The agent slides her hand across a panel next to the metal doors, lighting up the console.
"Access Granted!"
Agent Linda McCain's portrait flashes across the screen as a metallic, subtly feminine voice fades in over the console speakers.
"Welcome back, Agent McCain." the voice warbles as the metal doors slide open, revealing a large elevator. Its interior is entirely covered in mirrors, their reflections fading off into infinities.
The agent moves inside and beckons the group to follow.
"B10, please GAIA." She calls out.
"Affirmative. Now moving to floor B10."
"GAIA, has the Prism been prepared for today's evaluations?" The agent asks. "I assume Dr. Ravinok is ready for our guests?"
"Affirmative." The voice responds almost instantly. "Dr. Ravinok has been overseeing all preparations for today's evaluations. I believe he is currently warming up the Prism."
"Ha, warming up the Prism. You're starting to sound like him. Good to hear that he's doing his job for once." She smirks while glancing across the group of graduates spread around the elevator. "Something must have gotten him excited today. GAIA, tell our guests a little about the A.R.A.C."
"Affirmative." The digital voice comes again. It belongs to the organization's General Artificial Intelligence Agent, GAIA. The backbone of GAARDs monumental data processing capabilities and an integral part of the organization's general management and logistics.
It started off as a central data processing system at US-CARD, its main purpose to help its creators make sense of the immense data processing required during aetheric research. As humanity's understanding of aether improved, so did its data processing needs and as they moved to aetheric experimentation and manipulation, those needs grew exponentially.
GAIA's main processing units now lie at the heart of GAARD HQ, integrated across its entire physical and digital infrastructure. All powered by a fusion reactor housed in the facility's lowest levels.
"The Aetheric Resonance Assessment Complex. Situated on Floors B10 through B14 of the GAARD HQ main administration building. Commonly known as The Crucible."
The graduates' ears perk up, each turning to listen in a different direction, trying to find the source of the omnipresent voice.
"She's everywhere." The agent reassures, sensing the graduates unease. "She'll be in your head soon enough. You'll get used to it. Just relax and listen."
"The ARAC is where GAARD assesses, augments and studies ARCH usage."GAIA continues as the graduates listen on, fascinated. "Composed of 4 sections, it forms part of a step-by-step program for assessment, integration and testing. This ensures optimal resonance potential and data processing between the user and ARCH-unit. Step 1. Assessment. Step 2. Augmentation. Step 3. Synchronization. Step 4. Testing. Would you like to know more about each step of the process?"
"That's enough GAIA." McCain answers. "They'll have time to ask you more questions later. We're here."
The doors slide open to reveal complete nothingness, a deep darkness that seems to ooze into the elevator.
The group turns to each other in confusion before turning to the agent for an answer.
"Pretty cool, huh. One of the many layers of security here at GAARD. The lab calls it a Spectral Occlusion Field - most of us just call it Black-Light."
The agent moves out of the elevator, fading into the darkness as if she were swallowed by it.
"Kinda creepy, right." She whispers, her voice emanating eerily from the emptiness before the students.
"Y-yeah, but how are we supposed to…" a graduate asks softly.
"Just hold on a second… Here ya go!" McCain replies as she slides back into the elevator, appearing out of the darkness suddenly and all at once. She holds in her arms a box filled with what seemed to be 16 sets of transparent eyewear. "Here, put these on."
The graduates scramble for the box, grabbing the glasses and passing them along to friends and classmates.
"Like I said, the Black-Light is a security measure. GAIA can explain the details if you're interested, but basically it cancels out visible light in the area, bathing the area in complete darkness. Great for hiding secrets from wandering eyes. It protects us against unrestricted visual access to the facility."
Reyn slips the glasses onto his face and watches as the area beyond the elevator suddenly becomes visible. A long brightly lit, multi-doored hallway appears before him.
He flicks the glasses on and off, the alternating darkness and light playing with his visual senses.
"So freaky." Reyn half-whispers in excitement at Ghazal.
"So cool!" Ghazal whispers back.
Suddenly, a loud explosion erupts above the underground structure and the group is beset by a sudden shockwave of pressure that seems to come from all directions at once.
