《Fate's Chosen》


 Birth of a Legend

    The future of Earth and many other races would be determined by one improbable birth, an event so unlikely that those who believed in destiny might see the hands of fate at work.


    Our story begins in the year 2090 on Space Station KMB12, nestled in the outer reaches of the solar system within the Kuiper Belt. A merge pilot was about to embark on her year-long survey mission.


    The development of merge pilots, unbeknownst to humanity, was a crucial step in their evolution. Humans had unknowingly set foot on one of the paths to enlightenment. In 2032, they developed the first viable fusion-powered constant acceleration drive (FCAD), a breakthrough that opened the solar system to exploration. Yet, despite this technological leap, human bodies were ill-equipped to withstand the demands of long-term spaceflight.


    Attempts to replace humans with artificial intelligence (AI) also failed. No matter how advanced AI programming became, it could not replicate human sentience and intuition. Every effort to make AI a viable alternative failed.


    The solution was to merge an AI with a human pilot via a neural connection. However, the strain of such a connection was so immense that it could only be maintained while the pilot remained sedated. This led to the creation of the merge pod¡ªa self-contained life-support system designed to keep the pilot in a protected, sedated state while serving as the ship¡¯s sentience and intuition engine.


    Lyn Anderson was a typical merge pilot. She had undergone five years of intensive training and surgical procedures to ensure maximum compatibility with her ship, the KMBS-A05, and its AI. She had signed a ten-mission contract, a commitment that would see her spend more than a decade of her prime years inside a merge pod. The sacrifice was immense, but pilots were well compensated, both financially and through various other rewards.


    Like all merge pilots, Lyn indulged in the pleasures of life during her downtime¡ªespecially in the days leading up to a mission. Little did she know that her pre-mission tryst would have consequences far beyond her own life.


    On the fourth day of Lyn¡¯s mission, the first improbable event occurred. Her contraceptive implant and the pre-mission health scan both failed to prevent the fertilisation and implantation of an egg. Merge pods were never designed for pregnant women, and their conditions were far from optimal for foetal development. However, one of the AI¡¯s prime directives was to maintain the pilot¡¯s optimal health. In response, the AI adjusted the life-support systems, keeping Lyn¡¯s vital signs within ideal ranges. Unknowingly improving the chances of the baby¡¯s survival.


    For the next twelve weeks, the mission continued on schedule, with Lyn¡¯s ship flying through the Kuiper Belt, scanning and cataloguing asteroids.


    On day fifty of her mission, the second improbable event occurred. The ship was suddenly struck by an intense and unknown form of energy, disrupting the neural connection and severing Lyn from the AI.


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    ¡°Connection lost. Attempting to reconnect¡­ Pilot not found. Attempting to reconnect¡­ New pilot detected. Connecting¡­ Connection failed. Connecting¡­ Connection successful. Calibration started. New pilot profile created for Null.¡±


    The underdeveloped brain and dormant consciousness of a baby were ill-suited for connection to a ship AI and unable to interact in any meaningful way. As a result, the AI defaulted to its base pilot profile.


    In the distance, in the direction where the unknown energy ray had originated, another life form was monitoring the situation. A member of the Ophanim class of Angels, the Watcher was a being of pure energy, appearing as concentric rings spinning and rotating around a core of solid light. The Watcher and its kind were not celestial beings but highly advanced aliens from another part of the galaxy. When they first made contact with humanity 3,000 years ago, they had been mistaken for divine entities.


    It had been one of the Watcher¡¯s experiments that caused the release of a concentrated ray of psychic energy. The blast was too powerful for Lyn¡¯s active consciousness, leaving her in a state of semi-death¡ªphysically alive but mentally gone. The baby, however, remained unharmed, protected by the dormancy of its mind.


    The Watcher now faced a significant problem. The Council had long since declared humanity a ¡°race of potential,¡± a designation that protected them from outside interference by higher races. The protocol for accidental interference was clear: remove all evidence.


    That left the Watcher with few options. It could destroy the ship, erasing all traces of the incident, but that would mean killing the child. It could send the ship back to KMB12, but there was a risk the station¡¯s scientists might detect residual psychic energy¡ªan energy form humanity had yet to discover. The third option was to take the baby and eliminate the ship, but the Watcher¡¯s vessel was not designed to sustain a human. It had no food, water, oxygen, or space to accommodate an organic life form.


    After much deliberation, the Watcher settled on adopting the child as a pet. Yet, despite millennia of observing humanity, it had no real understanding of the needs of a human infant.


    Fortunately, the Watcher had access to technology beyond human comprehension, including an instant communication system that had long been integrated into Earth¡¯s various information networks. After scouring both public and restricted data sources, it found a possible solution.


    Humanity had developed several systems for raising children in space. Infants were considered a drain on resources and difficult to manage during long space voyages. Most solutions integrated life-support systems with networked virtual environments designed to accelerate physical, social, and cognitive development while minimising resource consumption.


    Project NGSS was one such system. Developed in secret by the Martian military, it was designed to create the next generation of super-soldiers, training children from birth to be the ultimate warriors. The system had drawbacks¡ªreduced lifespan and increased mental instability¡ªbut the Watcher was confident that its advanced knowledge could correct these flaws. It looked forward to having its own guard human.


    Time moved quickly. The Watcher deployed a drone to retrieve KMBS-A05 and transport it to its research base while simultaneously modifying and upgrading the Project NGSS pod for its new occupant.


    Before long, the Watcher detected changes in the merge pod¡¯s life signs, indicating that the child was about to be born. It had planned for this moment. With precise coordination, it commanded its specially designed drone to perform a C-section and transfer the newborn into the NGSS pod.


    Everything was proceeding as intended. The baby was removed, placed in the pod, and the life-support systems were activated. Calibration began.


    Then, multiple warning alarms blared.


    The baby¡¯s vitals were crashing. It wasn¡¯t going to make it.

 Merge

    The Watcher was panicking. This was not the plan.


    It had become heavily invested in this venture¡ªthis had to work. There had not been any new Angels since they transcended their organic bodies more than 100,000 years ago. That stagnation did not sit well with the Watcher. They had spent millennia studying and experimenting, searching for a way past this evolutionary dead end.


    While this baby was not an Angel, something about it had stirred long-forgotten instincts; remnants of its pre-transcendence days.


    The Watcher scanned the newborn again while simultaneously scouring every available medical resource. The problem was clear. The infant¡¯s brain had developed in an abnormal, highly distorted way. Prolonged exposure to the merge pod during gestation had fundamentally altered its neural structure, making it dependent on AI inputs to survive.


    Knowing the problem was one thing but solving it was another.


    The merge interface had connected the AI to the baby through the mother, but that was no longer an option. The Watcher attempted multiple solutions. First, it tried reconnecting the infant to the merge pod directly, but the system refused to accept it. Then, it attempted to link the baby to the AI controlling the NGSS pod, but the AI failed to recognise a compatible host. The infant¡¯s brain had deviated too far from the standard for the system to adapt.


    Minutes passed. The baby¡¯s life signs continued to decline.


    The Watcher needed a solution immediately, or the last seven months would have been wasted. It required a medium¡ªsomething to bridge the gap between the baby and the AI, something capable of adapting to the infant¡¯s unique mind and allowing it to survive.


    Then, a realisation struck.


    The Watcher swiftly transported both the merge pod and the NGSS pod to its research lab. For 3,000 years, it had been obsessed with a single goal¡ªcreating more Angels. First-tier races could generate new sentient life at will, but Angels were only a third-tier race. The Watcher had spent centuries trying to bypass that limitation. Every attempt had failed. Some with catastrophic consequences, like the experiment that had led to Lyn Anderson¡¯s mind-death.


    Angels did not age or grow. Their energy densities fluctuated, but they did not develop over time. That was why the Watcher had always focused on creating fully-formed Angels¡ªit could not risk bringing an incomplete Angel into existence, only to have it remain forever defective.


    But what if that was the mistake?


    Newly formed Angels required immense amounts of energy. Their lack of experience in controlling that energy was what led to failure¡ªwhat caused them to self-destruct upon creation. But if an Angel could grow, if it could adapt, then it would not need such a vast initial energy input.


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    The Watcher immediately began modifying its experiment. It would attempt to create a smaller energy being, one that could serve as a temporary bridge between the baby and the AI.


    Normally, such an undertaking would take years of planning and testing. The Watcher did not have years.


    It activated the machines.


    And pressed the button.


    Sentient life requires three elements: life, mind, and soul. The first two were complex but attainable for any race that had reached the third tier of universal understanding. The third, however, was elusive. The soul had an ineffable essence, something that no non-First-tier race had ever created.


    The Watcher¡¯s solution? Recycling.


    All sentient beings left an imprint on the universe¡ªa lingering soul presence, visible to those who knew where to look.


    The Watcher designed its new energy lifeform with this in mind. It programmed the entity to be spiritually greedy, drawn toward anything resembling a soul or thought pattern. Its purpose was simple: to absorb, integrate, and repurpose lost souls, merging them into its own AI matrix. In theory, this would allow it to recycle old souls into a new, fully sentient being.


    To achieve this, the Watcher forcibly opened a path to the soul field.


    A surge of psychic energy flooded the chamber.


    Pain.


    Confusion.


    Fear.


    These were the first emotions the infant experienced as its dormant consciousness awoke. The sudden influx of psychic energy had pulled it into awareness. But the terror was short-lived.


    Something else was pulling at it.


    The newborn mind instinctively recoiled, trying to sever the connection, but it could not. It was trapped in a silent battle. A struggle for existence.


    The attacker was foreign, an unknown force trying to tear its essence free. The infant resisted, its survival instincts surging forward. The tug-of-war did not last long.


    The intruder was incomplete.


    It had thoughts, but they were fragmented. It had a presence, but no true will. It was nothing more than a pseudo-consciousness a failed imitation of life.


    The newborn mind consumed it.


    The Watcher had all its sensors focused on the pod, meticulously observing the experiment.


    At first, everything proceeded as expected. The newly-formed energy being latched onto the merge pod AI, absorbing its thought patterns and integrating them into its core.


    Then, the plan fell apart.


    The device maintaining the experiment forcibly widened the rift into the soul field, but before the Watcher could intervene, the energy being made a critical mistake.


    It reached for the infant¡¯s soul.


    Horror surged through the Watcher as it realised its error.


    The experiment was never supposed to touch the baby, only the AI.


    Before the Watcher could react, the newborn¡¯s consciousness retaliated.


    The human mind had already absorbed part of the energy being. The soul-bound entity, in turn, had attached itself to both the child¡¯s mind and body. A war raged inside the infant. A battle between the two incomplete beings, each trying to consume the other.


    The Watcher could only watch. Parasite or symbiote? Which will it be?


    Then¡ªbalance.


    The struggle ceased. The infant¡¯s vitals stabilised.


    The intervention had succeeded, though not as intended.


    A new lifeform had been born. A hybrid.


    Human. Artificial Angel. AI.


    The Watcher examined the merge pod¡¯s records and found what it was looking for. The pilot profile contained a name.


