Sam was utterly bewildered by the inexplicable turn of events. All she could comprehend was that the moment her hand made contact with the dragon, an emptiness within her, once gaping and shattered, was inexplicably healed. She should have been seething with anger or, at the very least, petrified by the presence of a literal dragon within her. Yet, against all reason, Sam found solace in the mountain of claws, scales, and fangs. The dragon remained silent as Sam's tears mingled with the darkness of its scales.
Finally, after some time, Sam managed to pull herself together enough to speak. She asked, “Why—” then she choked a little and continued, "Why did you abandon me? I grew up in an orphanage, for Christ's sake, an outcast. I had to fight and claw my way from nothing, never knowing why I was so unworthy, why my parents abandoned me."
“I was given no choice…” the dragon said softly, trailing off. She continued, her voice filled with regret and longing, "My circumstances are complicated, but suffice to say, I am a level ten Draconic Voidgod currently chained to the verse where your Earth resides. I am your creator or, as I like to think, your mother. My entire goal in creating you was for a part of me to be free. To explore the multiverse without the chains that bind me."
“Chains?” Sam asked, pushing away and stepping back from the dragon. “Are you trapped?”
“Indeed, I am,” the dragon said, adding, “It should not concern you, though. But where are my manners? I am called Ica; you may refer to me as such if calling me ‘mother’ is too much to ask now."
"Um, hello, Ica…" Sam said, unsure how to proceed. The dragon, Ica’s face stretched into a toothy smile. Sam was pretty sure the sight of that fang-filled smile would probably give most mortals heart attacks, but all she could do was smile back at the black dragon.
Sam embarrassedly coughed when she realized she was standing in her soul, staring at a copy of a memory while grinning like an idiot. Knowing she should say something, she asked the first thing that came to mind: "So…uh, what can you tell me about this?" She gestured at the enormous room in her soul, "and this, she gestured to herself in the Technogog outfit."
"We are inside a physical representation of your concept of your soul," Ica said, confusing Sam. Thankfully, the dragon elaborated, “You are a splinter of my soul that I severed from my core nearly three million Earth years ago. Over time, I carefully healed my soul while maintaining your lifeforce separately, which is not an easy task in the mana-deprived area of the verse where Earth resides. As is our way in the Collective, I carefully removed all my memories from the splinter and formed it...you, into a new blank soul. What I could not do was remove the inherent nature of my progression from an egg to the dragon I have become, which is where the avatars you have found come into play, including the one you currently inhabit.”
“Wait,” Sam interrupted, “you were a human once?”
The dragon chuckled, the deep sound vibrating the floor, and answered, "No child, your avatars are your own doing. They represent the phases my soul went through during my progression."
“So, were you a Technogog at one point?” Sam asked, trying to imagine the massive dragon holding her little data link between two talons.
“It was my first evolution from the Technomancer class.”
Sam nodded; she was beginning to understand. Ica's soul imprinted certain traits that could not be entirely erased throughout her progression. Sam inherited some of her powers as part of Ica's soul.
Sam was about to ask Ica more questions when the dragon began to shrink. She returned to the form of an orb and sighed, saying, "I have limited power here in your soul and will need to sleep soon. But before I go, let me quickly explain this room."
Sam had so many questions, but she could feel the memory or specter in front of her weakening. She held her tongue and listened to Ica, hoping she could speak to her again soon after she recovered.
Ica explained, “This room is a part of your soul, but unlike the small shards represented by the other rooms, this one is the first true representation of the infinite power of a soul that is part of the Collective.”
Sam had to interrupt, "What is the Collective? I've heard the term several times, but what exactly is it?"
If the interruption bothered Ica, she did not show it. She answered Sam's question, "Hmm, explaining this will tie into what I was already saying, so yes, I will answer this. The Collective is the Void. Not the creatures housed within the Void. Instead, it is the Void itself,” Ica’s tone took on that of a college lecturer as she continued, “At the beginning of time, there was only Void. For in those early times, no reality existed. Over the course of existing for so long that most would consider it an eternity, Void had its first thought.”
Sam’s eyes were as big as saucers as she tried to comprehend Ica's words. Still, she stayed silent. She could feel the memory's power waning and didn't want to miss any of the information being provided, so she listened and waited patiently.
