306 years ago, the sun moved dangerously close to Earth, unleashing massive amounts of radiation that wiped out ⅓ of the population. This tragedy was known as "The Flash." In response to the flash, a corporation called "Maltor" developed a massive spaceship known as "Maltor-303" which was capable of sustaining life for up to 3 billion people.
As people settled onto the ship, things appeared normal. But as the years passed, the population on the ship started rapidly increasing, causing everyone to be cramped and fighting for space.
To control the overcrowding, the government implemented a system called "Karma." At birth, every individual is given a score that tracks their "contributions to society." And at the age of 18 their karma score will be evaluated and assessed. The people with 600 karma or more would get to stay on the spaceship. But those who fail to meet the required karma score are sent back to Earth, to make more space on the ship.
Although on paper it doesn't seem like too bad of an idea, the karma system is heavily corrupt and favors the mid and high-district men. As a result, on average, over 90% of the teenagers sent down to Earth on assessment day are poor and impoverished. Or in other terms, the low-district men.
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Nik woke up drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. He had no idea where he was or why he was there. His eyes darted around, taking in the small, cramped space pod surrounding him. The walls were lined with countless buttons, each glowing faintly in the dim light. He stared at them but didn't dare touch any.
A massive metal box rested heavily on his lap, crushing him and making it nearly impossible to breathe. Panic rising, Nik pushed against it with all his strength. The first attempt failed. He tried again, gritting his teeth. Still, it wouldn't budge. Finally, on his third attempt, the box shifted and slid off to the right with a loud clunk.
Nik slumped back, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down. Slowly, fragments of his memory began to return—the middle district, the evaluation, the envelope. His stomach turned as the pieces started to fit together.
Suddenly, a holographic screen appeared in front of him, and a video began playing, showing a woman standing in a sleek, futuristic laboratory. Behind her were strange high-tech equipment Nik had never seen before. But his attention quickly shifted to her as she began to speak.
"Hello," she said, her voice unnervingly calm. "You may be confused about where you are and why you are here, so I'm here to explain."
Nik leaned forward, his heart pounding as he listened.
"You are currently in a Maltor mini space pod being sent back to Earth," she said, her tone clinical and detached. "This is due to your failure to meet your karma quota."
Her words stung, but before Nik could fully process them, she continued.
"You may feel nervous or afraid, but I assure you that there is no need to be," she said. "Inside your pod, you will find a survival box. It contains everything you need to last for approximately one month: food, water, and weapons. Additionally, you have been equipped with an MPA suit—a high-tech armor designed to protect you from solar radiation and other life-threatening hazards. Do not remove it."
"Well, that is all you need to know. Prepare yourself—your pod will land in…"
The video cut out, replaced by a countdown timer: 10 seconds.
Nik's pulse quickened. He braced himself, clutching the metal box tightly.
10… 9… 8…
The pod began to tremble violently.
7… 6… 5…
A deep rumble grew beneath him.
4… 3… 2… 1.
Impact.
The pod slammed into the ground with brutal force. Nik was thrown against the walls, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. Then, his head hit something hard, causing him to black out.
Nik woke to the faint creak of the pod's hatch as someone began to open it.
A figure stood silhouetted against the light, holding a long bo staff tipped with a glowing red laser. The weapon's heat filled the cramped space pod, making Nik's skin prickle with discomfort even from a distance.
The figure moved closer, the laser staff aimed directly at Nik's head. Its humming filled the silence, and the heat intensified, beads of sweat forming on Nik's forehead.
For a moment, the two stared at each other in silence. Then the figure's voice broke through, cold and sharp.
"Where's the envelope?"
Nik's heart raced, his mind spiraling. What envelope? They couldn't possibly be talking about the envelope Jim gave him.
"What envelope?" Nik asked, his voice trembling.
"Don't play dumb with me." the stranger snapped, aiming the weapon closer to Nik's neck.
(End of chapter 2)