Two days later, Armageddon Internment Facility.
Claw was led out of the building by a few Overseers. Though he wasn't handcuffed, he dared not make any bold moves. The pulsing rifles in their hands would blast a hole straight through him at the slightest suspicious activity.
Garbed in a yellow jumpsuit, he walked out of a large facility isolated from the rest of the city. Ahead, a few metres from where he stood, a gleaming-black private transport vehicle that hovered above the ground grabbed his attention. The vehicle was very similar to Old Earth's cars, save for the fact that this one had no wheels.
Claw proceeded forward with mixed feelings in his heart. Such vehicles cost a ridiculous amount of Crypts– New Earth's currency. Even if he had a decent job, and saved up for years, he wouldn't be able to afford such luxury. He clicked his tongue at the disparity between those of the Upper and Lower Rings.
The door of the passenger seat was opened, and Claw stepped in. Next to him was the familiar, but terrifying figure; Councilman Jacob Azrael. The Overseers that had escorted him turned around and marched back into the facility.
The Councilman's hair was as glossy as ever, and there was a solemn look on his face that greatly unsettled Claw. There was no one in the driver seat, the vehicle was on auto-pilot.
In other words, it was just him and the Councilman in the hovering car. A thought flashed across his mind, but Claw quickly dismissed it. There was no way the Councilman would put himself in the same car with a criminal, without having taken precautions.
"Seatbelt." The Councilman said solemnly.
Claw complied and fastened the Seatbelt around his upper body.
At that moment, the car hovered higher into the air and zoomed off with a powerful kick. Claw was certain if he hadn't used the belt, he would have smashed his head into the seat in front.
After waiting for Claw to collect himself, Jacob spoke, "We're headed to Embryo. I suppose I should explain more about this Division you'll be assigned to."
"Hmph," Claw harrumphed, but didn't protest. He couldn't.
"The Inceptors. Frankly, the projects taking up the most resources on New Earth would be the Andromeda star and the Inceptor Division. The Star is a necessary power source for the Neon guns, the Bionic suits, our heavy artillery and most of New Earth's technology."
He sighed and continued, "As for the Inceptors, well, They're being used to scout the planet Earth, our previous home."
"Why?" Claw frowned. "I thought it's now a wasteland and a danger zone for anything that breathes life?"
"Yes, you are correct." The Councilman nodded gently. "On Old Earth, there is a deadly gas of sorts that can penetrate Hazmat suits and kill within seconds."
Claw suddenly trembled from the deepest ends of his heart. This was where they would be sending him? They were sending him to his death!
The Councilman chuckled, and as if to imbue more fear in his heart, he added, "We've also tried mechanical suits. We've tried Bionic suits. We've tried everything to protect those going down there. However, the gas finds a way to kill them–"
"In seconds." He said and finally looked to the side, staring directly into Claw's eyes.
"You- you're a madman." Claw's heart tightened.
The Councilman suddenly laughed. A calm laughter that didn't harbour malice or ulterior motives. He exhaled and said, "Your expression was priceless. Rest assured, nothing will happen when you go to Old Earth with the rest of the Inceptors."
"Because," He tapped Claw's broad shoulder, "You'll be losing your body."
"What?" was all the criminal could manage to muster. He was deeply puzzled.
Jacob explained, "The Inceptors are special Overseers that are made up of pure consciousness. Those at Embryo have succeeded in projecting one's consciousness out of the body, which will then be attached to a special body suit. In other words, you'll be akin to a robot, but one with a perfect mind and thoughts."
"That's basically dying."
"No, it's not." The Councilman shook his head. "You're merely… changing wardrobe."
"Now, since you haven't got a body, the gas will do you no harm."
Claw fell silent for a long time. He was currently at a moment of his life that made him wonder, "How did I get here?"
If he had just taken his friend's advice and steered clear from the higher Rings, then none of this would've happened. Losing his body? He would basically be losing his humanity! All the pleasures that came with being human would be stripped away.
"At least it's better than being in prison forever." The Councilman said, as if reading his mind. "Think of it as rendering service to humanity. Who knows, you might even become a hero."
"Or," Claw's fists tightened. "I could just kill you here and escape."
The soft smile on Azrael's face didn't fade. He said with a chuckle, "We both know how that'll end."
"Anyway, you'll learn more when we get to Embryo." Then, the man sank further into the seat and shut his eyes for a nap, ignoring the hostility of the figure seated next to him.
…
Middle Ring, Epsilon Sector, on a certain hilltop.
Adam stood by the glass wall, staring at the city undergoing reconstruction. Over the past few days, he had been testing his strength, trying to understand the limit.
So far, he hadn't come in contact with anything that was too heavy for him to lift. Well of course, this was limited to the bulky items in his house.
Extraordinary strength was an odd feeling. He had to constantly monitor the force he exerted when handling objects, so as not to accidentally crush them.
As for the dreams, ever since the incident, they stopped happening. This made him reconsider the abilities that came with the tattoos. Currently, he was incredibly strong and could phase through solid materials.
Adam felt that the dream ability was a power malfunction. That was probably why the horned-beast mentioned that he lacked control. But then, what had changed?
He was glad that the spontaneous dreams stopped happening, but at the same time, it made him wonder why it suddenly stopped.
Adam exhaled. His mind drifted and he pictured the vivid image of Lyra's lifeless body. Her cold, dead eyes staring at him. He couldn't get the image out of his head no matter how much he tried.
Adam blamed himself.
He had realised that the alien had been after him, and Lyra merely died in the process. How cruel, he was the very danger he had tried to get Lyra away from.
After a long, draining moment of melancholy, he tapped on his wristband and said, "Call Marshall Mathew Bates."