07:55, February 10, 2295
Prison 28, 111F, Amber Moon Spire (琥月塔), ZenFusion Taipei branch,
No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium of Dragons territory
Inside his cell, Xin stared at the flag of the Imperium of Dragons that hung ominously on the far wall. The deep crimson of the banner seemed to pulsate with a life of its own, suffocating him with its rich color. In the center was the iconic yin-yang symbol, flanked by golden coiled dragons.
Golden rays extended outward from the symbol, representing the Imperium's extensive power and influence. While it was an impressive display of Imperial grandeur, Xin could only feel the weight of oppression that it represented.
He looked down at the dull gray suit that clung to his body, the fabric smooth and unyielding against his skin. It was a seamless garment, covering him from neck to ankle, offering no comfort, no warmth beyond the regulated temperature the suit maintained. Around his wrists and ankles, faint energy bands lay dormant, ready to activate at the slightest hint of rebellion.
Xin's thoughts drifted to Ume, the android given to him by the Imperium to fulfill his emotional and sexual desires without any hesitation for his excellent performance at ZenFusion Taipei. And now, they were going to take her away from him. Having no idea where she would end up, he had to accept that he had lost her. Another significant person in his life being taken by the cold, unfeeling machine governing their land.
But then, he questioned if his feelings for her were genuine or if it was just the outer shell of her former submissive consciousness that he was attached to. Was it love or simply lust disguised as love to alleviate his guilt? He wondered if anyone at the Imperium or ZenFusion Taipei would discover the information he had stored in Ume's android memory.
Out of nowhere, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the area. Startled from his thoughts, Xin's eyes narrowed as he noticed a surge of blue energy pass through the walls, unlocking the door of his prison cell. The restraints on his wrists and ankles fell off with a beeping sound, hitting the ground. The lights in the cell flickered before being replaced by a dimmer backup power.
"Security breach near Central Power. Corpo Guards, gather at level 50!" A voice boomed from a speaker above. Xin's sharp hearing recognized it as Dilinur's.
"Prefect! The cameras on levels 101 and above are down!" A young feminine voice joined in from the ceiling.
Encouraged by the announcements, Xin pushed up his glasses and cautiously stepped out of his cell. He looked around and saw that all the other cells were open as well; some were empty while others held lifeless bodies, mostly male prisoners.
Suppressing his fear, Xin made his way to a terminal embedded in the wall. With his hands now free, he activated the terminal and quickly switched to the 'voice channel #7070'. As a backend engineer, he knew this was the channel used by Imperial troops stationed at the Amber Moon Spire. Luckily, there was no need for a password on this internal connection.
"Dinu! We need backup. This psionic devil wears Alliance armor!" A voice, rough and gruff, commanded over the channel.
"Dragon’s dong. Is he one of those Psi Lynxes —" another voice chimed in before being abruptly silenced by what sounded like bursts of high-frequency shots from a full-auto gun.
"Dinu! You witch, send me your Bloodtroopers! " the rough voice demanded again.
"They’re needed for the upper levels, Huang," Dilinur retorted through the channel. "And may I remind you that I outrank you by three."
"Like I care. Have your troopers get in here before I —" The rough voice was once again cut off by the sound of gunfire.
"Hey! Who just joined from level 111?" A new voice broke through on the communication line.
"Level 111?" Dilinur’s voice echoed with disbelief.
Panicked, Xin left the channel and quickly made his way towards the floor's exit, which had been unlocked by the sudden energy surge earlier. As he pressed against the door, it hissed open to let him escape.
He stepped into the dimly lit hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. But just as he was about to sprint towards the nearest staircase, his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the corridor ahead was a figure unlike any he had ever encountered.
The woman before him was striking in every conceivable way, a defiant existence against the world he knew. Her presence was commanding, her posture poised and unyielding. The lower part of her half-up ponytail highlighted the contour of her high cheekbones and strong jawline — blonde, cascading down in a smooth, controlled wave that caught the light, almost glowing against the sterile backdrop of the corridor.
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Her skin was pale, luminescent like ivory, and her features were finely chiseled, each contour of her face sharp yet softened by the faintest hint of warmth in her expression. Her eyes, a piercing blue, seemed to penetrate through the shadows, locking onto his with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. They were unlike anything he had ever seen — icy, yet filled with a depth that drew him in.
"A Valoran? Here?" Xin whispered to himself as he marveled at the sharp features on her countenance. She was so foreign to him, so different from all the people he had known in the Imperium.
She wore a tailored beige trench coat that accentuated her feminine but powerful frame as she stepped forward. Underneath, she donned a dark blue suit, a stark contrast to the typical onyx or crimson garments favored by the privileged in the Imperium.
