Aaditya's mind reeled as he processed the old man's words. Out of the nearly 900 billion humans alive, only 500 million were chosen for this so-called secret mission. That meant only 0.05% of the entire human race had the chance to explore and survive on distant planets. The realization sent a chill down his spine. Was he among the lucky ones, or was this fate a cruel joke?

  "You should not have known this," the old man muttered, his eyes narrowing. "This is a top secret of ours."

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  Aaditya clenched his fists. "Why me?" he asked, voice tight with uncertainty.

  The old man exhaled, glancing at the other humans in the center. "That is a question only fate can answer. But now that you are here, you must make a choice—to survive or to perish."

  Before Aaditya could respond, a group of humans approached. They carried a device in their hands—a communicator linked directly to the governing authorities on Earth.

  "We have informed Earth about him," one of them said. "They will decide what to do next."

  Aaditya felt trapped. The humans at the center had their eyes locked onto him. Escape was not an option. For now, he could only wait and see what fate had in store for him.