Age of Space

At the bottom of the prison, along with the arena, was a door, a great door spanning tens of meters. Ronin and Marvin, still descending towards the ground floor noticed that, as the door opened, the entire atmosphere in the compound changed. Shouts and roars began ringing through the crowd like an eruption as every inmate, after fully descending down, ran towards the door at full speed. As they reached the gap, the passage got clogged and instead of running, people now started fighting to get in!

Having fully descended as well, Ronin looked up, a ceiling was beginning to enclose the lowermost floor, sealing off anything above. There was only one floor now… And one door.

What in the world?! Why are they sealing us in like this? He thought befo-

“Come with me!” Marvin shouted.

Ronin, having no clue what was happening, chose to follow, for now. He was still, very much injured, but after reaching the 3’rd stance of the Kalvrakian embrace, keeping up with the older Marvin was not a problem.

They ran as far as they could, but the closer to the door they got, the more the sea of humanity around them closed in. Eventually it simply became too tight. They had to push, shove, squeeze and bump their way further in.

The mass of humans became denser and denser. Ronin, still injured on his left shoulder, could only use his right arm and started having trouble getting further in. The pressure had gotten so high at this point, he was beginning to breathe hard, and his limbs started feeling heavy.

“Be careful not to get submerged!” Ronin could faintly hear Marvin shout.

He was so focused on getting through the crowd and subsequently, the door, he began losing his sense of time. The mayhem of human struggle was so all encompassing, he barely noticed anything anymore. There was only the path, deeper into the chaos. It was also at this point, when he was the most distracted, that a shiv, out of nowhere, struck venomously for his abdomen. But regardless of whether or not Ronin himself noticed the sharp thing, his instincts did. Through some kind of alien reinforced subconscious subroutine, he deflected the blade away. Wait, did he just 'deflect' that shiv into an unsuspecting neighbor? There was no time to think, he pushed further ahead.

At some point, the pressure from so many people, all around him, pushing inwards, trying to squeeze through the gap, eased up. Still focused on pushing forward, Ronin noticed that there were less people around him now. He no longer saw the door in front of him either. Was he finally through?

“This way!” He heard Marvin shout.

Heading towards the voice, he arrived in front of a multitude of empty aisles. Inmates seemed to be running along them picking something up every now and again.

There!

He finally saw his fellow cellmate. While grinning wildly, Marvin was holding two pieces of gear, one in each hand.

“Got one for you too! Breathing masks!” He laughed, handing one over to Ronin.

As Marvin quickly began putting on the mask, Ronin followed suit and they began heading further down the aisles.

Shortly after setting out, they arrived before yet another door, but their fellow inmates did not stand in front of it this time.

All along its side walls people squeezed in, as if seeking shelter.

Further back, people stood close to the aisles, some were even laying down.

“What are they doing?” he asked Marvin.

“You will see soon. Behind that door is the equipment we’re going to be using today. Essentially, we’re all miners in this prison, that's our job, digging. If you dig enough, you get food. If you don’t, better luck next time.”

"..."

As more and more inmates arrived, he quickly became surrounded again. He couldn't see Marvin anymore. Had he snuck away amidst the incoming people? Why would he do that? People began laying down. Ronin did so as well. He didn’t see the point, but this was his first day here and if literally everyone around him laid down, he’d be a fool not to do the same.

A yellow light began slowly spinning from a lightbulb, bolted into the roof in front of the door.

The seconds passed and an ominous energy of fear seemed to take hold of the room as some prisoners began shaking.

“Again, again I have to do this? Why did they put me here?.. Just how could they..” He could hear a nearby inmate mutter.

A robotic voice began sounding out from speakers along the walls:

[Initiating gate opening. Pressure is estimated as four times nominal. Brace for impact.]

The message was followed by a booming alarm, and as the door began lifting, a storm of hot blazing wind followed.

