Entering the gate they were now inside a almost ludicrously large hallway, all around the walls were various half drawn diagrams and people in hazmat suits and lab coats rushing around holding various equipment and stacks of files.
As they entered the rushing slowed slightly as some of the scientists and technicians looked at them with undisguised glee and hints of sorrow.
Seeing this Magnus frowned inside his heart, if the unusually high tech guards had not been enough of a hint the fact there were people who looked like scientists rushing around implied this was no small operation, this required serious funding and perhaps even tact approval from the federation.
As they continued down the imposing hallway regular staff seemed to lessen with them being replaced by numerous marching guards and laser guided sentry guns.
All of a sudden without warning one of the guards signaled for them to stop walking and enter one of the side corridors in the main hall.
Entering the narrow corridor in a single file after being in that enormous hallway induced a heart pumping claustrophobia for everyone of them.
At the front of the line a guard opened the exit door, a thick two meter thick vault door.
And then they were once again out in the open.
They were in what seemed to be a large metal dome that Magnus roughly estimated had a diameter of at least fifty kilometers, a large plane of artificial grass stretched outwards from beneath their feet, its plastic like appearance revealing its unnatural origins, however the kidnapped people having almost never even seen greenery real or fake were entranced by the vibrant colours.
While they were still stuck admiring the deep green a deep rumbling shook the floor as the ground opened up to reveal fake mountains and rivers covered in a lush artificial forest.
Seeing this the guards turned around and in a single file left through the entrance and shut the thick steel door behind them leaving behind several hundred bewildered and fearful people.
After a few horrid moments the fellow kidnapped began to either try enter the now existent forest others instinctively huddled as a group unwilling to be alone even if it meant being at the mercy of countless strangers.
As for Magnus he was tempted to enter the forest feeling safer in the twisted trees than in this flat grassland, however without any direction or clear objective staying with a group was undoubtedly the correct decision.
As if answering his curiosity for if they would be given any instructions the iron dome of a sky that hung above them flickered once, twice and then it was no longer cold steel but a perfect blue sky without a cloud nor the sun in sight.
From some unseen loudspeaker a emotionlessly robotic voice echoed across this whole fake landscape.
"There are exactly two hundred and thirty one of you in this simulation room, this room was designed with your survival in mind however should there be more than a hundred people in this simulation room everyone inside will be given a less than preferable ending"
With those words the mechanical voice fell silent allowing the originally unsettled group to devolve into fear stricken and glare at one another with cautious eyes, the weaker looking people, old or young, began to slowly creep towards the forest, something that had once been a dangerous unknown was now a chance of survival.
Apart from them the others tried to slightly puff themselves up hoping to inspire fear or deterrence and a few began to try convince everyone they should work together, however after a few seconds it was obvious that no one here would hear a thing they said.
As for Magnus, he had long since left, by no accounts was he physically weak as a healthy sixteen year old but he knew better than to stay there, whatever happened be it they form a group or fight to the death he wanted no part in it.
Diving into the newly formed forests Magnus immediately began to, quietly as to not alert others, search for a source of flowing water.
Careful to avoid confrontation Magnus stuck to the taller grass concealing himself as much as possible.
"Please! Have some humanity! Pleas-"
The sudden shriek was cut off by the even more sudden thump and crack of wood and shattered bone.
Hearing this Magnus gave a displeasured frown, he was by no means disgusted the wastelands of Gaia were more than happy to show him countless scenes of death and brutality at a young age.
He was displeased simply because he had not wished for attention so early on.
Slowly he moved away from the commotion hoping not to waste energy when unnecessary.
Unfortunately for him as he was creeping away a large, panicked looking man charged out of the nearby bushes carrying a thick tree branch coated in crimson matter, locking eyes with Magnus he hastily swung his bloodied makeshift bat towards Magnus.
Crunch
The mans makeshift bat now had fresh blood added to its already slick surface, waving the branches blood onto the ground Magnus spat onto the body of the attacker with a rather annoyed look.
His once dull brown eyes now shone with a bright artificial glow.
A useful modification that allowed his to momentarily speed up his perception by overloading the brain with adrenaline.
Turning away from the body Magnus rubbed his now aching skull.
His search for water continued.
As he wandered he found many signs of chasing and the remains of the chased.
He ignored them.
And then after what he calculated to be roughly half a day he finally hear the sound of trickeling water, he had found a river.
Walking up to the moving body of liquid he frowned, less of a river more of... tiny hardly noticeable stream.
Nevertheless it was clean drinkable water, that was about all that mattered.
Making sure there was no one nearby Magnus bent down to take