The Rift shimmered and glowed as another transport vehicle slowly drove out of it. Several workers got off their improvised chairs or turned off their entertainment hubs as they set about removing the transported cargo. Inside the trucks lay dozens of metal containers, reminiscent of coffins, each containing life support systems and a single, unlucky inhabitant. 

The workers lifted each container and separated them by age, placing the youngest in one area and the oldest in the other. Another group of workers took these coffins and placed them on long conveyors, where they were brought deep down into the facility and carried into a disinfecting room before being picked up by automated inserters which stacked them in large railcars. 

Once every single car was full, the hyperloop rail sped off, accelerating to a speed faster than sound in a quarter of a minute. Once the train reached its stop at Site-003, the coffins were swiftly removed from the train by automated machines, and organized into neat lines. 

Soon, workers, this time escorted by armed guards, approached the coffins and lifted them, carrying them to the cell number specified on the lid. Once there, the workers would disengage the life support systems, open the coffin and plop the person in there onto a cell bed, before swiftly leaving. This process was repeated thousands of times, and before long, every single cell was full. 

After dumping the last body on a bed, a worker took out a cigarette, and instead of using a lighter, he instead conjured a small flame on his thumb to light it. He smiled to himself, happy that he could now conjure flames reliably. Technically, you weren’t allowed to smoke, however having GAMMA rank and having Clearance level 5 made him unofficially exempt from some minor rules. Besides, what can it even do to him, anyways? Cybernetic lungs can’t get cancer and the ventilation is top notch. What was there to burn in a metal facility? 

“Attention all facility personnel, please remove yourself from the test subject containment cells within 15 minutes and prepare for Experiment Magus to begin. Do not interact with test subjects unless given explicit instructions to do so from approximately ranked personnel.” Announced a Voice from the loudspeakers. 

The worker sighed as he pointed a finger at his smoldering cigarette. Suddenly, the whole thing instantaneously became covered in a thin layer of ice. 

“Damn! Fucked up again.” he grumbled. 

He was never good with the cold anyways.

========================================================================

Stochastís configuring New Hardware…

Booting EXPERIMENTAL.ELEMENT-A.POWER SUPPLY…
Booted.

Booting ABSOLUTE.CONTROL…
Booted.

Connecting to ATMOSPHERIC ALTERATION SITES…
Connected.

Received Data Package…
Downloading Magus.Systema.Dominus.DEI-MAGIA V0.9…
File Size: 76 Petabytes
Storage Available after download: 4.2 Exabytes
Downloading…
Downloaded.

Loading User Access List:

ADMINISTRATOR: 1
LEVEL-10: 14
LEVEL-9: 24
LEVEL-8: 500
LEVEL-7: 3500
LEVEL-6: 7000
LEVEL-5: 15000
LEVEL-4: 700000
LEVEL-3: 1000000
LEVEL-2: >10 million
LEVEL-1: >30 Million
LEVEL-0: >100 Million
NO ACCESS: >10 Billion

New Instructions Received…
Proceeding.

=====================================================================

Douglas woke up with a splitting headache, and when he opened his eyes he was immediately blinded by the harsh light emanating from the ceiling. So for what felt like an hour, he just lay there, eyes closed and thinking about his life decisions and what led him here.  

“God! I wish this headache will just go away, I wonder what being normal feels like again…” He thought miserably. 

Suddenly, he felt something drain inside of him, and his headache hurt much less than before. 

“Huh? Did God answer my prayers?” He got up slowly and rubbed the side of his head. He was never religious, but was semi-seriously considering it now. 

He then observed his surroundings, and realized that he wasn’t home, or in the local hospital. Instead, he was in a small room, with a small bed, a table, chair, and a single lightbulb in the middle of the room. He wasn’t wearing his clothes, instead, he was in a bright teal jumpsuit. 

The only entrance/exit he could see was a metal sliding door in the room, and there didn’t seem to be any way to open it from the inside. 

On the table, there was a pamphlet on it. Picking it up, he read through its contents.

=====================================================================

Greetings Douglas Hugh!

You might be scared and frightened, but do not be worried! You’re perfectly safe! From today onwards, you will be serving as a test subject and with your help, all of humanity will be able to unlock a new door towards a safer and brighter future.

Your new designation is Douglas#0691 (remember this!) 

