The Heart Of Pandorum

Prologue

Run,
She hurried her pace, but only slightly. Running would be foolish, it would attract too much attention, creating a stir and make it easier for them to find her. She held her breath, trying to pacify her surging lungs and focused on the path ahead. Ignoring the shimmering advertising holograms along the way as she passed by the numerous shopping malls filled with people eager to get the latest products to fill their urge for the MATERIAL that the Aegis Corporation fed to the masses on a daily basis, like dogs fed by their master to keep them under his boot.

Still, the place buzzed with energy. She had always enjoyed the trips through the commons, finding it relaxing to be outside the coffin like rooms of her family's mansion. The people who usually were lively and joyful in her last trip, this time felt somewhat threatening. 'They are watching me..?' Anxiously she scanned the shopkeepers, peddlers, passerby, scanning for anyone suspicious and yet she wasn't sure what she was looking for. Her lack of social understanding of commoners was obvious, being raised by her Elites to look down on others without the same wealth as their own. She tugged at her cloak's hood, bringing it closer to her face. She had lost count on just how many times she did so already, although nothing could keep her from being utterly exposed.

Her throat tightened, the path was dense, packed with too many people to count. The young girl clenched her Fists, consolidating her resolve No, I can't stop now! She took a deep breath, the slightly smelly air filling her lungs. Unlike at the Mansion, every since lump of air was filtered to a molecular level to ensure not one particle of impurity stained the atmosphere of her "home". Funny that she never felt once at home during the 18 years of her life between those strong, fancy walls. She looked up at the seemingly perfect blue sky with identical clouds moving around and next to the Sun was Holographic projections, showing what time it was.Yes, It wasn't even an actual sky, but rather an enormous metallic dome with a screen underneath it that simulated the Sky of Planet Earth. Even outside her mansion, it still was a prison albeit it felt less like one once outside, but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted MORE, she wanted to be unshackled and let out of this birdcage and witness the world in its truest form.

Her train of thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the stomps of men dressed in black suits passing by, no doubt looking for the escaped convict and to bring her back to her cell. The girl's lips cracked a forced grin before stepping forward and lunging into the crowd, like a snake slithering across the tight cracks, she kept going, holding on tight to the one thing she sought more than anything : Freedom.

Elsewhere,
Valles Marineris. A system of canyons that runs along the Martian surface east of the Tharsis region. At more than 4,000 km long, 200 km wide and up to 7 km deep, Valles Marineris is one of the largest canyons of the Solar System. Deep within it, the sounds of metal pickaxes striking the side of a mine, reverberated throughout the orange brown tunnels, alongside the manly grunts and puffs of the workers, doing their best to earn their keep. "Harder! Y'all! Remember the company pays you for this!" Came the grumpy muffled voice behind the mine workers who were spending every ounce of their energy to forage through the rocks. No matter how advanced their pickaxes were, digging through the rocks of Mars' bowels were no easy feat.

Unfortunately the only thing that the Aegis Corporation cared about, was the profit that lied underneath the surface of this desolate planet without much care for those dirtying their hands for its sake.

One of the workers in particular was younger than his peers, his smaller gloved hands were holding a piece of crystal emanating a purple hue which twinkled on his Hazmat mask covered eyes as a wide grin ornated his face. Instead of placing it in the electric minecart, he sneakily slid it in a hidden pocket before picking his pickaxe once more and feigning to be working 'And that makes 15 today!' The young man grunted as he swung the pickaxe, slamming it against the hard rocks. The sound of the electronic bell signaled the end of their shift and they had to exit the tunnel in a straight line and greeted outside by a Cyborg whom they had to present their IDs to.

It was all so monotonous, living a meaningless life as a worm under the heel of a company that owned the lives of all those who lived in this desolate rock . The boy flashed his ID to the Droid, sighing as he took off his hazmat mask and took a breath of the air outside . It didn't reek as much as that in there but it wasn't really to his liking either.

Looking up to the pinkish red color of the Martian Sky with a blue sun glowing in the distance. But that wasn't what he was interested In. His keen eyes darted over to the horizon. Here it was, Elysium , the Capital city of Mars. A Three Hundred miles Diameter metallic dome covering a massive futuristic city where the rich lived their lives in Debauchery and luxurious comfort,and the Headquarters of Aegis Corporation.

With enough money, one could try to settle there in hopes to attain a better than to live in the satellites, small Terraformed spaces of Mars with unstable conditions, making it difficult to lead a normal life In the unsightly labor centered settlements, especially with the bad weather and storms that could arise any day at random intervals.
Satellites were simply the dwellings of the lower class. Not even what would qualify as a decent place to live, rather it was more of a factory like estate and every citizen had to work daily to get to live here in return.

He was snapped out of his day dreaming by his colleague behind him, nudging him rudely to move ahead. The boy let out a growl and picked back his ID and strode past the guards, unaware of his smuggled crystals which he kept hidden under his baggy jacket. 'One day I'll make it there, like father once did.. All I need is the money. No more digging as from now on.. ' . Reaching to his secret stash of crystals under his clothes, he smiled upon feeling the weight of it. It was just a matter of time until he would leave this satellite dump he resided in all by himself and made way to a better life, believing that it was his destiny to achieve something with his life under the domed city. Life belonged to the cunning and the audacious, not to those who grovel on their knees to others. And he wanted to truly Live his life. Little did he know that destiny had other plans for him.