In the year of New Era 207 (207 NE), a full two centuries had passed since the cubes appeared, altering the course of humanity. In an effort to herald a fresh start, the Earth World Federation introduced the "New Era Calendar". It was a symbolic gesture, an attempt to leave behind the shadows of a tumultuous past and look ahead toward a future full of unprecedented potential.
The scars of the past were deep, but humanity, in its unending resilience, sought to heal, grow, and evolve. The New Era Calendar was a testament to this spirit. Each new day, month, and year marked in this calendar was a step away from the dark chapters of human history and a stride toward a future of exploration, understanding, and harmony.
And thus, it truly was a New Era. The mysteries presented by the cubes and the gates within them had imbued the human race with a newfound purpose. From the ashes of the old world, humanity was reborn, reaching out to the cosmos with curious minds and undying spirits. The echoes of their past were fading into silence as they embarked on this exciting new journey, writing their history anew in the annals of the cosmos.
In the inaugural year of the New Era, 001 NE, as the shimmering exterior of the cubes dissolved, a profound discovery was made. Each monolithic structure, or 'temple' as they had come to be known, housed an enigmatic portal. These strange doorways lay at the heart of every cube, scattered across the corners of the Earth.
The portals presented a tantalizing mystery that humanity was eager to solve. So, a brave team of explorers handpicked from the finest minds and bravest souls, was assembled for the monumental task of entering these gateways. Their mission was to venture into the unknown, to bridge the chasm between our world and whatever lay beyond the portals.
The moment of truth came when the explorers stepped into the otherworldly gleam of the first portal. Their hearts throbbed with anticipation as they crossed the threshold, swallowed by the radiant light. The world held its breath, waiting for the return of the intrepid explorers or any word of what they had found.
However, in a disconcerting twist, all forms of communication with the explorers were severed the moment they stepped through the portals. The buzzing radio transmissions fell silent; the flashing signal lights turned dark. The explorers had ventured beyond the reach of our technology, beyond the edge of the known universe, perhaps into a different dimension entirely. The ramifications of this development sent ripples of concern, but also intrigue, throughout the human race.
Two long years of diligent experimentation and analysis passed. Humanity toiled with the cube enigma, probing the boundaries of science, reality, and imagination. They found that, when crossing the gateway's threshold, every individual was isolated from their companions, their solitude engulfed by a dimensionless black room, absent of any discernible features.
This was not just a physical separation, but a segregation of each individual's reality. Group expeditions became solo journeys the moment the boundary of the portal was crossed. Each person found themselves in an eerie, endless expanse of darkness.
However, this realm of void was not completely featureless. Each isolated traveler was soon confronted by a sudden manifestation, a screen materializing from the inscrutable gloom. Its glow offered a tiny oasis of light in the ocean of darkness, but its purpose puzzled all who encountered it.
The screen displayed six distinct options, six cryptic choices that seemed to resonate with some mysterious power, sending waves of energy rippling through the black room. The options were:
<< Select an Alter >>
1. Alter of Awakening
2. Alter of Bloodline
3. Alter of Inheritances
4. Alter of Redemption
5. Alter of War
6. Altar of Ascension
These choices presented a conundrum, an enigmatic riddle that seeped into the minds of the explorers and echoed through the halls of human consciousness. What were these 'Alters'? Why were they offered? What would be the consequences of choosing one over the other? The mystery deepened, further cementing the cubes and their portals as the most profound mystery of this New Era.
Over the course of years, human understanding of the mysterious cube interface evolved. Two options, the first and the fifth, were highlighted in a welcoming green. The others, second to fourth, lay dimmed in grey, and the final option was ominously displayed in black. It became clear that to select the greyed options, one required some form of points, as a frustrating pop-up window would consistently appear, declaring: "Insufficient Points". As for the black option, it remained inaccessible, seeming to demand a level of attainment not yet achieved by any human explorer.
Even the green options, initially appearing so welcoming, held their own caveats. Their selection was restricted to those who had lived a minimum of sixteen orbits around the sun. The cube's screen did not react to the touch of those younger, presenting another layer to the enigma. This age-based restriction cast a new perspective on the cube and its portals. Perhaps they were not just gateways but gauges of human maturity, tests of our species' readiness to step beyond the boundaries of our understanding.
This revelation marked a turning point in human understanding of the cube's function and purpose. The question was no longer solely about how it worked, but also about what it represented: a measure of humanity's evolution, a test of our capacity to grow, to adapt, to transcend. These green options were not simply accessible pathways. They were challenges, rites of passage for humanity to prove itself worthy of greater cosmic knowledge.
