Guards were picking up inmates now and throwing them onboard a freighter jet waiting to be sent off... probably to HIVE.

What now?

There wasn't much that I could do since there was no reason to bring unwanted attention to myself. Resigning myself to fate, I followed suit and allowed myself to be rag-dolled and thrown with the other knocked out inmates into the freighter jet. We were treated like cattle for god's sake!

After we were loaded, the jet took off shortly after. The flight was surprisingly short, it had only lasted for about what seemed like forever... only to be told that it was a 4-hour flight. I was awkwardly chucked in with the rest of the inmates. It was a horrible experience, I had to be in close proximity with stinking apes that barely took showers.

It was a horrible experience, being in close proximity with stinking apes that barely took showers was horrible. It felt like sardines in a can... yes, literally and figuratively. We had to be served baked beans and canned sardines before the flight!

God bless us. Someone pulled a Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the jet half hour into the flight. It went out loud and stinky, me being the luckiest person on earth, I was in it's "hit zone". Yes, for both of them... maybe for once I regretted acquiring this "system". The inmates really did have it good, but let's look on the bright side! Not... FUCK ME.

Thank god that was over. After the flight was over, we were unloaded and placed in a holding cell. I was sent to a level 2 City after undergoing "classification". Basically, they ran a background check before they decided which "city" you were supposed to be sent to.

Because I was a class D threat and had a high profile case, the receptionist gave me my assignment, which was a placement into a Level-2 City.

HIVE was apparently split into several levels, the lowest being Level 1. In a traditional prison, instead of cities, they were separated by "yards"... HIVE had a similar concept. They had their very own currency and economy there, it was like living in a miniature town. Except that the average citizen here were nutjobs and there were explosives strapped around your necks.

Although it sounds good on pen and paper... the fatality rates were twice that of a maximum state penitentiary on Earth. The annual survival rate was below 60%...

[User, Jasper> acquired a (Free Housing Pass)]

After further examination, I willed my "system" to examine it.

[Examining... (Free Apartment Coupon)]

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Item: Free Apartment Coupon

Duration: 1 week

Description: Standard Issue apartment coupon given to every inmate, only applies to New Prisoners>.

The apartment will automatically show up on your minimap.

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Congratulations on unlocking .

Level Up! +1

+100 credits

+3 Skill points

Unallocated SP -> 3

This was just great! It seemed like the "system" was broken after all. Because of my past, I was really comfortable with this new game-like system. Glancing at the top right, a small minimap appeared. The minimap marked out various landmarks and important buildings, there was also a blinking light appearing half a mile away. Focusing on the light, it was actually the apartment complex that the authorities housed me in.

Walking out of the building, it was a pleasant treat to the eye being greeted by an amazing view. Living in that shithole for almost half a year, a good portion of your time was spent procrastinating and staring at the same rusted metal wall that caged you in.

Because of that, you would learn how to appreciate the view and things that most people would mostly take for granted. Although the only thing you could appreciate was the man-made sky, it could still rain and all... but it was nothing compared to the view on earth. It WOULD be pretty depressing to look up only to see pitch black. You had to give them props for the effort, albeit it looking pretty fake.

There were abandoned skyscrapers and tall buildings right off into the distance. You could also see a massive border towering over the area, quarantining the entire city off. They did a good job in giving a false sense of freedom but it still just an illusion. I still felt just as trapped; overwhelmed.

Only buildings in this zone were somewhat maintained.

From what you could tell, the only properties which had any actual value were the real estates or housing units in the neutral zone, where it was near the guard stations and was naturally protected.

This was also where my property was located, as a temporary housing for me to get my shit together. If you could not cough up more COR by the end of the week you had to fend yourself in the wilderness or more rural buildings.

Thinking back, didn't I receive 3 skill points earlier? Hmm...

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How do you think Jasper would fare in such an environment?