Chapter Text
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This story was inspired solely by this gorgeous image of sleeping TaeKook.
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Planet Earth
Quadrant BT-7S
Metropolis of Taekoru
Date 13th June 2422
During the day, the impressive, dark city of Taekoru that rises like a mirage from the burning sands, is barely distinguishable from the softly rolling dunes that surround it. The heavy winds force the sand and dust into the city until every single surface is almost constantly covered by a blanket of gritty gold. It isn’t until the artificial rains at night that the true character of the metal jungle is revealed in the bright neon lights and the endless maze of black streets, when the dust and the sand are washed away and the slate is cleaned.
It’s a new beginning, every night.
Where the city is a dichotomy between night and day, the same cannot be said for Taekoreans.
They are a uniform mass of mindless beings blindly following the rules -whatever those may be from one moment to the next. Indifferent, insular and disconnected, the people are only interested in one thing: attaining perfection.
This perfection is easily attained by using superficial holographic improvements or, if one is rich enough, physical upgrades.
The whole of the city swims in advertisements that continuously bombard people with images of perfection, artificially enhanced beauties that make the average person feel inadequate -whilst simultaneously offering the very solution to the problem.
Mirotex and their artificial enhancements are the solution to all of life’s problems. Even things that are not broken must and will be fixed.
Perfection is attainable -but only if you can afford it.
Many who cannot afford it, steal it.
This obsession over being perfect and beautiful is entirely driven by Mirotex, a gigantic industrial conglomerate that owns everything important there is to own.
Taekoru is grasped tightly in Mirotex’s hold and no one even realises that the company controls the masses by advertising, marketing and obsessive consumerism… the result of which is two-fold. Not only does Mirotex gain infinite money and power by being the only source of upgrades for the people but the meaningless obsession over trivial, material things also keeps the people placid, disinterested in what is happening which, in turn, leaves Mirotex to do whatever Mirotex wants to do.
The scariest part is that it works.
Mirotex has become the nearest thing to a local government Taekuro has. The public has no influence on policies or on the people making them. All decisions are made entirely without input from the citizens of Taekoru.
In addition to the original, ancient laws set down by the founders some 750 years prior, Mirotex makes new rules as it sees fit and maintains them with its Security Force -a force of power somewhere in between military and police force with independent rule. Both armed and dangerous, its officers are as ruthless as they are unforgiving in their policing for criminals. The legal system is practically non-existent, most judgements -and punishments- are executed by officers on the spot and most of the time, they are disproportionate to the crime committed.
Nobody questions the system, at least no one that Mirotex acknowledges. But there have been rumours about The Underground -indeterminate number of renegades determined to change things for the better.
Image credit: @emmagfxc (twitter)
*
Jungkook wakes up naked under a semi-transparent sheet, in a small, clinical room.
There is a long, bright blue, iridescent strip of a code and a logo down the inside of his left arm. A shiny, metal cuff on the wrist reads a name and a date of birth: Jeon Jungkook, DOB 01.09.2393. Type: Equilibrium.
Twenty-eight years old. He does not recognise the name nor the date. He has no idea what the type is referring to.
It’s not only the high-tech bed but also the room full of discreet, expensive, state-of-the-art medical equipment that suggest Jungkook has woken up in a hospital.
His location would seem to suggest otherwise, however.
Jungkook sits up and peeks through the long strip of a window that runs along the wall corner to corner. Gazing into the darkness of the night, Jungkook is shocked to find himself at least two hundred stories high, like a God towering over the city currently being drenched and made clean again by the artificial night showers.
Not even a private hospital could afford to be up this high. The Mirotex owned Three Towers are only for the wealthiest of the wealthy, no man off the streets would ever find their way up here.
Jungkook has no personal memories -he has no recollection of any experiences, friends, achievements… nothing from before. There is only darkness in the place where his person would be, as if he had never even existed. Despite this, he still seems to know everything else, he still has his knowledge of the world around him. He sees his body and it seems familiar, the tattoos on both of his arms and chest, the defined contours of his muscles.
Although… something is different.
When he looks carefully, he can see that there are subtle, slightly iridescent, geometric seams running along his skin that follow the contours of his muscles on his arms and chest. The patterns are very similar to those found on androids. Jungkook frowns.
