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The tall glass doors of the Federation Scientific Research Division slid open with a soft hiss as Atlas stepped inside.
Cool, filtered air greeted him, carrying the faint scent of ozone and polished metal. The hum of machinery and low conversation echoed faintly through the massive atrium — a place that looked more like a futuristic cathedral than a workplace.
The ceiling stretched several stories high, a transparent dome that let sunlight pour through, scattering across the marble floor and steel support beams. Holographic displays floated gently above the reception desks, projecting data charts, planetary maps, and ongoing experiment statuses.
Scientists in crisp white lab coats moved briskly across the vast hallways, some in conversation, others deep in thought with tablets in hand. Overhead, small drones zipped quietly between levels, ferrying documents and sealed containers.
Atlas paused for a moment, taking it all in. Despite the stories he'd heard — about the Division's bureaucracy, corruption, and fading glory — it was still breathtaking.
This place, once the brain of human civilization, still carried an aura of pride… and a hint of the ambition that once pushed humanity toward the stars.
He adjusted the strap of his shoulder bag and took a slow step forward when a voice called out from the wide stairway.
"Professor Atlas Li?"
Atlas turned. Two figures descended the steps — a young man and woman, both around his age, both wearing lab coats with holographic ID tags that glowed faintly near their collars.
The man walked with confident energy, extending a hand as soon as he reached Atlas. "Welcome to the Division, sir. I'm Dr. Ethan Cross — Systems Engineer, propulsion specialist."
Ethan's grin was easy and natural, his short blond hair slightly tousled as if he'd just run a hand through it. He had bright blue eyes, quick with curiosity, and the casual posture of someone used to fixing problems on the fly rather than sitting in meetings.
"Good to meet you, Dr. Cross," Atlas said, shaking his hand firmly.
"Just Ethan, please," the man said, smiling. "Around here, titles make things sound more important than they really are."
The woman beside him offered a polite nod and a warm, professional smile. "And I'm Dr. Lucia Romano, Astrophysics and Energy Theory," she introduced, her Italian accent was gentle but noticeable. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a tidy braid that reached her shoulders, and her amber eyes had the sharp, focused gleam of a scientist who rarely missed a detail.
Atlas nodded and shook her hand too. "A pleasure, Dr. Romano."
"Lucia's fine," she said softly. "You'll find we're a bit informal around here — unless the senior professors are watching."
Atlas smiled faintly. "Noted. And please, just call me Atlas. The 'Professor' title still feels strange to me."
Lucia tilted her head curiously. "Strange? Coming from the man who reverse-engineered alien technology, built two generations of exosuits, and helped develop a warp-capable core? I'd say you've earned it."
Atlas chuckled under his breath, embarrassed. "Flattery this early in the tour? You two must be excellent guides."
Ethan grinned. "We try. Mostly we just keep new arrivals from getting lost — this place is a maze of glass and equations. Come on, let's show you around."
The three of them started walking through the main corridor.
Everywhere they went, Atlas could see traces of humanity's ambition — towering energy conduits pulsing faintly with blue light, glass walls revealing labs filled with humming equipment, researchers bent over holographic workstations where lines of alien text scrolled in the air.
As they passed one lab, a low boom rattled the walls. Ethan winced but didn't slow down. "That's the Quantum Alloy team," he said casually. "If something's not exploding in there, they're probably on break."
Lucia sighed softly, shaking her head. "They're testing new containment composites again. Every week, someone's eyebrows disappear."
Atlas laughed lightly. "So it's business as usual, then."
They rounded another corridor where sunlight poured in through large observation windows. Below them stretched a lower floor — a hangar-sized chamber filled with drones and prototype machinery. Engineers in magnetic boots worked on suspended platforms while robotic arms assembled precision components.
Lucia gestured below. "That's the Experimental Systems Bay. It used to be the pride of the Division — now half of it's on standby because of funding reallocation."
Atlas studied the scene quietly. "Even on standby, it's still impressive."
"Yeah," Ethan said with a note of wistfulness. "Back when my father worked here, it was busier. Teams from every region used to come just to test ideas. Now it's mostly politics and paperwork keeping projects alive."
Lucia shot him a warning glance. "Ethan."
He raised his hands defensively. "What? It's true."
Atlas smiled faintly but didn't respond. He could feel the weight of what they weren't saying — the decay behind the brilliance.
Still, despite the exhaustion and bureaucracy, there was life here. Hope. The same spark that had once driven his father's generation to chase the stars.
After nearly an hour of walking through labs and data halls, Ethan finally stopped near a long corridor lined with glowing blue tiles.
"That's pretty much the grand tour," he said cheerfully. "I'd take you to the reactor floor, but unless you have a reinforced suit, the radiation alarms might not like you."
Lucia nodded in agreement. "And besides, I think it's time for a break. You must be exhausted from your trip, Dr.— sorry, Atlas."
Ethan turned to him, hands in his pockets. "Hungry? The cafeteria here isn't bad. the food's are fresh every morning, and the coffee's strong enough to melt steel."
Atlas thought for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Sure, why not. I could use a good coffee."
"Perfect," Ethan said, gesturing toward a nearby elevator. "Cafeteria's just upstairs — follow me before the lunch rush starts. You do not want to be stuck behind the robotics department."
Lucia smirked softly. "He's exaggerating, but only slightly."
As they headed down the hall, Atlas took one last glance at the sprawling network of labs behind them. Beneath the glass and wires, beneath the politics and tension, this place still pulsed with potential.
They turned down a bright hallway that opened into the central atrium — a wide, sunlit expanse under a glass dome. Holographic banners shimmered overhead with rotating mission statements: "Innovation. Exploration. Progress."
The air smelled faintly of coffee and ozone, and the polished floors gleamed under the morning light. Scientists and engineers passed by in pairs, talking in low, quick voices, the rhythm of research and rivalry filling the air.
But before they could reach the cafeteria doors, a group of older men and women entered from the opposite side. Their lab coats were longer, their badges edged in gold — senior committee members.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Ethan and Lucia froze mid-step. Their friendly expressions vanished, replaced with rigid and stiff politeness.
Lucia's voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't make eye contact."
Atlas blinked, puzzled. "Why?"
Ethan leaned closer, keeping his eyes down. "Those are the senior professors. They can end your career here before it even starts if they don't like you."
Atlas frowned slightly. "That bad?"
"Worse," Lucia murmured.
Before Atlas could reply, the group approached — and the tall man at the front stopped. He looked to be in his sixties, with silver-white hair neatly combed back and a proud, sharp face that seemed permanently set in superiority. His ID badge gleamed: Professor Harold Voss – Head of Theoretical Physics.
His cold eyes swept over Ethan and Lucia, barely acknowledging them, before settling on Atlas.
"Ah," he said, his tone smooth and condescending. "You must be Dr. Atlas Li — the soldier who thinks he can play scientist."
A few of the other professors chuckled softly, their laughter like quiet knives.
"You should have stayed on the battlefield," Voss continued. "At least there, you had a purpose. Here… I doubt you even qualify for the title you carry."
Lucia's shoulders stiffened. Ethan's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists behind his back. Around them, nearby researchers slowed, pretending to work while glancing up from their tablets.
The tension thickened.
For a moment, Atlas said nothing. He just looked at the man — calm, unreadable. Then, to everyone's surprise, he laughed.
The sound echoed clearly down the corridor — soft at first, then unmistakably genuine.
Giordano's smile faltered. "What," he said sharply, "is so amusing, Doctor Li?"
Atlas tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting. "Nothing really. I just remembered hearing a rumor before I came here — that some people in this Division spend more time playing politics than doing actual science. Funny how fast I found proof."
A ripple of whispers spread among the onlookers. Lucia's eyes widened; Ethan's mouth twitched, trying not to grin.
Giordano's expression hardened. "Careful, Doctor. Insolence doesn't last long here."
Atlas calmly reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a thin black folder embossed with the Federation insignia. "Forgive me," he said evenly, "but I don't believe we've been formally introduced. You are…?"
Giordano drew himself up, clearly offended, visibly irritated but trying to maintain composure. "Professor Harold Giordano, Senior Head of Theoretical Physics. I've led this Division's research for decades. And unlike some, I earned my position and we do our jobs perfectly well here."
Atlas opened the folder and smiled faintly."I'm sure you do", flipping through the printed names with deliberate slowness. "Ah. There you are."
The sound of paper turning was almost deafening in the silence.
Giordano frowned. "What exactly are you looking for, Doctor Li?"
Atlas looked up, his voice calm but firm. "Clarification. You see, Professor Giordano, I wasn't just assigned as a researcher. The Federation appointed me as Acting Chief Science Director of the Alien Technology Division — a position that oversees all current and future research tied to extraterrestrial systems."
The hallway went utterly silent.
Even the faint hum of drones above seemed to fade.
Giordano blinked, clearly taken aback. "That position—"
"—outranks yours," Atlas finished smoothly, flipping the folder around so the title glowed in bold lettering. "Which means I'm your superior."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered scientists. A few younger researchers exchanged astonished looks. Ethan's eyebrows shot up. Lucia's eyes widened in disbelief.
Atlas uncapped a pen and crossed a name from a printed chart. His voice was quiet but carried authority. "Effective immediately, Professor Harold Giordano is demoted to Assistant Professor. Your access to alien research materials is revoked. Your current experiments will be seized and reassigned under direct Federation oversight. You may reapply for full privileges after six months of supervised service."
Gasps. A dropped clipboard clattered to the floor.
Giordano's face was drained of color. "You—you can't—this is outrageous!"
Atlas met his gaze steadily. "I can. And I just did. If you want to play politics, do it somewhere else. In this division, we'll be doing science again."
For a heartbeat, no one spoke. Even the professors behind Voss had taken a step back, unwilling to share his downfall.
Atlas closed the folder neatly, slid the pen back into his pocket, and looked at the group with quiet composure. "Now, if anyone else here has a problem with me, speak now. I'd rather handle all of this before lunch."
Silence.
Ethan's eyes darted between the professors, his lips twitching in disbelief. Lucia stood frozen, her hands clasped tightly together.
Atlas waited another moment, then smiled faintly. "No? Good. Then if you'll excuse us — my colleagues and I are going to eat."
He turned smoothly, gesturing for Ethan and Lucia to follow. The two young scientists hesitated for half a second, then hurried after him, trying not to look as shocked as they felt.
As they walked away, low murmurs erupted behind them — a mix of awe, confusion, and admiration.
Lucia leaned closer, whispering, "I can't believe you just did that. He's been untouchable for years."
Atlas smiled lightly without turning. "Everyone's untouchable until someone decides otherwise."
Ethan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Remind me never to annoy you, boss. You're terrifying."
Atlas chuckled softly. "Only when necessary."
They reached the cafeteria doors, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries spilling out to meet them.
"Let's eat," Atlas said, pushing the door open. "Something tells me we're going to need the energy. The real work starts soon."
And as the three disappeared inside, the echoes of their footsteps faded, leaving the stunned silence of the corridor behind.
For the first time in years, the Scientific Division was buzzing — not with machines, but with something rarer.
Change.
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