A Boy from the Past [ch1]
The last amber hues of sunset dipped beneath the sprawling farmlands, giving way to a blanket of stars that would soon be outshone by the neon glow of New Emona. For a boy who had known only the rhythmic chirp of crickets and the soft sighs of wind through the wheat, the city was a siren song, a pulsing beacon of the unknown. His heart was heavy with the weight of loss, his parents' absence a silent void that followed him as he journeyed to his aunt's abode in the heart of the metropolis.
New Emona was a symphony of progress, a city that hummed with the electricity of innovation. Here, the future was not a distant dream but a vivid, tangible reality that throbbed in the veins of its inhabitants. Yet, for all its brilliance, the city bore a stark division between those who embraced the machine and those who resisted it.
The boy's aunt, a gentle soul with eyes that sparkled with unspoken stories, welcomed him with open arms. She lived in a modest high-rise that kissed the clouds, her windows a portal to the city's vibrant dance. With her guidance, he found himself enrolled in a university that was a melting pot of New Emona's eclectic children.
He quickly learned the labels that society adhered to with religious fervor. The Machinists, with their mechanical might, sneered down upon those less augmented than themselves. Their limbs were a patchwork of steel and sinew, their movements a testament to middle-class muscle.
The Royals floated through the corridors with an air of untouchable grace, their enhancements so artfully integrated that they seemed nothing less than divine. They were the epitome of wealth and power, their cybernetic whispers a soft song of supremacy.
The Regulars were the backbone of the city, their enhancements a modest badge of necessity rather than opulence. They walked with the quiet resignation of those who knew their place in the grand design, their aspirations tethered by the weight of economic reality.
And then there were the Purists, a dying breed, relics of a time before the New Worldwide Government decreed the integration of man and machine. The boy was among them, unbeknownst to himself, his very existence a silent rebellion against the H.E.A.R.T. - the Health Enhancement & Autonomous Reaction Tracking system that marked every citizen from birth.
Whispers slithered through the shadows, suggesting that his parents had paid the ultimate price for their defiance, their refusal to allow their son to be chipped. The boy, ignorant of the terms 'Purist' and 'Heartless', soon felt the sting of isolation as rumors painted him a pariah.
Yet, in the crucible of adversity, he found kinship. A male friend, a Regular with a cybernetic leg that told a tale of humble origins and unyielding spirit, took him under his wing. Together, they navigated the labyrinth of New Emona, their bond a beacon amidst the sneers of Machinists and the indifferent gaze of Royals.
A female friend, too, entered his orbit. She was a spark in human form, her wit a shield that guarded a heart tender with loss. From the outskirts, where technology kissed the earth lightly, she stood as a testament to resilience. Their paths crossed in a moment of vulnerability, her tears a silent language that spoke of shared pain and burgeoning affection.