"Dear player, you have contacted Domus."

A soft sound echoed. I rolled my eyes. The Serene had forced me to lock myself inside this room to follow the “information briefing” of this… artificial intelligence. I stepped toward the panel made of light and, remembering how Jill used his, I did the same and clicked on “start.” A sphere lit up, and the room was plunged into darkness as the voice continued, the orb reacting to every single word.

"As a new player, you may experience new elements related to your environment. In order to adapt as efficiently as possible, please select the informational section you wish to access."

A multitude of options appeared, each one clickable. I chose my planet.

"Planet SOTA."

The sphere pulled back, and around me, light shaped a planet—one I guessed was mine—surrounded by an entire system and millions of stars. I stepped forward slowly and ran my fingers through one of the projections, though of course my hand passed straight through it.

"Sun Terraformed using Argonite."

The initials lit up above it. SO-T-A.*

"The terraforming of a celestial body is the process of transforming its natural environment in order to make it habitable for humans by recreating the conditions necessary for Earth-like life."

A blazing sun replaced everything else, and beside it appeared a lush green planet.

"Discovered in the year 4090 by the company Domus as a yellow dwarf, the terraforming of the former SOTA sun required an inert gas used to annihilate chromospheric eruptions, designated IG-55, also known as ‘argonite.’"

The solar body lost its fire and faded out. It looked dead. Thousands of lines appeared, names of gases surfaced, followed by those of trees, before water rose back to the surface of the planet, granting it a new life.

"More than 673 years later, in 4763, the former yellow dwarf became a planet suitable for Earth-like life—your planet: SOTA."

The intelligence fell silent. The light shut down, and the menu reappeared. I had to choose another section. I selected “Domus.”

"Domus, founded on planet Earth in the year 2996, became one of the branches of the Humanitarian Federation, evolving into one of the most influential corporations to date. It is responsible for the majority of the ‘Genesis’ program and for research related to human evolution in all its forms. Since its creation, Domus has played a dominant interplanetary role in the fields of genes, evolution, genetics, physiology, parasitology, biochemistry, cellular biology, genomics, and reproduction."

A tree appeared to illustrate it all. Carved into the trunk was “Humanitarian Federation,” and on each of its main branches were engraved the names of several… corporations, including “Domus.” From Domus stemmed nine branches, all of the previously mentioned fields.

"Among the company’s most significant achievements are the genetic programs: ABO, the creation of the gonosome through parasitology, and BEE, cellular evolution."

Once again, silence. I was given the choice between ABO and BEE—or almost, since “BEE” didn’t appear.

"ABO."

A human-sized diagram formed out of light. It was a man.

"Genetic program created in 4750, implemented eight years later aboard Station-31, now referred to by the Humanitarian Federation as ‘the Burning Station.’"

The station appeared—first as it was at its creation, then throughout its operational years, and finally as it stood abandoned.

"ABO is the creation of new gonosomes—chromosomes whose role is to determine the child’s second sex at birth. Unlike the primary sexes, male and female, these are secondary sexes added to them: alpha, beta, and omega."

Three diagrams appeared before me, one for each sex. I selected “alpha.”

"Alpha. In their case, parasitology enhanced lactic resistance—the muscles’ ability to function for extended periods without oxygen—as well as muscular endurance, the capacity to sustain a required level of intensity over time. Alphas therefore developed superior physical muscle strength compared to other secondary sexes. Their ability to exert muscular resistance is overdeveloped."

To illustrate this, a diagram of an alpha and the power of their muscles was displayed. Next, I selected beta.

"Beta. In their case, parasitology manifested through adaptation. Their organs became more capable of assimilating parasitology and thus better at self-control. Their organism is in harmony with their nature and with the planet. These adaptations also affect their cognitive and behavioral abilities, making them more capable of surviving and learning."

They were represented within a crowd, perfectly attuned to everyone around them. Then came omega.

"Omega. In their case, parasitology affected facial attractiveness, impacting not only themselves but also how others perceive them. Their health also developed significantly. The absence of lethal diseases, colds, hereditary disorders, or infirmities demonstrated their great resilience. They also display a heightened ability to attract others, rooted in cognitive, affective, and conative capacities. This final characteristic acts particularly strongly on alphas."

Those like me were shown smiling, able to converse with anyone and charm them effortlessly. The voice resumed on its own after a brief pause, erasing its “drawings.”

"All secondary sexes are endowed with ‘pheromones.’ Also known as pherohormones, these are chemical substances emitted by the secondary genders that act as messages between individuals: intraspecific communication."

Two individuals formed under the light. There were many emotions, but no words were spoken. Only pheromones were speaking.

"This semiochemical compound, a chemical substance emitted by an organism, transmits information that influences physiology and behavior. Transportable and detectable over several kilometers, bonds can thus be created between individuals, allowing them to recognize—through the unique scent of pheromones—the location of others. They are detected by olfactory structures, once vestigial, reactivated in humans through parasitology."

I then saw the olfactory structure.

"Pheromones are generally produced by exocrine glands. They are chemical messages exchanged between individuals. They may be perceived through smell, sight, or gustatory receptors, and are altered by emotions, thus giving each individual a distinct scent, color, appearance, and taste. Every individual is made unique."

Several silhouettes appeared, each associated with a different taste, scent, and color.

"They play a crucial role during mating periods, maternity, and marking. These pheromones are essential to the proper functioning of the ABO society’s ecosystem."

When the voice fell silent, the menu reappeared. I turned my attention to parasitology.

"Parasitology. A science that studies parasites—animal, vegetal, and extraterrestrial—as well as the diseases and evolutions they provoke in humans upon contact."

It was short, but clear. I moved on to “the Ardente.”

"Ardente. The Ardente, whose true name is ‘pyrino krino,’ is a herbaceous plant discovered on the red planet Marka. Belonging to the Liliaceae family and the genus Lilium, it is above all a deadly flower. From it derives a powerful drug renowned throughout all habitable zones, chemically created by ‘the White Walker,’ a notorious criminal known in his lifetime as one of the greatest drug barons."

Unlike the silhouettes, he was real. He was immense, with pale eyes and a mocking expression.

"Subsequently, Domus developed a derivative of this plant: the Deviant. Its hermaphroditic properties were transmitted through parasitology via the Deviant’s miasmas, granting living beings both male and female sexual characteristics. While this was indeed the case during the early years, only omegas retained this ability due to the evolution of ABO society. That society itself elevated omegas to the rank of matriarchs."

* SOTA is actually called that thanks to the French version: SOleil Terraformé par l'Argonite (Sun Terraformed by Argonite).