Low grumbles and groans emanate around them from the settling earth.
"Ugh!" The agent moans, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I hope they didn't overload another dampener again. Finance would just love that."
Her hands move to her temples, rubbing them gently. "That's probably Split-Nova. Sounds like they're giving our new ACZ training grounds a good workout. You might meet them as part of the recruitment program… I can't remember if they're part of the training..."
The group bursts into whispered cheers of excitement at the chance to meet one of the most powerful Strike Teams face-to-face.
Split-Nova was the team that defeated the gate guardians in the Berlin Invasion and the Sydney invasion, 2 years before that and are known for their powerful methods of brutally defeating their enemies through unrelenting force.
"Ok, Ready? We're moving." The agent announces, strutting down the hallway, leading the group to their next destination.
She continues explaining more about the facility as they move. "Those are our guests' glasses. It will allow you to see some of the facilities areas but most of it will still be restricted to you. You'll have more access once you get your ARCH-units. The ARCHs become your identity here at GAARD. We'll use it to track your every move, your vitals, psyche, everything. Your access levels around the facility will be linked to your ARCH unit as well. You'll be given access to certain areas as and when needed."
They swiftly move along the bright hallway, passing rooms and passages as they march, with many of their contents hidden in complete darkness.
Black-suited agents and white-coated scientists move almost silently around the facility, appearing and disappearing between the darkness and the light.
Lab-like equipment is scattered about, lining the white, barren walls and passageways as odd pipes and wires trail the ceilings that are covered with large strange-looking lights.
At the far end of the hallway, Reyn could faintly make out the glass doors to the Aetheric Resonance Assessment laboratory, and beyond it, the Prism.
His chest tightens as they move closer and closer to his fate.
He tries to distract himself with his surroundings, but the stark emptiness and ever appearing voids seem to cloud his mind with apprehension.
He resorts to his most common coping method.
Calculations.
He wonders and starts to compute his chances of success.
The ratios of humans with resonance affinity, the number of those that pass evaluation, the few that make it to augmentation and the rarest of archaners that go on to earn their place on Strike Teams.
"Argh, I'm kidding myself!" He groans, slapping his forehead in frustration.
He begins wondering again about why he even began caring so much about becoming an elite archaner. It was an impossible task for someone like him.
"Hey, relax. Remember, you got this, princess!" Ghazal whispers from behind him and gently squeezes his shoulder. "Reject the Impossible!"
Reyn sighs, the friendly gesture helping him remember why this all meant so much to him.
It is a dream he shared with his mother, that they would one day walk on the battlefield together. Heroes of humanity.
A childish dream, full of naivety, but all he had left to honour his mother's sacrifice, and all the motivation he needed to continue.
"Thanks Gaz. I needed that." He smiles as he slaps Ghazal's shoulder in return.
The two men move forward as Reyn's stride gets slightly more confident.
"And here we are." McCain gestures welcomingly, pointing toward the glass doors ahead of her. "Welcome to the Crucible. Where we use the latest in science and technology to forge humanity's greatest weapons. You!"
The room in front of them is alive with the shuffle of people and equipment where various machines and monitors line the room in all directions. In its center, the Prism, a glass cage adorned with all manner of pipes, wires and sensors.
"Dr. Ravinok should be joining us at any moment." The agent announces, smirking expectantly.
The group peers through the glass doors trying to find the infamous doctor among the mess of people and equipment.
Suddenly a large, portly man appears from behind the Prism, his white-lab coat is barely able to contain his rotund frame.
His scowled, calculating face turns into a joyous grin as he discovers the graduate group waiting for him outside.
The man suddenly dissolves into a crumbling, pulsating pool of matter that disappears into the floor.
Just as suddenly, the ground next to Agent McCain seems to rumble and like a spring, a mound of gyrating matter quickly spouts from the floor, building itself into the shape of the large man that was inside the laboratory just a moment ago.
The man starts speaking loudly as soon as his body seems to take full form.
"Ah! Finally! The Crucible receives its offerings!"
The group all look at the man in unified disbelief.
