Chapter One

Part one

Ten years ago

Kuniva was looking out the window watching the birds on the snow covered balcony banisters through the sliding glass doors. His mother kneels next to him combing his hair before tying it back into a ponytail. She put his coat, scarf, hat, and gloves on.

"Come on, I have a meeting to attend soon."

"Eh! Do I have to?" Kuniva asked, with a groggy tone as the birds flew away.

His mother smiled. "Yes, I have to since you did assist to come with me."

She takes his hand and grabs their bags leaving their home. When Kuniva stepped out of the house, a strong gust of freezing wind brushes against his face. He buried his face in his scarf as the wind strengthened and faded.

It was 6am, still dark outside since it was Winter. The bitter winter in Chicago was unbearable and harsh.

His mother grabbed his hand as they walked the snowy walkway to the blue car waiting for them.

After getting in, the car drives off.

She pulls Kuniva closer as he leans head on her falling back to sleep.

It'll be an hour after reaching the destination, Kuniva and his mother walked the brightly light white hallway. Unlike everyone else around him he wasn't wearing a lab coat like the other researchers and scientists.

"Where are we going?" Kuniva asked.

"First to my office then the laboratory, at your request," his mother said.

"Oh yeah now I remember!"

After turning the corner, Kuniva stops taking a look through a wind to the other side of the room filled with people strapped to machines solving puzzles. However, one person in particular stood out to him.

"Mom, what's that on the back of his neck?" He said pointing at the device at the base of the man's neck.

She looks at the man as he struggles to stand on his feet then at her son.

"Some people are born with genetic disorders or had a serious accident that can leave them in an immobilized state. This man was born with a neurological disease that slowly breaks down his nervous system--"

"Which can lead him to his end. Hello, Professor Sabrina," another researcher said, walking up to them, looking into the window.

"He'll get better," Kuniva replied with an optimistic attitude as he watches the man stand up on his two feet pushing the assistant to the side. He took several steps before collapsing to the ground.

"We're currently searching for a way to suppress the disease and rebuild the nervous system. And that research will take a while longer. But no matter how much effort he puts in he'll eventually give in. With the decay of the nervous system and brain cells, his time is limited," the researcher replied.

"That's not something you say in front of a child, Administrator Takahashi," Kuniva’s mother said, interrupting the man taking her son's hand.

"I have to go, you know where my office is, go there and wait for me then we'll visit the lab."

******

Part 2

August 15, 11am, Coney Island

Kuniva was at the kitchen table having breakfast, a simple sunny side up egg with wheat toast and a cup of unsweetened lemonade. He wasn’t keen on making a mess in the kitchen knowing he'll be spending minutes cleaning up.

He taps on the table changing a news article dated from two weaks ago. "The last surviving child from the Synapse Network tests trials, Michelle Seacrest was declared deceased just weeks after Professor Wingate's death. The awareness of the silenced project was reopened by Mathew Reed an independent investigator from New York State and Rachel Smith a member from the Ethics Committee. Professor Wingate was almost jailed when new evidence surfaced about the trail failure, acquitting Professor Wingate of all charges brought up against her, from the state and the international community."

Kuniva searched Searched the name Michelle Seacrest and several pages opened. "This is bigger than I thought, the results of the project left several dozen students in a critical state. As the years went by without any solution over half of the student participants parished. Out of 27 students only Michelle Seacrest survived. She's was moved to several different facilities in the state before coming to Neo New York City, last move to was Mount Sinai Memorial Hospital, North Harlem were she passed away..."

Just then, the house door opens followed by a knock. The display instantly changed to the local news.

"Hello~" Jasmine enters the house, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Kuniva points towards a second plate with eggs, turkey bacon, and toast under the heat lamp.

"Nice to see you drop by for once in 3 years."

Jasmine grabs her plate, taking a bite out of the toast. "Well, Marquis is at the office, my grandma is away visiting a few friends, so here I am. What about you?"

Kuniva takes a minute to think. "Know that I recall, there is a parkour meet up with Team Valor and Team Liberty in Prospect Park. You can tag along if you want."

