Prologue
The sound of footsteps echoed along the quiet corridor. Accompanied by the soft blue glow of the long LED lights, Kyle, one of the captains of Olympus Armed Forces' Fifth Division, was making his way to the courtroom. Beside him was a white-haired girl in a tactical uniform, a loyal soldier and subordinate named Dianne.
"Everyone in the military is no longer human, except for you, sir Kyle, so, how does it feel?" Dianne's voice broke the silence.
"It feels, well, normal, I suppose. I'm actually envious of meta-humans like you. With synthetic bodies, not only do you feel no pain, but you also possess strengths far exceeding an ordinary human like me."
Dianne chuckled, covering her mouth slightly. "At least you are proven immune to the Radiate virus. Many people yearn for that—to remain human and live a normal life," Dianne replied.
Kyle then countered, "Is living in Earth's atmosphere inside a giant spaceship normal? I don't think so."
They laughed together and continued their journey until they finally arrived at the courtroom.
In the front witness chair, Markus Spielberg, the President of Olympus, sat in silence, his gaze sharp and serious. Beside him was his wife, Mariabelle Spielberg, who offered a faint smile and a friendly nod to Kyle and Dianne.
The trial was attended by all the Olympus high-ranking officials and was directly led by the Chief Justice, Rahman Oziv, an old friend of Kyle's who happened to be from the same village when humanity still lived on Earth.
Kyle had many insiders within the Olympus government, but still, the decision of the President, the Ministers, and the Heads of the Laboratories was akin to a divine decree. What they said was the will of heaven; anyone who resisted would be banished to Earth and would have to face the infected creatures there.
For twenty years, humanity had been forced to live in Earth's atmosphere. There were no more beautiful mountain views, only a skeletal framework of steel floating in the sky.
Olympus was home to the remaining human race. The inhabitants of this ark numbered no more than two hundred million due to the nuclear war that had killed countless living beings.
Kyle and Dianne had previously discovered irregularities in the distribution of food supplies for Olympus residents, but reporting it—which led them directly to the President himself—brought them huge trouble. A week after the report, a video circulated on the internet, showing Kyle and Dianne engaging in conduct that not only violated norms but also breached the military's code of ethics, and furthermore, violated the restriction against interbreeding between ordinary humans and meta-humans. It was clearly a slander, but in this situation, no one dared to protest. Eventually, Kyle and Dianne had to face trial in the Olympus Supreme Court.
In the courtroom, Kyle and Dianne sat in the center of the room. All eyes and cameras were on them, broadcast live across the Olympus network. All Olympus residents were watching the major trial.
The trial began. Judge Rahman kept asking questions carefully framed to make Kyle provide answers that would facilitate their acquittal, such as when and where they committed the act, which they obviously couldn't answer, thus leading to the dismissal of the accusation. Kyle and Dianne began to relax, sensing their dominance in this trial, but everything changed when President Markus slammed his hand hard on the table, instantly startling the entire courtroom. With a gesture, he summoned his aide, who carried a briefcase. When opened, it contained a small sample bottle, which he then displayed to the judge.
"With your permission, Your Honor, the investigative team just found this piece of evidence a few days ago, right in the room where the video was recorded."
He then activated a hologram projector to show the investigation documentation and played the indecent video next to it, eliciting a slight chuckle from the back benches occupied by the President's cabinet.
Kyle and Dianne exchanged annoyed and slightly embarrassed glances. Meanwhile, Rahman, as the judge, was genuinely offended by Markus's action. He truly wanted to resist, but it was clearly futile. Moreover, the contents of the sample bottle were two strands of hair, one belonging to Kyle and the other to Dianne, which not only carried both their DNA but also contained Kyle's sperm cells, with official certification from the laboratory.
Finally, the verdict was delivered. Since neither Kyle nor Dianne could provide any statement regarding the evidence, they were considered to have confessed and were found guilty.
With a heavy heart, Rahman read the court's decision, "In the absence of any statement that can be provided by the defendants concerning the case, the Court hereby declares that Kyle Romanov and Dianne Sicilia are guilty and will undergo the following sentence,"
Rahman flipped his notes and sighed heavily.
"Brother Kyle Romanov and Sister Dianne Sicilia, according to the Olympus High Court regulations, and upholding honesty and justice, you shall undergo punishment as volunteers to be sent down to Earth, with the objective of conducting an open-ended investigation until you successfully find an instrument from Earth deemed vital for the research aimed at cleansing the planet, which will eventually be re-inhabited by all Olympus residents."
GAVEL SOUND
The gavel struck; its sound pierced their hearts—not just Kyle's and Dianne's, but all Olympus residents. Everyone realized how easily the law could be controlled by the government to protect its dignity.
The trial ended, with Kyle and Dianne being dragged out and immediately prepared to be deployed to Earth.
They were initially not to be given any equipment for the descent, not even a simple pocket knife. Fortunately, some of the equipment supervisors were also Kyle's insiders, who would secretly listen to live information from Kyle about everything he found on Earth via radio. If he couldn't win the court, this was what Kyle could do. He had already discussed everything with Rahman, not only a way to save him from the trial but also what punishment he would face if he lost.
That morning, Kyle's entire battalion lined up neatly in front of the exit door, facing the one-time-use flying capsule that would directly take Kyle and Dianne to Earth. They were waiting for their captain to arrive.
Kyle and Dianne walked slowly, carrying nothing but their tactical uniforms for minimal protection, watched by the soldiers who remained at attention. Kyle and Dianne now stood in front of the capsule. Dianne shed a few tears as she saw her comrades-in-arms offer profound, heartbroken smiles.
Kyle then delivered a farewell speech, "My esteemed soldiers, today, I, as your captain, or former captain, ask for your leave. I will always remember the first time each of you was ordered to step forward when you first joined the forces, and everyone threw bolts and used oil at you. That all serves as proof that we are closer than siblings. We, the Fifth Division, are one body, one soul, one being. I hope that whoever replaces me, you can accept them well. Whether I perish down there or return with history, I, along with your friend, Dianne, will fight, hoping for your best wishes,"
Kyle then paused for a moment before shouting, "Are you willing to pray for us?!"
"YES, WE ARE READY!" the soldiers answered firmly. Soon after, one by one, they ran towards them. Everyone embraced warmly, knowing this might be their final farewell to their captain.
Kyle and Dianne entered the capsule. Inside, a number of ready-to-use weapons were stored. They were all high-tech, capable of firing lasers, and only needed a little sunlight to recharge their energy.
Kyle looked at Dianne. "So this is the story. Are you ready? No need to answer. Ready or not, you have to be ready, hehe."
Dianne laughed and pulled the lever that immediately launched the capsule out of the Olympus spaceship. Behind them, the soldiers were still holding hands, watching their departure, some crying.
Little by little, Earth's gravity began to be felt. The capsule started to fall. Kyle and Dianne held hands and shouted the motto of the Fifth Division:
"ONE TWO THREE, IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, LET'S DO IT!"