"With Void's first thought came the existence of space, the vacuum that spans across the multiverse, holding the verses together in their own bubbles of reality. After creating space, the Void slept again until another near eternity passed in silence. But as the Void slept, it also thought. For unknown to even the Void itself, the first thought had created a web of vacuum-filled space that threaded throughout the Void.”
Ica shifted from her orb form into another shape; one Sam was familiar with. She exclaimed, “It’s a brain! Or at least what the neural pathways in a brain look like!”
“Indeed,” Ica answered, “Void’s first thought began a process that slowly expanded into a cognitive network over an incomprehensible amount of time. When the Void awoke again, it was capable of thinking. This does not mean it was sentient yet, but the process had started, and slowly, painfully, the Void’s mind developed from a simple processor to a complex network of thought.”
Ica added flashes of light traveling down the pathways in the brain she was projecting, making them look like synapses as she continued explaining, “As the Void’s cognitive ability increased, so did its comprehension of itself until it finally realized it was alone in an infinite nothingness. It also understood that it was the infinite nothingness.”
Ica increased the speed of the flashes flowing through the developing mind and added tiny explosions throughout the paths as the light flowed through them. She continued, “Eventually, over the course of eons, Void’s desire for companionship became so strong and focused that it created something new.” She zoomed in on one particular explosion for Sam.
Sam understood what she was looking at. She had watched enough video simulations of the Big Bang and how galaxies were formed to know that was precisely what Ica was showing her. As she watched the light show the dragon was showing her, she said, “This isn’t just a galaxy forming, is it? It's a verse. And if this tiny pinprick is a verse, there must be trillions from what you've shown me so far."
Ica chuckled, saying, "My child, I am only displaying a minute fraction of the infinite, for the Void is endless, and so are the number of verses it has thought into existence." She snapped back into her orb form and said, "That is exhausting." Then she added, "Now let me explain further."
Floating closer to Sam, Ica continued her lecture, “You are correct in assuming Void created the multiverse in its desperate need for companionship, but it wasn’t what Void wanted or expected. You see, our reality is made up of matter, whereas Void, by its very nature, is antimatter. So, you can imagine Void’s frustration when, after countless eons of waiting, the first time it tried to interact with a verse, the verse and all its inhabitants were instantly destroyed.”
Sam winced at that revelation. To be wiped from existence because an all-powerful being wanted to talk would be one of the crappiest ways to go.
Seeing Sam's reaction, Ica bobbed up and down, saying, "It was at that moment Void understood the nature of what it was and what it had created. But it wasn't all bad, for Void felt the countless lives being extinguished by its attempt at contact. So, in its infinite power, Void could individually locate and save the souls of every living creature in the verse it destroyed, trapping them within itself for all eternity, giving them eternal life and a safe harbor from any further harm. You have already met one of those original souls, well, two actually, but you have only spoken to one.”
Sam was confused. For one, being trapped in the Void forever sounded like eternal torment, and two, just who had she met that—no, it couldn't be, "Naris? Are you telling me that Naris is bazillions of years or cycles old?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Yes, although each time his body dies and his soul is preserved, his memories are lost. This isn’t always the case, but it is true for most souls." Ica added, "The inhabitants of Naris's verse are the first and only Void dwellers who can live and thrive in the Void. The fact that the Church of the Light can summon them is truly disturbing, but I believe it would not be possible if the Void didn't wish it. So, I can only assume there is a reason behind it outside of my comprehension."
Sam could only nod in agreement. Who knew what an all-powerful being made out of antimatter was thinking? Trying to return the conversation to her origins, she asked, "Naris said he wasn't part of the Collective and wasn't a voidling like me, so what separates us? I know I am a voidling, at least partially, and have been accepted into the Collective, so how am I different?"
“Ah, of course, you wouldn't know," Ica said. You, my child, are a part of Void." Sam opened her mouth to say something, but Ica quickly said, "Hold on, I will explain."
