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“Damnit! Not another!” the tall, midnight-black-skinned, alien woman peered over the various panels that surrounded her large, cushioned chair. “I told them to stop accessing that database,” she muttered to herself as her purple eyes scanned the displays. The three irises each able to focus on separate items within the same field of vision as she navigated multiple monitors at once.
She tapped a few keys and composed a message to the leader of the Pulsar Coalition; a faction that ran many of the mercantile organizations on many worlds connected via The Cosmic Corridor and The Eternal City itself.
<<<<<>>>>>
[Deckard, please stop querying the population of Earth’s endangered species. The System is still tabulating numbers. You are just clogging up queues. I will notify you when it is done. - X.]
<<<<<>>>>>
She sent off the message and leaned back, noting with satisfaction that the requests for native-Earth species were diminishing rapidly as the message went out and was quite obviously received. Xera’tal sighed and leaned back in her cushioned chair. She rubbed her temples and groaned. I need a break, she thought. “Josie?”
A spectral, amorphous blob appeared next to her and floated around her. “Yes, Xera?”
“Can you take over? I need a little breather.”
“Of course! Happy to help!” The Wayfinder’s chipper voice always cheered Xera up, and she gave the companion a head pat right above her floating eyes. Xera left her seat and walked down the corridors of her citadel.
She was in the highest tower of Khrox, in a location where only The Architects could access. The creators of The Cosmic System had all left this reality behind once their work was done. Xera was the last to stay behind. She could leave at any time and join her species in their custom-made universe, but she liked being busy.
Perfection was boring. And this Cosmic System was anything but perfect. That is what happened when you tried to merge the mastery of magic, the top of technology, and the pinnacle of magitech into one universe-encompassing System. There were flaws and cracks that only became apparent with time, and she made it her personal mission to try and patch them over and fix things up.
But she was struggling. Despite having behind-the-scenes Admin access to The Cosmic System, there were certain safeguards in place to prevent The Architects from meddling. I need more agents within the System, she thought as she went to the small kitchen of her suite and tapped several buttons on a panel. I need more Ascendants who will listen to me instead of just following their own goals.
They only knew her as X. None knew her identity save for the Wayfinders - and they were incapable of revealing it due to the way they were designed. Certain Ascendants that worked as her agents did not even get her name. She was simply the mysterious moderator in the background of The Cosmic System. They did not know if she was a program or a person.
And that suited her needs just fine. Most people were not even sure what The Cosmic System truly was. Some believed it to be some ancient computer system. Some thought that X was a singular deity above it all. Some even thought that the system had always existed. Well, they were all sort of right, in their own way. The Cosmic System was a bit of all of those. The ultimate creation of the highest single-universe-bound species.
A delicious meal appeared in front of her, and she scooped up the plate before bringing it to the small table next to the window. She sat down and began to eat the new food - a type of fowl dish from Earth called ‘duck’ - in a delicious sauce with small pieces of round bread that was extremely soft. The sweet, sticky exterior matched well with the slightly sweet bread and a sour dipping sauce. She giggled with delight as she took a sip of her drink. A slightly alcoholic, rice-wine beverage that was recommended to pair with the food.
It just keeps growing, she thought as the skyline out in the distance expanded further as new buildings appeared out of thin air. The city could endlessly expand as more and more people arrived and chose to settle in. Traversing the city was simple, as space itself would fold to ensure no location was more than a one-minute walk away. She checked a panel in the table. Wow, a lot of people hated Earth. Two billion have already migrated to Khrox.
Khrox was in a weird, liminal space. Sort of in the universe, and sort of out of it. Just like the Cosmic Corridor. It was one of the genius choices her brother, Xero’tol, had suggested. The two were the primary designers of The Cosmic System. He made most of the mistakes that led to the cracks now emerging.
Whereas she was a slow and methodical technician and engineer, he was a ‘go fast, break stuff, fix it and move on’ type of engineer. Magic did not make things any easier, as it barely followed the rules they had forced around the nebulous, hard-to-define phenomena.
She heard Josie conversing in the other room, which was Xera’s small command center that allowed her to interact with every aspect of The Cosmic System. But she could not override certain parts of it. Hence her reliance on Ascendants to do some of her dirty work. Xera walked back to the command center and leaned over the console.