"Sure, I haven't been to a meet up since freshman year. Aren't they still trying to recruit you 5 years of declines."

"Yeah, but now they've gotten really aggressive with their recruiting methods since Boro Clash is coming up in just a week."

"I mean, they lost three clashes in the past scoring their reputation as the best Freerunning group in the five boroughs. I would hound you too."

After finishing up their breakfast and tidying up they left the premises and to the train station, however…

"Yeah, we'll be here forever. Jaz, remind me again why this city brags about its technological advancement?"

The train station was congested. Several of the tracks were out of service for a track replacement add with the out of order climate control, a station employee hands them a ticket for a shuttle bus.

Jasmine nods her head holding onto Kuniva’s shoulder and teleports them to the entrance of Prospect Park.

"It saves us a whole hour and a half," Jasmine choulted as they entered the park. Following the path to their destination a boy appears out of the bushes looking around on the ground as if he lost something.

As they walked further down the path there were more people searching. "Uh, am I missing something?" Jasmine said.

"They're looking for something, Hm?" Kuniva looks down to his left in between the branches of a bush. He gets closer and reaches into the bush pulling a metal card.

"A card? Wait, it's a credit sheet."

"Did someone lose this? I call Marquis to see if he can pull up. On the card."

*******

"I found two this morning on my way to the office. Hundreds of reports of credit sheets being turned in for several days now, Mostly in the Manhattan, they make up 70 percent of the reports," Marquis said looking through the reports.

"Ok, but who would have the time and effort to leave credit sheets around the city, how much dough are on the cards?" Jasmine asked, sitting back to back with Kuniva.

"Each credit sheet holds various amounts 100 to 500."

"What's worse, is that more people are searching for those credit sheets which will resort to huge physical confrontations. I'll let Senior Arnita know that I'll be coming in today." She taps Kuniva on his back.

He waved just as she vanished. "Now back to the meet up. It's crazy though, who would just leave money laying around like that?"

As he continued his walk towards the park, up ahead at the intersection was Shanta sitting on the bench holding three credit sheets.

"By the looks of it you must have been searching for a few hours now."

"The search for them was a breeze, since most finds are in heavily populated districts." Shantae pockets her cards and stands up stretching.

"What are you going to do with all that money?"

"I'm going to put it into my savings, with this much I don't have to worry my parents about money. Hey, why don't you come along, you might find one yourself."

Kuniva wasn't sure since he came for a training meet up at the park, he shrugs his shoulders. "Sure, but if I one I'll give it to you."

"Sweet!" She checked her Network Sleeve as they left the park. "There’s been a lot of noise about the Old Midtown East District, Union Square, and New Stuy Town, way more finds there than the nearby district. Up for a long walk?"

"Let's go."

*******

Kuniva and Shantae searched high and low as hours past, the sun was sitting just beyond the city horizon. The city lights brighten as the buildings shadows roll over the Manhattan landscape. Kuniva dropped Shantae off at her campus.

"My bad, I didn't realize it was this late."

"It's cool, I didn't have anything really going on, all in all I'll see you later, Shantae.

"Peace!"

Kuniva walked to the corner of the street watching the cars come to stop. Just as he was about to cross the street, from the corner of his eye was a woman wearing a lab coat, holding a brown briefcase, she checked her surroundings before quickly crouching down and sliding something in between two piles of folded boxes.

He waits just behind a booth closely watching just as she was about 50 feet from the area, Kuniva crosses back to the recycling pile. He slips his hand through the gap pulling out a metallic card. "She placing these credit sheets around the districts and a scientist. Why?"

He looks down the direction the woman went. That's not a fake lab coat she's wearing, the biometrics in the coat gave it away. I can still pick up the coats frequency, she's not far.

Picking up the frequency emitted from the woman's coat through his radar with the use of his em fields constantly emitting from his body. "She's close by."

Kuniva follows the frequency emitted from the women's lab coat. The signal led him to an abandoned hospital, he enters the aged 18th century building next to a half constructed United Nations building.

As he enters his night vision instantly activates allowing him to navigate the structure's interior.

