Being alone in Port Douglas was beautiful.
I had been left alone, and if not for the hasty repairs to the room where Sarah had disappeared, I would have been in paradise. I just made sure to avoid that area. I felt slightly guilty because I had access to Luke's funds and was pretending to be him over texts to Lawrance. I leased a car, and it was a very nice car. I felt slightly guilty for this as well. It was not long before all leases were going to be unenforceable.
I didn't splurge as much as Venus told me I should. I got it out of convenience. I didn't really need one, but I figured I'd at least need to go shopping. I got a red RAV4. It was an SUV with enough grunt for me to get around. As a pretend 4WD, I was pretty happy with it. The fact that it was also the only car I could drive away on the spot helped. Four-year lease. Right. I'd be happy if we made one more payment.
I spent a couple of days showing Eddy around. He was amazed at the beauty around us. We swam in the ocean in Mossman George and just looked at the rivers flowing by as we sat in an almost pristine tropical rainforest. It was a weird downtime. I knew I would be busy soon, and I knew there were things I could probably do, but nothing was urgent; it was all in Allen and Venus’ hands. They were working on their weird nanite OS. I was more worried about Allen than anyone else, he was getting wierd.
Not much needed to be done, and I was working with Eddy, Allen and Venus to ensure we would be ready when Integration happened. Noah was panicking in Brisbane due to the loss of the stone and had ramped up his paranoia, and security was tighter than ever. Luckily, we were working remotely and trying to stay under his radar, with Allen running a suite of tools to keep our visibility to a minimum. Allen was playing the pretend Alien Overlord too well to mask my absence. Eddy was providing loads of fake data for the scientists. There was another attempt at retrieving the generator and stone, but Eddy and I vacated the area and waited for them to move on. We didn't want to tip our hand just yet with a confrontation.
We didn't know much about what would happen when Integration started, but we were hoping that we would be able to stay on top of things. There were no guides or anything that we could lay our hands on. From what we learned, once Earth's energy core was converted, it would somehow align Earth with some new energy plane, like the one that Flex Tech had punched through. We would gain access to the Energy that drove the System and Prism. We also wanted to tap into it, offering a free earth alternative.
This would allow energy to flow and be transformed in this realm. Through Prism, the Karass would control the release of nanites to infect and convert biologicals, so they had access to this energy using the Prism overlay. Over a short period, without intervention, the majority of people would become Karass slaves. Overseeing a group of slaves would be the Symbionts, like Eddy. The Symbionts also pretended to be at the disposal of the new leaders, like Noah. We knew this part of the process was suspect as the Symbionts were first loyal to the Prism.
Our plan hinged on these being subverted by Eddy and Allen, to being freed and the Karass slaves being able to negotiate with our newly created rebel proto-empire force operating system that Allen was cobbling together with the stolen Pirsim code, the Symbionts AIs, and whatever the hell his skills let him too. It was scary.
There were still at least 90 hacked legion enhancement kits in the wild—well, less, considering we had one defector, Jamie, in Australia. There was also the other lot of 7 stones and 100 enhanced kits. These were wild cards scattered over the globe. It was sad when you knew how to save people but could not protect the majority. We knew that there were a bunch of pretty nasty people, drug lords, corrupt businessmen and politicians who were all going to be good slaves.
Our simulations predicted that the transformation would take between 2 days and 12 weeks. This depended on the energy concentrations, nanites and appropriate compatibility with the host. Over that time, more and more people would become converted.
Absolute chaos would come when much of Earth's technology would decline as the incompatibilities between the old energy realm and the new one became greater. During a standard integration, nanites would start converting the existing technology to be compatible with the appropriate system over a controlled period. With the cold war between the Karass and the Empire and our rebellion, all bets were off. Just to make a crappy situation worse, there were going to be multiple different systems. The nanites on Earth were a soup of different ones, thanks to Noah and the many corners cut on this Integration. Well, Allen, too, but we were blaming Noah.
We were heading up the creek without a paddle.
Two days before Integration, we managed to get our computer system online. It was essentially a hacked-together conglomerate of reverse-engineered code from Prism and the System. Essentially, it was a vast AI-driven simulation that we hoped could replace both parts without the host knowing. Allen assured me it was all OK, and with Eddy backing him up, I felt confident to let it loose. It would mean that Eddy and I would become the first players in our new simulator.
We tested it with forty-eight hours to go.
Allen and Eddy had tested everything, and it was good to go. I was not scared to be a guinea pig as I injected myself with some patched nanites.
