How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 007

Vodka Martini, Shaken, Not Stirred

***

With this, Binter and Arnold regained their peace. One could tell just by looking at their beaming faces upon hearing that the request was completed.

After leaving the hospital, Shin returned home and collapsed onto the sofa.

Then he pulled out a smart device from his pocket. Although he didn't have an implanted device, it didn't mean he was disconnected from modern civilization. There were plenty of tools to replace it.

Countless pieces of information flashed across the hologram that appeared. Popular posts in the community were updated every minute, and breaking news was selected differently every second.

It was enough to make not just his eyes, but even his ears tingle.

The Dome seemed to be bustling as usual today.

Among them, a phrase caught Shin's eye.

['New Delvier' Announces Merger with 'Saita']

"New Delvier."

Among the megacorps located in Dome No.3, it was on the smaller side, but it could be called an emerging powerhouse. Their main fields were military supplies and defense industry.

Fittingly, it was known for its ruthless management.

Frequent layoffs were common, and they didn't hesitate to withhold wages. It seemed outrageous in an era of universal basic income, but people still didn't quit. Working for a megacorp could be a form of power in itself.

A pitiful and pathetic story.

After floundering in the sea of information for a while longer, Shin turned off the smart device when there was nothing more to see and looked at the fireplace.

It wasn't actually installed.

It was just a perfectly rendered hologram deceiving his vision.

Above the irregularly crackling flames hung a calendar.

At the pawn shop, Shade was treated like a ghost unable to let go of newspapers, but Shin was also a devotee of the analog.

It couldn't be helped.

People tend to seek what's familiar.

[July 15, 2321]

"It's been 19 years now."

Swallowing the words that had unconsciously slipped out, Shin looked in the mirror. His publicly known age was 39.

It had been 19 years since he left Dome No.1 and settled in Dome No.3.

As he had always done, he introduced himself as 20 years old. No one expressed any doubts at the time. Because he really looked that way.

But the passage of time had distorted even that perception. He hadn't changed at all compared to those days. It was an appearance that wouldn't be strange to start feeling uncanny about.

As civilization advanced, technology related to preventing aging had also developed, but that was a realm permitted only to the wealthy. The cost of maintenance alone was in the hundreds of millions or billions.

It was an extravagance too great for a fixer without a proper identity to indulge in. Weren't wealth and power always proportional? Someone would raise questions one way or another.

'It's about time.'

20 years.

It was the deadline Shin had set. If he stayed any longer, he would inevitably be discovered, whether he liked it or not.

'Should I go to No.2?'

China, Saudi Arabia, Germany, India, the United States, and South Africa.

This was the order in which the construction of the Domes had been completed. Of course, these countries didn't represent the Domes. The boundaries of nations and ethnicities had already disappeared during World War III.

What truly mattered was the identification number engraved at that time.

China was No.1, and South Africa was No.6.

The current No.3 Dome where Shin was located was formerly Germany, so getting to the No.2 Dome, which was once Saudi Arabia, would be quite an arduous journey. Unlike others, Shin, without an identity, had many obstacles in his way.

Moreover, for him, failure wasn't failure. Even if he froze while crossing, he wouldn't die on the spot.

Not dying and not aging was certainly a blessing, but in a sense, it was also a curse.

In the worst case, he might have to spend eons of time with his eyes wide open.

Having experienced it once before, he couldn't help but be more cautious.

"Sigh."

It was impossible not to sigh.

The nomadic life was starting to get tiresome. Just when he was getting used to a place, he had to pack up and leave. It was the same with Dome No.3. It was more than a little uncomfortable to leave behind various connections, including Arnold and Shade.

But still, it was time to wake up from the dream.

Crack.

With the sound of the flame leaping up once again, Shin rose from his seat.

As the thought that the end was near crossed his mind, he suddenly felt like seeing his friend's face after a long time.

*

Dome No.3 was both a massive city and a country. To accommodate a population approaching 100 million, it had to be superior in every aspect. The same applied to the area of the site.

However, despite crossing an area equivalent to a metropolitan city, the travel time was only a few minutes.

This was a change that came about when a single mode of transportation was applied.

A high-speed train passing through a vacuum tube, the Hyperloop.

This facility, which maintained air resistance and ground friction as close to zero as possible, traversed the vast underground at speeds approaching Mach.

A technological marvel that even outpaced sound.

One could reach from one end of the Dome to the other before a cup of tea cooled.

As Shin exited the station, he could see the drizzling rain.

A beat later, something seemed to flash, and lightning struck in the distance. But there was nothing to be surprised about. It was all calculated holograms.

The hemispherical roof covering the entire Dome was another sky created by mankind.

It was certainly capable of simulating all four seasons.

Since it was July, the start of the rainy season, it was only natural for dark clouds to roll in.