By the dawn of the New Era's bicentennial, humanity had managed to secure only a paltry number of the mysterious portals scattered across Earth. A total of sixteen portals had been wrestled from nature's grip, each ensconced within its own fortified research complex. However, this was but a fraction of the true number of these otherworldly gateways. Many more lay beyond the reach of human hands, shrouded by deadly radiation or nestled deep within the lairs of the monstrous fauna and carnivorous flora that had sprung up in the post-Doomsday world.
The Central Continent, home to the old lands of Europe, held sway over three such portals. The Easter Continent, encompassing Asia, Australia, and a handful of island nations, was graced with five. The Northern Continent, a combination of the USA, UA, Canada, and the frosty expanse of Alaska, possessed four. Finally, the Southern Continent, comprising the UAE, Africa, and others, matched the Northern Continent with another four.
Each secured portal was a wellspring of hope and trepidation, a testament to humanity's indomitable spirit in the face of the unknown. Yet, they also served as a grim reminder of the other portals that lay inaccessible, their secrets jealously guarded by a planet scarred by the calamity of the past. The dance between knowledge and mystery continued, shaping the rhythm of human existence in this New Era.
Awakening Day, a day steeped in both joy and sorrow, had become a global phenomenon in the New Era. Every year, millions of hopeful teenagers from across the solar system descended on Earth to partake in the ceremony held at the sixteen secured portals. Some traveled from the farthest reaches of the solar system, leaving behind their extraterrestrial homes to make the long journey back to their ancestral planet, guided by dreams of a promising future.
These young participants, upon reaching the age of 16, embarked on what could be the most pivotal journey of their lives, to awaken a potential talent or gain elemental affinity. Yet, the harsh reality was that the chance of successfully awakening a talent was astronomically low. For every million children, maybe one or two, if lucky, would achieve this feat. Thus, despite the excited anticipation that came with Awakening Day, there was an undercurrent of apprehension and heartache.
However, even without talent, participants could still awaken an elemental affinity. This event, although less rare, held the potential to significantly alter one's future. The power of the elements was not something to be dismissed lightly. Whether it was the raging power of fire, the relentless strength of water, the unyielding fortitude of earth, or the unbounded freedom of the air, a strong elemental affinity could create opportunities and open doors that would otherwise remain firmly closed.
Thus, regardless of the dismal odds, the millions of children who converged on the portals each Awakening Day were filled with hope and ambition. For on this day, the birthright of every human being was acknowledged, as they stepped forward to claim their place in this new era of humankind's story.
NE 207 marked a new era for humanity where power was the currency that mattered most, not money. The balance had tipped, moving away from the material wealth of the old days and towards a paradigm where true strength was most valued.
Each year, the Earth World Federation distributed Tokens of Change (ToC) to every eligible teenager. These tokens served as a form of payment, allowing the youngsters to participate in the Awakening ceremony. For the first 100 participants, the awakening process was free of charge, but any subsequent awakenings required these tokens.
However, these Tokens of Change were not given freely. Instead, they were seen as an investment made by the Federation in the potential future Rangers, who could venture deeper into the Cube and bring more power and resources to the human race. The Federation recouped its investments through taxes, levied on the points collected during the explorations within the Cube. The points could be used to acquire more Tokens of Change or various items from the Redemption Alter.
This system provided a substantial advantage for influential families, organizations, or individuals who had the means to acquire their own Tokens of Change (ToC). They could bypass the Federation system and directly provide these tokens for their youths. This way, they were able to protect their young ones from the potential burden of debt if they failed to awaken their powers.
On the other hand, the less fortunate had to sign contracts with the Earth World Federation (EWF) for their Tokens of Change. The terms of these contracts stipulated that if the individual failed to awaken, they would have to pay the EWF the equivalent value of the tokens in Federation currency.
Whether an individual awakened or not, the Federation profited. The sale of tokens to those who could afford to buy them outright, and the collection of debt from those who couldn't, proved to be a lucrative business. This was the grim reality of the New Era: the rich continued to amass power and wealth while the less fortunate bore the risks and debts. The disparity between the powerful and the weak was further intensified, reflecting the harsh, dog-eat-dog nature of this new world.
While the system was set up in a way that appeared to provide equal opportunities for all, it inherently favored the powerful. Rangers who possessed the strength to venture deeper into the Cube and gather more points held a significant advantage over their weaker counterparts. The world had changed, and the rules of survival had evolved.
In this New Era, only the powerful could assert their dominance. The world bowed to those who could harness the power of the Cube. And for those who could not, they had no choice but to bow before the world and its rulers. The New Era was a testament to the universal truth of the survival of the fittest, a doctrine that resonated now more than ever.