Adam woke to find himself not where he had gone to sleep. Instead, he was in a room with multiple beds and a single female elf checking on another male elf lying in a bed across from him. Adam tried to move his arms and legs but could barely muster the strength to lift the covers. He’d been on a battlefield just yesterday, why couldn’t he move?
Thankfully when he tried to open his Personal Information it did so. Superimposed across the information was a bright red flashing message
Integration Error, Recalibrating 75% complete.
Reintegration Error, what kind of horseshit was that? Adam tried to access his information tabs, but he couldn’t open anything. The information didn’t look like it was changed but he couldn’t access anything so he couldn’t check. Frustrated, he closed the screen and looked up to find the elvish woman standing beside him. How had he not noticed her moving toward him?
“Good morning, Adam is it?” she asked.
“Yes,” Adam tried to croak out. He licked his lips and tried again, “Yes.”
“My name is Vanya; how do you feel?” she asked.
“Weak, my muscles are so stiff,” Adam replied
“That’s to be expected for someone that hasn’t moved for that last month,” Vanya said.
“Did you say a month?” Adam asked adrenaline waking him up completely.
“Yes, a month. You were found unresponsive and brought here. You’ve been in that bed for a month. On a related yet delicate subject, did you know that you do not create any waste?” Vanya asked.
“Really, that’s true here as well, cool,” I said before explaining, “It’s a racial ability, if it still works as it did before,” Adam said.
“Interesting. That brings me to my next question, what exactly are you? You look human but there are subtle differences, as we just discussed,” Vanya said.
“Honestly, I don’t know what race I’m considered here. I just arrived, well, I just arrived in this Universe a month ago,” Adam said.
“Well, as best as any of the healers here can determine, you are going through some sort of metamorphosis or change. The process seems to have sped up over the last day. We’ve noticed that what your Personal Information identifies as a “Recalibration” is going up by a percent about every half hour.”
“So, it’ll be complete in just over 12 hours?” Adam asked.
“Probably sooner, as I said it seems to be accelerating,” she said
Adam opened his Personal Information to check.
Integration Error, Recalibrating 76% complete.
We’d only been talking for, at most, 15 minutes. It did seem to be accelerating. Adam looked to Vanya who had raised her hand until a soft white glow radiated from her hand toward Adam. Adam felt much better as a feeling of warmth filled his entire being, “What was that, It felt really good?” he asked.
“That was one of my abilities. It’s a general life ability called “Restore Vitality,” though that’s a misnomer. This ability removes all debuffs related to body strain, damage, and overexertion. It can even remove debuffs like deafened or blinded so long as the debuffs aren’t permanent,” Vanya said.
“Thank you,” Adam said as he checked his status. 83%, it was moving much quicker now, “I just checked my status and the process my body is going through has gone from 75% to 83% in the time we’ve been talking. I think it’s going to finish a lot quicker than either of us thought.
“I do believe you are correct,” Vanya said as she stepped back and waved her hand. A series of runes surrounding the bed activated and a shimmering field of energy encased the bed.”
“What is that?” Adam asked as he looked over the runes.
“You have been surrounded by a ritual circle. Inside the circle, anything that happens is shrouded from prying eyes. Those trying to scry into the location will fail. It also prevents any tracking magic from detecting and flairs of magical energy that might emit. Don’t worry. If you wish to leave the circle you may do so. It is simply there to prevent our enemies from determining the location of this city should there be a magical flair. The Lord Protector informed us of what you did for the war effort. He asked that something like this be prepared and erected to help thwart anyone that might be prying for you, or us,” Vanya explained.
“I understand,” Adam said as he did another quick check, “I’m at 92%, this should be ending soon. Whatever happens please convey my thanks,” Adam said.
“You are most welcome,” Adam heard Vanya say as his surroundings faded away and he found himself in an area of pure white as a message clouded his vision.
Recalibrating 100% Complete
“Well, we can’t have that walking around,” A voice boomed from everywhere.
Adam covered his ears and looked around for the source of the voice. He was still surrounded by white light. His True Sight was also useless as nothing showed up as an outline either, not even the floor. He seemed to be floating, though he felt like he was standing on something.
“Very interesting, but ultimately it means nothing. Beings from within a construct do not have souls,” the voice said pausing for a moment before Adam heard him say, “Well of course he has a soul now, that’s why he must be brought to heel or culled,” the voice said before pausing again. A few moments later the voice declared, “I’m right, you’ll see!” With his hands over his ears, the pain Adam had felt receded.
Adam was about to ask what was going on when he felt a sudden lurch as he seemed to be pulled sideways until he landed In a chair across from Mary-Louise Parker, Adam looked around, “No, there is no way this is real, you took that out of my mind from that R.I.P.D movie. Stop fucking around and show yourself already!” Adam yelled.
