Hal: What do you mean that the idea hadn’t been all that outrageous after all?
For this conversation, it would be easier to talk so I dropped my focus into my Mindspace, “It wasn’t that outrageous after all,” Adam said, addressing Hal’s morphing form, “because I’ve seen it happen before in the simulation. I’ll admit, on this scale the idea is daunting though.
“How so,” Hal asked.
“I hypothesize that the Astral Plane is being used as the fluid of a brain where each universe is acting as a neuron of sorts for a brain. Probably…No, most likely my fault when I destroyed the Battery Planet. I have a permanent link to the Astral and I know that it copied something from me when it started imprinting the Interface ability across every Universe it’s connected to. I can even understand how it might have come up with creating a quest system in the state it’s in. My new true form isn’t much different after all. But one thing has me puzzled.
“Only one thing?” Hal asked.
“More than one of course, is it neutral? Will it try to kill all life if it gets a chance? Those are questions for the future. My question right now is how did it transport ‘treasure’ to me? How did it create or move the Water Quintessence to my location so that it would appear in my Shadow Vault when the quest was deemed complete? Which of course brings up the other obvious questions, who or what is creating the quests and deciding the rewards?”
Hal was silent for a moment, then responded, “Those are very good questions.
“Would you look into it while I nap, I need to rest for a bit? Not long, but I do need to close my eyes.”
“Of Course,” Hal said as Adam withdrew from his Mindspace and allowed himself to fall asleep.
Adam dreamed. he dreamed of fantastic empires that spanned universes, others that were much smaller and only existed in a forest, a cave, underwater, in the desert, and on and on. The images were so realistic that Adam could almost touch everything. The images came faster and faster until it was drowned out and became a background, each scene a dot in a mirage of light and energy. The noise faded into a single sound that existed behind all other sounds. The images blurred into a hazy white light that surrounded him with hints of colors that changed too rapidly for the eye or mind to catch. It was more information than he could ever understand at once. It was more information than anyone could comprehend.
Adam cast a thought into the hazy whiteness, “Why am I seeing this?”
Adams surrounding shuddered and he felt a rushing sensation as an image rushed at him out of the whiteness that surrounded him until he looked down on the eastern seaboard of the United States from low orbit. The planet rushed toward him and suddenly he was rushing underwater to the seabed where a crack in the seafloor lead down another 100 feet or so to a swirling blue pool of energy. The image flashed through the pool and panned back looking in the direction it had just come from to see a swirling portal
Adam sent another thought out into this ‘dream’? “Why show me this?”
There was no coherent answer, no voice speaking to him or the hint of a mind concentrating enough to even send a thought to him. Instead, Adam received a feeling he knew all too well as an image of him surrounding Adaline and Pandora as the world they stood on in his Soul Space exploded, “Must Protect”
Adam woke with a start and checked the clock in his interface. It was 7 a.m. on July 4th CST. It was much earlier than where he was near Hawaii, but his interface was still on the time zone for New Mexico. He’d been sleeping for almost 13 hours.
Adam said, “AL, Did you try to wake me up over the last 12 hours?”
“I did, you were unresponsive,” Al said.
“Did you try physical stimulation?” Adam said.
“I apologize for any lasting damage to your right foot which receive a pretty healthy shock,” AL said.
Adam looked at his right foot which appeared unharmed. Not a dream then. He might need to shield himself…then he stopped and reached out with his nanites which now covered the entire surface of the planet again. 100 feet below the ocean floor in the Atlantic, 10 miles east of Norfolk Virginia there was a portal to another place. Additionally, unlike the dream, his nanites informed him that the portal was acting like a firehose. Fresh water was spilling into the Atlantic Ocean at an extremely high pressure.
Adam sent a command to the nanites on Mars to start creating a 100-foot wall completely around the colony, and the Chinese, Russian, and American Secret bases in various locations. He set the perimeter to a one-mile radius. Once that was started he placed a portal directly above the rift in space in the Atlantic and had the other end open onto the north pole of Mars. They’d been wondering how to get fresh water up there for a while now. Most of it would freeze and then evaporate over time but if the water kept spreading it might help create an actual atmosphere on Mars, though 33%oxygen and 66% hydrogen were going to make for an explosive outcome. As a stop-gap measure, this should work. Also, he hoped that whatever had opened the portal would close it.