Inmates were blasted back, some fighting to breathe, some with bleeding red eyes, scorched out by the acid gas flooding the compound. Ronin himself noticed his eardrums almost bursting from the rapid increase in air pressure. Then it happened. He began struggling to breathe, and what he did breathe, burned. It felt like his lungs were on fire.

This can’t be what's supposed to happen, I have a mask! His eyes began to sting.

Wait, what if the mask is defective!? Am I going to die? Beset by a torrent of coughs, he could barely see now with how much water there was in his eyes.

Making a snap judgement while he still had some degree of vision, he reached out for the inmate he’d heard speak just a few seconds ago.

He needed another mask!

“Let go you maniac! Stop it!” The man shouted in fear, grabbing onto his own mask, protecting it.

What followed were a torrent of kicks, one striking Ronin's left thigh, flaring up the injury. Ronin's left arm was unusable, it was also cuffed to his right, making the mask theft even harder. He decided to change his approach. He needed more leverage and began crawling over the inmate, jostling for a better position.

“You have your own mask! Please. Who set you up to this? I’ll double whatever they're paying you, Just... Get… Off!” The prisoner shouted as, with both feet, he kicked Ronin away.

But it was too late. As inmate 5348 tumbled across the ground, in his hand, was a new breathing apparatus. Hopefully one that worked this time.

I’m sorry, whoever you are… I will remember this. Ronin thought as he closed his eyes, tore off the defective thing he'd been given by Marvin, then put on the newly gained plunder.

When he’d done something like this before, it had either been accidental, or they had it coming. This, however, was different. Regardless of who you were or how you ended up here, we had no grievance, and you didn’t deserve this, not to me at least. He made a solemn vow. The number on the inmates' uniform was 1437. From now on, he'd be indebted to that number.

As his breath returned, the burning feeling in his lungs faded and his sight became clearer. With both the nanomachines and his alien regeneration working in tandem, the damage to his face, caused from the few seconds of exposure to the atmosphere, healed up quickly. The same could not be said for the injuries he’d entered Exodon with.

The hot, sour atmosphere buried itself into his burn wounds, further corroding them. Even his perfectly healthy skin burned and began corroding after the gate opened. He, along with every other prisoner here was on a timer, even with a functioning mask.

I sort of understand why we all get injected with healing nanomachines now. In this type of environment, the accumulating damage to our bodies would make it impossible to work. Every day we’ll need the nanites to heal us from the corrosion of the air. If we don’t heal fast enough, we fall behind, if we fall behind, we’ll have to work longer for food, longer hours will cause even more corrosion damage, which in turn will take even longer to heal.

It was a negative spiral which only got worse and worse until you eventually succumbed. Ronin knew why Exodon was known as the place without sun. Today he learned the other half, why it was called a hellscape.

He walked past the door and into the expansive cave system. Around him there were all kinds of instruments, from massive smelting furnaces reaching tens of meters up, to processing machines, minecarts and handheld excavating machines. He rolled up his sleeves as he was gestured towards the handheld tools. The faster he got this over with, the more he’d get to heal afterwards.

Simons looked at the contract again, "Maximus Solutions".

He’d gone over the contract over 20 times since he first signed it. After looking into his new employer's factory, he’d been so amazed he couldn't stop shaking. The facility was unbelievable. It had state of the art equipment of the highest caliber. From a highly precise 3D printer to a heavily modded design lab. It was almost as if the factory was tailor made for new aspiring designers.

He, Simons, out of all people, before even finishing his first year, would be working there! His father was a rather famous man. Highly respected in the ship construction circuit, he had a lot of strings he could pull, but to get his son a job like this, that was way out of his league.

As expected of someone like Ronin, Simons thought. He had noticed it during the exercise. The others, probably not fully understanding what Ronin had done, had dismissed the employment contract. Simons, however, was right there when it happened. He understood the implications.

Of course, some large mysterious company would notice his talent and offer him an opportunity. Simons, unlike everyone else saw the chance he'd been given for what it was and signed the contract right away. There was still that strange clause though…

"The employee is required to possess or develop a strong ability to communicate."

