(Arc 1) Beneath the Artificial Sun

Kade squinted up at the sky as a weak light filtered through the thick clouds of dust that covered everything on this planet. It was their “sun”—not the real kind, but a manufactured one, a floating ball of light and heat just a few kilometres wide. The tiny orb drifted across the sky every twelve hours, giving the planet a dull glow that barely cut through the haze. Still, it was the closest thing they had to daylight.

Like everyone else here, Kade wore layers of dust-covered clothes, the colours faded from years of exposure to this hostile world. Dark-brown clouds of dirt hung heavy in the air, filling his lungs with every breath. The planet had no name, at least not one the miners knew. It was only “the mines.” Just an endless, dark land, filled with metal and rock and smoke, with hardly a drop of clean water or a patch of green in sight.

Kade took a slow breath, tasting the dirt on his tongue. “Another day in paradise,” he muttered to himself, shaking the dust off his gloves as he walked down the narrow ledge leading to the main shaft.

Around him, men and women shuffled along the same path, their bodies bent under the weight of grime and exhaustion. Some wore helmets, some old goggles or tattered cloths over their mouths, but it hardly mattered. The dust always found a way through. And today, the dust was especially thick, hanging in the air like fog.

A few scattered lights flickered in the haze, casting patches of weak colour over the rocky walls. Kade glanced at one of the holographic signs as he passed, its bright colours cutting a clean, impeccable line through the thick dust. A smiling man stared out at him, clean, well-dressed, a gleaming skyline behind him. Above his head, the words flashed: “Work your way to a new life! A brighter tomorrow awaits!”

Everyone here knew that “brighter tomorrow” was a lie, but the signs were everywhere. Holo-posters hovered near the elevator, over the tunnels, at the base of the shaft, as clean as the promises they made. Kade’s father liked to call it “the distraction.” Kade couldn’t deny it—it was hard to look away from the colourful images of distant cities, shimmering oceans, and perfect gardens, even if he didn’t believe in them.

Ahead of him, his friend Renn turned and shot him a grin. Renn was short, with blond hair that somehow always managed to poke out from under his cap, no matter how many times he tried to tuck it in. He was lanky, his frame lean and wiry, but he was strong like everyone here, muscles built from years of swinging drills and hauling equipment. He had the kind of bright, open smile that made people want to believe him, no matter how absurd his stories got.

“Hey, dreamer! Don’t tell me you’re still half asleep?”

Kade cracked a smile. “I’d have to be, to keep coming back here.”

Renn laughed, a high, quick sound that echoed in the quiet of the morning. “Well, if you ever actually find a way out of here, you better take me with you,” he said, lowering his voice as an Overseer passed by, his face hidden behind the sleek, mirrored visor of his helmet.

The Overseers were there to keep things “safe”—or at least that was the official story. They walked the ledges with heavy boots, carrying rifles and moving in groups. Everyone knew that the real job of the Overseers was to keep the miners in line, not safe. Their armoured suits gleamed in the dusty sunlight, making them look more like machines than people, and no one dared to look them in the eye.

“You got anything new to tell me today?” Kade asked as they descended the ramp, heading toward the wide, rusted elevator platform that would lower them to the mine’s depths.

Renn’s eyes lit up. He pulled a small device from his pocket, something the Overseers would’ve confiscated if they knew about it. It was an old tablet, barely functioning, but it had a few old pictures and texts on it. “Guess what? I found a new holovid clip. You ever heard of a place called Delaeon?”

Kade shook his head. “Nah. What is it?”

Renn’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “It’s this city on a planet way out in another sector. The whole place is covered in neon lights, huge buildings that go higher than you can see, and people everywhere! And get this—there’s real rivers running through it, with water so clear you can see to the bottom.”

Kade let out a low whistle, though he tried not to get too excited. Renn was always coming up with new stories, new places that sounded too good to be true. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder. A city full of lights and people, rivers, and green spaces—it was nothing like the dirt and metal of the mines. “So you’re saying there’s places like that out there?”

