The echo of his footsteps resonated on the metal platform as if the Ring itself heard every movement.
Kael Atreides moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings with the precision of a strategist and the coldness of one who knew that curiosity could be lethal.
Everything around him was vast, immaculate. The structures showed no signs of wear or imperfection. Every line, every angle, every pulse of bluish light seemed to obey a higher design, incomprehensible to any ordinary human mind.
But Kael was not ordinary.
He stopped dead in his tracks as a subtle vibration rippled through the air. It wasn't a sound... it was a presence. A sensation of being watched, not with eyes, but with something deeper, as if his existence were being dissected at the molecular level.
A metallic sphere floated from above, descending with smooth, almost graceful movements. It glowed with a cold light, and at its center, a single luminous eye blinked to the rhythm of incomprehensible patterns.
Kael lifted his chin, remaining calm as the floating figure approached.
"Entity detected," came a mechanical, modulated voice, devoid of emotion.
The sound didn't come from the sphere, but vibrated directly in the air, as if the environment itself were speaking.
The Monitor stopped a few meters from Kael, hovering silently for several endless seconds.
"Who are you?" Kael asked, his tone more curious than challenging.
The response was immediate, as if the question had been anticipated thousands of times before.
"Designation: Monitor Z-343. Function: Monitoring, preservation, and execution of Installation 07 protocols."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Supervision," "preservation"—they sound like elegant words for "jailer."
The Monitor spun slightly, as if analyzing the answer with distant logic.
"Incorrect interpretation. My role is not to punish. My role is to ensure the continuation of this legacy."
Before Kael could reply, a beam of light emerged from the Monitor, enveloping him in a translucent field. He felt a tingling sensation run through his skin, as if every cell were being broken down and recorded.
"What the hell are you doing?" he growled, taking a step back, though the scanning field moved with him.
"Biological analysis in progress. Confirmation of genetic parameters..." The voice paused for a moment, as if processing unexpected information.
Kael noticed the slight delay. It wasn't easy to surprise a machine, especially one of this level.
"Did you find anything interesting?" "He asked with a crooked smile, hiding his discomfort at being inspected like an object.
The Monitor remained silent for a few more seconds before deactivating the beam.
"Analysis complete. You are... relevant."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Relevant. What an empty term. Relevant to what?"
The Monitor began to circle slowly around him, like a predator circling its prey with no need to hurry.
"This Installation recognizes parameters in you that trigger evaluation protocols."
Its central eye glowed more intensely. "Full access is not granted without aptitude tests."
Kael crossed his arms, his mind already racing. He wasn't a prisoner, at least not in the traditional sense. But he wasn't a guest, either. He was standing before an entity that followed unbreakable rules, written by hands that likely no longer existed.
"Suppose I play your game..." he said, his tone now more serious. "What kind of 'tests' are we talking about? Strength? Intellect? Blind submission to your protocols?"
The Monitor stopped in front of him, hovering at eye level.
"The tests are multiple. I don't seek obedience." I seek... compatibility. Adaptability. Vision.
Kael met the machine's gaze, as if he could find a glimmer of intent beyond the mechanical words.
"And if I fail your tests?"
"Then you will be... expendable."
The answer was as simple as it was terrifying in its indifference. There was no hatred, no threat in the Monitor's voice. Only the cold declaration of an unavoidable fact.
Kael let out a low laugh.
"At least you're direct."
The Monitor floated toward one of the nearby structures. As it did, the ground beneath its feet began to illuminate, forming a path of light that extended toward a door that hadn't been there seconds before.
"The first test is simple: survive the environment others failed to understand."
The Monitor turned slightly toward Kael. "The Facility will adapt to your decisions. Every action will be recorded. Every failure, analyzed."
Kael walked toward the path of light without taking his eyes off the Monitor.
"And tell me... how many have walked this path before me?"
"Irrelevant numbers. None were designated as 'potential heirs.'"
That word echoed in Kael's mind like a spark in the darkness. Heir.
But he didn't allow his expression to change.
"Inheritance of what?" he asked neutrally, though he knew he wouldn't receive a clear answer.
The Monitor simply moved forward, leading him toward the door that now slid smoothly open to reveal a wide hallway bathed in pulsing lights.
"All in its time. Knowledge is not given... it is earned."
Kael smirked as he crossed the threshold.
"Then I hope you have patience, Monitor. I am not one to accept gifts without first knowing the price."
The door closed behind him with a dull click, leaving the Monitor floating on the platform, its lights flickering in a pattern no human could interpret.
In its data core, the information from Kael's scan was stored under the highest classification.
The genetic sequence left no room for doubt.
Partial descent: Forerunner.
Succession protocol: Activated.
But as the ancient directives dictated, only the worthy could claim the legacy.
The Monitor turned toward the towers rising in the distance. For the first time in millennia, the Installation was fully awakening.
And Kael Atreides had barely taken his first step.