Mary-Louise Parker evaporated, and the room changed to a more refined setting as a study came into existence around him. He was still in a chair, though it was now more comfortable, and a table was still in front of him as a young man that resembled Tom Hiddleston, though not quite. If you took Tom Hiddleston and combined him with Louis as played by Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire that would be a lot closer to what this man actually looked like. He was very pale but beautiful with bright blue eyes and light brown hair. He solidified into view in the chair on the opposite side of the desk, “Sorry about that, It seems like you heard some of my conversation with…it doesn’t matter. I thought I’d pull an image you could relate to from your mind, is this one more appealing?” The man asked.
“Yes,” Adam said. “It’s just that I’ve been through a lot and I’d much rather know exactly what’s going on instead of becoming a mushroom,” Adam said.
“A Mushroom?” he asked.
“Yeah, a mushroom, someone or something that is kept in the dark and fed shit,” Adam said.
A quizzical expression crossed the man’s face then he let out a laugh as he said, “A mushroom indeed. Very well, we will try not to turn you into a mushroom.”
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“Okay, before we get started, with whatever, this is,” Adam said, waving his arms around to the room, can I at least ask how I should address you?” Adam asked.
“You don’t need to know my name but if you must have a reference you can think of me as the Great and Powerful Oz,” he said.
“So, the man behind the curtain,” Adam said thoughtfully before he continued, “Thank you. Though you probably already know this, you may call me Adam,” Adam said.
“What now?” Adam asked.
“You are currently outside of the Universe you were just in. I’ve also increased the temporal flow of time within this space so that only a moment will have passed when you return?”
“Okay,” Adam said while he thought furiously before he asked, “Why am I here?”
“You are here because of the actions you took almost a month ago?” Oz said.
“What? Killing an evil army? What does that have to do with anything? If one of the higher-level cultivators from this Universe had been there, they could have probably ended the fight a lot quicker than I did,” Adam said.
“It wasn’t that you decimated the army, it’s that a Class M mortal was able to do that at all which brought you to my attention.”
“Okay, so what now?” Adam asked.
“I thought I’d do you the courtesy of letting you know that your powers were going to be “nerfed”, interesting word by the way, before I made changes to you?” Oz said.
“Wait what?”
“There is an order and balance to everything, as you are you cannot be allowed to continue. I will need to adjust you so that you have the same benefits as anyone born into this Universe,” Oz said.
“But I wasn’t born…” Adam started to say before he was cut off and everything faded away. Who the fuck did this asshole think he was? Probably some dumb mother fucker that followed order or balance. Maybe a God, but that didn’t feel right. If he was a God Adam shouldn’t even be able to think right now. The way this Universe and multiple dimensions worked didn’t seem to follow the patterns he was used to, but Oz had given him the hint that there was order or balance here.
Unfortunately for Oz, Order and Balance were not Adam’s cup of tea. He believed in fairness and that was about it. Was it fair that he would have everything he’d done taken away from him? Was it fair that no one would remember the deeds he had accomplished or the lives he’d saved? And what was this horse shit about the people from his Universe not having souls? The idea that an energy matrix would imprint the energy pattern and become the soul resonated with him, it made sense. That energy pattern could hold together, forever, in the various fields that existed throughout every Universe or Dimension he’d ever been to. But because he wasn’t born biologically he didn’t have a soul, except that he had been born biologically, even if it was simulated.
Adam considered everything that was going on and then remembered that even though he was in a new Universe he was ultimately a creature of Chaos. Yes, there was an order to things and yes there might need to be a balance which meant that whatever had happened to him that first time Chaos had truly corrupted, or transformed him, there was a place within this existence that included creatures like him, and you know what he was tired of being someone’s bitch.
As these thoughts went through his mind in an instant he started to feel the connection to his core and that let him realize another thing. He was Chaos Incarnate, default Human. At that moment he decided it was time to see what turning the default human part of that meant.
***
The being referred to as Oz had frozen Adam within his mind, though he could still detect some fluctuations. How was he… Oz never finished his thoughts as the man sitting in front of him became a flood of white-roiling energy that expanded and surrounded him. He tried to get to the edge of the barrier and touch it so that he could drop the temporal bubble and escape but found himself surrounded by pure Chaos. Pure Chaos? How was that even possible?
Oz activated every ability he had to try to damage this being. He was after all one of the Chosen of Order that held its Spark. So be it, Adam must die. The being called Oz accessed his spark of Order and commanded the being known as Adamantinus that surrounded him to succumb to Entropy. Eventually, everything died. Using his Spark in this way always led to death.
Oz felt the spark’s energy reach out into the Chaos that surrounded him and then felt that energy being pulled faster and faster as entropy failed to take hold. When he tried to stop the torrent, he failed. It kept going and going until the energy of his spark was no longer in his body. The Spark was no more? That was impossible. Order was forever, it could not be destroyed by Chaos.
At that moment, a presence entered Oz’s mind and spoke to him, I can feel that you reviewed my memories. That you seemed to live through my life but I believe you missed one fundamental truth that transcends both our realities. I can feel that the Spark of Order, as you call it, is anathema, or as close to my opposite as any energy can be. Unfortunately for you, that is not quite true. Order is not the opposite of Chaos for Chaos is made up of everything. The rules you are trying to impose on me, This is not some holographic universe run by a sentient A.I. This is random chance, This is…Order is needed, but not by beings like you. Order does serve its purpose, and so shall you.
