It was about six hours later that Walker stepped out of the Cosmic Genesis system. Orion, as an advanced AI focused on creating planets, stars, and asteroids, had a largely technical and complicated view of how to build a world from start to end. Walker could have just stepped into the Landmass system like he did with the Faer planet, but he needed to make sure that the three Conservatory worlds were ready to go within a month. Accommodating for Walker's Time control, Orion had designed them to work with his control of temporal resources. The moment he had stepped out, he'd sped up all of the new planets to match Sonata's current rate of temporal speed.
Overall, he had spent close to one hundred and fifty temporal resources to begin the process. Placing them correctly in orbit according to their biomes and making sure they'd be completed with enough time to properly seed them with entities and environmental factors was more difficult than he had assumed it would be. There were some large numbers involved, especially when you consider that Rimi and Virgil were also spending temporal resources as they created new entities within the Evolution Chambers. He'd have to do another bag sale soon, perhaps with the upgraded consciousness strands.
As he walked toward what amounted to a house, he noticed a distinct lack of Founders walking around. Assuming he was right, Walker figured that it was currently their version of night and they were likely sleeping. Again he was alone with his thoughts, twice in the same day, and found it oddly peaceful to stride through what looked like an empty world with nothing but the grass under his feet.
It didn't last for long.
"Walker!" Luna yelled out as she spotted him from a few hundred feet away. She began to run as fast as her little legs could move, finally dropping to all fours so she could pick up extra speed in the remaining feet between them.
"What are you-" He tried to say, but she had already leaped, clawing her way quickly to his shoulder. Listening in, it sounded like she....was crying.
"Luna," Walker said, attempting and failing to turn his head enough to look at her, "What's wrong?"
"The Triplets Walker! The Triplets!" She cried again, planting one of her paws on his cheek to hold herself steady. "They're horrible creatures. How did this even happen? The protocol is supposed to create blank minds that are influenced by the Creator they're assigned to and the system they nurture, and yet, these little monsters are easily influenced by each other. All they do is fight and not listen to me. It's terrible!"
"Hrmm..." Walker said, scratching his chin as he thought about it. He clicked into teacher-mode and considered what he would do in a classroom with this situation. "Did you consider any rewards for good behavior?"
"Rewards for an assistant?"
"Assistants are people too Luna." He replied with a roll of his eyes, "You, yourself are one. Are you not a person?"
"I've never needed rewards to do my job, Walker." She said, ignoring the meat of his question. He assumed from her tone of voice and the fact that she was no longer holding onto his face that she had crossed her arms, "Assistants shouldn't need them, ever."
He shrugged, causing her to grab onto his faceagain as the world of Walker shifted beneath her feet, "That may be, but these assistants are different. Adapt to what they're doing, and do your very best. I'll need at least one of them ready within the next day."
"The next day!" She yelled out, jumping off of his shoulder and hitting the ground running, "I've got to get them ready. Thank you for the advice, Creator!" She said without looking back, quickly disappearing into the distance as the short buildings swallowed his view of her.
Walker gave her a wave for good luck, even if she couldn't see him, and continued his stroll to his new home.
When he entered, he found Athena already sitting in the same chair he found her in when he woke up the previous morning. She gave him a light wave and a smile before going back to her reading. It had another basic cover, with the words The Alchemist written on it.
"Where are you getting those?" He had to ask, even though he knew he was interrupting her reading time.
"Virgil has full access to your memories from Earth." She replied, not taking her eyes off of the text, "I intentionally fought him a little in regards to running the instructor program for the Founders. That way I could convince him to write me up several books for reading."
"Neat." He said, laying down, "And of course all of those are a part of the Territory system, right? That way future generations can enjoy the stories within?"
"Of course. Now, let me read."
Walker nodded with a slight smile, then pulled up his notifications. There were several hundred focusing on milestone updates, so much so that he had to install a filter into the system. He was sure that Cagna wouldn't like that, but it was important for him to be able to read any big ones in the future. He limited it to only those who completed a series for now, but he'd have to keep an eye on it for the future as they created new types of Series that had a greater impact.
His next notification focused on Unique entities. Virgil had been true to his word in seeding Crescendo. Walker was now only one unique entity away from completing the second Entity task, finally. It had been a long time coming, but he knew it was important to make sure everything was fairly balanced before placement.
He also found that the Cosmic Genesis task had completed, which was a surprise as Walker had forgotten all about it. But, with his original four planets and the new storage one, that had taken him halfway there. Then there was the addition of the four planets in the Conservatory, as well as the small moon he had built around the giant planet. Surprisingly, ten was a quick and easy goal to achieve.
Optional Tasks Updated!
...
Cosmic Genesis task Complete: Build a solar system: Series 3
System requirements:
The solar system will not destroy cosmic entities around it: Yes
The solar system will not destabilize or destroy each cosmic entity within it: Yes
Planets and/or stars found within the solar system: 10/10
Reward for completion: Cosmic Genesis system upgrade.
...
