(February 21, 2072)

Lucas jolted awake with a horrible sensation in his chest and started breathing heavily. He clutched at his chest and could feel his heart pounding desperately, as if in a state of tachycardia. He began to look around, but there was nothing resembling the dream’s setting. Truth be told, he didn’t focus on his surroundings, even if chaos had surrounded him. His eyes couldn’t look away from that man who seemed to be his same age.However, there was no battlefield now, no rainy sunset, and certainly no life-or-death situation where he had to save his subordinate by running through debris while carrying him and watching those eyes fade away.The only thing in his field of view was a subway car with empty seats. Through one of the transparent doors, he could see a drunk old man asleep, taking up two seats by lying across them. He was on the underground line that began its route around 5:42 a.m., and since he took the first outbound train, he had the whole car to himself. But the cost of that solitude was waking up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday, after nearly a week of sleeping in until noon during his vacation earned after completing his final year at the special forces academy. Falling asleep had been inevitable, even if he’d dozed off listening to music.

His original intent was to listen to electronic music to wake up and start the day energized, injecting rhythm into his brain with his favorite headphones like a to-go coffee. Apparently, he was so tired that he fell asleep even with one of the loudest songs on his playlist. The time shift was starting to hit him hard.

“Maybe watching that soap opera with grandma gave me that kind of dream,” he thought while looking out the train window, taking in a dim city dotted with neon signs and colorful video ads that were already lighting up the morning.

As soon as his mother found out what he’d done on the way there, he was going to get scolded for being careless. Especially considering how dangerous his hometown was. But as if his grandmother’s rosary, which hung from his neck, were a loyal guardian, he still had all his luggage and devices with him. That realization relaxed him, even after the strange episode, so he stopped overthinking and didn’t even feel the need to check his bag in the middle of the subway ride.

Since the clock showed he wasn’t even halfway through the two-hour trip, he figured he’d only been asleep for about ten minutes. The long commute was definitely what he hated most about living on the outskirts of the underground city.During his last days at the academy, just touching the talisman was enough to feel like everything would be okay and that he’d pass his finals. He pulled it out from under his shirt to caress it with his brown hand, smiling at the sense of protection it gave him, and then tucked it back inside, now warm from touching his skin.

It was an old academy tradition to give a one-week break before announcing which division graduates would be assigned to after four years of training. Though this path had been unexpected for him (and not something he’d envisioned) he found it surprisingly fitting. Even if, from a young age, he had always wanted to explore the world and go on adventures.

Even if he had already moved past that early-twenties phase of “not knowing what to do with his life,” that feeling of hopelessness still clung to him.Since childhood, he’d dreamed of being a pirate, an adventurer, or a hero for the people driven by a desire to bring hope to others in a world that, from his perspective, had become sad and cruel after the Andromeda impact.

That invasion, by a colony from the Andromeda system forty years ago, had changed the course of humanity and forced the creation of a high-tech underground world where humans from various colonies now known as “exo-humans” coexist.

Many humans had collectively forgotten what the real sun, moon, and stars looked like, reducing them to images and imitations only viewable in nostalgic cinema simulations. Nowadays, to avoid disrupting people’s routines, projections and light displays are used to mimic the sun and moon as they once were.

While lost in thought, Lucas sensed someone in front of him. He looked up and saw a girl with pink hair, almond-shaped brown eyes, medium height, and a slim, elegant build. She flashed a faint, characteristic smile with her thin lips coated in coral lipstick. She smelled of raspberries and wore a black skirt with a cream-white sweater. Lucas didn’t take long to return the smile.

They greeted each other with a fist bump. On her right wrist, she wore a silver bracelet adorned with flowers—it fit snugly but not tight enough to break.

"You’re up already?" his sister asked via messaging app.Lucas decided to send a selfie instead of typing a reply. He took advantage of the seat near the window to get better lighting and sent it.

"Guess who woke up at 5 a.m. to catch the sub” he replied.

His sister, whose profile picture featured their family’s orange cat “Sopaipilla,” quickly responded:

"Take care, let me know when you arrive :)”

“I know, I’ll do a group video call with mom once I’m free” Lucas answered and put his phone away.He and his sister didn’t get to see each other often since their vacations rarely overlapped. And now that Lucas had graduated as a “state agent,” it would be even harder to get time off.

“Lucas?” she asked in a friendly tone. “What are you doing here so early?”

“Misa!” Lucas exclaimed with a smile. “Come sit down.”

They greeted with a palm and fist bump. Though not exactly inseparable during academy days, they had gotten along well enough to spend some time together. Their shared status as foreigners made the vibe between them especially pleasant. Misa wasn’t from Earth—she was an exo-human from the Martian colonies and always spoke her parents’ native language, a Korean-like dialect. She sat down and placed what looked like a heavy gym bag at her feet.

