Plop! A spoonful of slop filled the last empty groove on his plate. Some beans, vegetable stew, and undercooked rice, majorly unappetising. Picking up his plate, he headed straight for his usual spot, left corner. Two men sat on the rusty bench in blue uniform as the bench creaked in defiance.

"Val, heard the word?" Brodie's gravelly voice silenced the creaking bench as Valerius settled opposite them.

"What word?" replied Valerius. The slop pooled within his left cheek, and an almost primal urge to gag surfaced within him. Suppressing the urge, he swallowed it.

"The cause of the quake... it's a cube.. that's like enormous."

The cube was 1.7 kilometers in breadth, width, and height. Sleek black, smooth, spotless, and in perfect condition. Digging through thousands of kilometers of Earth hadn't even left a scratch the size of a fingernail. There was no doubt, it was Kyrvite tech. Not even the old world could have produced something this advanced. He knew the word hadn't spread far enough. Not yet at least.

"Source? Sounds bogus to me..."

"I knew he'd say that. Warren's got pics, Val. For 10 cigs on the cred.. heh" said Finch. His lips upturned betraying his inner thoughts.

The trade was undeniably tempting to Valerius. It'd be wise to lay low until the PCF resolves the situation on the surface. Was it worth the risk?

"No." This risk seems minimal at first. But he knew how better than to pry in PCF territory. Finch's clicked his tongue at his response.

"Also, PHC is recapturing..."

"I know"

"Val, what about mining duty?"

He'd done the research. Batch 81 had 1450 inmates, death row excluded. 2 years later, 91 died. That's a 5% mortality rate for 2 years. Not only that, the 6 batches prior had similar mortality rates. He'd be out in 2 years, so this meant nothing to him. But Brodie was sentenced to 42, and Finch was 24. That's 0.95 to the 21 and 12. 50% and 30% possibilities of death respectively. But that was a pipedream. Nobody lasted over 10 years in the mines. If you found records of the day the dead men were drafted, it'd likely indicate that they'd been working for ten years or more.

"The PHC will release. Believe it."

Dead men walking. That's what they were. They'd be worked to death with not a second to spare until they died and they didn't even know it yet. The PHC would release? Not in a million years. But a man was allowed to dream. He sighed. Moments of bliss always lead one's eyes away from the world's true nature. Never let the world's cruelty enter your blind spot.

"TIME'S UP! LINE UP AT THE GATES NOW! YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES! MOVE!"

It was time to wind up. The men soon formed lines, and they were escorted to the cell block. Minutes later, Valerius was back at his assigned cell, number 64. It lay at the dead end on the highest level. And before Valerius was a surprisingly hygienic room. A clean sink, a bunk bed, and a separate bathroom. A table and chair on the right corner with some books on it. Extravagance for a prisoner indeed.

Valerius grabbed a book from under his pillow on the top bunk. It had a black leather cover, parts of it peeling off like a old leather recliners did. He flipped through the pages until he found the last written entry. It was dated 4910 of the Post-Cataclysmic Era (PoCE). That was when he was 10 years old. The year his father died. On it were 230 numbers written over several pages. Only 2 were scratched out, not in order though. Valerius grabbed his pen and scratched out 3 more. Silka found a safe entry point into unmapped DZs to the North of Ranovich. That eliminates 3 of these coordinates.

"What's that? When did you get it?". It was Brodie's voice breaking the silence. His cellmate.

"I got approval from GC. Picked it up today morning."

"What is it though.."

He didn't answer. He tore those four pages off the book. He began memorizing them all. There were less than 48 hours till this vault would get run down. And he couldn't lose these numbers in the chaos. He climbed onto the top bunk and lay as he began memorising them in silence.

Val! I have a theory, or two... about the die.." said Brodie from the lower bunk

"Shoot," said Valerius, curiosity piqued.

"I'm thinking of two possibilities... Maybe it was an accident. With the aether running rampant underneath, Kyrvite tech has been degrading for 5000 years now. The planet is breaking apart. A piece or two just made its way above."

This did sound like the most likely reason. No, it was the most obvious conclusion to arrive at. This wasn't the first instance of Kyrvite tech failure. The spatial barriers have broken apart leading to the formation of Null Zones. That's one example of failure. The gravitational anomalies are another. It's clear that even the Kyrvites were unable to contain aether properly. They failed and this was the result. The planet will die in a hundred thousand years at most.

"And the other?"

"Second.. what if this is phase 2 of their grand plan...? So far their machinations have been dormant. Everything they did, they did so from the background. This time, maybe it's different. There's some active involvement here..."

Interesting. The evidence to support this was almost nil. But Valerius had a strange feeling that this could be real. The world of Nornerai has been extremely active for the past 500 years. What if this wasn't the first occurrence? Something started 500 years ago triggering this boost. They seemed to be growing rapidly. The cube was a signal. Of what? only time will tell.