Reward for completing the third Cosmic Genesis task:
Congratulations Dante! You've upgraded the Cosmic Genesis system!
The Cosmic Genesis system was designed by the Alpha Protocol for Creators who want to go beyond the range of only creating a singular world. With this upgrade, you may create new planets for as far as your eyes can see.
"No more Cosmic Genesis tasks," He said to himself, causing the woman in the chair to look up from her book.
Walker looked away from his overlay and quickly stepped outside. With his enhanced vision, he peered up at the sky, looking beyond the light of the sun, and stared at the huge breadth of planets. When he focused his eyes, he thought he spied a few newly created stars. That had larger implications than he wanted to think of right now, but still, he was happy for them.
"As far as my eyes can see," He said with a smile. "That is quite far indeed."
Athena stepped out of the house. She sidled up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Looking up, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Just thinking about the future," Walker replied, enjoying the moment. "Wondering just how far the limits of things can be pushed."
She snorted, "You already did a mass awakening, Walker. The likes of which, I'm sure, have never been seen before. Do you know what the truly remarkable thing is?"
Walker shook his head before realizing she probably couldn't see the movement, "No, what?"
"Not a one of them failed the Awakening. Not one. I've seen plenty of awakenings in my time, long as it has been, and the odds weren't in your favor. I honestly have no clue what is happening."
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But Walker did. The old Primigenials had been awakening their people with diluted Alma. It was likely that it had been corrupted from the many different strains from before, passing from one Primigenial to the next. With his pure Origin, the chance of a failed awakening was slim to none. He didn't say anything though. It wouldn't change what had happened or would happen in the future. He just kept enjoying the moment.
An update notification rang in his overlay.
World Task update: Have a population of 10,000 or more entities on your world(s): Part 4
To the alpha protocol, size matters. Growth matters. Without a larger population, how will the Creator's world continue to evolve? To Strive? Build up the numbers of your world, and watch as great events unfold.
Entity population count: 5,001/10,000
Reward for completion: Creation Instrument Upgrade
As he watched, the numbers went up again. Then again.
"Virgil is finally starting to seed Crescendo."
"That's nice."
Wrapping one arm around Athena's shoulders, he used the other to activate his overlay. Walker clicked on Time, then sped up Crescendo for a year. It needed to be done, and he'd forgotten to include it when he first stepped out of Orion's system.
They stood like that for many moments, before he was the one to break the mutual hold.
Athena stepped back as she looked at him, "Work to do?"
Walker nodded, "Yep. It's time I got the Event system online. I only have one more day before we have to seed the Founders."
She gave him a cheery smile, "Do you want company?"
"If you'd like to, sure, just keep in mind I'll probably use you as a sounding board since you can't work with the system."
"I can do that." She said, stepping back in for a side hug. They walked back into the room and lay down beside each other on the bed. Walker clicked on the system designer and pulled up the first system he knew he'd need.
The Adaptation System:
A system designed and created by a member of the Alpha protocol council since the beginning.
This system allows for entities to be given a lesser form of the alpha protocol.
Flexibility: Medium
Difficulty to modify: Extreme
Resources used: Variable
Limits: The Adaptation system can only be used by Sapient creatures. Non-sapient entities will be unable to select from the varied options, and will be unable to understand the consequences that are attached to them.
Note: This system is based upon the alpha protocol and its numerous systems
Walker noticed that the system now had a tab attached to it with the words SysAdmin stamped on it. He clicked and a flood of messages appeared.
System Administrator's page:
The adaptation system is a dumbed-down version of the root system used in the Origin point. I made it so that I could continue to use a program I was somewhat familiar with to fuck around with these stupid bastards.
It will create a dimensional anchor point as well as an Advanced AI that has major restrictions. Trust me, that's for the better. You wouldn't one of those to get too loose with the rules.
The anchor point is moveable, but restrictions are binding the AI from moving beyond its dimension. The best they can do is modify the existing code of their attached system and spit out little updates for the Creators who are bound to them.
If you want to move beyond the limits of the code, you need to become familiar with the training I've installed into the program.
You may be wondering how I knew that my successor would go here first.
That's simple. I knew you would come to the Adaptation system at the beginning since it was the most powerful one built into the designer.
I wouldn't pick a fool to succeed me after all.
As you've shown up here, the training program will now unlock. Exit the designer and take a look at the top of your shitty overlay. I suggest doing it in bite-sized pieces, as it can be a real pain if you screw things up. Good luck with that.
One last note.
Remember, if the Evolvers are still alive, and they figure out who, or more specifically, what, you are.....they'll throw everything they have at you.
There's a reason that even I, with all of my power, hid away from them.
Good luck Awakened. Don't fuck up.
Note left by: System Administrator Kwaya
"What a bitch." Walker said when he pulled out of the designer.
"What's that?" Athena asked as she looked over at him.
Looking back at her, he decided this wasn't something he needed to hold back, "I found a note left by Morgan...err...Kwaya, the System Administrator who I fought in the tree's metaphysical space. She told me I needed to train on how to operate the system, and that if I'm found out by the Evolvers, they'll come here and destroy us."
