The blaring sound of an alarm ripped through the room before dawn, dragging Oren from a restless sleep. The cold mechanical voice over the intercom followed immediately:
"All participants, report to the dining hall for breakfast in ten minutes. Breakfast last from 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM."
Oren groaned, rubbing his eyes.
Neil, already awake and grinning as usual, stretched and shot Oren a thumbs-up.
"Rise and shine, roomie! Breakfast time! Bet it's gonna be some top-tier stuff. Gotta fuel up for the big day!"
Does this guy ever run out of energy? Oren thought, resisting the urge to glare. Probably not.
He looked up to see one of his other roommates already awake and fully dressed, but his last roommate still lay in bed, a pillow pressed over his head, trying to drown out the voices.
"Good morning," he said groggily.
"Morning, Oren. You were asleep when we all came in, so we introduced ourselves," Neil said, approaching him for a handshake.
Oren looked at Neil's hand and reluctantly took it, thinking at least he could try and get along with the boy. He was his roommate, after all.
"How did you know my name?" Oren asked, realizing he had never told Neil his name on the bus, no matter how much he pestered him.
"After we were done introducing ourselves, I just guessed. Yours was the only name left on the board."
"Oh."
"Yeah, that is Akari," he said, pointing to the guy by the locker, who turned around and waved at him. "And sleeping beauty over there is Aliyu," he gestured to the guy on the bed.
"Thanks for the intro, I need to quickly take a shower," Oren replied, standing up to go to the bathroom attached to their room.
"Sure, man."
After his shower, he came out to find both Neil and Akari gone, and Aliyu sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for him.
As he saw Oren step out, Aliyu stood up and grabbed his towel.
"They said we should meet them at the dining hall."
"Okay," Oren replied simply before heading to the locker with his number.
He opened it to see three blue military-style outfits of the same color with the number DISN135 sewn onto them, and five white tops with the same number printed onto them.
He quickly changed, put on his watch and waited for Aliyu to come out.
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The dining hall was massive, cold, and metallic, much like the rest of the facility. Long rows of steel tables stretched across the room. Drones hovered overhead, scanning trays and participants alike.
Oren stepped into the line, grabbing a metal tray. The food was... predictably disappointing. A portion of nutrient paste, a slice of bread, an apple, and a cup of water. The paste smelled faintly of something bland, it was probably fish.
Neil plopped down next to Oren with his usual grin. "Not bad! Could be worse, right?" He took a big spoonful of the paste and grimaced. "Okay... maybe it could be a little better."
Oren shook his head, forcing himself to eat. Fuel is fuel.
As the participants ate, the intercom blared again:
"Breakfast time is complete. Report to the Orientation Hall immediately. You have 15 minutes. Failure to arrive on time will lead to disciplinary action."
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Orientation Hall
The Orientation Hall was a massive amphitheater, large enough to house thousands of participants. Rows of seats surrounded a central podium where a stern-looking officer stood, hands clasped behind their back. Large holographic screens flickered to life behind them, displaying information in glowing letters.
As soon as the last participant was seated, the officer spoke, their voice amplified by unseen speakers.
"Welcome to the Trials of E.D.E.N. You have been selected as representatives of Earth, and for the next six years, your survival and performance will determine the fate of this planet. You are not here by choice, but your actions will dictate whether you return home—or are lost forever."
A hush fell over the room as the reality of the situation settled in.
"The first trial is survival-based. You will be transported to different environments with unknown dangers. Your mission is simple: adapt, endure, and persevere. Fail, and you will not be among those who return."
The screen behind them shifted, displaying a schedule:
Daily Schedule:
06:30 AM - 08:00 AM: Breakfast
08:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Combat & Physical Training
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM: Lunch Break
01:00 PM - 04:00 PM: Survival Training & Environmental Adaptation
04:30 PM - 06:30 PM: Debriefing & Strategy Sessions
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM: Dinner
08:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Self-Study or Recovery Time
10:30 PM: Lights Out
"The week will focus on training and information acquisition," the officer continued. "You will learn the fundamental skills necessary to survive. Combat, resource gathering, shelter construction, and environmental adaptation. The more you learn now, the higher your chances of survival in the actual trials."
The screens changed again, listing several key rules:
Rules & Regulations:
Obedience to Instructors: All commands given by training personnel must be followed without hesitation.
No Unauthorized Fighting: Any combat outside of training sessions is strictly prohibited.
Mandatory Participation: Every participant must engage in all scheduled activities.
Equipment Management: You will be assigned essential gear—loss or damage due to negligence will have consequences.
Curfew Enforcement: All participants must be in their assigned quarters by lights out.
No Outside Contact: Once training begins, no communication with the outside world will be allowed.
"Disciplinary action will be immediate for any rule violations," the officer warned. "This is not a game. This is life or death."
The room remained silent as the weight of those words hung in the air.
"Now, you will be given a debriefing on your first challenge. The survival trial is two years long, and the environments will vary. You may find yourself in a desert, tundra, oceanic region, or somewhere far worse. Your training will prepare you for these challenges."
A final screen appeared, showing images of past trial environments—lush jungles, barren wastelands, frozen landscapes, and alien terrains filled with dangerous creatures.
"Your training starts immediately after this session. Prepare yourselves. Your survival depends on it."
With that, the officer dismissed them, and the real work began.