we make our way to the landing stage. Shortly before we get there, we meet Melvin, who is just as packed as we are. The sisters surprise us with their solution. They have tied their rucksacks and other luggage to a scooter and are pushing it. "We could have come up with that idea. But we'd rather struggle with the rucksacks. You've done a clever job," I say to Mila. "After we couldn't get all our things into the rucksacks, Sofia had the idea. She got a scooter and I organized two more bags for us. That way we could stow everything away and didn't have to carry it," she explains, clearly delighted with my praise.

Georg arrives, almost as packed as we are, and greets us warmly.

"I see you've thought about how to transport the luggage. Fine. Now we're waiting for the boat that will sail from the North Sea via the Elbe, Vltava and Danube to the Hungarian Sea. From Hungar, ships will then sail across the inland sea to the Atlantic. There is a long, winding strait in the Carpathian Mountains that is difficult to navigate. Then, after 20 days of navigation from Elbland, you reach the great sea. From there you can reach the Mediterranean, Africa and East Asia. Cray is the largest port from which we also receive goods from the southern countries. But today we are only traveling for a few hours," he says, raising our hopes for distant regions and adventures.

A rail runs parallel to the river, along which you can travel from the sea to Prague in a suspended gondola; up to 20 people can fit in this gondola, which takes you to Prague in just two hours. It travels there and back three times a day. It can only be used for urgent matters, we learn from Georg.

As the three-storey high, elongated boat approaches, numerous people have gathered on the shore. Slavs according to the languages, some from the Mediterranean and African. Georg explains that we have reserved seats on the top floor. The luggage remains at the boarding level. We walk up the two floors and stand outside. Around 15 meters above the water level, we have an unusual view of our city. We find our seats at the edge, with a view down to the water and the shore. There are three rows of two seats for us. Melvin and Georg are at the front, then Mila and Sofia, Noah and I sit behind the sisters. With a short, very intense sound, the boat begins to pull away from the shore and heads towards the lock to leave the city. It slowly approaches the exit, and then suddenly we are in front of the bell. It's not the first time we've been outside, but so far we've always walked and not gone far. We've never been on a boat before. It's great. Spring has dominated the climate for some time now, and everything is growing and blooming and it smells like Spring. I've never experienced it like this before. "Are you as excited and enthusiastic as I am?" I ask Mila, who is sitting in front of me. She turns around and I see a happy face with tears in her eyes. "I'm so fascinated, it's beautiful," she beams at me. I'm slightly embarrassed and can't answer straight away. I confirm to her that this is also my impression and look at the nature that slowly and leisurely passes by.

"We'll arrive in three hours. The caretaker and forest ranger will be waiting there to take us to the base where we will be staying for the next few weeks. You'll be in for a surprise. I'm really looking forward to it," Georg interrupts my thoughts and smiles after his speech. The boat stops at a small place and a number of passengers get off and new ones get on again. On the shore, flat houses stand on stilts on the hillside. In front of them are various vehicles that are probably used for farming. Georg confirms this after my question. Potatoes and other crops such as turnips and vegetables are grown nearby. There are also fruit trees and berry bushes along the valley. The valley protects the crops and trees from storms and thunderstorms. The wind picks up as we continue our journey. Mila's hair keeps blowing in my face. It's not unpleasant, so I ask her if I can touch her hair. A little confused, she asks why. "I only know short hair. We first saw long hair on the sisters. I think it's beautiful and I want to know how it feels," I reply. "Yes, you can touch it, but don't pull it, it hurts," she allows me to do so. Until now, only individual strands had blown in my direction, but now she has laid her entire long hair over the back of the seat. I take her in my hands and run my fingers along her hair. It feels soft and smooth and smells of something aromatic that I can't put my finger on. I let the hair slide through my fingers, taking care not to pull too roughly.