You might be feeling confused on what to do, but don’t worry! Our helpful employees (These are the guys with guns!) will guide you throughout your journey here. If you’re ever lost, ask them for help! 

Make sure to always pay attention to what the intercoms say, as they can and will provide helpful and useful information you can use to prolong your life. These are some of the basic rules and regulations you should follow to make your stay as pleasant as it can be:

Follow all orders and instructions given to you.

Nobody likes it when their pet disobeys! And we don’t like it either. Be a good boy, and you will be treated and rewarded well! (we promise!) 

Don’t litter. 

Keep our facility clean and make our janitors’ lives easier. 

Do not complain.

Cell conditions too rough? Food too bad? Bathrooms too smelly? Man up! Nobody likes whiners.

After 5 years of service, you get to go free! A residence, money, and healthcare will all be provided for you. No strings attached! We’re lying btw lmao

Are you ready to start? Great! To get started, please say this out loud: System!

=====================================================================

Disregarding the somewhat disturbing pamphlet, it was also extremely lacking in useful information. There is no real information on who they are, and what exactly they would be doing. 

Seeing as there is really no real option, he said “System!”

Nothing happened. “Now I just look like a dumbass…” Douglas grumbled. 

Immediately, a bright blue screen appeared in front of Douglas out of nowhere, making him jump and slam his toes into a table leg. 

“Oh fuck!” He yelled and fell to the floor, holding his toes tightly.

User has taken damage
-0.01 hit points

A light angelic voice sounded in his head.

“Huh?” startled by the voice, Douglas quickly raised his head, only to slam it directly into the bedframe. 

User has taken damage
-0.04 hit points

After the pain subsided, Douglas observed the hovering screen in front of him. He tried to wave his hand through it, and the image distorted before swiftly repairing itself. 

“Damn, this is crazy. Isn’t this just like one of those games?” He wondered. “If so, then what if I…” 

“Status!” He called out.

The blue screen distorted for a minute before showing him an image of his face and several statistics.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Name: Douglas Hugh
Age: IRRELEVANT

HP: 99.95
Mana: 11/100
Exp: 0/100
 
Available upgrade points: 0
Strength: 5
Affinity: 9
Perception: 3
Endurance: 4
Charisma: 4
Dexterity: 5
Intelligence: 4
Agility: 4
Luck: 0

Current Quest:
Null
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Damn! That’s crazy!” exclaimed Douglas, amazed. ‘’But why’s my luck so low?” 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION 
NEW CHANGE DETECTED
A SKILL HAS BEEN ADDED

+Inferior lesser heal
Skill Experience: 5/100

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The speaker on the wall crackled to life, giving Douglas no time to react to the system notification. 

“Greetings new test subjects! Please head out your door and head to the Mess Hall. Refer to the directions on the wall if you get lost.” Said a strangely cheery voice over the intercoms. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

QUEST UPDATED
Quest: Head to the Mess Hall within 5 minutes
Rewards: +5 xp
Penalty for failure: Immediate execution
Quest Giver: NULL

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Wow, death for failing this?” Not really having a choice in the matter, Douglas walked out the cell door that had just slid up, allowing him to exit the room.

Outside, he was greeted with the face of another bewildered test subject, along with the faces of several dozen other individuals in the hall. They all looked at each other. Some were very vocal about their confusion, and others, either the smart or the cowardly ones, remained silent. 

After scanning the crowd of people for anyone he might know and seeing no one, he followed the yellow arrow labeled “MESS HALL”  painted on the floor. After scurrying past a frighteningly large amount of armed guards, he made it into the mess hall. 

The room was absolutely massive, with rows upon rows of tables and chairs arranged neatly in lines. There were hundreds of Test Subjects in there, but the size of the room could clearly accommodate thousands more.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

QUEST COMPLETED
Quest: Head to the Mess Hall within 5 minutes
Reward: +5 xp

NEW QUEST RECEIVED
Sit in the seat marked with your designated number within 8 minutes
Rewards: +5 xp
Penalty for failure: Immediate execution and public humiliation 
Quest Giver: NULL

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Wait a minute,” muttered Douglas. “What’s my designation number again?”
_________________________________________________________________________

After rushing back to his cell, garnering weird looks from other test subjects, and memorizing his designation code, he ran back to the Mess Hall, heaving and completely out of breath. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

QUEST COMPLETED
Quest: Sit in the seat marked with your designated number within 8 minutes
Reward: +5 xp

NEW QUEST RECEIVED
Quest: Await further instructions
Rewards: + One (1) Grade-F Ration Pack, One (1) Grade-F Test Subject ration coupon
Penalty for failure: NONE
Quest Giver: NULL

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He saw a familiar figure seated right next to him. “Donald?” Douglas asked, unsure. 

