Instructor Han cleared his throat and continued. "That is the precise reason why today we possess high-tech APVs, laser weaponry, plasma cannons, mechanized battle armor, and so much more. In the old world, these advanced technologies were nothing more than a pipe dream. Now, they are our baseline reality. The discovery of the crashed mothership also led to the discovery of hibernating extraterrestrials deep within its hull. When human explorers disturbed their deep slumber, the entities fled the wreckage—though not without slaughtering thousands of our personnel first. I will return to the subject of the hibernating aliens later."
He paused, looking around the lecture hall. The room was as silent as a graveyard. Of course, the modern NHF didn't actually maintain graveyards anymore; burying corpses was considered a severe waste of habitable space.
"This environmental radiation and rapid evolution led to the true discovery of the Human Gene. Now, make no mistake—the old humans knew about genetics. But they had merely scratched the surface. Ancient scientists believed the human body was limited by a biological lock. They famously believed that humanity only utilized roughly ten percent of their brain's true potential. But following the nuclear collapse, and through the direct reverse-engineering of alien technology, mankind was finally able to step past that limiter."
Han leaned forward over the podium, dropping his voice to a heavy, intentional register. "Humanity was finally able to break its Gene Lock."
The recruits sat in absolute awe. Even the students who had been born and raised inside the safety of the Wall—who had undoubtedly heard these historical stories before—were completely transfixed. Instructor Han was an undeniably captivating storyteller.
"Now, where was I?" he asked, testing the room.
"The Gene Lock, sir! The Gene Lock!" several students immediately chimed in, while others nodded along in eager affirmation.
Very good, they are actually listening, Instructor Han thought, thoroughly satisfied with his progression so far.
"The unlocking of the human Gene Lock drastically hastened our progress in battling the devils. I will explain the origin of the devils shortly, but listen closely, because this next part is vital," he stated. "Unlocking the Gene Lock allowed the human body to actively absorb and assimilate the latent energy permeating the atmosphere. Suddenly, your average human could punch a solid concrete wall and leave a deep crack; with enough successive blows, they could shatter it completely. The fragile humans of the old world could never dream of such a feat. Agility, durability, speed, strength—the survivors became akin to superhumans. They were the very first generation to taste that caliber of power. And by marrying this biological evolution with reverse-engineered alien tech, humans could finally link their DNA directly to their combat suits."
He paused, pacing back to his desk. "Of course, there were unique individuals who experienced even greater genetic advancements. That is where our S-Class and A-Class soldiers originate. These exceptional humans unlocked deeper layers of the Gene Lock, allowing them to absorb atmospheric energy at an accelerated rate, granting them supernatural regenerative abilities."
Han took a brief intermission, picking up a sealed metal can of water. He pressed his thumb against the biometric scanner on the lid; it clicked open with a soft hiss of condensation, and he drank deeply. As the ice-cold water washed down his throat, he set the can down, removed his eyeglasses, and began cleaning the lenses with a small microfiber cloth.
Even with the pinnacle of modern human technology and advanced biology, humanity could never entirely outrun its primitive flaws, including poor eyesight. Though Han possessed the medical clearance to easily undergo an ocular implant procedure to correct his vision permanently, he actively chose to wear glasses. He felt the physical frames maintained his connection to the old world.
Sliding the glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, he continued.
"However, wherever there is light, darkness inevitably follows. Not all of humanity benefited from the nuclear collapse. Not everyone successfully burst through their Gene Lock. Instead, a massive portion of the population fell into extreme sickness and profound, agonizing suffering. Their limbs twisted, their lungs failed, and their skin literally sloughed off their bones. In response, the newly formed human authority devised a containment solution to separate the unlucky from the lucky, desperate to prevent the spread of genetic disease."
Han paused, his eyes softening with a sudden, uncharacteristic wave of sorrow.
"Their initial mandate was noble: to support, house, and medically aid the unlucky population until their Gene Locks naturally opened, or until they at least stabilized. For the first few years, the relief program functioned well. But the system ultimately collapsed due to severe lack of funding, bureaucratic greed, and poor long-term planning. The government simply abandoned the un-evolved... leaving the locked humans right in the gaping maw of the hungry devils."
He let out a long, heavy sigh, the deep-seated sadness in his eyes plain for everyone in the lecture hall to see.