Date: October 11th, 2027
Time:08:43 A.M
Location: Correction Sector 7, Tokyo, Japan
The sun cast a faintly filtered light through a shroud of silver smog that never did lift anymore.
Skyscrapers towered high into the steel-gray, their electronic billboards scrolling R.E.A.P pronouncements like stock tickers. "GUILTY -Article 27 Violation Sentencing: Neural Reprogramming. Executed: 08:22 A.M "flashed across a giant holo-display on the front of a fifty-story building.
In the middle of Correction Sector 7, children attended school past a padlocked corner store. Its owner had been apprehended last week accused of '"Behavioral Subversion." he had not resisted. Nobody ever did.
The fear of the new judge of the world called R.E.A.P. spread.
---
Soren Arata gets ready for school. He buttoned the collar of his shirt and kept his eyes down as he made his way down a the alley way that after discovery became a shortcut for him using it everyday.
His school bag rode loose on one shoulder, the other strap torn weeks ago and never got fixed. His shoes worn, soles were peeling but it was okay with him he didn't mind. His goal at the moment is to get to class without any dramas of the day.
That's how you got through these times.
That and never trust anyone that's a rule he made for himself to survive this new advanced world.
He passed by a broken vending machine it looked damaged almost like someone was trying to forcefully open it without paying the usual way.
But that didn't bother him he bought himself a drink and started walking again. A government drone hovered nearby scanning the area it saw Soren so it went to him. Without thought it instantly scanned him.
Soren saw the approaching drone and already knew to stand still other wise problems will break out. The drone arrived and started the scan.
WHRRRT
A red beam flicked across Soren's face checking his information.
Civilian ID confirmed: Soren Arata
Age: 17
Status: Clean
The drone was done it flew away. Soren kept on walking without turning back to see the drone of the many eyes around the street who after seeing the drone thought that he might get arrested.
A second too long under that red light and anyone could get arrested as your past records you though were gone could fall on your face just like that and your picked up to go to the great court.
Soren finally arrived at school it was normal like always but in his class he was the loner as nobody wanted to talk with him.
Soren didn't have any friends and he didn't even bother to try to make them, especially with the rumor that spread the school about his past which he been hiding for almost a long time. His parents were both killed by the R.E.A.P. system when he was only 12 years old. He did not even think of the word revenge as the crimes that they were both accused of were true.
His father who was a software engineer was suspected with interference with government spy drones. His mother's case was never stated for the public but all the system said it was worth the death sentence as her charges add up to 1500 each crime being different.
Soren saw them on the big screen when it hit the GUILTYverdict. Not a single word came from him the next three days. Five years later the only thing he ever believed in was silence.
In school it was history class and the topic was as Soren expected the introduction of the R.E.A.P. system in 2022. The R.E.A.P. Revolution of 2022
Professor Yukari gestured toward the holo- screen as it played the world governing president Elara Mendez's now-historic speech.
"Today we are witnessing a turning point in human history. Soren looked at the screen even without feeling hatred on the system for his parents deaths he still clutched his fist under the desk.
He could feel every word creep under his skin like poison.
They called it justice.
They called it peace.
All it did was put a leash on the world.
The lesson plodded on. Outside the classroom window, a loudspeaker erupted in static.
"CRIMINAL CODE 413 ALERT. Behavioral Violation. Subject identified. Please remain indoors during detainment protocol."
The classroom fell silent.
Then a scream.
Everyone at the window.
Soren rose slowly, walked cautiously.
Behind the courtyard, a boy maybe 14 was frozen in place as two black R.E.A.P. armor enforcers brought their neural lances to bear. He dropped his lunchbox. One of the soldiers stepped forward, read the boy's wristband, and nodded.
The pod dropped from the air a hard-light cage that glowed. It surrounded him in an instant.
"Behavioral Deviation Detected. Emotional Instability Exceeding Threshold. Probability of Future Violence.
Soren couldn't catch his breath.
They weren't even hiding it anymore.
That night, the neighborhood buzzed.
Not with voices but screens. Every wall, every kiosk, every interface now played the boy's sentencing.
Verdict: GUILTY.
Preemptive Action Warranted.
Neural Correctional Program Initiated.
No trial. No defense.
Just a warning to everyone else.
Feel too much, and you're a threat.
Soren sat on top of the dilapidated apartment building, looking out over the cityscape, a sea of neon lights. The skyline was beautiful from a distance an illusion of peace and harmony.
His fingers stroked the locket against his chest. His parents' faces in a photograph. His father's wide, happy smile. His mother's soft eyes. Things he no longer thought about unless he forced himself to.
He hated them for leaving him.
He hated the system for taking them.
And worst of all he hated himself for emerging on top of it.
October 11th, 2027. 11:09 P.M.
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Soren heard a click behind him.
He turned slow.
Three men materialized in the shadows of the rooftop entrance. Not enforcers. Not R.E.A.P. soldiers.
Worse.
Black Tags.
Street-level bounty hunters. R.E.A.P. farmed them out occasionally to deal with "unnecessary clutter."
And Soren had been tagged.
"You're Soren Arata right?" the tallest of the three asked, voice flat.
Soren didn't answer.
"Yeah," another said, pulling a wrist scanner. "That's him. Crosscheck flagged. Potential anomaly. System wants him detained, not eliminated."
That should've been good news.
It wasn't.
The third one stepped forward, cracked his knuckles.
"Come quietly, kid."
Soren backed up. One step. Then another.
"No charges. No warning," he said, voice dry with disbelief. "I've done nothing."
The one who was tall trained his scanner. "R.E.A.P. disagrees."
They launched an attack.
Soren dodged, heart pounding, instincts in overdrive. He wasn't prepared. He didn't have a gun.
Just rage.
And terror.
And fury that had brewed too long.
The first blow hit his ribs. He stumbled. Another reached for his head he rolled, crashed into the rooftop grille, panting.
He clutched at the edge and then
CRACK.
Grabs his damaged part doesn't know what to do now. The three men approach the damaged getting ready to do their job.The drone comes to the scene.The three men see the drone and signal it to come to their are and it sees the signal and goes to them.
They backed away.
The pod did not come down.
No light. No sirens.
Only silence.
Then:
"Final Verdict: ERROR."
The air itself seemed to whisper it.
One of the Black Tags spun and ran off. The other two lingered — before running off after him.
Soren just sat there, stunned with his injury struggling to breathe.
12:01 A.M. – October 21th, 2027
There was a gentle hum behind him.
He turned around.
Someone stood at the roof entrance — hooded in dark gray, face hidden behind a sleek metal mask bearing a cracked R.E.A.P. symbol.
They didn't say anything.
They merely raised an arm.
Soren didn't move.
The figure lowered their hand and instead spoke in a firm voice:
"You weren't supposed to survive that."
"But now… the system has seen you."
"And it doesn't know what you are."
Soren swallowed harshly. "What. do you want?"
The figure shifted slightly, as if feeling something behind the thin veil of being.
"To give you a choice," they said.
"Run. Fight. Or disappear forever."
"Because whether you like it or not, Soren Arata."
"You've just been reaped.