    ¡°You,¡± the Watcher said, ¡°shall be called Null.¡±


    And so, in the early months of 2091, fate delivered to the universe an impossibility¡ªan improbable birth that would change the future forever.

 Early Life

    What exactly was Null, That was the question facing the Watcher.


    They had attempted to connect him to the NGSS system, but the interface failed¡ªthe system could not synchronise with the infant¡¯s mind. After numerous scans and tests, the Watcher believed it had uncovered most of the details.


    Null was a hybrid.


    He possessed two connected life forces, two separate minds, and a single soul.


    The nature of the connected life forces remained a mystery. The Watcher had no understanding of what this would mean for Null¡¯s life expectancy. Could one survive independently of the other? The two minds, at least, were clearly distinct¡ªone organic, the other artificial. They could communicate on an instinctual level, but neither had control over the other.


    The Watcher was particularly fascinated by the soul. This was not part of the original plan, yet it had become the most intriguing development. The soul was the key to sentience, the source of emotions and individuality. Observing how two separate minds reacted to the same emotional stimuli while sharing a single soul could provide invaluable insights. The Watcher believed this experiment would have great results.


    It took time, but the Watcher eventually modified the NGSS system to interface with Null. The solution required direct communication between the system AI and Null¡¯s AI mind.


    The NGSS system was designed to accelerate both mental and physical development. In the first year, it continuously stimulated the mind with sensory data while enhancing physical growth through various pharmaceuticals.


    Null¡¯s AI mind had been a blank slate. The original matrix had absorbed the survey ship¡¯s AI, which had only three primary functions¡ªsurveying, flight mechanics, and life support. This limited framework allowed the AI mind to grow and evolve alongside Null¡¯s organic mind.


    Over the past year, the two minds had formed an equilibrium. The organic mind controlled movement, conceptual thought, and imagination, while the AI mind handled analysis and processing. They had even developed an artificial language, communicating not with words but with thought patterns which also doubled their cognitive efficiency.


    The system continuously monitored its users, administering tests appropriate to their development level. Over time, the Watcher had subtly modified the system to accommodate the abilities of Angels, upgrading its physics engine to more closely resemble real rules of reality.


    Due to the system¡¯s accelerated development, Null had the body and mind of a three-year-old. The NGSS training was harsh¡ªit rewarded positive behaviour with pleasure-inducing chemicals and punished negative actions with pain. The result was a focused and highly disciplined child.


    NGSS training could be brutal. The current scenario Null was facing was particularly gruelling. Though it was a virtual simulation, Null had no concept of virtual reality, to him, it was real.


    He was alone, unarmed, on an enemy-occupied space station.


    The test was designed to determine his primary danger response¡ªfight, flight, or freeze.


    Null chose to fight.


    He sprinted toward five armed intruders. Unlike most humans, Null had a secret advantage. Energy lifeforms perceived the world differently; they saw energy, unhindered by physical barriers. Null had full access to this vision, allowing him to see all the intruders while his AI mind calculated the optimal path.


    He followed one of these paths, trying to get close to an enemy undetected.


    The plan was perfect. His body was not.


    A soldier spotted him and kicked him aside. Pain snapped him back to his senses. Escape. I need to escape.


    Using his unique vision, he located the green exit light. Experience had taught him that reaching the green zone brought rewards¡ªpleasure, and relief. Get to the green. It''s all he was thinking.


    But every path was blocked.


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    Null tried again and again, frustration mounting with each failure. When a soldier nearly shot him, something inside snapped.


    I just want to get to the green!


    The emotion surged through his shared soul, resonating with his energy companion. Though he could not see it, a halo formed above his head.


    The two minds acted as one.


    And they teleported.


    The Watcher had been monitoring the scenario closely. Now, it watched in astonishment.


    "Did they just manipulate the space field? No, they couldn¡¯t have. They lack the materials. And this is virtual reality. Then¡­ what did they do?"


    Further analysis revealed the truth. Null¡¯s twin minds had observed the virtual world so intensely that they had hacked it. They had radiated energy in such a way that they manipulated the system itself.


    The Watcher¡¯s concern deepened.


    "Could they do this outside of virtual reality? How stable is their environment?"


    Teleportation was not an impossible feat. The Watcher could do it, but only with advanced knowledge and expensive materials. Theoretical research suggested it might be possible without technology, but no race had ever achieved it.


    Reaching the green zone marked the end of the scenario. Null would now advance to the intermediate course¡ªwhere, for the first time, an outsider could enter the simulation and interact with him.


    Normally, this was the stage where military conditioning and brainwashing would begin.


    Instead, the Watcher seized the opportunity.


    ¡°Hello, Null,¡± it said. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I am the Watcher, and I am here to help.¡±


    <hr>


    Two years had passed since Null completed the beginner course.


    He had changed significantly.


    The intermediate course required training outside the VR pod¡ªmuscle memory and intuition could not be developed in a simulated world.


    As the years passed, the two minds grew increasingly independent. The Watcher decided it was time to name them separately.


    The human mind remained Null.


    The artificial mind chose Infinity. Infy, for short.


    The nothing and everything twins.


    By now, they had the mental maturity of a six-year-old. Their unique existence, constant intellectual stimulation, and shared consciousness had accelerated their development far beyond normal human limits.


    Yet they hated the real world.


    In VR, they had superpowers. They had hacked the system and could do anything. But those abilities did not translate to reality.


    The Watcher was relieved. If their powers worked in the real world, they might become too dangerous to control.


    Still, the twins had an ability they had yet to understand¡ªtheir greatest advantage.


    They could hear the universe.


    Since birth, they had perceived a constant tune playing in the background. They called it the voice of the universe.


    In VR, they had realised the tune was not random¡ªit contained the laws of that world. By altering the tune, they could rewrite reality.


    The real world¡¯s tune was different¡ªmore complex, layered, untouchable. They could not change it. But they could listen, and through listening, they could understand.


    They had spent months trying to apply this knowledge. Today, they had a new plan.


    They would build their first battlesuit. Their goal was to attain real-world superpowers.


    ¡°What do we need?¡± Infy asked.


    Null grinned. ¡°Super speed, strength, a force shield. Maybe even teleportation.¡±


    Infy, the more technical of the two, considered it. ¡°Some of that might be possible with our current technology.¡±


    The Watcher had provided them with a technical database and a workshop but forbade them from using technology beyond humanity¡¯s current level. The twins, however, found a loophole.


    Combinations of existing technology were not restricted.


    Infy designed a suit using carbon nanotube muscles, nanogel padding, and a powered exoskeleton. He created a plasma shield using electromagnetism and plasma windows.


    While Infy designed, Null built.


    They debated the power source.


    ¡°What about a fusion reactor?¡± Null suggested.


    Infy had a better idea.


    ¡°I think we can build an antimatter generator using only human technology.¡±


    After weeks of work, the suit was complete.


    The Watcher monitored their progress with growing unease.


    "Antimatter? Where did they learn that? It¡¯s within human capability, but they built it in weeks. Should I intervene? If they take this knowledge back to society¡­"


    They decided to watch and wait.


    The boys had finished testing the latest version of their suit, and it was performing as expected. It had increased both Null¡¯s speed and strength by 30%. The plasma energy shield mimicked an old-style tower shield that could be activated and deactivated at will. It was mounted on the left arm, while the right arm housed a mini-rail gun and a stun glove for close combat.


    ¡°If only we could teleport like we do in the pod,¡± Null grumbled. ¡°Then we¡¯d be unstoppable.¡±


    Infy had been considering this problem for weeks. He believed he had an answer but wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    Through careful observation, Infy had deduced that what they called the voice of the universe was actually an energy signature, a fundamental frequency that their unique physiology allowed them to perceive as sound.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve identified the tune that marks our position in space,¡± Infy explained. ¡°And I think I¡¯ve figured out how to overwrite it, just like we do in the pod.¡±


    He recorded the signature of their current location, then asked for Null to move a few steps away.


    ¡°Here goes nothing. Let¡¯s see if this works.¡±


    Infy released a new energy signature to overwrite the original.


    In an instant, the twins teleported back to their previous location.


    And this time, they rewrote reality itself.


    An alarm blared.


    ¡°Unauthorized field manipulation detected. Level 1 lockdown initiated.¡±

 The Fields

    ¡°ZERO, HELP!¡±


    Null¡¯s panicked voice rang across the mental link he shared with the Watcher. For the first time in his life, he couldn¡¯t feel Infy¡¯s presence.


    The Watcher had been observing the boys the whole time during the testing of their new battlesuit. Field manipulation? How? It should not be possible, the Watcher thought.


    It glided into the twins¡¯ workshop and observed Null in a full panic. The Watcher wasn¡¯t worried, they knew Angels were nearly impossible to harm, even hybrid Angels like Infinity.


    ¡°Null, calm down. It will be okay. Infinity just needs time to recover.¡±


    It turned off the alarm and gave Infinity a quick scan. The Watcher siphoned off some energy and transferred it to the Angel hybrid, allowing Infinity to revive.


    Null could now feel that Infy was waking up, and he slowly calmed down. ¡°Sorry, Zero. We didn¡¯t know that would happen. We just wanted to have the same powers out here as we do in the pod.¡±


    The Watcher knew now that it would have to expose the twins to some universal truths. The concern was that exposing them to this knowledge would make it harder for them to return and integrate into human society. The humans weren¡¯t ready for this information.


    ¡°Well, it seems we won¡¯t be able to get around it. I suppose it¡¯s time I teach you one of the secrets of the higher races and the universe.¡±


    Drones went to fetch some equipment from the other lab.


    After checking that Infinity and Null were both ready, Zero started the lesson.


    ¡°Before we start, it is important to understand that there are only two factors that affect the tier of a race.


    ¡°The first is how far they have progressed down their evolutionary tree. The second is their ability to observe and manipulate fields.¡± The Watcher projected some diagrams showing how different combinations would fit together and what tier that race would be. To Null and Infy they couldn¡¯t understand what most of the words and symbols meant.


    ¡°The universe is controlled by the laws of physics and the law of cause and effect, but have you ever wondered why these are the laws? What decides how the universe works?¡±


    The Watcher didn¡¯t wait for an answer before continuing.


    ¡°The answer can be found in the study of fields. Fields permeate the entire universe and influence the laws of physics and nature. I wasn¡¯t planning on explaining this to you, as knowledge of fields and how they work is the domain of the higher races and not something you should know.¡± The watcher then started to circle them.


    ¡°Except¡­ you have just demonstrated that you can accidentally manipulate the fields.¡±


    This was a far greater problem than the Watcher was letting on, but it needed more data before coming to any conclusions and taking any drastic action.


    The drones had returned with a box of what looked like crystal balls.


    ¡°For this lesson, we will be using these¡ªZallium crystals. Zallium is a heavy-element crystal found only in a select few solar systems. It allowed for the storage and manipulation of what are called field essences. Here, take this one.¡±


    Zero gestured, and a drone handed Null a ball.


    As soon as Null held onto the crystal, he and Infy had the same reaction. They could hear the voice of the universe louder and clearer than ever before.


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    ¡°This is the melody we just used to teleport,¡± Null said, passing the ball from one hand to the other.