That settled for the moment, Adam checked on White Sands and found that all the prisoners had been removed and taken to the Holloman air base where they were being interrogated. Adam didn’t concern himself with that, he was more worried about Pelza Empire and how the planet was going to react to magic becoming mainstream. He’d seen multiple scenarios play out and he was hoping to stem the chaos this time.
It was time to get to work. Adam checked on General Cain’s location and then sent him a text. He waited until the general picked up the phone and then started his countdown. The text read, “Magic Portal opening at your location in 10 seconds after you start reading this message.”
It was comical. The General looked up in shock and had time to say, “He’ll be here…” as Adam’s portal opened into the Oval Office and he stepped through closing it behind me. For this meeting, Adam had his nanites clean and press his black Flight Suit with a patch on my right shoulder that had “IFM,” just because he felt like being a smart ass.
Everyone in the room had stopped talking. The President was leaning against his Desk while the Secretary of Defense sat on one couch, opposite General Cain who sat on another and looked at Adam as he stood opposite the President as a question popped into his vision and was minimized.
NEW QUEST
Déjà vu
Try to convince the rulers of Earth to help you protect the Planet from Forces greater than them, or go Full asshole dictator like last time, it’s up to you
REWARD?
This is a multistage quest. The final reward will be based on the number of world leaders that are convinced to help you.
The snark level of these quest prompts was starting to remind me of a quest system in a series he’d read. Was the system using his own experiences and subconscious in addition to creating these new quests?
Congratulations, you have completed a hidden quest.
Figure out how the Quest System generates the information it utilizes to create the quests.
Reward, You have received one Order Quintessence.
Adam checked his Shadow Vault and yes, both the Water Quintessence and the Order Quintessence were now in Shadow Vault with his 4 Death and 3 Strength Quintessence. How was the quest system moving items to him? He already knew physical objects could not travel through the Astral Plane. It had to be using some form of teleportation or dimensional translocation, except on a Universal scale. All of these thoughts were going through his mind as secret service agents rushed into the room, determined the threat, and tried to fire. Firearms don’t work when the blasting caps on bullets are changed to Play-Doh. What was it with Play-Doh, was it becoming his go-to disarming technique? Maybe he should find something else to use. No, he used Play-doh because it kept the shape it was in and could be converted back easily enough if he needed to.
Adam stood completely still and activated Flight to lock him in place as two of the agents dropped their guns, drew combat knives, and moved in, “I wouldn’t do that,” he said just before both of them struck. The one on his left went for an upper back spinal injury while the one on his right brought the knife down on his chest for a perfect stab into his heart.
While the agents continued to attack him with their knives, Two more Secret Service agents were moving toward the President. Adam never took his gaze from the President. As the Secret Service reached the President and moved to exit the room a Portal appeared covering every exit. Outside the Oval Office portal appeared as well. If someone stepped through one, they would exit out of a portal on the other side of the office. As the Secret Service tried to exit out of the Oval Office through the exit to Adam’s right, the President and Secret Service agents entered the room from a portal to Adam’s left. Only then did the Secret Service agents that had been attacking Adam pause as new commands came through their earpieces.
The Agents looked at Adam’s shredded uniform as they stepped back to stand in front of the President. General Cain looked over at Adam and the Secretary of Defense hadn’t moved either.
Adam looked at the General as he said, “I see that they’re still training anyone on the couches that are non-hostiles to not move,” and had the nanites repair his flight suit, which caused the Defense Secretary to gasp.
“Why are you here?” The President asked.
“A couple of reasons, but mostly to keep my word and talk with General Cain.”
“You could have called?” General Cain said.
“Where is the fun in that?” Adam said. “Besides, you need to understand exactly how outclassed you are compared to the enemies that I captured for you. You were lucky only one of them could use magic. If he hadn’t tried to destroy the ship you could have talked to him.”