This is when he realises that his body feels… altered, that there are internal changes that make him feel heavier... fortified.
When he feels finally fully clear of what must be an anaesthetic, Jungkook realises that his eyes are also different because when he focuses on something, additional information starts scrolling through his field of vision.
He has been upgraded.
When a short, rotund man with a coiffed, platinum blonde hair, dressed in all white with a mask enters the clinical room, Jungkook can sense his heartbeat. It skips a little.
“Well, hello there. Good. You’re awake. I’m Verni and I’ll be looking after you. Let’s get you detached, darling, they’re waiting for you.” He starts unsticking the stickers on Jungkook’s temples and over his chest. Jungkook notes that there is something strange going on with his hands and it isn’t until he counts the man’s fingers that he realises he is an alien. Four fingers per hand, funny triangle shaped nails. Jungkook probably wouldn’t have noticed otherwise but the hands linger a little too long on Jungkook’s skin while the man’s eyelashes flutter at his pecs.
“Where is this, why am I here?” Jungkook voice sounds rough, like he’s been sleeping for a long time.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be explained to you.” The eyes lined with blue stray down again when a casual squeeze and a tap of a bicep gets Jungkook’s attention. Here, wear these.” The man points at a pile of white clothes before walking back out, sending longing glances at Jungkook from the door.
When Jungkook is directed into another white room, this time there are no windows. There is a single desk. A man behind it. A chair in front of it.
The soft shoes on his feet make no noise when Jungkook walks into the room and sits down slowly, taking in the older man who is staring at him with dead eyes.
The amount of information that Jungkook gathers on the man in the two seconds in takes him to sit down is staggering: age, height, weight, blood type, eye colour and hair colour (both natural and temporarily enhanced), pulse, skin temperature and the fact that he reeks of fear which he can detect as perspiration and micromovements in his face. Jungkook wonders how he can know all that -he wonders even more why the man sitting opposite from him is afraid.
He is dressed all in dove grey which is a shade darker than his eyes. His jacket is long, almost down to his knees and it buttons off centre. The collar stands up in a stiff column to shadow the man’s sharp jawline, giving him a very rigid and formal air. Jungkook can’t help but to wonder if anyone would even see him should he stand in front of a concrete wall, that’s how uniformly grey he is, hair and all.
The echo of the chair scraping against the floor has just about disappeared when the man clears his throat and speaks.
“Captain Jeon, welcome back.” He crosses his fingers on the table in front of him and leans over slightly. “You can call me Cassio.” He doesn’t elaborate on his role within Mirotex, nor is he using a Security Force rank.
The two words that keep repeating in Jungkook’s mind are “captain” and “back”. I’m part of the Security Force? He has no reference point to confirm the statement so he has to assume it’s true.
He nods to acknowledge the greeting.
There is a military grade datadex on the desk, a thin slate of glass, a holographic device to view the near infinite data saved on the Mirotex cloud server accessible only to personnel of sufficient rank. Jungkook has never seen one in person. The presence of it in the room is enough to tell Jungkook that the person is someone much higher up the food chain, even if he is not wearing any kind of a uniform to show it.
In the suffocating silence of the room, the man flicks through the lit text with his finger until he gets to what must be Jungkook’s file.
“How are you feeling?” He asks, clearly not interested in the answer, at all.
“Very well, Sir. Slightly confused.”
“That’s a common side effect of the anaesthetic, you spend quite a long time under while they upgrade you.”
Jungkook is not sure if he should ask. “W-why can I not remember who I am?”
“I’m afraid we’ve had to reboot part of your memory as part of the upgrade process.” There is something in the tone of the man that tells Jungkook that his words are meant to be the end of this discussion and the topic should not be mentioned again. There is also a peak in what Jungkook assumes must be his anxiety levels. Is he lying?
Despite the obvious hint to drop the matter, Jungkook asks: “Am I going to get my memories back?”
“I’m afraid the change is permanent.” Jungkook finds no comfort in the man’s cold smile.
When Jungkook opens his mouth to ask more questions, Cassio cuts him short.