The only difference from the original natural environment was that this event was implemented at a scheduled time and ended at a predetermined time.

That's why he didn't even bother to bring an umbrella.

Knowing it would stop in a minute.

Sure enough, the downpour that had been falling like a waterfall soon subsided.

Heading out to the street, he walked along the road designed not to allow even a single puddle to form.

Even though day had passed and night had fallen, the bustling area was still full of energy. It was truly a sleepless city. Unconsciously affected by the atmosphere, Shin's steps became light and brisk.

As the clamorous noise died down, the lights that seemed eternal also faded away. In the dim alleyway, he spotted a bar that was open for business.

As he opened the door and entered, the hall manager, Aria, approached.

"Hello, Mr. Shin. The master has returned today."

"Is that so?"

It was a fact he was already well aware of. That's partly why he had deliberately timed his visit. At the thought of seeing a face he hadn't seen in two weeks, he felt unexpectedly glad.

Following Aria to the bar counter, a familiar face was waiting.

Grizzled hair and skin full of wrinkles. Yet, a physique so robust that he didn't look like an old man.

Everything pointed to one person.

Thomas Russell.

The elderly man who was both the bartender and owner of this place, 'Attitude'.

"Is that you? Come on in."

Shin, seated opposite, nodded.

"What will you have today?"

"Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred."

"I always hear that, but is there any meaning to that request?"

Thomas asked, tilting his head as he picked up a shaker instead of a spoon. Though he had become a bartender only after entering his twilight years, his experience wasn't shallow. It had been a good 20 years now. But Shin's words always had a touch of ambiguity.

"Not knowing this famous line, you're still young, Master."

"That story again? I'm at an age where my back should be bending now."

"In front of me?"

"Well, that's true."

They were two people completely at ease with each other. A relationship that had transcended age for a long time made such conversations possible.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Thomas was the only one who knew Shin's secret at this point.

Perhaps that's why.

In front of Thomas, Shin's tongue became noticeably lighter.

"I'm thinking of leaving. Of course, it'll take a few weeks to wrap things up."

"Is that so?"

Thomas replied softly, looking at the half-empty vodka martini. He had vaguely sensed such an inclination. He just didn't expect the confession to come so quickly.

"Where will you go?"

"Well, I'm thinking of going to Dome No.2 for now."

"If that's the case, why not consider going to Mars instead?"

"Mars?"

Shin inadvertently let out a gasp at the unexpected suggestion. Come to think of it, he had only wandered the continents, never seeking a third destination. But once the idea was brought up, it seemed like there was no place better suited for a fresh start.

Mars.

Until the Third World War broke out, it had been an unknown realm. Known to exist, acknowledged, but never accessible.

But now it was just a subject of exploration. Mars could belong to no one and everyone at the same time.

It was nothing short of a utopia where fortunes rolled about. Even at this moment, numerous groups and organizations were flying towards Mars. There, identity or origin was meaningless. It was optimal for blending in.

One might want to say it was all due to humanity's dazzling progress—but in truth, the change in Mars' environment was thanks to the help of the Seconds.

Originally, the place they wanted to change was Earth.

The frozen land seemed quite uncomfortable even to them, so they readily expressed their willingness to help.

But humanity was already in the process of conquering the ice age.

They knew that all the calamities had started when Yellowstone erupted, but it was a nightmare that would eventually end.

The purification work was on track, achieving encouraging results near the equator. Even though the temperature was still above -30 degrees Celsius, it was incomparable progress from the days when it was -50 degrees.

So the leaders of each dome threw out a proposal that seemed insane at the time: that terraforming Mars might be more rational.

It was a kind of signal, a blank check aimed at probing the other party's limits to gain even a little more benefit, but surprisingly, the Seconds showered humanity with infinite affection.

By capturing an atmosphere for the red planet.

There were many trials and errors afterwards, but by now it was just a memory of the past. It had become so integrated into daily life that there were even tourism products.

"The world has really improved. In the past, only a select few could go to Mars."

"Come to think of it, didn't you say you went on a family trip to Mars? It must have been expensive. Even though it's open, it's not a place you can go to with just a few pennies."

"Didn't I tell you? My son got a job as a personal physician to a wealthy person. He even received a private clinic."

"He's done well for himself."

He was a child Shin had only seen a few times when he was young, with no particular connection. It was surprising to hear he had grown up so much already.

It was then that Thomas's hand, which had been wiping a glass, stopped.

"On one hand, I'm proud, but on the other, I worry about how long I can live. I'd like to at least see my grandson grow up before I die."

Although life expectancy had increased to 150 years, the world had become that much more desolate. Just as life-extending technologies were abundant, so were the conditions for death.

Moreover, Thomas wasn't the same as before.

He had already reached his eighties.

Suddenly, Thomas turned his head and asked,

"Speaking of which, what does it feel like to neither die nor age?"