The world was once a peaceful place, full of life, wonder, and most importantly, light.
Natural sunlight bathed the earth, and people roamed freely, unburdened by fear or darkness.
That, however, was 256 years ago.
Some say it all began when government scientists tried to create super soldiers. Whatever resided in the sky didn't take kindly to their experiments. One day, without warning, the world awoke, and the light was simply gone.
Tyrin jolted awake, as if from a nightmare. For a fleeting moment, he contemplated the nature of life. Then, with a weary sigh, he began his morning routine.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror; his messy black hair flared in all directions, the crimson tips fluttering with every breath. He sighed again, annoyed, and moved through the rest of his routine mechanically.
Downstairs, the scent of breakfast greeted him. At the table sat his grandfather, Uzuo, a retired veteran of the Lab Resources Team, or LRT. Uzuo, a burly old man with a weathered face and stoic expression, had worked in the LRT until the age of eighty-seven, when retirement was no longer a choice. Now, he lived a quiet life as a livestock farmer, gruff on the outside but kind at heart.
A plate of eggs and bacon sat waiting on the table. Tyrin sat down and began to eat.
"Good morning, Grandfather."
"You remember what today is?" Uzuo asked, his voice carrying an unusual energy.
Tyrin blinked, puzzled. "Not off the top of my head. Why?"
Uzuo grinned just slightly. "Today's your first day of LRT training."
The realization hit Tyrin like a jolt. "Oh shit, you're right! Thanks for reminding me, Grandpa."
He finished his breakfast in a hurry, thanked his grandfather, and dashed upstairs to change into his LRT trainee uniform.
As Tyrin hurried back down the stairs and headed for the door, his grandpa called out behind him.
"Remember, kid, the LRT ain't for everyone. Don't be discouraged if you don't make it through General Training. But if you do… I know you'll go farther than I ever did."
He gave a firm nod.
"Now get on outta here. You've got a strict schedule to keep."
Tyrin stepped out, shutting the door behind him, and made his way toward the Lab Resource Collection Authority or LRCA headquarters at the center of the dome.
On the way, he met up with his childhood friend, Kuzoki. The two walked together, sharing their excitement and nerves. After forty minutes, they arrived at the main LRCA facility, one of four spread across the dome.
Inside, a sign directed them to the front desk.
"Excuse me… we're here for the LRT General Training Exam," said Tyrin.
"We've got our warning orders too, if you need them," Kuzoki added.
The receptionist, barely glancing up from her screen, gave an annoyed sigh before motioning for them to follow her. She led them into an elevator, which descended into the underground training facility. Once there, she ushered them into a briefing room and left without a word.
Moments later, the door creaked open as a towering man stepped inside, barely fitting through the frame. Clad in full Lab Raider armor with a prominent scar slashing across his left eye, the man's presence filled the room with tension.
"Sergeant Major Victor Scarr," he introduced himself, his voice gravelly and firm. A battle-hardened veteran, Scarr commanded LRT Branch Delta. He had led, if not hundreds, then thousands of successful raids on the labs below.
Within the dome, he was a legend. Some even said he was the scariest man alive.
He narrowed his eyes on the boys.
"So… you're the new maggots looking to join the LRT, huh?"
"Um… yes, sir," Kuzoki replied quickly.
"Great. Now sit."
The two obeyed, taking their seats.
"The LRCA is responsible for maintaining the energy that keeps this dome and everyone in it alive. To do that, they send special teams into the labs to retrieve energy."
Scarr slammed a cylindrical object onto the desk in front of them. It had a handle at the top and pulsed faintly with blue light.
"This," he said, "is an energy pod. We use these to power everything in the dome."
"Ever since the light was stripped from the sky, we've relied on artificial light from the energy pods to keep us warm and alive," the instructor began.
"But their batteries don't last forever. And that's where we come in."
He paused, then continued.
"The labs contain the materials needed to recharge the energy pods. That's why it's our mission, as members of the LRT, to retrieve the pods from the surface and deliver them to the labs below."
"Why can't we just figure out a way to charge them up here, in the dome or out on the surface?" Tyrin asked.
"We don't go out to the surface," the scarr replied.
"The surface has been uninhabitable ever since the light was taken from us. A cold, dead wasteland."
"That doesn't matter now tho, it's time to start your training."
Points at the door and ushers the two boys out of the room into an underground field. The boys officially begin their training. The boys perform many exercises, burnouts, obstacle courses, and other things for 3 weeks, getting better and better each time until Scarr finally believes they are ready to become a new member of the LRT. The two boys, who now have completed their training, stand in front of SGM Scarr, anxiously awaiting their branch placements.
"Alright boys, today's the day; you'll know what branch you're going to." Scar exclaimed.
He points at Kuzoki.
"You, kid, you've been selected for the Bravo branch, congratulations."
Scarr then walks toward Tyrin
"Now, as for you, knowing your grandpa, I think you got a spark in ya, I'm putting you in branch Delta with me."
A wave of excitement fills Tyrin's face.
"Thank you, sir, I won't let you down," he exclaimed.
"Alright, kid, follow me. Let's go meet the rest of the team for the briefing," said Scarr as he left the room.
Tyrin quickly follows behind, a smile stretching across his face.