"That's an interesting theory"

As he sat ruminating in the silence, he thought he'd die without knowing. They were all cogs in their machine. The Kyrvites were playing God but something went wrong. But maybe.. he'd live to see the end of it all.. just maybe...

"Val! Are we gonna die?"

Valerius could feel his worry. Most of these men were going to die. They would be worked quite literally to death. He didn't know enough.

"I don't know"

He got back to work as he lay in bed in the silence. Hours passed before an alarm sounded breaking his focus.

"Cell 64! Prisoner 342! Mr. Valerius Grimlock! Report to the guard room NOW! Your cell doors will open in 5 seconds!"

For him? His jittery fingers quickly tore the 6 pages of numbers at once. He stuffed the folded mess into his trousers. Dilly-dallying wouldn't end well. He quickly made his way to the ground-level guard room. A guard emerged and cuffed him.

"The Guard Captain requested you. No questions. Just follow me"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The guard in green camo led him through several corridors until they reached a set of double doors with a sign board that read 'Guard Captain: Thorne Kellis', in blue capitals. Why the Guard Captain at this hour? He was soon brought into the room. Two men were present.

"Lord!" Valerius had kneeled and exclaimed without hesitation. There was no doubt. The man to the right, beside the guard captain, in casual attire was a Nornerai warrior. At first glance, one might notice nothing abnormal. But looking closely, behind his collar, on the skin of his neck, he bore a tattoo with seven eyes. Blood red and gold pupiled, all of them extended outward radially from the center, blinking in unison at regular intervals. A PHC representative. This was a post-human in the flesh.

If he so wanted, he could kill Valerius openly or discreetly. Not only would it be impossible to stop him, there would also be no way to legally hold him accountable. They were free from the law.

"Valerius, Lord Nicholas Warren has requested your presence" The GC left the scene with no other words.

Footsteps broke the silence; The Officer had taken a seat on the Captain's chair. He gestured for Valerius to have a seat opposite him, and he did exactly that.

"Grey eyes I see.. Inherited?"

"No" This was a rhetorical question. What was he pulling? There was no way he hadn't already investigated his profile.

"Alright... I won't pry further into family matters..."

"Have a look.." He said as he through an unsealed envelope onto the table. Only now did Valerius have a closer look at the man. The light shone under his hood revealing the wrinkles on his skin, sharp eyebrows displaying keen observation. Lowering his head, he observed the envelope; within was a stack of pictures.

He sifted through the stack, his shock turned into confusion. Why would they show this to him? Within were some images of the cube currently on the surface. Light drones were strategically positioned, hundreds of them, in combination with beacons to illuminate all those kilometers of area. The cube was exactly as the rumors said; the shot was taken from hundreds of meters away, its surface smooth and black, inlaid with golden lines barely perceptible. It was surrounded by debris, of the walls of Layer 1, stretching several miles in all directions. Acres of land had been destroyed but the area was clearly secured already.

"1.7 kilometers per side. Made from something far tougher than a diamond... "

Yes. She was insinuating that it was Kyrvite tech and it was true beyond any reasonable doubt.

"I have an offer for you"

"What?"

"Recorded Maximum Tolerated Aether Density level of 3212 aether particles per"

NO! His eyebrows raised and his body shivered. His heart clenched. He felt the blood rushing to his head. He instantly started thinking of escape. How the fuck did they know? Before he could think further, a formless pressure enveloped his body. He couldn't move. A telekinetic. There's a reason you never expose your tolerance level. An exposed high tolerance level almost guaranteed that you'd suffer an ill fate on a Nornerai experiment table. Aether toxication was universally accepted as the worst way to die. And nobody wants that fate.

"First relax!"

How could he relax while being immobilized by a superhuman with telekinetic abilities?

"I know what you're thinking... We've investigated the cube. This isn't some random experiment. That's Kyrvite tech. It's the source. It initiates a controlled evolution. Current success rates have multiplied 100-fold. Several Nornerai have been born in the last 24 hours... As you might guess, the tolerance level and success rates are correlated"

Wait. He gradually decreased his resistance. All mining draftees are probably tested for AT without their consent. That data is probably immensely valuable. The moment he was drafted, his fate was sealed. But this changes everything.

"What was the lowest tolerance level among the successful candidates"

"That's a good question. It was around a 300 I believe"

"And what's in it for me? Why do you think I'd take such a risk?"

"Your sentence will be waived"

That was it? That wasn't enough. Avoiding 2 years in prison wasn't a reward worth betting his life on. And then he understood.

"And what do I need to do?"

"Simple, you need to touch the cube. Before you do, we'll implant a chip on your wrist"

What he was given wasn't a choice. On paper, this was a good deal. Joining the ranks of Nornerai was a dream many had but nobody dared to chase. For only death would be their ending if they did. Today he would obtain an opportunity, the odds would be the greatest they'd ever be. If not now.. then when?