Walking to the stairs behind the reception is desk, a bronze plaute on the banister. He clears way the age dust, the plaute was missing several letters.

Bellview Hospital, Est 1736-2245.

He was getting closer to the woman’s position. Peeking his head out the staircase door was a single lit room down the hall. He walked down the narrow hall to the room without making a single sound despite the poor condition of the floor.

"There's no need to hide, I know you've been following me." the woman was aware of his presence.

"You already know why I'm here."

Kuniva enters the room, the ebony skinned woman turns to him, staring him down squeezing her fist muttering, "I am next to be silenced? Professor Wingate didnt mean to do any harm... she just wanted to save her students and they took that from her, tarnished her reputation."

Kuniva takes the credit sheet out of his pocket handing it over to her but pauses mid exchange. "Uh, come again?!"

Nothing but silence.

She softly exhaled turning around, taking out several credit sheets and placing one in the rustling desk. "No, its not you. I apologize, I've mistaken you for another individual having sharing your features as you, walking under the cover of night, no one will believe that."

"Yeah, I mean who would?"

"A serenade has been going around the city about an individual hunting during the night striking down other top officials and researchers in the community with a face similar to yours..."

"Wait that's ridiculous-"

"You don’t believe me? Professor Wingate was just one of many to-"

"Ok none of this is making any sense, what does this look alike has to do with me? And what do you mean Ms.Wingate was just one of many?"

"After Professor Wingate was cleared of her charges, she started working her former institution rival Helix Industries. Exposing trade secrets from her former employer, giving Helix Industries access to Eli Edmonton Institution most advanced experimental artificial intelligence and neural technology. Since then, Helix Industries has been causing a stir within the community with their brazen actions. I've been placing these credit sheets across two boros to slow down a certain project. With this many active participants, they'll have to choose carefully where to find the next test of treachery."

The woman placed one last credit sheet on a broken film projector. "I can see that you don't believe a word I'm saying. If that isn't enough to get your attention then go look for yourself. Kimberly Walkings, look it up. Until then." She turns out her flashlight leaving them both in the dark, the sound of her feet echoing through the room until they are no longer audible.

Kuniva leaves the building a few minutes after the woman confused more than he was previously. Is she going crazy or something? As he walked to the bus stop Kuniva stopped and about face running in the opposite direction. Something doesn't feel right about this. I don't believe her but I just have to make sure. Mom's clinic isn't too far from here, I'll use her computer.

He traversed several blocks, trailblazing over anything in his path before reaching a small clinic in Midtown. He placed his finger on the finger scanner. The locking mechanism clicked, he opened the door locking it behind him making his way to the back of the clinic. At the end of the hall was his mother's office.

He tapped the surface of his mother's desk activating the computer interface, hastily typing in the name Kimberly Walkings.

"It's that lady from the hospital and she worked with Ms.Wingate I'll start there." He searched through a roster scrolling down until he saw Venessa and Kimberly. "Kimberly Walkings, 34, Senior third Chief Bioengineer of Helix Industries, they were both employed by the same contractor in the past but from different departments for a short period. She now works for the Human Development Research Center, wait I've been there before. Since I lost Ms.Walkins frequency there's no possibility of me finding her. She may have changed her lab coat with a regular one by now."

He shuts off the terminal and leaves the clinic locking the doors. Time to commit a crime. But one issue… he looks at his clothes, sneaking into a facility with strict security with steet clothing isn't professional. "I'll head home first and change into some more appropriate. I'll make my move at midnight."

*******

Part 3

Human Development Research Center, Hell's Kitchen 12am

"Another day another dollar," The security guard said, yawning, watching a basketball game on his phone. As he drifted off into his sleep, a black blur darts past him leaping onto the building's roof slipping through the door.

The canceled figure looks up at the security camera embedded in the corner of the ceiling. Even though the security guards in the security room didn't detect the intruder.

Motion sensors, pressure sensors, cameras with infrared and night vision, the whole shabang. With a bit of electronic warfare their sensors I'm invisible to them however, it won't work with the guards, if they notice something is wrong with systems. The intruder placed their hand on the door sending a jolt of electricity disableding the locking mechanism. The door hissed as it opens.

