Chapter 2: Awakening
Marcus frowned as he came out of his study holding his datapad, and immediately his military instincts kicked in when he noticed the people who came are not here to make friends.
Caden stood in the hallway clutching his wrist-where the enigmatic bracelet had merged with a tight seal-on it. The knock came again this time louder and harder, and carried a voice: "Open the door. United Earth Military."
Marcus turned to Lana, his face grim. "Stay back," he whispered, leaving no room for debate.
Lana nodded but kept a wary eye on Caden while Marcus approached the door. Marcus took a deep breath and reached to touch the panel that would open the door. The door opened to two men dressed in black-and-silver uniforms, their combat boots shining under the porch light, their faces unyielding with their stance.
"Marcus Ward?" the taller of the two asked, though his gaze went beyond Marcus into the house.
"That's me," Marcus replied, his voice neutral.
"We're here for Caden Arden," the officer replied curtly, his eyes squinting now that they'd landed on Caden, who had appeared in the doorway behind Marcus.
Lana stepped forward, her voice sure. "What's this about? He's just a teenager."
The second, shorter but no less intimidating, pulled out a sleek datapad and began scrolling. "Routine checks," he said flatly. "The United Earth Military has flagged his profile for further evaluation. A necessary precaution given his connections with someone who we believe to be a traitor to humanity after stealing one of the military best tech. We would like to see if Caden knows anything about it.
The words hit Caden like a physical blow. The soldiers were not nice with their words at all.
"What kind of evaluation is he going to go through?" Marcus asked, his voice razor-sharp.
"A preliminary fitness test at the Earth Military Academy," replied the taller officer. "We have to make sure there are no irregularities."
Caden clamped his teeth down, the bracelet around his wrist growing hotter by the second, as if something inside stirred, alive.
"If we don't?" Marcus pressed, taking a half-step in front of Caden.
"Refusal is not an option," said the shorter officer coldly. "You will be detained immediately for questioning if you fail to comply.
Lana gasped, but Marcus laid a cautioning hand on her shoulder. To Caden, he turned, his face etched with frustration and a resolve. "It's your call, kid," he said softly.
Caden straightened his back as he rubbed his wrist again. He wouldn't show them that he'd back down; he had to prove it to them, more than anybody else, that he wasn't like his father.
"I'll do it," he said, his voice level despite the tight ball coiling in his stomach.
The two officers nodded. "Report to the Academy in two days," the tall one said. "Further instructions will be sent to your communicator."
As they turned to leave, the bracelet suddenly pulsed in his hand. A faint glow emanated from it-so slight that only Caden noticed. He quickly slid his hand into his pocket, his heart pounding as the door hissed shut behind the officers.
Caden burst into his room, clutching at his wrist as the bracelet burned. The police were gone, but their words still swirled in his mind. *They really think I have something to do with what my father did?* He gritted his teeth, staring down at the bracelet he wore.
In an instant, the bracelet pulsed with a keen rhythmic thrum, almost seeming to harmonize with his heartbeat.
**"System initialization detected. Evaluating environment. Hostile organisms detected."**
The voice was cold and emotionless, the words echoing in his mind. Caden crab-walked backward, eyes wide with fear. "What in the name of.?" he stuttered.
A soft, blue glow was seeping from his wrist, casting a luminescent glow along his arm in radiant waves. His heart was racing as a semi-transparent screen flickered to life in front of his eyes, a jumbled mess of strange symbols and unintelligible text.
-The
**SYSTEM STATUS**
- Host Name: Caden Arden
- Synchronization Level: 20%
- Threat Detected: Moderate
-Action Required: Initialising initial protocol.
The words blurred for one brief second as they concretized into firm shapes and became lodged. Caden blinked several times rapidly-as if it couldn't be real-but things were stubborn, remaining put.
**"Welcome, Host. The Strongest Interstellar Soldier System online, starting synchronization now".
Scratching his forehead hard, he told his face that his hallucinations probably only went a limited number of tiers deep. "I don't really remember getting this.
