webnovel

STEM: The Underground City

~When dust turns to gold~ Following an invasion by a reptile-like species called Khalgora in the year 2043, humanity is forced to take a final stance in a gruesome confrontation that threatened it's existence into an apocalyptic demise. After decades of tactical execution of all its skills and resources man triumphs over beast. But only barely. With stenches of death and wails of suffering, the earth is left desolate, infertile with an atmosphere deteriorating at an alarming speed. The only habitat lies below. Year 2311. Welcome to STEM city. STEM (an abbreviation for ' Safe Territorially Erected Megalopolis'), is an underground Empire and home to the surviving earth inhabitants, sheltering them from the harsh conditions of the rubbled earth's surface. But even in this city where intellectual geniuses wheeled a minor underground refuge operation to a major megalopolis, slums existed. These slums like any other, are regions with insufficient supply of amenities from the Megalopolis' authority leading to hunger, suffocation and high rate of death by major lung diseases. Diana and her brother Axel are twin siblings who were born and brought up in these slums, lose everything but even in this great abyss of darkness, find a ray of hope, Polaris. Polaris academy is an institution erected by the collaboration of the major pillaring powers of STEM to raise potential superhumans in skills such as martial arts, elemental abilities, advanced sciences and much more, all to help in the exploration of the earth surface now being roamed by foreign beasts who pose a threat to the underground empire. In a world where the weak were preyed on and only the strong thrived, two poor kids with no background find themselves in this academy among astoundingly skilled minds from powerful families fighting for the same spot as them. Can they survive the competition and level up or will they return to the hell they came from? **** ~Excerpt ~ " Attention all factions, report to the portal station in an hour. A live Khalgora is loose in Flouresce, we need to contain it before any damage is done to civilians. Go!" The message set all students of Polaris in an uproar. **** What happens when humanity's mortal enemy is able to infiltrate this fortified empire? ---------------- A/N: cover obtained from the internet. All credits to the creator(s).

MarcyGold · Sci-fi
Not enough ratings
22 Chs

Teleportation station

The Titani teleportation station was packed with people who were travelling across provinces but didn't have the time or patience to go by road.

They also couldn't go by air because travelling by air in STEM was extremely risky and not allowed, except for special situations.

The air levels up there were very low so airplanes could not function at such great heights.

Apart from that fact, the skyline was not high enough to accommodate high flying machines like planes.

Hence places were almost completely out of use.

Teleportation had taken over the transportation business.

The discovery of this technology had moved the concept of transportation to a wider horizon. People, cars, luggage, large scale goods a lot more were able to be transported at convenience.

Now at the gate with many people bidding their loved ones goodbye before they stepped past the gate that scanned them for harmful objects, the guard stared at the children.

He still couldn't believe what he was holding belonged to them but had no option but to return it to them

He also had to let them enter the building as he was bound by the rules of their organisation.

He had to let everyone who intended to travel in if they had no harmful objects on them. He had stopped them because he thought they lost their way but apparently they knew what they were doing.

"The receptionist at the desk will also ask for your

result slip, show it to her and she'll direct you to the portal room." He gave them the slip and watched them enter the building.

Did they know how pure thy were? Probably not.What they held was a test result that children born of noble blood dreamt of having and would often boast in if they had acquired such level of potential power.

--------------------------

As the guardsman had told them, they met a receptionist who was the nicest woman they had ever met.

As her job required her, she was polite all customers no matter who they were.

"Welcome to Titani Portal station. Where is your destination?" Her signature smile which had been blistered on her face since they spotted her shone beautifully.

"Paris Academy" They showed her the slip which was equivalent to a ticket.

Her smile froze when she collected the slip and soon enough it disappeared.

She looked up at the supposed owners of the results in her hands with doubt but she nodded anyway.

"ugh... Ok. Sure " She stammered for the first time in all her working years in this establishment.

She pressed the Bluetooth device in her ear and spoke into it gently, asking for someone to come and take them to a room called the 'Pioneer lines'

After her call ended, a tall man came to take them to the location of the portal.

The were then taken to a room which had the sign 'Pioneer lines:Raven-polaris' on sign hanging over the glass door.

Through the door they could already see the contents of the room.

A bluish white porta wasl swirling while four staff were on standby incase there were any complications with the transporter.

Standing in the room along with the staffs were two people of the same age range as Axel and Diana.

As the tall man pushed open the glass door, they felt the heat produced in the room wash over them warming their faces up.

A blonde haired boy stood in the room with a girl of the same hair color by his side.

They were about to step into the portal zone before the entry of Axel and Diana.

They looked at Axel and Diana with belittling gazes.

The girl burst into giggles as she took in their appearance.

" Apparently the academy is recruiting cleaners too" She spoke with her pitchy voice lacking any form of respect.

" Stop jumping into conclusions Elisa. Even cleaners ought to look more decent" Their grey eyes shone brightly in the room.

Theit matching eyes and similar hair color spoke of their blood relationship.

They were definitely related by blood.

Could they be siblings?

"How did they get here?" The boy asked the girl whose cold eyes didn't look as curious as the boy's.

"Maybe they missed their way" She shrugged as she looked at them.

A staff approached the duo and spoke calmly "Lord Brentford, you're a few minutes behind your schedule. It's advisable that you walk in already " The guard spoke respectfully to the children like she had known them before their meeting today.

This was definitely a possibility since they seemed like they frequented the portals very well.

"Why are they here? " He asked the brown haired staff who brought them to this room ignoring the woman who had just spoken to him. A clear sign of arrogance.

"They are eligibles" the guard spoke with hesitance in his voice. It seemed like the news had been relayed to the guard quick, but even he could not believe it.

"How is that possible ?" The boy questioned while the woman who had advised him earlier looked at the girl with pleading eyes.

She understood the message then rolled her eyes as she pulled on her companion's arm.

" Let's go. We have better things to do that pay attention to insignificant people as such" The boy hesitantly followed his her even though his eyes clearly showed his curiosity in the twins

As they watched the duo walk into the porta,l the lights swirling in the portal rippled like it was made of water when they walked through it.

"It's your turn now" The man who had brought them to the room stated.

"Thank you. " Axel bowed to the guard and walked forward with Diana by his side.

"Thank you very much for travelling Titani. You may enter the portal" A young female staff of this station, who was standing in the room, bowed out of courtesy to the kids.

After she said that, she retreated to stand with the other staff whom they met when they walked into this room.

They approached the warm swirling oval that was a gateway to a different world from the one they were in right now.

As they stepped into portal, surprisingly the rays of light which made up the total felt like a fluid on their bodies, exerting fluid pressure on them. They felt their body grow warm and their insides shake.

The feeling was utterly nauseating and uncomfortable in an indescribable way.

Diana clutched her stomach "Ugh. I think I'm going to..." Her voice died down when she realised where they were.