A normal day accompanied by the normal line of duty.
Guards could be seen patrolling around the facility, people wearing formal clothes chattering in private rooms regarding the management of the building, researchers that were experimenting, sharing their ideas to their own colleagues and checked upon the
A giant machinery connected via cogs and tubes could be seen above the room as tubes containing purified water flowed into glass tanks containing the byproducts of their prized possession: the
Two researchers entered the giant, grey room that contained the Fragment. One carried himself nobly, his body decayed due to the decades he lived. His grey hair and monocle was clearly known around the facility.
Doctor Vook, head researcher of the whole Branch.
Meanwhile the other person was a young, black haired teen wearing a lab coat, carrying a tablet under his right arm. Eye bags could be visible as his body was slightly slouched forward, a sign of clear fatigue.
The older person playfully smacked the boy's back, straightening the latter's posture.
"Don't fall asleep now Ryuho. Today will be your first time you have been permitted to participate in the experimentation of a Tier 4. Up until now the manager allocated you with lower tiers as a test... they remained quite shocked about your improvements and ideas regarding the prototypes."
The boy would massage his forehead, sighing.
"I know doc. But at the very least i can help people out..." A smile could be seen sprouting on the teen's face.
The older researcher felt reassured by the sight, letting out a small breath.
"But what about the procedures Doctor Vook? The S-CE is dangerous to test upon people, let alone its byproducts."
"As much as i hate to say it, the manager already told us what we have to do..."
The old doctor would look for a brief moment towards the water tanks before looking away.
Ryuho noticed the odd behavior and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me she wants to scrap the project. The place perfect for her would be the streets of Kurz."
Vook laughed at the joke.
"N-No... we shouldn't say such stuff here. But i guess that's true."
Ryuho looked at the senior and genuinely smiled. Even tho that smile hid the worried thoughts of the teen.
'At least he returned to a positive mood. But something is wrong here...'
"So what's the problem doc?"
"...The higher ups want us to test right away the exoskeletons."
Ryuho dropped the tablet, turning his head towards the older colleague. His eyes and mouth widened from pure shock and dread.
"But the risks of incidents are too high! We haven't even tried a first experiment to test the safety of its implementation into the human body!"
"That's what i told her but they aren't up to listening our opinions. We must proceed to do this, as per contract."
Ryuho clicked his tongue, irritated by the news.
"Are they sacrificing civilians for this?! When i joined this they promised me that we wouldn't use test subjects!"
"I know but they already planned to use criminals sentenced to death penalty..."
"They are still people! What are the geezers planning?!"
Ryuho stormed out of the room immediately after that, slamming the door as he left.
Vook shook his head, massaging his head with both hands.
"May god forgive us, for we are sinning."
Ryuho would storm through the halls visibly altered.
'They are just liars... ready to throw away lives just for their own profits! Then did they secretly ignore all my inventions to help the citizens...'
Upon reaching the main entrance he'd pass his keycard above the panel attached onto the wall without stopping his march, signaling the end of his shift and opening the doors of the main exit.
A couple of guards that stood on guard towards the other side jolted up and turned towards him on high alert.
"WHO'S- oh."
The guards pointed the rifles down, saluting the researcher.
"Good evening chief Ryuho, going back home?"
Ryuho breathed down his anger, composing himself.
"Correct. May you two unclog the exit?"
"Yes sir."
The two guards stepped away from each other, clearing the path for Ryuho whilst returning to their posts.
"Have a good evening."
Ryuho began to walk away from the facility, as one of the guards spoke up.
"Do we need to send someone to escort you sir? The amount of delinquents around the streets seems to have increased the past weeks."
"..."
Ryuho turned his head towards the guard, shooing them away with his hand.
The guard nodded their heads, understanding the signal to not continue the discussion.
Ryuho nodded his head and marched towards his home.
As he walked by the empty streets with some walls barely keeping themselves up despite their poor condition, alleys full of trash and insects and some houses lacking a rooftop. He currently walked through the backstreets of Kurz, whilst he proceeded to the urban side of the city. Every now and then he glanced a little towards the uphill-ed side of the area, known to be where the nobles and rich people resided in. The so called "
'The nobles are just toying with us, treating others like mere ants, disposable for their own benefits. As the primary investors of the Branch they can force us to give them free samples of our tests, among which the new project: Exo Division.'
Ryuho shook his head as he approached the entrance of his home.
He inserted the key into the lock and opened the door, walking inside. The floor of the whole building was made out of spruce wood. A relatively small house from the outside but it had everything he could need: a medium-sized bathroom, a sole bedroom for himself, a kitchen that was directly attached to the living room without any door in the way and the largest room he transformed into a personal workshop. Upon entering the room he noticed his first invention, created thanks to the collaboration with some former friends. A small chip that could connect to alternative timelines through the usage of a computer. A figure similar to him in appearance, except for the white hair and eyes, white shirt and brown pants in perfect condition as he wrote things down onto a notepad. He was currently smiling.