    ¡°The voice of the universe has never been this clear!¡± Infy exclaimed, focusing intently. He continued listening to the melody, trying to uncover more mysteries. This has to be related to space¡ªit¡¯s been isolated from the rest of the voice. The more I listen, the more I can decode.


    The Watcher observed their reactions with keen interest. The study of fields was an advanced topic, and manipulating them usually required capturing their essences in Zallium and programming them to interact with the local field to produce the desired effect. Yet, it appeared that Null and Infy could somehow directly affect the fields.


    The Watcher wasn¡¯t sure how they accomplished that feat, but they were eager to research this topic with the twins¡¯ help. Maybe, just maybe, this discovery could finally solve the reproduction issues of the Angels.


    ¡°You both mentioned the song¡ªwhat is this song?¡±


    It was now Infy¡¯s turn to explain. ¡°Since birth, we have heard a song playing in our minds. While in the pod, we studied this song, and it allowed us to use powers. Outside of the pod, the song is more complex and layered, but listening to it gives us insights into the laws of the universe. We call this song the voice of the universe.¡±


    Infy continued explaining further technical details to Zero, but Null found it too boring. Instead, he wandered over and started handling some of the other crystals.


    The Watcher was confused. In all its studies of fields, it had never encountered anything like this voice, nor had it heard of anyone interacting with fields without the use of Zallium or its synthetic equivalents.


    I suppose it must be due to their unique nature, the Watcher thought. But there are plenty of strange races, and none of them can do this. He had once believed they were an entity created by fate but he wrote it off as fantasy, now they weren¡¯t so sure.


    The Watcher still had more to teach.


    ¡°Angels currently know of only ten fields. There may be more, but only the higher-tier races would know them.


    ¡°Each field follows a basic set of principles. Every field has inertia. It requires energy to shift it from its default state. The greater the change, or the longer it needs to be maintained, the more energy required.


    ¡°When we want to manipulate the fields, we use a pre-programmed Zallium crystal and a reactor to power it.¡±


    ¡°That means you can¡¯t change the programming on the fly,¡± Infy observed. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t sound very portable. Also, how do¡ªNull, stop it!¡±


    While Infy was talking, Null had grown bored again. He was now juggling three of the crystals¡ªeach time he touched one, it altered the voice in their minds.


    The Watcher sighed at their antics and reminded itself that they were still very young.


    ¡°Infinity, you are correct. Normally, field manipulation requires carefully pre-programming the crystal and ensuring everything works properly.¡±


    The Watcher then listed the ten fields that Angels currently knew while handing them the corresponding crystal:


    <ol>


    <li>Space</li>


    <li>Time</li>


    <li>Mass</li>


    <li>Electromagnetic</li>


    <li>Quantum</li>


    <li>Potential Energy</li>


    <li>Gravity</li>


    <li>Soul</li>


    <li>Life</li>


    <li>Motion</li>


    </ol>


    Infy was deep in thought. We can already change the fields, and now that I¡¯ve listened to all ten, I should be able to isolate them. That still leaves the problem of powering the changes¡­


    With their new knowledge of the fields, the boys became obsessed with training.


    They asked Zero if they could build an additional room on the ship specifically for training their combat abilities and testing their new suit.


    During training, they discovered a natural affinity for three fields: Gravity, Motion, and Space.


    While they could hear and understand the others, these three were the easiest to isolate and analyse.


    They developed three new abilities:


    <ol>


    <li>Shimmer Step ¨C A short-range teleportation ability allowing them to blink one metre in any direction. Minimal energy cost, but longer distances drained Infy significantly.</li>


    <li>Halt ¨C A powerful ability that could stop the motion of anything within a two-metre radius. The greater the object¡¯s kinetic energy, the more energy it required. A last-resort move.</li>


    <li>Fixed Gravity ¨C This allowed them to manipulate gravity in a localised area. The greater the difference in gravitational force, the higher the energy cost.</li>


    </ol>


    Meanwhile, Null worked on his marksmanship and muscle memory for 360-degree combat. Unlike normal humans, he could see in all directions with Infy¡¯s help. However, the system had never trained him to use this ability effectively¡ªhe had to teach himself.


    One day, after a long training session, Infy finally asked a question that had been on his mind for a while.


    ¡°Zero, who are we training to fight? Is it humans?¡±


    The Watcher hesitated.


    Initially, it had wanted to create a guard human, someone to showcase before other races. But over time, its reasoning had changed. Now, it simply wanted the twins to be strong enough to survive.


    ¡°You are training to be strong,¡± the Watcher finally said, ¡°so strong that humans will find you valuable.¡±


    Null perked up. ¡°We¡¯re going to see other humans?¡±


    The Watcher smiled cryptically.


    ¡°I might have a solution.¡±

 Entrance Exam

    The Watcher¡¯s solution was to have them enter the Youth Soldier Competition. It saw this as the perfect opportunity to gradually reintegrate Null and Infinity into human society. Prolonged isolation could be detrimental to their mental development, and the Watcher knew they needed real-world interactions to thrive.


    Null and Infy were currently deep into their entrance exam for the competition. For nearly two hours, they had been holding the line against wave after wave of enemy bots in a simulated Martian security scenario. Their objective: protect the president¡¯s office from enemy combatants. Each wave had grown progressively harder, and they were now on wave seven¡ªwith only seven minutes left on the two-hour timer.


    ¡°Infy, I don¡¯t think I can physically do that without our suit,¡± Null muttered, shifting behind cover.


    ¡°Just trust me. Have I been wrong on the other six waves?¡±


    Infy had developed a precise firing solution, calculating the most efficient way for Null to clear the wave while taking minimal return fire and conserving resources.


    ¡°It¡¯s showtime.¡±


    Null sprinted out from cover, executing Infy¡¯s plan with mechanical precision. His railgun fired methodically, each shot striking an optimal location to minimize deflection. Every blast hit at least five enemy bots in a single pass, dropping them instantly.


    ¡°The AI on these drones is so predictable. This isn¡¯t even a challenge.¡± Infy sounded disappointed. They had been promised a complex, difficult exam¡ªbut instead, they got this.


    Wave after wave, all they had faced were mindless combat scenarios.


    Beep.


    ¡°Wave 8 will commence in 10 seconds,¡± the automated announcer stated through their communicators.


    Wave eight wasn¡¯t like the others.


    The battlefield shifted as over 200 heavily-armored drones flooded the area. Unlike the previous waves, these combat units were built to withstand high-powered attacks.


    ¡°Null, we only have to wait six minutes and twelve seconds. I can plot an evasion course now,¡± Infy suggested.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Null¡¯s tone was firm.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just hide,¡± he continued. ¡°We need them to acknowledge us, or they won¡¯t let us into the competition.¡±


    A plan formed in his mind. He relayed it to Infy through their mental link.


    Infy was silent for a moment, running calculations.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re crazy,¡± he finally said.


    Then he grinned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    <hr>


    Two Weeks Later ¨C Mars


    A Martian analyst sat in a standard office, sifting through the latest submissions for the Youth Soldier Competition (YSC). Held annually, the YSC allowed aspiring young soldiers, aged 10 to 17, to compete for scholarships to the top military academies.


    Every hopeful contestant had to pass a rigorous entrance exam at a designated military base within the solar system. If accepted, they had to physically travel to Mars for the competition itself.


    Even with fusion constant acceleration drives, the journey took two years. As long as applicants were within the correct age range by the time they arrived, they remained eligible to compete.


    The analyst yawned, scrolling through the latest flagged submission.


    Competitor Name: Null


    Age: 6 (Accelerated Age: 10)


    Exam Location: Kuiper Belt Office


    Six years old? The analyst frowned. It wasn¡¯t unheard of¡ªespecially with accelerated growth programs¡ªbut it was rare.


    That wasn¡¯t what had flagged the submission, though.


    Then he saw it.


    Wave 8 completed.


    He blinked.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The YSC entry exam was structured as a gauntlet. Each wave increased in difficulty, pushing candidates to their limits. In the entire history of the competition, no student had ever made it past wave seven. Wave 8 was designed as a no-win situation, and was expected to only be seen by those that somehow cheated.


    96% of applicants failed by wave four.


    The analyst quickly loaded the footage, activating data scans to check for potential hacking.


    ¡°Alright, kid. Let¡¯s see what you did¡­¡±


    The footage started at wave 1


    The analyst immediately noticed Null¡¯s unbelievable firing precision. Every shot landed exactly where it needed to.


    ¡°These firing lines¡­ these shot placements¡­¡± the analyst muttered. ¡°This kid is hitting five enemies per round¡ªconsistently.¡±


    Had he been enhanced?


    That wouldn¡¯t break the rules. Genetic or cybernetic enhancements were allowed, provided they weren¡¯t AI-controlled.


    But something still felt off.


    How did he win?


    The analyst fast-forwarded¡ªthen froze.


    ¡°¡­What the hell?¡±


    He watched on to see that the competitor modified the rail gun to fire full auto and set all his maneuvering thruster to random. Null had been wearing a standard issued military uniform which had maneuvering thrusters inbuilt for low or no gravity situations. The entry exam was being simulated in Martian gravity so the thruster had enough power to get them airborne.


    Once the thrusters were engaged, he was spinning rapidly and out of control making it impossible for the drones to accurately target him. The same was not true for Null who even with full auto was still hitting kill shots at about 60% of the time. Null had been able to take out 2/3 of the drones before running out of ammunition.


    But he wasn¡¯t done yet.


    The footage showed that he ripped out the power system from the closest drone. While avoiding fire and taking cover he was able to jerry-rig the power system to release an EMP at the correct frequency to deactivate the rest of the drones.


    A perfectly calibrated EMP.


    The wave ended in an instant.


    The analyst sat in stunned silence.


    That wasn¡¯t humanly possible.


    Null¡¯s aim was too perfect. His thruster-assisted movement was too precise. His EMP calibration was too advanced for a ten-year-old.


    It had to be hacking.


    The analyst ran a full system scan.


    Nothing.


    He checked for AI-assisted latency errors.


    Nothing.


    He pulled up the neural response logs.


    Still nothing.


    The analyst was sure something wasn¡¯t right. The aim and the paths were too good for a human and the latency between an AI and its user made it impossible for an AI system to help to this extent. It had to be hacking but all the scans came back negative.


    He exhaled slowly.


    ¡°Alright, kid. I don¡¯t know what you are, but I guess we¡¯ll find out when you get here.¡±

 The Trip

    They had been informed that the submission had to be verified, but it would take three months before they could get a response. Humans had set up a substantial communication infrastructure with twelve communication stations sitting in orbit in a parallel plane to the solar system. Each of these stations had quantum entanglement communication (QEC) links connecting them to the other eleven stations.


    QEC stations were expensive and had very limited bandwidth. Each bit of information required a pair of entangled particles and a device capable of reading and modifying the pair. A message could be sent to one of these stations, which would then instantly pass it to the station closest to the destination, which would then relay the message to its final location. These systems allowed messages to be delivered to Mars in a short time frame, but processing still took considerable time.


    The twins had decided not to wait for verification and to head for Mars straight away. They had finished their courses in the NGSS pod and were no longer having their growth accelerated, as the system was only designed to accelerate growth to the apparent age of ten.


