Connect the Missing Link

Kaze quietly walked into his apartment and poured himself into his couch. As he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt, he thought about his grandmother, Hannah. He replayed his speech from her eulogy just hours earlier. He hoped he had eloquently expressed who she was and honored her memory with his words.

Hannah was more of a mother to him than his own parents throughout his life. He never had a meaningful relationship with either his mother or father. He blamed technology for this, as did Hannah. She was never a fan of synthetic realities, much less the Neurolink technology which had become almost mandatory for people to function in current society.

The Neurolink, developed in 2021 and made public in 2031, enhanced the human brain in many ways, among these were enhanced mental and physical abilities, including the ability to speak telepathically. It allowed people to evolve past certain issues which had plagued society for centuries: Food was no longer scarce as new farming techniques were developed, people spent more time focusing on creating and developing technologies versus petty disputes and disagreements. This technology, like most, also presented challenges and unforeseen consequences. People with the link stopped speaking and their throat muscles began to atrophy. They also became more divided in terms of those who had the link installed and those who either didn’t have it or chose not to have it. They would enter into relationships or leave them based on whether or not a person had the link. Kaze chose not to have it installed. His grandmother was a major influence on his decision.

In order to get the link, you must be 21 years of age or older. If you were under 21, you needed a parent or guardian to authorize its installation. The same thing began to happen with children. They tended to gravitate to others who shared their experience of either having the link or not having it. This division became even wider during the coming decades. People began to only see and acknowledge those who shared their reality. You were either Neuro or Natural, interacting with your own, and those who weren’t like you essentially became like ghosts.

As Kaze sat on his couch contemplating life, death, and the future. He was struck by how much Hannah had impacted his life. Because of her, he had a strong connection with who he was and had the ability to speak his truth openly and freely. As part of his education from Hannah, he learned to love and appreciate music from the distant past. Especially the vocals, which were now a thing of the past too, since people didn’t sing or produce music with vocals anymore. Why sing when most people don’t even want to talk anymore? The effects of the Neurolink implants spanded industries across the planet.

Now, in 2101, the world is even more divided and isolated than it was in 2021, the year Hannah was born. Kaze felt truly alone and misunderstood. His last friend had received their implants the day before Hannah’s passing.

He went up to his room. He opened his desk and pulled out the package, which he was given the day before, by his grandmother’s executor. He opened it and recognized it was her journal. As he opened it, the scent of the pages reminded him of her room where she kept all of her memories from the past. As he read, tears began to cascade down his cheeks...

JOURNAL ENTRY:

October 22, 2042

You would think turning 21 would be something to celebrate. I’m finally a legal adult. So what the Hell? I feel so much anxiety about all of the expectations and opportunities around me. Some of my friends are so excited for this age because they can finally get Link surgery. I’ll avoid that nightmare. Thanks!

October 24, 2042

Why do people abandon each other so easily? I get it if someone is really toxic or holding you back, but just because of technology? What about all of the memories and moments we have shared together? I understand people can grow apart. Gionn was my first love and someone I grew to know, understand, and trust. We could really see each other and accept who we were. We wanted to experience and create a beautiful life together. Now it’s all gone. In one moment, with one selfish decision. Gionn you stupid bastard! You would rather have a device put in your brain than spend a lifetime with the person you love. Does anyone really love anyone? What they love is feeling special and important. They think the Link makes this happen. That’s false. It’s artificial and won’t last. Life is about creating organic experiences with real people. Devices and simulations can’t replace this. I care how enhanced you think you are. I hate what society is becoming. It’s sickening. The Mayans were right! We just screwed up the order of the numbers. The world ended in 2021, not 2012, when the goddamn Link was invented!

October 31, 2042

The day we pretend to be someone or something else. We put on our masks and hide behind facades. Sounds like just another day to me. What is real and who are we really? We’re getting further and further away from who we are. People value science and technology above human connection. They would rather have an electronic connection than a human one. What are we doing?

December 31, 2042

This has been a difficult year. I looked forward to turning 21 as the beginning of true adulthood and all that life has to now offer. Instead, I’m saddened by the lack of humanity in our world. Relationships feel so transactional and people continue to work for themselves, not supporting each other. I’m anxious about the future and what it holds. I started this journal as a way to preserve my experiences and externalize my thoughts. I figured writing them down on actual paper versus entering them into a device would keep them secret and more personal. Now, I wonder if it even matters. I’m setting this aside to focus on finding and creating meaningful relationships. I’m hopeful I can and the world will come back around to see the value in two people actually speaking, sharing their hearts through their actual voices and not the voices in their heads.

September 26, 2081

I can’t believe I found my journal after all these years!!!! I only wrote in it a handful of times, which is hilarious. What can I say after all this time? I’m truly grateful. In the face of so many triumphs and tragedies, moments of peace and horrific times of war, I found love and created a beautiful family! In 60 years, my belief in the value of human connection has never changed. It’s one of the most important things we do and build throughout our lives. It’s one of the main reasons we exist. We were born to connect with and support each other. This is what makes life so sweet and amazing. Just when I thought life couldn’t get better, my daughter Noel told me today she’s having a baby! I can’t wait to meet you little Kaze!

May 6, 2082

Today, I saw you come into this world little Kaze! I want you to read this one day, when you’re older. I want you to know I will do everything I can to be there for you as you grow. I will teach you the value of connection and the importance of speaking, singing, and expressing yourself through your voice. Our voices are beautiful and powerful. We have the ability to choose how we use them, whether to create or destroy. They help us express who we are and our emotions. Each one is unique and different, and I can’t wait to hear yours!

January 1, 2101

My body isn’t working how it used to and the pain I feel when I move seems to increase each day. I know my time here is limited and this is why I decided to write this in my journal. I want to share how much I have loved my life and I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had. My memory isn’t as good. I can’t believe I stumbled upon this journal again! Some day, I’ll be better at writing in it more consistently. My beautiful wife passed on only about a year ago. Tiana, you were everything I could have ever hoped for in a companion. I know I will see you again! Kaze, you have meant so much to me and, just like Tiana, have brought so much joy and laughter into my life. I remember reading to you as a baby, talking about life, and our late night discussions about how we can save humanity. I also remember your sweet voice and when you would sing how it made me feel like there was still goodness, hope, and light in this world! When we would sing together, it felt like we were flying through the air. Singing and music are powerful ways to bring people together. They transcend life and a song can live on within you forever! This is why I have left something priceless for you inside the spine of this journal. When you see it, always remember what’s possible when we connect through our voices. I love you! - Hannah

Kaze stopped suddenly. He couldn’t breathe. He took the journal and shook it. He could hear something rattling inside the journal’s spine. As he ran his fingers down it, he felt an opening and reached inside. He pulled out a heart-shaped locket. It was beautiful and covered in jewels. Kaze popped it open and a little key fell out into his hand. He recognized this key. He remembered his grandmother using it to unlock a small closet in the basement of her apartment, which was now his apartment! He raced downstairs to use it. As he opened the closet, he noticed another door inside of it.

He pushed on the door and smelled a familiar smell, just like the one that came from the journal. He felt his grandmother’s presence as he reached for the light. When he turned on the light, his heart felt as though it stopped. He was silent and his eyes grew wider as they scanned this hidden room.

It was a recording studio filled with vinyl albums, CD’s, and cassettes dating back from the middle of the 21st century! Nearly every band from the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond were right at his fingertips. He had devices to play them and ways to record his own music. His heart pounded as he looked down at the mixing console. There was a picture of Hannah with a message to Kaze:

When life takes your breath away...Sing!