As she moved closer, Xin felt an inexplicable pull towards her, something that went beyond mere curiosity. There was a power in her stride, a confidence in the way she carried herself that was entirely new to him. She was different from all the women and girls he had ever known — no subservience, no hint of the quiet obedience that had been ingrained in those around him. Instead, there was strength, independence, and an undeniable allure that both intrigued and unsettled him.
Like a fierce lynx, the woman lunged at him and pressed him against the wall, her left elbow and arm on his chest, while her right hand held a glowing silver cylindrical device to his neck. Her legs locked around his in a hostile yet strangely intimate hold, rendering Xin completely immobile.
"Are you ZenFusion? How do I access level 117?" The woman's sharp mezzo-soprano voice cut through the air.
"I am...or I was, until a few days ago," Xin gasped as he caught a whiff of lavender emanating from the woman, enveloping him in her scent, an intoxicating contradiction to her strong physique. "You’re from the Terra Alliance. Looking for something?"
"I need to get into level 117 of this building," she replied nonchalantly, her deep blue eyes searching his. "How did you know I am Alliance?"
"I overheard when one of your men took down those Imperium soldiers in Central Power," Xin admitted, looking up at the woman and realizing that she was both taller and stronger than him. "Great work, by the way."
"So you're not with the Imperium? I thought ZenFusion was their biggest bootlicker," the woman prodded.
"I'm a prisoner. They've locked me up for freeing someone," Xin revealed. With each breath he took, his body began to relax. "Want to reach level 117? You’ll need an employee biometric signature to unlock the last door."
"Cluster 6865 holds crucial information my team is after. What do you know?" Her tone softened.
"You’re after the Moondust Crystal, then? Its location is the valuable thing on that machine," Xin replied, feeling a sense of excitement stir in his lower body as he continued to catch her scent and feel her legs intertwined with his. "I can take you there and bypass the door.…if you let me."
"I want to trust you, but is that a 10mm Magnum in your pocket down there?" she said, squinting at him.
"A pistol? Down there?" Xin was confused, following her gaze to his pants where an awkward bulge had formed. "That's not a 10mm, it's my...uh..."
"Nevermind, I know what it is," she said, stepping back and releasing him from her grip. She looked away as a blush crept up her cheeks.
"Yeah...I imagine you do," Xin scratched his head.
"Great." The woman's face flushed even more as she remarked sarcastically. "I threatened you with a Psytum Sword and somehow, it’s turned you on."
"Well, I've never met someone quite like you before," Xin raised both of his hands in a friendly gesture, grinning. "By the way, my name is Wu Zhi-Xin. You can call me Xin."
The lady relaxed her posture and forced a smile as she put the hilt of her Psytum Sword back in her coat, though her sapphire eyes remained guarded. "Lorna," she said.
"Like Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore? I like it," Xin commented, lowering his hands.
"You know the book?" Lorna asked, tilting her head in intrigue.
"Yeah, I enjoy Valoran classics from the Old World. So much better than modern local stuff, where the Imperials always win and the Valorans are either dumb or evil," Xin chuckled.
"I've heard that many Imperial dramas have original endings though. Tragic, but original," Lorna replied, chuckling back.
Suddenly, Dilinur's voice boomed from a speaker above them, breaking the brief moment of connection. "An enemy has escaped from level 50. Bloodtroopers, search the floors below."
"That's Dilinur," Xin pointed up at the ceiling. "Her superiors are really horrible people, but she's alright."
"Xin, can you shoot?" Lorna's tone shifted back to its earlier sharpness as she straightened up.
"I have…a level-3 Pistol Combat certificate." Xin swallowed. In their world, a level-3 was considered entry-level at best. Most professional combatants had a level-7 or above, while level-10 was considered the highest certification for any weapon user in the human world.
Lorna reached into her trench coat pocket with her left hand and pulled out a sleek, white pistol. She held it towards Xin with the grip facing him. "I don’t use my 10mm often, so you can have it for now."
"Wow," Xin gasped, eyeing the weapon. The barrel was shorter than most 10mms he had seen, and the polymer grip had soft curves, clearly designed for comfort. There was something about its shape that seemed just as graceful and elegant as the woman who owned it.
"Well? Do you want it or not?" Lorna prompted, shrugging.
"I’ll use it with care," Xin assured her as he accepted the 10mm. He took a deep breath before grasping it firmly in his hand.
Nucleus! I hope you've enjoyed meeting our four protagonists and getting a glimpse of this future world.
- Vel
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