"I... I'm not a person, my lord... I'm just a miner. I can work the mines for you lords, and the new lords have been very good to me." John grew even more nervous. "Lately, I've been eating better than before. To repay you lords, I'll work hard. I'll work hard down in the mines."
Cheng Mingrui's prepared speech was ruined, and the miner-turned-general waiting behind him to be called up and recount his life story was left awkwardly frozen too. This unexpected turn had thrown the speech he had memorized into complete disarray.
"Mr. John, you are a person. I think you could give this a little more thought. Try thinking about what kind of person you could become, and what meaning your life holds." After a moment's thought, Cheng Mingrui continued his questions.
"I'm a person? What meaning does my life hold?" John fell silent.
He began thinking as hard as he could, and some long-dead memories began to stir.
Over a decade ago, John had still been a boy, a young man full of energy and vitality. He had believed he could earn a better life through hard work.
But the Hive City was cruel, especially on the mining world of Ovisgral. Class divisions had long since become fixed. Nobles remained nobles, while commoners could not even gain access to knowledge. Working hard earned them only a little more food.
During one trip down into the mines, John had been unlucky enough to have his leg crushed by poorly maintained machinery, forcing him to recuperate at home. The doctor said that if he was lucky, he would be left with a limp. If he was unlucky, he would lose the entire leg.
John's family had been going through hard times already. Years of working in the mines