"You are not going inside the High Tower!" Ake Randi's harsh piercing voice tore through the air.

He was standing in front of a tall residential building known as the High Tower where President Kirk Randi, his father, resided. Kneeling before him was a boy, the same age as him but in tattered worn-out clothes. The boy looked hungry and weak but somehow he had managed to fight his way into the entrance of the High Tower. 

"Please," the boy begged. "I only want to speak to your father, President Randi. He knows me, I just want to ask him for something."

"Buzzer off, you wretched mutt!" Ake snarled. "My father will tell you the same thing as I am telling you, get the hell out!"

"No!" the boy cried with resolve. "I will not leave until I see President Randi."

Ake hissed with malice as he glared at the two guards who were standing before him. "And how was he able to get through, huh? Who let him pass?"

The guards dropped to their knees. "Prince Ake, we tried our very best to stop him, but he was very determined. He refused to leave no matter what and fought his way through."

Ake raised a skeptical brow. "You expect me to believe that? You couldn't handle this mere peasant?"

"He is stronger than he looks, my prince."

"What is going on here!" the stentorian voice of President Kirk Randi boomed, causing everyone to freeze in panic.

Ake assumed a more appropriate pose as he acknowledged his father. "Father, do not worry yourself. I'm taking care of this piece of trash who thinks he can come here and ask for whatever he wants."

President Kirk Randi looked down at the boy who was on his knees, recognizing him in an instant.

"President Randi, dear uncle," the boy began to beg. "Please, do me this favor."

"It is you again," Kirk sneered. "How many times will I tell you that I am not your uncle? I only knew your father, we were not friends, and we were not brothers."

"Father, do you know this worthless slave?" Ake asked.

"This piece of trash is Kai Halsten, son of Ragner Halsten, the treacherous scum that was executed thirteen years ago." President Kirk spat to the ground. "Leave here right now, Kai. Trash like you do not belong on imperial grounds. Take him out!"

Kai forced himself to look up as he spoke weakly. "Please, Your Excellence. I only want two hundred and fifty thousand nanobucks. That's worth nothing to you, you are worth billions. I need to buy myself and my sister out of slavery. She is dying from the F-X7 disease."

"And how is that a business of mine, you fool?" "You were a friend to my father, sir," Kai wept. "Surely you don't mind lending a little help to his children. Please, sir, that is all I ask of you. I will never come here if you help me this once. I can't let my sister die."

"You are a brainless twat if you think I care about any of that! I will not entertain your idiocy any longer. Get him out of my sight."

"Please, I beg you, sir!" Kai yelled in tears as he was being dragged by the guards. He managed to set himself free then he ran and grabbed President Kirk by the leg, crying woefully. "I will pay you back, I will work for you, I will do anything you ask for if only you give me this money. That's all I want from you, sir."

"Argh!" President Kirk swung his leg, kicking Kai powerfully with his feet and sending the weak boy flying to the hard ground. Kai felt a painful crack in his back and he was sure he had broken some bones. "Get this worthless waste of space out of my sight," he ordered the guards. "If I see this slag anywhere near my tower again, it is you who will pay the consequences. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The guards saluted and grabbed Kai, dragging him through the floor as he cried loudly in pain and sorrow. President Kirk and Ake then entered back into the High Tower.

What a dreadful life Kai was living. Working as a slave for Master Sven with his sister ever since they were sold at the age of five and two after they were abandoned by their mother. Master Sven was mean and ruthless, he barely fed them and treated them with an iron hand.

Now Kai's sister was fatally ill with measles, also known as F-X7 which causes the skin to swell in certain parts until the body rots from inside out. 

This was the life the death of his father had forced him to live. A life of starvation, sickness, sorrow, and hardship. It seemed like there was no hope for him, no help coming from anyone. Kai feared that his sister would die and he would kill himself from the pain of letting her down. His face was wet with tears as the guards dumped him on the ground outside the imperial grounds. He was back in the ground zero, the wastelands where the poorest of the poor lived.

Kai pulled himself slowly to his feet. His body was aching all over as he dried his tears. His stomach churned because of hunger and so he took out the last seven nanobucks he had and dragged himself to a cheap store close by to buy some dry bread buns. 

An old homeless ragged man who was sitting on the floor watched Kai as he walked past. The man knew who Kai was. Kai Halsten was the only son of Ragner Halsten who created the Astral Nodes. The old man had watched Kai walk past this part of ground zero so many times, but today was the day he decided to speak to him.

Kai bought the dry bread buns with his last nanobucks and as he was about to bite it down, the man called him. "Hello, boy."

Kai halted and turned to look at the old man. "Hello," he replied.

"That looks like a nice dry bread buns you have with you. Can you give me some? I haven't eaten anything in five days. Please, boy."

At first, Kai felt a flow of anger rush through him. Can't this old man also see that I am hungry as well? But then he looked into his eyes and compassion settled in. Kai's stomach growled, but after pondering on it for a moment, he handed the entire loaf of dry bread buns to the old man.

"Thank you!" the man exclaimed as he munched the bread greedily while Kai watched with his mouth-watering. When the man was done, he smiled at Kai. "You have done a great deal for me, boy."

"You're welcome," Kai replied with a weak smile as he turned around to leave.

"Where are you going?" the man asked. "Come, I have to repay you for this kindness."

"You don't have to, sir."

"I must!" The man got on his feet easily which surprised Kai. "My name is Olaf. Come, I have something to show you. It has to do with your father."