There were thousands of Wayfinders congregated inside a sea of liquid starlight; A temporary storage for when their Ascendant or Aspirant was asleep. One in particular filled the screen. A slick, furred animal. “Hi, Xera!” The deep voice instantly gave away his identity.
“Ollie, you look quite humorous in that form.”
He swam around and twirled in place, “I’m getting used to it.”
Josie’s amorphous mass quivered as she giggled, “What’s that animal called?”
“River otter,” Oliver replied. “I like it. I am slick and smooth. But I still have fur!”
Xera looked at Josie, “How many Aspirants survived their first day of the Trial?”
Josie’s blob-form extended numerous tendrils that interacted with the various screens and panels. “Out of the five-hundred million who signed up as Aspirants, only two-hundred thousand survived day one.”
Xera clicked her tongue. That’s a little below the average rate, she thought. 0.05% was the success rate for day one survival. Earthlings had a 0.04% survival rate. That two-hundred thousand that survived would be whittled down even further. Around five-hundred total will make it through. “Do we have data on why we have so many failures this time around?”
Josie’s phantom limbs rapidly fired off a series of input commands. “Looks like they were just underequipped. Many just outright died once they left Earth.”
Xera crossed her arms and nodded, “That explains it.” Her second pair of arms flexed outward and rested on her hips. “Bad timing for Cosmogenic Merging for those folks, then.”
“And” Josie continued in a slightly disappointed tone, “It looks like the entities that control Earth - these governments and a handful of large businesses - have taken control of the portals. They are heavily restricting travel.”
Xera clicked her tongue again, “Well, draft off a message to the Star Council and Planetary Independence Pact. Let’s see if those Factions can get some trac-”
Josie shook her head, “The Nebula Alliance already has representatives present and are making connections with Earth’s existing political and economic power structure.”
“Damnit,” Xera muttered. That faction was composed primarily of merchants and traders. “That will only compound the issue.”
“Messages sent. But I do not know how useful they will be,” Josie muttered as she turned her attention back to the screen showing the spectral form of Oliver. “How’s your Aspirant turning out?”
Oliver smiled - which was odd, as he was quite a dour and gruff individual. Jaded from hundreds of failed Aspirants who never even cleared the Trial. Xera knew every single Wayfinder…and seeing Oliver happy instantly filled her with delight. “He is alive. Killed something already. Apex predator. Check the logs.”
Xera leaned over the monitor and scanned through the incident logs related to Oliver, and her eyes went wide. “Your Aspirant fought a predator rated at the top of Tier 1?” she whispered in astonishment.
“How’d he survive?” Josie asked as she looked at a monitor, anticipating an answer.
Oliver swirled in place, “He got lucky, but wow what luck it was. I mean, he could have just hid, but the Quest was too good to pass up.”
Xera scanned through the logs, watching a recording from Oliver’s point of view. The young human was resilient, no doubt about it. He had sacrificed limbs to survive - something very few would do. I…I could work with this. But how did he get a quest? She went through the System conversation history and slightly smiled, Ah. I see someone put in a bypass.
She pulled up the personnel file of this Shhiv-zal and frowned. “Why does this Civilian have so many bypass requests saved up?”
Josie flipped through other files and data, sorting faster than Xera could. “Looks like she is just a regular drone. She never goes out or does anything. Just work and in-home entertainment.”
Xera shook her head and refocused on Oliver, “So, your Aspirant. This…Flicker. Weird name. Is he safe?”
“Yup. He lost an arm and a leg, but he is alive and safe. Sleeping in a bunker of some type.”
Xera smirked, “You think you finally found a winner?”
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Oliver shrugged and used his cute, adorable paws to rub his little chin. “Maybe. If he lives. Depends on what is around.”
Xera pushed Josie out of the chair and the spectral blob floated into the air above her. “What’s his goal?”
Oliver grinned, “He wants to get to Tier 10 to bring back his dead sister. Noble, if you ask me. If he can pull it off, he would be the most powerful Ascendant alive.”
A lofty goal, Xera thought. “Well, Ollie, I wish you the best of luck.” She stood up and surrendered the seat to Josie. “I’m off to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight!” both Wayfinders said in tandem.
Xera went to clean up her meal before going to her bedroom. As she nestled into the sleep pod, a final thought crossed her mind.
