Earth had finally optimized itself. Corporations owned everything — governments handled the branding. Nobody questioned the arrangement out loud. From the top of the cities, it looked perfect. From below, it looked accurate.
Kenji Miller was in training for nine months. That's what the brochure said. That's what everyone signed up for. But during training a mail comes.
[ CHIME — ORBIS SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
"Congratulations. Your training period has been revised." Kenji leaned back in his chair. "Revised usually means worse.""Duration: four months."
He blinked. "That's… not worse.""Accelerated placement confirmed," the system added. "Knew it. I'm just that good."
"You've been selected for early deployment.""Destination?" Kenji asked. "Far-edge deep space engineering station. Clearance pending."
"Wow," he said softly. "They trust me with expensive mistakes already." He didn't question it. Nobody did. Orbis didn't explain things.
The contracts followed. Forty-seven of them.
"Do I get a bonus if I read these?""No.""Then we both save time."
He signed all forty-seven. Future Kenji's problem.
After 5 months. Kenji completes his training and gets ready to departure for station near HELIOPAUSE ( point after all escape sun's gravitation ). The one-side trip to that point should take 8 months and 12 days.
"Report to sleep transfer bay.""Straight to space?" Kenji muttered. "No awkward goodbyes. I like it."
He didn't remember lying down. In deep sleep humans metabolism get slower in a coma like state.
[ PSSSHHH — CHAMBER SEAL RELEASING ]
The sleep chamber hissed like it had secrets. Kenji's eyes snapped open — throat dry, ears popping under pressure that didn't behave. "Deep space," he whispered. "Nice."
A arm extended towards kenji. Uniform and Boots.
[ CLUNK — MAGNETIC BOOTS HANDED OVER ]
"…Boots?" Kenji frowned. "That's new."
He stepped out and felt it instantly. Gravity existed. It just didn't feel committed to the job. "Okay," he said slowly. "Either the station's broken… or I am."
[ CLACK CLACK CLACK — MAGNETIC BOOTS ON METAL FLOOR ]
Each step echoed too cleanly through a hallway far too large for any station he'd studied. Too wide. Too tall. Too quiet. This is either a very big station or a very small lie.
"Hello" he said towards the lady who give him uniform and boots.
A man stood ahead — grey coat perfectly still, like motion required his permission. He hadn't moved. He'd simply been waiting. The way predators wait. Either that man is very calm or he's been standing there for hours. Both options are unsettling.
"Good," Kenji said. The man approached. Calm. Precise. Each step measured. "Dr. K. Kein," he said. "You are awake."
"Kenji Miller. Early deployment. Deep space." He gestured around. "Big fan so far." Kein studied him the way someone reads a report they already know the conclusion of. "Follow me."
They walked. Kein said nothing. Kenji counted eleven seconds before he broke. "So. This doesn't feel like a space station.""It is not," Kein replied.
"Right. So where am I?" Kein paused. Just slightly. The way someone pauses before saying something rehearsed. "The moon."
Kenji laughed "…you're serious.". Kein didn't.
"Yes and you been to sleep for 18 hours."
Kenji exhaled slowly. "Okay. So Orbis lied, moved me here without asking, and skipped the part where that's alarming.""Correct," Kein said pleasantly. "Cool. Cool cool cool."
The contracts. I should have read the contracts.
"Why am I here?""All in good time, Mr. Miller.""That answer should be illegal.""It is efficient," Kein said.
They stopped before a massive reinforced door. It looked less like an entrance. More like a warning. Kenji nodded toward it. "This where the real job starts?"
"This," Kein said, "is why you are here." He placed his palm on the panel.
[ KRRR-CHUNK — REINFORCED DOOR UNSEALING ][ HMMMMM — LOW CONSTANT DRONE FILLING THE AIR ]
Light flooded out. Not bright. Not natural. The hum deepened — steady, patient, wrong in a way Kenji's bones understood before his brain did. He tasted metal on his tongue.
"…what am I looking at?" he whispered.
The structure stood at the center — massive, impossible, folding space like it was optional. Beautiful in a way that suggested consequences.
"A portal," Kein said. Kenji let out a quiet laugh. "Of course it is."
"We require a subject to pass through," Kein continued, voice unchanged. "And let me guess—" Kenji started. "All prior subjects have died," Kein finished.
[ HMMMMMM — THE PORTAL BREATHES ]
The room felt like it was waiting. Kenji stared at it. The light folded. The air tasted like somewhere else.
Yeah. I definitely should have read those contracts.