After extensive talks with his father and even a thorough talk with their family lawyer, it became clear why the clause was added.

The clause had one purpose and one purpose alone. To allow the company to fire Simons whenever they want. If the company did well and began rising up in the world, they’d need more professional manpower, skilled employees, and Simons would have to go. He only got the job so that Ronin could have a training partner and a playmate. Once he lost his value, he’d be fired cleanly, no severance package, no nothing, all because of that clause.

Well, not on Simons’ watch. He’d do whatever it took to grab onto Ronin's leg and hold on for dear life. Strong communication abilities? He’d become the damnedest best communicator on the planet. He was reminded of his lisp.

If liposuction is what it takes, then that's what I’ll do, He thought, dialing up the family physician to schedule an appointment

“Work you little shits, why are you slowing down!?” Shouted a guard clad in a large, 3 meters tall power suit. A war suit. This was not something you’d find on the open market, and if you did, you’d get prosecuted. Loaded with shoulder mounted missile launchers, all kinds of sensory equipment and tons of laser cannons. This was an armament built for pure unadulterated conflict.

Beside the man hung a teflon covered poster, depicting a happy miner, digging to his heart's content with a gleeful face. Below the image, the poster read:

"Dig for freedom, dig for Tar, dig for food, dig for salvation! Every fellow man and woman from Tar appreciates you and your efforts. When Exodon becomes habitable, we’ll always remember what you did for us. Future hero, redemption awaits!"

Ronin scoffed at the ridiculous thing. The only thing true about it was the digging for the food part. And dig he did.

Wielding what looked like a large jack hammer, he moved on to another location, pressed the machine into the ground, pushed a red button and the machine lasered a thin deep hole. He twisted the machines handle and compressed gas entered the thin opening. The gas expanded, causing the rock to fracture. Finally, he picked up the loose pieces of mafic rock, then filled up the minecart.

He was used to the mind-numbing routine by now. He always ended up underground somehow, maybe it was destiny trying to tell him something?

Anyways, it was his tenth cart today. It would be his last.

Transporting the cart back to the smelting furnace, he offloaded the rocks onto a conveyor belt before walking up to another guard in a war suit.

“Let’s see… 10 carts in about 5 hours. That’s slightly above the average, but considering this is your first day, you might just make it, inmate 5348.” The guard spoke in amusement as he handed over a condensed nutrient pack. “If you walk straight in and onto your left there will be an airlock which will now open for you.”

Ronin quickly found the airlock, removing the mask and inhaling deeply in relief after the chamber was pressurized to Earth nominal values.

His whole body itched, and the injuries were even worse, but he knew it wouldn’t take long to get back into shape. An Improved regeneration and healing nanobots both? He just might be invincible now!

Ronin exited and began wolfing down the nutrient pack as he started walking back up to his cell. There was still no sight of Marvin. Good. He didn’t know what he’d do if he showed up, but sooner or later, there would be a reckoning.

As he entered his cell, he spotted Bulkster and the guy with the CLM tattoo. They seemed to be resting.

More space for me. Ronin thought as he began lowering his legs.

It was time.

With iron strength, he tore off the cuffs, calmed his breathing and began doing the stances.

He felt the familiar feeling of explosive peril storming through his body, but he could do it now, he had healed enough.

Moving on to the third stance, the strain built up, but he continued. He reached 40% completion, then 50%, his previous record. He pushed further into 60%, 85% then 99%. With a mountain of willpower, he locked it in!

He’d reached the 4th stance! Strength once again burst out from within the artifact and his entire being improved. But more importantly, the damage from his fall from his 5th story apartment and the two laser burns, began restoring itself so fast he could literally see it healing with the naked eye!

Ronin was back! The Potentia Panorama might be dangerous, but its possibilities were endless.

