'Irreplaceable?' Alexis thought…
When the others heard the officer's words, Alexis also felt every gaze on him. There was a mix of awe, envy, and something else… hostility.
The officer then felt that he had said enough and continued.
"Rest. Eat. Tomorrow, your bodies must be trained so you can survive the genetic enhancements. You will be prepared. Without strength, your compatibility means nothing. And without discipline, you will die the moment a strain is introduced."
Two soldiers opened the heavy doors.
Then, there was a flying drone that buzzed overhead. Its red optics scanned the children as they were soon herded to another chamber.
Alexis's stomach growled… He realized how long it had been since they last ate. He wanted to eat the meal that Rago packed for him but he couldn't do it yet.
Thankfully, they were soon led into another hall.
There was a long steel table at the center, already lined with trays, and some portions of steaming protein slabs, boiled grains, and nutrient-rich broth.
Nothing like the thin gruel Alexis had grown up on.
The officer's voice echoed: "Eat everything. Twice your usual intake. Your stomach may not like it, but you will force it down. It is good for your physique. This is your first lesson, obedience over weakness."
Alexis hesitated only a moment before digging in.
The meat was tough, but compared to what he used to eat in the scrapyard, this seemed to have salt at the very least.
'Salt is expensive here… They're generous.' Alexis thought as he continued to eat, with juices running down his chin as he bit savagely.
Around him, the others ate with the same desperate urgency, stuffing their mouths, gagging, swallowing, then reaching for more.
It was as if they were worried that the food would be taken away if they didn't eat fast enough.
He then noticed Hale across the table, she looked as though every bite was a punishment. Darius, on the other hand, devoured his food with a grin, as if it were the best thing he had ever eaten after a long time.
"Guys… Congrats… We're finally going to be part of the Inner City!" Ren said between gulps, his grin was obvious as this meant stable income, safe shelter, and even decent food!
His words also made a few heads lift.
"The Inner City, huh…" Darius chuckled as he imagined the life there.
He wasn't too sure about the safety inside the inner city. He believed that it could still be dangerous. However, as long as they entered as recruits for the city guard position, they should have a better start.
"I heard they have streets that clean themselves. I mean… machines… Machines that fix buildings overnight. People there don't even touch the ground unless they want to."
"You make it sound like paradise… That's an exaggeration. But I think I know what you're talking about… That's Hover Chair. Used mostly by fat people…" Hale muttered, still chewing slowly.
"Anyway, from what I heard, it's filled with beautiful lights there. You breathe filtered air, drink filtered water, and you're even given medicines daily…"
Ren rolled his eyes. "That's just Outer City rumors. My cousin once worked as a wall's maintenance worker... He said that the towers we see from the outside were incredible, but he mentioned that all of our movements would be monitored once we became part of the city's defenders.
"We will be chained, huh… I don't really mind if I can live better here than in the outer city." Hale said quietly.
That silenced the table for a moment.
Alexis watched them talk about the city…
At first, he'd just seen the outline. From the scrapyard cliffs, its skyline looked like something alive.
It was like a forest of metal and neon lights… Even from that distance, he couldn't help but feel a strange desire to enter it aside from hoping that it would change his life.
"Privacy wouldn't be a thing inside, huh… Whatever it is, it's better than barely surviving in the outer city… I don't care if it's clean or cruel… at least there's a chance to climb."
He muttered, and his words resonated with others.
Then, Darius grinned as he liked Alexis's words. Although he felt a bit intimidated by Alexis because of how seemingly special he was, he realized that Alexis seemed like a cool guy.
"Now that's the spirit. Think about it, if we survive the enhancement, pass the training, and get drafted into the Enforcer Corps. No more scrounging for credits… We'll have ranks, weapons, respect."
Ren nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Imagine getting those chrome arms and even owning those combat drones… You'd be unstoppable."
Hale snorted. "Until someone higher replaces you. Don't you get it? Everything there runs on metrics. If your efficiency drops, you're recycled… like scrap. So you have to work hard every day."
"Recycled?" one of the quieter kids whispered, pale. "You mean… killed?"
"Not killed…" Hale said softly. "Repurposed."
No one spoke for a while. That wasn't a secret or anything.
After all, they still have better opportunities…
Alexis finally said… "Then we just have to stay useful."
Hale looked at him for a long second, then sighed. "You really believe that?"
"I have to."
Darius leaned back, smirking. "Useful or not, I'm not going back to the outer slums. I will become part of the Enforcers…"
Ren grinned. "Cheers to that!" He raised his metal cup that was half-filled with nutrient broth. "To the Inner City. May it be as shiny as they say."
The others hesitated, but one by one, they lifted their cups too. Even Hale, reluctantly.
Alexis raised his cup as well, as he didn't really mind befriending his 'batchmates.'
"To survive the next fifteen days…" he murmured.
The others laughed lightly, but there was also a hidden tension since everyone knew the truth… Survival may not be guaranteed if their bodies somehow fail to take the gene enhancements.
In the meantime, as they were doing all of this, a hidden device above them was recording every word they said.