“So there is a ship?” The Secretary of Defense said.
“Don’t get your panties in a wad. We don’t need to get sidetracked. Mr. President, who is the number one threat to the National Security of the United States?” Adam asked
“Right now, You?” The President said.
Adam looked thoughtful for a moment then said, “Fair. Who, a person, is the number 2 threat to the National Security of the United States that is not the leader of a foreign nation.?
“That’s easy, “Abdul, Alzar Karif”
“One moment,” Adam said as he activate Obscure, and opened a portal in the ceiling that lead to a portal in the floor of an underground bunker directly behind Abdul Alzar Karif. Adam rose up behind Abdul as he turned and looked down into a hole in the floor behind him. He’d been eating alone in his room when light seemed to come up from the floor behind him. Adam grabbed him by his neck and head, lifted him up and over the chair, and dropped back through the portal, while he had his nanites destroy all weapons and transmitters on his body.
The President, his four secret Service agents, General Cain, and the Secretary of Defense watched a portal open in the ceiling as Adam disappeared. A moment later Abdul Alzar Karif dropped through the portal held by an invisible force that dropped him on the floor before the Secret Service agents. The Portal in the ceiling closed and Adam became visible as he said, “He’s been disarmed but he’s, oh watch out.” Adam said as Abdul sprang to his feet and tried to go for the President.
Adam sent the nanites into Abdul’s body as the Secret Service agents did everything they’d tried to do to Adam a moment ago, with even more gusto. When they were done they would have killed Abdul Alzar Karif ten times over. The nanites were able to keep him alive but his body had gone into shock after the first round of attacks. He’d been unconscious ever since.
Stolen novel; please report.
Adam clapped as he floated back to stand where he’d entered the room, “Damn, they really do train you guys well,” Adam said the Secret Service Agents looked at him disdainfully. “Don’t sweat not being able to do the same to me. I’m not Superman but my body is so dense that nothing you could have tried would have killed me. Anyway, Mr. President. Your call, do you want that terrorist alive or dead?”
“I would like him interrogated,” The President said admonishingly to the two Secret Service agents that both looked unremorseful for doing their duty, which Adam could appreciate.
“Very well,” Adam said as he opened a portal to a cell in Area 51. “That portal beside you opens to one of General Cain’s cells in Area 51 on sublevel 23. Cell 4. Just toss him through and General Cain will have access to him, “ Adam said.
“Do it!” the President said.
Two of the agents reached down, grabbed Abdul by his arms and legs, and heaved him through the portal onto the cot that was on the other side of the portal where he landed in a lump.
“Where did you get him from?” The Secretary of Defense asked. “More importantly does anyone know we have him?”
He was in his room in a bunker in Afghanistan, there were no cameras. He did have a tracker, it’s been destroyed,” Adam said. “The only people in the world that know where he is are in this room and cell 4 at Area 51,” Adam said.
“And you could do this for all the enemies of the United States?”
“No Mr. President, this is a show of power. I can do this to anyone that becomes my enemy on this planet.
“You must sleep,” the Secretary of Defense said.
Karen, what an appropriate name, Karen Gallagher was 56 years old. A Mother of 3, she had 7 grandchildren and was the Acting Secretary of Defense. I had the nanites in the room create images along the roof of video scenes of all three of her kids and all of her grandkids, “As do you,” I said looking at the roof. “They are all very adorable,” Adam said.
Karen looked up, froze, looked at the clock then huffed, “Well, I have never…” Karen started to say.
The images disappeared and Adam looked back to the President, ignoring Karen, and then said, “I’m not here to make threats. If I wanted everyone on this planet to die, all I’d need to do is remove the portal that is diverting fresh water that was coming through a rift in space in the Atlantic. The sea levels would rise and then millions, probably billions would die. By the way, I’ve diverted that water to the North pole of Mars now and I’ve raised walls around the various colonies and secret bases on Mars.”
“What secret bases,” The President said interrupting Adam.
“Yours, the Chinese and the Russians, as well as the Colony everyone knows about, “Adam said.
General Cain finally asked, “How?”
