An opportunity really depended on how you looked at it, what might look like an opportunity to one person might look like an insult to another, but then again that’s the general view of life; everything depends on perspective.
A bulky looking Nafren in jumpsuit, obviously a mechanic by a glance, grease-smudged skin and rough, calloused hands from constant tool use, utility belt around waist; had finished work in the Sorvik household, it was a Nimvar household but after spending years among the Nadrins, Nimvars begun to look like gods. He had reached his daily air quota and made his way to the outskirts of the Nimvar residence, looking around to make sure no one followed. He walked further till he was close to the stone walls that separated Nimvar from Tholen.
It was ancient, built centuries ago and preserved to keep their culture alive, he kept touching the walls till he felt a loose brick and pushed it, opening a passage in the walls, he quickly stepped in and closed the entrance, walked through the passage till he approached what looked like nothing more than an ancient arch of dull stone. Frost had crept between the seams, and sanded carvings ran along its rim, meaningless to most, which was the purpose of the architecture. He brushed his gloved fingers across the glyphs until one indentation pulsed faintly beneath his touch, warmth.
A whisper of air slipped through the cracks. The carvings stirred like old lungs remembering how to breathe. He stepped closer. The warmth beneath his palm spread, tracing the old sigils with lines of faint blue light. Then silence.
The stone split along hairline seams. The panels didn’t swing open; they slid apart like an unfolding slate, sliding soundlessly into the walls. A brief hiss escaped the door sealing its pressure difference to regulate the air. He stepped inside and paused at the threshold, slipping two fingers beneath the jaw of his aeriq, a gas mask worn due to the bad air in the planet. The metal there was dull and pitted, the seals stiff from overuse. He twisted the side valve until it clicked. A thin gasp of pressure escaped, the mask resting around his neck and collar bone.
Instantly, the purified air filled his lungs, this was what the Avarins enjoyed. The door behind him folded back into place with a muted click and a single exhale of pressurized air, sealing him in complete silence. The stone face outside reset, every seam vanishing, leaving behind nothing but a cold, ordinary wall. He stepped forward putting his face towards the camera in front of him causing a metallic door to open.
Inside, he was immediately hit by bright lights. The lab stretched wide, arranged in organized precision. Cylindrical containers lined the walls, their transparent surfaces revealing faintly shifting air currents inside. The floor was matte steel. Workstations formed a half circle around a central platform, each with embedded touch panels that projected streams of data into the air. Tubes and cables ran through the ceiling like veins, connecting every cylinder to a networked system that monitored purity, density, and pressure.
It was a secret lab hidden among the ruins of ancient relics. It was improper for a Nadrin to be around so much technology but that wasn’t the case for him; he was called by a respectable Avarin that was very high in Avarin society. He had been chosen to work on what that Avarin called ‘a leap in aero-synthesis'. It was a private project they worked on.
Being a talented mechanic with extensive expertise in technology and chemical systems seemed like a burden, ‘Nadrins were not meant to show their brilliance’, he had been told, but none of the other jobs fit him, he was designed to be a mechanic, after years of struggling he finally had the opportunity of working in the Avarin society and then this. It was the greatest thing that happened to him.
“Ah Kamran! there you are,” the Avarin called out to him.
“Greetings Herrar, apologies for my lateness,”
“It’s perfectly fine, I was about testing the new prototypes without you, so I guess I should be the one to apologize,” he gave a coy smile as was his way of making things seem normal between them.
The Avarin made sure Kamran never crossed the boundaries of familiarity or found him friendly in anyway but he also didn’t want him feeling like he couldn’t contribute. He wanted him to do his job without getting discouraged and was open to his ideas.
They both walked over to the experiment room, it was enclosed with reinforced glass on all sides. One side held a long control console, its surface minimal and flat except for the faint glow of sensors. The center of the room contained a single containment pod large enough for one subject, surrounded by adjustable vents that released controlled bursts of the synthesized air. Monitors above displayed real-time readings: oxygen balance, toxicity levels, neural responses.
Inside the containment pod was a vensai: a fox like creature without hair and a narrow snout built for filtration. They made their way to the control console, as the Avarin started putting in new formulas for the synthetic air. Kamran looked over at the formulas and noticed a deviation in the formulas.
“Herrar, there seems to be something wrong with the calculations.”
“I made a few adjustments to the previous ones,” he said barely paying attention as he put in the new formula.
“But we agreed that this engineering was way to advanced and needed more research,”
“It wasn’t an agreement; you were simply suggesting. We don’t have much time on hand and a new advancement is due.”
“Herrar, you need to stop putting in those variants, we need to make sure it’s ready first.”
The Avarin slapped him hard on the face, clearly angered by his statement.
“You forget your place.”
He locked in the formula causing the synthesis to begin in the chamber. The look of excitement could be seen in the Avarin’s eyes as they waited for the creation. Kamran turned to the console and recorded the progress of the new creation as was his job. He then noticed an anomaly in the new molecules being created. He quickly ran to the Avarin who was watching the air being formed in the chamber, to show him the results.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it on time and it exploded, causing glass shards to fly everywhere.