“I’ve been drafted!” Jackson shouted.

On Earth, Jackson’s hometown was large. Many people wanted to join the military, but not everyone could. Some people needed connections to get in.

Now, in the unfamiliar Kabas Empire, Jackson was drafted immediately. He felt scared.

On Earth, Jackson had always been close to Kai. They spent most of their time together. Jackson never thought about joining the army. His only connection to the military was his love for shooting games like CS and CF. He also liked playing strategy games, like Age of Empires and Civilization. After starting at the tech university, Jackson either spent time with Kai or played games.

“Justin, don’t be afraid. When you’re in the army, just make sure to get along with your superiors...” His father saw his worried face and tried to comfort him.

“Dear, why don’t we use connections to get Justin out of the military? He’s our only son,” his mother said, sounding sad.

His father thought for a moment and shook his head. “That’s not right. Military service is a duty for every citizen in the Kabas Empire. We’re from the Panhua tribe, a minority. If anyone finds out we tried to avoid it, the consequences could be severe. The ethnic tensions in the empire are high, and the Panhua tribe is often criticized.”

“I heard from Xiao Tianlan at the neighboring farm that her son, Xiao Wu, joined the military two years ago. They haven’t heard from him since. There are rumors he died in the conflict between the Kabas Empire and the Fuluo Federation. What if Justin is sent to the border systems?” his mother said, looking worried.

His father frowned. He had heard about the rising tensions between the Kabas Empire and the Fuluo Federation. He also started to worry.

He didn’t want to agree to his wife’s request.

The Panhua people were hardworking and kind. Many families were wealthy. But many years ago, their country was destroyed, and they started wandering the universe. They faced exclusion in many places. During economic crises, people blamed the Panhua. Some tried to take their property to solve their own problems.

The Kabas Empire, a backward imperial state, used the Panhua tribe as scapegoats to distract from internal problems.

“Dear, don’t worry. Xiao Wu hasn’t been heard from, but he might be on a secret mission. Justin’s conscription isn’t an emergency draft. It’s normal. Besides, other relatives’ children have served and come back safely,” his father reassured his wife.

“But the news says the empire and the Fuluo Federation are fighting in the border systems. Will Justin be sent there?” his mother was still worried.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

“Ha, dear, the Kabas Empire has billions in its military. Do you really think a new recruit like Justin will be sent to the front lines? You can relax,” his father said, trying to sound calm.

But inside, he didn’t want his son to go, even though he felt there was no other choice. As a minority, the Panhua people had to follow the rules more strictly than the native Kabas citizens. It was also Justin’s fault for not entering a higher university after high school. If he had, he could have delayed military service or avoided it.

Jackson overheard their conversation. He learned some important things. First, he realized they were part of a minority in the Kabas Empire and were not well accepted. Second, a family they knew, the Xiaos, hadn’t heard from their son Xiao Wu after he joined the military. Third, the Kabas Empire was at war with the Fuluo Federation in the border systems.

“Everything is against me,” Jackson thought. “I just want to go back to Earth, not become a soldier. If I die, it would be so unfair.” Jackson had no attachment to the Kabas Empire. He didn’t want to fight for it. His thoughts were still with Kai.

Back in his room, Jackson lay on the bed to rest. He needed to organize his thoughts and absorb some of Justin’s memories.

There were many strange things about this world. The language was similar to Earth’s. The names were almost the same as his hometown. The crops in the fields looked like rice and wheat. Everything seemed connected to Earth.

Jackson picked up a small metal block. It had a sleek design and was pleasant to look at. The block had three small holes. It was a personal holographic device. It weighed only 30 grams but was faster than Earth’s fastest supercomputer, "Tianhu Zhiguang," by one trillion times.

"Activate," Jackson said. The three small holes emitted different beams of light, forming a screen in the air with various apps.

Jackson marveled at the technology. The screen was clearer than any display he had seen on Earth. It was also far more advanced than the small display on his wristband.

He clicked on an app called "Qianxun." The app seemed to come alive. It flew off the screen and adjusted to the perfect distance for Jackson to view. It hovered in the air and opened a search page.

The device used programmable materials that came from the three holes. The only downside was that it consumed a lot of energy.

Jackson typed "Earth" into the search bar.

The first result: A ball-shaped planet on the ground.

The second result: "Land is the most valuable resource on Bibo, the agricultural planet of the Kabas Empire. Please protect the land."

The third result: ...

None of these results were what Jackson was looking for. He decided to change the search and typed in "Solar System."

The first result: "The Solar System is a mysterious prison built by the United Federation of Intelligent Life to imprison demons. The souls of the ancient Panhua Empire’s descendants are trapped in this prison, endlessly reincarnating. No one knows where the prison is located. It remains one of the greatest secrets of the universe."

...

The other entries were unrelated to the Solar System, but this one made Jackson break into a cold sweat. The Solar System was described as a prison for demons. That meant he was one of them. After all, Earth was the only planet with life in the Solar System.

Jackson now understood that the United Federation of Intelligent Life was a supranational organization with great power, similar to Earth’s United Nations but much more powerful.

The Federation had its own law enforcement and military. They handled issues that affected the entire universe.

Since the Solar System was the Federation’s prison, it meant Earth’s people were the enemies of the universe.