“The how isn’t important, or the why. All you need to know is where I’m from, NOT this planet, I was an American Citizen and I like the way Americans handle socioeconomics. Of course, improvements can be made but fake socialists grabbing power for themselves while millions suffer, never works,” Adam said pausing for a moment. “Look at me falling into lecture mode. I’m going to switch it up and let you know what is going on, well some of it at least,” Adam said as he floated up and took a seated position in the air above everyone.
“One, I am not from this Universe. Two, The Pelza Empire wanted to Turn this universe into a Battery.”
“How does one, oh never mind,” General Cain said as I looked at him and Karen fumed but stayed silent.,
“There’s a lot to the story but part of the puzzle starts with Dr. Brittle at Labyrinth LLC.”
“The women responsible for the millions of deaths?” The President asked.
“The same. She was an agent for the Pelza Empire tasked with finding Universes to target. Your scientists here didn’t realize what they’d done when they created the game ‘The Labyrinth.’ What they didn’t know is that instead of just creating a game they imprinted an artificial universe matrix in a virgin Universe, one that was going just starting to exist after its big bang. The energy matrix held and the Universe worked as programmed. The minds that downloaded into the ‘game’ actually visited another universe.
“That’s absurd?” Karen said. “Video games as reality, what utter horseshit!”
“Except that I’m the proof. You see the Pelza Empire had a device that could absorb and convert 99.9% of the energy in an infinite universe into an energy source that they use to power their vehicles and improve their Cultivator rank.”
“What’s a cultivator?” The President asked.
“Anyone that can use magic, for the most part. Anyway, Dr. Brittle, Commander Erika Johansson of the Pelza Empire discovered this and had them target their machine at the universe the game was housed in. Just as it was about to finish destroying the game universe, I made my way into it from one of the Universes the A.I. had created to save the minds of everyone that you think has died.”
“Are you saying they’re alive?” General Cain asked.
“Their bodies are most definitely dead, but their mentality, their soul lives on in the backup universe the A.I. created,” Adam said.
“You said, you entered the Universe right before it was destroyed, weren’t you destroyed too.?” Karen asked smugly as she thought she’d caught me in a lie.
“Why yes Karen, I did lose my entire physical form and existed as a single mote of Chaos until my body reformed.
“You realize that’s hard to believe?” The President said.
“What should be hard to believe is that your entire nuclear arsenal, even the nuclear weapons buried near Amarillo, that you think no one knows about have had all their nuclear material turned in Play-Doh and you’re stuck on what I just told you. You all need to focus.”
“What happened next,” The President asked.
“I learned what it was to exist in the real Universe, blew up the Battery Plant, and saved the Day, or so I thought,” Adam said wistfully
“Let’s say we believe what you’re saying,” The President said doubtfully, “why are you telling us all this?
“Because when I blew up the Battery Plant something was changed fundamentally across all the universes and dimensions, as far as I can tell. The interface ability and now the quest system became active.”
“We’ve seen the quest system, I have received multiple quests in the last two days and have been receiving rewards in the form of money, potions, and other items I don’t know what to do with?” The President said.
“Have you received a quest concerning me, any of you?” Adam asked as he looked around the room
“No’s” and shakes of the head went around the room.
“One of the fundamental ideas behind a quest system is that the quest must be able to be accomplished. None of you are receiving quests concerning me because I am far too overpowered for any of you. If it is working like that, then there is hope for this planet.
“How are you too overpowered?” Karen asked belligerently. “You just look like some spoiled kid from the suburbs.”
Just then a message came through his nanite interface indicating that the portal ejecting the water had moved. Adam turned off his portal and wasn’t surprised as another rift opened which he promptly covered with another portal to Mars.
“It would seem that who, or whatever, wants to flood this planet is being a bit of a nuisance. I need to take care of that problem momentarily so I’m going to address a couple of things and then leave you to discuss things privately.
“One, General Cain, I am IFM. I can travel faster than Mach 10, and I was what was intercepted by FM1.
Two, The Pelza Empire did have a ship, I have it now. It contains faster-than-light engines and teleportation Arrays as well as other technologies. I might, at some point be willing to hand that over, after I use it to visit a certain Empire.