“Call it a fresh start. Believe me when I say, there are many who would pay anything to get what you have now. Make the most of it.” He sets the datadex back onto the table in absolute silence, pursing his lips into a heap of wrinkles while he takes the time to consider what he is about to say.
It feels like Jungkook has no choice so he swallows his words while he taps his silent foot in frustration. He can feel tension in his jaw and he wonders if it shows and if it shows, will it matter.
“Now, you are going straight back into your existing role, but first we need to make sure you remember everything you need to remember to carry out your duties accordingly. In other words, if you are ready for active duty. Your current unit has been assigned a new, temporary leader, who has taken on your responsibilities in your absence. You will shadow him and follow his orders accordingly and if he deems you ready, you can return to the team as their superior officer.”
The whole thing feels like a test. Not just a physical aptitude test but also a mental one. It’s obvious they are doubting Jungkook but he can’t help but wonder why it feels like the doubt is over more than just his memory to lead his unit.
Everybody knows that the Security Forces have always used military upgrades. Even before the techniques were available for scientific and medical uses or for the public, they were already in widespread use in Mirotex forces because all enhancements were initially developed solely for the military.
What Jungkook doesn’t know yet is that he is not just your standard Security Force upgrade, he is a high-level military upgrade type called Equilibrium. As part of the special forces, Equilibriums focus solely on one thing: killing. With significantly increased strength and agility, cognitive powers, strategic capabilities beyond anything that an average human could ever have… they are lethal.
Jungkook jumps out of his thoughts when Cassio calls for an officer to enter. Dressed entirely in black, he salutes soundlessly and stands by the door, waiting for further instructions.
Still speaking to Jungkook, Cassio says:
“So, be prepared to be called for some testing and then if everything looks good, a mission. Officer here will take you to your quarters. Good day.”
The man in grey walks out, leaving Jungkook standing staring after him with an indistinct unease gathering in the pit of his stomach.
There is an undercurrent of something in the air but he can’t quite put his finger on it.
In addition to the 300 stories above ground, The Three Towers of Mirotex also have another 100 stories underground. When the towers were first built centuries ago, they were affectionately named after ancient gods of legends, now all individuality left of them is compressed into three everyday words: East, West and Central.
Anybody who is anybody has a piece of the towers. If one is filthy rich, one might just about afford to live in the extortionately priced, ostentatious and ridiculously large apartments high up, near the clouds.
The gigantic towers also house anything from administrative offices, product development and research laboratories for the public, trade and transport to city defence systems.
Mirotex likes to keep its serious business separate and hidden from the public, so it houses anything to do with the military police force, including research and development for military upgrades and weaponry, in their own research laboratories in a completely separate location.
To the average layperson, not a lot is known about the underground floors apart from the fact that all of the Security Force personnel live and train there, looked over by the seemingly endless dark towers of glass and metal tall enough to reach the artificial clouds. Jungkook has heard that from up there, beyond the city limits, one can see sand as far as the eye can see, even during the very dusty days.
In the speedy shuttle lift that travels so smoothly it feels like they’re not even moving, it takes only a few moments to reach the ground floor from the skies where Jungkook woke up. When they exit, it’s the first time that Jungkook becomes self-conscious of his hospital clothes, slacks and t-shirt. The darkly clad officer notices him straightening out his clothes and smiles.
“Don’t worry about those, you can get a uniform and some other clothes tomorrow or later today, once I’ve shown you your lodgings. Your logo code will allow you to get whatever you need from the shops around the main hall, it’s all part of your wages.” Jungkook nods, impressed.
The ginormous entrance hall to the tower is garish, ridiculously high and entirely appropriate for one of the three largest buildings ever to exist in the city, any city as far as Jungkook is aware. The space is a staggeringly opulent with endless amounts of green gold, jade and some dark forest green metal that Jungkook doesn’t even know the name of. The expansive floor is exquisite -geometric patterns of the same shades of green and gold, an ever-expanding spiral of lines clearly carved after the ancient Fibonacci sequence discovered so long ago.
In the massive room, there are only a handful of decorations. An impressive 3D, moving laser artwork depicts the Creation Story of the Taekoru City Settlers digging into the timeless sands to build the foundations of the very city they currently stand on.
