A Blast from the Past

As Dan sat across from Andrew, the reality of their shared history began to crystallize. Andrew, a classmate from Kharkiv, represented a fragment of Dan's life that he had left behind amidst the chaos of war. Their last memories together were set against the backdrop of their school, during a time overshadowed by the full-scale invasion that had upended their lives.

Dan's own journey had taken him far from those tumultuous days. In 2022, his family had made the arduous decision to flee the conflict, seeking refuge in the relative calm of Budapest. There, he had embarked on a new chapter, immersing himself in university studies and gradually building a new life.

The dynamics of his relationship with Andrew had been more academic than personal. They weren't close friends; their interactions mostly revolved around Andrew seeking assistance with homework. To Dan, it had been a simple matter of lending a hand to a classmate, nothing more. Yet, as they reconnected in this unexpected setting, it became apparent that Andrew held a different perspective on their past.

Andrew's demeanor suggested a sense of familiarity and camaraderie that Dan didn't fully reciprocate. It was a curious situation: two individuals, once mere acquaintances in the hallways of a school in Kharkiv, now sat discussing AI technology and the future of a church in a faraway land. The war had dispersed them like seeds in the wind, only to reunite them under circumstances neither could have imagined.

As they delved into the technicalities of the AI project, Dan couldn't help but ponder the strangeness of fate. How had Andrew, once just another face in the classroom, emerged as a key figure in the AI Church's plans? And what did this unexpected reunion mean for Dan, both professionally and personally?