Euphoria (Prologue)

This is a prologue to a dystopian science fiction novel. It introduces the Underground Center of New Eden, a secret sanctuary built to counter a global ecological and biological catastrophe that began in the fall of 2025.

The chapter explains how civilization was destroyed: environmental degradation, a deadly virus, mass death, and the creation of zombie-like creatures. New Eden was humanity's last sanctuary amidst all of this.

✦♡ ✩ ♡✦

New Eden, Underground Center. Autumn 2025.

In the center of the room, there was a dim orange light, like it was the heart of an unknown creature. There was quiet in the office. Laina was perched on the edge of the table, gazing at the sphere that floated in the air. It was almost transparent, glassy, but inside it boiled a liquid the color of fire.

The sphere. One week ago, it appeared from nowhere. It was delivered by Stalker - a towering figure of a man in a protective suit, mask, and blue dreadlocks, who manifested at lunchtime like a ghost. He dumped his backpack on the floor and without saying a word, pulled it out.

Before starting the study, they let fall some drops of the special blood that is in the chosen hundred people into a lamp which holds the liquid of the sphere. The sphere absorbed the blood, its light quivered, changed. and died for a moment. Then it came back to life, weaker than before, but with new overflows. The sphere was breathing.

In a matter of days, the experiment was stopped. Anomaly activity, chemical instability, risk of infection - all this forced the twins to alter their behavior. They discovered, through connections with medical bases around the world, a hundred people with anomalous blood. They were invited. Some arrived immediately. Some - at the last moment.

For the world began to disappear.

Everything began in the fall of that year.

Groups of environmentalists all over the world held loud demonstrations on the streets, begging humanity to stop poisoning the world. They were ridiculed. They were called fanatics. But within a week the water was undrinkable. Humans began vomiting blood. Hospitals were filled.

Then things worsened.

Individuals who had been living ordinary lives yesterday were simply dropping dead on the streets today, their bodies covered in blisters. Death was not swift, but painful. But not everyone perished. Some of the corpses were getting back up. Their faces had lost all sense of humanity. They were not people, but things. Twisted, deformed, hungry.

The virus reached a new level. The air turned into a poisonous gas. Plant life rotted. Animals mutated or went mad. Humans disappeared from the surface, except for the few that managed to seek shelter.

The people in the Center survived.

The New Eden Center was built in 2020 in complete secrecy. Underground, with an artificial sun, virtual scenery of rain, the ocean, gardens. There were hospitals, schools, gardens, even theaters. But peace had a price.

After the disaster, Laina and Lewis founded a program that began a new history of humanity. Children were born, but the state claimed the first three. They were schooled, trained as warriors. Only the fourth child was permitted to stay with the family - to be raised among the artificial sky and safe streets of New Eden.

A new epoch began.

And now the year 2055 has come.

The world above is dead. The world below is alive.

Everything is just beginning.

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New Eden Center. Reception Hall. Autumn 2025.

The large, white-walled room was cold. The lighting was dim, yellowish--almost homey, if you didn't pay attention to the cold metal under your feet.

The doors to the freight elevator finally opened up with a soft chime. Someone was inside--men, women, and children. Twenty-six adults and thirteen toddlers in total. The children held hands or hid behind the knees of their parents, watching warily. Some held a toy, some held their mother's sleeve.

"Welcome," Laina said, taking a step forward. She was wearing a dark gray robe, her hair tied back in a tight bun, her face calm. "You're on time."

Lewis stood next to her--tall, silent, with a tablet in his hand. He just nodded.

Thank you for coming to accept our invitation," Laina continued. "You will receive a tour of your apartments. In the coming days, we will have several organizational sessions where we will establish the rules of habiting the Center. For now, rest.".

One of the women pursed her lips. She stood next to a man in a black suit that looked too good for an underground bunker. There was a small child next to them.

"So we are just.. residing here now?" the woman asked with a wry irony.

"Yes," Laina answered factually. "This is your new home now."

"Like a resort, except underground," someone complained behind them.

The children glanced around them: the glittering floors, the strange lights on the ceiling, some silently gliding robots, with boxes or files. It did not seem quite real, like being in a movie.

