Tides of the forgotten

Cafeteria – Sector 1.

The moment the doors slid open, Saurai felt it again that same awe that had gripped him earlier.

The cafeteria was massive. The vaulted ceiling arched high overhead, dotted with faint luminescent panels that mimicked an early evening sky. Rows of long tables filled the open space, neatly arranged with enough walking room between them to accommodate hundreds of students at once. Holographic arrows occasionally blinked along the floor, guiding new cadets to the least occupied zones.

Above the tables floated soft, translucent holo-displays and some showing some entertainment segments, others relaying announcements and daily statistics from Artemis-5's internal systems. The buzz of conversation filled the space like gentle static. It was far more relaxed than lunchtime. Maybe it was the end-of-day fatigue, or maybe the artificial lights dimming slightly to imitate twilight, but the whole room felt warmer and almost cozy.

Saurai followed Bryn into the crowd, his eyes drifting across the sea of uniforms and faces. He recognized several cadets from earlier that day and some from his own class, others from the auditorium. There was a certain rhythm to the room now, as if it pulsed with shared exhaustion and anticipation for tomorrow's unknowns.

His gaze flicked instinctively toward the side wall and on one of the cafeteria's rotating info displays was currently showing live ship stats:

Oxygen Balance: 99.3%

Dome Temperature: 22.8°C

Pressure Integrity: Stable

Monster Activity Near Outer Layer: 1 Minor Probe Logged

Energy Grid Efficiency: 99.6%

He exhaled slowly. Many of the data He didn't understand but Despite the layers of metal and tech shielding them from the sea outside, Artemis-5 was always… alive. Breathing. Watching. Reacting.

Next, his eyes shifted to the adjacent wall the cadet leaderboard.

There it was:

Delphine Ray – Class 1-A – Top Cadet

Saurai blinked.

Of course, he thought. Top of the academy. Alone in every sense.

"Yo, she's there," Bryn said, pointing casually.

Saurai followed his finger and spotted Delphine just as she entered.

She moved with fluidity, posture perfect, hair tied neatly back into a tight, disciplined braid. Unlike most students who sat in small groups or cliques, Delphine took a seat at a corner table by herself, her tray sliding out moments later. She sat down, back straight, and began eating without glancing at anyone around her.

Saurai noticed the wide radius of empty space around her.

Was it respect? Intimidation? Or both?

But before he could linger too long, Bryn pointed to the another part of the room.

"Over there!"

It was Coral, she was also waving at them from the far end of the room, tucked into a seat near the back wall. She had saved an entire table, not just a pair of seats. Her tray was already half-finished.

Compared to her twin, Coral was lithe and sharp-eyed, her uniform worn neatly, hair braided to one side. While Bryn radiated laid-back energy, Coral had the aura of someone who measured everything including people.

Bryn waved back cheerfully and led the way.

Saurai followed, casting one last glance across the room. No sign of Varuna. Or his friends.

"Took you guys long enough," Coral said

Bryn dropped into the seat beside her with a loud exhale. "Saurai passed out."

"I didn't" Saurai said, slipping into the seat opposite them. "I was just… resting."

"Mmm-hmm," she said, chewing.

Unlike afternoon they don't have to stand in line and get their own lunch. Bryn tapped his cadet watch, scrolling quickly through the meal options. He selected a standard dinner, and a soft pulse on his wrist confirmed the deduction: –2 points. Saurai also followed Bryn's example and ordered standard dinner. The remaining balance flashed for a moment 471 poins.

Moments later, a small rectangular slot near the table clicked open, and a tray slid out smoothly.

Tonight's meal was simple: a mound of rice, a fillet of steamed fish dusted with herbs, a mineral broth in a metal cup, and a dull gray cube labeled "Nutrient gel". He was happy with the rice.

Bryn had already grabbed and started eating his dinner. Coral was finishing her own meal while flipping through data on her watch.

Saurai kept his voice low. "Hey in tomorrow's combat drill. What exactly do they test?"