“Eh? Doug?” Donald turned and his face brightened. “You’re alive?” 

“What do you mean I’m alive? You thought I fuckin died?!” Doug laughed, relieved that he at least knew somebody else here.

“I thought for sure you’d be dead, you stopped responding to texts and you were nowhere to be found.” 

“Well uh, It appears that we have both been kidnapped.” 

“Quite a situation we’re in, huh?” 

The two heard rapid heavy breathing behind them and turned around.

“Shit, Millie? They got you too?” Donald sighed. 

“Oh my god!” squealed Millie, as she threw herself towards Donald and Douglas, wrapping her arms around both of them, drawing some amused confused looks around them. 

Douglas sighed and patted Millie’s back, trying to comfort the sobbing girl. 

“Oh shit!” Donald Yelped, and quickly pushed Millie into the seat located to the right of Douglas.

“Damn that was close! You almost died there. It’s nearly been 8 minutes.” He quickly explained. 

Millie calmed down and sat stilly in her seat, trying to stifle her occasional sniffling. 

“Welcome all test subjects! I am happy to announce today that nobody has died yet!” Exclaimed a voice from the intercoms. “However, that might change very soon! As you might all have realized by now, you are all test subjects! For who? Well that’s up to you to find out. Now you may have realized that things here don’t exactly make sense. By using the system, you can see a stat-page, much like that of a game, in front of you. If you didn’t, then I don’t know how you’re still alive! Haha!” The voice laughed.

“But I assure you, as long as you follow all instructions given to you, I’m sure all of you will survive! Now all of you may be hungry, yes? Thankfully, just by listening to my beautiful voice, you can get food! How amazing is that? Anyways, if you’re ever lost or unsure on what to do, look at your current quest. It’s that easy! That’s all for now, see you all later!” The intercoms then went silent. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

QUEST COMPLETED
Quest: Await further instructions
Reward: One (1) Grade-F (TEST SUBJECT) Ration Pack, One (1) Grade-F test subject coupon. 
Secret Reward: Unlocked the schedule list, say ‘Schedule!” out loud to see your current schedule. Failure to comply will result in consequences.

NEW QUEST RECEIVED
Quest: Wait for 1 hour. Take the time to converse and befriend your fellow test subjects or form deadly rivalries with them!
Rewards: None
Penalty for failure: None
Quest Giver: NULL

Hint: Say “Inventory” to access inventory. 
Say |ITEM NAME| to take out an item from the inventory.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The entire room was silent, with only nervous whispers of occasionally breaking the surrounding silence. 

Not wanting to be the one to break the current status quo but also wanting to check his inventory and stat page, he whispered softly “Inventory.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

ERROR: User must say any command with a loudness of at least 50 Decibels.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Well there goes that idea…” Douglas muttered. 

He sighed and said “Inventory!” out loud. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

CURRENT INVENTORY 
CAPACITY: 2/3
ITEMS:
One Grade-F TEST SUBJECT Ration Pack (container)
Contains:
5 Slices of Bread
3 Packs of Water

One Grade-F TEST SUBJECT Ration Coupon
(hand this in at the food line to receive food. You will receive 3 daily.) 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Well that’s pretty miserable… Grade-F test subject ration pack!” A sealed gray colored plastic bag appeared in Douglas’ hands. Unsealing it, he pulled out a pretty sad looking piece of bread. 

He took a small bite, and the bread tasted like cardboard, he almost wanted to spit it out. He threw the bread back in and took out a pack of water. Which was literally a small plastic pack filled with water. 

“How the hell is this shit food?” Frowned Donald, poking at a piece of bread. “We ate better shit in the slums!” 

Douglas hummed in agreement. “What is the point of a mess hall if all they’re gonna feed us are prepackaged food?” 