"And if the child might want to have a walk?" asked another mother.

"We have gardens, libraries, game rooms," answered Lewis.

"Anything is provided here."

Some of the newcomers looked around at each other. Someone let out a deep breath. Nobody complained, though.

"But the main thing is that we are alive", said one of the group quietly.

"You will have bracelets," said Laina. "They will open the doors to your apartments. And they will serve as passes in other areas of the Center. There will be a special adaptation program for children.

"Isn't it too soon?" remarked a man in a dark green coat. He tousled his son's head.

"No," returned Laina brusquely. "Quite the contrary."

The security parted. In front of the arrivals, a door swung open into the main corridor -- white, almost sterile, with an almost imperceptible line of light along the floor.

They walked cautiously, the kids began playing a little bolder, some followed running, some murmured softly under their breath.

Each of them lived in flats in different wings. Every family was given a large block - two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, an air control system. Virtual reality swirled in the windows: now a forest, now a lake, now rain over stone houses.

In the evening of the same day, they all gathered briefly in the large hall.

"Is that all?" asked one woman with a tired face and a downcast look. "No explanations?"

"There will be explanations," said Lewis. "But slowly. You shouldn't be loaded up at once."

"But why us?" asked one man barely audibly.

Nobody answered.

And then everyone dispersed to their rooms. The children slept in new beds. The adults sat silently in their kitchens.

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The next morning, Laina and Lewis gathered all the people to continue their tour of the Center.

"Now I shall introduce you to the rooms that are included in our area," began Laina. "Here, each person will have their place, for rest and labor."

They marched along the corridors. The first room they entered was the meditation room.

It was a white, pristine room, like an empty canvas. In the middle of it stood a bright pink sakura tree, whose flowers never faded. There was a green grass carpet on the floor, soft and velvety, that led to a little fountain in the corner. The water trickled softly by the large window, behind which there was a real lake in the garden.

"Here you will be able to find peace and recuperation," Lewis explained. "A place where you can turn the rest of the world away."

They were next led to the sports room, a large room split in two.

The first half was crowded with all types of equipment: treadmills, weight benches, yoga mats. Walls and ceilings were painted in pale white, green, and pink, with the effect of energy and motion.

The second room was a space for sparring: heavy punching bags hung from the ceiling, casting long shadows on the dark red walls. A ladder ran through the room to an open veranda littered with artificial green grass, where physical training was being done under the close supervision of an instructor.

The third room was a large dance hall.

"Here, the children are taught with gestures that teach discipline and control," Lewis explained. "It's not enjoyment, it's precision and tenacity."

The group then moved to the dining room.

It was a sterilized, almost unfeeling room filled with over a hundred long black tables that clashed with the white walls. The food was tightly measured and regulated.

"The kitchen is hidden behind a secret door, with the newest computerized machines," Laina said. "It makes food that is healthy for your body."

And then there was the library.

Gigantic room with bookshelves covered with books of the most diverse content - children's fairy tales, philosophical treatises, even the Kama Sutra. Here classes were conducted to set the mind, to educate not just the physically strong, but the mind as well.

"Here we encourage thinking," Lewis added. "Even though the knowledge within is strictly managed."

And finally, the common room.

It was situated alongside the dining room and was one of the only areas where the residents could speak to each other. Formal and clandestine meetings were held here, tension and veiled meaning hanging in the air.

"This is a place for talk," Laina summarized. "But remember: words are precious here."

The others sat silently in respect.

The group walked slowly down the Center's hallways, while Laina continued to provide the room tour:

The principal's office is the center of the entire institution. It's where teachers, administrators, and scientists Laina and Lewis herself sit down to discuss research, curriculum, and discipline concerns.

The room was sparse and dimly lit. The walls were lined with electronic screens that displayed streaming live video monitoring of the entire Center. In the center stood a gigantic table, and on either side were two tall leather chairs, their occupants yet to arrive.

"This is where all the major decisions are taken," Lewis murmured as the team moved cautiously into the room.

The scientists' office was a secure zone, off-limits to everyone except. Just Laina and Lewis were allowed in.