Coral raised an eyebrow. "I think It's just basic diagnostics. Reaction time, form, stance analysis, weapon compatibility rating. It's just to get a preliminary combat score into the system."

"Do we fight each other?" he asked carefully.

"Nah.i don't think so." Coral's voice was clear. "It will be mostly Dummy bots, Sim pods and Unless you sign up for the challenge roster."

"Which would be stupid," Coral said flatly. "You only get extra points if you win, and the upper brackets include senior cadets. Besides, I don't think anyone will challenge anyone"

Saurai nodded, trying to keep his expression thoughtful. His heart beat a little faster. So he wouldn't be sparring but still, everything would be logged. Judged. Ranked.

He poked at the rice with his spoon, then tried to steer the topic.

"What kind of weapons mostly use?"

Coral took a last sip of her broth, then answered, "Biometric response and internal rhythm metrics. The AI monitors your reflexes, stress feedback, focus alignment many things will determine your weapon but mostly it depends on you. And you have to careful about your weapon because Once you sync to a weapon, you're bound to it for at least a full cycle. You can request one change per term, but that's it unless something malfunctions."

"And what if you're… bad at fighting?"

She looked at him evenly. "Then you specialize in something else. Logistics, terraforming, bio-analysis, architecture. The Dominion doesn't just need soldiers. It needs experts."

Bryn nodded. "I have one cousin here who's in Class 2-D who's top-tier in drone engineering. Barely passed his physicals, but the instructors love him."

Saurai felt a small weight lift from his shoulders.

Maybe he wouldn't have to throw punches tomorrow. Maybe… just maybe, he could find his niche without flashing a blade.

Coral leaned in and said, "You know how many points Delphine has?"

Bryn looked curious. "How many?"

"More than 700."

Bryn's face twisted into a dramatic expression of shock was so exaggerated that a few nearby students turned to look. Saurai and Coral both felt a little embarrassed.

Saurai lowered his voice. "I thought you couldn't use outside points inside the academy."

"You can," Coral explained, "but for outside points, the conversion rate is 100 to 1. So it's not practical. But Delphine didn't get hers from outside. She earned around 300 points just for being named the first-year president.

Coral jabbed a spoon at Bryn. "Though this one lost 200 points in a month. Don't follow his example."

"Hey!" Bryn looked wounded. "Some of us require dessert to function!"

"You bought five mousse cups in a day."

"It was a stressful day!"

They bickered lightly as they ate, and Saurai listened, occasionally chiming in. There was something comforting about it. The way Coral scolded Bryn. The way Bryn laughed like nothing mattered.

The warmth of it soaked into his chest.

He might not know who he was, but this moment and this tiny bubble of normalcy was something real.

Coral leaned back after finishing. "By the way, I heard someone from Class 1 tried sneaking into the seed vault near Hydroponics."

Bryn snorted. "Oh yeah. That idiot from Section B. Got chased out by a drone. It electro-zapped his pants."

Saurai laughed quietly, shaking his head.

They kept talking. About rumors. About food. About how the water in the east showers always ran a bit too cold.

The cafeteria lights began to dim slowly mimicking dusk. Holograms flickered, transitioning into the 'quiet hour' cycle. Some tables started clearing out.

Coral stood and stretched, her uniform rustling softly. "Tomorrow's going to be rough. Hope Mr. Bruce is in a good mood."

"Ugh. I forgot he's leading it," Bryn groaned.

"He's not bad," she shrugged. "Better than Cassius Ray, anyway."

Saurai stood with them and carried his tray to the recycling chute. A silent, seamless collection slot swallowed it.

As the three moved toward the dorm corridor again, Saurai looked up at the glowing blue arrows lining the ceiling and the ever-spinning stats on the wall.

He hadn't solved any of his problems. Still didn't know who he was or what he could do.

But tonight, he didn't feel like a stranger.

He glanced sideways at Coral and Bryn.

They didn't know how lost he was.

And yet, for a brief moment… he didn't feel so lost.

They said goodnight to each other and headed to their respective rooms. Saurai reached his room and directly lay down on his bed, and before he realized it, sleep had already claimed him.