The Central Station Platform had grown quiet.
The noise and chaos of arrival, the crying, the shouting, and the shuffling of survivors had all finally settled down.
For a full hour, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children had been processed, their identities scanned, their names confirmed, and their past lives compressed into glowing lines of data by Noah.
Now, every single survivor wears the same mark: a silver-gray bracelet locked around their wrists.
At first glance, it looked simple,too simple, like an ordinary accessory. Smooth metal, a seamless design, light enough to forget you are even wearing it.
Cyrus stood once again on the raised platform at the center of the Central Station, silver hair catching the golden lights.
The holographic screens appeared around him again, broadcasting his figure across the platform. His voice rolled out in a clear, commanding tone.
"Listen closely. What you are wearing on your wrists is jewelry, and it's also not a toy. It is the foundation of order inside the Ark."
He raised his hand, the sleek bracelet on his wrist gleaming faintly.
"This is the Ark Bracelet!" he said loudly. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Cyrus allowed them a moment before he continued.
"I will explain its functions. Listen well because your survival depends on it." He began to pace slowly along the platform, his voice calm and deliberate.
"First is the Identity Verification. Each bracelet is bound solely to you permanently. Your name, age, Ark citizen number, your assigned job class all of this information is stored in the system. When scanned, it projects a miniature holographic profile card. There will be no mistakes."
To demonstrate, Cyrus lifted his wrist and tapped on the bracelet once.
A soft hum filled the air as a faint blue holographic screen projected above his bracelet, his profile glowing clearly for all to see.
Name: Cyrus Axel
Age: 18
Ark Citizen Number: 0001
Class: Administrator.
The sound of deep breaths and gasping echoed across the platform, and many immediately raised their own wrists and tapped on their bracelets.
A cascade of glowing blue holographic screens burst across the platform.
Faces lit by holographic light, each person's information floated above their bracelets: names, age, occupation, unique Ark IDs.
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of noise, amazement flickering in their eyes.
"This... this is like something out of a sci-fi movie..."
"I didn't even touch it properly, and it popped up like that!"
"H-how... how is this even possible? I don't believe this...."
Professor Albert's eyes were wide behind his cracked glasses.
James, standing beside him, had his eyes narrowed as he studied the bracelet carefully.
The technology was way beyond anything they had ever seen, beyond what the current world can produce.
Cyrus's voice sounded again. "The second is the Ark Credits, or AC for short."
The holographic projection on his wrist changed instantly to display glowing numbers.
"Ark Credits are your lifeline here. They are your currency inside the Ark. They are stored automatically in your bracelet; wages are paid daily at midnight."
He pointed towards the glowing numbers. "You will use it to buy food, stability rooms, pay for entertainment, clothing,anything. Think of it as your credit card. Lose your credits, and you lose comfort or, worse, your survival."
The noise in the crowd grew louder; the idea of money tied to the bracelet is both fascinating and terrifying as well.
"Credits are also used for punishment. Breaking the rules in the Ark will have your AC deducted immediately. Repeat offenders can have their bracelet blacklisted."
Cyrus's eyes flashed coldly, his voice echoing across the platform.
"If your bracelet is blacklisted, it means you will lose everything,no rations, no housing, no access points, and that means exile."
His cold words hung in the air.
"And out there... exile means death," he pointed towards the holographic screens still showing the horrors outside.
Silence enveloped everyone; it was so silent that it felt suffocating.
"Third... is Job Assignment and Clearance," Cyrus continued.
"Your Ark Bracelet determines where you can go. Anvil will be left to agricultural zones, service workers to civilian areas, researchers will be allowed into laboratories. Soldiers will have access to recruitment, mission boards, and external gates."
He looked at the faces in front of him and continued, "Do not attempt to enter a zone outside your clearance; the system will block it, and if you try to force it, the combat personnel will treat you as an intruder."
The seriousness in his voice sent chills down their spines.
"Fourth... is the Health Monitoring."
"The Ark Bracelet tracks your vitals, heartbeat, injuries, even genetic changes, and if you're dying or infected, the medical staff will be alerted. But if contamination is detected..."
He tapped his bracelet again; a holographic display appeared.
"...the bracelet can lock you down, your access limited, your movements cut off. The Ark will not allow infection to spread."
The survivors were listening intensely with all kinds of expressions on their faces.
"Fifth... is the Communication Hub."
"Holographic calls, instant messaging, navigation. Civilians will be restricted to personal calls and notices; do not expect military access."
To demonstrate, Cyrus swiped the projection; a map of the Central Station Platform appeared above his wrist, rotating slowly in 3D. Then with another swipe, a holographic message screen appeared... an incoming message labeled Noah System Update.
The survivors collectively sucked in deep breaths.
Many of them began tapping on their bracelets rapidly as screens lit up everywhere.
The platform was alive with glowing holographic screens.
Miniature holograms floated above their wrists: personnel profiles, health stats, credit balances, etc.
Astonishment and bewilderment rippled through the crowd.
Some of them laughed nervously while others trembled, overwhelmed by what they were seeing.
"This is insane!"
"I can see my heartbeat! It's tracking me right now!"
"My balance says… twenty thousand?!"
Cyrus's eyes were full of amusement as he looked at the crowd below him.
He raised his voice and continued once more, "Access to all areas requires the Ark Bracelet; lose it and you will be treated as unknown combat personnel. They will not hesitate to shoot you on sight."
The crowd, which was full of noise a moment ago, was now enveloped in deep, cold silence.
"The Ark Bracelet is both your life and identity here."
After that, Cyrus stepped down from the platform.
A management officer took over; his voice echoed across the platform.
"By the order of the Commander, all registered survivors are granted an initial balance of 20,000 AC. Furthermore, minors will receive free schooling within the Ark, and to ensure their education and growth, each child will receive an additional daily subsidy of 1,000 AC."
Excitement flashed in the eyes of the survivors, as some parents who had survived with their children and whole families wept while holding their children.
For the first time since the apocalypse began, they felt a faint glimmer of hope.
In the crowd, Professor Albert's hand tightened around his bracelet; he lifted his wrist, staring at the holographic screen in a daze.
"This is quite unbelievable..." he muttered to himself.
Turning to look at James, he asked, "Old friend, you're an expert in this field. What do you think of this?"
James was silent for a moment before he replied solemnly.
"This is too advanced, far beyond our current world. We had prototypes, but they are just fragile ones. This is decades, no... centuries, beyond what humanity should be capable of."
Albert's eyes narrowed as he looked at the bracelet.
"What? Never seen something too advanced for you? You're overwhelmed; after all, technology isn't your playground, Selene. You are always cooped up in that stinking lab of yours, dissecting lizards for genetic studies. No wonder you are shocked!"
Rose looked at Selene with disdain, her voice dripping with mockery.
Selene just looked at her and said, "If you, Rose, the so-called genius in AI and technology, are just as lost as I am, don't act superior in front of me. You have never seen anything like this in your life!"
The two girls locked eyes as sparks flew everywhere.
Albert and James exchanged tired glances and shook their heads.
Even at the end of the world, some things never changed.