The entire room was now filled with commotion. Mostly with angry complaints about the poor quality of food. The majority of the test subjects were young and came from rough parts, and are no strangers to fights. The only thing preventing a full blown riot was the heavy presence of armed guards roaming the mess hall, pointing their guns at and threatening the more rowdy ones. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

NEW QUEST TRIGGERED (All Test Subjects)
Quest: Get better food
Rewards: ???
Penalty for failure: ???
Quest Giver: AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

SCHEDULE UPDATED
Free Time
(Do whatever you want. Do not die.)

Ends in 30 minutes

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Well shit! Ain’t that convenient.” Donald read through the message. “And how helpful.” he added sarcastically. 

“I… I think we should split up.” Minnie spoke softly. “This place is huge and we should split up so we can explore this place more thoroughly.” Her face reddened and she buried her face deeper into her arms, looking like she should have never spoken at all. 

“Yeah, I think she's right. Not like we have anything better to do anyways.” Donald stood up from his seat, then pointed at a blue arrow along the floor. “I’m checking out the working area.” 

He then pointed at Douglas, and then down at the green arrow. “You check out the TS Exchange, that place sounds interesting.” 

Finally, he pointed at Millie and then at the red arrow. “You can check out the rec area. Now, I would like to meet here again when free time is over but I don’t know if they will allow us. Good luck guys, no time to waste.” 

Donald turned and quickly followed the blue arrows on the floor, and Millie soon did the same with the red ones. Seeing as both of them weren’t up for further conversation, he followed the green arrows on the floor. The green arrow ran parallel to the blue arrow, but turned left later in a hallway. 

Soon, Douglas reached a sizable chamber labeled “Test Subject Exchange Area”. It looked somewhat like a bank. The area was filled with guards, the occasional test subject, and several kiosks with one way glass. 

“Hely kid! You lost or something?” 

“Huh?” Turning to find the source, he spotted a man possibly in his late 40’s waving at him from an open kiosk. 

“Well, you want anything?” asked the man.

“I- uh.” 

“Do you know what this place is?”

“Uh, no?”

“Aye yai yai… This is the exchange area, where you can exchange your hard earned currencies for all sorts of useful things!” The man explained.

“Like food?” 

“Food? Didn’t you already get food?” 

“Well we did, but…” Douglas took out his ration pack and showed it to the man. 

“Bread and water? Damn! You kids be eating worse than beggars!” He then looked around. “Alright, have this on me. Don’t tell anyone else about this, alright?” He handed Douglas a much meatier blue plastic pack.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

NEW ITEM OBTAINED
Grade-C WORKER Ration Pack (container) 
Contains: 
2 Large Hamburgers
4 Baked Potatoes
8 Packs Mineral Water
1 Bar of Chocolate

(WARNING: This item is contraband. If spotted, prepare for heavy consequences)
 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Don’t tell anybody where you got this from.” The man warned Douglas again. “Only doing this because I have an extra.” 

“Ah, thanks, mr…?” 

“Hm? Oh! Call me Brook! Good luck out there kid.” With that, he slammed his window shut. 
_________________________________________________________________________

Donald looked around the massive cavern around him. The entire working area was just this. Around him were possibly hundreds of test subjects who were toiling away, slamming heavy steel pickaxes at the walls, occasionally digging out some small blue crystals.

He walked up to a nearby test subject and asked him. “Hey buddy, what is all this?” 

The test subject looked to be no more than 20. “Digging.” He replied simply. 

“Uh huh, digging for what, blue rocks?” 

The man looked up at Donald, examined his face, then answered. “System calls it a mana stone. Don’t know what it does but It gives you exchange points.” 

“Exchange points, and what do these do?”

“You can trade them for things at the exchange area down the hall.” 

Donald looked around and spotted a group of large burly test subjects carrying pickaxes heading further into the cavern, away from the large groups near the entrance. 

“Why aren’t more people going deeper?” Donald curiously asked. 

The man’s face turned pale. “The Irechian gang claimed that area for themselves, and they beat the shit out of one guy to leave a message for everyone else.” 

“The guards aren’t doing anything about this?”

“The guards don’t give a shit. I tried talking to them but they just… stare at you.”

“Stare?”

“They just look at you. Like you’re stupid. The only time when they do something is when someone breaks a rule or when some idiot tries to pickpocket them. God, poor Joe!”   

“Breaking a rule huh… Like what?”

