Near the refuse piles of the Lower Hive, a group of bald men wearing gas masks waded through mountains of debris. These heaps weren't just discarded waste from the Upper Hive but remnants of the Hive itself, eroded over countless years. This Hive's history stretched back to the Holy Emperor's establishment of the Empire, spreading his divine radiance across millions of worlds in the stars. It was a relic from those dark, chaotic times.
Because of this, its ruins might still contain priceless treasures from ancient ages. Though no one had ever found such treasures, the scavengers of the Lower Hive clung to the hope of discovery, treating it as the faintest glimmer of hope in their otherwise grim lives.
But these men weren't scavengers. They were Imperial citizens from the Lower Hive, faithful followers of the Emperor, who voluntarily ventured into the Lower Hive to purge heretics and maintain secret passageways.
"Nothing unusual here. The Emperor's radiance still shines upon this land," one of them remarked. "Let's finish patrolling this area and head back."
"Stay sharp," said Roy, their leader, glancing at him with a smile. "Strive for excellence, even unto death."
This phrase was a holy verse from the Emperor's scriptures. As Roy uttered the sacred words, the group grew solemn, setting aside any trace of carelessness.
After all, they considered themselves the Emperor's most devout followers, far more faithful than the heretical insects of the Upper Hive or the Top Hive.
At that moment, a strange noise echoed from a buried section of the ruins.
The group immediately raised their guard. The Lower Hive was crawling with threats—mutants, witches, gangs, and even...
"An alien!"
Amid their alarmed shouts, a grotesque, inhuman figure emerged from the rubble. Its rounded body and bulbous head were utterly unlike any human form sanctified by the Holy Emperor. Its metallic-blue sheen marked it as a blasphemous creation.
"By the Emperor!" The scavengers exchanged a quick glance, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Doraemon struggled to crawl out from the debris, coughing as the acrid air stung his throat.
"What an awful smell! Where am I?"
Doraemon looked around, confused. He distinctly remembered taking a nap after enjoying some delicious dorayaki. How did he wake up here?
Could this be a prank by Nobita? But if it were, wouldn't his pocket already be stolen? He glanced down at his dimensional pocket, which was still intact.
"What is going on here?"
As he puzzled over his predicament, he noticed several figures wearing gas masks and carrying weapons made from metal pipes and rocks. They appeared to be discussing something.
"I can't understand their language… but that's no problem!"
Doraemon reached into his pocket and pulled out a gadget.
"Translation Jelly!"
With this, he could communicate in any language.
"Hello!" Doraemon waved his small, round hand in greeting. "Could you tell me where I am?"
"Die, filthy alien!"
"I'm not an alien! I'm a cat-shaped parenting robot from the 22nd century—wah!"
Before he could finish, jagged stones came hurtling toward him. Doraemon covered his head with his stubby arms and bolted.
"Die, you heretical creature!"
"In the name of the Emperor!"
"Purge the abomination!"
What was this place? Why were they attacking him without reason? These people were so rude!
"Stop! This is dangerous!" Doraemon dodged the sharp stones and tried to reason with them. "I told you, I'm not an alien—I'm a robot!"
"What is it saying?"
"It claims… it's an iron man?"
The scavengers exchanged glances. Doraemon thought they were finally willing to communicate, but instead, they charged at him with even more fervor.
"Die, you blasphemous construct!"
What was happening? Doraemon scrambled to find a solution, pulling gadgets from his pocket as he fled. Just as the mob was about to catch him, he grabbed what he needed.
"Pebble Hat!"
With this gadget, he could blend into his surroundings, becoming as unnoticeable as a rock.
Plopping the hat onto his head, Doraemon crouched by a pile of rubble.
"Where did it go?"
"It escaped!"
"No, it can't have gone far. Let's regroup and alert the others to capture that abomination!" Roy instructed, turning to one of his men—a bald figure whose body was marked by tumors likely caused by chemical pollution in the environment.
"In the Emperor's name, we must find and purge that alien!"
Once the mob had moved on, Doraemon finally relaxed.
"This place… is seriously dangerous."
He looked around cautiously. First, he needed to figure out where he was.
Fishing through his pocket again, Doraemon pulled out another gadget.
"Universal Encyclopedia!"
This gadget contained all the knowledge of the universe, from school assignments in Japan to galactic events.
But when Doraemon opened the book, he froze.
The pages were blank.
There was only one explanation: this was not his original universe.
"How… how did I end up here?"
For a moment, Doraemon felt despair. But then he clenched his round fists.
"No, I can't let this get me down! If I don't find a way back, Nobita and everyone else will be worried!"
Determined, Doraemon resolved to explore and uncover the mysteries of this world. But for now, safety came first.
He reached into his pocket once more, retrieving a new gadget.
"Spy Satellite!"
Carefully attaching the tracking device to the leader of the mob, he hoped to use it to gather information about this strange and hostile world.