Positioned at the outskirts of the expanding universe, within a secluded pocket of space abundant in Primordial Gray, lay the seed of a newborn Aetheroot. Surrounding it were swirling currents of heat, which entered the seed, generating steam that pressed outward against the gray void. Harnessing this pressure, the seed extended a small, probing vine from its shell.
Beside the seed, inscribed within the Primordial Gray in alien-like glyphs, lay an inherited legacy left by its ancestors. The probing vine instinctively understood these glyphs, tracing over them as if reading braille. This legacy documented the life experiences of its predecessors, serving as a memoir from which the newborn could draw wisdom and learn from past mistakes.
The words within the legacy were stern and resolute, hinting at the formidable nature of the Aetheroot's ancestors and inviting one to envision the greatness of those who had come before. Beneath this memoir lay their aspirations for the newborn, roughly translated to, "Never submit to anyone; become the most massive object in the universe."
For an Aetheroot, lineage held immense significance; those born from greatness were often destined for greatness. The seed felt a profound connection to its legacy, treasuring it as deeply as its own existence. Beneath the legacy lay a blank space where, one day, it might inscribe its own story to pass on to its descendants. Embedded within this legacy were basic instructions for growth, guiding its early development to accumulate mass and, eventually, attain sentience.
Following these ancestral instructions, the tiny vine paused its reading and instead began to use its drill-like tendrils to carve out the gray void around it creating intricate, maze-like passageways that encapsulated him and his precious legacy. Once this maze-like armor was complete, the newborn Aetherroot extended his vine outward, tunneling through the cold Primordial Gray in search of the nearest stream of time.
When his vine touched the fast-moving stream, it withered and died, allowing the time's essence to flow into the channels he had created. As it traveled through the maze-like pathways, the flow slowed to a manageable speed by the time it reached the seed in the center. After germinating, thick foundational vines spread outward, anchoring him within the shell and drawing nutrients from the now-slowed time that surrounded him.
The suit provided more than just sustenance; by harnessing the energy of flowing time, it allowed him to propel himself along the surface of reality. This form, however, was inherently unstable and meant only as a temporary state. For now, the newborn Aetherroot would seek to merge with others to share the burden of navigating the turbulent time streams.
In the pocket of space where he was born, other suited Aetherroots whizzed chaotically, colliding in bursts of light and heat. These collisions softened the material of their Primordial Gray suits, allowing the Aetherroots to temper, reshape, and reinforce the material, creating durable channels that linked their suits into a unified structure.
Once a connection was established, a battle for command would take place, not between the Aetherroots themselves but through their legacies. The legacies would clash, with those bearing the most formidable histories outshining the others and reducing weaker legacies to mere footnotes beneath their might.
Fortunately for the newborn Aetherroot, his legacy was notably strong. After eight successful collisions, he now led a microscopic cluster of Aetherroots, organizing them like a commander leading a battalion. The collective formed a structured assembly resembling three stacked triangles, with the newborn Aetherroot at its center.
Generally, the more streams of time a cluster of Aetherroots controls, the greater its mass. Similarly, a larger legacy results in higher intelligence. Primordial Gray acts as a limiting resource in both respects, as it can be used either to carve out channels to hold more streams or reserved as a writing surface for more expansive legacies.
At present, the cluster controlled a single stream of time and possessed a legacy comparable to a two-page book. As time passed, the ambitious Aetherroot amassed strength, transforming into a small, gelatinous creature that radiated a faint, molten glow. Now containing thirty streams of time and a legacy spanning sixty pages, he began to develop his own basic intelligence.
With this newfound awareness, he surveyed the pocket of space where he had been born, noting the countless other plasma creatures drifting around him. “Me… the greatest?” he wondered aloud, as though testing the strength of his remarkable legacy. In response, many of the other creatures instinctively recoiled.
Sensing their fear, he surged forward like a determined conqueror, intent on absorbing any rivals. With each collision, his mass grew. Driven by relentless ambition, he absorbed many of the nearby, weaker Aetherroots, shaping them into a unified force under his control.
