After matching under the sun for over an hour, Lucius and the other slaves got closer to the mining facility, shrouded in swirling blue mists. There was a shimmering blue glow of the surrounding terrain, it was clear the facility was harnessing the power of the enigmatic blue meteors but at what cost?
The miners didn't have protective gear like soldiers and while in close proximity to the meteor, Lucius's eyes watered, and his pores felt like they were set ablaze. This made him wonder how bad it was for his Dad, who worked within the mine.
The facility was a marvel of modern engineering, a sprawling complex of gleaming metal and reinforced polymer that stretched across the barren landscape like a spider's web spun from steel.
At the heart of the facility lay the central processing hub, a massive structure of gleaming chrome and pulsating energy conduits that hummed with a low, ominous thrum. As they marched into the facility, Lucius saw teams of engineers and technicians walking from one tent to the other tirelessly, they were too busy to notice slaves like them.
Surrounding the central hub are a series of interconnected domes and hangars, each housing specialized equipment and personnel dedicated to a specific aspect of the mining operation. Massive excavators with diamond-tipped drills tore into the rocky terrain, carving out vast caverns and tunnels in search of the elusive blue ore.
Outside, fleets of automated drones buzz through the air like swarms of metallic insects, their sensors scanning the landscape for signs of new meteor strikes. When a blue meteor was detected, the drones sprang into action, dispatching teams of miners to the impact site to begin the extraction process.
The slaves were soon grouped up in teams, each given their tasks before being led out by a small team of soldiers wielding whips and guns. As the soldier promised, Lucius was assigned to help the women cook and do menial jobs. The tasks he was given weren't all that hard, but the environment contaminated by the concentrated presence of Aetherium made even the simplest tasks hard.
After what seemed like forever, the day's work was over. Outside, the menacing glares he got from other workers who felt like he was doing too little, there were no major problems. Lucius returned home happily with half the rations his parents usually brought home, but since it was just him and Lia, it was just enough for them to eat their fill.
With time, Lucius got used to the Aether-contaminated environment but as time passed he was given more strenuous work, but he didn't mind since it meant he could get better food rations. As long as Lia could eat her fill and thank him with a bright smile, he didn't seem to care how much he needed to work.
A year passed and Lia grew healthier and gained a bit more weight, while Lucius got paler but added some lean muscles. Just after a year, he had moved from menial jobs to a full-time worker, who pulled out carts filled with crystal Aether to the drop sites. Once the Aether crystals were offloaded, they were searched thoroughly before they were allowed to go off another pickup.
It was general knowledge that Aetherium crystals were sold for mouth-watering prices in the black market. A few times, desperate men would try to sneak away some Aether crystals, only to get beaten to the brink of death.
—-----
It was late afternoon and Lucius pulled out his third cart filled with Aether crystals. His sack clothes were soaked in sweat, and his chest heaved extravagantly as he tried to catch his breath.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a beam of blue light erupted from one part of the camp, shooting into the sky like a beacon and gaining everyone's attention.
"What the hell?" Lucius was confused but watched as the ray slowly faded.
He traced the source of the light back to a part of the facility where the massive excavators were drilling. He had witnessed them find mines in other spots, but none of them responded in such a dazzling way.
Whoop!
Whoop!
Whoop!
Bright red lights erupted from all strategic posts in the camp, causing Lucius's face to twist with worry. He and every other slave here knew what that meant.
There was a beast attack, one of a high scale!
These sirens had only gone off when numerous beasts attacked the city, and this made his heart skip a beat as he remembered Lia was still back in the city. The last time something like this happened, their parents were still alive, and they hid together, but this time Lia was all alone.
"Lia!" Lucius cried out as he sprinted towards the exit of the facility, but before he could take his fifth step, a whip crackled with unexplainable intensity as it struck his back, tearing his clothes and skin.
Bam!
Lucius fell to the ground, his body shivering from the pain, but his teeth gritted as he was overwhelmed with rage.
"Get back to work! Load the trucks asap!" A soldier stood over him, barking orders with a hint of urgency in his tone.
"It's a horde! The entire city has been overrun, they are heading towards the facility. We need to leave now!" An engineer ran out of a tent with a look of terror plastered.
His words drew the attention of the soldier, but they also made Lucius shudder at the thought of a horde rampaging through the city. This meant almost everyone if not all were dead by now.
"No!" He gasped.
With renewed vigor, he pushed himself to his feet and sprinted toward the facility's entrance.
"That little brat, shoot him!" The soldier screamed as soon as he noticed Lucius was running toward the exit.
Soldiers mounted at miniature watch towers pulled out their weapons and took aim, however, they froze as something they never expected happened.
Other slaves began running towards the exit frantically in loud crowds, just like Lucius, they had family in the city. Their family was the only reason they were willing to put themselves through this hell instead of just taking their lives.
Right now, the most precious thing to them was threatened, it was only natural they unified and moved as one.