The Novareum—Central Induction Hall...
The once-loud room buzzed with low chatter and uncertain laughter. Groups were forming, some tentative and some confident. Jayden and Luca stood near one of the side walls, still talking casually—though beneath the surface, both were on edge.
Then, without warning, every device in the room clicked at once.
The V-Nodes on their wrists lit up with synchronized pulses, flashing a single message:
"Assignment: Quarters Allocation — Tap to View."
Jayden's screen displayed:
Room 38 - Sub-Wing Delta
The moment he tapped the message, the familiar bluish hologram expanded from the V-Node. A soft hum followed as a miniature map of the Novareum emerged, glowing lines drawing a direct path through the twisting corridors to his assigned room.
All around him, others tapped the message as well. The room shifted from chatter to motion—like a hive suddenly finding its signal.
Gradually, the teenagers began to disperse. Some glanced around to see who they were walking with; others went off alone, guided by their projections.
Jayden gave Luca a short nod. "Guess this is where we split for now."
"Catch you tomorrow," Luca replied with a smirk.
Jayden followed the glowing path out of the hall, his footsteps quiet against the polished alloy floor. The corridors curved slightly downward, lit by soft panels that adjusted to his movement. At one point, the path passed by a transparent wall revealing a training chamber below—dark for now, but ominous in its silence.
Eventually, he reached Room 38.
It slid open without a sound.
Jayden's Room—Sub-Wing Delta...
The room was minimalist, clean, and far more advanced than it looked at first glance. A single bed hovered inches above the floor, adjusting as he approached. The walls pulsed faintly, sensitive to heat and sound. A table extended automatically when he stepped past it. Everything was intuitive. Quiet—too quiet.
That evening, Jayden lay in bed, arms folded under his head, staring up at the faint lines in the ceiling.
How did everything change so fast…?
One month ago, he was just a kid in an orphanage, trying to forget the pain of losing his parents. Now, he was inside a secret facility designed by global powers to shape the future of humanity.
"I hope I get answers…" he whispered.
His eyes drifted toward the sleek V-Node on his wrist. It blinked slowly, idly.
"Let's see what you can do."
He sat up and inspected it more carefully—tapping, swiping, and applying light pressure at its edges.
Suddenly, without warning, the device projected a hologram. A semi-humanoid figure materialized—its form human-like but faceless. Smooth, digital. Polished.
Jayden blinked. "An AI?"
The figure spoke in a clear, synthetic voice:
"Greetings. I am DEGO AI. I will be your assistant."
Jayden's mouth parted slightly in surprise.
"You may assign me a name and modify my form as you see fit."
Jayden chuckled softly. "Dego is fine. Let's not make things more complicated."
The AI continued:
"Acknowledged. I am DEGO. Assigned to Jayden Cole, Host ID #038."
"My functions include—but are not limited to—
• Navigation across authorized zones within The Novareum
• Personal health monitoring and biometric data tracking
• Adaptive mental health assistance and emotional diagnostics
• Message transmission and reception
Combat and strategy simulation interface (Level Locked)
• Mission data decoding (Restricted until clearance upgrade)
• Secure personal logs and dream recording (opt-in enabled")**
Jayden whistled low. "You're… loaded."
Then something else caught his eye: a crest in the upper corner of the interface—the Novareum insignia, stylized like a rising star entwined with orbital rings.
He tapped it.
A new window opened: STATUS BAR – Jayden Cole.
The AI spoke again.
"Displaying active metrics for Host: Jayden Cole."
Jayden scanned the screen:
• Name: Jayden Cole
• Age: 19
•Gender: Male
• Status: Orphan
•Clearance Level: 0
•Physical Aptitude: -
•Mental Diagnostics: -
•Combat Index: -
•Neural Sync: -
•Classification: Undefined
Each stat that followed was blank or marked with dashes.
Jayden leaned back. "Just like a game."
He smirked, then glanced at the AI.
"What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?"
Dego's interface flickered for a moment. Then an animation appeared—a spinning dial with text reading: Calculating based on historical pattern logs…
Within seconds, Dego replied:
"Based on Novareum protocol history, a general assessment trial is highly probable within the next 12–16 hours."
Jayden raised an eyebrow. "A test, huh?"
He looked at the ceiling again.
Then, he closed his eyes.
"I guess tomorrow we'll find out what I'm made of."