The streets of the city were noisy, but to Mark Palmer, they felt silent. Cracked sidewalks, buzzing neon signs, and the faint smell of fried street food—it was home. But home didn't feel like enough. Not for him.
He was twenty, poor, and ordinary, yet his mind raced with ideas that could change the world. His latest dream? A game unlike anything anyone had ever seen. A virtual universe so immersive that people would forget the real world existed.
As Mark trudged home from school, his backpack heavy with notebooks and a half-eaten sandwich, something strange caught his eye.
A floating object hovered in the alley ahead futuristic a sleek, metallic badge shimmering with a light that seemed… alive.
Mark stopped, heart thumping. "What the Hell?"
Before he could think twice, the badge hovered closer. Without warning, it shot a beam of light, projecting a holographic figure in front of him. A girl ghost no, not a girl robot or an AI interface with luminous eyes and a playful smile.
"Hello, Mark Palmer," she said, her voice melodic, calm, yet somehow commanding. "I am Nova, your Universal Ultimate Tech System. And your life… is about to change."
Mark's eyes widened. "Wait… what? You're… talking to me? From a… badge?"
Nova giggled softly. "Yes. And I am a versatile system. I can help you with anything impressive from connecting your earnings to creating advanced technology. But first… do you want to become someone extraordinary?"
Mark swallowed hard, excitement and disbelief warring in his chest.
"Extraordinary?" he whispered, a grin slowly spreading. "Yeah… I think I'm ready for that."
The badge glowed brighter. The alley disappeared around him. And in that instant, Mark's ordinary life ended.
: A notification popped in the air above him:
"Reward Available: First System Activation – Choose wisely."
Mark Palmer didn't know it yet… but he had just unlocked the first key to changing the world.