No one knows with absolute certainty if the story is true but since it’s what they have been told, they believe it whole-heartedly.
Just as much as Mirotex makes the rules, it also writes the histories.
They walk across the beautiful floor to descend along a shallow curved slipway into the seemingly endless corridor with colour-coded lift doors where each colour represents different type of workers. It is the access point to all the levels below ground.
Jungkook feels like a ghost in his own life because none of this feels familiar.
The lift at the end of the long corridor, shaded with swirls of different colours, is the lift that goes furthest into the belly of the beast. One hundred stories below ground. When Jungkook steps into the lift that is smaller than the one that brought them down from the heavens, he’s glad he doesn’t suffer from claustrophobia.
The officer in black clears his throat with a nervous noise and adjusts his black cap. Tufts of orange red hair poke out from the sides of the hat, they make him seem even younger than Jungkook originally thought, especially with the freckles dancing on his nose when he wrinkles it.
He lets out a loud, nervous sigh and leans over a little, speaking quietly.
“I-I’m sorry, I don’t know if you remember me… I’m Kieran, we, you, well, you helped me train for the entry exam…” His voice drifts off as he looks around, checking for the camera he knows is hiding somewhere behind the one-way glass surrounding them. It doesn’t feel like they’re moving at all. If it weren’t for the numbers indicating their descent at spine chilling speeds, they’d be none the wiser.
Jungkook really has no idea what to say because he truly doesn’t remember the young man.
“I’m sorry, I wish I could say I remember you… I don’t remember anyone else either so I wouldn’t take it personally.” Jungkook smiles, apologetic, a little self-deprecating chuckle accompanying the words.
Kieran smiles, his finger pushing under his stiff, black collar, trying to loosen it. There is sweat beading on his temple.
“Hey, you ok? You don’t look too good…” Jungkook grabs the young man’s shoulder, attempting eye contact with the suddenly avoidant eyes.
“Can’t talk here, I need to… you told me to…in case they…” The doors open with a quiet beep and Kieran’s words drift off. They have arrived.
The space in the underground entrance hall is surprisingly airy mix of white and silver. The artificial lighting behind the ceiling tiles high up is exactly like daylight. If Jungkook didn’t know better, he’d say they were up on the surface.
The atmosphere down here is completely different from the main entrance hall of green and gold, however. As much as the air up there is formal, down here it is informal.
“It’s a bit of mix of people down here because everyone is kind of in-between-places, waiting to be allocated their appropriate accommodation.” Kieran looks around and nods shyly at a few uniformed officers passing by.
The large area is buzzing with people of various races, shapes and sizes and going by the smells wafting around the stalls and tables, the food must be equally diverse. There are clusters of tables scattered about the food area which is surrounded by plants and flowers. Jungkook can even hear music somewhere in the distance. Everything is really rather pleasant, he thinks.
“Here.” Kieran points toward a side corridor leading away from the hall. Jungkook follows him and they walk past countless doors lining the otherwise empty corridor before Kieran stops in front of one of them.
“This one is you.”
The number on the door reads KTH-957.
“Normally housing is organised by rank and unit but while you are being re-assessed…” His lips thin in dissatisfaction. “…you’re in here for a bit while they decide what to do with you.” He looks apologetic even when the choice of accommodation is obviously nothing to do with him. Jungkook nods in understanding.
Jungkook can’t quite hide the smile creeping up on his face when the eager young man proceeds to explain in great detail how to work the door, even though it really is rather self-explanatory.
“It will open with your ID code, here.” He places his own forearm, which has a matte, green logo and code, under the scanner and it immediately blinks a red light and hisses a quiet drone in dissatisfaction that declines entry. He gestures for Jungkook to try and when he pushes his arm with its iridescent, glowing blue logo under the unit, immediately the door hisses open with a ping.
“You have a roommate for the moment, but I imagine you probably won’t be here for long.” He nods and turns to leave. Jungkook can see the hesitation, even if it’s infinitesimal. No one else would notice. Kieran wants to say something else. The strange words in the lift are still loud in Jungkook’s ears and he wants to ask about it. He doesn’t get the chance.
