Where it began

Lyra and Adam left the house after enabling a full security lock. Although crime was painfully low in the Middle and Upper rings, it didn't hurt to take precaution.

They had to walk down the sloppy path that led to the peripherals of the city. From here, Adam could see towering structures, blinding lights and various floating mechanisms.

For a moment, he hesitated. He hadn't stepped out of the house in over 3 years, since the demise of his parents. Ever since that day–the tragic incident of the EVA explosion–his little world had shattered.

He felt like his comfort had been stripped from him, leaving him susceptible to the cruel fate of the universe.

"Hey," Lyra suddenly held his hand. The only person that kept him going.

"It's okay to hesitate," She tried to ease his bleeding heart. "I'll be with you, so you don't have to worry about anything. Or, if you aren't feeling up to it, we can go back. I'll take a day off."

Adam shook his head and inhaled deeply.

"I'm good, it'll pass." He said and proceeded down the path.

Lyra nodded solemnly and followed behind him.

Soon, they got to the edge of the city and stopped by one of the transportation pods– usually large enough for five to six people. One could also decide to get a private transport pod, if they could afford it, that is.

Lyra tapped on her wrist band. A holographic panel popped up and the lady swiped right. She familiarly completed the payment and stepped into the pod along with Adam.

Large tubes moved around the city like a spider's web, enabling smooth movement for the pods. Soon, they would arrive at their destination– where it all began.

EVA, a scientific research institute.

…

Middle Ring, Epsilon sector.

A cloaked figure nimbly moved around the street, taking various turns and applying anti-tracking methods. Soon, the figure reached a concealed alley and leaned close to the wall.

He was a man of large build and the right side of his face was covered in steel plates. A red glint flickered in his right eye as he looked at the far end of the alley.

He could hear them. The marching boots of the Overseers.

"Dammit!" He clicked his tongue and placed his hand on the wall. Rapidly, his cloak turned translucent, before assuming the colour and depth of the brick walls.

A successful camouflage.

At the end of the alley, a number of Overseers marched along the street, holding enhanced rifles that glowed with a ferocious blue hue. The pulsating growl emanating from the guns was like the call of death for every criminal.

Claw's heart tightened. His mates at the Lower Ring had warned him against coming up here. Getting away with crime in the Lower Ring was relatively easy, as it was quite a bit of a lawless region.

But here? He suddenly wore a look of contempt and rage. They had chased him for an entire night. Luckily, he brought extra power cells for his cybernetic parts.

After listening to the retreating march of the Overseers, he dispelled the camouflage and stepped out of the shadows.

Suddenly, his heart tightened.

At the end of the alleyway, a figure stood. A man in a long trench coat and top hat– an aesthetic clearly unbefitting of the current era.

"I knew something wasn't right," The man chuckled, reaching for his gun holster.

Claw fisted his palm. He regretted not maintaining the camouflage for a while longer. But there was no use worrying about that now. He needed to take this Marshall down.

Could he really? He faltered in his heart.

Marshalls were ridiculously skilled soldiers, and they were the leaders of various Overseer platoons.

Truth be told, he would have preferred to run from the robot-like Overseers, rather than encounter this beast. Running wasn't an option. The only option was to fight and hope to win.

Silence momentarily descended as both parties counted seconds in their heart.

Bang! A shot suddenly ran out.

The Marshall had grabbed his gun and aimed at a ridiculous speed.

Claw reflexively leapt to the side, avoiding the bullet by a hair's breadth. He locked eyes on his target, realising any slip up might cause his demise, and activated his cybernetic eye.

His right eye could analyse movements, gestures and posture, accurately predicting what a target would do in the next few seconds.

His hands deftly reached for two blades strapped to his waist. He rushed forward, advancing in a zig-zig manner.

The Marshall grinned and decisively took a step back. He held the Vector R-9 handgun in his left hand and aimed once more.

Bang! A pulsing blue bullet left a fine trail as it traversed the distance.

A clang echoed throughout the entire alley as Claw deflected with one of the blades he held tight. However, this was the chance the Marshall needed. Taking the opportunity of one of Claw's arms raised up, he closed the distance with a terrifying speed and thrust out his right hand.

The sleeve of his coat shifted up slightly, revealing a fine, steel hand that bore engraved, reddish lines.

The punch was heavy. It struck Claw, who had guarded with his other hand, and a battle of strength ensued.

Despite his large size, Claw staggered and his knee buckled. With an annoyed grunt, he quickly brought down his raised hand, and aimed the blade at the man's skull.

The Marshall suddenly pulled back and shifted to the side with nausea-inducing speed. He went around and grabbed Claw by the waist from behind. His grip was firm, and his strength was undeniable.

Even though Claw could predict his movements, the man was simply too fast!

"One two…" The Marshall laughed and exerted strength, lifted a man that was twice his size and slammed him to the ground, backwards.

"Ack–" Claw's shoulder blades cracked, and a lot of mechanical components fell to the ground.

The Marshall rose and patted his trench coat, a smile on his face. He spun the handgun in his hand as he placed a foot on Claw's head. Then, he placed the gun directly on the criminal's shoulder joint and fired.

Not one, not two bullets.

Cries and gunshots echoed into the distance.

…

EVA Research Institute.

Adam tagged alongside Lyra as they stepped into the premises of the once renowned Institute. He looked around and observed the rather abandoned building and sighed inwardly.

He remembered– this place used to be so beautiful and grand. However, ever since the tragic incident of losing their Head Scientist and other equally brilliant minds in a failed experiment, EVA had taken quite the blow.

Now, only a few scientists remained, Lyra included.

"We're still trying to pick ourselves back up." The lady chuckled wryly. She thought for a moment and asked, "Does this place make you uncomfortable?"

Adam shook his head. "I'm fine…"

How could he be fine? This was, after all, where both his parents had died.

Lyra sighed and patted his shoulder tenderly.

They walked into the building and Lyra clocked in. As they proceeded to Lyra's office, Adam observed the seemingly unending corridors of this place. There were fluorescent lights affixed to the ceiling at various intervals, illuminating the interior that had a somewhat heavy and gloomy atmosphere.

Adam felt slightly uncomfortable.

They arrived at the office and Lyra grabbed her lab coat.

"Uh, I have to meet with Dr. Layman now. It might take quite a while, so just make yourself comfortable."

Adam looked around the office.

"There isn't much to do…" He pointed out.

Lyra placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.

"Well, just watch something educational on your wristband. Uh- you could go into the Metaspace. Do you have an account? You can use mine. My password is Lyra5212."

The Metaspace was a virtual, 3d-modelled internet. It was where most people met, gathered to enjoy a common activity or accessed entertainment. Of course, it cost quite a lot to own a Metaspace account and certain locked features. For example, a 3d space of snowy landscapes from Old Earth.

Adam watched as she left and sank into a chair afterwards. He blew a raspberry as he reluctantly searched the cabinets for her Metaspace goggles. His was back at the house.

When he couldn't find them, he groaned loudly and walked to the door. He pressed on the handle with a soft creak and gazed at what lay beyond.

The empty, unsettling corridor came into view.

Adam contemplated his actions for a moment, but eventually stepped out. He picked a random direction–his memory of the entire layout was quite foggy–and proceeded forward.

After walking quite a distance, he suddenly stopped.

Ahead, about a few metres from where he stood, he saw a figure.