1 Sudden death by a pill
Next to the sea was a large urban area. It was a great city filled with skyscrapers. Each one of those buildings gave off a futuristic vibe, built out of glass and metal.
The sky was clear blue, without any signs of pollution.
In between the giant blocks of glass, multiple small air-crafts flew in all directions throughout the city.
On the clean streets, humans and cyborgs walked around in harmony, heading to their work, or walking a pet.
Everything in one's sight was a piece of advanced technology.
That was the city of Boston in the year 3847.
As the home of the most advanced institute of technology in the world, the city knew how to show off their prestige.
It was where MIT was based.
One had to know that back in the year 2150, humanity almost met their doom due to global warming.
Everything was chaotic, the world's oil reserves were running dry, and conflicts were breaking out everywhere.
When all hope was lost, and human civilization was falling to there doom, the Terra Rebirth Plan took action.
The MIT and numerous other technology-institutes all over the world began to search for a solution.
It was only after three decades of pressed-on researches that they attained success.
They created clean energy-sources and multiple methods to reverse the damage caused by global warming.
Also, A.I. technologies advanced by leaps and bounds, culminating in the creation of efficient robotic helpers.
The medical area also received quite a boost, prolonging human's lifespan and eradicating multiple diseases.
As so, adding up all accomplishments of those three decades known as the Golden Era, humans managed to continue on living.
Therefore, the status of research institutes rocketed up all over the world. They became a cornerstone of all civilization, filled with prestige and political power.
Nowadays, MIT's main building was in the middle of that metropolitan region, face-to-face with the town hall and the forum.
It was a gigantic structure split up in multiple departments. There were spaceship launching areas, the world's first space-elevator base prototype, a computer science department, and much more.
Also, as it was an era of knowledge, the inner streets of the campus were blooming with youngsters.
They walked around in groups, going from department to department on their daily classes.
Those were the cream of the crop in their respective area of study. Obviously, as the best research institute in the world, all talented people from all over were gathered there.
And that was also true for older people who run the departments and taught lectures.
Each professor in there was the best of the best. They dedicated their lives for their researches, living for the well being of science.
As so, in one of the corners of the campus was a smaller building when compared to the rest.
Above its metallic doors was a dusty inscription the said: "Space-Storm Research Department."
That low-key research site surged about a decade ago after the occurrence of a mysterious phenomenon.
It was an event that became known as the first Space Storm registered by the human race.
One day, out of nowhere, some orbiting satellites detected strange fluctuations coming from an area next to the moon.
After a closer inspection, scientists discovered that they came from little fractions in space's fabric next to the moon.
And surprisingly, hours after being discovered, the space fractions disappeared.
The only thing they left behind was a small meteorite that fell to Earth.
Back then, the science community went on a frenzy to research the never-seen-before event and the mysterious meteorite that came out from it.
Yet, no matter what methods they used, the space fractions were never observed again.
As for the small meteorite, after endless amounts of analysis, it turned out to be made of iron.
Therefore, as time passed, the mysterious phenomenon became forgotten, and the investment in its research lesser and lesser.
Now, there was only that small building responsible for studying that singular Space Storm, and the meteorite.
Inside was just as desolate and dusty as the outside. There were lots of empty rooms and old broken installations.
Throughout the whole building, there was just one place with light.
It was a big lab, right in the middle of everything.
The lights were on, revealing a circular metal platform in the middle of the room. Floating above was a small, dark orb. It was a dent-filled meteorite.
As it floated there due to the electric-magnetic generated by the platform below, something was pointing in its direction.
It was a big machine made out of metal. A long stem came out from it, pointing at the dark orb.
That whole display was happening behind a thick layer of transparent glass.
On the other side were lots of odd computers connected in a mess of wires.
Sitting at the computers on a wrecked chair was a young man. He had long, messed-up hairs. He's white lab coat was burnt black all over, and he crazily typed on the computers with coffee-wide eyes.
He was the real definition of a "crazy" scientist!
On the left side of his chest was a worn-off name tag. It read: Mark Sanchez.
From the piled up instant noodles in the corner, it was clear that he was closed in that lab for quite some time.
Noway days, he was the only active member of the Space-Storm Research Department.
Around ten years ago, when he was graduating, a senior from the newly-opened department back then invited him to join.
The old-aged man was like a master to him, introducing everything he knew about space and advanced physics.
That man was one of the core members of the Space Storm research back them. He always had faith that there was something more to that strange phenomenon and that small meteorite.
Yet, as the years passed, the other members slowly left due to the lack of results.
In the end, it was only the old-aged man and him.
As such, Mark continued to study the orb with his master.
And then, two years ago, his master passed away.
Still, as his last wish, he wanted Mark to continue the research until the deadline of the initial project.
Therefore, as a loyal disciple, Mark continued on the research as his passed master wished.
He tested out every single method that existed, and that came to existence, to analyze the dark orb.
Yet, the deadline was already hitting at the door, and he did not have any concrete results to present.
As so, that was the last week of the department.
After it was gone, he would have to leave for another one and abandon that fruitless research.
Considering the circumstances, Mark decided to realize one last experiment on the iron meteorite.
That metallic-stemmed machine was none other than a Fusion Laser. It was one of the most potent penetration devices currently known by men.
A fact Mark discovered after all those years studying the dark orb was that although it was iron, it was extremely resistant to impact and energy.
He had already tested multiple similar bombardment experiments, but no one of them was capable of breaking the dark orb.
As so, today was the last experiment.
"It seems like this it the end, old man!" Mark thought to himself as he carelessly pressed the enter button.
Seconds later, the Fusion Laser began to power up, shining all over with a greenish luster.
And with a loud boom, a dense line of energy shot out from the stem, directly hitting the dark meteorite.
As fast as it came, the dense line disappeared after hitting the orb.
Yet, just as the other experiments, the freakish energy beam seemed to have failed in causing any damage to the orb.
After waiting for the test area to cool down, Mark dispiritedly entered the glass chamber.
Walking to the small meteorite, he fetched it in his hand. It was the size of a fist.
However, to his surprise, an unprecedented event happened as he took the orb in his hands.
A thick crack appeared on its surface. And just like that, the seemly indestructible orb split in two!
But the most surprising was that as those two pieces of metal fell to the sides, a thumb-sized orb revealed itself in Mark's hands.
It gleamed in a whitish radiance. Also, it had a strong smell, very pleasing to the nose.
Mark was amazed by what the dark meteorite carried.
And for an unknown reason, from the moment he set his eyes on the white orb, a strong urge surged in his body. The drive to eat it!
It was as if the ancient instincts of his body was telling him to swallow it down.
As so, before he could come back to his reason, his hands had already moved. They had shoved the white orb into his mouth, and he had already swallowed it.
Panic flashed on his face before seconds later, his vision went dark, and his body fell rigid to the ground.
Moments later, a white ball of concentrated energy seemed to fly out of his forehead.
It floated above his head for a second before disappearing in thin air.
