Previously: After refusing the offer to join Omni, Jin finally travels to the Plain to negotiate his employment with the Board of Directors.

The next morning, Theo received a brief message: Hey man, pick me up at my office whenever. Do I need to bring anything?

He replied immediately: “Cool, I’ll be there at noon. No need to bring anything.”

Right on time, Victor came to pick up Jin from the office. Theo was already waiting in the back of the vehicle. Before getting in, Jin eyed the humanoid driver curiously:

- Wow, you’ve got your own assistant?
- Yep, told you, there are plenty of perks working for Omni.
- I can see that”, Jin replied with a hint of bitterness. “Considering how hard it was to get a humanoid for the clinic…
- Almost all Omni employees have humanoid assistants.

The car headed toward the coast. The trip was expected to be long, but Theo and Jin activated their neural chips to communicate privately, safe from eavesdroppers.

- First time in the Plain? Theo asked via neural transmission.
- Yeah, sir.
- You scared?
- A little. But I’m trying to stay positive.

- Got it. Do you know what you’re going to ask Omni for?
- Remote work, among other things.
- Mind telling me? Or are you superstitious?
- Not superstitious… just a little stitious”, Jin replied playfully.

Theo couldn’t help but smile. The vehicle then entered a seemingly endless bridge stretching above the ocean. The acceleration pinned them to their seats as the mainland receded into the distance. Soon, the last building was just a tiny dot on the horizon before disappearing completely, as if the world had left them behind on this ribbon of steel suspended above the Atlantic.

- We’re almost there”, Theo announced as a colossal structure appeared before them, floating majestically on the waves.
- That’s incredible… How does this thing withstand strong winds and currents?
- Humans can achieve great things when they set aside ideology and all their disputes.
- Isn’t greed their primary ideology?
- Touché.

The vehicle parked itself automatically in the station’s lot. The three men entered the floating structure. Inside, austerity reigned: a heavily guarded security checkpoint and a single room with hermetically sealed doors. Theo’s neural chip instantly transmitted the required credentials.

- He’s with me. He’s here to see Mr. Jackson.

The guards didn’t even bother to look at Jin. The doors opened as they approached, revealing an elevator of impressive dimensions, equipped with seats like a proper lounge.

- How long to the bottom?
- Thirty minutes.
- Damn, thirty minutes for five thousand meters, with that much pressure… That’s incredible!
- I was shocked too the first time. That speed’s only possible thanks to these ultra-reinforced walls. Also, take this.

Theo handed him a bluish pill.

- What is it?
- It helps your brain handle the pressure down there.

Jin swallowed the pill without hesitation. The walls began to emit low creaks and his ears gradually popped.

- It wasn’t always like this in the Abyssal Plain. But Omni kept investing here to make drilling more efficient and boost research.
- How many people live down there?
- I’m not exactly sure… Ten thousand? Maybe more. There are several entry points, but this is the VIP section.
- Should I take that to mean you’re a celebrity here? Jin teased.
- Since I managed to bring you in, apparently yes. I’d rather not imagine how it would’ve gone if I’d failed.
- Glad I could help, then.

The speaker crackled: Arriving at level -5000. Welcome to the Abyssal Plain.

The doors slid open and Jin was left speechless. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He had expected a gloomy, dimly lit underground lab. Instead, a full-fledged metropolis stretched out before him. The ceiling was a gigantic screen projecting an artificial sky so realistic one could almost forget they were five kilometers beneath the ocean surface.

Gathering his thoughts, he finally managed to say:

- How… how big is this place?
- Around seven hundred thousand square meters. That’s like a hundred football fields. And new sections are added regularly to expand the districts. We’re a little early. Let me show you the layout.

Theo’s glasses projected a detailed holographic map. Jin was stunned to discover this underground city had everything: residences, restaurants, gyms, bars, oxygen farms, recycling stations, cutting-edge labs, even artificial parks and recreation centers.

Theo pointed to Omni’s headquarters on the map: “We’re headed there. Let’s catch the shuttle.”

During the ride, Jin discreetly observed the residents. One observation struck him.

- Those who aren’t pale, are they humanoids or recent arrivals?” he murmured.

Theo nodded to confirm.

They arrived at Omni’s headquarters, a massive three-story building towering over the other structures. At the entrance, a security guard intercepted Jin.

- He’s with me. We’re meeting Nathan Jackson, Theo intervened.
- Very well, Doctor Garnier. Just a quick check”, the humanoid replied as he stepped aside.

The two men went upstairs and waited in a small antechamber adjacent to Nathan’s office. Victor went straight into Theo’s office.

Next: Nathan smiles at Jin. That icy smile you know so well. Jin is about to find out.

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