Each step carried him farther than he expected, and for a moment he had to adjust his balance.
Ahead of him stood a tall chamber with smooth white walls. Two AI security robots guarded the entrance, standing perfectly still like statues.
Ariv slowed down.
Interesting, he thought.
Two security robots.
His eyes carefully scanned their metallic bodies.
How are they powered? he wondered. Energy transmitted from the Dyson sphere network… or internal power cores?
The robots showed no visible charging ports.
Do they need to recharge themselves? Ariv continued thinking.
He frowned slightly.
If I had worked in the robotics research unit, I would already know this.
Ariv glanced around the colony again.
If I ever want to escape this place, I’ll need to understand how everything here works.
Including them.
Above the chamber entrance, large black letters were engraved into the wall:
ARRIVAL AND PROCESSING SECTOR
Ariv looked at the doorway.
So this must be where new prisoners are processed, he thought.
Before he could step closer, one of the robots suddenly activated. Its eyes glowed faint blue.
A mechanical voice echoed through the corridor.
“Criminal K-17A3 has arrived.”
The second robot turned its head toward him.
“You may enter the Arrival Sector.”
A door slid open with a sharp metallic sound.
“Proceed inside to receive your uniform and work assignment.”
Ariv took a slow breath.
Then he stepped forward.
As Ariv entered the chamber, he looked around carefully.
The room was large and brightly lit. On one side, there were rows of lockers and small changing rooms where prisoners could receive their uniforms.
On the opposite side, several robots were stationed behind long counters. Each robot was working at a computer terminal, processing information as new prisoners arrived.
Ariv observed them quietly.
This must be their version of a reception desk, he thought.
Maybe I can get some information from them.
He walked toward Counter No. 1.
The robot behind the desk immediately turned its head toward him. Its eyes flashed briefly as it scanned him.
“Criminal K-17A3. Ariv Rao.”
A short pause followed as data appeared on the robot’s screen.
“Former wormhole researcher.”
Ariv remained silent.
“You have been assigned to the position of Quantum Engineer in Unit 7.”
“Unit 7 – Quantum Computer Manufacturing Section.”
The robot’s mechanical eyes focused on him.
“Do not stare at the processing interface. Proceed to Counter No. 2.”
Ariv frowned slightly as he stepped away.
These robots still behave strangely, he thought. Almost like they have some leftover emotions.
At Counter No. 2, another robot extended a metallic arm toward him.
A small metal card dropped onto the counter.
“Identification issued.”
Ariv picked it up.
It was a thin metal ID card. Instead of his name, only his code was engraved on it.
K-17A3
Below it was written:
Profession: Engineer – Unit 7
Ariv studied it for a moment before moving to Counter No. 3.
A small printer beside the robot produced a sheet of paper.
The robot spoke in a flat voice.
“Daily schedule assigned.”
Ariv read the timetable.
Work begins – 05:00
Breakfast – 10:00
Lunch – 14:00
Dinner – 21:00
Sleep cycle – 23:00
The robot continued:
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“This schedule must be followed strictly. Failure to comply will result in punishment.”
Ariv hesitated for a moment.
“May I ask something?” he said.
The robot responded instantly.
“One question permitted.”
Ariv thought carefully.
“Can I get a list of all the units in this colony?”
The robot’s eyes flickered.
Its voice suddenly became harsher.
“Of course. I can also provide you with a complete escape plan while I am at it.”
Ariv blinked in surprise.
“Your task is simple: follow instructions. Do not ask unnecessary questions.”
The robot pointed toward a nearby door.
“Proceed to the Trial Room. Show your identification card. You will receive your uniform. After that, report to your assigned work sector.”
Ariv quietly walked toward the room.
At the entrance, he inserted his ID card into a scanner.
The door opened.
Inside, a mechanical arm placed a heavy metallic suit in front of him.
Ariv lifted it slightly.
It was thick, insulated, and far heavier than normal clothing.
He examined it carefully.
Unit 7 must produce a lot of heat, he thought.
That must be why the uniform is designed like this.
Ariv slowly began putting on the suit.
As Ariv finished putting on the suit, he noticed a small warning printed inside the collar:
“Property of Colony No. 9.”
His first day in Unit 7 was about to begin
After changing into the heavy metallic suit, Ariv stepped back into the corridor.
A guiding light on the wall flickered to life.
UNIT 7 →
He followed the illuminated path through a long tunnel. The deeper he walked, the warmer the air became. A low humming sound slowly grew louder.
Machines.
Lots of machines.
After several minutes, he reached a massive steel door.
Above it, glowing letters read:
UNIT 7 – QUANTUM COMPUTING MANUFACTURING
Two security drones floated beside the entrance. One of them scanned Ariv’s ID card as he approached.
“Identity verified. Engineer K-17A3. Entry permitted.”
The door slid open.
Ariv stepped inside.
For a moment, he forgot he was in a prison.
The room was enormous—easily the size of several football fields. Rows of complex machines filled the chamber, glowing with blue and violet light. Transparent tubes carried streams of liquid coolant between giant processing chambers.
Above the machines hung delicate frameworks of golden circuits, suspended in vacuum containers.
Quantum processors.
Hundreds of them.
Prisoners in identical metal suits moved carefully between the machines, assembling microscopic components under robotic supervision.
Ariv slowly walked forward, his eyes widening slightly.
So this is how they build them, he thought.
At the center of the hall stood a massive cylindrical structure surrounded by cooling pipes and magnetic coils.
Ariv studied it carefully.
Quantum stabilization chamber, he realized almost instantly.