“Trying to attack a guard, not obeying orders, possessing contraband… all that stuff. They don’t care if we try to kill each other, although they will stop large all out brawls. Listen, if you can get rid of those bastards, I’ll be in your debt.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

ANALYZING…
USER GENERATED QUEST ISSUED

Quest: Drive away the members of the Irechian gang and/or take over their territory in the cavern. 
Rewards: Noah’s trust
Penalty for failure: Nothing
Quest Giver: Noah Turner
 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Alright, I’ll try and see if I can do something about them. See you around, Noah.”

“Yeah see you around… wait.” Noah turned around and looked at Donald’s back. “How the hell did he know my name?” 
_________________________________________________________________________

The rec room was large and spacious, with a small library in one corner and a bunch of board games in the other. There was even a gym, basketball and soccer field, with double doors leading to them. However, despite the large amount of amenities, there was hardly anybody relaxing. 

The only person in there actually enjoying a good book was a woman sitting in a beanbag chair, who’s eyes brightened when she noticed Millie. She got up and practically leaped over to Millie, who looked at her in shock. 

“Pretty sweet isn’t it? It’s a toggleable ability called Swift Movement. Huh? Oh! I forgot to introduce myself again, didn’t I?” The girl laughed. 

Millie, overwhelmed by the girl's eccentricity, stayed silent. 

“My name is Olivia, pleased to meet you.” She held out her hands for a handshake. 

Still somewhat bewildered, Millie slightly raised her hand and was about to accept the handshake when Ovilia grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously. 

“So how’d you end up here? Were you kidnapped, Drugged, beaten and carried away, enticed, lied to, or - Whoops! Sorry. Went off track again. I don’t even know your name!” Olivia laughed, as if this was a normal occurrence for her. 

“Millie, my name is Millie.” Millie softly replied. 

“Millie! What a beautiful name! My name is Olivia. Oh, did I already introduce myself? Ha! My bad.” Olivia scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. 

“It’s not a mental disease or something, I promise! I'm not crazy. It’s just a personality trait. Oh, did I start going off again?” 

“Uh, alright? I uh - I believe you?” 

“Really? Thanks! Hey hold on. Lemme show you something cool.” Without waiting for a reply, Olivia dragged Millie along to a dark corner of the room, reached around in a bookshelf, and with a small audible click, a small portion of the wall slid open.

Without allowing Millie to take everything in, Olivia dragged her into the room. Inside, there was a somewhat large pit in the middle of the room, with seats surrounding it and a larger upper area, with more luxurious seating. 

“I think this is an arena. I don’t know why they built an arena here but it’s pretty awesome! Just look at these seats!” Olivia plopped herself in one of the seats. 

Millie was amazed by the area, and spent a few minutes looking around, but fear and apprehension appeared on her face. “But isn’t this, like, transpassing? Won’t the guards do something if they know we’re here?”

“The guards? Oh they already know we’re here” Olivia pointed at the small cameras dotted throughout the room. 

“What?!?”

“Nah don’t worry. They don’t care. I’ve been here many times before.” 

“How do you even know this place exists? It’s only been a day since we were dragged here.”

“I like to… you know. Feel the crevices between things. I felt a button and when I did, I pressed it and here we are today!” 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

SCHEDULE UPDATED
Return to the mess hall within 10 minutes. 

Punishment for failure: Death

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Oh, looks like we better head back. Can’t be late for this one. Come on! Let’s go!” Without waiting for a reply, Olivia grabbed Minnie’s hand and rushed out the door, practically dragging the poor girl all the way to the mess hall. 
_________________________________________________________________________

Back at the Mess hall, the trio, now  waved at each other and reconvened at their seats. 

“Hey, who’s this?” asked Donald.

“Olivia! Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Olivia eagerly stuck out her hand for a handshake. 

Donald raised an eyebrow and looked at Minnie, but shook her hand. 

“So… has anyone found anything yet?” Asked Douglas.

“Nothing really, besides a gang that occupies the deep areas of the mines.” returned Donald. 

“Gang?” Olivia perked up. “You mean the Irechian gang?”

“Yeah. you know them?”

“Of course! One of the bastards tried to grope me, but I gave that asshole a roundhouse to the face! He ran away after that.”

“We should find a way to get rid of them. I’ve got a quest for it and the working area also has an area where you can mine for crystals, which you can exchange for points. No idea what they do though.”

“Points? I think I have a pretty good Idea what they do.” Answered Douglas. He looked around him before taking out a large blue pack. “And I also have a pretty good idea on how to get rid of them.”