    The twins were in the process of being lectured by Zero.


    ¡°Remember, I can¡¯t come with you, as the Council has deemed humans a ¡®race of potential,¡¯ and all higher races must not interfere. Remember, there is to be no use of field manipulation once you leave this ship. I haven¡¯t informed anyone of your existence, and if you manipulate the fields, the Council¡¯s detectors will locate you.¡±


    The Watcher sighed. They don¡¯t realise it yet, but this is probably the last time we will see each other in the near future. I hope they can integrate into society.


    Over the last year and a half, the boys had developed both their battle suit and their personal ship. They still had to follow Zero¡¯s rule and use only technology that humans had access to.


    Their ship, the Aethon, had significant upgrades over standard merge ships. It was powered by a large antimatter reactor instead of the standard fusion reactor. It was also surrounded by a plasma shield, similar to the one they used in their battle suit.


    The twins had used the knowledge gained from studying the voice of the universe to create an alloy using currently known elements that reduced the effect of mass and gravity fields. This new alloy made the ship lighter and less affected by inertia, meaning the pilot could remain conscious during high-speed maneuvers.


    They had also increased the efficiency of their constant acceleration engine. In total, they had created a ship capable of safely traveling at twenty percent the speed of light. The best ships humans had created could only travel at seven percent the speed of light and had to be careful with acceleration to avoid endangering the merge pilot, even within their pods.


    The boys were ready and eager to begin their journey to Mars.


    <hr>


    As the Aethon followed the standard trade paths, its appearance was causing distress throughout the upper echelons of various human factions. Each faction had spies and sensors scattered throughout the solar system and had been continuously sending back information on the unknown object via their emergency QEC devices.


    Each faction believed it was an advanced prototype that had escaped from a research facility belonging to another faction. Earth believed it was Martian, the Martians thought it was from the Lunar faction, and so on. The ones who needed to make a decision were the Martians.


    Tracking its path, it was clear the object was heading toward Mars.


    The Martian military scrambled its merge ships, forming a blockade in outer orbit.


    <hr>


    Mars Orbital Station ¨C General Alexander¡¯s Office


    General Alexander sat in his office aboard the Mars Orbital Station, deep in thought.


    These scans don¡¯t make sense.


    It looked like a Martian design, but it was moving far quicker than anything he had seen.


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    Even the black projects from other factions didn¡¯t have anything close to this.


    Its trajectory suggests it came from the deep Kuiper Belt¡­


    Could there be a hidden base out there?


    Aboard the Aethon


    Infy was keeping track of all the sensors when he noticed the blockade.


    ¡°We have a problem. There are a lot of ships on our current course.¡±


    Null frowned. ¡°Why? Do you think they¡¯re here to welcome us? But how did they know we were coming?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we are currently traveling at 0.17c (c = speed of light), and even if we start decelerating now, we won¡¯t be able to stop in time,¡± Infy replied.


    The twins decided to start the deceleration and plot a path around the blockade.


    The Martians had never seen anything resembling the Aethon before, and they had seriously miscalculated its stopping capabilities.


    They sent a message to the ship, requesting it stop and submit to being towed to the orbital base.


    Although they could see the ship slowing down, it was still travelling at a significant speed when it reached the blockade.


    ¡°Sir, we just received a reply from the unknown ship,¡± the communications officer reported. ¡°It says, ¡®Cannot stop, please move.¡¯¡±


    General Alexander was faced with a difficult decision.


    If we let it go and it¡¯s hostile, we won¡¯t be able to stop it. We don¡¯t know its military capabilities. Sorry, whoever you are, but I can¡¯t risk the settlements.


    ¡°Send a new message,¡± he ordered. ¡°Tell the unknown ship it must increase its deceleration or we will open fire.¡±


    Back on the Aethon


    Null and Infy received the new communication.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are they threatening us?¡± Null asked. ¡°Infy, can we increase the rate?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re already pushing the limits. The flight plan was designed to stop in low Mars orbit. The only way would be to use the fields, which we can¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Remember, Zero told us not to harm anyone. We¡¯ll just have to try to avoid getting hit,¡± Null said.


    As the Aethon approached the blockade, General Alexander gave the order to open fire and deploy carbon nanotube nets.


    He watched the battle unfold, hoping the ship didn¡¯t take too much damage so they could study it.


    But the results were unexpected.


    The railguns and nets had no effect. The ship¡¯s active shielding repelled the rail slugs, and the nets were torn apart as if they weren¡¯t even there.


    ¡°Sir, reports from the blockade. The ship has some kind of active shielding, and it just broke through the net like it wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    General Alexander¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Activate the orbital defence systems. We can¡¯t let it get any closer.¡±


    ¡°Sir, the ship is slowing down and has sent another message.¡±


    ¡°Please stop. We are stopping. We have come to participate in the YSC.¡±


    General Alexander struggled to process what he had just heard.


    They¡¯re¡­ children?


    ¡°How many are aboard?¡± he asked.


    The officer hesitated. ¡°Unknown, sir.¡±


    ¡°Place the defence systems on standby. If they stop in time, escort them to dock.¡±


    The Aethon was guided to the orbital base, where it was immediately surrounded by Martian soldiers.


    As soon as Null stepped out of the merge pod, soldiers rushed toward him.


    ¡°P-Put your hands up!¡± one of them shouted.


    Null blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Infy¡­ I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying.¡±


    It was at that moment that Null realized¡ªhe had never spoken to another human before.


    All their communication had been neural-based or text-based, automatically translated by Zero¡¯s systems.


    And worse¡­


    He physically couldn¡¯t speak.


    Panic surged through him, resonating with Infy via their shared soul.


    Then a soldier grabbed Null¡¯s arm¡ªand training took over.


    The scene in the dock descended into pure pandemonium. Null and Infy, along with their suit, were more than a match for the soldiers surrounding them. Using their enhanced speed, they quickly dashed to the nearest soldier and, with a solid kick, broke his leg at the thigh. Activating their tower shield, they turned on their non-lethal stun glove which was a new addition to the suit suggested by Zero.


    Infy quickly calculated the optimal path, minimizing risk while maximizing efficiency. Null dashed along the route, using his tower shield to block incoming attacks while his stun glove took down soldiers one by one. Everything was going smoothly¡ªuntil he encountered the fifth soldier. No matter what Null did, he couldn¡¯t land a hit.


    What Null didn¡¯t realise was that he was now facing one of the trainers responsible for the super-soldier system he had been raised with. This isn¡¯t right¡­ He moves like he¡¯s completed our super-soldier program¡­ but I know all the students. John¡ªone of the program¡¯s elite instructors¡ªassessed the situation in an instant. Sorry, kid. This is going to hurt. Using superior experience and training, John swiftly countered Null¡¯s movements and knocked him out cold.


    Realising they were at a disadvantage, Infy immediately activated the emergency protocol that Zero and the twins had designed. Since he was linked to both the ship and the suit, he initiated lockdown mode. The Aethon was instantly wrapped in its shielding, while its outer hull became electrified to prevent further interference. The battlesuit self-destructed, releasing canisters of strategically placed acid, ensuring it couldn¡¯t be reverse-engineered. The antimatter reactor collapsed in on itself, rendering the suit¡¯s technology completely unusable. Infy had executed the plan flawlessly. Now, all they could do was wait for what came next.

 Interrogation

    What came next was an interrogation. This wasn¡¯t Null and Infy''s first. Zero hadn¡¯t understood the nuances of human society, so when he chose the Super Soldier Program to raise the boys, he hadn¡¯t realised the depths to which it would go. No program designed to create a super-soldier would be kind.


    Null had faced multiple types of interrogations before, ranging from physical torture to psychological manipulation. While all had taken place inside the Pod, they had been realistic enough to serve as effective training.


    The interrogation had now stretched past five hours, yet it was going nowhere. Even if Null could understand the interrogator¡ªwhich he couldn¡¯t¡ªthis was one of the tamest interrogations he had ever experienced.


    The twins were deep in debate on what to do next. Null wanted to use the fields and go home, but Infy reminded him that doing so would alert the council and that had to be avoided at all cost.


    ¡°If only that brought was a communication device¡­ or maybe some with latent psychic abilities we could communicate¡±  Infy argued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait any longer! Why can¡¯t they let us go to the competition?¡± Null complained.


    At that moment the lead interrogator decided enough was enough. This smug bastard doesn¡¯t even react to anything. He just keeps staring at me with those creepy eyes. The general requested I be gentle on the boy but maybe some pain will loosen the tongue.


    Without warning, the interrogator swung his stun baton, aiming to smash Null¡¯s hand.


    Before he even registered what had happened, he was hurled across the room by a blast of energy.


    Null had broken free from his restraints and was already moving in to attack.


    Unknownst to the interrogator Infy was not powerless, like all Angels he had access to his energy-based defences. He was also able to enhance Null strength but at great cost to Null body, searing pain tore through Null¡¯s body with every enhanced movement.


    The room quickly filled with paralytic gas, thick clouds hissing from the vents as multiple soldiers in gas masks stormed in to restrain the boy.


    But Null was done playing by the rules.


    They hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, yet they treated him like an enemy, so he would treat them like one too.


    His Infy-enhanced vision and senses picked up the incoming attack before the soldiers had even started them. He launched forward, deflecting the first soldier¡¯s baton strike with his forearm, before stunning him with an open palm strike to the chest.


    The Second soldier lunged, but Infy was already predicting their movements, feeding Null the appropriate combat routes. He ducked under another swinging baton, grabbed the soldier¡¯s arm, and flipped him over his shoulder, sending him crashing into the interrogation table.


    A third attacker tried to shoot him with a tranquilizer dart but Null twisted his body dodging it by mere centimeters. He kicked off the floor and drove his head into the soldier''s face, sending them sprawling on the ground.


    But there were too many.


    Even with his enhanced speed and Infy¡¯s tactical input, the numbers were overwhelming. Yet, he continued to fight.


    One by one, soldiers staggered back, groaning in pain, some clutching broken limbs, others unconscious on the floor. The remaining few hesitated, shifting nervously, unsure if they should advance.


    Then their commander barked an order:


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    "Hold the door! Let the gas do its work!"


    The remaining soldiers abandoned their assault, retreating to the entrance. They slammed the heavy doors shut, locking Null inside as the paralytic gas thickened.


    Null charged toward the exit, but his legs faltered. His vision blurred.


    Lisa was the senior science technical officer stationed on the orbital ship. She had been assigned to figure out exactly who¡ªor what¡ªthis boy was.


    She sat next to him as they secured him to a medical bed, thick restraints locking down his limbs and torso. They were certain he wouldn¡¯t escape.


    But Lisa wasn¡¯t so sure.


    She still couldn¡¯t understand how he had done what he had. Even if he was genetically modified, his strength was unheard of for someone so small.


    She had analysed the boy¡¯s suit and attempted to scan the ship, but nothing was adding up. The technology was too advanced and why was a child flying it?


    The higher-ups had decided to let Lisa take a shot at gathering information, hoping that her gender might trigger some kind of maternal conditioning in the boy.