Athena sat up, leaning her back against the wall, "And how does that make you feel?"
Walker shook his head, "Like there's always a stacked deck against me. First, it was Mr. Harrison, my guide. He fucked shit for me by not explaining anything. Then the Slicer, my first creation, destroys the original Symphony. Then, no offense, the Primigenials try to mess around with me. Then the council throws me some curveballs. Now this." He slapped a hand over his eyes, "It's like every time I make a little progress and have a definitive plan, someone else busts their way through the door like the Kool-Aid man and ohhh yeahh's me in the face. It fucking sucks."
"Oh, poor Walker." She replied in a disingenuous voice, making his back itch, "You lay in a bed, next to a beautiful woman, on a world you created from nothing and surrounded by those who would do anything for you. Life must truly be terrible."
Well shit, when she puts it like that....
"What challenges would you be facing on Earth right now if you'd never joined the protocol?"
He scratched a thumb against his chin, "Mmmm.....I'd probably be stuck grading some shitty assignments, and thinking about committing seppuku every time I looked at my bank account."
"Yes. So, that requires me to ask the real question here." She crossed her arms with an eyebrow raised, "are things looking up?"
"Yeah, I know, I'm just venting. Sorry."
She patted his shoulder before laying her head back on it. He noticed that her hair smelled like strawberries, "Challenges come and go. Even when the Alpha Protocol is over, you will still find roadblocks in your way. That, my dear, is life. However, I have always seen those same challenges as necessary. Something that is to be overcome, not derided. Power gained easily is power that is misunderstood and unappreciated. You have to work for what you want in life."
"So...in a way, you appreciate them. The challenges I mean."
She nodded into him, "Yes, I do. You have a competitive nature built within you as well Walker, or need I remind you of our only ever ping pong match? Think of these moments of frustration as moments of growth, and you will do much better emotionally."
"Moments of growth...yeah, I can do that."
He laid his head on hers for a few moments, enjoying it. Staring at the back of his eyelids, he tried his best not to think about the quickly approaching time when he would have to send the Founders to Crescendo, but it was impossible to do. As much as he had been enjoying his small moments with Athena, he still had a lot of work to do.
Lifting his head, he looked at his overlay. Without saying anything, Athena understood what he was doing and stopped leaning on him as well. She got up and moved to her chair, picking up the book she hadn't finished reading yet.
"I'll be here if you need me."
Walker smiled, "Thank you."
He looked at his overlay and clicked the new flashing icon at the top of his overlay. It was labeled as SySTraining.
After he clicked on it, the world fell away from him and he was in a white room he recognized as the metaphysical space. He might have panicked had he not arrived here before, but now, it was fine. However, the room didn't have the same feel to it as when he entered through his book. It was...colder. Less inviting in a way. A loud voice boomed out from every direction at once while he was still looking around.
What are you doing here?
He still couldn't see another person. It was just him and the white-floored room.
I will destroy you!
Walker immediately shifted his stance, dropping into a bent knee fashion, prepared for anything that might come.
A moment later, he heard laughter and looked around again. He spotted Morgan laughing only a few feet away.
"Oh, oh my," The bald woman said, placing a hand against her chest, "I have no idea who you are or what you look like right now, but I'm assuming you're Awakened and look very stupid."
"Bitch."
"I know, I know, I'm great."
"Great at being a bitch," Walker remarked a second time.
She waved a hand and he watched a white pulse ring out from it.
What did she just do?
"I've just created a temporal distortion in here for you. It won't affect your body, only your mind and soul. See, that's the trick to my genius plan."
Morgan grew to over one hundred feet tall, her skin changing from its standard yellowish tone to a kind that reminded him of stone.
"YOU IDIOTS CAN'T CHANGE THE SYSTEM WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS TO YOUR SOUL!"
She yelled out to the sky, pausing with both arms in the air and holding still for a long period of time, seeming like nothing less than a massive statue. A minute or two later, she shrunk back down to her normal size, "Anyways, that should give you a full day to get through the first three programs and have a better understanding of what's involved in being a System Administrator. It isn't too difficult, but you will need to give it your all."
She snapped her fingers and a large screen appeared with a list. It broke down what the next steps were in the training program, as well as a timer showing thirty hours.
What's the timer for?
"There you go. Just manipulate the screen with your soul and you'll have access to the first step of the training program, no biggie. Good luck!"
She faded out of the air, disappearing as if she'd never been there.
Walker looked around again but realized it was just him and the screen in the white room. He rubbed his chest, still a bit sore from his overuse throughout the last few days.
Morgan popped back in, a devilish Chesire smile on her face, "Oh, and if you don't complete it by the time the timer is done, the system administrator role will be stripped from you, and you will be declared an enemy of the system with your coordinates given to the Evolvers immediately thereafter." She snapped her fingers and the countdown began.
She gave a wink, "Good luck!" Before disappearing again.
"My god, what a bitch!" Walker rubbed his sore chest again......"Shit."