12/30/3545

A man walked through a grimy, dimly lit street. He wore a tattered shirt hanging loosely over his ripped pants. His hair was messy and unkempt and the colour resembled that of the fur on a moose. 

As he walked, the man looked around his surroundings, like he was searching for someone. He turned his head to the left and then to the right and something caught his eye.

It was an alleyway, even darker than the street he was on. Far down the alley, was a boy sitting on a rusty barrel, fiddling with some corroded pipes affixed to the crumbling district walls. His boney figure illuminated faintly by the dim glow of a flickering neon sign in the alley.

"There you are, Nik!" the man called out, relief and frustration mingling in his voice as he hurried toward the boy.

The boy turned his head around for a few seconds and then went back to working on the pipes. 

"Everyone's been looking all over for you. You do know it's the farewell party, right?" the man asked.

"Party? Really Jim? It's more like a funeral than a party." Nik replied bitterly.

Jim sighed. "I know you don't like going to these things Nik." he said. "But this is the last time everyone's going to see you. You can't just disappear while people are trying to say their goodbyes."

"No," Nik said firmly. "I'm not going to celebrate the death of people. I'd much rather stay here, fix these pipes, and gain some more karma points." 

"Come on Nik," Jim said. "You know that's not how it works. We're from the low districts. We all get sent down there eventually. It's…. inevitable."

"You didn't." Nik shot back, his voice sharp.

"Yeah, well, I was a one in a billion Nik. And I wish that was the same case for you and everyone else, but that's impossible. After all, we're just Low-district men." Jim sighed. 

A heavy silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant hum of the district and the faint sound of water droplets. 

"Tomorrow's assessment day Nik. It's one of the most traumatic things a teenager can go through. I remember losing your mom and how she entrusted me with your life. I throw these parties so you guys can feel happy before it's all taken away…" Jim said, trying to break the silence. But Nik didn't respond and kept working.

"Fine," Jim sighed, resting a hand on Nik's shoulder. "Just remember to meet me at the middle district…okay?"

Without waiting for a response, Jim turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the darkness, leaving Nik alone in the silence of the alley.

***

12/31/3545

Nik and Jim stood crammed in the elevator, shoulder to shoulder with at least fifteen others. Despite the tight space, Nik couldn't tear his eyes away from the elevator's design. The sleek white walls, the soft blue glow of LED lights, and the holographic button panel—it all felt impossibly advanced. Almost alien.

He heard story's about technology like this, but seeing it left him breathless. He smacked himself, then pinched his arm. He wasn't dreaming, everything was real.

The doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the middle district's main entrance.

"Impressive, right?" Jim said.

Nik stepped out, eyes wide. The polished floors, towering glass walls, and modern architecture. Everything was so beautiful.

"Wow…"

It wasn't just that which amazed Nik—it was also the sheer number of people. Most of them were like him—kids dreading the inevitable.

Jim grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."

But his smile quickly faded. "Wait…I almost forgot." He dug through his pocket and pulled out a dirty, ripped envelope. It looked old, its edges frayed, but the seal remained untouched.

Nik frowned, taking it carefully. "An envelope?"

"Not just any envelope," Jim said. "It's special."

Nik stared at it, feeling its weight in his hands. "What's in it?"

"You'll find out when you're ready. Whether that's in five minutes or five years—doesn't matter. Just promise me you'll open it when the time comes."

Nik hesitated but nodded. "I will."

Jim's face softened. "Good." Then, he looked at his pocket watch and said, "I should get going now. I love you Nik."

Before Jim could move, Nik pulled him into a hug. Jim froze at first, then hugged him back.

"Thanks, Jim." Nik murmured.

"No problem kid." Jim pulled back, squeezing Niks shoulder. "Now, are you ready?"

Nik exhaled slowly. "Not really. But I have to be."

Jim smirked. "Good."

Nik turned around and joined the crowd, rows of people packed shoulder to shoulder. Most were low-district men like him— wearing dirty and worn out clothes, and some wearing no clothes at all. 

The middle-district men stood apart from the rest, their white clothes sharp and spotless with black accents following the outside seams of the clothes. He was amazed at how nice their clothes were, which made him wonder what the high-district men were wearing—if any were around at all.

Nik scanned the crowd, searching for them, but as expected, they weren't there.

Nik also couldn't see anyone he personally recognized, so he stood there quietly, looking around, waiting for something to happen like everyone else.

But then, all of a sudden, the lights dimmed. 

Before Nik could make sense of what was happening a sharp, mechanical beep cut through the air, repeating in steady intervals. Murmurs rippled across the giant room as people shifted nervously, looking for the source—until their eyes dropped to their wrists.

Nik followed, his gaze locking onto the glowing display embedded in his skin. It was his karma counter.

34.

The number glowed red—a harsh, unforgiving red.

Nik's stomach dropped. His karma counter had always been visible, but seeing it now sent a deep and unrelenting dread through him. 

It also gave him a heavy feeling of disappointment, as the average karma score was 500, but in the lower districts, no one had come close to that—not since Jim.

He glanced around. Most people's counters were red, just like his. But scattered throughout the crowd were a handful of green counters—bright and unmistakable. Those were the people with 600 karma or more, the ones we deem as "the lucky ones."

Green meant survival. It meant safety. It meant they wouldn't be sent down to Earth.

Nik's heart pounded and his vision blurred. His karma counter pulsed faintly, almost like it was alive, and suddenly the room felt too hot—too loud.

His knees wobbled.

"What's… happening?" he muttered, his voice thin and unsteady like he had just gotten out of bed.

The beeping grew louder, sharper. His head throbbed. His chest tightened.

Then, his legs gave out, causing him to drop on the floor, and all around him, others dropped too—hundreds of them collapsing one by one.

Confusion erupted from those still standing—the ones with green numbers. They staggered back, their faces pale and eyes wide as the red-marked fell like flies.

Nik's breaths became shallow. His eyelids grew heavy. The world around him blurred and twisted.

He tried to fight it, but his body refused to move.

And as darkness closed in, one final thought echoed through his mind:

Why?

(End of chapter 1)