Nero's Laboratory

Episode 1 ~ Vale

It was the morning of the last day at the academy. Cay woke up early to freshen his knowledge  before the final evaluation. After an hour or so of reading from text books, he grabbed the holoprojector from his desk, turned off the lights and set it down on the floor. A beam of light flickered upwards, then released a shining spectacle that filled the entire room. Each bright speck represented a planet or star in the Seridence solar system. By now Cay could easily identify any point on the starmap, making sure the vast image was firmly rooted in his head.
Studying to be a Ranger, this knowledge was only a fraction of what he was really required for the career.
Following training, Rangers are required to travel the sea of space, pursuing their mission of keeping and restoring the peace throughout the galaxies. Where that mission takes them is uncertain and different for each Ranger.

Having lived on the Celeron space station for 20 years, the only thing of the world outside Cay had ever seen was the red moon that floated just outside of his home. A sight that never grew old, as it wasnt some picture from one of his books or a film long before his time.
The door suddenly opened and the light switched on, ending the bright display.
"Last day, huh?" His brother Owen stood in the doorway. "You excited?"
"Well, considering i've had to look forward to this the last 15 years, and nearly everything is determined by it, i think I'm more nervous than anything else. If there wasn't so much
riding on this.."
"I remember that feeling. Don't let the pressure get to you. It is important, but it's not everything, brother. And those years of studying prepared you for this exact moment. You've got this."
"I guess so. Just can't imagine myself doing anything else if i don't."
"Well whatever happens, you'll figure it out. So no stress." Owens' words assured him, he walked into the living room to pick up his bag from the couch.
"Now I gotta get going. They need extra hands in farm station this morning, so I'll be in sometime later tonight."
"Later." Cay waved him out the door.
Feeling confident, he placed his books back on his shelf and the holoprojector on the desk. He picked his bag up off the bed and decided to stop for breakfast on the way to class rather than eat whatever was leftover in the fridge. It was a short walk to the food court at the end of the corridor. For as long as Cay could remember, there'd only ever been a handful of places to eat from on Celeron, and out of the bunch he stuck to the same three places. Zells Bistro, the Oddspace Diner, and D's Corner, which was more of a convenience store. He chose the quick route and turned to the small corner shop at his right. Same thing as every other visit. A Gurra fruit and a processed snack bar.
Rena, the older counter clerk noticed the same purchase as every other day.
"McCay. You know we sell other things, yes?"
"Yeah but if I stopped to think about it I wouldn't make it to class." He swiped his card on the  and paid three MetraDollars as usual.
"Fair enough. Off to class now, I'm sure you don't want to miss the final."
"Thanks Ren, catch you later."

The clock struck eight and students strolled into class with no rush as Ms.Wicker waited by the door to take attendance. That stern expression like she'd tasted something bitter had never changed, even in their last hours of school. Yet she cared for her students like nobody else. Cay arrived and chose a seat near the front of the room. Sat next to him was Haime, who'd been his long time classmate since their fifth year, studying to be a cybernetic technician.
"You think anyone's ever gotten a hundred percent?" He turned to Cay.
"Id find that hard to believe. You'd have to be a total freak to know absolutely everything, right?"
"Well, not counting that one guy a few years back who had an overclock chip, I'd have to say yes."
"I remember that. Can't imagine why you'd wanna upgrade yourself for some perfect record."
"Some folks just wanna be the best. Being honest, I can't blame em'."
Cay couldn't help but admire somebody who was so dedicated, even if it meant going to such great measures, and questioned if he'd ever go to the same lengths for his own success.
"You still going Rangers?" Haime asked.
"All the way. You still Cybertech?"
"No doubt. Hoping it takes me somewhere that isn't on this ship."
"I hear that."
Those early morning thoughts came back as he remembered what Owen had said to him. One thing at a time, Cay reminded himself in a slew of racing thoughts.
The door closed and Ms.Wicker stood up front.
"Alright class. I'm sure you're all excited to get through this and move on, so we'll get this started. The final exam will consist of 300 questions. You'll have about two and a half hours to complete what you can, and see me when you've finished. You may begin."