Sam snapped her mouth shut and intently listened as Ica continued, "When Void realized it would never be able to interact with reality, it began to devise a way around its very nature. Over time, Void discovered that it could manipulate reality with its thoughts. That is how reality was created, after all. Once it understood how reality interacted with itself, Void opened a doorway into reality so it could speak to the inhabitants therein. As you can expect, the first few attempts were disastrous, resulting in even more destruction. After many failures and experimentation, the Void learned that by slicing off a small piece of itself and sending it through the tunnel between itself and reality, it could create an artificial soul, which is what you and I are. The Void sliver was changed as it transitioned from antimatter to matter, and upon arriving in reality, it was a blank slate that could exist in both Void and Matter. You have been told this process filters the Void, which is an appropriate term. It is really the Void using its thoughts to transform itself." Ica paused to let that sink in.
Sam’s thoughts were conflicted by that revelation, “Artificial? What does that mean? Am I not real?”
Ica sensed Sam’s inner struggle, “artificial or not, we are no less real than those souls created by Matter. In fact, we are much more important than anything else to the Void because it now has a way to interact with reality through us. We, the Collective, are slivers of the Void's infinite soul, eternally linked to our creator. When we die, we are returned to the collective whole of our kind to be revived should we wish. Sometimes even our memories may remain intact upon resurrection, but that is up to Void to decide."
Thinking of Nara and her friends, Sam asked, “What happens to the other souls? When Naris drains someone fully, does that destroy their soul entirely?”
“No,” the light in Ica’s eyes flared momentarily. It only relegates their soul to the Void instead of allowing their current verse to reabsorb their energy.” Ica’s eyes faded slightly, and she sighed, “I have to go for now. Just know that within this room, you have control over the Void, which is equal to the strength of your soul. I will explain further once you are ready, but for now, I suggest creating something useful to bring out into reality when you leave your soul."
Ica faded from view even as Sam called after her, "Wait, what do you mean take out of my soul? Parish said to never take things out of my soul!" But it was too late. Ica was gone, and no response came.
Sam stood alone in her soul again, her eyes transfixed on where Ica had hovered only seconds ago. Chaotic thoughts raced through Sam’s mind as she stared. “I am a…sliver of a sliver of what…a god? The god? The creator of all things? And was she suggesting that now both Void and Matter are sapient? Is the multiverse nothing more than the thought process of an infinite being that defies true definition? That would mean that reality truly is created by being viewed or, I guess, thought…wait, doesn’t that tie into modern Earth physics?" She put her head in her hands and groaned. It felt like her head would explode from all the new information.
Patting herself on the cheeks to focus, Sam tried to think logically about what happened. Speaking her thoughts, Sam went through the recent events, "Okay, I have either lost my mind, or there is a part of my mother's mind inside my soul that was implanted to guide or spy on me…probably both," she rubbed her chin absently as she spoke to herself, "according to my mother, er, creator…Ica, I'll call her Ica for now. According to her, the whole multiverse only exists because the infinite Void surrounding space is lonely. And I exist because the Void experiences reality through me and all others of my kind. Damn, this is a lot to take in. And it barely answers anything. Next time, I'll ask her where the System or Systems came from and their purpose. Oh, and where magic came from. And why my Void Bolts aren’t sentient if they are made of filtered Void. Also, how can I get back to Earth…" Sam trailed off; did she want to return to Earth?
She pondered that question as she turned and marched to the desk with all the monitors. When she sat in the surprisingly comfortable chair, she still hadn't decided. Pushing her thoughts of home to the back of her mind, Sam touched the central laptop, whose screen flared to life along with the dozens of others surrounding it.
Seeing a link port on the side of the computer, Sam disconnected one of her hex shields and linked to it. Every screen lit up with “Welcome S.A.M.” in violet and black lettering. Picking up the laptop, Sam wandered over to the workbench with it. It was time to see what she could make in her soul.
***
Lif stepped through a portal into Ica's prison. It instantly felt the burden of using its own magical reserves instead of relying on the ambient magic in the air. It wasn't that big of a deal to Lif, considering the void slime did not intend to stay long, and its mana reserves were insanely high. No, Lif was only here to deliver a message to its sister.
Ica’s eyes opened in surprise, and she stared at her sibling with a hint of fear. She had not interacted with another of her kind in billions of cycles or years, as the humans referred to them, and Lif’s presence could not be good. She knew she had taken liberties when she created her daughter, and although they weren’t expressly forbidden to tamper with their own souls, the creation of new life outside of procreation was supposed to be reserved for Void alone. Still, Ica held Lif’s gaze defiantly; Sam started out as an experiment, but as time passed, Ica became attached to the young life she had created through a combination of soul tampering and natural fertilization of a human from this planet.
