As Kaela stepped through the threshold into the Genesis training area, she felt an odd mix of apprehension and curiosity. The room was large, with high ceilings and smooth metallic walls that gleamed under the artificial lights. A low hum filled the air—something between the faint buzz of energy and the steady rhythm of unseen machines working behind the scenes.
Reboots and Primals in gray tunics like hers were scattered throughout the room, some sitting in clusters, others standing by themselves, lost in thought. The air was thick with quiet anticipation, as if everyone was waiting for something.
Kaela exhaled slowly and stepped further in. That was when she noticed him.
A tall guy, standing near one of the large screens mounted on the walls. He had dark eyes that seemed sharp yet kind, framed by thick, well-defined eyebrows. His features were smooth, striking in a way that made him stand out, even among the sea of nearly identical gray uniforms. He caught her looking and offered a polite smile.
"First day?" he asked, his voice even and calm.
Kaela hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Just got assigned here."
He extended a hand. "Chris. Genesis, just like you."
She shook his hand, feeling the warmth of his grip. "Kaela."
Chris studied her for a moment, he warmly smiled at her " nice meeting you, you just woke up today right?"
Kaela looked at him with wide eyes and asked " how did you know"
" I saw you being brought here by Dr.Veyne, he's the one responsible for the new reboots,"
"Are you also a reboot or one of the Primals?" She asked curiously
"Am one of you, the reboots, most of us here are actually, the Primals are very few, considering the architects not allow the people here not to produce more than one child"
she glanced around the room as if checking for all the Primals " so each Primal here is a single child to their parent"
"Kinda cool right?! I mean I don't remember having siblings but I know I'd prefer having non"
" Clearly not a fun of kids"
Chris chuckled, Kaela looked around once more before she asked "So… Genesis. What exactly does that mean?"
Chris leaned back slightly, his dark eyes thoughtful. "Genesis is one of the five factions in Neurogenesis. We're the foundation—the strategists, the planners. We learn to think ahead, to analyze situations and determine the best course of action. Every faction has its role, and ours is to ensure balance and order."
Kaela frowned. "That sounds… important."
Chris smiled slightly. "It is. But it's not just about intelligence. Genesis members are chosen because we have the ability to see beyond what's in front of us. We're taught to question, to adapt, to find solutions when others can't."
" oh I don't think am one of you then, thinking ahead? Hell no that's the opposite of me"
" well how do you know when you don't remember anything?"
" I just have a feeling"
" Well then your feeling must be wrong, the architects are never wrong, the chip on your neck though you don't remember anything, it contain all the information about you, including the strength of your mind"
"as far as I've learned here in the few minutes I've been here, I apparently have the weakest mind, I've been here for only three days and they were able to erase everything, the strongest mind take the longest to reboot." Kaela said as she was sure of her answer she gave back to Chris, but Chris retorted back at her " the system is never wrong, have trust in it, and you'll see it's never wrong..... though if you still think you belong in the wrong faction, then you have a month to determine, if you think the system is wrong, you can change your faction on the next calibration, though it's rarely happens"
" how long have you been here, you seem like you know a lot about neurogenesis"
"3 years"
Kaela was shocked when she heard that, he's been here for three years, never knew one could stay here that long, but then again, ain't we brought here to stay forever, never seeing the outside again?
" three years…"
" well that's nothing, others have stayed here their entire lives, some don't even know what outside looks like"
" ain't we all ?"
" not all of us, the vortex and aegis when they are ready, they get to go outside of these walls, but us genesis, we'll never see the outside world ever"
" wait what why?!"
Chris sigh and answered her " for that you'll need to know the five factions, you'll understand the then" Chris glanced around at the other recruits. Some were deep in discussion, others were staring at the large screen, waiting for whatever came next.
Chris turned forward, resting his arms on his chest. "There are five in total, each serving a different purpose.
1. Genesis – Our faction. The thinkers, the planners. We focus on strategy, decision-making, and long-term stability.
2. Aegis – The enforcers. They're the ones trained for combat and security. If something needs protecting, they're the ones to handle it.