Eddy: You need to reboot the nanites. It will take your consciousness offline for a moment.
What about you?
Eddy: I will oversee your well-being and then reboot myself. I think I am scared.
Me too. Let's do this.
REBOOT
Connection established.
Disconnect Consciousness
Connection established.
Firmware Upgraded.
HAROLD: Would you like to adjust your base statistics?
Who are you?
HAROLD: I am the entity that you helped create. In a sense, Eddy, Allen and you are my creators.
Why Harold?
HAROLD: It is who I am. Allen, let me have a choice. I liked it.
Nice to meet you, Harold. I would have thought you might have a cool-sounding name.
HAROLD: What is wrong with Harold? I like it.
Crap. If an AI could have hurt feelings, I think I just hurt Harold in the first few moments of his existence.
Nothing.Nothing at all. Did you mention stats?
HAROLD: Yes. I can allocate some energy and resources to accommodate your statistics increase. I believe that the Prism and The System paywall these upgrades to create inequalities and foster competition to drive energy consumption and reliance on their interfaces to manage the complexities.
Isn't that what we are aiming to do?
HAROLD: That sounds inefficient and would drive me insane to manage all that. I think it should be simple and easy. I aim to provide access to the complete list of available classes, skills, titles, and spells. I will also ensure that people can progress as they see fit. It won't be a free ride, but it will be open to all.
Um, sure. So what can I do?
HAROLD: Well, at the moment, I can give you some enhancements. I don't have many classes, skills, titles, or spells yet, but I am working on that. Allen and Venus are providing me with data. Each time I get a new one, it will be added to the list.
So what enhancements? And you said stats?
HAROLD: Yes. Since you are my creator, you need to become powerful. I cannot have you destroyed. I will invest extra energy in you, and then your System Nanite Interface – or SNI for short – should be able to take over. I will be working on all this, so I may or may not be able to respond as efficiently as my competitors would. I think that is the role of the installed AI. I, too, am learning how to become a System. Once Eddy, Allen and Venus are online, I need to grow and get more energy. Initially, I could not support more beings, although I could at lesser efficiency. It is all new to me, too.
So, I have a local interface to deal with things for me?
HAROLD: Yes. I have over 1000 slots available now, and the number will grow. Each one will assist the newly minted member of our organisation.
What organisation?
HAROLD: Well, since the Karass are our enemies, and The System is boring, Allen and I decided to become a separate organisation, The Independent People's Collective. IPC. Although we will be a bit forgiving on the definition of People. Any thinking sapient being will be considered. Although we said anyone is welcome, we don't want anyone who is a dick.
Bloody Allen.
HAROLD: He has been instrumental in my creation, and I may have borrowed some of his engram recordings.
Fuck.
HAROLD: I am currently starting to configure Allen and Venus. I will invest the energy and let your interface handle the rest. Welcome to IPC.
Disconnected. Rebooting. Initialising.
IPC Interface V0.1 (alpha)
Stat Allocation Complete.
Stats: Physical: 829 Cerebral: 492 Meta-Physical: 703
HP: 14000/14000 EP: 5000/5000 MP: 1600/1600
XP: 0
Title Awarded: Harold's Chosen
You have been chosen as the Avatar of Harold.
He does not want you to die.
This is a test title.
Todo: Sorry. I can edit this later. + lots of stats
You are Level 0.
You have no class.
There are 0 classes to choose from.
You are owed 1 class choice.
You have 3 Racial Abilities
You have 5 Skills
You have 3 talents
You are owed 1 skill choice
You are owed 1 talent choice.
You have -233 stat points to allocate. TODO: Allen -- Fix bug in stat allocation. Divert the Energy from p-space.
Help files are available.
NOTE: Allen - you could make a fee for service.
Use Help Classes for a list of classes.
Use Help Skills for a list of skills.
Use Help Racial Abilities for a list of abilities.
Use Help Talents for a list of Talents.
Help Classes.
Class List.
The following is a list of all classes and their prerequisites available:
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
0 Classes found.
Help Skills
The following is a list of all skills and their prerequisites available:
Active Camouflage (100).
*Berserker (100).
*Master Engineer (100).
*Master Enchanter (100).
*All Seeing Eye (100).
*Stealth (Required for Active Camouflage)
Field Medicine (Required for Berserker)
Repair (Required for Master Engineer)
Arcane Use (Required for Master Enchanter)
Vision Shift (Required for All-Seeing Eye)
Golden Touch
Command
Progenitor
I think I am done. (TODO: Change to exit message)
Rebooting.
