The library was vast.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched as far as the eye could see, filled with books, scrolls, and data crystals. Kai wandered through the aisles, his fingers trailing along the spines of the books, his mind buzzing with curiosity.
He'd found the library after a Nexus personnel, another one of those strange pale people, had escorted him to his assigned quarters. A small but comfortable room with a bed, a desk, and a window overlooking the lunar landscape. But Kai couldn't stay cooped up. He needed answers. And he'd learned that the library was accessible to all Tier 2 personnel.
Tier 2.
He'd spent hours poring over the Nexus's database, trying to understand what that meant. And he'd finally found the answer in a dusty old history book.
It turned out that in the Federation – the vast interstellar civilization that controlled this region of space – tiers were everything. They determined your status, your rights, your access to resources.
Tier 1 were the workers, the laborers, the nameless masses that kept the Federation running. They had no last names, no family history, no individual identity beyond their assigned roles.
Tier 2 were the descendants of those who had earned a name, a lineage, a place in the Federation's history. Their last names were a mark of their heritage, a symbol of their elevated status. Their parents were Tier 2, and their children would be Tier 2. It was a system of inherited privilege, not unlike the nobility of ancient Earth.
Kai had a last name. Anderson. A coincidence, a random choice from a life he missed. But here, in the Nexus, it had granted him a level of access he didn't deserve.
There was probably no Anderson family in the Federation's records. No grand lineage, no heroic ancestors. He was just Kai. A nobody from a forgotten world.
But for now, he was Tier 2. And that meant he had access to knowledge.
"Humans have come a long way," Kai muttered to himself, his fingers tracing the words on a faded page. "Further than I could have ever imagined."
The history books were filled with tales of humanity's expansion into the galaxy, of the formation of the Federation, of the countless worlds and alien species they'd encountered. But what fascinated Kai the most was the chapter on… bio-engineering.
"Apparently, we got really good at tinkering with our own DNA," he said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Enhanced strength, extended lifespans, resistance to diseases… we practically designed ourselves into superheroes."
He flipped through the pages, his eyes widening with each new discovery. Humans with skin that shimmered like gold, humans with eyes that glowed in the dark, humans with wings that allowed them to fly.
"And then there were those pale people," he murmured, recalling the nurse, the Nexus personnel. "So… smooth. So… perfect. I thought maybe they were another branch of bio-engineered humans. Like… the next step in evolution."
But he'd been wrong.
"Turns out, they're not human at all," he said, a hint of awe in his voice. "They're androids. Synthetic humans. So advanced, they're practically indistinguishable from the real thing."
He closed the book, leaning back in his chair, his mind buzzing with questions.
"How did we get this advanced?" he wondered aloud. "And… why? What drove us to create… ourselves? Better versions of ourselves?"
He looked around the vast library, at the countless books, the endless knowledge they held.
"There's so much to learn," he whispered. "So much I don't understand."
But he was determined to understand. To unravel the mysteries of this new world. To find his place in it.
"The Federation," Kai murmured, tracing the word on a star chart with his finger. "Hundreds of star systems. Thousands of planets. Millions of species."
He shook his head in disbelief. "It's… mind-boggling. We went from a single planet, barely able to reach our own moon, to… this."
He looked up from the star chart, his gaze sweeping across the library.
"And it all started with that first warp drive," he said, a hint of awe in his voice. "A single invention that changed everything. That opened up the galaxy to us."
He walked over to a display case, peering at a model of an ancient spaceship.
"They called it the 'Enterprise'," he read aloud from the plaque beneath the model. "A fitting name, I guess. A bold venture into the unknown."
He chuckled. "I wonder what those early explorers would think if they could see the Federation now."
He imagined them, those brave men and women, stepping out of their primitive spaceship onto an alien world, their hearts filled with a mixture of fear and excitement.
"They were pioneers," he said, a sense of admiration in his voice. "They paved the way for everything that came after. For the Federation. For… us."
He paused, his gaze drifting back to the star chart.
"But with all this power," he mused, "all this technology, all this… control… what have we become?"
He thought about the ruined city, the Voidlings, the colossal arm wrapped around Earth.
"Have we lost something along the way?" he wondered. "Something… important?"
"Or do they want something?"
"Millions of years," Kai muttered, shaking his head in wonder. "Millions of years of human history, condensed into these books."
He'd been in the library for hours, his mind swimming with information. He'd learned about the Federation's wars, its triumphs, its failures. He'd read about the countless alien species they'd encountered, some friendly, some hostile. He'd even found a section on the Voidlings – the terrifying creatures that had attacked the elevator – but the information was heavily redacted, classified.