    She glanced at the monitoring machine, watching as it displayed his vital signs and processed the results from the tests they had run. The data confirmed what she had already suspected, that he had woken up some time ago but was pretending to sleep.


    Lisa sighed. There was no point in waiting him out.


    She decided to call his bluff.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lisa, the senior science officer,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re awake, so why won¡¯t you speak with us?¡±


    She didn¡¯t get a verbal response, but a voice echoed in her mind, stopping her mid-thought. She shook her head, trying to process what had just happened.


    ¡°Finally! Someone we can communicate with. Hello, I am Infinity or Infy for short.¡±


    A second voice followed.


    ¡°Hello, I am Null. Sorry about this, but we can¡¯t understand anything that¡¯s being said, and it seems I¡¯m unable to physically speak.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s breath hitched. Telepathy?


    Before she could react, Infy continued, taking over the explanation.


    ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t want to force a mental connection, but you were the first person with the prerequisite to do so. Our mentor told us it would be rude, but this situation is extremely stressful for us. Now that we¡¯ve established a connection, if you speak, we should be able to hear you through it.¡±


    Lisa muttered to herself, ¡°What exactly are you?¡± She didn¡¯t realise that, with the mental link, volume didn¡¯t matter.


    Infy was the one to respond.


    ¡°Well, Null is human, and I am an artificial energy lifeform. We are bonded together, so you could think of us as conjoined twins.¡±


    It took incredible effort for Lisa to keep her body language neutral, but inside, her mind was reeling.


    I¡¯m one of the top military scientists, and I can¡¯t even begin to imagine that energy lifeforms exist¡­ but there¡¯s someone out there who can create one?


    Lisa took a slow breath, steadying herself. This was beyond anything she had ever encountered but she knew she had to gather some more information. She did wonder if those monitoring the live feeds would believe she had lost her mind talking to herself.


    She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as she focused on the boy in front of her. ¡°An artificial energy lifeform? That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    Infy¡¯s voice echoed in her mind. ¡°And yet, here I am.¡±


    Lisa frowned. ¡°How were you created?¡±


    ¡°We cannot say.¡±


    Lisa exhaled sharply. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t make it easy. ¡°Alright, then. What is your purpose?¡±


    ¡°To keep Null alive.¡±


    ¡°So you are like his guardian?¡±


    ¡°No. We are joined if either of us dies, we both die¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what to do with that information so she shifted her attention to Null, who was watching her with unsettling golden eyes. ¡°And you? Do you have a purpose for coming to Mars?¡±


    Null¡¯s response came through the link in a calm yet childlike voice. ¡°I want to see Mars and meet other people. Oh and compete in the YSC¡±


    Lisa stared at him. That was it?


    She studied his expression, searching for deception, but found only sincerity.


    This kid is either the best liar I¡¯ve ever met¡­ or he really just wants to go to the competition.


    She decided to switch tactics. ¡°Why can¡¯t you speak?¡±


    Null hesitated before answering. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­ can¡¯t.¡±


    Infy elaborated. ¡°Null brain structure is different from other humans and I suspect his vocal cords are underdeveloped.  Our mentor suspects it was due to extended gestation inside a merge pod, but there was no way to confirm.¡±


    Lisa tapped her fingers against the metal table. There has never been a gestation inside a merge pod, but that wouldn¡¯t be an unexpected outcome. Maybe one of the factions is experimenting with it.


    Infy posed his own question. ¡°Why did you attack us?¡±


    She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°You do realise we had no idea what you were, right? You appear out of nowhere in a ship decades ahead of our technology, refuse to stop, break into a military zone, and take down an entire squad of soldiers. What did you expect would happen?¡±


    Null tried to tilt his head. ¡°A welcome party?¡±


    Lisa let out a breath that was almost a laugh. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Our mentor told us, you would be welcoming of us¡±


    Lisa ran a hand through her hair. This was going to be a long interrogation.

 Give a Little

    A week had passed since the twins had arrived on Mars. Their arrival had caused more than a few ripples within the factions of human space. The Martian leaders quickly recognized the risk of keeping the twins a secret¡ªmost factions had already observed their ship arriving, and if they assumed the Martians had gained access to their technology, it could serve as a pretext for war.


    To prevent this, each faction exposed a spy they had implanted on Mars, repurposing them as official observers. These ex-spies were now tasked with monitoring the twins¡¯ activities, ensuring no faction gained an unfair advantage.


    They were all currently observing what appeared to be a silent argument between the twins and Lisa, the senior science officer.


    Lisa had spent the past week as the liaison between the factions and the twins. Their conversations were typically conducted via a communication device, allowing the observers to monitor the discussion. However, when the twins became too engaged, they would occasionally bypass the device, communicating directly through their mental link¡ªwhich was exactly what was happening now.


    It was a familiar argument.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored! All you want to do is talk. Please, can¡¯t you let us go out and train? Or at least let us use the pods to practice? We need to be in peak condition for the competition.¡±


    Null¡¯s complaints had been growing more insistent as the days dragged on.


    Lisa sighed. ¡°You know the answer. Until all the factions agree, you aren¡¯t allowed off the base¡ªand that includes access to the network. Everyone has seen your technology and is concerned about what would happen if you got into a pod.¡±


    She rehashed what had become an old argument.


    Lisa turned to Infy, preempting his usual response. ¡°And before you say it, I know you think you can leave whenever you want. But you have to believe me, I am just trying to protect you. Now, do you have an answer to my proposal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ªI know. And my answer is the same as always. Our technology is dangerous.¡± Infy¡¯s voice was flat, unwavering.


    Lisa opened her mouth to argue, but Null cut in first.


    ¡°Is it really?¡± Null¡¯s tone was different¡ªthoughtful, uncertain.


    Infy turned to him sharply, but Null continued. ¡°Don¡¯t they already have this technology? We would only be improving it. Lisa, I will help you if Infy won¡¯t. In exchange, I want to be allowed to train with other humans.¡±


    Lisa froze.


    This was the first time she had seen Null disagree with Infy.


    And she wasn¡¯t about to waste the opportunity.


    Lisa nodded. "I¡¯m sure it could be arranged, but you¡¯ll need to complete the task first."


    She had spent enough time around the twins to recognise they were having a private conversation. Null would zone out completely with his golden eyes unfocused. Infy was likely arguing his case. Lisa knew it was best to just wait it out.


    Finally, Infy answered. "What you''re asking for is worth more than just a few sparring sessions. However, I do believe training would be beneficial to Null''s mental health. So, we¡¯ll examine the device and see if we can improve it, but I promise nothing."


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    The device in question was a QEC (Quantum Entanglement Communicator). Infy wasn¡¯t entirely opposed to improving it. In fact, he saw great value in making communication more efficient for humanity. More importantly, he knew QECs couldn¡¯t be weaponised or he at least hoped they couldn¡¯t. His resistance wasn¡¯t about the device itself but he was simply mirroring Null¡¯s frustration. The difference was that Null whined about it, while Infy channelled it into defiance.


    Once the QEC was delivered, Infy immediately exited Null¡¯s body. It had been a disturbing sight the first time Lisa and the Observers had witnessed it with a glowing sphere of energy slipping free from Null.


    Without hesitation, Infy phased into the device, his energy tendrils flickering as he scanned its inner workings.


    Like most of their technology, understanding it required a combination of education, intuition, and, most of all, listening to the universe itself. Infy and Null both entered a meditative state, focusing entirely on the Voice of the Universe, allowing it to reveal the underlying mechanics of the system.


    Hours passed as the twins looked for the answers.


    The Observers grew restless.


    One of them scoffed. "I knew it. They¡¯re all talk. Their mentor must have built the ship and that¡¯s who we need to find."


    Another muttered in agreement. "Right? They¡¯re not even doing anything. I doubt they have any idea how this works. I hope we didn¡¯t give them anything in return."


    Lisa didn¡¯t share their scepticism.


    She had spent the most time with the twins. She believed them.


    And just as she had that thought, Null opened his eyes.


    His voice rang through their mental link. "I need to peeeeeeee!"


    Then, without another word, he bolted toward the bathroom.


    Lisa facepalmed. Just when I was thinking good things about them¡­


    A moment later, Infy¡¯s voice entered her mind.


    "We have a solution. It might not be helpful, but we need access to our ship¡¯s lab."


    Lisa folded her arms. "First, explain how it works. I can¡¯t take your request to the General without details."


    By the time Null returned, Lisa was still waiting for an answer.


    Null grinned. "So! Did Infy tell you? It¡¯s an easy fix. The particles in the QEC aren¡¯t just in pairs like we thought. They¡¯re in a tripartite entanglement¡ªa third mediator particle exists in a stable superposition state that facilitates the connection. Any quantum state change in one particle affects the mediator, which then propagates to the twin. The solution is straightforward: instead of relying on natural triplet formations, we can artificially create programmable pairs with quantum gates. By mapping the quantum coordinates of both particles, we can encode specific communication protocols directly into their wave functions. See? Easy. So, can we go spar now?"


    Lisa stared.


    Her mind scrambled to process what he had just said.


    Wait... isn¡¯t he supposed to be the foolish one? Did I misjudge them that badly?


    Still, even if what they were saying was true, she didn¡¯t understand any of it. She exhaled. "Okay... but how does that actually help us? We can¡¯t program quantum coordinates as we don¡¯t know them or even have that technology."


    Null rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Well, that¡¯s easy for us, but¡ª"


    Infy smoothly finished his sentence. "It¡¯s not knowledge we can give you."


    Lisa frowned. "And why not?"


    "Because it¡¯s dangerous."


    Lisa exhaled sharply. She had expected that answer. It is all Infy would say when asked about technology.


    Infy continued. "What Null didn¡¯t include is how you would use it. The device would need to be in a fixed location. You would input numbers that correspond to the receiver¡¯s location for one-way communication, or program in the location of a transmitter and receiver for two-way communication. This means you¡¯d have one device capable of connecting to unlimited receivers, but only one at a time."


    Lisa took a moment to process this. So, it wouldn¡¯t allow real-time spying¡­ just better communication range.


    The Observers, however, were currently unimpressed as they weren¡¯t part of the conversation.


    Frustration buzzed through the room as they realised the twins had switched back to their private communication link.


    Lisa quickly summarized their findings for the Observers, who, unsurprisingly, weren¡¯t pleased.


    The Earth representative spoke up. "That¡¯s not good enough. They need to supply us with plans and full knowledge of how it works. Otherwise, they could use it to spy on us."


    Lisa sighed. In principle, I get it¡­ but they¡¯re expecting too much.


    "I understand your concerns," she replied, "but this is the first time in a week they¡¯ve even shared any information. I will be recommending to the General that we allow them access to their ship¡¯s lab. I hope you¡¯ll do the same when reporting to your superiors.

 Decisions

    While waiting for her superiors to make their decision, Lisa decided to grant the twins a token of their reward. She had already called John over to spar with Null, and as the designated observer and translator, she would remain to oversee the match.


    John was not only the super soldier combat instructor, he was also one of the most genetically modified humans on Mars. Lisa was interested to see how they would match up.