The two stared at each other for a long time, ignoring the terrified and screaming humans bustling around them. Finally, Lif smiled at its sister, and she relaxed. This was not to be an execution. Why she wanted to continue to live in chains, Ica didn't know, but the desire to live was ingrained in every voidling from birth. Death, at least the physical kind, was to be avoided at all costs.
Still smiling, Lif spoke, “It is good to see you, sister.”
Black tears formed in the corners of several of Ica’s eyes, and she responded kindly, “It is truly good to see you too, young Lif. But as pleasant as this meeting is, I assume you are here for a reason other than casual conversation.”
Lif continued to smile but nodded its head nonetheless, saying, " Indeed. Unfortunately, we will not be able to catch up on the time we have been apart, but as you know, this prison is of your own creation." Ica bowed her head, the chains binding her, making loud clanking sounds as she shifted. Lif continued, "As I have already told you, your daughter lives and has been accepted by the Collective. This being said, though, Void has detected a piece of your memories inside your daughter's soul that has been kept from it. Keeping things from the Collective, my dear sister, cannot stand.”
Ica shifted uncomfortably at Lif’s words, but she said nothing, so Lif continued, “I am here in person to impress upon you the importance of this message from Void,” the slime waited until Ica returned her gaze to it before delivering the message.
When the Voidgod turned her eyes to her sibling, Lif's voice took on a deeper tone, as though something else was speaking through the slime. It said, "Dearest Ica, I have watched you proudly grow through the millennia. Even when you were banished to this place, I did not waver in my love for you, for I knew you were only following your instincts. But now I have reason to believe you intentionally acted against your purpose in a manner that could have lasting consequences that even one as old as you cannot comprehend. In creating a new voidling from your soul, you have circumvented me and created the possibility for others to follow your actions. You have unknowingly created a being of limitless power, and should she ever learn to harness it, I will be forced to annihilate her. I am aware of the kernel of your memories you imbedded in her soul to guide her to power beyond her current comprehension, so I ask you these questions. Should I destroy her now and end her suffering before my hand is forced to do so in the future? Or do you think I should spare her? Will she grow to become an asset to the Collective or bring about its destruction?”
Ica was silent for a long time. Even the humans scurrying about stopped to listen to the interaction between these insanely powerful beings. Finally, Ica responded simply and honestly, "I do not know the answers to those questions. But I do know I want her to live."
“Very well,” The Void, speaking through Lif, responded. In that case, when the time comes, I will ask you to destroy or welcome her. And should you fail whichever task I give you, not one but two souls will never rise again. I love you, daughter, as I do all my creations, but I cannot justify letting one of you threaten the existence of creation itself.”
With that last statement, Lif's posture relaxed somewhat, and it smiled up at its sister lovingly. The void slime nodded its head once and raised one clawed hand. A bolt of pure Void streaked from the tip of one of its claws, striking the chain around Ica's neck. The chain disintegrated to nothing. Nodding at its work, Lif said, "Void would like you to be more comfortable since you answered honestly and selflessly," Lif tipped its stylish hat. A portal opened behind it, "Farewell, dear sister. I look forward to the day you meet your daughter. But until then, I have been given permission to show you an image of her, and we are now allowed to provide you with infrequent updates regarding her progress."
Then Lif was gone.
Ica felt and heard the stiff bones from eons of limited mobility pop and creak as she twisted her neck. Her notebook floated in front of her face as she raised her head up for the first time in so long. The book opened, and on the page was a slowly rotating image of her daughter, complete with her current race, class, and stats. Tears welled in Ica's eyes for a second time that day. She stared at her creation with pride and fear at what the Void said she might become.
After a while, Ica decided to speak to the humans surrounding her; she felt it was time to break her self-imposed silence. Besides, she was in a good mood. The cavern walls shook when she said, "Bring me, General Mateo Vargas; there are things I would like to discuss with him. Also, if I were you, I would try and save every ounce of my tears." When no one moved, she said, "or all of you could just continue standing there like idiots."
At those words, every person in the room exploded into motion!
Ica chuckled to herself. Wrong as it may be, it was still fun picking on mortals sometimes.