The year 3010 was a date engraved into the minds of every living being across the reaches of the world, Or what was left of it.
It was the year the planet we once knew was set ablaze.
Governments infected with corruption and greed, fighting for the scarce natural resources that had dried up from the surface of the earth.
Oceans were the first to go, Receding and leaving behind the skeletal remains of the once thriving coastlines. Forests became mere whispers in the wind reduced to nothing more than barren waist lands. Air grew stale and acrid, Filled with particles that stung the eyes and scorched the lungs.
Something as simple and natural as breathing became an ordeal, A painful reminder of the world humanity had left behind. Those who survived did so under a constant haze, Masks fused to their faces with filters that clogged faster then they could be replaced.
Yet despite humanity's suffering, The governments never lifted a finger beyond empty promises and hollow speeches. They poured their resources that could be used to help the people, Into wars and territorial disputes, Unwilling to acknowledge the crumbling world around them.
Until they were forced to.
When the last drop of oil and the last remnants of precious metals had been consumed, When every avenue of exploitation had been exhausted, The governments were left with nothing but dust and ashes in their hands. The world had been gutted, It's core bled dry with the remnates of civilization teetering on the edge of collapse.
That was when the Eclipse Corporation stepped up from the ashes, Showing humanity a light in the tunnel of unending darkness they had been in for so long.
Eclipsium
An energy unlike anything ever discovered in the 4 billion years of earth's history. It wasn't like oil that needed to be refined nor burned like coal. Eclipsium was a clean, Self-sustaining energy source, Seemingly limitless, Able to power an entire city with a single shard the size of a small pebble.
It was a miracle, A lifeline thrown to a species on the brink of extinction. The Eclipse Corporation presented Eclipsium as the ultimate solution, A way to restore order and finally offer humanity a chance to thrive as it did so long ago.
But with that gift came a price, Humanity had changed from the irongrip of the governments to a new prison.
Eclipsium was rare, Extracted from deposits hidden deep within the earth's remaining tectonic scars. Only the Eclipse Corparation held the technology and the means to mine it, And only they understand the process to make it usable. They carefully controlled its distribution, Decideding who was worthy of power, Who deserved heat in the endless cold, And who was fated to live in perpetual darkness.
A sanctuary was built on ashes, An impenetrable citadel of privilege where the air was purified and water flowed freely. The wealthy lived in towers of glass and steel, Powered by Eclipsium that lit their sky's day and night.
The small portion of humanity had regained what it meant to be a human, While the rest were left beneath in the wreckage of the mistakes of the past.
The Undercity
As the Luxborn like to call it, But to those trapped in its reaches, It had a different name.
The Iron depths
******
Beneath the shimmering towers of Ironhaven, Where the privileged basked in the eternal glow of Eclipsium, Lay the Iron Depths, A labyrinthine waistland of rust, Grime and most of all despair.
It stretched far beyond what the eye could see, An unholy marriage of iron and ash where the remnants of the worlds forgotten struggled to survive. The streets were twisted metal pathways of a broken city whose name had been long lost. The sounds of gears grinding, Steam hissing and the constant clatter of machines defined the atmosphere, A rhythmic pulse of decay that echoed throughout every corner of the Depths.
Towering factories and long abandoned skyscrapers leaned in on each other like exhausted corpses, Rusted skeletons that formed a jagged skyline, Pierced by massive steam vents. The ancient buildings, Once the pride of a prosperous world were now reduced to shelters, Hideouts, Or factories that belched toxic smoke into the already scarred sky.
Flickering, Failing electric lights dimly illuminated the lower levels, Casting the depths in a sickly orange glow. Above, Massive metal pipes wound through the city like arteries, Carrying steam, Wastewater, And the byproducts of whatever decrepit energy sources still powered the remnants of industry.
There were no laws here, No government to speak of. The Eclipse Corporation may have mined the earth's core and controlled the world's energy, But they had little interest in the lives of those beneath their towers. Instead, power was dictated by gangs and warlords, Factions of the most ruthless who had clawed their way to dominance over the weakened masses.
"Excuse me"
The voice, soft and hesitant broke through the lazy hum of the marketplace. It came from in front of a merchant's stall cluttered with rations and random trinkets. The owner, a burly man with a face as weathered as the iron that framed their world, opened one bloodshot eye from his midday nap.
He squinted, his gaze locking onto the small figure standing on their tiptoes to barely reach the rusted counter. A grunt escaped him as he sat forward, his hulking form casting a broad shadow over the child. It was only then that he could see them more clearly, though even that was through a thick layer of dirt and grime that clung to the boy's body like a second skin.
He had medium length white hair which obviously hadn't been cut in a while that was streaked with soot and ash, But beneath the dirt, There was a shimmer of its true color, A rare almost silver hue that stood out in the Iron Depths.
"What do you want, runt?" The burly man growled with his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
The young boy smiled innocently while raising one of his boney fingers in case the large man before him misheard.
"Can I have one ration please?" His words made the merchant narrow his eyes even more.
For a long moment the man said nothing, His eyes darting around as though expecting to catch sight of someone lurking nearby. Then he sighed heavily, the kind of sigh reserved for unwelcome interruptions.
"Three bronze Cogcoins" He raised three large fingers starting from his pinky.
"Y~yes" The white haired boy stuttered immediately plunging his hand into his tattered pockets rummaging around.
The merchant turned to the side and grabbed a single black packet that was a few inches in size. He looked back only to find the young boy still reaching into his pockets while bitting his bottom lip, He grew irritated after a couple more seconds and slammed his hand down on the counter.
"If you don't have the coin then get lost kid!" A mean glare was etched upon his face causing the child to tremble.
"N~no I have it.." The white haired boy's hand moved even faster before finally stopping seemingly grabbing something.
"Here it is" He let out a relieved sigh slowly pulling his arm up.
"Kids, I swear" The burly merchant let out another sigh expecting to see the familiar glint of the Cogcoins yet he was left confused.
"What the—?" In the boy's hand was a small circular metal sphere that had a bright red button on its side.
"My payment" The boy said flatly, his face suddenly devoid of emotion and before the merchant could react, the boy's thumb pressed the button and tossed it forward.
Boom!
"Agh!" The merchant was greeted to a thick chocking cloud of smoke that completely blocked his vison from every side.
He staggered backwards stunned at first but quickly waved his hands around in an attempt to push it away, It was only after a dozen or so seconds could he see clearly again. The burly man quickly reached underneath the counter and grabbed the axe he used for protection, Yet when he looked in front the young boy was nowhere to be seen.
"…." The man's eyes trembled as they went down and landed on the counter that was barren of the contents once there.
"Bastard!"
His scream of anger echoed throughout the metal laid pathways, Although the target of his fury was long gone.