Hundreds of years ago, humanity destroyed itself. Nostredame was a French physician and reputed seer credited for predicting major world events throughout time. By the end of 2019, his predictions of WW3 had long come to pass.

The earth was once an inhabitable place, but human beings were selfish, self-destructive creatures who made one egregious mistake after another. Until one day, it was too late to right their wrongs, and humanity fell to the brink of extinction. 

City Calypse is a large semi-underground bunker that saved humanity.

My titular position meant that my words fell on deaf ears. To sum up, training was mandatory, and I refused to lose to some machines. Every morning P-E(Performance Enhancing) drugs are administered directly into my veins to heighten my senses, reflexes, recovery, and stamina. Not that it’s even necessary, I’m already unique… I mean a freak. Well, more or less the same, depending on how you look at it. 

Basically, I’m just your typical comic book lab rat superhero. You know, if superheroes were real and of course extremely handsome. I’m just kidding, I’m not a superhero, but I am handsome. 

Anyways, I can manipulate my speed, to an extent, allowing me to travel in “glimpse’, as we call it. Unfortunately, I have to rest well after each jump as I become extremely weakened (that's what the drugs are for) and as for this fight against the bots, my moves have to be precise, careful and calculated. There’s no luxury of respite when your life’s on the line. Ever since the age of three, I have been trained in every form of combat and martial arts. I studied philosophy, science, math, engineering, and technology from the greatest minds alive and those before them.

Sixteen years ago, scientists believed that the world was inhabitable, and they set their sights on an expedition to the Surface. They sent a small group of individuals: scientists, farmers, and engineers out to a small isolated region close to City Calypse, but far enough to gather sufficient intel. At first, their venture out to the surface seemed successful. Until gradual exposure to the atmosphere and the sun’s harmful rays began to asphyxiate and poison their lungs and burn their flesh like acid. The project was immediately terminated, and the remaining survivors were quarantined in City Calypse.

Regrettably, it was too late to save them. Shortly after, one by one, they all succumbed to their injuries.

There were, however, two young scientists amongst them, my parents. My father was one of the first to go. But my mother, she was strong, more important than that, she was pregnant. Using state of the art technology, they were able to sustain her body long enough to save my life and remove a premature six and a half-month-old baby from her womb. In my blood, they found what they consider the key to their chance of surviving the Surface.

I am the only human being in the last eight hundred years or more to have been conceived outside the safe walls of City Calypse. I’ve been working very closely with my uncle, the man who raised me, under the watchful eyes of the Government inside the APO Centre for all my life. By using my blood they are able to survive outside the walls. But consequently, this effect is only temporary. 

But not to worry, Zod has big things in store. One day, soon I hope, I can be more than just a lab rat.

As for City Calypse, well, it’s a sight to behold and a God-given gift to mankind. But as with all good things, it must come to an end.

 The people of City Calypse are dying. Even though the City is able to provide every basic necessity of life, the artificial environment adulterated by decades of chemically induced livestock and produce and manufactured oxygen has altered their biological system. Rapid aging that begins around 40 has shown to be the most significant side effect. Lucking, scientist have been able to somewhat combat the disease as they constantly pour all their efforts and zealous hard work into mobilized transfixed scientific research and development. But they fear that over time, this will become a permanent genetic trait of human beings.

TRAINING LAB 1D

I’m bloody but not down. Moving faster and even more efficient than when the match had begun, I decorate the floor with their parts as I swiftly slice through them with their own blades. From the air, I throw kicks, punches and occasionally the machines themselves... Always staying one step ahead of the artificial intelligence bots.

Damn it, I’m out of juice!

As I feel something grab me, there was no time to think as I was thrust into the concrete wall. Rounds from an automatic rifle soon followed just barely missing me as I manage to catch my breath and push off into the air, up and over the deadly weaponized computers.

With one leg slightly down, I was now surrounded by not one, not two, but five A.I bots after landing in the corner of the room. They wasted no time to box me in. I peered over my shoulder to see the white coats with clipboards scribbling breathlessly through the glass window. After analyzing the situation, it was quite evident that I was already out of options.

“Alright... That’s enough! “