    Null could barely contain his excitement, bouncing in the corner like an overcharged reactor.


    Before the bout could begin, a clone of Infy separated from Null¡¯s body and drifted over to Lisa, settling beside her. She glanced at the glowing orb of energy, still struggling to fully understand their dynamic.


    I still don¡¯t know how their relationship works¡ªor who is responsible for what.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when Infy spoke.


    "Thank you for this."


    Lisa arched an eyebrow. ¡°For what?¡±


    Infy¡¯s voice carried an unusual warmth. ¡°I know you all have many questions, but we only came here to experience contact with humans. Null finally being able to communicate with you and now getting to fight with John are the kind of experiences he has dreamed of for years.¡±


    Lisa felt a small pang of guilt at that. But there is nothing I can do to change the situation.


    In the center of the room, John was dodging a flurry of attacks from Null, effortlessly weaving through the child¡¯s strikes.


    "It''s clear you''ve had some training, but you''re too predictable!" John commented, easily sidestepping another attack.


    Null pouted at the remark, his movements growing more aggressive.


    Lisa chuckled as she translated. "He says if he used his real power, this would be different."


    John smirked, shifting into a more defensive stance.


    Lisa continued, unable to suppress a grin. "He also says you''re too slow and that it must be because you''re old."


    John paused mid-step.


    Slowly, he cracked his neck. Oh so that he wants to play.


    Up until now, he had been going easy on the boy¡ªbut given the snark, he decided it was time to teach him a lesson.


    With blinding speed, John closed the distance and, before Null could react, executed a flawless takedown, pinning him to the floor in an instant.


    The match continued for about an hour.


    At first, John completely dominated, easily countering Null¡¯s every move.


    But Lisa and the silent observers were watched with growing interest as something unexpected happened.


    Null was learning, and quickly.


    Each time John pinned him down, Null would adjust, analyse, and react faster. His attacks became less predictable, his movements sharper, more fluid.


    John, who had been holding back, suddenly found himself having to exert more and more effort just to keep the boy in check.


    Nearby, Infy, still hovering beside Lisa, spoke to her. ¡°This is the difference between the pod and the real thing. This has been a true learning experience.¡±


    Lisa could feel the satisfaction radiating from him.


    By the end of the hour, John¡¯s expression was unreadable.


    I¡¯ve had to use ninety percent of my strength just to keep up¡­ in only an hour of training.


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    Was he just adjusting to my fighting style? Or¡­ is he simply growing this fast?


    At the end of the day when Null and Infy returned to their cell, they were both pleased with the day results.


    ---


    Lisa was in the middle of her own interrogation, surrounded by holographic projections of leaders from each of the major factions. Represented in the meeting were Earth, Lunar, Martian, the Asteroid Mining Guild, Jupiter Moons, and the Kuiper Belt factions.


    They were using a device Lisa had secured from the twins. It was a feat that had taken significant bargaining and considerable time to develop. The device enabled instantaneous holographic communication, effectively creating a real-time interplanetary conference call.


    The twins had been granted limited access to their ship, where they could use the workshop equipment stored onboard. From there, they built ten quantum-linked holographic communication devices, which were then shipped to each faction using fast unmanned drones.


    Each leader wore a robe and mask, keeping their identities hidden. These were intelligence agency leaders, and maintaining anonymity was a necessary precaution.


    The Earth representative was the first to speak.


    "I''m sure we''re all fascinated by these devices, but I believe it''s time to start. Colonel Lisa Jameson of the Martian Defense Force, you have now been with the child known as Null for a month. We are here today to receive your report. I¡¯m sure everyone here has the same questions: Where did he come from? And is he a threat?"


    Lisa took a measured breath before responding.


    "I believe they are an experiment from a highly advanced laboratory. They reject any attempt to gather intelligence on their mentor. It¡¯s almost as if they¡¯ve been conditioned to prevent any information from leaking. The only record we have on Null is his competition entry, which appears to be fabricated."


    She paused, allowing them time to process her answer before addressing the second question.


    "Are they a threat? My answer is not intentionally. But Null, in particular, has the maturity of a child while possessing access to a ship that could be used as a weapon of mass destruction. This situation raises serious concerns about their mentor¡¯s intentions. That being said, I truly believe they only came to compete in the Youth Soldier Competition."


    The Lunar representative was quick to interject.


    "I want to know more about this mentor. I think it¡¯s time we use more forcible methods to extract information."


    Before anyone else could speak, the Earth representative raised a hand, silencing the others.


    "Remember, the purpose of this gathering is to establish known facts. The discussion on actions will be scheduled for later."


    Lisa took the opportunity to interject.


    "I strongly advise against antagonizing them. We still don¡¯t know the true limits of their abilities. They¡¯ve already demonstrated some form of telekinesis. And Null once mentioned after an embarrassing spar with our special forces trainer that if he could use his real powers, no one could touch him."


    A brief silence followed before the Earth representative spoke again.


    "So, have you been able to determine exactly what he or they are?"


    Lisa nodded.


    "Null has allowed us to conduct multiple tests and scans. Physically, aside from his brain, he is a perfect specimen of an accelerated-growth child. His brain, however, suffers from multiple abnormalities. For example, there is no connection between his brain and his vocal cords, meaning he will always be mute. I believe Infy plays a much larger role than we currently understand in allowing Null to function."


    The Martian representative leaned forward.


    "Has there been any progress in understanding the artificial lifeform?"


    Lisa hesitated.


    She had asked Null about Infy and had received an answer, but she wasn¡¯t sure how well it would be received.


    "We have neither the equipment nor the knowledge to begin analyzing Infy, especially without his consent. However, I can relay what Null told me, though I warn you, it may not be believable."


    The leaders remained silent, waiting for her to continue.


    "According to Null, Infy is an artificial Angel. To create a new life, three components are required: a body, a mind, and a soul. Infy mind is that of an AI who was given an Angel¡¯s body, and he and Null share a soul. Making a body and a mind isn¡¯t difficult, but creating a soul is, so they were forced to share one."


    A heavy silence filled the room.


    The representatives quickly began extrapolating theories, drawing their own conclusions. The most prevalent and most convenient assumption was that the twins were the product of an advanced fundamentalist Christian cult conducting human experiments.


    The meeting continued, with each representative asking Lisa further questions, attempting to piece together the mystery surrounding the twins.


    Finally, the last question was asked:


    "What is your recommendation on how we should handle them?"


    Lisa straightened, already having prepared her answer.


    "I believe we will achieve better results by gaining their trust. They are too valuable to alienate just look at the technology we are using right now. It is years ahead of anything we could create.


    To that end, I strongly recommend that we allow them to compete in the Youth Soldier Competition. Interaction with other children their age may provide more insight into their behaviour and capabilities. Additionally, I believe we can pass Infy off as an advanced AI assistant that helps Null communicate."


    The leaders exchanged glances, their expressions concealed behind their masks.


    After a moment, they ended the meeting and held a private discussion.


    Their decision?


    To endorse Lisa¡¯s recommendation and introduce Null and Infy to the other children competing in the YSC. But they had some conditions.

 Power Dynamics

    The factions had set their conditions: Null and Infy¡¯s ship had to remain on the orbital station with its lockdown removed¡ªotherwise, they would be detained indefinitely.


    Lisa knew exactly what was happening. The factions were flexing their power, using their perceived leverage to bully the twins into compliance, hoping to extract valuable information.


    She had relayed the conditions to the boys, hoping they would accept them¡ªbut knowing they wouldn¡¯t.


    Infy¡¯s response was immediate.


    "While we are happy to meet the other competitors and fulfil the other requirements, the ship''s lockdown must remain. We won¡¯t accept this deal."


    Lisa wasn¡¯t surprised. Infy had reached his limit. He had been held back too long, and now, he was resolving to take action.


    She didn¡¯t disagree with the twins'' stance, but she lacked the authority to challenge the decision. She had tried to make the representatives see reason, to treat the twins better, but they were only interested in what they could gain.


    After a month with them, Lisa felt she had a solid understanding of their personalities and how they reacted to situations, what made them tick.


    But when she looked at Null, his expression was one she had never seen before.


    She had assumed that he and Infy were having their usual silent debate, but instead of the excitement she had expected at meeting new people or the anger at being controlled. She saw sadness. A young child whose heart had been broken, she had seen that seem look on her son face before.


    His melancholic voice rang softly in Lisa¡¯s mind.


    "Sorry Lisa, but we have to go now. Please come with us."


    Lisa frowned. Go? Go where? They were locked up, their ship was inaccessible, and there was nowhere to escape to.


    "I would love to, honey, but that¡¯s just not possible."


    She hoped her motherly tone might settle him.


    That, however, only encouraged him. He took her words literally.


    "Great! Then let¡¯s go to Mars!" His voice brightened, suddenly filled with excitement in her head.


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    The next twenty minutes were a blur.


    Null and Infy walked through the orbital base as if its defences didn¡¯t exist. Security lockdowns, reinforced doors, armed guards but nothing stopped them. They walked and the door opened or other doors locked keeping the guards out.


    Lisa tried to keep up, heart pounding. How are they doing this?


    Infy¡¯s voice entered her mind, as casually as if he were discussing the weather.


    "Our Mentor is angry. Lessons will be learnt today"


    As if that explained everything.


    Another squad of soldiers rushed toward them, weapons drawn, prepared to subdue the twins.


    Null barely acknowledged them, flicking his wrist.


    In an instant, the soldiers vanished.


    Lisa froze, eyes wide.


    "Don¡¯t worry, they aren¡¯t dead. You¡¯ll see." His voice buzzed with amusement, as though this was some grand adventure.


    Lisa, however, was reeling. What is happening? Had they always had this ability? What exactly are they?


    Then, they reached their ship the one that was supposedly locked down and under guard. The guards were waved away like all the others.


    Null stared at the ship for a bit, before shaking his head and he waved his hand, and just like the soldiers, the ship disappeared.


    Lisa stared.


    Null¡¯s smile was growing stranger by the second. It was almost manic like he had been forced to do something he hadn¡¯t wanted to.


    He waved at the empty space where the ship had been, as if saying goodbye.


    Then, without another word, they vanished, only for them  to reappear in the supply town beneath the orbital base.


    Infy had run the numbers¡ªeveryone was here.


    Null waved his hand and the crowd was now disarmed. They just looked at him stunned into silence.


    Over the past weeks, the twins had been busy. They had built their own miniature QEC, contacting Zero the moment they regained access to their ship. It had been Zero¡¯s idea to change the power dynamics.


    "In the old days," Zero had said, "Angels had to put on a show before humans would listen."


    Since that day, they had hacked into the security feeds, monitored everyone''s movements on the ship, and devised a plan to place energy trackers on every individual.


    It had all led to this¡ªa show of force, a calculated attempt to win their freedom without sacrificing their own goals. The only hitch had been Lisa. Null and Infy didn¡¯t want to leave her behind but Zero had told them they needed her permission. Which they now had.


    Zero was breaking the rules, but he wasn¡¯t concerned. They had used teleportation technology, but not field manipulation¡ªjust good old-fashioned science. And with it, they had removed everyone from the orbital ship using the trackers Infy had placed on them.


    Now, it was time for the final show.


    Null emerged before the entire population of the orbital station, Infy merging with him, his body glowing with an ethereal aura. He had set his communication device to maximum volume, ensuring that every single person could hear him.


    "We came to meet you, but you didn¡¯t want to meet us¡ªyou just wanted to use us. You believed you had power. But you didn¡¯t. You pushed, and you pushed. Now, it¡¯s time for you to learn your lesson. Everyone has a limit"


    Raising his hand, Null made a single motion, and behind him, the orbital ship exploded.


    Gasps and screams rippled through the stunned crowd as debris scattered across the void. He let the shock settle before the communication device spoke again.


    "We are going to the Youth Soldier Competition we are going to meet other humans. Do not interfere. Or there will be consequences." The last comment was directed at the leadership team.


    With that, Null and Lisa disappeared.

 Social Skills

    Lisa couldn¡¯t make sense of what was happening. One moment, she had been watching as Null destroyed the orbital station and now she was here, wherever here was.


    She found herself in a dimly lit room, standing alongside Null and Infy. A drone hovered nearby, its metallic frame sleek and precise.


    The drone¡¯s voice came through her mind in a calm, artificial tone. ¡°Lisa Jameson, I wish to thank you for your kind treatment of my boys.¡±


    Lisa blinked, still trying to process everything. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    The drone responded without hesitation, its voice now echoing in her mind. ¡°You are aboard a hidden automated survey ship, currently in orbit around Mars.¡±


    Lisa glanced around, immediately sensing that something was off. The technology surrounding her was far more advanced than anything a human ship could possess. But before she could dwell on that, she had more pressing questions.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    The drone answered. ¡°I am the Watcher. The boys call me Zero. I am their mentor. This drone is my avatar. It appears our preparations for integration with human society were not as complete as I had hoped.¡±


    Another drone entered the room bringing chairs for them to sit on. Null quickly sat on his looking slightly drained.


    Lisa sat stiffly in the chair provided, her mind still trying to catch up with everything that had happened. Less than an hour ago, she had been on an orbital station, trying to mediate between the twins and the human factions. Now, she was aboard a hidden ship orbiting Mars, speaking to a drone avatar of something or someone far beyond her understanding. Null had said that Infy was part Angel, maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe this Zero is an alien.


    The drone, Zero, hovered in front of her, its sleek metallic surface reflecting the dim lighting of the room. "Lisa Jameson, I require your assistance," it said in its eerily calm voice. "I wish for you to help prepare the boys for the Youth Soldier Competition."


    Lisa frowned. "Prepare them? For what? Why are you so obsessed with this competition? It¡¯s just a glorified recruitment event."


    Null, who had been quietly watching her, finally spoke, his voice once again echoing in her mind. "It¡¯s not about the competition itself. It¡¯s a goal something to do."


    Lisa turned to face him, but before she could question further, he continued.


    "When we came here, I thought we were already strong. But when I fought John, I realised¡­ I am weak"


    His mental voice carried no arrogance, just simple acceptance. "The pod training gave us knowledge, but it didn¡¯t give us experience. Fighting actual humans is different. We need to improve."


    Lisa studied him carefully. There was no hesitation in his words no doubt. This wasn¡¯t about proving himself, or about pride. This was a necessity. But for what?


    Infy, who had been floating near Lisa, spoke next. "You saw how quickly Null has adapted against John. Imagine how much we can learn against competitors who have trained for years. While it is unlikely the youth will be a challenge it might make us connect with the truly strong"


    Lisa sighed, leaning back in her chair. "So that¡¯s it? You see this as training?"


    "Yes," Null confirmed. "We won¡¯t get better without real opponents."


    Lisa rubbed her temples, still struggling with the absurdity of the situation. The twins were light-years beyond human capability, yet here they were, worrying about a youth combat tournament like it was some critical mission.


    She let out a tired breath. "Alright¡­ What exactly do you need me for?"


    Zero''s drone whirred slightly as it responded. "They need to blend in. You understand human social structures better than I do. The goal is to integrate them into the competition without raising suspicion."


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    Lisa snorted. "Right. Because nothing about them is suspicious at all. Especially after that stunt"


    Null tilted his head slightly. "what do you mean?"


    Lisa exhaled slowly, her mind already turning over the logistics of this insane request.


    "I do have one request," she said, her voice measured.


    Zero responded before she could elaborate, its tone as calm as ever. "I assume you want assurances that Christopher is protected."


    Lisa stiffened, caught off guard. They knew about Christopher? Her son was currently enrolled at the officer academy, training to become a leader therefore his whereabouts were classified.


    Before she could ask how they knew, a series of holographic screens materialised in front of her, displaying his exact location within the academy, security feeds of various academy facilities, and even logs of all incoming and outgoing communications linked to the academy.


    Lisa¡¯s breath hitched. How long have they been watching?


    The drone continued, as if answering her unspoken thoughts. "I have been monitoring. There are no signs of suspicious activity. I agree to your terms. I will protect Christopher¡ªyou will train the twins."


    Lisa exhaled sharply and gave a small nod. "Fine." She had little choice in the matter, but at least she had secured her son¡¯s safety.


    They had one month before the first rounds of the Youth Soldier Competition would begin. Lisa wasn¡¯t sure how they planned to enter, considering they were now wanted criminals and terrorists, but that wasn¡¯t her problem.


    Her problem was getting them to blend in. She had only seen them interacting with her so she set up a test for them.


    Lisa sat back in her chair, arms crossed, watching as Null and Infy stood before the holographic student simulation. The virtual boy, labelled "Ethan ¨C Standard Social Profile", was designed to replicate an average competitor in the Youth Soldier Competition. They were someone they might realistically interact with.


    "Alright, boys," Lisa said, glancing between them. "This is it. Just have a normal, casual conversation with Ethan. No weird pauses, no robotic answers, no existential debates about the meaning of small talk. Just... be normal."


    Null nodded, his face stiff but determined. Infy, floating beside him camouflaged as a communication device


    The simulation began.


    Ethan: "Hey, what''s up?"


    Null stared intensely at the hologram, unblinking.


    Lisa silently prayed he wouldn''t say something ridiculous.


    Null: "The opposite of the local gravitational field"


    Lisa winced.


    Ethan paused, looking momentarily confused. "Uh¡­ yeah, I guess. So, uh, are you excited for the competition?"


    Null¡¯s expression turned dead serious.


    ¡°Excitement impairs judgment and hinders combat readiness.¡±


    Ethan blinked. "Uh¡­ okay?"


    Lisa buried her face in her hands.


    We''re failing. We''re absolutely failing.


    Ethan tilted his head, obviously weirded out. "Uh, cool. So, where are you from?"


    Lisa froze. Oh no. This is a trap question.


    They hadn''t prepared a cover story that wouldn''t sound suspicious.


    Null hesitated for a second too long.


    Then, with way too much enthusiasm, the communication device blurted out:


    "I am from... SPACE!"


    Lisa choked on air.


    Ethan laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. We all are."


    Lisa exhaled in relief. Thank God, he thinks it''s a joke.


    Null, however, looked too proud of his answer, glancing at Lisa like he had nailed it. She gave him a thumbs-up under the table, deciding to just let it go.


    Ethan kept going. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"


    Lisa held her breath. Easy question. Just say something normal. Video games. Sports. Literally anything human.


    Null straightened his posture and said, far too seriously:


    "I like to train in high-gravity environments until my body nearly collapses, and we run advanced neural simulations that push our cognitive functions to their limit. Sometimes, I spar at speeds exceeding human reaction time."


    Lisa could physically feel her soul leaving her body.


    Ethan let out an awkward chuckle. "Uh¡­ nice. I guess¡­ that¡¯s fun and we?"


    Infy quickly corrected course pretending to be Null. "We also play board games!"


    Lisa blinked. Since when?


    Ethan perked up. "Oh, cool! Which ones?"


    Null tried to cover for Infy "Uh¡­ War Chess. Galactic Conquest. Quantum Probability Poker."


    Ethan squinted. "I¡¯ve¡­ never heard of those."


    Lisa had to intervene before this spiralled further into disaster. "They''re kind of obscure. Anyway! Looks like we¡¯re out of time!" She clapped her hands, manually shutting down the simulation before anything else could go wrong.


    The hologram flickered out, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.


    Lisa turned to them, arms crossed.


    "Well¡­ that was something."


    Null looked confident. "I think that went well."


    Lisa gave him a long stare. "You told someone you were from space."


    "But we are from space."


    Lisa rubbed her temples. "That¡¯s not the point!"


    Infy pulsed optimistically. "We will improve. It is a process."


    Lisa sighed, shaking her head. "Let¡¯s just hope the real competitors are as oblivious as Ethan."


    The month passed quickly, and to her surprise, the twins took to her curriculum with enthusiasm. They worked on social norms, language skills, and could now understand Solar Common fluently.


    Body language, sarcasm, conversational cues they tackled it all. They weren¡¯t perfect, but they were better.


    Lisa was currently watching them interact with a virtual student


    Lisa couldn¡¯t wait to see how their progress paid off tomorrow at the competition.

 Youth Soldier Competition Part 1

    Lisa couldn¡¯t go with him, but she could at least be in the family dome, which she would be visiting anyway since her son, Chris, had been selected by his school last month to compete. It would be his first time, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it. Pride, anxiety, and a nagging sense of unease all tangled together in her mind. Had someone been pulling strings behind the scenes to get him in?


    Meanwhile, all competitors were required to report to the competition dome. As she watched Null depart, she felt a knot of worry tighten in her chest.


    The Youth Soldier Competition had been a staple of military training for decades, a proving ground for the next generation of leaders, strategists, and warriors. Each year, thousands of young candidates gathered on Mars, eager to prove themselves in the month-long challenge.


    This year was no different.


    A sea of cadets in their faction''s matching uniforms flooded the registration halls of the Training Grounds, the competition¡¯s largest venue. They moved in organized lines, biometric scanners processing each entrant with mechanical precision.


    Then, Null arrived.


    His mismatched outfit was a simple, nondescript jacket and boots that stood out against the clean-cut military students surrounding him. His platinum-white hair and unnaturally smooth movements drew a few glances, but most cadets were too focused on their own registration to pay attention.


    He stepped up to the verification terminal, placing his hand on the scanner. The machine hummed, running his biometric signature against the registry.


    For a brief moment, Lisa¡¯s warnings played in his mind.


    You are technically a wanted fugitive. Don¡¯t draw attention. Blend in.


    Then, the scanner beeped.


    ¡°Identity confirmed: Null. Age: 10. Assigned bracket: Junior Division.¡±


    The security officer manning the terminal barely looked at him. ¡°Welcome to the Youth Soldier Competition. Proceed to the orientation area.¡±


    Null nodded, stepping past the checkpoint just as a bright-eyed young woman in an officer¡¯s uniform intercepted him.


    ¡°Cadet Null?¡± she asked, reading his name off her holopad. She had the polished, professional demeanour of someone who had done this a thousand times before.


    Null turned on the high-tech communicator attached to his belt. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± he said, his voice coming through the device instead of directly from him.


    The guide¡¯s smile faltered for just a moment, curiosity flickering across her face. ¡°Oh¡ª¡± She recovered quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll be your guide for the orientation. First time competing?¡±


    Null nodded


    ¡°Alright then, let me walk you through it.¡±


    She led him through a wide training hall, where massive holo-displays projected footage from past competitions with clips of cadets dodging through simulated battlefields, rappelling down rocky cliffs, and maneuvering through zero-gravity environments.


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    ¡°The competition lasts one month and consists of four rounds. First up is qualifying¡ªyou¡¯ll be tested on your individual skills and undergo a psychological evaluation to ensure you¡¯re fit for competition. Your performance in this round will influence your team assignment for the next stage.¡±


    Null glanced up at the holo-footage of past cadets running obstacle courses, performing marksmanship drills, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. ¡°What happens after qualifying?¡±


    His guide motioned to another holo-screen, which showed teams of cadets trekking across Mars¡¯ surface in survival gear.


    ¡°Round two is the Team Survival Challenge. You will be assigned to a team of five based on your qualifying performance and dropped in an unknown location outside Mars¡¯ protective domes. You¡¯ll be given minimal equipment and tasked with making it back to base. Expect environmental hazards, simulated enemy encounters, and¡­ well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s not for the faint of heart.¡±


    Null watched as a group of cadets struggled against a Martian dust storm, barely visible through the violent red haze. ¡°And after that?¡±


    She swiped her holopad, shifting the display to tactical combat missions.


    ¡°Round three is the Mock Mission Simulation. Your team will be assigned a mission objective, like a hostage rescue or infiltration op. It¡¯ll test your ability to plan, adapt, and execute under pressure.¡±


    Null watched as past competitors breached buildings, set ambushes, and worked in formation.


    ¡°And the final round?¡±


    Her expression turned amused.


    ¡°A free-for-all battle. All teams, all competitors, one battlefield. Last squad standing wins.¡±


    Null¡¯s lips curled into a small smirk.


    The guide tapped her holopad. ¡°Before you¡¯re assigned a squad, you need to select your primary and secondary role. Each team has five positions. You¡¯ll need to pick two before qualifying begins as your test will be based on your choice.¡±


    She gestured to a large holo-board listing the roles:


    <ol>


    <li>Squad Leader ¨C Responsible for team strategy, communication with judges/command, and making critical decisions under pressure.</li>


    <li>Combat Specialist ¨C The primary fighter focused on direct engagement scenarios.</li>


    <li>Tactical Support ¨C A secondary combat role specializing in flanking, sniping, or defensive positions.</li>


    <li>Technical Specialist ¨C Handles communications, electronic warfare, hacking challenges, and sensor operations.</li>


    <li>Combat Engineer ¨C Manages equipment, constructs defences, handles explosives, and performs field repairs.</li>


    </ol>


    Null studied the list. He had trained in all aspects of combat, but he wasn¡¯t sure what would give him the best advantage in an actual fight.


    The guide raised an eyebrow. ¡°Any idea what suits you best?¡±


    Null thought back to his spars with John. He was faster and stronger even more skilled than most¡ªbut he had lacked real-world experience.


    Lisa had been right. He needed to learn, to adapt and for that, he needed to be in the action.


    ¡°Combat Specialist as primary and Tactical Support as secondary.¡±


    The guide nodded. ¡°Good choice. Let¡¯s see if you can live up to it.¡±


    She motioned him toward a line of cadets waiting for their final briefing.


    ¡°You¡¯re officially in. Welcome to the competition, Cadet Null.¡±


    The first part of the qualifying round wasn¡¯t much of a challenge. Null had been through far tougher training in his pod. Scores weren¡¯t displayed, but he had breezed through every test, barely exerting himself. He had hoped it would be harder.


    As he stepped off the final platform, an instructor approached, arms crossed, eyes scanning a holopad. ¡°Cadet Null,¡± he said, glancing up. ¡°Your performance is¡­ unusual.¡±


    Null tilted his head. ¡°How so?¡±


    The instructor studied him for a moment before tapping a command into the holopad. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly outgrown the junior course. We¡¯re moving you up to the senior track if you are ok with that?¡±


    Null shrugged. The instructor took that as approval.


    Minutes later, he was dropped into the senior qualification course, a test meant for competitors with years more experience. He welcomed the challenge but only to find it wasn¡¯t much of one. The obstacles were tougher, the simulations more intense, but his training still carried him through with ease. He moved with precision, clearing each section faster than expected.


    By the end, the instructors weren¡¯t just watching. They were whispering.


    Null exhaled, barely winded. Still too easy.

 Covert Meeting

    While Null was undergoing his psychological testing, another meeting was taking place¡ªone conducted using the very devices he had created. Zero could have intercepted them, could have taken control, but chose not to.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true? We have confirmation of real aliens?¡± one of the cloaked figures asked, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and unease.


    ¡°The readings from Arkship Zero suggest industrial activity on Planet A21,¡± another cloaked figure responded. ¡°It looks like alien activity to me.¡±


    Silence followed, heavy with the weight of the revelation.


    The discovery came at a critical time. With the invention of the FCAD (Fusion Constant Acceleration Drive) and QEC (Quantum Entanglement Communication), a group of ultra-wealthy patrons had set their sights on creating their own private worlds.


    This ambition gave birth to the Arkship Project¡ªa fleet of massive colony ships, each carrying the necessary materials to establish a self-sustaining settlement. Each Arkship was manned by 50 young colonists and carried a vast collection of frozen human embryos and sperm, ensuring genetic diversity for future generations.


    The journey to these unclaimed worlds was a long one. The Arkships, designed for deep space travel, would take roughly 20 years to reach their destinations. To maximize efficiency, the vessels would accelerate slowly, allowing them to achieve a significant percentage of the speed of light. Their crews would rest in merge pods, their bodies suspended in a controlled, low-energy state until arrival.


    But now, telemetry from one of these Arkships had revealed something unexpected¡ªsigns of alien life on the planet they were heading toward.


    And it was too late to turn back. The ship was locked on course.


    Arkship Zero was heading toward humanity¡¯s first contact with an intelligent alien species.


    ¡°Today''s meeting is about our future not first contact. There is little we can do about first contact as it will unfold as it will.¡± The Earth representative opened the official meeting.


    ¡°So, what do we have to discuss, if not how to manage first contact?¡± another representative asked.


    ¡°Our defensive strategy. It is only a matter of time before they find our homeworld. The debacle with the strange child has shown us that we are not prepared to face a technologically superior opponent.¡±


    The incident with Null and Infy left a deep scar on the most powerful members of the meeting. It had shattered their illusion of invincibility, proving that humanity was neither untouchable nor prepared for what lay beyond their borders.


    For hours, the representatives debated and argued, eventually settling on a tentative plan¡ªa commitment to share knowledge, accelerate the development of high-tech planetary defences, and redirect significant funding into military advancements.


    In addition to strengthening Earth¡¯s defences, they outlined contingency plans for the survival of the human race, including relocating a populated space station into the void as a backup refuge and establishing seed vaults to preserve all terrestrial life.


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    However, there was a glaring problem it was that they lacked critical intelligence. Their planning was built on unknowns, making their strategies fragile at best.


    As the meeting was drawing to a close, an unexpected figure entered the call.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough. Hmm, interesting technology¡± The new figure had no appearance they were just static on the holographic projector.


    The voice was smooth, rich, and unnaturally soothing. It carried a weight that made those who heard it hesitate, entranced by its cadence.


    ¡°You do not realise how outmatched you are.¡±


    For a moment, no one reacted. Not because they didn¡¯t register the intrusion but because they didn¡¯t feel alarmed by it.


    The Earth representative was the first to break the silence. ¡°Who are you, and what do you know that we don¡¯t?¡±


    Even as he asked the question, he realized he felt no hostility, no fear, only a strange compulsion to listen.


    The stranger smiled. ¡°You may call me Phosphoros. I believe you have already encountered one of my kind, They called themself Infinity or Infy or something. As for what I know that you don¡¯t?¡± they let out a small, amused chuckle. ¡°Heh, we don¡¯t have nearly enough time to go down that list.¡±


    The room fell into stunned silence.


    An energy being. Maybe even¡­ an Angel.


    ¡°Say we believe you,¡± one of the representatives finally spoke. ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    Phosphoros grinned. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I want excitement.¡±


    The static shifted into different shapes, his voice still dripping with unnatural ease. ¡°I consider myself to be quite honourable, so I will give you two pieces of advice for free.¡±


    He raised a single glowing hand.


    ¡°First, your Arkship has already been captured. Your first contact with the Elves did not go well. ¡±


    A murmur rippled through the call they hadn¡¯t even confirmed the Arkship¡¯s status yet.


    Phosphoros raised a second finger.


    ¡°Second is that you are currently being protected, but that protection will end soon and when it does, your existence as you know it will be forfeit.¡±


    Those words hung heavy over the representatives. They didn¡¯t know why, but they believed every word this stranger was saying.


    ¡°You do have unseen allies,¡± he added, tilting his head in amusement. ¡°But I¡¯ll keep that a secret to myself. Or maybe they aren¡¯t allies anymore, I guess it depends on how you treat them¡±


    The Earth representative took a slow breath and then asked the only question that mattered.


    ¡°Are you one of those unseen allies?¡±


    Phosphoros let out a low, amused laugh, shaking his head.


    ¡°Heh¡­ ho¡­ no, no, no.¡±  The static started to vibrate as if the form was laughing.


    ¡°I am the one who is going to destroy humanity.¡±


    And just like that they were gone.


    As the representatives prepared to adjourn and debrief about what just happened, the Martian representative suddenly cleared his throat, drawing everyone''s attention.


    ¡°Before we conclude¡­ there¡¯s something you all need to hear.¡±


    The call quieted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just received confirmation that Null has officially entered the Youth Soldier Competition.¡±


    A wave of tension rippled through the group.


    ¡°So, he actually went through with it,¡± the Earth representative muttered, rubbing his temples. ¡°Just like he said he would.¡±


    ¡°Are the plans in place?¡± someone from the Lunar faction asked.


    The Martian representative hesitated.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t sure if he¡¯d show up,¡± he admitted. ¡°We accounted for the possibility, but without knowing his exact capabilities, our preparations are¡­ incomplete.¡±


    Frustration flared among the gathered leaders.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford another failure,¡± the Asteroid Mining Guild representative said sharply. ¡°Last time, he walked through our security like it was nothing. This time, we must be ready.¡±


    The Jupiter Moons envoy leaned forward. ¡°Now that we know he could be part alien, it¡¯s more critical than ever that we uncover the truth.¡±


    Silence followed.


    For months, Null and Infy had been an anomaly¡ªan enigma that shattered their understanding of human limits. They had evaded control, rewritten expectations, and left their most powerful organisations grappling with uncertainty.


    This competition¡­ might be their only chance to observe him closely, to study his abilities, to find out what he truly was.


    The Earth representative exhaled, steeling himself. ¡°Then we adjust the plan. No more underestimating him. No more assumptions.¡±


    His gaze swept across the room.


    ¡°This time, we get answers.¡±