Shelves were packed with test tubes full of glowing peculiar fluids. Robotic arms assisted in the production of biological changes and experimental serums. Antiseptic and cold metal pervaded the air with a sharp odor.

"The most sensitive experiments are done here," Laina said, pointing to the equipment.

And then there was the biology classroom, a room that was painted in pale pinks and greens that somehow created a wacky illusion of peace.

It was equipped with the latest in holographic displays of the human body, glass jars of preserved specimens, and electron microscopes to see up close.

There was even a climate-controlled terrarium in the corner, where cultures of different organisms were kept for research.

The back entrance led to a fully stocked biology lab, where autopsies and genetic research were done.

Next was the room for chemistry.

It was a chilly, dark gray space with black marble lab benches, fume hoods, and an entire wall of biometrically secured chemical storage.

Hum filled the air as fluids bubbled and gas burners hissed. In this room, students carried out precise experiments, working on formulas that one day could be used to make weapons.

Reinforced glass doors led into a secured chemistry lab, where the most poisonous compounds were synthesized.

The history room was a deep red color.

The walls were lined with massive digital records and faded old books salvaged from the ruins of civilization.

Holograms recreated ancient battles in glorious detail, and VR headsets allowed you to relive moments of history firsthand.

"This is where future soldiers learn to understand their place in the endless cycle of war," Lewis said.

And finally, there's the math and geometry room.three.

The room was bathed in a golden light.

Everything was tidy and ordered.

State-of-the-art holographic projections misted through the air, changing with the students' movements in real time.

An enormous interactive grid on the floor allowed complex problems to be solved in real time - the students literally manipulated the equations, coming up with flawless battle plans.

Laina and Lewis watched the class closely.

This is only half of the premises," Laina replied. "There is plenty more that we will reveal subsequently."

The group walked on in silence, respecting the implicit rules of the Center.

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The Tailoring and Sewing Room was where the girls were taught discipline and precision through sewing.

Light-colored walls were draped in macramé, lace patterns, and embroidery hoops that held intricate patterns.

The shelves were filled to capacity with multicolored threads, beads, and pieces of fabric. Here, they weren't just learning art--it was an experiential training session that taught them patience, endurance, and precision.

The Drawing Room was a room bathed in rich purple light.

Equipped with easels, sketch pads, and a range of paints, inks, and charcoals.

The ceiling was covered in flashing light panels that could simulate moonlight or the battlefield's grey gloom, depending on the assignment.

They learned here how to observe, analyze, and replicate reality with the artist's eye--skills useful for deception, reconnaissance, and psychological warfare.

The Music Room was a large blue room that held grand pianos, violins, drums, and electronic synthesizers.

It was a relaxation room and a room used for practice in rhythm and coordination.

The acoustics were ideal, tuned to increase sensitivity to sound--a talent that could someday be absolutely crucial in their world.

The Acting Room was an average-sized room where deception, charm, and adaptability were taught.

Students practiced imitation, persuasion, and manipulation of people.

Side-by-side was a large performance space where final assessments and full-scale theatrical performances were held.

The Game Room was the most coveted room in the entire Center.

It was a white room filled with rows of dark pods that looked like high-tech solariums.

Weekends were spent in highly immersive RPG simulations.

Every step, choice, and mistake was tracked, decoded, and used to sharpen their combat reflexes.

Laina and Lewis silently looked at the group, knowing that there were still so many important rooms and secrets to be revealed. "This is not all," Laina said. "There is still more in store."

The group pressed on, filled with thoughts and feelings that all here is not quite so straightforward as it initially appears.

Days passed, and outside the world was all the more plunged into chaos.

The atmosphere became more and more poisonous, the radios quiet - no one knew what was left up there.

In the New Eden Center, life continued - quiet, focused, training under close observation.

People who had come here from different corners met, each with his or her history, with his or her fears and aspirations.

Children laughed in the corridors, their screams sometimes cutting through the noise of machinery and steel.

Scientists Laina and Lewis worked hard, building a future yet to come into existence.

Outside, the world was dying - but down below, a new era was growing.

Up top, the world had died away, and the one below was only beginning.

And everything was just beginning.