The Heart Shaped Locket

As Emily jogged through the streets of New Tokyo, she felt the cold metal bounce on her chest. She reached up and touched it, to reassure herself it was still there.

The scenery was much different now then it used to be. Twelve years ago who would of thought that New York would become New Tokyo and everyone would be living in a perfect world with no wars, no poverty, and life expectancy was now 200.

Since " The Time Of Destined Unification,” nothing was as it were or should be. Emily had lost everything and only gained a destined purpose of hate filled revenge! The only thing that tied her to her past or her mother was that heart shaped locket around her neck. She never took it off.

As Emily held the locket in her hand she was reminded of past memories and smiled, "One day, mom, one day, I promise you." She said softly to herself.

If only her father would of made different choices, if only he had listened to those who warned him, if only! Her father once the President of the United States, now a mere servant of TENNO-TSUKI.

Her father was allowed to maintain overseeing the western territories (once USA, Canada, and Mexico), if he submitted to the Empire. Japan, was now the center of the world and Tenno-Tsuki, its emperor.

Her father thought by submitting he would save millions including his family, which he did but lost them, and didn't even know or remember them now.

Emily would never forgive him for what he did, to her he was nothing more than a coward and she despised him. There was one however she despised more, her stepfather; Tenno-Tsuki! She blamed him for destroying her family and the world and vowed one day to get him back.

After TODU,(Time Of Destined unification), Emily who was 13 at the time had been devastated and was inconsolable, so her mother and stepfather put her in therapy, she spent 2 years there.

She spent those two years planning, she worked it all out and the first thing was to act as if she had been, “unified” and become her stepfathers biggest ally.

Emily, like everyone else in the New World had a chip implanted in their brains, which erased memories and brain washed or "cleansed " them of the old ways and taught them the new ways, including Japanese which was now the language of the world.

Emily, however had a defective chip. But in order to keep her cover she learned and pretended. No one was the wiser. In fact she had to pretend the Emperor was her father, and never let on she remembered anything other than that. Her mother was also brainwashed. She married the Emperor, and bore him a son that was heir to the throne, he was celebrating his tenth unification celebration this evening, which all of the overseers were coming to, including her real father.

She finished her jog and returned back to her car, which since Japan implemented their technology, flew. So much actually had improved under the Empire, but no one had choices or free will anymore. There was no crime, no murder, everyone was given a job, and their purpose.

There were no more birthdays, instead they were unification celebrations , which every year on their unification day, (implant day); the citizens went to get a special gift from the Parliament and had a free medical evaluation. This evaluation included replacement of their chips and verification they were still "unified.” Emily was due soon for an update on her chip so she needed to enact her plan tonight.

Each child that was born after the TODU, never knew anything before so they were never chipped. They still however went to the Parliament once a year and received an age appropriate gift. For example, 10 was a steam powered bicycle, 16 a hover car, 21 was keys to your new home, and at 25 you were married to whomever the Empire deemed.

Emily was approaching her 25th birthday and dreaded it. Emily returned home to the palace and was greeted by her beautiful mother. She was truly something, one time Miss Universe, and model she walked with such grace.

Emily remembered when she was little how much she wanted to follow in her mother's foot steps, and how much her parents loved each other, and was saddened by that love being suppressed.

Emily waved at her mother, and then her brother ran out to meet her yelling with excitement about his party. Emily laughed and ran to grab him. She truly loved her little brother, even though she hated his father. “Emily, please go shower and then your father would like to see you in his office.” Her mother said as she motioned for her to go upstairs.

“Yes, mother right away.” Emily raced her brother up the stairs and then heard her mother call for him to return to her.

As Emily walked into her room she saw that her mother had laid out two sets of clothes for her on her bed. One for her meeting with Tenno-Tsuki, the other for the unification celebration. She hurriedly showered and dressed to meet with her stepfather. Two huge sumo sized body guards stood outside of Tenno-Tsuki’s office. As she approached they smiled and opened the doors for her.

“Emily my precious cherry blossom, come sit with me.” He said as he put down his pen and gave her his full attention.

She sat down across from him, and smiled. “You wanted to see me, father?” She asked.

He began telling her of her duties at the party tonight and how proud he was of her. Then he told her something unexpected, so unexpected it shocked her to the core.

“Emily, my precious first born, on your 25th unification celebration, I will crown you Emperor, I am getting too old and you will take over for me.”

She always thought her brother would take his place. She bowed and thanked him. He informed her that he would be announcing it tonight at the party.

Her stepfather told her to run along and get ready for the celebration. As she left his office she beamed with happiness, “Now I will have to power to set things right and liberate everyone, and punish those who hurt my family.” She said to herself.

After all the guests arrived, and the celebration was over, the guests were escorted into the conference room. The emperor was announced. He had her mother and Brother by his side. Then he called for Emily to come up to them. After he announced his successor, everyone applauded. Emily looked out into the crowd for her real father but he was not there. She was a bit relieved and concerned at the same time, “Where was he”, she thought. But, soon her focus was back on her plan.

After Emily’s coronation, she began planning her full restoration, she was in the process of hiring scientists to fix the chips when her heart shaped locket fell to the floor, startling her. It broke open, and Emily bent down to pick it up. “It opens?” She thought. Emily saw two pictures inside the locket, one of her mother and stepfather and the other of them holding her as a baby. She was puzzled by this.

“Emily we need to talk.” Her mother walked into her office unannounced. Emily still holding the locket turned to her mother, her mother took the locket and looked at the pictures. She explained that she knew all along that Emily’s chip never worked, because she never had one put in. Emily was shocked, but allowed her mother to continue. Her mother informed her that the true reality was what she was living and the false one was the one she remembered. They wanted her to become strong and fierce with an emotional purpose to take over the empire. So when she was in therapy they reversed her memories and implemented a false story, that’s why her real father as she thought was not there at the party, because he didn’t exist.

Her mother informed her that no one had chips and that there was a secret uprising that she would need to eliminate now. She had proven herself worthy and strong. Emily, shocked from all she heard fainted.

Emily awoke in her bedroom, the scent of flowers filled the room. “Emily, you have awoke.” Her mother said and walked over to her. “Mother, I had the most awful dream, please tell me who my parents are and where I am.” She said grabbing her mothers hand.

“Emily you are daughter of Emperor Tenno-Tsuki and crowned Empress of New Japan, you are recovering from a minor cold, and we’re planning an invasion of The underground society, who are planning to destroy New Tokyo.” Her mother stated. Emily remembered and called for her head of military. Then Emily explained her dream to her mother, asking if it were true. Her mother smiled and told her that was some dream, but none of it was real. Emily, still not convinced reached up to grab her locket, it wasn’t there. She asked her mother where her heart shaped locket was and if she had fixed it.

Her mother grabbed the locket around her neck and said, “My dear you mean this locket that I wear constantly?”

“It must have been just a dream, then.” Emily stated.

As the New Japan General entered the room, her mother went to escort him in. She whispered to him; “She thinks it was all a dream, make sure she continues to believe it or we all will be doomed.”

The General also whispering assured her he would and that nothing would interfere with their plan, to end free will once and for all, and that her real father was safely locked up where he could not be seen, but no harm would come to him, as requested.

He informed her he had gotten rid of everything that she had linking her to the truth, including the plans to deactivate the chips, and the hidden cameras were still in place to watch her every move. Emily’s mother smiled, “Good, General, I will make sure my husband rewards you for your loyalty.” And she left the room.

As Emily lay in her bed, she watched the exchange between her mother and general, she knew she was being lied to. But, then again was it all just a dream? I guess only the Heart Shaped Locket knew the truth.