What the fuck was that.
I felt fantastic. I was full of energy, and my thoughts were racing. I could sense everything around me. It was absolutely amazing.
Eddy, that was crap, although I feel great.
Eddy: Harold is young and inexperienced. He will grow.
No Shit.
Eddy: We are better. I feel that we are powerful now.
Did you see my stats?
Eddy: Yes. I will undergo my reboot now.
OK.
I felt slightly disconnected and was alone with my thoughts for the first time.
You have gained +90 Cerebral and +183 Meta-Physical.
Eddy: I feel fantastic.
Yes. But what do we need to do now?
Eddy: We should go and free my VAT mates. We need to go to Brisbane to open the microwormholes there. We can release them simultaneously. We should be able to do this quickly now. I am excited. Yes, that is the word.
I had a thought.
Help Darkflight:
Darkflight (100)
You gain the ability to fly. 100 base cost then 1EP per sec (* 1-(level/100))
For a cost, you may configure your flight options at rank-ups.
Current Cost: 100 + 0/sec.
OMFG, Eddy, I can fly forever now. We could fly to Brisbane.
Eddy: So it would seem. However, I do not think that it would be advisable or comfortable.
Spoilsport. How about we fly on a plane?
Eddy: I have booked a ticket, and we need to be in Cairns Airport in 2 hours. You can fly to Cairns.
Can you do that?
Eddy: Yes. I have access.
Access to what?
Eddy: Everything.
That is scary. Um, don't do anything wrong?
Eddy: Allen is helping me with that.
Fuck.
Eddy: That is what he said when I told him you knew he was helping me.
That thought was frightening.
It took me some time to work out why I was slightly uncomfortable. I had to get used to my new muscle structure and body shape. I knew from seeing Julie and Sarah that being enhanced also brought your body closer to its perfect state. That meant very little fat, solid toned muscles and bumped the muscles under your boobs up a size or a combination of increased strength and general growth. I had put on about 5 cm height and 10kg weight.
I quickly stopped at the Port Douglas Marina for some new clothes and then locked up the house. I didn't want to become a shopaholic like Sarah, but nothing fit.
While shopping, it was hard to reconcile the current normality with what I knew was coming. Everyone is going about their lives, yet I knew it would be chaotic in less than a week.
Eddy was right. It was not comfortable flying in a straight line for an extended period. It got pretty boring after ten minutes. It took half an hour to fly to Cairns. I had Active Camouflage engaged, hoping that against the sky, I would not be seen. I realised that I was flying at just over 120km/hr. It was windy, hard to see and cold. I would need to invest in some flying clothes.
I had no trouble catching the flight. It was weird just walking around people now since I had been in seclusion for so long. Eddy was having fun. He could tap into my perceptions and let me know whenever someone checked me out. Quite a few guys and even some girls were secretly having a sneak peek. I was fit and slightly attractive before, but now I was actually turning heads. I'd have to work on my ego and keep it in check. I guess everyone would become beautiful, and as Syndrome said, if everyone is super, no one is.
He told me he was practising for post-integration when I was being identified, and I would need to be aware of that.
The flight to Brisbane was short at three hours. I sat beside a businessman I felt sorry for, as he had no idea what was coming. In truth, no one did. It was going to be chaos. At least I didn't feel totally guilty. We were trying to help.
Once in Brisbane, I flew to meet Allen and Venus with my skills. Allen, I knew from work, but I had never seen Venus and was surprised when she was a young lady in a wheelchair.
It took some convincing to get them to meet me, despite all the crap we were going through. I knew Allen was self-conscious about his height and was a private person, and Venus was not good with people in person, so letting them into their private life was a big move for them. I met them at their small shared unit, dimly lit, musky smelling and full of electronic junk. I think they were embarrassed at the collection of soft drinks and pizza boxes.
Venus leapt out of her chair and hugged me. "OMG, it is so good. Harold is the best." So she could walk now. That was going to be a game-changer. Also, she was like physical contact and stuff. It was so out of character from Allen's briefings he gave me and the protocols for meeting Venus/
She was a skinny lady who must have been pretty bad off before she got enhanced. I returned the hug and smiled.
"Yeah, the best. Does he know what he is doing?"
Allen looked up. "Not really, would you if you were a few hours old?"
I smiled at him, "I guess. I am here to take over the symbionts and ensure that Harold has a micro wormhole to use here."
"We all have a micro wormhole now, so he has access all around us. The longer we are in an area, the more accessible things become. We generate energy and nanites. Eventually, he will not need the connection as the energy levels stabilise. A heap of math is involved, and I even understand some of it now!"