"Accept what?" Caden hissed, his voice rising. The light off the bracelet was getting brighter and brighter, making him raise his forearm to shield his eyes.
**"Accept synchronization to unlock basic survival protocols. Refusal will result in deactivation of system support."**
This cold, logical tone grated on his nerves. He wanted to rip the bracelet off, but it had already fused with his skin. His mind was racing-is this in connection with his father's disappearance or with the tech that the military is looking for?
The glow brightened further, and he felt the pound of his heartbeat in his ears. *I don't have time to think. If I'm really in danger.*
"Fine," he growled, clenching his teeth. "I accept."
The moment those words were off his lips, the bracelet suddenly flared into life in a surge of energy running through his veins. A wave of heat and cold wracked his body, and he gasped.
**SYSTEM UPDATE**
- Synchronization Level: 100%
- Initial abilities unlocked: Enhanced Perception (MAX).
As the light dimmed, Caden straightened up even further, breathing evenly. The interface showed his statistics:
Strength: 5
Speed: 4
Dexterity: 5
Perception: MAX
Combat experience: 2
Below the statistics, one line appeared:
**"Daily Mission: Do 10 push-ups. Reward: 1 Status Point."**
"Push-ups?" Caden repeated, looking at the screen with incredulousness. "You have to be kidding me."
The system's voice returned implacable:
**"Physical fitness is crucial to survival. Begin now.
Caden let out a hard sigh, shaking his head as his eyes came up to the screen floating in front of him.
"Alright, ten push-ups," he said to himself before falling onto the floor in his small room. His arms shook while hoisting his body higher, his mind still thinking about what happened tonight.
It felt like, to signal the final press-up, a strange, electric-like feeling pulsed through his body, firing into his muscles.
**Today's Mission Achieved!
Rewards: 1 Status Point.
Current Status Points: 1.
Caden sat back on his heels, staring into the screen, eyes wide, as breathing slowed. "Status points?" he grumbled, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. No sooner did deep thoughts of it cross his mind than the system spoke once more.
**"New Mission: Enter combat readiness assessment. Complete basic hand-to-hand combat training. Reward: 5 Status Points and Tier 1 Healing Fluid."**
"What now?" Caden groaned, rubbing his wrist to the faint glow of the bracelet. He fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. The day had been tiring enough in itself without a weird new voice in his brain demanding exercises of him.
But before he could give in to the temptation of sleep, the voice of the system echoed again.
**"Host, failure to complete assigned missions will result in penalties to physical stats. Training is obligatory."**
Caden was sitting up in a flash. "Penalties? What kind of penalties?"
The interface flickered and shifted, revealing a list of possible outcomes. As he scanned down the list, his heart sank:
- Strength: -2
- Speed: -1
- Overall Synchronization: -10%
His fists were clenched as his jaw tightened. "That's not fair," he muttered. "You cannot just take things away because it was never yours in the first place."
The system wouldn't budge with his complaint. **"Activating training protocol. Location: Safe Zone 1."**
The bracelet pulsed once more, and before he could even do anything, everything around him blurred. The next thing he knew, he was standing in what seemed to be an abandoned gym, thick with the smell of sweat and rubber. A light glow enveloped the room, given off by the walls themselves.
"What is this place?" Caden muttered, turning around in a circle.
**"Virtual Combat Training Module activated. Please engage."**
The voice of the system was cold and distant, without the slightest hint of consolation. A figure materialized as Caden turned-a holographic opponent, its body made up of shifting, translucent light. It was humanoid but moved unnaturally, limbs twitching in odd manners and angles.
"Are you serious?" Caden asked, instinctively raising his hands.
His opponent charged in without any sort of warning, eerily quick. Caden hobbled back as his heart skipped a beat and managed to dodge the punch.
"Fine," he growled. "You want me to fight? Let's fight."
He closed his fists and stepped forward, throwing an un-agile punch at the hologram. It sailed right through the hologram harmlessly, and he swore under his breath.
The opponent didn't give him time to recover. It swept its leg out, catching Caden in the stomach and sending him sprawling to the floor.