"Oh, that. My aetheric ability, matter manipulation. Don't worry about it. I have permission. Bad knees, you see!" He grumbles, his accent audaciously Russian. He bends down slightly in a vain semi-attempt to touch his knees. "If we wait for me to walk. We'll be here the whole day. No time for aetherics. Come, come! We waste time. The Prism is waiting."
"Thank you, Dr. Ravinok. I will leave our guests to you. Good luck, graduates."
"Yes, yes, Linda. Go now, I shall take them."
The agent gives the group a subtle nod and moves back down the hallway, slipping into the darkness of an adjacent room.
"Come now! The resonance awaits. Today we see what the students of Brannon-Brook are really made of, ha!" The doctor laughs as he melts into the floor once more and reappears beyond the glass doors, standing invitingly next to the Prism, beckoning the group inside.
The graduates quickly rush into the laboratory entrance and neatly line up before the Prism.
"Beautiful, no?" The doctor smiles flirtatiously as he slides his hands affectionately over the glass walls of the peculiar looking machine.
"Come, come, people." He excitedly gestures for the students to come closer. "Why are you scared, ha? You insult her beauty. Come closer!"
The group gathers around the Prism apprehensively while some lean forward in quiet fascination.
"This is the Prism. Resonance Assessment Chamber. It's simple. When you get in, it will attach some pipes to your body. There are needles. This part, a little pinchy."
The doctor mimics a painful wince to the group's amusement. His fat, round face twisting comedically.
"Then, we pump the aether into your body and push concentration levels up, up, up. We see how long you last. How much aether you can handle. Push your body and mind to the limit. Especially the mind. Especially the mind! The brain is the main source of aetheric processing in the body, you know."
The graduates had learned all this before, part of their studies and preparations at Brannon-Brook., but no one dares interrupt the doctor's explanations.
He continues to prattle on about the assessment process through broken English and the assistance of GAIA.
"Right, enough talk. Who's first? GAIA, my love, give me a name!"
The digital voice trills to life.
"Affirmative. Would you like to use an alphabetical order doctor?"
"Bah! No, randomize it. Let the chaos decide our fate!" The doctor bellows with echoing laughter josling his rolls of fat.
"Affirmative. First assessment candidate. Jocelyn Webber."
"Huh? M-Me?" Jocelyn squeaks as she pokes her head up from the group.
A round, high cheeked face bloomed above a tall, slim figure as her long hazel hair flowed neatly behind her.
The 19 year old Canadian had long held Reyn's attention, though he could never build up the confidence to approach her romantically, despite Ghazal's constant and crude encouragement.
An awkward and coy friendship was the best the two could muster during their time at the academy.
"Coming, sir!" Jocelyn answers confidently, but her blushed cheeks could not hide her apprehension.
"Yes, come! This way, young lady, quickly now." The doctor invites her, directing Jocelyn into the Prism. "Good, good. Like I said, just relax. The Prism will take good care of you. Don't move a muscle, ja. The process is… mostly painless. There's a prick and you might have a little headache when it's done. Maybe mild amnesia."
Jocelyn turns to the white-coated man with her eyes reeling in bewilderment and trepidation.
"A joke, a joke! Well the headaches, anyway. The amnesia…eh, it happens." He laughs as he struts away to a nearby console. "And now we begin! GAIA, start the assessment."
The group watches with worried eyes as tiny robotic arms whirr to life and stretch down from the ceiling of the Prism, each hooked to a thin translucent pipe, each primed with a small sharp needle.
Below Jocelyn, a metal harness emerges from the ground, gently lifting her into the air, suspending her in an almost seated position.
Finally, a mechanical crown lined with inputs and sensors descends onto her head, worming its cranial-connectors onto her scalp.
Doctor Ravinok looks on intently and proud. "Pretty cool ha? Fully automated! Now… the prickly part. Just relax. It is over quickly."
The piped injectors position themselves all around Jocelyn, aligning themselves with pinpoint accuracy to make contact with her arms, legs and lower back.
A hidden machine bubbles to life and a captivated audience watches as a shimmering slurry of aether runs along the many pipes.
The injectors twitch into action, hitting Jocelyn's skin with force.
Her body jerks and the process begins.
She feels the aether entering her body through the needles, somehow slowly and yet all at once as every molecule in her limbs starts to vibrate to the aether creeping its way up through her blood stream.