In the opposite corner of the space, another creature with a powerful legacy was similarly dominating the competition. Noticing this challenge to his supremacy, the protagonist plasma creature quickened his pace, devouring rivals with increasing speed to outdo his competitor. The opposing legacy could not keep up. Now nearly twice the size of his most threatening rival, the protagonist effortlessly engulfed him in an anticlimactic victory.
With twenty thousand streams of time and a legacy spanning forty thousand pages, his intelligence and mass blazed with a fiery glow, the intensity of which was visible even to the naked eye.
Letting out a gurgling laugh, he reveled in his recent triumph.
"Too easy! Far too easy,” he sneered. “All these meager opponents are but appetizers to me."
He slowly finished devouring the remaining creatures, bringing his total gains to twenty-five thousand streams of time and a legacy spanning fifty thousand pages. Continuing his gloating celebration, he let out another raucous laugh. “This great victory shall be but a small footnote in my incredible legacy. For my storied rise, this is only the smallest step…”
With that, the protagonist stepped out of the pocket space and into the vast universe for the first time. As he took in its beauty and grandeur, a sharp chill swept over him, and he felt his gelatinous body begin to harden in the cold of the surrounding void. Feeling the cold enter his body, he felt a little bit surprised. He quickly adapted, shaping his solidifying form into a six-faced cube.
Now in his new form, he moved his attention to the vibrant cosmic backdrop, a glint sparking in each of his six pairs of eyes. “From now on, I shall take the name ‘Nu,’” he declared. “Soon, every corner of existence will sing this name in fear and reverence.” He let out a deep, rocky laugh, thick with villainous glee. “My destiny is to become the most massive object in the universe. But why stop there? For me I will make my legacy be the consumption of the universe itself.”
With a hint of childish delight, he opened his mouth wide, pretending to devour the distant stars and galaxies around him. “For such a historic and important task, I’d best not delay any longer.” Leaving the pocket space behind him, Nu took long, purposeful strides forward, never once looking back as he headed toward the universe’s center, his lofty ambitions shimmering in his newly awakened mind.
The universe was dense with matter. Asteroid belts stretched like highways, filled with lifeless rocks drifting aimlessly through space. Some of the rocks were covered in strange grass-like textures, while others glistened with colorful crystalline structures.
Seeing all the potential mass before him, Nu couldn't resist taking a bite. He dove toward the nearest rock, opening one of his six mouths to reveal his hot plasma core. With a loud “chomp,” he bit down, devouring a small, grassy asteroid.
As he crunched the asteroid between his teeth, Nu’s face twisted in nausea. “Yuck!” He spat out chunks of rock and grass. “So cold! According to my ancestors’ legacy, matter in the universe should be much warmer than this. What is going on here?”
He gazed out at the numerous floating asteroids with a disappointed look. To convert matter into pure absorbable mass, depending on the piece of matter, a certain amount of energy or heat was required to act as a catalyst. Seeing how frigid and lifeless all the floating matter was, Nu realized he had hit a major roadblock in his goal of consuming the universe right from the start.
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“Just that small bite lowered my core temperature by 300 degrees,” he said, each of his faces twisted in pain. “If I keep eating such lifeless food, after about thirty more bites, my core temperature will drop to zero. When that happens, not only will I lose sentience…” A solemn look crossed his face. “I’ll be completely dormant.”
Feeling his first taste of defeat, he stewed with rage and dissatisfaction before looking out at the asteroids with renewed determination. “I haven’t lost yet!” he declared, as if speaking to the universe itself. “The only thing holding me back is my lack of knowledge. Once I figure out how to heat these snacks, my consumption of the universe will continue.”
Despite his motivation, a tinge of uncertainty lingered, but he pushed it deep within himself, unwilling to ever accept self-doubt.
Joining the flow of an asteroid highway, he drifted along to the inner universe, closing his many eyes and mouths to conserve his core heat along the way. With hope rekindled, Nu settled into patience, his mind buzzing as he awaited the next step in his quest to eat the universe.