He reached into his bag taking out a small tablet. He connects the tablet into a port on the desk going through the files. "I can't find anything related to what she said." Kuniva sat down in the chair taking a second to think, to come this far breaking into a government funded facility only to find nothing.

Looking down at the floor, something puzzling caught his eyes.

"That section of the facility isn't connected to the rest of the facility's main communications but there's power." Kuniva shuts off the OS and disconnects from the terminal, quietly slipping out the room.

Walking down the hall to the staircase to the lower floors the elevator doors opened, two security guards exited the elevator.

The elevator light shuts off as the doors close.

"That was close. At least I don't have to walk down the stairs-" close to his destination, the lights in the facility suddenly switched on. Alarms blared and red lights flickered in all directions.

No way they could have detected me! He makes a dash for the staircase heading down to the lower level.

It's here but no- he placed his hand on the wall lightly pushing until he heard a click. Magnetic slide lock doors, such a place to hid a lair.

Closing the door behind him, he pulls off his hood taking a breather. Kuniva shocks the room with electricity reactivating the room's power.

At the center of the room was a pod still active, the tubes connected covered in a thick layer frost and heavy fog blanketed the floor however, it was only filled with a blue liquid.

He walked over to the terminal tapping the holo-display. He connected his device to the terminal searching through the files. "Shit! Someone's been deleting research logs but I should be able to restore the recent ones on my tablet." After restoring the files and clicking one.

"Project Ascension?"

[Project Ascension]

Project first initiation: 05/2285

The acceleration of evolution is need to further comprehend the true limitations of biotics mostly in type-1's biotics. Unlike type-3s that can adjust physically and psychologically to fit their changing environments, type-1's only adjust mentally and emotionally, thus the strength in their power increases psychic abilities. Although, the physical body can only endure so much stress from the imbalance limiting maximum potential.

Type-1s' were seen as ineffective for the project due to their inadequate physiology and was soon removed from the equation, a new solution was need.

The Human Augmentation Program was initiated, birthing the first Type-2 prototype. The results from the program was a success with mild hiccups, the main problem was the integration of the reversed engineered sample of Unranked 03's DNA into N°22. Solution to the problem was executed, leaving out the modified DNA sample. A replacement for the sample was to constantly grafting new implants into N°22 nervous system and remodeling her body, from expensive neural interfaces, muscle enhancers, amplifiers, psychic field drivers, artificial adrenaline.

"Professor Walkings was right. But how did they get there hands on my Genome Data? I was never registered in the national medical database."

Kuniva continues to read.

Further augmentations is needed to reduce the physical stress removal of certain organs is needed as well as a overhaul on No°22's synaptic relays.

"Project Ascension, Helix Industries has been pursuing an ideology, a pure biotic free of human limitations, a testament to human engineering. Such pursuit will eventually lead to our end. Your Genome Data was used though production on a prototype was a success but yet a failure."

"What became of Helix Industries atrocity?"

"We conducted performance trials in the South Pole for the first time, it was instant. The fruits of our labor began to show faults in No°22 neural system. I knew something was wrong after the first two checks, I presented the data. Warning them that No°22 mental state was unstable." Kimberly said standing behind him as she entered the room. She puts her bag down and walks past Kuniva and to the terminal downloading files to his tablet.

"It was an arduous process since your Genome Data is… unique. It's unlike any known format I've seen before. We managed to copy your genome with major setbacks, and thus it was axed, but Project Ascension is still on going as we speak." Kimberly takes the tablet, handing it to him.

"Go, what you do with that data is up to you. As long as Helix Industries go down."

"Should you be the one to do it?"

"No, it'll only be dismissed and I'll be arrested. Too much of a risk for me, I have to keep slowing down the project as much as I can until it's stopped. Now go."

"Right, but because of you the whole facility is active."

"That wasn't me."

*******

"Excuse me miss, but are you done?" The security guard asked the black haired girl as she interacted with the os pulling up the security feeds.

Streaks of her platinum hair arched, her earrings sparkled under the artificial light.

"All data has been purged from the database."