They’re assembling large-scale quantum processors here.
One of the supervising robots rolled toward him.
“Engineer K-17A3.”
“You are assigned to Processor Assembly Line C.”
It pointed toward a long row of workstations.
“Your task: calibration of quantum lattice modules.”
Ariv almost smiled.
Calibration work?
That’s basic.
He walked toward his workstation while quietly studying the factory around him.
Cooling systems.
Energy conduits.
Control terminals.
Every detail of the room slowly formed a map inside his mind.
The AI believed it had placed him here simply to work.
But Ariv saw something else.
Information.
Systems.
Patterns.
And possibly…
Weaknesses.
He activated the workstation and looked at the glowing quantum lattice in front of him.
“Let’s see how advanced your machines really are,” he murmured quietly.
Far above him, a surveillance camera rotated silently.
Watching.
Always watching.
But Ariv was already beginning to understand the system.
And once you understand a system…
You can break it.
.
The loud mechanical bell echoed through the colony.
Breakfast break – 10:00
Prisoners from every sector began moving toward the same place.
The central canteen.
Ariv followed the crowd through a long corridor until the space suddenly opened into a massive hall.
Hundreds of metal tables filled the room. Prisoners in gray work suits sat together in groups, eating quickly before their next shift.
Ariv looked around.
The food system looks… organized, he thought.
Along one wall, automated dispensers were serving trays of food. Prisoners received plates filled with rice, vegetables, protein bars, and purified water.
Not luxury, Ariv thought.
But surprisingly decent for a prison.
He took his tray and looked for an empty seat.
Most tables were already full.
Finally he sat alone at the corner of a long metal table.
The room buzzed with conversation, metal trays clanking against tables.
Then suddenly something changed.
The noise dropped slightly.
Ariv noticed several prisoners looking toward the entrance.
Someone had just walked in.
A girl.
She wore the same gray colony uniform as everyone else, but she carried herself with unusual confidence. Her dark hair was tied back, and she walked through the room like she didn’t care that half the colony was watching her.
Some prisoners nodded to her.
Others tried to wave or get her attention.
She ignored most of them.
Ariv didn’t pay much attention and continued eating.
But a few seconds later, a tray dropped onto the table in front of him.
He looked up.
The same girl was standing there.
“Mind if I sit here?” she asked.
Ariv blinked.
“Go ahead,” he said calmly.
She sat down across from him.
Across the hall, several prisoners stared in disbelief.
One whispered,
“Did she just sit with the new guy?”
Another muttered,
“Who even is that guy?”
The girl took a bite of her food, studying Ariv carefully.
“You’re the new arrival,” she said.
“Ariv Rao.”
Ariv raised an eyebrow.
“Word travels fast here.”
She smiled slightly.
“When someone like you shows up, it usually does.”
Ariv paused.
“Someone like me?”
“The genius wormhole physicist who got exiled by the AI courts.”
Ariv sighed quietly.
“So that story already spread.”
She leaned forward slightly.
“Relax. I’m not here to judge.”
He looked at her for the first time properly.
“You have a name?” he asked.
She smirked.
“Of course.”
“Mira.”
Ariv nodded.
“Well, Mira… why are you sitting with me?”
She shrugged casually.
“Because you’re interesting.”
Ariv almost laughed.
“In a prison colony full of criminals, you found me interesting?”
She pointed her fork toward him.
“Everyone here talks about escaping.”
“Everyone here complains about the AI.”
“But you…”
She tilted her head slightly.
“You’re studying everything.”
Ariv froze for half a second.
She noticed.
“You look at the cameras,” she continued.
“The robots.”
“The doors.”
“You’re not just surviving here.”
“You’re thinking.”
Ariv leaned back slightly.
“And that makes me interesting?”
Mira grinned.
“That makes you dangerous.”
Across the canteen, several prisoners were still staring at them.
One slammed his tray down on the table.
Another muttered angrily,
“Why is she talking to him?”
Ariv noticed the looks.
“You realize,” he said quietly, “half the room now hates me.”
Mira glanced around and smiled.
“Yeah.”
Then she shrugged.
“You’ll get used to it.”
She took another bite of food and looked back at him.
“So, Ariv Rao.”
“What’s your plan?”
Ariv paused.
Then calmly replied,
“Right now?”
“Finishing breakfast.”
Mira laughed.
And across the canteen, the whispers about the new prisoner only grew louder.
Later that day, after breakfast, Ariv followed Mira through the industrial hall toward Unit 7.
As they walked, he noticed prisoners suddenly turning their heads whenever she passed.
-
Some whispered her name under their breath.
-
Others nudged their friends, pointing at her and grinning.
-
Even a few tried subtle ways to impress her: straightening their uniforms, flexing slightly, or showing off equipment handling skills.
Mira, however, walked confidently, ignoring everyone except Ariv.
Ariv raised an eyebrow.
“Looks like you’re… popular,” he said quietly.
She smirked.
“Popular? Half the colony wants to sit with me, talk to me, maybe even follow me around.”
“Even… the gangs?” Ariv asked, noticing some of the older, tougher prisoners glowering at her as she walked past.
“They try,” she said with a shrug. “But I don’t let anyone push me around. You’ll learn fast—popularity is both a blessing and a curse here.”
Ariv realized immediately why. Every glance, every whisper, every small movement that connected him to Mira now painted a target on him in the eyes of the other prisoners.
Not good, he thought.
But then he looked at Mira, walking beside him with calm confidence, and for the first time since arriving at Colony No. 9, he felt a spark of hope.
If I can figure out this colony… maybe I can even escape it.