⛴ Arktory ⛴

Mankind was on the brink of extinction, extinction that heralded nothing but solemnity. Everything was
scarce. The waters were drying out, leaving behind trails of barren land. The rivers were evaporating
into the thick billowing white wisps of smoke, vanishing into the skies forever. The mountains were
erupting lava that cleansed the lands of Fiona and Fauna.

The world was crumbling down on its own weight, and it was only because of the mistakes of the past.
The mistakes that were made due to securing lavish and flamboyant lives while ignoring the dire
repercussions of using the resources, ceaselessly, on nature. Day by day, people would fight for water,
the same water that was in abundance eons ago. They would fight for lands since the majority of the
remaining places were disheveled, shriveling away piece by piece by zephyrs and winds. It was a
macabre sight. Ruefully, the world was achieving catatonia, a state of lethargy that was, by hearsay, not
a good omen.

Soon, the countries declared war on each other. The war was based on securing the leftover resources.
However, it was not a normal war that was being fought with cavalry, horses, or with a man brandishing
their gleaming swords on the battlefield. It was a nuclear, atomic war. A single thrust of a button from
the nuclear plant had the power to vaporize cities, lest countries. By now, the sky was festooned with
missiles and rockets, flying hither and thither in search of targets. Many cities were destroyed. Countries
were trampled by none other than these vivacious, menacing missiles.

But then, something happened. Something quite idiosyncratic that wasn't expected in the least. During
this tug of war, some missiles impaled through the ground, and they went on and on, a sundering the
earth and giving birth to little crevices. From these holes, tons of water rushed onto the surface and
soon flooded the lands and beyond with its magnificent flailing liquid body. Everyone was aghast and
pensive-struck because they had been fighting this war for years for this same water. Only if they had
dug down enough. Howsoever, this wasn't looking good as the water kept rising and rising, submerging
everything inside it.

This was when the world's savior came, not in shining armor or suit, but in an Ark. Noah's Ark. The Arc
was being marshaled by a unanimous group running the project "Arktory" secretly. In hindsight, the
group knew about the heralded catastrophes that were yet to come by none other than the humans, so
they were working behind the curtains to bring to life a resounding survival project that would change
the course of humanity for years to come.

The Ark scooped up hordes and hordes of people, giving them shelter inside it. Many people were at the
mercy of this Ark, for it was the only existing thing on the planet's surface with the faculty to overhaul its
nemesis and laugh at its face. The people were glee and happy that they might see the dawn once again,
and thus, they celebrated. They oohed and aahed. They shrieked and rasped in glory. They danced
around with their hands flailing and gliding in the air. The pyres were lit, and tongues of flame from it
wiggled. The candelabras were torched aflame, lighting up Noah's Ark in shades of yellow and orange,
along with a faint red glow.

The Ark navigated through the treacherous waters. For sure, the waters leaped at the Ark, barred its
fangs at the Ark's hull in hopes of turning it into mere flotsam and jetsam floating perpetually till the
kingdom comes. However, the Ark persevered. It survived the ordeal of the vile thunderstorms and the
waters that were constantly leering at the Ark, finding the opportunity to eviscerate it and gulp down
every single human being inside it. Yes, the Ark survived and came to a place where the land was still
intact. It was quite perverse to see something still standing with no signs of struggle. One by one, each
man and woman alighted on top of the beach and instantly started running on the warm undulating
sands.

When the Ark was empty, a few known as "Arkians," the initiators of the Arktory project, came forth to
introduce themselves as a portal to the metaverse as the world, at its current state, was beyond
redemption. They had no means and resources to build everything from scratch, and thus, they should
turn their gazes to what the Arktory had to offer then.

The Arkians went on to explain the transfer of consciousness into the Arktory metaverse, allowing the
people to thrive, foster, and live, once again, without needing to burn the midnight oil to rebuild their
long-lost world. The idea was quite jinxing, and so it was entertained by everyone. They all wanted to
participate and be a part of this new Arktory metaverse world where the possibilities were endless.

They ushered the survivors to a portal that was situated underground. One by one, in trepidation, the
people touched the portal, and it sucked them in, leaving behind a flashing light to indicate that the
journey had commenced. Eventually, everyone went inside, including the Arkians, and when they came
out on the other side, they were mesmerized by the sight in front of them. Everyone was lost in reverie,
thinking of the possibilities this new Arktory metaverse would offer them in the long run. The towering
buildings. The fancy starry sky, twinkling up above. The inviting, teasing billboards. The surreal neon
lights imbuing in the horizon. The arching bridges and skyscrapers forming a dorm-like structure
throughout the metaverse. Everything about this place was heavenly and breathtaking.

However, there was a little catch. One of the leaders took the stage and explained that although this
new world would allow them to catch up with their friends, rule over areas, work in their beloved fields,
sports and game around, spend time procrastinating, or build a dream society for themselves, for this to
happen, they would need to make a choice. A choice that would weave the future possibilities into a
garden of forking paths. And, as it turned out, it was the assignment of a sub-world from the two
existing ones: Cyberpunk City and Xspace.

The Cyberpunk City is a daily dose of freedom of speech, action, and choice. It entails everything the
human desires. Even those desires that are wanton and lecherous. This city is for those who want to be
part of the roller-coaster criminal activities, or in other words, to make a fortune out of simply being
thieves, cut-throats, marauders, and thugs. Verily a life for those who need a short-cut and easy way
toward building their dreams. The low lives, or the people from less respectable backgrounds, would
forge their path in this city. It's an absolute junkyard with no honors or reputation.

The city itself is infested with slums and camouflaged aisles. Here, the structures and buildings are
smushed into a hodge-podge of undulating silhouettes. The city square is a resounding, chaotic hubbub
of people shrilling, and hooting, an introduced commotion for vibrancy. It's a definite place for those
who want to experience a life free from restrictions and rules and to its fullest.

Woefully, this place is not for those who want to have fair means of making a fortune because the
Cyberpunk city is a place with no honor as the fortune earned here is by corrupted means. Hence, the
money lands as quickly as possible and gets spent at the same rate, leaving people with no choice but to
look out for more criminal activities.

On the contrary, Xspace City is a place for those who love to spend their time concordantly. Here, the
hymns sung daily are of uniformity, rules, and regulations. In Xspace City, punctuality is a new religion.

The people who are ardently invested in getting something phenomenal for their future must avert their
eyes toward the Xspace, for it offers boundless and ever-lasting opportunities. It's a place that is a very
facsimile of a dreamland, or perhaps a fairy tale where each person is unraveling a mysterious path, and
all those paths merge onto a single point of prosperity and happy endings. Indeed, a garden of merging
paths it is.

The facades and exteriors of the towering buildings and monuments in Xspace are quite hexing in their
ways. It is as if the city is an epitome of an immaculate painting on a canvas done by an acclaimed artist,
swishing and swashing the paintbrush in whatever motion possible. And that artist is the Arktory project
itself. The Xspace also offers perpetual camaraderie between the people as respect and honor are the
core principles of the city. The environment is thriving and booming and is perfect for those who want to
live a flamboyant and lavish life with fortune engulfing them from every corner. Here no one can be a
spendthrift. And although the money earned here requires energy and time, it's for the best for those
who are looking forward to fastening and securing their future for the long term.

Well, it's time for you to choose the land of your dreams and forge your path to achieve the highest rank
among the inhabitants striving to do the same. By being the change, you bring the change! The Arktory
project welcomes you wholeheartedly into its metaverse!