The Path of a Titan: The Proving

Prologue

17 years ago

"Saintdamn it!" I scream in frustration. "Three thousand credits for this overpriced piece of garbage and it crashes again."

I roll back in my desk chair and let out a groan as I wait for my computer to restart for the third time today. The two moons gleam through my office window, the stars soothe me like a warm blanket after coming in from a snowy day. I flick my wrist to open my palmphone and read through the half a dozen missed messages from my wife. She went into labor an hour ago and is asking me if I left work. I promised her I'd meet her at the hospital but this saintdamn computer keeps crashing and stopping me from finishing my work. I'm about to just log off and say hex it but I'm conflicted on the time I could be losing on my project.

While my computer slowly awakens once again, I slide myself back into my work. I skim over the endless notes and calculations in my notebook for my Subdermal Parasite Inducing Nanorobotic Enhancers project, also known as Project SPINE. If I can perfect the nanites and develop them properly, my project alone could put Harmony back in the United Territories. My home territory of Harmony has been looked at as a plague by the other territories of the world for nearly two hundred years. Trade routes were demolished from Dalton, imports from Alannah were seized, and we were left in the dark to rot and prey on each other to survive. SPINE will be exactly what this territory needs to show the Sovereign that we are civilized, and Harmony can receive the resources to modernize.

Project SPINE is a spinal implant that is surgically implanted onto the brain stem. Once induced, millions of microscopic nanites will deploy into the body and through the cerebral cortex of the patient's brain. Their job is to split neurotransmitters and increase the reproduction of red blood cells, then divide and morph into grey matter to create a faster, more ingenious subject over time. The only thing that is stopping me and causing countless delays is that all my test subjects have been murdered by it. My nanites are freakishly adaptive but also extremely picky when it comes to feeding. They feed on stem cells, the lifeforce of the human body. Without stem cells, humans can't heal, and eventually, the nanites will eat the host from the inside out. Knowing that there's no way I can show this to the Sovereign until I can find some kind of way to develop a stem cell multiplier. To do that, I'd need outside help...

Ah! Finally, my computer is back on. A cute picture of my wife, Isabella, appears in a small circle above my log-in. Her smile is infectious and always brings a smile to my face like a hypnotic spell. As the prototype loads and codes start flooding through my screen, work is finally back underway. Just as I'm back in the groove, my palmphone rings. I ignore it guessing it's Isabella. If my wife needs me, she will call the secretary. I can't get work done if she keeps distracting me. My phone goes off again. I look to see who it is and it's an unknown outside number.

"Saintdamn it, are you serious? This better be good." I flick my hand to open my phone and answer the call. "Christian Paul, who is this?" I ask in my headset.

"Hello, old friend. Late night, as usual?" The man's hoarse voice is remarkably familiar. The voice of AlphaTitan Robert Fox, commander of one of Tyke's military legions, and Viceroy of our two moons. He is also my unforgivable emancipated half-brother who forged his way into the military at the illegal age of sixteen.

"What do you want, Robby?" I scorn. He hates being called that.
"You know exactly what I want, Christian. Let's be frank, you know why I am calling." My brother knows about SPINE and has been trying to buy it off of me for about five years now. Except what he wants to do is change my invention to create super soldiers for a worldwide planetary defense system. He talks about making the world safer, but I know him, he wants to rule, he wants to be Sovereign. As much as I agree with his opinion of our absolute ruler, I cannot, in good faith, sell my patent to a sociopathic narcissist who will use it for treason.