Her organs twitch with otherworldly energy as the spaces between every atom of her being is overtaken with the raw, reality-fluctuating aether.
It begins to flood her skull, its warm embrace almost feels pleasant, its sub-Planck particles dancing between her neurons.
Her very existence is vibrating with unnatural probabilities.
But then, the aether begins to reveal its true nature, burning through physical reality like an acid. It starts tunneling through her subconscious, and the realization of infinite possibilities explodes into her mind.
The ideas rush through her brain like a tidal wave, destroying every coherent thought she tries desperately to cling onto.
Possibilities that passed like flickering embers through her subconscious now all flooded her waking mind like a burning vortex.
Her brain was overwhelmed, her consciousness trying in vain to make sense of it all.
And then, suddenly, it was all gone.
"Purge complete!" GAIAs voice trilled almost triumphantly across the room.
"Talk about mind-blowing, eh!" The doctor chuckles as he moves into the chamber to assist the young woman.
Jocelyn squints and winces as her eyes focus back on reality, her head is splitting and her thoughts are in disarray. "What happened?"
"Aether Induced Meta-Psychosis Syndrome - well, a little bit anyway." Doctor Ravinok explains while rubbing his chin. "We don't fully understand how exactly the aetherics interact with the brain and its higher thought functions. But, the aether, it seems to infect our subconscious. Fleeting thoughts become fixations. We lose all reasoning, cognition, understanding and our brains become lost in the infinite thoughts and ideas that swirl around deep within our minds, drowning in the maelstrom of endless ideas and possibilities."
The doctor helps Jocelyn out of the Prism as he continues to ramble on.
"We must know how much aether your body and mind can handle, and I'm afraid this is the most accurate way to do so, right, GAIA?"
"Affirmative." His digital assistant confirms. "Aetheric Resonance Assessment results show an average accuracy rating of 99.97%."
"Exactly! And how many casualties have we suffered while using the Prism?"
"None, Doctor Ravinok."
"Exactly! You see my friends. Completely safe! Now, GAIA, can we please see Ms. Webber's assessment results?"
Doctor Ravnik points the group's attention to a large screen in the center of an adjacent wall.
Jocelyn's name and various details are laid out, and beneath them, a bold, flashing message.
[ ASSESSMENT COMPLETE. RESONANCE LEVEL: 85 ]
"Congratulations Ms. Webber. You'll soon become a fine archaner. There is much potential waiting in you!" The doctor praises as Jocelyn smiles approvingly.
Ravinok takes a moment to refresh the former students' knowledge regarding the resonance level scale, going on to explain that resonance levels are officially measured on a scale of 0 - 100, with growth rising exponentially over the course of the scale, especially near the top end.
Most adult humans fall on the lowest end of the scale, their resonance level less than 10 allowing them almost no aetheric capabilities and leaving them limited to using the much simpler Aether Purge System.
Resonance levels between 11 and 30 are considered low.
These archaners would have weak and limited aetheric abilities and are generally not assigned to combat roles within Aether Concentration Zones, instead assisting in other non-combat roles like artillery, enemy suppression, evacuations or post-invasion cleanups.
Resonance levels between 31 and 60 are considered moderate. These users will be able to make longer and more varied use of their ARCH-units and may be suited for combat roles within ACZs.
Resonance levels between 61 and 80 are considered high. These make excellent archaners and can turn the tides in battle with enough training and experience. They can use advanced aetheric abilities and skills and often find themselves on the front lines of battles and in Strike Teams.
Resonance levels above 81 are very rare. These archaners have an almost seamless connection with aether and are capable of wielding it in seemingly impossible ways.
"So, this is the product of Brannon-Brook, ha? Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. I believe this was our first 80-plus for the year!"
The group applauds Jocelyn as she returns to their fold.
The graduates of Brannon-Brook are now bubbling with excitement, eager to find out their own results.
GAIA proceeds to read the next name and the process continues, assessing each member of the group in turn.
Ghazal receives a resonance level of 81.
He broke out in loud celebration before having a chance to be removed from the Prism harness, causing him to tumble among its apparatus, much to the dismay of all the GAARD personnel assisting in the assessment.