Three, I have the A.I. that has the coordinates where all the minds of those thought dead are now. I also have the technology to create the machines that can create bodies so we can download those minds into bodies in this Universe.
Four, Magic is most definitely real, it exists and the United States is really far behind as compared to the Pelza Empire.
Five, the politics of Earth do not matter to me as anything other than a system I will try to work within until it refuses to work with me. You do not want to see what that looks like,” Adam said as he listed off everything.
“Finally, I can see everything that happens on this planet, In a moment I’m going to go set up my finances worldwide. After that, I’m going to go take care of the problem that is shooting water into our ocean, which by the way is probably the same people that infected Admiral Fitz.”
“Hold One,” General Cain said. “You’re listing a lot of stuff but I have to know, how did you detect the infection and heal it?
“That is a secret we do not have time to go into right now. Suffice it to say I checked everyone on Earth, even our Pelza Empire guests, and no one else had the Worms in their head.”
“And we’re supposed to take your word for it?” The Secretary of Defense asked
“Lady, I don’t know what the fuck your problem is but the last Government official that fucked with me was the Vice President of my United States. She even tried to bombard me with an Orbital Strike, but it failed. Now listen close, When I destroyed the device that could have destroyed the Universe, not just this planet, Solar System, or Galaxy, the entire fucking Universe, I was immediately reincarnated. I am not a God, I can die, but I come back. I was in a universe where every living being within it was scrambled into an energy soup those Bastards in the Pelza Empire use to run their vibrators. They are on my Shit list. When I get done with them their Emperor will be a smoking crater. As for Vice President. She kept doing stupid shit. The last time I wasn’t as hands-off as I’m trying to be this time. People were still free but what allows me to know everything that is happening, let’s just say I can make that setting personally intrusive to everyone. When her crimes were made known to the public the masses lynched her, “Adam said with fire in his blood as he looked at Karen, who couldn’t meet his gaze.
Adam looked around and realized everyone in the room was sitting very still trying to fight their reflex to flee. They looked as if a great weight were being pressed down on them. Were auras a thing now? Well, shit, he knew jack squat about auras, and he was Step 4 attributes. That could be really bad, he was going to need to be careful. Adam took a few deep breaths and forced himself to relax then addressed the President.
“My family is trapped in one of the Universes I’ve described. My goal is to bring them out. I can do that with a hand’s off, or hands-on approach. Hands-on, I’m the boss, the countries go away and Earth is a Utopia for everyone that follows my rules. Those that don’t,” Adam said as he point to a magazine on the coffee table and it disintegrated. “Yes, with a thought I could do that to everything and everyone anywhere on this planet.”
Before Karen could retort, the President held up a hand, “What do you need from us then.”
“I’m not exactly sure yet, just stay out of my way and stop trying to intercept me when I’m flying around. I need to handle this problem in the Atlantic. Whatever is controlling the portal is trying to move it to various locations underwater. I keep capping it with one of my portals but some fresh water is making it into the ocean. I need to go find out who, or what is doing this and stop them. Now if you’ll excuse me Adam said as he opened a portal and stepped through.
When the portal closed The Secretary of Defense said, “What an asshole!” under her breath.
Adam’s voice came clearly through the President’s intercom on his desk. “Three last things. First, assume everything you say everywhere, even in the toilet is being recorded, it is. This is true for everyone on the planet and started a day ago. Second, I can control any machine anywhere in this solar system. You’d have figured it out sooner or later. Third, Yes Karen, I can be an Asshole,” Adam said and then broke the link.
Adam had opened a portal into a cash storage room in a money laundering outfit in Mexico City and then focused on the money around him. He was in one of the many launderings places for the various organizations that were into shady dealings. This one was run by the Son of the Crown Prince of some middle eastern nation that Adam wasn’t going to bother remembering the name of. Of course, he was going to remember, he was just choosing not to because if he was being Hands-on, that dirtbag wouldn’t exist anymore. Karen for all her bitchiness didn’t seem like a bad person from everything he read about her. She just didn’t like bullies and reacted badly to them every time. Adam could admit he was being a tad, okay more than a tad, heavy-handed, but in his defense, not everyone had nanites in them yet.