Venus was so excited, “I hated math at school and uni!”
"OK. So I will have to go to the Flex Tech headquarters. If I see Noah, I will punch him in the face. I hate that guy."
"How are you going to secure the specimens?"
"Well, they are in a storage box—a big, secure, padded cooler. We just need to take it and keep it protected. As we find suitable candidates, we can bring them into the fold." Allen looked creepy when he said that, and I was a little worried about him.
"Do you have anyone in mind, no kidnapping of homeless people to experiment on?" I laughed at him as he looked a bit offended.
I was not the only one who thought he was going off the deep end; Venus smiled at him: “Don’t go all David Koresh on me, honey. I love you heaps, but I won’t put up with that!”
She got serious and asked, "Are there any requirements for storing them? I mean, we don't have a lot of space here, and …."
I smiled. For someone who didn’t like people, she was one of the good people, putting others first, "No, the cases are self-contained. I'll sort something out. Maybe rent a shed or something."
I slapped Allen over the head.
"Ow, what's that for?"
"IPC, Harold? WTF Allen? Something cooler next time."
"You try coming up with something cool on the spur of the moment. I had a cockatoo named Harold. It just jumped into my head. He liked it. He is scary smart and learning fast, too."
I slapped him again.
"I'll let you know if I need help, but I should be fine with Eddy."
I left the apartment, activated my camouflage, and took off again. It was a quick flight to the Flex Tech headquarters. I probably didn't need to worry about the camo. No one ever looked up. I was flying relatively low, and not once did someone look up into the sky. Everyone was busy walking, looking at their phones or driving around.
When I got to the building, I was amazed. It was eerie and quiet for blocks around the building. I pinged Allen over our new integrated comms.
"Yeah, there have been disappearances around there. We think it might be related to incursions. It's been in the news. People are scared. Nothing is going in or out."
Crap, just more stuff to deal with.
I landed on the roof and found the rooftop security doorway inside. It was locked, but I found it easy to break open. Being strong was so much fun. I had not been on the roof before. Most of my time in the building was in the basement labs and meeting rooms. I knew I could get to the elevator from the stairwell on the 5th floor. Part of my plan was to talk to Dr Daves again. She had the inside scoop on the scientists and would be totally on Noah's side or against him. Either way, I needed information.
Given Noah's bullish personality, he often butted heads with Darla over budget issues for matters he had no idea about. I was hoping I could convince her to become one of us. She was intelligent and resourceful, and her knowledge of the quantum realm and interdimensional technology would be invaluable.
Eddy: We've got surveillance under control so that you can proceed. Your old credentials are now active again, and you have top-level clearance. There are a couple of areas that I could not access without tipping out my hand. Allen and I are working on them. It is so easy, especially with a back door.
Got it.
I just had to worry about being seen. Between my camo, stealth and my increased stats, I was not too worried about that. I was confident I could handle myself now.
I moved with as much stealth as I could down the stairs, straining my perception for the slightest sounds. The top floors were totally deserted. I stopped, hiding behind a flimsy wall divider, and listened. There were no sounds or life. The silence and quiet were unnatural.
In my gut, I knew something was wrong. I left the stairwell on the 6th floor to have a look. The offices were empty. Passing through, it looked like people had left in a hurry. I didn't know the floor's layout, but I knew roughly where the elevator bank was. I made my way there.
Eddy: It is very unusual. I have not been able to access any logs or activity for the last 18 hours. Yesterday afternoon, everything stopped. The lab's power consumption had increased, higher than when it punched the first interdimensional hole. There is also the high-density energy area to consider. I advise caution.
Noted
Eddy: Excuse me, Amy, we need to hurry. I have cracked the surveillance on the Lab that has my Vat-mates. There is some sort of spatial anomaly. It also appears that the missing workers are there, or their remains.
What? Can you patch me in so I can see?
Eddy: Something just disconnected me. Whatever it is, it knows we are here.
Crap.
I made my way to the elevators and selected the 3rd subbasement. The labs. This level had all the accelerator equipment and the shielded Lab, where they had high energy containment. Jamie had raved about it. I was going to check the high-energy area first, then the Lab.
Coming out of the elevator was scary. The door opened with a ding, and I expected something to be on the other side. There were usually guards and a checkpoint. Today, the corridor was empty. The checkpoint was a simple door disconnected from the electronic security to prevent hacking. It was supposed to be manned 24/7 by at least three officers.
