The H1 chip for minors only grants access to educational content, limited to subjects like math, science, literature, history, and the arts. It restricts access to content unsuitable for minors. This chip is designed to cultivate foundational knowledge and skills, ensuring that minors possess adequate academic and artistic literacy before adulthood.
The H2 national chip unlocks a variety of functions, covering dynamic information across various fields, from culinary arts to spacecraft, gymnastics to galactic maps. Adults with an H2 chip can access more societal information and skills, enhancing their overall quality and competitiveness.
The H3 citizen chip signifies full citizenship in the Earth Alliance, granting various privileges, including access to and control of weapons. This chip not only bestows higher social status but also enables participation in interstellar warfare and defense missions when necessary.
The first two chips are easily obtainable with time. However, the H3 citizen chip can be unlocked through three channels:
1. Recommendation: Outstanding students with excellent performance and no criminal record are prioritized for recommendation to military academies, directly qualifying for the H3 citizen chip, becoming reserve officers for the Earth Alliance.
2. Service: Within ten years of obtaining the H2 national chip, individuals with no adverse records and meeting physical standards can apply to join the Earth Alliance. Upon passing the review, they become ordinary soldiers, serve in the military, and receive the H3 citizen chip after all approvals.
3. Contribution: Individuals with no criminal record who contribute over a million of dollars in taxes or donations (in Federal currency, tips: for convenience, the unit is still based on US dollars) can apply for citizenship and subsequently purchase the H3 chip through official channels.
The first path is designed to select talents for the Alliance; the second is a straightforward route for the masses; the last is a backdoor for the wealthy and powerful.
Ryan had graduated less than two months ago, now twenty-four years old, with barely a thousand credits to his name, no money, no power, and not outstanding during his academy years. Although he could obtain the citizen chip through military service, in the army, he would be just another face in the crowd, with limited promotion opportunities and restricted actions. It seemed more advantageous to operate in a familiar environment.
Moreover, in an era of rapidly expanding colonial planets, becoming a miner seemed more promising than being an ordinary soldier.
"Here, zoom in," Ryan pointed to a black dot on the map.
Astra quickly complied. The enlarged satellite map revealed a pit approximately 1,500 meters in diameter, its depth almost impossible to gauge, a dark abyss like the eye of the planet, staring back at him, sending chills down his spine.
There were tens of thousands of such pits on this planet. Only areas rich in minerals would show such violent plundering marks. Although the surface diameter was only about 1,500 meters, the underground had long been hollowed out, with unknown expanses of cavities below.
Near this pit, several H3 aircraft were hovering, moving in and out. Large excavation machines were no longer suitable for a depleted mine, wasting energy and time. The remaining minerals still provided considerable profits for these miners.
This was why thousands of miners were stationed here. By breaking down operations into smaller units, only minimal energy and manpower were needed to continue analyzing and extracting the planet's resources, searching for potential overlooked deposits.
In Ryan's memory, this pit collapsed a month later. During a thunderstorm, the already unstable structure gave way, turning the 1,500-meter pit into one over 20,000 meters in diameter, causing severe upheaval and burying several miners working in the area.
These miners had entered the pit during the storm because one of them had accidentally discovered a vein at the bottom. Several people became overnight millionaires due to this vein, reportedly worth over 30 million. Even with a 70-30 split with the company, they could still earn nearly 10 million in profits.
"Opportunity knocks," Ryan decided to intercept and claim the vein for himself. Initially, the news of the vein was tightly sealed, only leaking out after most of it had been extracted, leading to the burial of several following miners. Even three years later, the wreckage of the aircraft and the bodies had not been recovered.
"Astra," Ryan ordered, "prepare three nutrient solutions. We're working overtime."
Astra promptly reminded him, "Master, you forgot, today's schedule is a day off to stay at the base and prepare a birthday gift for Miss Aeloria."
Aeloria? The name stirred Ryan's calm mind. Birthday! He remembered.
Aeloria was a classmate from his school, beautiful. When she first joined TerraCore Group as a new miner, she often came to Ryan in tears because she couldn't meet her collection quotas. Out of sympathy and schoolmate friendship, Ryan helped her with tasks, analyzing and locating metal deposits in the rock layers, helping her complete her daily tasks. Gradually, rumors of them being a couple spread around the base.
But this situation ended quickly. On Aeloria's birthday, Ryan, short on money, chose to make her a birthday cake by hand. When he delivered it, he overheard Aeloria talking to her friend about him.
He couldn't remember her exact words, only two piercing sentences: "A poor boy dreaming of a princess?" and "A miner too poor to buy a gift, what future does he have? He should wash his face with cold water and wake up."
Ryan turned and left, throwing the cake in the trash.
Since then, he never sought out Aeloria again, working even harder to maintain his last shred of dignity and pride. Later, he heard that Aeloria had hooked up with a minor supervisor at TerraCore Group, living well.
If not for Astra's reminder, he would have forgotten about his ambiguous past with this woman.
"Cancel the day off." "Cancel the schedule," Ryan instructed Astra.
Astra quickly complied, then asked, "What about the cake in the fridge? Should I deliver it?"
"No need," Ryan turned to the fridge. The cake, made just hours ago, wasn't exquisite but was made with care.
Ryan took out candles, placing them one by one on the cake. Astra asked again, "Master, should I call Miss Aeloria to blow out the candles? I can decorate the place more beautifully and romantically."
"No," Ryan placed the last candle, saying, "This cake is for myself."
"Today isn't your birthday."
"Alright!" Ryan thought to himself, "today isn't my birthday. But… it's the day of my rebirth."