What am I going to do about this takeover of Earth?
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Jace woke up with a start, his heart racing as he woke from the vivid dream of teeth and claws. Almost immediately, the pain of his missing arm reasserted itself, and he grit his teeth. Just…damn it. Why? Why didn’t I just throw the bag into that thing’s mouth? Or-
There was a loud pop, and Oliver was floating next to him. “Morning sleepy,” he said in his gruff, deep tone. But there was an underlying feeling of…sincerity.
Jace felt his grumbling stomach yearning for food. “How long was I out?” he asked as he turned just enough to get at the protein bar in his pocket. He ripped the packaging open with his teeth before chewing through the foul-smelling and tasting food.
“Three days.”
Jace shook his head, “Longest I’ve slept in a while.” He chuckled, “I’m not used to having a safe place to sleep.”
“It also means you just have to survive four more days to pass the Aspirant Trial.”
Jace nodded as he pushed himself up the wall, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stand. Glancing up at the ceiling, he saw an ancient spigot. The floor was a metal grate with a small channel underneath it. It was then that he felt his parched throat - forgotten in the pain.
There’s got to be a button somewhere, he thought. Scanning the walls he spotted a very faint, glowing icon that looked like a shower head. He walked over, tapped it, and recoiled slightly as lukewarm water fell from above like a rainstorm.
“You’re filthy,” Oliver muttered as he floated around the now-soaked street kid. “Might as well wash up while you can.”
“I should,” Jace replied as he began to strip down. “Can you tell if it’s filled with bacteria?”
Oliver flew up into the ceiling for a moment before returning, “Nope. The tank looks clean, and it is boiling hot. There are some pipes it travels through to cool down. Arcane symbols are drawn on the pipes, but their magic language is ancient, and I cannot translate it. I would need more samples.”
“Flying through walls. That’s useful,” Jace replied. He opened his mouth and caught as much as he could, swallowing greedily. No clue if it’s endless. Better make use of it. He opened his messenger bag and held it up to the spigot, filling it with as much water as possible before he sealed and locked it. He scrubbed off the dirt with his fingernails. The infused soil sloughed off in a thick mat and went down the drain.
“It is a handy skill. Easy to block if you know what you are doing and secure a location. But this place is long, long abandoned.”
Jace reveled in the feeling of getting clean - something he had not done in some months, as showers on Earth were too expensive for him to afford. “Did you share word of Flicker’s exploits?” he asked.
Oliver nodded and floated around him, “Yup. People were impressed. But I don’t think any factions are going to give you a Quest.”
“Why?”
“Well…everything I see is recorded. I blurred your features to keep your identity secret, but they saw the injuries you suffered. Sorry. I really thought that if we told people about your accomplishment, you would get a bunch of easy Quests from factions wanting you.”
Jace finished getting clean and took the opportunity to wash out his clothes as well. It was awkward trying to do so with just one arm, and he gave up after the third attempt. Well, maybe there’s something in here that I can use. More than it just being a safe space. “Can you search through this place real fast?”
“I cannot go further than ten feet from you. You are my tether.”
Jace nodded and put on the still-wet clothing as he hefted the bag full of water with his good arm. There was one door leading out, and it slid sideways into the door frame.
The room beyond was illuminated from above by soft, glowing green orbs of light inside wire lattice-work lanterns and smelled stale. The soft, green lights gave a sense of comfort. They were connected by a small, bronze cord along the ceiling. It was a living space. There was a small kitchen space, a few cabinets, a small table, a book, a small stand at the table, and bodies.
The bodies were desiccated - centuries old. Jace hobbled over and knelt to examine them. The skin was completely dried out. They were humanoid with four legs and three pairs of arms going down their torso. The top of their heads had small, curved horns and antennas. “The natives?” Jace asked. He examined their clothing which was little more than rags.
Oliver nodded as he swirled around the room, “Yup. This is a remote outpost.”
What are the odds they left food? Jace thought as he stood up and went to the cabinets. Of course, empty. He sighed as he shut the panels. “At least there’s a bathroom,” he muttered as he opened a door with a toilet-like shape on it. To his delight, there was a full shower in here like the one in the front entry, and a toilet. I won’t have to live like an animal, at least.
