I awoke. Every direction was filled with killer energy. Panicked I struggled to regain control of my motion to run to flee. No matter what I did my Id continued as it had before filling me with equations and memories of my course that were a mystery to me. My overwhelming panic had no effect on the progression of the updates. As I watched myself make hundreds, thousands then millions of different course changes. My attention was drawn from my panic gradually to these continuing course changes and from there to my map. All these changes were making something much more complex than anything I had ever even contemplated before. It was a pattern. Each bit was similar but differed slightly. Spiralling out from the site of my attempted suicide.

I was torn away from my contemplation by the appearance of other trails not left by me on my map. My Id had apparently not woken me but had subtly changed its pattern to include these other paths. Over time the pattern created had become more apparent and spread across the remaining portions of the map coming up against the other edges of the void. The pattern didn’t fill all the available space it had huge volume but still had not yet spread to encompass it all. As my panic was to some degree suppressed by sheer amazement at what my Id had wraught. I focused in on the map and noticed something puzzling. The larger spiral was not described by smooth curves and clear edges. But as I focused the larger pattern reappeared on this smaller scale. As I focused in I found each level of the pattern was created by the same or very similar spiral. Just at a reduced scale. It was fascinating both by the form but also the description. There were only a couple of mathematical rules that defined the pattern along with an iteration number interesting but beyond my limited understanding. How could such complexity come from such a short series of rules?

Further memories from my Id startled me when others of my kind came across my pattern. Every end of a swirl was open seaming to contain plenty of space. However, as my Id observed them they entered the open end of each swirl continuing towards the centre of the pattern. As each smaller spiral connected to a bigger spiral I watched as others entered timidly to investigate. Without a map, they moved as I would filling in all the available space within each part of the spiral before moving on. The trap as I was coming to see was that looking at any one section you could not see the whole pattern. The spirals spread a great distance beyond the individual’s perception, eventually narrowing down into a single space without an exit, trapping them.

My Id had then continued to spread the pattern extending my net capturing and banishing any of my kind that couldn’t predict my trap. Once the pattern extended throughout the remaining space within the void. The Id had turned around and began filling in the remaining spaces outside my pattern leaving the trap. But reducing the alternate paths available to my kind. Eventually, my Id found itself in spaces containing the few who had avoided the trap pattern. And now started a series of individual duels.

These duels revolved around diverting and cornering the opponent into a progressively smaller and small space. My Id did well locking many opponents into spaces where they could not escape or where the only choice was to enter my pattern. However, it didn’t always go well a miss calculation or surprise change in course by the enemy could leave my Id isolated. My real advantage had been that it was my pattern. Apparently, one tenth of the spirals led away as escape tunnels. Any who tried to follow would themselves be trapped. It did mean that some escaped over the eons of this cat and mouse game by blind chance. But in the end, all the opponents were captured and banished. Leaving nothing but a note from the system and a little yellow dot on my map.

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After some time, these confrontations became rarer. The space outside my pattern was filled. All the escape routes used and I was in my current position. Pushed up against the edge of the void. And this is where the memories ended, my return to function leaving me again in a situation where I have no options. I was frustrated and despaired that I was even after making a conscious decision to avoid this moment here and aware. As my energy built, as the wild panic that came far too often consumed me I was left with a final question. What had been the point?

The point in which before, I had lost consciousness came and went. But I was still being pressed in on by such huge pressure I could begin to feel deformed. Compressed and stretched. But suddenly a, crack? At first, I was not surprised that under the pressure I couldn’t hold on. Initially, I thought that something internal had collapsed. Myself cracking and being the cause of this slight shift in pressure. But no. The pressure had not lessened but I had only moved slightly. Where I was pressed against the void had moved. Using what remained of my rational mind I looked at my map. Nothing had seemed to change. But as I moved in closer until I was straining myself by my focus I could see that the void or more accurately what was beyond the void and given way. Minutely. Very just slightly I was over the edge of where the void had ended before.

This was it my escape. The energy was immovable and implacable. Nothing I had seen or observed had gotten it to give way in the least. But here it was the driving force. Pushing out and I could use that. With my course set, I began to push out towards that which may exist beyond the void. Using everything I had left to add to the energies pressure in pushing against the edge. I even went as far as trying to work out if I could produce even more energy to push me. To give me that, last, step…

System notice: Trial 1 Fight for life (complete).

Trial Results – Overall

Failed seeds banished

17

Competitor seeds banished

872

Survived to end

3

Overall control of start location

1st (56%), 2nd (33%), 3rd (11%).

Elapsed time

2.3 seconds

Trial Results – Individual

Failed seeds banished

1

Competitor seeds banished

364

Survived to end

yes

Overall control of start location

1st (56%)

Congratulations you have gained the reward Right to Life.