Volume One: The New Era

Chapter 0001: Imprisoned on an Alien Planet

From ancient times to the present, there have been many predecessors who have served time in prison, but when it comes to being imprisoned by aliens, Brian Carter is undoubtedly the first.

Throughout history, those who have been imprisoned have all hoped for the cell door to suddenly open, but Brian Carter was living quite comfortably in this cell; he was even starting to feel a bit reluctant to leave.

At exactly six o’clock Earth time, Brian Carter was curled up on a narrow single bed, wrapped from head to toe in an army-green blanket, sleeping soundly.

Beep beep beep beep...

A cheap digital clock on the bedside table emitted an unpleasant and piercing sound, waking Brian Carter from his sleep.

He instinctively pressed the mute button on the clock and sat up on the bed, still groggy.

He silently counted to three in his mind, then suddenly opened his eyes.

A few seconds later, Brian Carter confirmed that he was still in the cell, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This cell was even more comfortable than Brian Carter’s own home. In the less-than-ten-square-meter room, all kinds of facilities were complete. No matter the season, it was always warm, and there was even a private shower.

Brian Carter first took a long, hot shower in the bathroom, then took his clothes out of the smart washing machine.

Brian Carter couldn’t put into words how much he loved this high-end washing machine. Dirty clothes put inside would come out clean in just five minutes, carefully ironed and carrying a fresh, sun-like scent.

It was simply the ultimate holy artifact for bachelors. With it, there was no need to worry about piles of smelly socks, nor the trouble of picking out a pair that was at least somewhat clean.

After eating a breakfast that tasted a lot like Chinese toothpaste, Brian Carter sat on the bed in a daze. If he were on Earth, at this time he would already be out riding his bike, picking up mail at the company and then delivering it.

In the year 2019 on Earth, being a bicycle courier was a hot job. There was no city without traffic jams these days, so nimble bicycles had become the top choice for delivery services.

For each delivery, Brian Carter could earn five yuan. A monthly income of about fifteen hundred yuan was decent enough for Brian Carter to survive in the big city of Beijing. If he was lucky, he could even go to a movie once a month, have a Coke, and eat a bucket of popcorn.

With a sigh, Brian Carter decided to do some push-ups to kill the difficult time.

He put his feet on the bed and placed his hands on the floor.

“1, 2, 3, 4...”

Sweat gradually dripped from his head. What was originally a simple movement became heavier and heavier, but Brian Carter had no intention of giving up.

After finishing his push-ups, he moved on to calisthenics, and after that, more push-ups.

Until he had exhausted the last bit of strength in his body, Brian Carter collapsed onto the bed and pulled the blanket over his head.

And so, Brian Carter started sleeping again...

Getting up, showering, eating, push-ups, calisthenics, sleeping—this was Brian Carter’s daily routine, repeating over and over for half a month. Of course, he also had to go for regular interrogations by the fat man Noah Bennett.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when a series of footsteps echoed in the corridor, coming closer and closer.

Under the blanket, Brian Carter opened his eyes alertly. The heavy and lazy footsteps of the fat man Noah Bennett were easy to recognize, but the other set of footsteps was unfamiliar to Brian Carter. It was a crisp, ringing sound, much like high heels striking the floor.

“A woman?” Brian Carter muttered to himself, but quickly dismissed the thought. “How could there be a woman in prison? It must be an illusion.”

Clang!

The heavy iron door was opened, and two people entered the room one after the other.

Brian Carter was already used to all this. As usual, their next step would be to take him to the interrogation room and then ask a bunch of baffling questions.

“Hey, even if you ask a thousand times, ten thousand times, my answer will still be the same. My name is Brian Carter, seventeen years old, Earthling, ID number ESS370402..., no money, no car, no house, no girlfriend, and I’m definitely not a [Ghost Shadow].” Brian Carter said with some annoyance.

Throwing off the blanket, Brian Carter sat up on the bed and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “Alright, I’ll go with you. You know this is a violation of human rights, right? Even though Earth is just a low-level civilization planet, we’re still human beings.”

Brian Carter’s motion of rubbing his eyes suddenly froze, because standing in front of him, besides the fat man Noah Bennett, was a strange woman.

She was about 1.75 meters tall, with a curvy figure. Her gorgeous red hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Judging by her appearance, she was probably twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She wore no makeup, yet exuded a unique mature feminine charm.

She was dressed in a teal business suit, with a silver round badge on her chest. Three stars on the badge gleamed brightly under the light.