“I’ll come back to pick you up for your scans tomorrow, since you might not know your way.” He speaks a little too loudly, as if convincing anyone within hearing distance that he is really needed here. It’s all very peculiar. The young man disappears before Jungkook can stop him.
The room is tiny, surprisingly asymmetrical and entirely inappropriate for a higher-ranking officer but Jungkook doesn’t mind. All he’ll be doing here is sleep, the rest of his time will be taken up by tests and training in preparation for his first mission. Not sure why, Jungkook feels apprehensive about the mission.
The room only has a bunk bed, a pair of lockers and a small, low table with two seating cushions around it. The empty wall opposite all the furniture is a deep orange which is the only source of colour in the entirely grey room. A narrow door leads to a tiny bathroom with a tiny shower cubicle. There isn’t even a fake window to stare at. Being one hundred stories underground, there isn’t a lot one can expect, Jungkook figures.
Jungkook settles on the top bed, stretching out, and stares at the ceiling.
Since he woke up, everything has felt off-kilter, like there is something going on that he is not privy to. He doesn’t feel himself and it feels more than just not having his memories. He can’t explain it but he feels it in his spine. Being Captain Jeon Jungkook is not his identity, Jungkook knows this with absolutely certainty. The question is, why are they making it seem like it is?
There is another beep and a hiss and the door opens. Roommate.
“Oh hey! Hi! I’m Trip.” He walks past Jungkook, waving his hand energetically on his way to his locker. While he takes off his shoes and hangs his jacket up in his locker, he carries on his chattering before Jungkook even has the chance to say a single word.
“Nice to have some company -don’t worry, I won’t be in your face all the time, I’m not one of those annoying people… it’s just nice not to have to be alone in this hellhole.” He smiles widely, Jungkook can tell it’s genuine.
The man is slender, shorter than Jungkook. His hair is an angelic mop of sandy curls, the undercut on one side is bright blue, the same colour as his large eyes. His broad smile full of straight, white teeth is accompanied by deep dimples on both cheeks -the man has a baby face if there ever was one. His youthful appearance is even further emphasised by the way his face moves. He blinks slowly, leaving his lips slightly parted as if in surprise. Trip is just like a child even though he can’t be much younger than Jungkook.
Jungkook nods. “Hi, I’m Jungkook.” He reaches out his hand down for a left-handed greeting, revealing his mark.
“Woooaaahhhh!” Trip’s blue eyes light up when he sees it. “I can’t believe it! An Elite! I’ve never seen one before!” He grabs Jungkook’s arm with enthusiasm, running his fingers over the barcode and logo near the wrist. The child-like awe goes so well with his child-like face that Jungkook can’t help but to be a bit charmed. They’ll get on just fine.
Trip lifts his forearm and aligns it with Jungkook’s to compare his matte, black code in the same place and arrangement as Jungkook’s. The difference between the two is striking, they are like the dusty days and the neon lit nights of Taekuro.
“What does this mean?” Jungkook points at the black lines. “I mean the black colour?” He hops off the bunk and they sit down around the low table.
“Today was my first day too. I’m in the building trade…” His bright smile falls when his hand lifts to his shoulder to massage it while he flinches in discomfort. “Although my upgrades are not quite right at the moment, still waiting for them to settle in… it’s early days yet.” He announces brightly as if trying to convince himself of chance of improvement.
The shadow over Trip’s face disappears as quickly as it appeared and for a moment, Jungkook wonders if it was there in the first place.
“So, what kinds of upgrades do they have in the building industry?” Jungkook’s asks with genuine interest.
Trip’s face lights up when he starts outlining the specifics of being involved in the building sector. “I’m upgraded specifically for salvage and restoration building work. The reason why they pick smaller guys like me is because we are nimbler and able to fit into smaller spaces but with upgrades, we’ll still have the equivalent strength of a bigger guy. Kinda makes sense when you think about it…” He grabs some crackers from a box underneath the table and starts munching on one after Jungkook declines his offer.
His smile fades when an obvious shooting pain brings him back into the moment. He finishes chewing while he assesses Jungkook in silence. He’s obviously trying to figure out if it’s safe to tell Jungkook something.
As it was with Kieran, Jungkook can tell that Trip wants to say something so he nods to encourage him.