Adam started conjuring, you know what, screw this it would be too slow, he thought. Adam activated Obscure and Flight, opened a portal stepped through to hover five miles above the Atlantic Ocean. While he hovered there he went to work.
First, he created bank accounts in everyone major bank around the world using his nanites to hack into every computer system and add his five identities to each bank.
Second, he started moving laundered money across the world by making a copy of it inside a bank stacked and wrapped and all the corresponding documentation that was required for all deposits, including videos of himself depositing money by ATM. There were just over 44,000 banks and Credit Unions around the world. In each, he created five bank accounts, one for each of his identities with $1,000 in both a savings and checking account. Then he created records of a wire transfer of $900 from each checking account to one account in Switzerland.
Within 5 minutes Adam had 5 accounts in Switzerland with $39,600,000 in them and another 219,995 accounts with $100 in a checking account and $1,000 in the attached savings account. He created a single credit card that could activate every account and put it in his Shadow Vault. Now he could enter any city and withdraw money without needing to think about it. Also, at a 1.5% interest rate he’d be making 5.9 million dollars in interest on each of the accounts in Switzerland, after taxes, he could spend 10 million dollars and not be worried about it. Of course, he could create money out of thin air but ruining a few criminals’ lives and doing it in a way that could most likely never be traced, that was just icing on the cake.
What happened to the money in the money laundering buildings all over the world? Well, he disintegrated any bill he replicated into a bank vault. He didn’t want two bills with the same serial number floating around.
Adam missed the ability that let him get money with no issue but he’d done this in 10 minutes and if he was in a medieval Universe he could always use Mold Chaos to make money or gems to get the money when he needed to. There was no need to be greedy.
After he was done with his money-making efforts, Adam contacted Al with his nanite interface so he could speak to him.
“Al, Adam here, I need your help”
“Go ahead, Adam”
“You’ve been watching what I’ve been doing in the Atlantic with the portals right?
“Yes, I can see how resources are utilized here, though you haven’t given me access yet Al, said.
“That’s what I’m calling you about, I’m going to give you Portal and limited Nanite Access. I’m going to go through the rift and see what is moving it around. I want you to use the portals and nanites to monitor where the portal moves to and plug it exactly as I have. Keep putting the Water on the north pole of Mars.”
“Of Course, is there anything else?” Al asked.
“Yes, use the nanites to continue creating the base on the Moon. I also want you to increase the structure so that 1,000 people can be brought back at a time. Do not start the reactors. Just use the nanites to create the rooms and a place that can house 5,000 people at once. Feel free to make it comfortable. When I get back I’ll check in with you, we’ll get the power source sorted out and then I’m going to make sure the Pelza Empire never cannibalizes another Universe.”
“When will I gain access?” Al asked.
“Now, wait until I go through the portal before you plug the next one,” Adam said. They only had to wait a minute until the enemy rift was moved and Adam launched himself at Mach 10 toward the surface of the ocean and the opening of the portal. Before he hit the surface of the water he slowed down, transitioned into the water, then increased his speed again until he passed through the rift. He felt the suction of the hole behind him but only saw darkness after he was through and looked back. On this side of the rift, he was in water that had light coming from all directions and felt like he was 100 feet underwater.
Behind him, the water swirled as it went into the rift but in front of him the water was crystal clear and he could see some lights off in the distance. Adam was still looking around and floating there comfortably when he saw the Atlantean he’d encountered before moving toward him, still about 500 feet away. Obscure wouldn’t let them see him but if it detected air pockets or anything that wasn’t water and didn’t rely on light or sonar, Obscure was going to be useless.
As Adam floated there and wondered what to do a new message popped into his vision
You have exited a Common Universe and entered an Advanced Universe, it is strongly recommended that anyone entering an Advanced Universe have at least Step 2 in Strength, Endurance, and Willpower. Step 2 in all attributes is Highly recommended.
If you do not, Exit immediately.