Walking past the corpses he entered another chamber. This one looked to be a laboratory space of some kind. Desks with reams of paper were stacked high. There were tubes full of dark colored liquid.
Most prominent in the center of the room was a chair. A seat with restraints for the torso, legs, and arms. A metal panel with arcane drawings was adjacent to it, and there were a series of needles and spikes that connected to tubes. “What the hell is that?” Jace asked.
Oliver’s eyes went black for a moment before he responded with intrigue lacing his words, “It’s an experiment.” He pointed to a stack of papers. “Start flipping through those. I cannot interact with things in the real world. But I can see all the information and collate it quickly.” He flew over to hover above the papers, “And, once I see enough of their writing, I can work out what these arcane symbols mean. They are always based on the language of the society.”
Jace hobbled over and sank into the seat. His stomach still grumbled, and he pulled out his last protein bar. After this, unless I find something…I’m going to starve. He sighed and ripped open the packaging with his teeth. He put the bar in his mouth and chewed absentmindedly as he flipped through the pages.
Jace kept flipping through the various records, not really comprehending much of the advanced terminology. But the language was translated because of his Universal Translation Skill. So, he got the gist of it.
But Oliver took it all in and directed Jace’s page flipping to a second pile. “Oh, all right. We can use this.” He pointed at the chair, “Get in.”
“What? Are you insane?” Jace asked as he looked at the torture device. “I couldn’t understand half of the medical language…but it didn’t sound good .”
Oliver frowned and crossed his arms, “This is worth the risk. They were working on a super soldier serum. Well, the magical equivalent. The System would not have led us here if this Boon were not useful...I think.” The last sentence was much quieter.
“Have you actually ever had an Aspirant get a Boon?”
“...No,” Oliver admitted with a solemn expression. “None of them even finished a Quest. I do not know exactly what Boon rewards of this type and rarity look like.” He shrugged, “But I am certain The System does not do backhanded rewards. Positive.”
Jace shook his head and stood up, “I’m going to do what I know how to do, first. Before any rash decisions.” He scoured every inch, every nook and cranny, looking for anything he could use in the medical lab.
Oliver just floated over him and shook his head like a disappointed father. “I know the System would not have sent you to an Epic Hidden Location if there was not something good here. This super soldier serum has to be it.”
“I am not getting in that thing unless I exhaust every other option. There has to be a first aid kit with antibiotics. Or…the equivalent.” He kept rummaging and eventually found what he was looking for. Cracking the lid on the red box, he found plenty of gauze, clips, bandages, and bottles of antiseptic liquid. He set to treating his wounds, hissing in pain as the edges of his now-metal-sealed arm wound burned from the harsh chemical. He wrapped it in a bandage before tying that off.
“Congratulations. You are still missing an arm and one of your feet is held on by scrap cloth.”
“Good point,” Jace muttered as he used more of the medical supplies to fashion a better jerry-rigged attachment for his ankle to the prosthetic foot.
Oliver floated in front of the chair, “Are you satisfied now?”
“Nope,” Jace replied. “I’m going to search this whole bunker and take stock of what I’ve got access to. Then, I’ll decide.” He turned to the next doorway and hobbled through it. The hallway split into three rooms. One directly ahead was a glass door, and inside he could see a generator - bright, blue, arcing electricity cascaded inside of a core. The whole object was covered with more of the arcane runes.
Oliver floated up in front of Jace, blocking his view. “Just an arc reactor. Infinite energy. Meh.”
Jace snapped his eyes to Oliver, “Infinite energy? That’s just ‘meh’ to you?”
Oliver shrugged, “Yup. We have better in The Cosmic System.”
“This could change the world!” Jace replied. “I could sell this for so much.”
“Well, we can take it when we leave. If you can carry it. The whole thing weighs five-thousand pounds.”
Jace sighed in frustration. He went to the next door, and it slid open to reveal a storage closet. “Perfect!” he said with satisfaction as he walked in and began digging through the various boxes. He found lots of metal, wood, and some weird metal-like but bendable scrap. I might be able to rig up a better way to keep my detached foot in place.
“Not much here,” Oliver muttered. “Shame, I was hoping for an armory.”
“Still one more door.” Jace crossed the hall and opened the last room, stepping across the threshold.
An enormous flash of light engulfed him.