# Victernus - Chapter 13

Author: Baumarius
Tags: Cybernetics, Science, Transformation, War, Werewolf, Wolf, apocalypse, corruption, dystopia, implants, mind, tf, uploading

            New Selania was mankind's latest
attempt at society. It was located deep beneath the ruins of Washington D.C.,
the city that once held the seat of all of the world's power. The entire world
barely managed to unite into a new civilization, Selania, which toppled in less
than a day. The citizens of this society had built the new one in a gigantic
cavern after they realized that there was no saving the world above. The great
scientists, the rich, the officials and the corporation owners all united in an
endeavor to wipe out the "scum" of their race and keep only the productive -
all in the name of progress.
            The main city was built in the
greater basin of the cavern. Tall buildings that they called "cavernscrapers"
surrounded it. Closer to the center were many residential houses, each
identical to the next. In the very middle were both The School and a forum
where citizens could discuss new advances in technology. All of the roads were
made of a material similar to obsidian and the sidewalks were of some kind of
thin, grey metal. 
Away from the city, a dense forest grew on top of a
hill where the cavern narrowed. At the very end was a large science laboratory,
the most esteemed part of their society. Everything in their new lives revolved
around it. Science and math were the most taught subjects in The School. Few
subjects relating to art, religion or history were taught there. According to
the Great Demonstrator - the leader of New Selania - they were not needed. Students
who excelled in school were sent to the laboratory to complete their training
and maximize their working potential. It was drilled into every student that
this was to be their life's calling. Any student who could not master a trade
relating to science or math would disappear forever, and few knew where to. This
pressure struck fear into the students, and all of them tried as best they
could to stay above the "expulsion threshold." But, there were always a few who
could not make it.
---
            Athius stared down at his desk,
feeling contempt for his twelfth-grade science teacher. She was a short and
thin blonde with curly hair and a tendency to explode. His classmates remained
silent for fear of their own futures as the woman screamed down at him. "For
the last time, you can't keep combining your silly designs in with your
projects! The next time you bring me something like this piece of garbage, I'll
refer you to the disciplinary committee! You know that the Great Demonstrator
would never approve."
            He shook his head and held his
carefully-designed flying robot in his hands. "Miss, I don't see the harm in-"
            She took the robot that he had
designed for his science project off of his desk and then held it up for the
class to see. "Class, do you see the problem here?"
            One of the girls in the front raised
her hand. The teacher nodded, "Go on."
            The girl repeated a principle that
been said to her millions of times, and with a smile, "It was designed beyond
the necessary requirements, which means that he wasted both time and resources
adding unnecessary and useless features."
            She nodded and then jammed it into
the trash can. "Exactly, and designs like these put people like Athius here
under the necessary levels of efficiency required to graduate. You all should
know this already. This is what, the fifth time this issue has come up?"
The final bell for the school day sounded in the
halls. "Damn it." She pointed at Athius, "Your parents and I are meeting
tonight - this isn't the end of this conversation."
The students left the room one by one and Athius
rolled his eyes, ignoring his teacher's warning. He waited as his classmates
passed him and then walked out into a semi-crowded hallway with grey lockers,
white walls and beige floors. Feeling devastated, he tried not to make eye
contact with anyone on his way out of the school. But, as he headed for the
front entrance, his friend Gala matched his pace. She asked, "Are you alright?
I heard that Mrs. Roths didn't accept your project."
He shook his head and stared at the floor, "That
lady is going to be the death of me. We're so close to graduation and she won't
take any of my projects - whether I design them well or not. I don't understand
what the problem is. It doesn't hurt to add some personal touch..."
Gala trailed out of the school after him. They stepped
out into a courtyard that had a fountain and a few small plants scattered
about. The metal sidewalks stretched through and around it, giving them ample
room to walk. A couple of trees were stationed at the corners, reminding them
that that nature still existed.
In response to his comment, Gala said, "I think you
should be careful, considering how close we are. You're pretty smart... I can't
imagine it possible for someone like you to fail"
Athius shrugged, "Some people don't care so much
about those things. I may seem good at them, but there are so many other things
I like... It's a shame that we can't talk about them here."
She nodded, but then asked, "Hey, where are you
going? The houses are back that way," she pointed backwards with her thumb.
"I'm going to think about things for a while. I was
just going to go to the forest for now."
Gala frowned, "You won't get in trouble for that?
You know that there are strange creatures that live there."
He laughed, "There's also the lab. As long as you
don't tell, it'll be alright. Just go home for now... I'll be back soon."
She grimaced and slowed her walking, "If you get
hurt or found out, it's on you - not me."
Athius agreed, "I know. Don't worry about me, Gala."
He broke out into a jog and left the courtyard, making his way past the empty
forum dome to get to the road leading out of the city. He always wondered
whether he would live in this part of town and take part of the regular forum
days or if he would be lucky enough to be selected for the lab. However, because
of his recent project "errors," he wasn't sure if either would occur. Running
away and using the Forbidden Passages to escape to the surface crossed his mind
a few times, but he had to see where things went with his school first.
He crossed the bridge leading out of the city and
then walked along the winding road to the forest, hoping to clear his mind and
figure out how to avoid expulsion before graduation. But, the creatures waiting
in the forest had other plans for him, and there was something there that would
change his life forever.

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/896230

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