Getting a Technology System in Modern Day

For hours, Dreznor spoke, recounting every memory that surfaced. His voice wavered at times, thick with emotion, but he pressed on. He told Little Protagonist about his past, the life he once had, and the chains that had bound him ever since he was fifteen.

His civilization had lost a brutal war against a neighboring power, and the terms of surrender had been merciless. Anyone who had played a role in the war—whether as a soldier, a medic, a logistics officer, or even a mere clerk in the government—was stripped of their freedom. Families of these individuals were not spared either. Some were forced into indentured servitude, while others, like Dreznor and his mother, were outright sold as slaves. His father, being a valiant General who had fought to the very end and perished on the battlefield, sealed their fate. Yet fortune intervened, as Dreznor and his mother found themselves purchased together by a single owner.

For thirty years, Dreznor had known nothing but servitude. He had grown accustomed to the weight of chains, to the reality that his existence belonged to another. Then, one day, his path intertwined with hers, his wife, a woman whose fate had been just as cruelly dictated by war. She, too, was the daughter of a fallen soldier and had been purchased by the same master who owned Dreznor. Their shared suffering forged a deep connection, and despite the bleakness of their circumstances, they found love in the darkness. From that love, their son, Lirien, was born, a small glimmer of hope in a life that had offered them so little.

As he spoke of his wife and child, his voice faltered, his grief raw and unfiltered. The pain was almost unbearable, but he forced himself to continue.

By law, the children of slaves were not supposed to inherit their parents’ status, and Dreznor had clung to that hope for his son’s future. He had dreamed of the day his child would walk free, unburdened by the chains that had weighed him down for decades. But the reality was far crueler. Slave owners often ignored the rules, exploiting loopholes or outright forging documents to keep the next generation in servitude.

Determined to prevent that fate, Dreznor had worked relentlessly to earn his master’s trust. It was the only path available to him, the only way to gain even the slightest influence. If he could become valuable enough, indispensable even, then perhaps he could ensure his son’s freedom.

His efforts bore fruit. Their master came to trust him deeply, so much so that he included Dreznor and his family in his will, granting them their long-awaited freedom. But trust meant knowledge, and knowledge was dangerous. Dreznor had spent years within the household, privy to secrets that the master’s family would rather keep buried. Greed and self-interest prevailed over honor, and as soon as their master passed away, his family had no intention of honoring the will.

Dreznor quickly realized the truth: if they stayed, they would be forced back into slavery, with no escape this time. And so, he began to plan.

He couldn’t do it alone. He reached out to others, fellow slaves and indentured servants whom he had come to trust over his forty years of servitude. Together, they devised a plan, carefully orchestrating their escape. But fate was unkind.

One of their master’s family members grew suspicious. Their window of opportunity was closing faster than expected, forcing them to act sooner than they had prepared for. The rushed escape left them vulnerable, and in their desperation to flee, they made mistakes. Mistakes that would cost them everything.

Throughout this time, Little Protagonist listened intently, her glowing form unmoving. She did not interrupt, nor did she offer empty words of comfort. While Dreznor was speaking in the virtual reality space, events were progressing in the real world.

Currently, Dreznor’s actual body was lying inside a medpod aboard one of Nyx’s ships, where advanced medical systems analyzed every aspect of his physiology. His neural activity, memories, and physical condition were all being meticulously examined to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment he would receive.

Meanwhile, the remnants of the ship he had escaped on were still nearby. The infiltration vessel, which had intercepted and recovered him, continued on the same trajectory as the destroyed ship. The ship extracted every piece of recoverable data. Among the invaluable findings was a detailed star map of the sector, an unexpected boon that immediately reduced the overall mission’s difficulty by five percent.

“But where exactly is this? I remember passing out before finding myself here,” Dreznor asked, his voice steadier now that he had finished his long recounting of his past and had managed to calm down slightly.

{Oh, this is a virtual reality,} Little Protagonist replied, adjusting the surroundings slightly. The cozy room subtly shifted, walls rippling like liquid before settling into a slightly different design. She was carefully building rapport with him, ensuring he felt at ease before steering the conversation toward what she truly needed from him.

“Virtual reality?” Dreznor echoed, his eyes widening in surprise as he watched the instantaneous changes unfold around him.

……………………..

“Yes, this is a technology we had been developing for some time, but we only truly perfected it after acquiring knowledge from the Zelvora and Vlathorins regarding the mental network and the Pride Nexus,” Masimbi explained once the discussion shifted to the fourth topic of the meeting, Virtual Reality. His words took everyone by surprise.

“Thanks to their insights and our own breakthroughs, we’ve created what could be considered a near-perfect replica of the real world. Those capable of controlling their psyche can access it directly if an antenna is nearby, while those without that ability can use devices like these.”

As he spoke, the hologram in the center of the room shifted, displaying various VR access devices. The lineup included sleek headgear, immersive VR pods, and a massive spherical structure that dwarfed all the other devices.

What the fuck?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Zelvora representative was reeling, his mind struggling to process what he had just heard. He hadn’t even seen a product demonstration yet, but the mere claim alone sent a wave of unease through him. Goosebumps crawled up his arms as an unsettling realization took hold.

Mental networks were their field of expertise. The Vlathorins came second with their Pride Nexus, which was, at best, a rudimentary imitation of what the Zelvora had perfected over thousands of years. Even with extensive collaboration with technologically advanced civilizations, they had yet to develop a true technological replacement for the mental network.

And yet… the Empire, which had only gotten its hands on their technology about a year and a half ago, had already managed to achieve it?

No fucking way.

Every instinct screamed that they were bluffing. But then the more logical part of his mind countered with an even more terrifying thought, ‘Why would the Empire make such an outrageous claim if the tech wasn’t ready?’ The risk of public embarrassment alone should have been enough to deter them.

While he and the other representatives who had been forced to hand over their technology after losing to the Emperor were consumed by shock and disbelief, their minds shifted from skepticism to fear.

If this claim turned out to be true, it would threaten their dominance in their respective fields. The implications were terrifying, if the Empire could digest such complex and specialized knowledge in such a short amount of time, then their own technological secrets were not far from being turned into products.

And worst of all? They had willingly handed their expertise over to the Emperor.

Meanwhile, those who had not been directly implicated saw an entirely different opportunity.

They understood the value of a mental network. They had experienced its benefits firsthand countless times while cooperating with the Zelvora. If what the Empire’s representative was saying was true, if they had even managed to replicate some of its rudimentary capabilities, then this technology was beyond valuable.

It wasn’t just a breakthrough. It was a goldmine.

And if the Empire was truly in possession of it, they would be more than willing to pay whatever price was necessary to acquire it for their own use.