"One more thing. Can you get one of my friends out?"

"No"

This should have been extremely easy. Why would he refuse? That wasn't a good sign. There was no use pondering further.

"I accept."

He could only hope the future wouldn't betray him.

Within moments, he was prompted to sign an NDA and other documents as a formality. He was the 10th candidate selected from the mining draftees. 10 were selected from death row. And the last 10 were volunteers. He had a feeling only 20 of them would walk out of the vaults alive. Brodie and Finch were already dead.

Suddenly, Valerius got hit by a pang of drowsiness. His eyelids began to droop as he drifted into unconsciousness. He was sedated without his knowledge. A dart stuck out of the back of his neck.

"Move him into the rover," said Nicholas. A second individual had entered the room, his subordinate.

On the surface, Layer 2 of the city of Ranovich stood a building. Minimalistic, with meters-thick metal doors to seal the entrance. Looking like a classing old school underground bunker, just larger. If someone stood there, they'd see nothing. The environment was pitch dark, and it had been for 5000 years. The sky was starless, and neither was there a moon or a sun.

A low hum sounded as the doors began to open; two rovers appeared behind those doors. But they stood still. Two men currently stood before them.

"Bodies are at the site, sir"

"Good. And the markers?"

"They're ready"

"Okay flood the facility"

The man obeyed Nicholas's orders. He spoke into his walkie talkie and in moments, faint sounds of chaos could be heard from below. The facility was flooded with aether from within.

Nicholas brought out a red orb with a strange black letter inscribed on its surface. Within seconds, small black dots began appearing on the orb. After waiting for several minutes he stopped.

"1632. Perfect. Let's go"

On-site, 24 hours later; hundreds of tents had been set up while PHC and military personnel walked about. In the largest tent, situated at the center of the encampment, were two individuals. A young, blonde-haired man in casuals stood beside Nicholas. He wore a T-shirt and trousers while Nicholas dressed in military attire.

"What about the electric grid"

"It'll be online in an hour"

"The absorber, give it to me"

Nicholas handed over the red orb to him.

"1632 souls. Good work. That's 132 for you. Clean up the site" said after a casual observation.

He had obtained a thousand and five hundred souls. With virtually no cost. What a great haul.

"Where are the draftees?"

"We've moved them to site 4"

"We'll begin at zero hour. And Nicholas... Leave their files on my table.."

Nicholas left the tent. Everything was ready. It hadn't been long, only 48 hours. Since then over 300 have been reported. This cube wasn't some unique occurrence. Even now he couldn't quell his shock. 100-fold increase in survival rate with a controlled evolution. The number of Nornerai would multiply manyfold. The Seven Eyes would lose their throne. Not only that, but the altars had more depth to them than it seemed.

"The chaos godpillar has opened" he mumbled under his breath. Everyone would be able to enter. That was what Mother had said. He must seize every second to advance. Time waits for no one.

He entered his quarters and began his work. Hours passed and his watch rang an alarm. The grid was now online. Salvanor exited the tent, and the ruins of the city came into view. Layer 1 was nothing but acres of debris; the skyscrapers that stood tall were now mere chunks of broken concrete. It was a wasteland with thousands dead. And at its edge was a cube, its enormity eclipsing the view beneath. It was a thing of beauty.

At site 4, preparations had been made. There were 10 tracks. All tracks led straight to the cube. The men would have to walk on these tracks, every hundred meters was a line of tape signifying a jump in aether density.

As he watched them prepare his mind went back to the candidates selected. Of them all, only one stood out, Valerius Grimlock, 28M. An MTAD of 3212 aether particles per micrometer cubed. That'd put him in the one percent of the one percent of all mortals. Maybe this would be interesting after all...

Meanwhile, Valerius had gained consciousness 23 hours ago. He was being placed in a 24-hour observation period, they told him. Why did they sedate him? Their reply was just that it made things easier. He didn't believe that for a second. He could hear it; the sounds of batch 1, the men on death row had begun their trial. He revisited the information he was given. 100 meters surrounding the cube was a telekinetic field. The aether density within spiked tenfold what was outside the field. The density outside the field dropped off gradually until it reached base environmental levels around a kilometer away from the cube. Currently, the flood of generated aether has made the surface of the city inhabitable at least until the density normalizes through gradual dispersion. The moment he left the tent, he'd have to be prepared for a multifold increase in the aether field strength. It should pose no problem, that he already knew. His true trial would only begin after he touched the cube. The cube operates based on a threshold value. As long as the candidate meets the minimum requirements, it would initiate a controlled evolution. If they fail, it would initiate the evolution anyway, and you wouldn't die. Your fate would be far worse.

Time passed and he was escorted to site 4. He was told to stand before track 10. There were 9 other tracks and 9 individuals occupied them. Only minutes remained until his fate would be decided.