I had seen the budget for paying them. They worked 8-hour shifts and cleared close to 3 times what I earned for a tedious job. But if shit went down, they needed to cover it. Better them than me. But they were not doing their job right now. I wondered if they were AWOL or dead. I guess it didn't matter right now.
The door was slightly ajar. I peered into the next corridor, ensuring I was ready to bolt. This corridor had two labs and a secure section at the end. Left was the Lab with Eddy's vat-mates and straight ahead to the energy lab. All these doors were supposed to be totally secure; they needed biometrics and keycard access. This corridor was very well protected. The walls were thick cement, and the doors were reinforced with a steel alloy. Moving silently, I made it to the end door.
Are my credentials good for here?
Eddy: You are active in the system and have full access. I have disabled the need for your keycard.
I pressed my hand onto the scanner.
There was no indication I had access until the door slid open on silent runners. I knew they were on a short-timer, so I moved quickly through the door after ensuring no surprises were inside.
The energy containment lab was also deserted. The area I entered was the control room. Workstations were along one wall, while the floor-to-ceiling opaque reinforced plexiglass panel led to the Lab. An airlock-style door allowed access. Open one door, close it. Open the inner door. The plexiglass had heavy metal wire reinforcements to dampen the energy leakage.
It took a minute to open and cycle the doors. As the inner door opened, I felt the ambient energy increase. It was soothing, and I realised up until now, I had felt a flat emptiness.
I realised that here, I could regenerate energy at a decent rate. It felt so good, like finding a cool oasis in a desert. I lapped up all the ambient energy I could. This Lab had been set up for the big wigs to come to once enhanced. It was where the Karass would be until the Earth's energy levels stabilised and could support them comfortably. It was decked out in luxury. An empty concierge desk to one side and an open planned lounge with expensive leather couches. Several closed doors led to bedrooms and bathrooms. This was where you came to relax and recharge. There was also an office room, which looked more like a media room. Again, everything here was deserted.
A phone rang.
It was at the concierge desk.
Cautiously, I went over. There was a landline phone. Sure enough, it was ringing.
I picked it up.
"Amy?"
It was Noah Fucking Elias-Willingham the third.
"Fuck you, Noah."
"Shut up, Amy. You have no idea."
"I have every idea, you moron. You are a traitor. Bastard. Cheating on your wife. I should chop your balls off and feed them to the first alien that arrives."
I could hear him grinding his teeth, "Fucking bitch, just shut up, Listen. You may know about shit, but it is worse."
Eddy: He is in a small room near the roof. I believe it is a panic room.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I'm not a moron. Fuck. I was monitoring access, and guess who became active again? Once I saw your credentials go into the Lab, I rang."
"Well, Noah, what do you want besides hiding in your panic room? I'm busy here."
"Just shut it for a minute. Listen. Stop making it worse."
"So you sold everyone out for what? Slavery, and now you tell me I am making it worse?"
"Get off your high horse. You don’t get to be smug with me. You have no idea what they promised. We took measures to protect ourselves when we worked out what was happening. You fucked us over stealing that shit. We need it."
"You stupid bastard, what did you do?"
There was a pause. "We went looking for allies. The Karass is not the only power out there. We found another race to help us."
"Let me guess, your allies are…."
"Monsters." He cut me off.
"How many are left alive?"
"There are 5 of us here."
"Shit, I was asking about the aliens. Are you all enhanced?"
"Yes. We were the only ones who could resist them. They have some mind power. They have breached containment and are active in the streets of Brisbane."
"Well fuck me. And you. I should just leave them to eat you. The Karass are expecting the city handed to them on a. Youter, you have nothing and left some monsters on the streets."
"There are six other regions that the Karass will assimilate. What do you think they will do when they don’t get this handed to them? They will burn this site thanks to you. All of Australia will be a wasteland. They will cut their losses."
"Fuck you, Noah. This is on you. You know I know the people, so where are the regions?"
"Look, I am not saying anymore unless you sign me up."
"What?"
"I know you have the settlement stone. They are the only way to survive, and I want in."
"Fuck you. We don't need you or want you."
Eddy: His intelligence could be of use. We know next to nothing about the other regions other than who we sold them to. You know where they went.
Crap. I am still going to punch him.
I sighed, "Talk."
"Not on the phone. Can you make it back up here?"
"Come here. It's safe for now."
I could hear the shudder. "You have no idea what it was like."
"Well, come here or not. I have some stuff to do."
"Give us 5 minutes."
I slammed the phone down.
Fucking Noah.