This time, even the usually laid-back and playful Stephan took on a serious tone.
"Look, kid, I get the dedication and loyalty you have toward your goal. I've got a brother just like you. But during the entrance test for the Academy, I've seen plenty of people like you—driven, determined—who ended up dying in the most painful ways on the first or second day. What I'm saying is, lower your expectations before they get you killed..."
Damon simply nodded, signaling that he didn't want to continue the conversation. Stephan seemed to pick up on that and turned to his sister instead.
"Mel, I already called the lab. Take him down there, so they can perform the 'Soul Gate' surgery and issue his uniform. The rest—the whole Fringe explanation—that's on you… And visit me more often, little sis. It gets boring around here."
+ "What's a Soul Gate? And why do they need to operate on me?"
++ "Aww, is the little girl scared?"
Decanus Cromwell smirked.
"Thanks for everything, Stephan… Maybe I'll drop by if I feel like it—and if I don't have to listen to someone flaunting their higher compatibility score. See you around."
Damon also thanked Stephan, and the two left the office, heading toward the lab.
On their way, Damon turned to Decanus Cromwell.
"Decanus? I've never heard of a Soul Gate before. Can you tell me what it is?" He didn't dare ask about the surgery, not wanting to embarrass himself, so instead, he voiced the other question on his and Asharaa's minds. "And I still don't really get this whole compatibility thing—aside from the fact that higher is apparently better."
Decanus nodded.
"You're right. I should've explained it earlier—sorry about that. So, that holo-watch you're wearing? It's ancient tech. No citizen has used those for nearly three centuries. The Soul Gate is an implant that replaces it. It syncs much better with the symbiote and is far superior in both functionality and ease of use. Every temporary citizen or worker whose compatibility is approved gets a Soul Gate issued by the government, so you don't have to worry about the cost."
+ "You were right, Asharaa. Looks like it's just a standard piece of tech that anyone can use. But I still don't get why we've never even heard of it before—or why we can't access the Galactic Net in the fringe…"
++ "And it's obvious this woman doesn't know much about the Fringe either. The way she talks about it; all she seems to know is that it's a terrible place… Strange."
Decanus Cromwell took a deep breath.
"Compatibility percentage… Om… Let me put it this way. When your compatibility is approved, it means your symbiote can connect to your neural system—basically, it binds to your body. But the percentage itself represents how well a person and their symbiote actually sync. For example, if your compatibility is only 20%, you'll barely be able to sense the connection. You'll have to rely on the Soul Gate to send and receive information to it, and even then, the process will drain a lot of energy from your body."
"But if your compatibility level is between 25% and 45%, you'll have a stronger connection with the symbiote. From around 35% onward, you can begin syncing with it, allowing you to store and learn techniques and skills. But most importantly, you'll be able to connect with and control 'Ka'."
"Once your compatibility exceeds 45%, you're officially considered a genius. At that point, you'll be able to sense your symbiote as a distinct presence in your mind, communicate with it directly, and extract information from it. You won't even need to manually connect to technology and systems through the Soul Gate—your symbiote will handle everything for you, including controlling your AI Armament."
Damon asked, "Decanus, is it possible to increase compatibility?"
Stopping in front of another short-range teleporter, Decanus responded, "Of course it is. Many of the powerful knights and praetorians protecting the Empire today or even Spartans and vanguards, once had compatibility levels below 50%. But it's not easy, and it takes a long time. From what I know, my father took seventy years to raise his compatibility from 43% to 51%.
"But don't worry—your percentage is already well-suited for the military."
Once again, his wristband device and Iris ring lit up, activating the teleporter. Both of them stepped inside.
This time, Damon found himself in a massive hall with gleaming white stone floors. The entire space buzzed with activity—tables, machines, and people in white lab coats zipped around on esco-boots, gliding from one station to another while making various hand gestures mid-air, their fingers shifting rapidly as if manipulating invisible interfaces.
Decanus shut down the teleporter behind them.
"We need to head to the right—the Soul Gate division."
As they moved through the lab, Damon watched scientists and engineers effortlessly navigating the area, their esco-boots sliding them around with precision. Dozens of drone-bots whizzed through the air, ferrying supplies and data between stations. The entire place was chaotic—conversations overlapping, machinery humming, alarms occasionally blaring. Every now and then, a small explosion would erupt somewhere, followed by a burst of laughter from a group of researchers.
+ "Damn it, we've barely been here two minutes, and I'm already losing my mind… How the hell do these people focus on science in this madness?!"
++ "I think, with the help of the symbiote and Soul Gate, they probably mute the surroundings and focus solely on their work... But that's only if their compatibility is high, like Decanus said... If not, they wouldn't be hired here."
+ "Based on what Decanus said, Lucius's connection with his symbiote is probably similar to ours…"
++ "No, we're way ahead. I'm far more advanced than these so-called symbiotes…"
After nearly ten minutes of walking, they arrived at a section of the lab where all the personnel, under their white lab coats, wore navy military uniforms.
"Decanus Cromwell, this way please..."
Damon turned toward the voice and noticed a yellow drone-bot, shaped like a dragonfly, hovering above him, its gaze fixed on Decanus.
"Got it, doctor. Please show us the way."
+ "Doctor? is this dragonfly-thing gonna perform the surgery on me?"
++ "Don't be crazy, the real doctor is probably controlling it from a distance…"
+ "I know, it's just... exploiting your gullibility is so much fun."
++ "You're such an asshole, Damon... I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Shit, sorry… Asharaa? … Asharaa?... Shit..."
Damon followed Decanus, who was trailing after the drone-bot, and they soon reached a quieter part of the lab, where several empty beds and various machines were set up.
A middle-aged man with glasses and blond hair was waiting for them. Decanus Cromwell shook the doctor's hand.
"It's an honor to meet you again, Dr. Remington. I read your latest paper on the mind and 'Ka', and I must say, I was truly impressed."
Dr. Remington gave her a fatherly smile.
"The honor is mine, Miss Cromwell... I've always said—and I'll say it again—you should've focused on science, especially medicine and anatomy, instead of wasting your years in the military. But, well, what's done is done… All I can do now is wish you success."
Decanus Cromwell smiled.
"That's kind of you, Doctor… But some traditions are hard to break. Anyway, this is Damon Grey, a new citizen. I brought him in for the Soul Gate implant, so we'll be troubling you for a bit."
The doctor nodded in acknowledgment and turned to Damon.
"Hello, young man. I'll need you to pick a bed and lie down. Oh, and take off your shirt first."
After confirming the doctor's words, Damon walked toward the last bed and sat down. But just as he was about to remove his shirt, Decanus stepped closer and placed her hand on his head. Damon felt an invisible energy wrap around his body, and at the same time, he noticed the ring around Decanus's Iris glow a soft blue.
"I'm scanning your body so they can print your uniform while you're in surgery."
The warmth of Decanus's touch, combined with the glowing blue ring in her eyes that gave them an almost ethereal look, sent a strange sensation through Damon's body. His ears turned red. His reaction—and the way he found himself staring into her eyes—didn't go unnoticed. A slight smile formed on Decanus's lips.
Once the scan was complete, Decanus stepped away. Damon quickly removed his shirt and waited for Dr. Remington.