Oz struggled as the Chaos started absorbing him into it. He wasn’t just being erased, he was being copied, then erased. Adam was copying his body and memories as he was destroying them. That Perfect memory of his would retain every memory of his forever. Eventually, the struggle stopped and the being referred to as Oz was no more.
***
Adam hadn’t felt like himself in a long time. He allowed his body to revert to its default human state and made sure to form the clothes he’d been wearing out of his chaos. He felt silly, whatever this Oz character had represented, that entity or group of entities he represented had tricked him into believing that something could change his fundamental nature. True, he would not have the same powers he had within the System Matrix but limits? Since when did Chaos have limits? Adam looked down at the mote, or spark, of order he held in his right hand. He brought it to his lips and whispered, “Choose better,” as he released the mote and it streaked away. As soon as it touched the temporal sphere time resumed as a frozen Vanya looked at Adam with surprise.
“You’re up! And moving? How did you stand so quickly? Are you all right?” Vanya asked as her mind tried to make sense of what just happened.”
“I’m fine I think I’m better than I have been in a month. Also, I’m hungry, is there a place to eat in this building?” Adam asked.
“We can bring your food to you here…” she started to say.
“No, please I’d rather sit at a table, even if it’s a simple table, and just eat and think for a bit,” Adam asked.
“Very well, come with me,” Vanya said as she lead Adam out of the room he was in and down a hall to a small room. Inside were a couple of tables and a small chest that resembled a freezer though Adam knew technology didn’t keep items cold within it, “Inside the chest, you’ll find premade salads and chilled canteens. There is also some jerky and cheese. Please pick whatever you would like and have a seat anywhere. I’m going to go make a report, then I ‘ll be back to check on you.
“Thank you, Vanya,” Adam said as he made his way over to the chest with food in it, picked a salad and a canteen then went over to seat near a window that looked out into an open field opposite the hustle and bustle in the main street. As he sat down and dug in he waited for Vanya to leave before he started reviewing Oz’s memories.
For the next twenty minutes, Adam went through the life of Oz, a mortal known as Jake Forrester. Such a normal name. Did the Universes always end up with the same languages and the same names or just the Universes and cultures he ran across? The first thing Adam realized was that Jake’s memories were a treasure trove, though they’d didn’t give him all the details. For instance, they didn’t explain what the Spark of Order was, or if the man was contacted by anyone else.
Through his memories, Adam learned that the individual he heard him talking to had been the spark. It seemed that it had been sentient after all. Knowing that just made him hope it would take his advice and choose better. Jake had simply been doing whatever his little spark had told him to do. He’d only been 30 years old. Adam would have felt bad, but he also saw Jake utilize or abuse countless beings and justify his actions as the natural order with a nonsense response to the spark that “If he could do it, it must be part of the natural order.” Narcissist through and through. Adam was so glad my hunch about Oz had been right.
As he thought about it, that spark must have known that it couldn’t tame the Chaos within him. Smart, using him to free itself. Hopefully, after such evils imposed by order were brought into the world the spark would find someone that could bring that good into the world. There did need to be a balance of things.
Unfortunately, Adam didn’t learn much else from Jake’s memories. He just didn’t know. Jake had been a middle-grade warrior when he’d chanced upon the Spark. That much power had gone to his head, and he’d had a great time lording over the lords and ladies. Then when the spark had made him a little more discreet he’d gotten creative with ways to torment and torture those who’d wronged him before he turned them to ash. Truly a twisted sicko that Adam would never lose sleep over. Of course, he’d never be able to forget what he’d done either, but this world was now safer from people with horrendously unfair power, yeah Adam knew how hypocritical that sounds coming from him.
This self-reflection shit sucks if you’re honest with yourself. Why was his mind wandering? Adam was about to focus and check his information when Vanya stepped back into the room. Only then did Adam look down and realize he’d finished his meal. Adam looked up as he said, “Yes Vanya.”
“Since you seemed well, I contacted the Lord Protector to let him know that you were up and moving. He had asked to be informed immediately. He is sending over an assistant to escort you back to his office,” Vanya said.
Adam stood, looked around quickly then placed the empty bowl for his salad in a small crate that held other dirty dishes as he turned to Vanya and said, “Please lead the way, I do believe I need to change before the assistant gets here.
“Right this way,” Vanya said as she led him down to a washroom that had a shower, sink with a mirror towel, and a folded robe waiting for him.
Adam looked into the washroom and smiled at the steam rising from the floor of a gentle waterfall falling from the ceiling where a drain allowed the water to runoff, “At some point, I will need to ask how you have warm water for your showers but right now I’ll just say thank you and I’ll be out in a moment,” Adam said as he stepped into the washroom and closed the door. There was soap and even a small razor but more importantly, there was that continuous waterfall. Adam put his hand under the water and realized it was a warm, not hot, shower. As he slipped off his white robe and stepped under the warm waterfall he realized, sometimes it was the little things that mattered.