“I heard that there are upgrades that don’t make the cut.” Trip speaks quietly, more seriously than his bright, child-like character would imply him capable.
“What?”
“Don’t make the cut, as in, they get rid of the upgrades that don’t work properly. Apparently, they don’t always take, it’s an incompatibility issue or some such.” He clears his throat awkwardly.
It’s now obvious why Trip rubs his shoulder with such worry on his face.
“I’m sure it’s just rumours. Why would they do that? Wouldn’t they just fix it? Or take them out?”
There is no answer and the more Jungkook allows himself to think about it the more he realises that that kind of thing would fit Mirotex’s M.O. -ruthless efficiency which feels like it could easily be at the expense of human lives. Jungkook hopes more than anything that what Trip is talking about is just rumours and nothing else.
He doesn’t know what to say so he says nothing.
Jungkook wonders if there is life outside Mirotex or are people inexorably intertwined into the company’s webs which seem to reach every part of everyone’s lives whether they know it or not.
Deep in thought, he looks at Trip and thinks about the way the man moves, speaks, the sort of longing he has on his face. It makes Jungkook wonder if he used to have a life outside the company but doesn’t remember it.
“Do you have your memories?” Jungkook asks, suddenly.
Trip shakes his head, suddenly very sad. Jungkook nods in commiseration.
There’s something about the tone of Trips skin that makes it seem like it’s permanently tinted with sunshine. His whole character is full of relaxed patience in a way of someone who is used to spending a lot of time outside doing things that require patience. Jungkook wonders if Trip might have even been one of the food growers out in the transformed sands where the gold turns green, where the lands feed the people of Taekoru. Jungkook imagines if he were, he would have been good at it.
Then he wonders had he done that in the past, why would be here now.
Jungkook replies: “Me neither, not since waking up after the upgrades… it’s weird to exist without knowing who you are as a person. That’s what your memories are, right? They make you who you are, they give you reasons to live or whatever…” Jungkook ponders.
Trip’s words hit the hardest. “Not having memories is to drift somewhere in between life and death without an anchor.”
The following day Jungkook has to go back to the laboratory where he woke up for a session of testing and training to see his upgrades work as they should.
Verni is there waiting for him, sliding his palms against each other as like can’t wait to get his hands on Jungkook again. He’s without a mask this time, so Jungkook can see his unnaturally large mouth carefully painted with baby pink gloss.
“Good morning, handsome.” He starts straight away and Jungkook can’t help but to smile and roll at his eyes at the playful, flirty way the short, rotund man says it. Today there are sparkles added onto the eyelids always lined with blue.
“You are impossible. I wish I could say I’m a taken man.” Jungkook flirts instead, speaking strategically, it’s good to have as many people on your side as possible, after all.
It’s obvious that Jungkook’s upgrades are working without fault since he is constantly analysing and strategizing already. The underlying unease beneath his skin propels him to action to gather data and make connections.
“Oh that wouldn’t stop me, not with you…” He flutters his extended eye lashes, running a hand along his blonde, coiffed hair before gently nudging Jungkook with his elbow.
“Take off your clothes.” Verni says, too casually.
Jungkook lifts an eyebrow because he can tell by the man’s increased pulse and respiration rates that he is lying. “I don’t see why I need to get naked for this…” The end of the sentence lightens with a gently exasperated tone when he realises why Verni would be asking him this.
“Oh damn, guess you are as clever as they say you are… wouldn’t have upgraded you otherwise, I guess… I thought I could fool you and get you naked again.” He sticks his tongue out and pouts with disappointment before going to work.
Jungkook shakes his head with a smile. This guy’s a real troublemaker.
“So we need to test your upgrades, which basically means testing out your reflexes, physical strength, eyes and their sensors, your brain’s analytical processes and stealth of your body.” Verni, claps his hands together and so they begin.
Test after test show excellent results, the upgrades have taken even better than anyone could have anticipated. Jungkook is now a prime example of how modifications can improve on pretty much every aspect of your average human.
Jungkook himself, however, is still at unease over not just his identity but also his upgrades.
He doesn’t feel like he’s in the right place, at all. He wants to explore a little more.
