Kyle's eyes snapped open as a familiar blue screen materialized before him, glowing softly in the dim light of his apartment.
NEW MISSION: APPLY TO THE ACADEMY.
"The Academy?" Kyle whispered, sitting up on his futon. "Why?"
The system's text appeared instantly.
TO LEARN ABOUT THE NATURE OF ABILITIES AND THE AI SYSTEM. UNDERSTANDING YOUR ENEMY IS CRUCIAL FOR SURVIVAL.
"Can't you just… teach me?" Kyle asked, a flicker of hope rising within him. He was tired of blindly fumbling through this new, dangerous life.
NEGATIVE. MY PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO FACILITATE YOUR GROWTH AND SURVIVAL. DIRECT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER REGARDING COMPLEX PHENOMENA LIKE ABILITIES IS BEYOND MY CURRENT CAPABILITIES. YOU MUST GAIN THIS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EXPERIENCE AND STUDY.
Kyle ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. "But how am I supposed to apply without being flagged? I'm a fugitive. The police will be all over me the moment I try to register."
A new line of text appeared, and Kyle braced himself. He knew this would come with a cost.
FOR A FEE OF 500 EXPERIENCE POINTS, I CAN HACK INTO THE ACADEMY'S SYSTEM AND CREATE A LEGITIMATE-LOOKING RECORD FOR YOU. IT WILL SHOW A LOW-LEVEL COMPATIBILITY WITH A BASIC GENESIS SYSTEM, ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY YOUR APPLICATION WITHOUT AROUSING SUSPICION.
"Five hundred points?" Kyle exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "That's… that's a lot. And shouldn't you be doing this for free? You're my system, right? You're supposed to help me."
EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE, KYLE. EVEN SURVIVAL. THE RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR SUCH AN OPERATION ARE SIGNIFICANT.
Kyle clenched his jaw. He wanted to argue, to demand, but he knew the system wouldn't budge. It had proven its ruthlessness before. And it was right; he needed this. He needed to understand.
"Fine," he gritted out. "Do it."
FEE DEDUCTED. RECORD CREATION INITIATED. YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE PROCESSED BY TOMORROW.
The screen faded, leaving Kyle in the silence of his cramped room. Five hundred points. That was weeks of brutal work, dozens of quotas exceeded. But if it meant understanding what he was, and how to survive, then maybe it was worth it.
The next morning, Kyle activated his camouflage skill, altering his appearance to a more unremarkable version of his "Jake" persona. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous flutter in his stomach, and headed for the Academy.
The building was a towering edifice of glass and steel, starkly contrasting with the dilapidated structures of the lower city. People with glowing AI interfaces around their temples moved in and out, their faces alight with ambition and purpose. Kyle felt a familiar surge of inadequacy, a reminder of the life he was born outside of.
He found the reception area, a vast space with holographic displays showcasing various "power levels" and "skill trees." A young woman with an impeccably neat uniform and a Level 2 Genesis System glowing softly at her temple smiled politely as he approached her desk.
"Welcome to the Genesis Academy," she said, her voice perfectly modulated. "How may I assist you?"
"I'm here to apply," Kyle said, his voice steadier than he expected. "My name is Jake."
He watched, heart pounding, as she typed his name into her holographic interface. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a small green indicator appeared on her screen.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Jake," she said, her smile widening slightly. "Your record appears to be in order. Low-level compatibility, first-level upgrade, a few basic stats. It seems you're eligible for the introductory program."
Kyle felt a wave of profound relief wash over him. It worked. The system had actually pulled it off. He had a legitimate-looking record. His "stats" were comically low, barely above what a baseline human would possess, but they were there, enough to be deemed "compatible."
"Excellent," he managed to say.
"There's just the registration fee," she continued, her finger hovering over a button on her screen.
"How much is it?" Kyle asked, dread creeping back in.
"Two thousand credits."
Kyle's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Two thousand?!" he blurted out, unable to hide his shock. That was an astronomical sum, far more than he could have ever imagined. It was almost everything he had.
The receptionist's smile remained unwavering. "That's the standard fee for introductory program enrollment, Mr. Jake. It covers administrative costs, initial assessments, and your student ID."
With a shaky hand, Kyle pulled out his comm-pad and transferred the funds. The notification confirming the deduction felt like a physical blow. Two thousand credits. Half of his meager savings, gone in an instant.
If this is just the registration fee, he thought grimly, how much exactly is the tuition fee? The prospect of attending this place now felt like a crushing financial burden, on top of the physical dangers he already faced.
He left the Academy feeling a mix of triumph and despair. He had a foot in the door, but at what cost?
He headed straight for the mining facility, needing to earn back some of what he'd just spent. He activated his camouflage, reverting to his "Jake" persona. As he approached his work station, he saw Mira. She looked up, and a genuine smile spread across her face.
"Jake! Good to see you," she said, a hint of something he couldn't quite place in her tone – was it relief? Or something else? He felt a warmth in his chest that surprised him. It had been a long time since anyone had been genuinely happy to see him. She even seemed… flirty. He brushed the thought aside. He was probably just imagining it.
"Morning, Mira," he replied, grabbing his pickaxe.
She leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice. "Hey, be careful today. There's an unusual inspection going on. The manager's been on edge all morning."
Kyle's stomach tightened. "An inspection? Why?"
"Don't know," she shrugged. "But Rodriguez looks like he swallowed a bad crystal. Just keep your head down and don't draw any attention."