"It's all so… complicated," he said, a sigh escaping his lips. "But… fascinating."
He wanted to keep reading, to delve deeper into the Federation's secrets, but his stomach growled, a reminder of his more immediate needs.
He looked around the library. There were a few other people here, mostly humans, but also a couple of those pale, smooth-skinned androids.
He approached one of the androids, a woman with long, silver hair and piercing blue eyes.
"Excuse me," he said. "I was wondering… where can I get something to eat?"
The android turned to face him, her expression blank, her movements fluid and precise.
"Identification, please," she said, her voice a melodic monotone.
Kai fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the black Tier 2 card. He handed it to the android.
She scanned the card with a small device attached to her wrist.
"The cafeteria is located on Level 3, Section C," she said, returning the card. "Meals are provided at no cost to Tier 2 personnel."
Kai nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Thank you," he said.
He turned and walked towards the exit, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He was starting to get the hang of this place.
The corridors of the Nexus were a maze of white walls and glowing signs. Kai followed the arrows pointing towards Level 3, Section C, his stomach rumbling with each step.
"English," he muttered, shaking his head in amusement. "Of all the languages in the galaxy, they use English."
He'd learned back in the library that English was the official language of the Federation. Apparently, it had been chosen for its… simplicity and logical structure.
"Ironic," he thought, considering the complexities of English grammar. But he wasn't complaining. It made navigating this alien world a whole lot easier.
He reached Level 3 and followed the signs to Section C. He passed other people along the way – humans with skin in shades of blue and green, humans with eyes that glowed like fireflies, humans with extra limbs. And, of course, the pale, smooth-skinned androids, their movements always precise, their expressions always neutral.
It was a strange and wonderful sight, a testament to humanity's ingenuity and… perhaps, its hubris.
He reached the cafeteria and stepped inside.
The room was large and brightly lit, with rows of tables and chairs. The air was filled with the aroma of food – a mix of familiar and unfamiliar scents that made his mouth water.
But it wasn't the food that caught his attention.
It was the people.
Kai walked through the cafeteria, his eyes wide with fascination. It was like a living museum of human evolution, a testament to the boundless possibilities of bio-engineering.
He saw humans with skin in shades of blue and green, their bodies shimmering with an iridescent sheen. He saw humans with webbed hands and feet, their eyes adapted for underwater vision. He saw humans with large, feathery wings, their faces adorned with intricate markings.
He saw humans with extra limbs, their movements graceful and coordinated despite their unusual anatomy. He saw humans with antennae sprouting from their foreheads, their eyes glowing with a soft, bioluminescent light.
He saw humans with scales instead of skin, their bodies sleek and reptilian. He saw humans with fur, their faces resembling those of Earth's long-extinct creatures.
And amidst this kaleidoscope of human diversity, he saw the pale, smooth-skinned androids, their movements precise and efficient, their expressions unchanging. They served the food, cleaned the tables, and maintained order in the bustling cafeteria.
Kai felt a strange mix of awe and unease. It was incredible, the things humans had achieved, the ways they had adapted and evolved. But it was also… a little unsettling.
He wondered what it meant to be human in a world where the very definition of humanity was so fluid, so malleable.
He found an empty table and sat down, his gaze still scanning the room, his mind buzzing with questions.
"Fascinating," Kai murmured, shaking his head in wonder as he navigated the cafeteria, his tray laden with a strange assortment of food. He'd chosen a few items that looked vaguely familiar – some kind of fruit, a bread-like substance, a protein bar – and a few that were completely alien to him – a purple gelatinous cube, a bowl of steaming blue liquid, and a handful of what looked like… fried insects?
He was about to find an empty table when a group of three humans approached him. They looked… normal. No shimmering skin, no extra limbs, no glowing eyes. Just regular humans, like he'd seen back on Earth.
"You're new here, aren't you?" one of them said, a friendly smile on his face. "We haven't seen you around before."
Kai nodded. "Yeah, I just arrived," he said.
"Welcome to the Nexus!" another one said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm Lars. This is Johan and this is Astrid."
"Kai," Kai said, shaking their hands. "Nice to meet you."
"So, what do you think of this place?" Astrid asked, gesturing around the cafeteria with a sweep of her hand.
Kai hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer. He didn't want to offend anyone, but he also didn't want to lie.
"It's… interesting," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Very… diverse."
Lars snorted. "Diverse? You mean filled with these… disgusting sub-humans," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.
Kai frowned. "Sub-humans?" he repeated, a knot forming in his stomach.
"Yeah," Johan chimed in. "These freaks with their wings and scales and extra limbs. They're an abomination. They shouldn't even be allowed in the Nexus."