Sakuran Tears

Chapter 2

"Very few events have altered all avenues of society as the appearance of the sirens and subsequent wars following their arrival in 1962, a mere two years after the creation of the first Kansen. Amongst the global supply chain disruption, trade faltering, and birth rates plummeting, religious fanatics were proclaiming the end of times, resulting in siren cults and other extreme religious organizations.

But as conflict births disaster, disaster brings calamity, and calamity brings desperation, and desperation against a common enemy, pitted the world against the sirens. What followed many considered to be the final industrial revolution. The energy cube, a source of limitless renewable energy, quickly spread throughout all echelons of society and its subsequent sectors of life. With countries suddenly having the capability to supply large military organizations; most companies now did not have a choice: they needed to be much more lenient toward lack of experience and requirements. The byproduct almost made the concept of unemployment and vagrancy nonexistent—people, regardless of nationality, color, or social status, bonded on an unprecedented scale and level. Humanity was finally learning to get along.

However, with every benefit eventually comes problems and intricacies of its own. We have the power of the almighty at our fingertips. We were so hyper-fixated on a solution that we cast aside its possible bi-products as manageable. What happens if the one enemy uniting us is defeated? How long before our new weapons rattled like sabers with the Sirens gone? How long until we are once again against each other? We have constantly proven ourselves incapable of wielding new powers responsibly. Atomic power is one such example. No one knew what to expect — we pressed the button and hoped for the best. Deep down, I think we believe that these problems are nonexistent.

And now, these sins of ours plague the next generation. They now, more than ever, along with Kansen, decide our future on planet Earth."

-Jack Andrew, "The siren war from a civilians perspective-

The past dictates our present and future selves. Nagasaki wondered about those with no privy to their history. What does fate dictate? Actions that often have no base therein offer no consequence. But does that matter? Say a man has amnesia like him and has committed heinous acts before his diagnosis. Would he still hold sole responsibility for his misconduct? Or be pardoned?

Nagasaki had no recollection of his past besides his nationality and tongue. What did he do in his past life? He did not remember his goals, aspirations, idiosyncrasies, or even his name. His father and mother, if not already dead, had moved on. Would this revelation break them apart or split them? His mind could not help but dwindle on a stolen book he still kept with him.

"Ignorance, when voluntary, is criminal, and a man may be properly charged with the evil he neglected or refused to prevent."

He was Samuel Johnson, a man born in the British Isles. And a role model to the young boy.

The fact remains: Would a man be kind to his ignorance or just the same prison under layers of context? Nagasaki had given up on all kindness, say for a few people. His ignorance, even if it was a crime, was born out of calamity; which often caused the byproduct of crime.

But that did not matter.

If how he arrived in this prison was due to his ignorance. Whether not listening to his guardians or simply falling through the cracks of organized crime in a wave of desperation and paranoia. In the end, this was his fault; there is no sugarcoating that fact. His brother was here because of him, tortured because of him. Any scar, physical or mental, was due to his actions.