"I'll be careful," Kyle assured her, but a cold knot of dread formed in his gut. Was this inspection because of him? Had his recent, drastic increase in output finally drawn unwanted attention from higher up? He had been too focused on his own survival, on accumulating points, on paying for this Academy registration. He hadn't considered the larger implications of his unprecedented performance.
Throughout the morning, Kyle made a conscious effort to keep his work to a minimum, just enough to meet the base quota. He moved slower, his strikes less powerful, trying to blend in with the general rhythm of the mine. It felt unnatural, frustrating even, to hold back, but the warning from Mira, and his own growing paranoia, urged caution.
Then he saw them. Rodriguez, looking even more miserable than Mira had described, was walking with four men dressed in pristine, heavily armored protective suits. They radiated an aura of authority and power, their AI interfaces glowing with a level of intensity Kyle had rarely seen. They were not miners.
He quickly ducked behind a large crystal formation, making himself as small as possible, trying to appear as just another struggling worker. He strained to hear their conversation over the din of the mining.
"How is this possible?" one of the suited men demanded, his voice sharp and incredulous. "You cleared this section of the surface level in such a small amount of time?"
Rodriguez stammered, "My workers… they're very hard workers, sir."
"Hard workers?" the man scoffed, his voice dripping with disbelief. "This is a year's worth of output from a standard crew. It shouldn't be possible to have extracted this much ore so quickly from this particular vein."
Rodriguez tried to explain, his words a desperate jumble of excuses. "We've had a particularly motivated new hire, sir. A real talent, he really pushed the others…"
Kyle felt a chill run down his spine. It was because of him. His performance had indeed drawn the wrong kind of attention. He barely dared to breathe, pressing himself further into the shadows of the rock, willing himself to be invisible. He needed to get out of here. Soon.
Later that day, as Kyle was walking out of the mine, his camouflage skill long since worn off, he saw Elena waiting for him near the entrance. She looked hesitant, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag.
"Kyle," she said, her voice soft, almost shy.
"Elena," he replied, surprised she was there.
"I… I wanted to apologize," she began, looking down at her feet. "For how I looked at you after… after what happened with the monster. And for not thanking you properly. You saved my life, and I just… I was so scared, so shocked. I didn't know what to say. And then for a while, I looked at you differently, like you were… an anomaly." She finally met his gaze, her eyes filled with genuine remorse. "I'm sorry."
Kyle felt a knot in his chest loosen. "It's fine, Elena," he said, offering a small, reassuring smile. "You don't need to apologize. It was a chaotic situation."
"Still," she insisted, "thank you, Kyle. Truly. You're a good man."
He nodded, a warmth spreading through him. It was a small thing, but her words meant more than he realized. He hadn't known how much he craved that acceptance, that simple human connection.
When he returned to his apartment, the blue screen immediately materialized.
ATTRIBUTES INCREASED:
* STRENGTH: +2
* INTELLIGENCE: +3
* STAMINA: +2
SKILL UPGRADE: CAMOUFLAGE (LEVEL 2)
NEW CAPABILITY: FAKE ENERGY SIGNATURE. YOU CAN NOW EMULATE A LOW-LEVEL AI SYSTEM'S ENERGY OUTPUT, MAKING YOU APPEAR COMPATIBLE WITH CONVENTIONAL SCANNERS. DURATION: 5 HOURS PER DAY. COOLDOWN: 12 HOURS.
Kyle stared at the last notification, a small, grim smile forming on his lips. This was exactly what he needed. The ability to appear as if he had powers, to blend in, to avoid the suspicious gaze of those who hunted anomalies. He could finally walk among them, seemingly one of them.
The next morning, Kyle sought out Rodriguez in his office. The supervisor looked even more haggard than usual, dark circles under his eyes.
"Rodriguez," Kyle said, his voice firm.
The manager looked up, startled. "Jake. What do you want? I'm busy."
"My performance," Kyle began, getting straight to the point. "It's drawing attention. The inspection yesterday… was that because of me?"
Rodriguez ran a hand over his face. "I have it handled, Jake. Just keep doing what you're doing. Everything's under control."
Kyle wasn't buying it. The tremor in Rodriguez's voice, the way he avoided eye contact – it all screamed that things were far from "under control." He decided to play it safe.
"I understand," Kyle said, though he didn't. He just knew he had to keep his head down.
He worked cautiously throughout the day, ensuring his output remained at a modest level. During lunch, he and Mira found a quiet corner to talk.
"You seem… preoccupied today," Mira observed, looking at him with concern. "Everything alright?"
Kyle hesitated, then decided to be as truthful as he could without revealing too much. "Mira, I… I might have to leave soon."
Her eyes widened, and her expression visibly fell. "Leave? Why? Things are getting better here, aren't they? With the lowered quota, it's easier now." There was a genuine sadness in her voice that tugged at Kyle's heart.
"It's… it's getting a bit too dangerous here for me," Kyle explained, choosing his words carefully. "My situation is… complicated. And I can't be sure it will be fine."
Mira tried to reassure him. "But you're so good at this work. And you stood up to Rodriguez. Things will settle down, you'll see."
"I hope so," Kyle said, but he knew they wouldn't. Not for him.
For the rest of the day, Mira remained unusually quiet, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a somber one. Kyle felt a pang of regret. He was causing her sadness, but he couldn't afford to stay.
As he was leaving the mine, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, a new notification flashed before his eyes.
CONGRATULATIONS, KYLE MORGAN.
YOUR APPLICATION TO THE GENESIS ACADEMY HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.
CLASSES BEGIN IN ONE WEEK. FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED.