Kael Voss slowly channeled the faint stream of bio-energy coursing through his genetic pathways back into his core—his seventh full cycle of the Unnamed Gene Calibration Protocol that day. He could feel the strain in every cell; his body had reached its tolerance limit. Another cycle, he knew, would risk overloading his genetic sequences, tearing the fragile bonds of his augmented DNA and plunging him into agony far worse than the radiation burns of his homeworld. The memory of that searing, molecular-level pain made even the resilient ten-year-old's dark skin prickle with cold sweat, despite the Verdant Bio-Dome's regulated temperature.
Half a year had passed since Kael and Gareth became Dr. Mordecai Thorne's probationary apprentices. The Seven Luminaries Tech Conglomerate's quarterly apprentice evaluations—equivalent to the sect assessments of old—had concluded two months earlier. Only a handful of candidates had advanced to full core apprenticeships; most had been reassigned to peripheral roles, managing trade outposts or maintaining frontier facilities. The unlucky ones were sent back to their homeworlds, their dreams of gene ascension shattered.
Those who failed the core assessment were typically assigned to either the Resource Acquisition Division or the Logistics Corps. The more promising among them might undergo additional combat training to join the Peripheral Security Division—one of the better-paying peripheral roles. But the most coveted peripheral position, in the Interstellar Trade Consortium, remained out of reach for all but seasoned operatives with proven expertise; it was a far cry from the fate of these young apprentices, still untested and raw.
Kael shuddered at the thought of the evaluations he'd narrowly avoided. He'd heard whispers from other apprentices: a grueling twenty-kilometer march across a simulated radiation desert, team-based skirmishes in a holographic combat arena, and defending against a barrage of low-grade plasma blasts from senior enforcers. Compared to those trials, Dr. Thorne's assessment—mastering the first phase of his Unnamed Protocol within six months—had seemed manageable. But Kael was learning that genetic cultivation was far more brutal than he'd imagined.
He still remembered the day Dr. Thorne had outlined the terms. The protocol, divided into multiple tiers, required them to unlock the first tier's potential to earn full apprentice status—with all the perks: increased credit stipends, access to advanced gene supplements, and the same privileges as other core operatives of the Seven Luminaries. For Kael, who'd grown up scavenging for energy shards to keep his family's life support running, the promise of stability had erased any thought of returning to his village as a peripheral member. Every credit he earned meant better nutrient rations for his parents, more gene-enhanced berries for Lila, and a chance to lift his family out of poverty.
Yet progress had been agonizingly slow. Dr. Thorne had provided no guidance beyond the initial instructions, leaving Kael and Gareth to fend for themselves. Kael had studied the notes of other apprentices, cross-referencing their practice of the Thermal Amplification Program— the Conglomerate's standard beginner gene enhancement— to refine his own approach to the Unnamed Protocol. Three months of relentless practice had yielded only a thread of cool bio-energy, so faint he could barely detect it with his internal gene scanner. It was a far cry from the robust, heat-infused energy other apprentices wielded—energy that let them shatter synthetic steel with their fists, leap three meters into the air, and withstand moderate plasma exposure.
Kael's own energy, by contrast, had barely altered his physical capabilities. The only improvements were subtle: sharper focus, boundless stamina, and an appetite that could devour twice his weight in nutrient rations. Useful, perhaps, but meaningless in the eyes of the Conglomerate, which valued raw power and genetic adaptability above all. Watching other apprentices demonstrate their enhanced strength in the bio-dome's training yard, Kael felt a gnawing sense of despair. He'd begun to fear his genetic sequence was too flawed—too rooted in the scarcity of his homeworld—to ever unlock the protocol's potential. He'd even packed a small bag of dried berries, preparing to return to his village in shame.
Then Gareth had confided in him. After six months of practice, the older boy's genetic pathways remained dormant—no bio-energy, no improvements, nothing. The revelation had jolted Kael from his hopelessness. If Gareth, with his sturdier frame and years of frontier scavenging, had yet to make progress, Kael's own meager gains weren't a sign of failure—merely the protocol's harsh difficulty. Renewed by resolve, Kael threw himself into cultivation with a frenzy. He meditated for sixteen hours a day, synchronizing his breathing with his bio-energy flow even during meals. For three nights, he'd even slept in a meditative posture, hoping to accelerate his progress—until exhaustion left him too sluggish to focus, forcing him to abandon the reckless practice.
Through it all, Dr. Thorne remained distant. Since granting them the protocol, he'd barely acknowledged their existence, ignoring their questions about cultivation bottlenecks and never checking their progress. He spent every waking hour in his laboratory, poring over a tattered holographic manuscript emblazoned with three ancient symbols: The Immortality Codex. At first, Kael and Gareth had joked that the elderly scientist had abandoned bio-technology to pursue some archaic form of spiritual enlightenment. But once they'd learned to decipher the Conglomerate's ancient tech script, they realized the truth: the codex was a blueprint for cellular immortality—a guide to rewriting genetic code to eliminate aging, repair irreversible damage, and achieve biological eternity.
As Kael sat on his narrow cot, massaging his aching temples, he glanced toward the laboratory's direction. Through the bio-dome's glowing foliage, he could see the faint blue light of Dr. Thorne's holographic projector, still active well into the night. The old man's obsession with immortality was as mysterious as the protocol he'd taught them. But for Kael, there was no time for curiosity. He closed his eyes, focusing on the faint hum of bio-energy in his core, and prepared to begin another cycle—determined to endure, no matter how slow the path, no matter how great the pain. His family's future depended on it, and he would not fail.