**"Host performance: Poor. Please recalibrate."**
Caden groaned, pushing himself up. "Thanks for the encouragement," he muttered sarcastically.
But as he stood, he noticed something: his vision had shifted ever so slightly; he could see the hologram's movements a split second before they happened, almost as if the hologram itself was now an afterimage of its actions. Caden could see the action of the hologram before it is performed by the humanoid hologram.
His perception ability.
A grin spread over his face as he raised his hands once more. "Alright," he said. "Let's try this your way."
The opponent lunged again, and this time, Caden sidestepped with ease, his body seemingly moving of its own volition. He ducked under a punch, then counterattacked with a kick that sent the hologram backpedaling.
**"Improvement detected. Host synchronization at 110%."**
The fight continued; Caden gained confidence with each exchange. By the time the hologram finally flickered and then disappeared, he was panting but grinning.
**Training Complete!**
- Reward: 5 Status Points.
- Bonus Reward: Reflex Enhancement (+2 Speed).
Caden collapsed onto the floor, staring up at the glowing ceiling. "This system is insane," he muttered.
But as the rush of the adrenaline began to wear off, he felt something: for the first time in years, he was not the son of a traitor. Strong. Capable. Like a person who could carve his future.
"If I keep on improving I might be able to get into the Academy," he said softly, with a spark of determination in his eyes.
The voice of the system chimed again.
**"New Quest: Be the top rank in the Earth Military Academy entrance test. Reward: Advanced Weapon Blueprint."**
Caden's smile broadened. "Bring it on."
Minutes later, Caden was panting, standing amidst the dark virtual training room, his chest heaving. The soft hum of the system whirred around him, and the hologram opponent fluttered, finally disappearing. The interface readjusted itself now, flashing his updated statistics and progress on-screen:
**SYSTEM STATUS
- Host Name: Caden Arden
- Synchronization Level: 110% (+10%)
- Threat Level Assessment: Low
- Vital Status: Optimal
- Level: 2
- Exp to next level: 100/ 200
**ATTRIBUTES**
- Strength: 5
- Speed: 6 (+2)
- Dexterity: 5
- Perception: MAX
- Combat experience: 4
- Status Points Available: 6
**INVENTORY**
- Tier 1 Healing Fluid: 1 vial
**MISSIONS**
- Daily Mission (Complete): 10 push-ups
Reward: +1 Status Point
- Training Mission (Complete): Hand-to-hand combat training
Reward: +5 Status Points, Reflex Enhancement
**NEW MISSION
Goal: Be at the top of the entrance test to the Earth Military Academy.
Reward: Advanced Weapon Blueprint
The screen had kept his eyes stuck. The synchronization level was interesting, different from any other number about stats; it was linked with his progress regarding the System, perhaps even with how well he would be able to survive.
He glanced at the missions tab. Advanced weapons promised were all well and good, but competing as number one in the entrance test of the Academy-which was impossible for him, at that moment of looking into his stats; he doesn't even have an ability, even with the system.
*I still need to improve more*, he thought to himself.
A faint humming pierced his thoughts-low, yet unmistakable, like drones cutting through the night air.
**"Host, possible danger within 300 meters detected. Surveillance activity confirmed,"** the system said, cold and emotionless.
Caden's body went rigid. He strode to the window, drew the curtain back, and peered out carefully. Against the dark sky, a red, flickering light hovered menacingly. It was faint, barely visible to current normal human eyes, but with his maxed-out perception, he could see it was there.
"What is that?" he whispered, the words catching in his throat.
**"Unknown entity. Recommendation: Stay out of detection. Defensive protocols are on standby.
The red light flickered twice, then disappeared into darkness.
His gaze fell again to the bracelet wrapped on his wrist. It was at this moment that a thought, like a bolt of lightning, flashed across his mind: *They are not just following me; they are preparing for interrogating me at the academy.*
The system interface flickered again.
**"Synchronization boost available. Spend 5 Status Points to enhance combat experience, strength, dexterity, and speed. Proceed?
Caden stared at the screen, his mind running. He clenched his fist as he steeled himself.
*Whatever's coming, I'll be ready.*