“So, do all upgrades have the same scans and injections?” Jungkook knows he probably shouldn’t ask but he also realises that Verni has a soft spot for him. It’s likely he will divulge information others wouldn’t. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this.
“What are these injections anyway?” He continues while Verni sterilises his skin in preparation for the shots.
“Oh, most of them are just to improve performance, some are to help with the processing of all the extra information you are constantly gathering which is way beyond any normal person would do. Because of your upgrades, you know.” He smiles and his little beady eyes disappear into their sockets entirely.
Jungkook is curious and it shows on his face. After Verni has finished with the injections, he places a head piece, like a lightweight helmet that only consists of a framework of wired sensors and lights on Jungkook’s head.
“This here is for your daily renewal. They call it a renewal because the process renews your neural network by downloading all the extra, unused material you have gathered over the previous 24hrs. This is downloaded and removed which frees up your storage capacity to be used again.”
“So kind of like a reset?”
“Exactly. It literally wipes your memory chip with the exceptions of things that are in use and stores everything in the mainframe instead. Especially with your type, the Equilibriums, who gather such staggering amounts of information, your brain would struggle to contain it all without the renewal process. The brain would have to shut the rest of the body down to process it…
…When this happens, it’s called cascading… If there is no renewal, going into cascade starts as random episodes of passing out after about 48-72hrs after the last renewal, these episodes get longer and more frequent the more time passes … until there is no waking up…
…there is a final stage where the continual processing starts breaking down the connective tissue between the two hemispheres of the brain until it leads to a coma, then a permanent vegetative state from where there is no return and… eventual death.”
“So, I guess this renewal process is rather important, huh?” Jungkook goes for humour to lighten the suddenly very depressing atmosphere surrounding them.
“Yeah… but as long as you continue to renew every day, you’ll have no issues. You can only do it here, though, so don’t stray too far.” He grins. “This lab has the only machine they have been able to build that is fully functional, all the previous prototypes were unstable. They are still working on replicating this one. Guess I’ll be seeing you every day then?” Verni beams.
“Why does it have to be every 24hrs, seems a bit unpractical, if I’m honest.”
Lucky for Jungkook, Verni is feeling chatty.
“We haven’t been able to figure out the exact onset of the cascade, we know it’s not during the first 24hrs -after that it’s anyone’s guess and we don’t want you -especially you- passing out in the middle of a mission or even just on a street corner. So you need to be here once every 24 hours for your own safety.”
“Why “especially me”? What makes me special?”
“The gear in your body is state of the art, you’re more expensive than some buildings in the city. Because your logo identifies you as elite, you’d get shredded to pieces by scavengers in a second if left defenceless. This is why you must also hide your mark when out.” Verni turns to stare out of the window.
“Even your storage capacity is more than the standard upgrades. We’ve upgraded it as much as the size of your cranium will allow with the technology available at the moment. We could upgrade you more but that would mean external upgrades…
…I was told to forget about those in case your career choice with the Security Forces doesn’t pan out, at least with your looks you’ll still have options in another sector.” He winks and Jungkook can’t really tell if he’s being serious or not. He asks anyway, even though he doesn’t want to.
“Which sector would that be then…?”
“Adult entertainment.” He winks again and lifts his shoulders like he’s dancing. “That’s where the biggest money is -in fact, it seems a bit of a shame to put that face into this job to be honest… You’d do very well as an entertainer with your looks...” He tickles under Jungkook’s chin.
Jungkook can’t help but to shiver in terror at the thought of being used for others’ pleasure. Verni on the other hand, seems to be getting a kick out of Jungkook being available for other… activities…
“You know, even your logo would be changed to a beautiful, holographic purple. Purple is the colour of looooooove.” He dances around the laboratory, returning equipment to its place.
“What, you can change the logos?” Jungkook regrets the loud enthusiasm in his voice.
“Yeah, since you can change your upgrades, you need to be able to change the logos.”
“So does that mean you can remove them as well?” Jungkook says without thinking.
The pointed stare from Verni makes Jungkook gulp a little and add. “Just asking, out of curiosity. Don’t really know how all this stuff works. I’m so grateful that you’ve been kind enough to help me.” He adds with a dashing smile, hoping it’ll make the man stop doubting him.