Half a stance in one try, that’s got to be a record. This planet might actually be helping me improve faster! The next day would be a cakewalk at this rate, and if he continued to improve... He might be able to escape... A dangerous thought, but if nobody helped him get out of here, he'd rather die than give up on his dream.

Time passed as Ronin rested. Finally, Marvin arrived. There were no signs of nervousness or anything that could be interpreted as guilt.

Was the defective mask he gave me truly a mistake? Ronin wondered.

He wouldn’t act yet, he would wait, he had to be sure…

"..."

When the floor was finally fully opened, a second enclosure was revealed. The arena had been shielded from the corrosive air from outside as well, and it became clear why when the cover began retracting.

"This is going to be good!" Bulkster chuckled. "Saw 3 people down there myself. Couldn’t get to the door in time, ran into the cage like rats."

Down inside the arena was 7 people, trepidation evident in their movements. Speakers, mounted onto the walls of the complex began announcing:

[We’ve got ourselves a grand battle today fellow hardworking men of Tar! 7 men has chosen life through combat, but only one can claim the right! Let's get these patriots something worthy of their bravery!]

Magnetic fields lowered metal batons and swords into the arena, but before they could reach the waiting men, one of the larger inmates in the arena attacked.

As the larger man ran forward and began to throw a punch, he suddenly jerked to a stop. A harrowing deep scream rang out as a black and red mist burst out from his back. He stood there for a moment, shaking before dropping down into a puddle of blood.

“Got a little antsy that one! Did you see Ronin? Did you see? The black gunk just burst out!” Bulkster once again laughed, seeming oddly happy with what was happening.

Ronin nodded.

So that's what happens when they use magnetism to remove the nanites. If that happened to me, would I survive?

The now 6 contenders picked up their weapons and a new dark, deep, bass filled voice filled the prison:

[Combatants prepare…]

An air of quiet anticipation spread through the complex.

[Ready, steady… Combatants, Fight!]

The whole prison erupted into fervor as the men clashed!

Ronin spotted 4 inmates' team up, forcing the other two to team up as well. One of the two, he noticed, fought with surprising grace. Only dodging by a hair's breadth and fighting conservatively. He seemed to be losing ground, but it also seemed to be calculated somehow, as if he was doing it on purpose.

The other of the two fell. It would have been a 4 vs. 1 fight at this point, but one of the men in the larger team suddenly swung his sword, striking his teammate in the neck, decapitating him.

[Fatality!] The speakers resounded as the crowd erupted into cheers and the three men left in the team turned on each other.

The battle became chaotic as blades and batons now struck for anyone and anything in the way. Batons broke bones, swords cut deep and before long there were only two men left in the arena.

On the left was the man, previously in the two-man team. On the right, was the backstabber. Ronin could see that the skilled fighter who’d been previously holding back, was hurt. He didn’t seem to be faking ineptitude anymore. He was on the back foot, struggling to defend himself.

There was a brief pause in the battle as the two combatants disengaged. Then, as the injured man faltered, with a powerful roar, the other man, the team killer, threw away all hesitation and rushed forward with his sword held high. It was time for the coup de grâce.

However, right as he was upon the injured man, with surprising quickness the injured man dropped down, using the team killers' own momentum, as well as his own bodyweight to plunge the sword straight through the charging man's heart. The team killer flew over the crouched competitor, crashing down hard.

[Winner…. Inmate 20001!] The speakers boomed out as cheers and shouts rang through the crowd. Ronin could even see some prison guards cheering, caught up in the atmosphere.

“Now that's what I'm talking about! This place ain’t so bad after all ain’t it, Fish!?” Bulkster roared while looking at Ronin with genuine happiness.

Ronin inwardly shook his head. This guy was a lost cause. Getting this happy over such violence was not a sign of a healthy mind.

“...”

As the day went on, Ronin kept to himself, keeping an eye on Marvin. He didn’t notice anything off, but from now on, he’d never take another mask offered by the old guy ever again. Finally, when the lights in the prison turned off, he went to bed.