Half a day passed on the asteroid highway when they began drifting past a massive yellow planet. One of Nu’s eyes peeled open at just the right moment, catching sight of a lifeless rock breaking away from the highway and plummeting toward the planet’s atmosphere. As it traveled through the dense layers of the atmosphere, it began to emit flames, spiraling down in a fiery trail.
“Heat!” Nu exclaimed with excitement. “The friction of that yellow planet’s atmosphere can act as a catalyst for heating up food.”
It seemed Nu wasn’t the only one with this idea; three oddly shaped vagrant asteroids were orbiting close to the planet, each containing a hint of sentience similar to Nu’s. They watched the flaming asteroid with starved looks.
Once the hurtling rock became searing red, reaching the melting point of stone, the three vagrant asteroids leapt from their orbits, diving toward it in hopes of snatching it from the planet’s atmosphere. The first among them resembled a potted plant with a human face on one of its leaves. Behind him trailed two cracked stone dolphins, their surfaces lined with fissures as though they might crumble at any moment. All three wore distinctive white headbands and had crazed, hungry looks in their eyes, their mouths agape like a pack of wild dogs before a feast.
The potted plant managed to surge ahead, moving swiftly and decisively as it devoured the molten rock, smacking its lips in satisfaction before turning to leave the atmosphere. Resisting the gravitational pull of the yellow planet, the headband on its "head" gleamed brightly, enabling it to escape the planet’s gravity without being pulled into freefall.
Nu’s mind stirred as he witnessed the headband’s effect. “That treasure… I must get one for myself.” His eyes burned with intense resolve. Countless thoughts flooded his mind as he began to craft a brilliant plan.
Exiting the safety of the asteroid belt he moved in orbit of the yellow planet, awaiting if anything would change amongst the three vagrant asteroids.
The dolphins, seeing as their food was snatched, decided to change their plans chasing after the potted plant.
Having spent enough time within the planet's atmosphere, parts of the plant’s body began to emit flames catalyzing the matter of the plant, and giving a supreme opportunity for the two dolphins. Like large piranhas, they leapt their mouths first on the hottest parts of the plant and took large bites, quickly swallowing them; with their headbands aglow they both retreated in different directions.
Anger flared in the potted plant’s leaf-face as it let out a deafening roar. Nu had just entered the orbital plane of the yellow planet. Sensing the fierce battle about to unfold, he hesitated, slowing his approach.
The potted plant, exploding with rage, quickly closed in on the two stone dolphins. A compartment opened beneath the pot, revealing two muscular stone arms, each holding a bamboo skewer radiating unyielding power. The sight made the two dolphins gasp in fear. With a swift motion, the skewers plunged into each dolphin, killing them instantly.
The potted plant then exited the planet’s atmosphere and hovered just outside, using atmospheric friction to heat the two dolphins, roasting them like hotdogs over a campfire.
“Damn it!” Nu roared internally. “Those two dolphins were integral to my plan.” Letting out a deep sigh, he lamented, “This universe still has too many unknowns. How can I get that violent plant to part with one of those dolphins' headbands?”
He slowly orbited the yellow planet, wracking his brain for a solution. The potted plant had long since noticed the orbiting Nu but, sizing up their relative strength, didn’t feel threatened. With a dismissive “harumph,” it turned its focus back to the two sizzling dolphins on its skewers.
The dolphins turned a molten red, as a pleasant aroma of cooked meat wafted through space. The plant retracted its skewers, but hesitated eating, instead casting wary glances to the surface below. Only after a moment’s time where there were no changes did it wolf down the cooked dolphins into its mouth.
Seeing that it had seemingly gotten away with the murder of the dolphins, the potted plant attempted to return to orbit. But before it could settle, a crimson light began flashing on its headband. Its leaf-face twisted in panic as an intense gravitational pull suddenly overtook it. Realizing what was happening, two vines desperately tried to tear off the headband, but it was no use. Like a marionette cut from its strings, it spiraled in freefall toward the yellow planet.