“Don’t you live near the academy?” Lucas asked, puzzled.

“I went to visit someone before heading to Central. Stuff like booze and snacks are cheaper in this area,” she said playfully, gently kicking her bag.

The kick was just strong enough to make some glass bottles clink inside clearly, she’d hidden them in clothing.

“How are you going to sneak alcohol into Central?” Lucas asked, laughing and confused.

“It’s not like it’s my first time,” Misa replied. “Besides, we’re going to celebrate one last time before parting ways. A little booze isn’t so bad, right? We’ve trained for years for this day.”

Lucas agreed, it would be strange to see their academy friends again or work together in the future. Many would be assigned to different factions or functions; some would get promoted, others would become subordinates. He felt a certain grief for the little bubble of good memories in his head, this was the end so something new could begin.

“You know, I brought some katis, lemons, and sweets my grandma made. They won’t let me bring them wherever I end up. I’ve also got my clothes in this bag. We could throw one last party, invite whoever can come,” Lucas suggested. “There’s always someone living near the academy anyway.”Artemisa lit up with excitement:

“Of course! They’ll announce the faction results tomorrow. We could go to Tori’s or Aria’s place because they live nearby too.”

“Sure, I’ll message Aria, and you message Tori,” Lucas said with a hint of conspiracy. “I haven’t had a drink in a while. I’ve been with my mom and grandma, and they don’t like seeing me drink. They say now that I’m a soldier, I should act like one.”

Lucas opened Aria’s profile and saw she’d posted a story less than 10 minutes ago, a photo of her entering Buckingham Station with the caption: “last day as a student.” Lucas smiled, liked the post, and messaged her:

“Hey, we’re thinking of throwing one last party today at 10 p.m. after the faction ceremony. Could it be at your place?”

Aria quickly replied: “Show up hungover to our first day at our new units? Let’s do it!”

Lucas smiled, liked the message, and showed it to Artemisa, who also grinned and said, “We’ve got plans!” as she messaged her friend Tori to suggest the same idea.

Artemisa leaned in a little closer and asked:

“We’re almost there, so tell me... where do you plan to go? Have you decided yet?”

Lucas got thoughtful, but the truth was he’d had his answer ready since the day before. Though he’d always worried about not making the “right” choice:

“I’d like to join the Anomalous Cases Enforcement. If I don’t get in, I’ll go to the National Guard. I’m not going to be picky, and you know why.

“I’m on a scholarship, and I want the money for my family. I’m content knowing I won’t end up in an office or a factory doing the same thing for 50 years.“Lucas spoke with a smile.

he wasn’t faking humility. Even if deep down, he still longed for passionate adventures, high-stakes situations, and discovering new things. He knew he wouldn’t find that here, so his only shot was the Guard or the Agency. Artemisa looked slightly moved by his words, as if they shared a spark.

“Out there,” she replied without hesitation, pointing at the subway ceiling. “My grades are good enough for the Space Forces. I want to be on the front lines of the war with Andromeda.”

He looked at her with intrigue. The real Artemisa was quite slim but athletic. Even though she usually came off as loud and cheerful, he definitely hadn’t expected that choice.

The front lines were a dangerous place and clearly not everyone survives. Those who join the Space Forces are either the top graduates taking on important roles or the barely-passing ones sent to the front.

“Wow,” said Lucas, impressed. “And why do you want to go out there?”

Artemisa suddenly changed her bright eyes, which turned somewhat dark.

Lucas thought his question was actually too stupid and that he had “sinned by being naive”: he knew Artemisa was an adopted girl of Martian origin, while her father was from Earth, and the two spoke entirely different languages. The reason why Artemisa would want to go outside and be at the front lines of the Battle was more than obvious, but before Lucas could take his question back, she spoke first:

“It’s a bit of a personal story,” she said, “but if it’s you, I don’t mind telling it later.”

Lucas showed sudden relief knowing that even though he had touched a sensitive nerve, he hadn’t ruined everything.

“Really?” he asked.

She only nodded, her bright and sweet eyes returning, so Lucas averted his gaze and looked out the window, watching as the daytime ads began with colorful holograms and official promotional robots from certain companies showcasing their products and services in the loudest and most dazzling way possible.

They started to see people driving to work, crowded buses, while the subway, which had only a few passengers, suddenly filled up with people from all walks of life. One of the signs that the day had started and that they were about to arrive at Millenium Station was that the subway screens were already showing advertisements urging you to buy something the moment you stepped out of the station: coffee, clothes, energy drinks, gym memberships, hair salons, and beauty spa commercials.

Millenium Station, or Millenium Plaza, is one of the main stations in the underground world. It’s located in New Chicago, a metropolis that condenses a shiny, clean, overcrowded space where technology, marketing, and things his grandmother could never have imagined possible all converge. A place entirely unlike the Ghettos.