3. Helix – The scientists and engineers. They develop technology, medicine, and everything that keeps this place running.
4. Vortex – The scouts and explorers. If there's something unknown, they're the ones who find out about it first.
5. Echo – The communicators. They deal with diplomacy, negotiation, and managing relations between different groups."
Kaela absorbed the information, each faction name clicking into place in her mind. It made sense, in a way—a structured system, each group playing a necessary role. "So we don't choose? We just… get assigned?"
Chris nodded. "The system analyzes our strengths and assigns us where we'll be most useful. Some people struggle with their placement, but resisting it doesn't change anything. The Architects—the ones in charge—decide what's best for us."
Kaela's fingers tightened slightly in her lap. That word again. Architects. It unsettled her, though she wasn't sure why.
" have you ever changed factions before?"
Chris seems to be lost in thought but he replied " yes, I was in the vortex"
Kaela turned to him excitedly and said " The vortex? So you saw the wasteland"
Chris nodded " yes, and it lives up to its name, there's rabbles and large hot desert outside, the sun hits hard and if not careful, one not return"
" so what made you leave the vortex, am quite sure you must have gotten tired living here all day everyday"
" yes, I did that's why I joined the vortex, but it was too dangerous for me, I couldn't handle seeing the people I went out there with being killed in mere seconds"
Killed! Did he just say killed?!
Before she could ask more, the artificial voice filled the room once again.
"Genesis recruits. Welcome. Your orientation will now begin."
A large screen flickered to life, displaying a glowing white emblem—the same intricate tree Kaela had seen before. The roots of the tree pulsed faintly, spreading outward like veins across the screen.
"Genesis is the foundation upon which all order is built," the voice continued. "Your role is to ensure stability, to analyze, to foresee and prevent disruption. Without Genesis, there is no structure. Without structure, there is no future."
The screen shifted, displaying images of past Genesis members—men and women standing at the helm of decision-making councils, reviewing maps, analyzing data, dictating orders.
"Your training will prepare you for leadership, for responsibility. You will be tested—not just in knowledge, but in perception, in understanding the balance between control and chaos. The world thrives on order, and it is your duty to maintain it."
The screen darkened, the pulsing roots fading away.
"You will rest now. Training begins tomorrow at dawn."
A low chime echoed through the room, signaling the end of the session. Around them, Reboots stood and began making their way toward a set of doors that had silently opened along the far wall.
Chris glanced at Kaela. "Well. Looks like we get a break before the real work starts."
Kaela exhaled, her mind still racing. "Yeah. Listen…."
Kaela followed Chris before they walk together " you said something about people being killed in the wastelands?"
" The sand shifters, they're monsters living in the sand, they are huge and their bodies are made of something that's hard to penetrate, through out all the years, I've heard only one was able to be killed by the vortex, a guy named Kael. He was a Vortex in the past years, it's said that after he was able to kill one the sand shifters he became crazy and started to talk nonsense, thus taken by the architects, no one knows how he ended up there"
" did they kill him?!"
" some say he's being treated while others says he's been thrown out of the neurogenesis, to keep the reboots and Primals safe from him…"
following the others toward the dormitories, they found themselves standing, her thin band with her name on it, changed and wrote a number "507"
" that's your dorm number" Iris said out of no where, that's when Kaela knew she was standing beside her " looks like we're roommates" she said with a smile before she stared at Chris. " Am Iris"
Chris smiled " Chris"
" I know, you've been here long enough for all of us to know who you are"
" and I'll take that as a compliment" Chris stared and smiled at Kaela " I'll see you tomorrow then, good night"
" good night" Chris smiled at her before he left heading to his dormitory.
Iris stared at them before she entered inside, Kaela stared at Chris' silhouette before she finally entered inside..
Not realizing Theo was staring at them since they started their little conversation in the training room, before he checked his band " 518" and moved to his dormitory as well