“Absolutely,” Renn replied, a mischievous smile on his face. “And I’m gonna see them all. Just you wait. When we’re out of here, we’re gonna travel to every one of them.”

Kade shook his head with a grin, but the thought stayed with him as they boarded the platform, the rusty elevator groaning to life as it took them deeper into the mines.

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The rumbling platform finally ground to a halt hundreds of metres below. Here, the air was even thicker, and the temperature spiked. Workers coughed, exchanging tired glances as they prepared for another day. The mining rigs lined the walls, massive, clunky suits that encased their bodies up to the neck. Called Core Rigs, they were worn like armour, with a bulky drill arm that could dig deep into the rock to extract the precious gas from the planet’s core.

“Renn! Kade! Over here,” called Kade’s father, a solid, middle-aged man with a voice like gravel. He waved them over to two Core Rigs with faded paint and layers of grime.

Kade tightened his gloves and strapped into the suit, feeling its weight settle onto his shoulders. The visor flickered to life, showing readings of gas levels and rock density. The suit’s arms felt sluggish, worn out from years of patchwork repairs, and as Kade glanced over, he could see his dad watching him with that familiar look of disapproval.

“Back in my day, we had pickaxes,” his father grunted, handing Kade a worn helmet. “No Core Rigs, no fancy sensors, just muscle and a lot of grit.”

Kade rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Dad, I get it. Tough old days. Got it.”

His dad frowned, clearly not amused. “This isn’t a joke, Kade. You and Renn treat this place like it’s temporary, like you’re just passing through. But this is it. This is life. You’re not getting out, so get that idea out of your head.”

Kade clenched his jaw, his frustration brewing just below the surface. He opened his mouth to argue, but then he caught sight of his mother nearby, her face tired, her shoulders slumped as she waited her turn for a Core Rig. Her eyes met his for a brief second, and she gave him a small, sad smile, the kind that always made him swallow back his complaints.

“Fine,” he muttered, lowering his visor. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The miners lined up, each preparing for their shift as the Overseers watched from a platform above, their faces hidden behind mirrored helmets. Kade caught sight of one of them casually adjusting the power settings on his rifle, and a wave of resentment washed over him. Here they were, working themselves to the bone, while the Overseers got to stand around, armed and armoured, like kings watching over slaves.

Kade’s father started up his rig and swung the drill arm into a nearby wall, rock and dust exploding around him. Kade followed, bracing himself as the drill bit into solid stone. The rig vibrated, the screen flashing with readings as it detected pockets of gas beneath the surface.

“Hey, check this out!” Renn’s voice crackled over the comm link, breaking Kade’s focus. “I think I’ve hit something big here.”

Kade glanced over, the sensors in his suit picking up on the massive gas pocket just beneath Renn’s position. The readings showed an unusually high concentration—a rare, enormous deposit. But as Kade watched, he noticed something odd. The gas levels were too high, and the pressure was dangerously close to critical.

“Renn, careful! That looks unstable,” Kade warned.

Renn just grinned, giving a thumbs-up. “Relax. We’ve hit deposits before. This one’s just...a little bigger.”

Before Kade could say anything more, the Overseers above started muttering to each other, their voices a low rumble over the comms. Something about the readings had caught their attention. They moved closer, watching intently as Renn’s drill punctured the gas pocket.

Suddenly, the ground shuddered. Kade’s screen lit up with warning signals, and the entire platform shook as a geyser of gas erupted from the pocket Renn had drilled into. Alarms blared, and Kade’s heart pounded as he tried to keep his rig steady.

“Renn! Get back!” Kade shouted, but Renn was frozen, staring at the readouts in shock. The Overseers moved forward, their rifles raised, shouting commands that Kade could barely hear over the roar of the gas.

And then, through the chaos, Kade noticed something else—something buried deep in the reading. The gas...it wasn’t for what they thought.

The Overseers’ voices crackled back over the comms, now clear and calm, as if they were reading from a script. “Miners, return to your quarters immediately. This operation is now classified.”

Kade’s stomach sank. This gas wasn’t a lifeline; it was a lie.