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Doubting whether or not the fan here was working, Nicholas could see the floating dust gradually leaving the site. As the radio news had reported, the rain was getting heavier and heavier outside.

"Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if mold grew on my body."

"Was it already been born on your clothes, though?"

A few other workers were heard munching on their rations while chatting next to Nicholas. At first, the summer rains on this planet were quite normal, but this year it rained for a long time without stopping. The news also reported flooding in low-lying villages―places where people with the lowest contribution levels lived.

Nicholas' own house was old and cramped. But he was very grateful that it was not one of the worst―located somewhere between the outlying slums and the residential neighborhoods of those with a common contribution. Except for the raindrops that dripped into the living room, it was a good place to live.

"Nick, aren't you going to eat? Give it to me if you don't want to."

"No, I'm eating."

One of his colleagues next to Nicholas looked hungrily at his bread―despite it being only a distribution bread made with cheap, dry cream. The bread was characterized by its unique fermented odor and crumbly texture, which only smelled like old bread. While the cream, having been made with very cheap ingredients, left a greasy, sticky feeling on the roof of your mouth once you ate it. It's really not a good kind of bread, but Nicholas needed to eat to finish the afternoon's work safely.

Nicholas forced the cream bread into his mouth before his colleague could snatch it. The greasy weird texture was not pleasant at all, so, in the end, his body shivered.

Nicholas was lost in thought when he saw the minerals he worked on extracting in the morning, leaving the work site in a wagon after being sorted. It was hard to believe that the bluish rock was such a valuable mineral. Well, now it was just a translucent, cloudy piece of rock―meaning that if you stole one or two of them, they would just become heavy useless rock.

However, after several processing steps, the insignificant stone would transform into a very powerful energy source. Nicholas didn't know how much work had to be done for the ore to become that. All he knew was that those ugly stones would turn expensive later. Crazy expensive that he needs to work tirelessly for 300 years only to get a small, refined piece.

What is the use of all this complicated history, with laws and social institutions?

For Nicholas, the next day's food and a daily wage to earn a living were a lot more important. He had no education nor special talent. He didn't even stand a chance for the opportunity itself.

It had been a century since humanity set out to find a new planet and build cities. The ability to safely settle on a new planet and rebuild society with less than 100 years in space-time was indeed commendable. However, compared to all the things enjoyed on earth, the current life of humanity was inferior. Advances in technology may have made life easier for some, but the concepts of equality and human rights have long since disappeared.

Because of the scarce resources, the founding fathers had to place social contribution as the top priority. The greater one's contribution, the greater their value became. And unlike on Earth, here, engineers were treated as they should be while other fields―outside of practical studies―were somewhat stunted. Taxpayers who produced pleasure and fun were also not welcome here. Only a small fraction of them worked as artists. All the rest depended on their labor to survive.

The division of classes was inevitable. It was a human instinct to divide the upper and lower echelons. In this society where meritocracy prevailed, only those with proven worth could enjoy privileges.

Nicholas' grandfather and parents must have failed to prove their worth on the new planet. As proof, now he and his little family were far from learning professional engineering skills and lived with simple labor.

Of course, it doesn't mean he belittles manual labor. But, if possible, Nicholas wanted his two sons not to do that. He wanted them to be recognized for their contribution and thrive in a better world, instead of being a piece of this gear with no future.

If he could be honest, his two boys were actually Nicholas' complex and regret. It was in this very workshop that he met his wife. At that time, he was reassured that he would have someone he could dream of a comforting future with. However, her lungs deteriorated rapidly and she eventually died. Causing a heavy burden because every time Nicholas walked in and out of the workshop door, he would get overwhelmed by the fact that he could not leave the place.

Back then, when they were newly married, when they were still happy, especially after they managed to get a small house, the future seemed so promising. Alas, promises are promises. Everything disappeared in an instant. Only two boys became her memento.

The previous supervisor preached that Nicholas' wife's lung health had nothing to do with the work here, but even the dumbest person could tell that it was a blatant lie. Her condition gradually deteriorated. The coughing became more frequent and her eyes turned quite cloudy. Just like Nicholas' current condition. Now, his eyes could only make out things vaguely without glasses' help.

Still, Nicholas loved his sons very much. While he himself suffered from the difficulties, he wanted his boys to always be healthy and happy. Therefore, from a very young age, the boys were severely reprimanded and prevented from helping their father work in this field. Sure, their situation would have improved somewhat if the boys had helped since then. But, to lose them would also lose Nicholas' desire to keep on living.

Thus, under their father's devoted care, the brothers grew into decent boys. Two years apart in age, growing up stout and proud to be taller than their father.

Felt like only yesterday. Nicholas still remembered it very clearly when little Logan and Dustin kept asking if their mom would ever be back. Their long wailing at night still pierced Nicholas's heart so much. He dare not tell them that their mother could no longer return, so every time, he answered that he didn't know.

As they grew up, though, the boys gradually understood and never question that again. Talking about their father's dead wife was almost taboo in the family.

Once the break was over, the workers gathered again in front of the conveyor belt. Outside, the rain was getting heavier, making the air hot and humid. So heavy that it covered the creaking noise in the workshop. Unfortunately, though, the raindrops did not help to cool the place down.

Several workers including Nicholas dropped their pickaxes, then crossed the open road to haul the ore they had been working on. The rain was so heavy that it was hard to see ahead.

"Looks like there's a hole in the sky... Why is this happening, anyway? "

"Is this what they call abnormal weather or something?"

"I think yeah. It's not even a spherical planet..."

The workers walked in the rain and made comments one at a time. Although Nicholas did not butt in on the conversation, he agreed that something was definitely wrong.

The unprecedented long rainy season had left people gloomy. Even after taking only three steps in it, their clothes were soaked to the bone. And so the workers had to take off their clothes and squeezed out the water. So much rain was absorbed, and water flowed from their dirty clothes like a waterfall.

Under the dim light of the workshop, the bright naked bodies of the workers were revealed. They all looked miserable, covered in dust, but their muscular bodies were worth a look. Nicholas' body, which had remained pristine due to lack of sunlight, stood out even more, not even thinking about hiding his bulging chest. The bright red nipples in contrast to his light skin looked very desirable. However, it was a pity that none of the busy workers paid attention to such a body because then, everyone started to feel itchy.

At first, it was only one person. His body suddenly felt so itchy even scratching until leaving a mark was useless. Then, as if the itch was contagious, the entire work group began to scratch all over their bodies. Nicholas was no exception.




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