CHAPTER 1: PROJECT 22050107 YZ
Crackle... There was a flash of light along the ceiling, and then a lapse into the vibrations of machines. This was the time on the wall clock, 8:00 p. m. October 19, 2050. Outside, the world was quiet. Within, the laboratory was a buzzing beehive of monitors, spinning data screens, and faint pink light that gave a spooky quality to the air.
The physician was standing in front of a huge glass pod by himself. It was pink fluid that glowed like liquid light within and there was a curled, motionless shadow that was floating in it. The name on the bottom of the pod was SUBJECT 22050107 YZ.
He was typing on some kind of tablet, and numbers flashed at him. "Temperature… steady. Pressure normal. Neural resonance… flat." There was a weary despair in his voice.
He swore under his breath, one line after another. Seventeen years, he said to himself. Seventeen years, and the world has not answered yet.
Beep… beep… The tablet gave the same readings as it gave the day before and yesterday. The pink fluid trembled once, and subsided.
The physician was sighing, and pinching his nose. His eyes were sunken, and he had apparently witnessed too many nights of this kind. "Still sleeping…"
He shut the tablet with a slight bang, and headed to the elevator. His white coat swept the steel floor. The pod was glowing faintly behind him, and its shadow was not moving.
The lift went up, and was silent save for a low hum. As the doors opened the world above was a world in itself: marble floor, soft lights, glass walls surrounding the city skyline. A house made of a man, Very solitary.
He dropped the tablet on the counter, walked to the bathroom, and turned on the tap. Drip. Drip. Splash. He washed his face and stared into the mirror. The man looking back wore exhaustion like a mask.
Minutes later, steam fogged the room. The sound of water echoed like rain. When he stepped out, he wore a black suit, sharp and clean. A different kind of armor.
He buttoned the jacket slowly. "Let's get this over with," he muttered. He adjusted his tie, picked up his keycard marked H.O.P.E Labs, and headed downstairs.
The garage lights came on as the door recognized him. Click. A sleek black hover car sat waiting, its body glimmering under blue lights. He pressed the remote. Beep. The doors lifted.
Inside, he placed his thumb on the ignition pad. Bloop.
The car hummed to life, rising a few feet off the ground before sliding out into the night.
---
The city stretched out beneath him, tall towers, flying drones, neon lights painting everything in electric color. The car glided through the air lanes, soundless except for the low vroom of its anti-grav engines.
As he flew, he glanced at his wrist bracelet. The comlink showed a small screen, CCTV footage of his basement lab. The pod was still there, still glowing pink.
Status: Stable.
He leaned back, exhaling. "Stay that way," he whispered.
Minutes later, the massive building of H.O.P.E. Labs appeared ahead, glowing white and silver. The logo shone above it:
H.O.P.E — Human Optimization and Planetary Evolution.
He landed near the entrance. Rows of futuristic cars lined the platform. Security drones hovered, scanning faces. People in black suits stepped out of their vehicles, adjusting ties and smiling politely at each other. Everyone was dressed for power.
The doctor walked past them, expression blank. The building's doors opened for him with a hiss of cold air.
---
Inside, the grand hall shimmered with bright lights. Music played softly. Dozens of men and women stood in clusters, holding glasses of wine, their voices blending into a warm hum. Waiters in white shirts moved gracefully, serving drinks.
At the far end stood a tall stage with a dark podium and a wide screen behind it. The timer display rested quietly, dark for now.
The doctor found a quiet spot at the edge of the room, far from the crowd. He didn't drink. He never did. His mind stayed on his project. His hand brushed against his bracelet again, Status: Stable.
Then, clink.
The sound of a spoon tapping a glass echoed through the room. The crowd turned toward the stage.
A man in a dark suit stepped up, his smile bright and rehearsed. His silver hair gleamed under the lights.
"Good evening, everyone," he said, voice calm and confident. "I'm Kyle Shelton, founder and head of H.O.P.E Labs. Welcome to a night that marks the beginning of a new era."
The crowd applauded lightly, murmurs of excitement following.
Kyle continued, his tone rising. "Tonight, we reveal what seventeen years of vision, research, and sacrifice have built. A project not just to heal humanity, but to elevate it."
He turned, gesturing at the big screen behind him. It came alive with glowing visuals of cities turning green, deserts blooming into forests, and humans walking among towering plants.
"Our mission," Kyle said, "has always been simple: to restore Earth and perfect the human condition."
He smiled again. "H.O.P.E. means more than science. It means survival."
The crowd cheered softly, glasses lifted. The doctor stayed still, eyes narrowed.
---
Kyle pressed a small button on the podium. The big screen behind him changed again, now displaying a massive countdown timer:
00:00:10 — SYSTEM INITIALIZATION PENDING
People in the audience gasped. Whispers spread like fire.
Kyle raised his hand. "Don't be alarmed. What you're seeing is our new demonstration, the culmination of decades of research. The Life Force and Matter Enhancer!"
The words hung heavy in the air. The timer stayed frozen on ten seconds, pulsing faintly.
Kyle's voice grew louder. No wonder the world is being rewritten by a machine that has the power to heal the dead lands, heal every disease, and prolong life itself.
It will work all right, some one shouted. Kyle grinned and shook his head. "My friends, it already has."
The people applauded once more, and the heart of the doctor sunk. Intuition told him that something was not right. He looked at his bracelet, Status: Stable. Still normal. Still, his gut twisted anyway.
The clock in the background of Kyle flashed. The numbers glowed brighter: 00:00:09… 00:00:08…
Kyle continued to talk like it had never happened. We refer to this as the creation of super matter. "It's the key to the next step in humanity."
The hall lights dimmed ever so slightly. A low hum of machines igniting under the stage increased in volume.
Fascinated people drew nearer. The doctor watched the timer. 00:00:07... 00:00:06...
It is no demo, that, said he.
The bracelet on his arm went off. Beep‑beep. He looked down. The feed lab feed was sporadically flickering, signalling noise, or nothingness, and flickers of light through the pod. Crackle‑crackle.
He froze. "No… no, no…"
The audience started to feel the vibration from under their feet. Some laughed nervously. Others looked around.
Kyle spoke with a wider smile. It is to-day the life we will make!
00:00:05… 00:00:04… The hall shook harder. Lights flickered. The timer began flashing white-hot on the screen.
The doctor's pulse raced. He turned for the exit, fast. Thud‑thud‑thud.
Kyle, behind him, screamed over the noise, This the dawn of H.O.P.E!
00:00:03… 00:00:02… 00:00:01… BOOOOOOM.
A flash of white engulfed the hall.