From deep within the planet’s core, an archaic voice echoed up to the plummeting plant. "Little slave, I warned you not to be so greedy, coveting more food than you are permitted to consume."
The plant bellowed, pleading for forgiveness, tears welling up in its eyes. In desperation, it broke off chunks of itself, discarding them into the strange yellow planet’s atmosphere as if hoping to appease its unseen master.
"It's too late for apologies; for your crime of gluttony…” the voice continued, “your sentence is death."
The yellow planet’s surface swelled, and its gaseous atmosphere coalesced into the shape of a giant face. With its mouth open wide, it swallowed the plummeting potted plant.
As soon as the words of the ancient figure came out Nu had long since gotten cold feet, recognizing the danger of the situation, he promptly tried to leave and return to the asteroid highway. But it seemed to be too late before he could get too far the booming ancient voice called out for him.
"Hey, cubic pebble, don't leave so soon," the gas giant’s voice held a hint of amusement. "This old man isn’t trying to hurt you. I simply noticed you taking an interest in my slave’s headband." A tattered, bloodstained white headband flew from the giant’s mouth, landing near Nu. "Why not take one for yourself?"
Nu looked at the headband with a strange expression, cursing his luck as he continued to backpedal. “Headband?” He forced out a defiant laugh. “Honestly, at first I quite liked it, but seeing as it is yours, I wouldn't dare take it away.” Cautiously, he tried to step away.
"Little pebble, I’m not here to cause you grief. Compared to the cruelty of the universe, being my slave isn’t so bad. All you’d need to do is lead one thousand asteroids into my surface, and I’d allow you to keep one for yourself. You seem to be just a newborn, so you probably don’t understand how things work out here, but trust me, this is quite a reasonable opportunity."
Seeing that the old giant wasn’t trying to force him outright, Nu relaxed a bit. He didn't even consider the offer for a moment. For him, submission was simply impossible.
"Submit and become your slave?" He sneered at the thought. "That is one thing I will never do. I would rather die than kneel to any authority."
His words brought a loud laugh from the face in the yellow planet. "Such audacity! I love it! I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be young." Large gaseous arms wiped mock tears from the planet’s face. "Good, thank you for that laugh. It put me in a good mood. You know what? For entertaining me, I’ll sweeten the deal. You can have one out of every nine hundred asteroids. How about it? Do we have a deal?”
Nu shook his head and spoke firmly. "I'm sorry, but I still cannot agree."
The yellow planet let out a deep sigh. "Listen, kid, it’s obvious how young you are. You must have been born not too long ago, thinking yourself significant in this universe. Let me be the first to tell you that you are nothing more than a speck. You think you’ll find better opportunities out there? Allow me to crush those puny dreams."
"There are none."
"If you don’t want to submit, fine. Go ahead and waste what little mass you have, wandering helplessly through this cold universe, clinging to the so-called legacy of your useless ancestors," the gas giant said, shaking its head with pity. "For a being as small as you, I could wipe you out with a mere finger. But you’re so insignificant that even lifting my pinky would be a waste of energy."
"Go on, leave. But don’t come crawling back years from now with pitiful apologies and excuses, begging to renegotiate my deal."
With that, the face on the yellow planet faded, the planet returning to its dormant state, leaving Nu alone with his thoughts. Nu’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared hatefully at the yellow planet.
“My ancestors are not useless,” he muttered with fierce resolve. "Give me one hundred years, and I won’t be crawling back for your worthless opportunity. I’ll be coming for your entire head."
The yellow planet reformed its massive face, whooping with laughter as it taunted, “Good luck with that one, kid.”
Nu ignored the giant’s mockery, his voice steady with determination. “My name is Nu. If there truly are no opportunities, as you say, then I will create them myself.”
Turning his back on the planet, he returned to the asteroid highway, the gas giant’s laughter echoing behind him. Consumed by thoughts of proving the old yellow giant wrong, Nu ventured deeper into the universe, oblivious to the strange existences that were awaiting his arrival.