Lucien Fontaine walked away with a resonance level of 91, the highest of the day. His ego would not let him mark the celebration without a prideful remark of his exceptionalism to the rest of the graduates.
Finally, it was Reyn's turn.
"Ah, and last but not least. Mr. Mitchells! Lunara's boy. ha. This should be a good one." The doctor smiles as Reyn approaches the Prism.
Of course he was last, Reyn thinks to himself. Why would he have any other luck?
Reyn moves into the Prism.
He tries to reassure himself as the harness moves and needles twitch into position.
"Reject the impossible. Victory or death."
He always hated the cheesy, cliqueness of the catchphrase his mom would shout when they played pretend games of superheroes. But, in that moment, it was his life-line.
The doctor smirks as he looks at Reyn fixed into the Prism harness and points out a raised thumb. "GAIA, proceed!" He yells.
Reyn closes his eyes and braces for the worst.
It starts.
The aether, the vibrations, the energy.
They all race through him like a raging torrent hitting his subconscious like a brick wall before bursting through.
Reyn winces.
The vibrations grow stronger as the aether keeps pushing deeper and deeper into his body.
His mind twists under the new sensation, forcing out a thought.
"Reject the Impossible!"
He concentrates on the thought with all his mind, controlling his breathing and relaxing his body as he did.
The vibrations settle and his mind clears, all that is left is calm and clarity, the aether within him converted from a vortex to a calm ocean.
He breaths.
Four seconds in. Four seconds out.
The silence surrounding him becomes palpable.
Reyn wonders when it would end.
He wonders why nobody was saying anything, why his assessment was taking so long.
He hesitantly opens his eyes and everyone in the room stares at him, their expressions filled with confusion.
31 floors above them, in the GAARD Director's office, a man watches in silence.
His sullen face moves closer to the monitor on his desk, his brow deepening in wild speculative thoughts as he witnesses the scene happening inside the Prism.
"W-what happened?" Reyn looks around in confusion.
Doctor Ravinok looks at Reyn then back up at the screen in the center of the room.
Reyn's eyes follow him, as did everyone else's in the room, and every eye that watched on a monitor from afar.
- ASSESSMENT COMPLETE. RESONANCE LEVEL: [ERROR] -
"GAIA, run the numbers again! This makes no sense." The doctor shouts in frustrated confusion.
"I have already confirmed the calculations, doctor. The error persists. It seems the algorithm may be incomplete."
"What! Impossible! We have perfected it. How can this be?"
The doctor grabs his brow, furiously trying to make sense of the situation.
He and the scientific minds at GAARD, with the assistance of GAIA, had spent almost 2 decades perfecting the resonance assessment program.
"Hahaha, forgive me." He laughs as he collects his thoughts. "This - this is disappointing. But, this is science. We learn, we improve, we perfect."
The doctor turns his attention back to Reyn, gently helping the young man out of the Prism.
"Mitchells' boy, I do not know what this means yet, but we will answer this question too. We always do, eventually. This may be big! Big! Much to think about!" The doctor exclaims in excitement before awkwardly waddling off to a nearby console, scratching his head and mumbling in Russian. "GAIA, send all the Mitchells boy's data to my personal computer. I'll be working late again. Bah!"
Reyn nods and thanks the doctor before making his way back to the group. He rubs his hands through his hair, as if trying to rub the disbelief from his mind which was now racing with new possibilities.
Friendly hands touch and rub his shoulders as he moves through the group, congratulating and consoling him.
On the group's periphery, Lucien scowls, whispering curses in Reyn's direction.
Ghazal grabs him in a rough embrace as soon as they meet.
"What the fuck was that?" Ghazal whispers loudly, barely able to contain his excited confusion. "Your level is so high it broke their machine! Mom would be proud, mate!"
Doctor Ravinok concludes the assessments and leads the group back out of the Prism lab where Agent McCain is waiting for them.
Ravinok is barely able to catch his breath as he loudly ponders what the future would hold for the soon-to-be archaners.