Ryuho scoffed as he took off his lab coat and hang it onto a coat hanger and sat down at the table, looking at the display.
"Heya there. How is it going?"
The figure lifted his head up, looking at Ryuho.
"Oh greetings Ryuho. The task Nana asked me is already done so i'm reviewing the results. How about you?"
"I..."
Ryuho looked away for a moment, trying to contain his irritation.
"Go on."
"That bitch of Kara asked us to instantly test the sub-Fragments without initial check-ups."
The figure dropped the notepad, terrified by the news.
"What...?"
Ryuho rest his body onto the table, frustrated.
"I know... they wouldn't budge even if i were to ask them. I need to find a way to stop this from happening..."
"Mhm."
The figure held his chin and closed his eyes.
"Even Vook wasn't happy about that... please help me Robert."
"You should permanently stop the project.."
Ryuho would place his hands onto his eyes, looking up. Whenever he thought about what could happen he felt the despair crawling onto his back.
"Will i ever be free? I just wanted to help people out... like gramps and the others wanted me to."
"Future hardships may obscure your path, you may discard part or all your principles and for a moment you'd wish to be dead... but you can overcome all that. In the short run you will never have a normal life, as every choice you take will shook the standard boundaries of your daily life."
Ryuho lifted his head up, looking at him.
"...Thanks for the support Robert."
The other participant smiled, satisfied by the response.
"No problem. But you surely know that we can't interfere with the fate of your timeline Ryuho... so all i, and the other us, can do is cheer you on. Now go rest."
Ryuho simply nodded his head and headed towards his bedroom, lying on top of the colorless sheets.
After that evening several days passed by. Vook and Ryuho, accompanied by fellow assistants and trainee researchers, were about to start the first experiments when Ryuho heard a weak, rough voice from within his ears.
'There it is, his incarnation. I expected something better...'
Ryuho quickly shook his head, trying to understand what just happened.
'Who's voice...' A hand touched the teen's back before he could think anything else.
"Are you alright?"
Doctor Vook was looking down at him, his face covered by worry for his younger peer.
"O-Oh yea. I'm fine, let's begin."
And as such the team started the experiment by calling out the first person:
[Subject: Yut Maraz, Crime: Bounty hunting.]
Test results: Complete failure.
Subject Maraz, referred as 0001, died from blood loss as soon as the personnel placed the first part of the sub-exoskeleton, it being the shoulder plates. Incompatibility between the body and the piece provoked uncontrollable metal needles to pierce through the subject's body, hitting vital parts.
[Subject: Ubri Cartre, Crime: Drowning her father to death.]
Test results: Failure.
Similarly to 0001, 0002 died from blood loss as she finished to put on the leg piece. Unlike the previous subject the needles were larger, resembling metal spikes, and could be seen exposed outside from the body's insides. Organs of all kind were being exposed outside the body, impaled upon the giant spikes.
[Subject: John Pros, Crime: Mass-murder.]
Test results: Failure.
0003 was reported to be poisoned by the sub-Fragment. After putting on the upper body's part of the exoskeleton the subject tried to instantly perform the injection. As the exoskeleton began to pour IV fluid into the person's veins, the sub-Fragment began to produce on its own mercury, cobalt and other metals, which mixed with the IV fluids. The body of the subject began to change color, becoming darker and grayer as time passed on.
[Subject: Emen Azar, Crime: Kidnapping a child.]
Test results: Failure.
004 has been the best tentative so far. The subject actually manages to connect the outer-exoskeleton with all its body. The metallic threads attached optimally on the subject's flesh and poured purified IV fluids...
Unfortunately for the experiment's sake, this would all escalate after some minutes. The subject could be spotted to have developed extreme aggressiveness towards the others, lunging to attack researcher Ryuho like a wild animal. Thanks to the self-defense programs and the guard's quick wits the target was terminated on sight before the researcher's life was put in serious trouble. The higher-ups decided to halt further test for the current day, dismissing the personnel.
The researchers were all disgusted, terrified and traumatized by the scenes. Young and old alike, no one could rest easy... even the guards had to take turns to check upon the test, each one of them feeling disturbed by the sight.
The two leading the research, the youngest chief and the head researcher, blame it all to the ones binding them there.
It's a given to say that each one of the present could barely sleep at night, haunted by nightmares of the horrors they saw and created.
Ryuho had to take several medications just to sleep at night. A nineteen year old wasn't ready to stare for such horrors...
But that motivated him to take action.