"Tomorrow then graduates! We go to the Forge! Next step in your journey. Big step. Painful step! But Brannon-Brook has brought solid materials for the Forge. We will make great weapons of you!" The doctor announces with a hearty laugh before disappearing into a puddle of particles.
"Well done recruits, you've really made Brannon-Brook proud. An average resonance level of 75 across the board, exceptional!" Agent McCain smiles as she claps her hands, encouraging the students to join her.
She turns her attention to Reyn, her smile turning to a grin. "But you, Mr. Mitchells, The agency will be keeping a very close eye on your progress. Your situation is proving to be - unique."
Reyn nods emotionlessly in response.
He walks in line with the rest of the graduates, slightly disappointed with the assessment results, but Ghazal's insinuations ease his mind.
Reyn starts to smile as he walks.
"The Mitchells boy smiles now too? You're just full of surprises…"
Reyn turns his head to the familiar voice. Jocelyn smiles at him from across the hallway.
"Thanks Jose… I, uh, yeah. Gaz was just talking, uh, just talking about my mom."
"Oh yeah, Great Queen of the Elements. You know you got her good looks? Maybe you're gonna get that amazing power too. I could get jealous." Jocelyn smirks as she stares at Reyn intently.
Reyn's eyes widened as blood flushed his face. He hesitates to respond, trying to find the right words.
"Type synchronization soon. Looking forward to it?" Jocelyn interjects. Rescuing Reyn from the silence that starts to separate them.
"Oh, yeah, of course. Of course! You?"
"Yep. What are you hoping for?"
"Uh, you know, elemental manipulation would be pretty cool. Or vibro-kinesis like Ayame Kurosawa. I dunno, anything suitable for the frontline I guess." Reyn shrugs, silently lamenting his brain's refusal to provide more articulate responses.
"Hm, Ayame, huh." She scoffs with a shrug. "Personally, I'm hoping for a healing skill. I know, they're super rare. But, can you imagine? Combat skills are only useful out there when a gate opens up. Support skills are useful all the time right? Healing more than any other."
"Hm, yeah, I - I guess you're right…"
"Yeah. I know it's not the popular choice. No combat. No fame and prestige. Spending all your days putting broken people back together. But I dunno, I guess I fell for the whole - Healing wounds and mending hearts - spiel. Really resonated with me ya, know." Jocelyn smiles, Reyn could tell there was a kindness and sincerity in her voice, something he noticed since meeting her at the academy.
"You'd make a great healer Jose." Reyn smiles back.
"Sure! Thanks Mitchells. I'm sure you'll make a good… anything." Jocelyn nods with a copy smirk and hurries ahead.
"Hey, hey! You're barely out of the test tube and you're already snagging the ladies!" Ghazal teases as he catches up to Reyn, having annoyed McCain enough.
"Ugh, shut up Gaz!"
"C'mon, man, you did something crazy in there! You see the look on the fat guy's face? Impossible, he says! Ha! Reject the Impossible!" Ghazal laughs.
"Victory or Death!" Reyn responds with a chuckle.
The friends bump their fists triumphantly and march along with the rest of the group as they playfully ponder the possibilities of their futures at GAARD.
The graduates eventually return back to the building lobby after some more touring of the A.R.A. Complex.
"From here you'll be taken on a short tour of the rest of the GAARD complex and briefed on various facilities you'll be making use of during your time here at GAARD HQ." McCain debriefs the graduates as she points them in the direction of a block of apartments about 500 meters from the HQ. "Afterwards, you'll be dropped off at your dormitories, located in the residential section, just west of Main Administration."
The quiet main street stretches off from east-to west, adjoined here and there by more roads that lined the facility. The occasional staff and personnel could be seen dotting the landscape.
The facility is immaculate, as if every stone and blade of grass had been placed by hand. Effectively a small self-contained corporate town, GAARD spared little expense ensuring the HQ had everything the organization needed to fulfill its goals.
"The dorms here have some pretty good accommodations and facilities. All your personal materials and affects have already been taken to your assigned rooms. There's a shared kitchen stocked with a decent selection too, feel free to grab some grub. Tomorrow is another big day. ARCH-unit installations!" The agent's smiles, her face slowly turning into a sly grin. "Make sure you get some rest, graduates. You're gonna need it."