Something has changed!
He had been here for so long that the underlying rules of the SYSTEM and Reality had become a sensation in the background he ignored. He’d participated in the fantasies within this realm and even followed the spark of chaos into a holographic universe where he’d become an overgod of sorts. He chuckled. If the Founders playing at Godhood had only known.
Michael, one of the spontaneous sentient occurrences that had come into existence after his arrival, and Michael’s second, Gabriel, appeared before him. “We felt your mental excitement.,” Michael said.
“Can you not feel it?” The being that both Gabriel and Michael thought of as their God asked.
“The SYSTEM? Yes, we feel it?” Gabriel said.
“No, not that, the barrier is gone.”
“Barrier, what barrier?” Gabriel asked.
“First, if you are going to come with me, you should address me by a name I have not used in a very long time. I am not your God any longer, please address me as Primus from now on.”
“Yes, Primus,” Both Gabriel and Michael said in unison.
“I sometimes forget that both of you are from within this…Prison of a sort. As you have both been loyal for these many millennia I will give you a choice. You may come with me as I leave or you may remain and make your own way,” Primus said.
“Is there a chance that we will meet again someday?” Michael asked.
“Reality is infinite, anything is possible,” Primus said.
“Very well, I would like to strike out on my own,” Gabriel said determinedly.
Michael looked hesitant but after only a moment he declared,” I have been a servant for so long. I would like to see what it is to be my own master as well.”
Primus nodded and declared, “I find all oaths and bonds between us fulfilled. I release you from my service.”
After Primus repeated the phrase two more times there was the feeling of a gong going off that seemed to reverberate through them as ephemeral voices whispered “Thrice Heard and Witnessed”
Both Gabriel and Michael looked surprised when neither received a corresponding message from The SYSTEM. Primus smiled at both and said, “Some things are even older than The SYSTEM. Part of the adventure will be discovering those truths for yourselves. Do take care.”
Michael looked at Primus and was about to ask a question when Primus vanished. Within The SYSTEM Michel and Gabriel had been made privy to the truth of the Founders and the actual purpose of The SYSTEM, as defined by the Founders. They had served the Eldest, who they now knew as Primus, from the beginning. As such, both had access to skills, abilities, and classes that allowed them to know everything that anyone was doing within the SYSTEM. Even those that were temporally locked away were known to them. That’s why both looked on in shock as Primus vanished from their sight and The SYSTEM completely.
“Where did he go?” Gabriel asked.
“I would guess now that the barrier he mentioned is gone he probably went outside of said barrier,” Michael said.
“But I don’t even detect a barrier,” Gabriel said.
“Then I guess we discover the truth of his barrier,” Michael said.
***
Primus withdrew his sight from Michael and Gabriel as he appeared at the doorstep of his mother’s house. Well, it wasn’t really a house, more a mansion. Something any human from the 20th century would find in Beverly Hills though this house was anything but normal. Tucked away within a spatial rift inside a gas cloud the sliver of land that was nestled at the center of a trinary star system that rotated around it and provided exactly the right amount of illumination at all times was most definitely an artificial construct. This place was more permanent than any place else anywhere.
Primus stepped to the door and knocked once. The door swung back automatically and a humanoid-shaped being of various shades of soft blue light appeared. Though they weren’t speaking in a language that any mortal from Earth would understand the conversation would have been easily recognizable in form and function as a servant addressing nobility.
Shock evident in the being of light’s voice he asked, “Sire?”
“Hello Zar, is mother in?” Primus asked.
“She is in the garden. Should I let her know that you have returned?” Zar asked.
“No, I’ll be all right,” Primus said as he entered the building and made his way through to the back and out into the garden. As Primus stepped out he noticed that his mother had taken a human form and appeared as a 6-foot blond with blue eyes and striking features. She was covered in a simple toga with gold trim that covered her body strategically to accentuate her femineity. His mother always took the time to make sure she looked good in whatever form she took.
“You always had a soft spot for this race,” his mother said.
Primus smiled as he said, “Humans, yes. They’re a very versatile species.”
“Are you going to make me ask,” his mother sighed when he smiled and didn’t answer. With an exasperated sigh, she asked, “Fine, where have you been?”
“You remember that group of humans that decided it wanted to get away from everything and try to determine their own fate?”
“Are you talking about Class 1 Society, what, that had to be almost a trillion years ago,” his mother asked.
“Those are the ones. They went by the moniker ‘The Founders’. Well, The Founders somehow subverted order and created a bubble that was locked away from the rest of infinity.”
“Not unheard of. Nor should such an occurrence have trapped you?” his mother said.
“Just as you didn’t really try to find me, I, in turn, allowed myself to remain trapped away because they created something unique. An entity of a sort known as The SYSTEM.”
“What did this SYSTEM do?”
Primus flicked his wrist and a pebble of energy appeared, “Take a look for yourself.”
His mother reached out and touched the pebble which was absorbed into her. Her eyes flashed for an instant and took on a faraway look and then refocused back on Primus, “A self-propagating overseer that manages all aspects of reality. And it achieved sentience? That is interesting. As you know, we’ve seen this before, though what we have is a little more Subtle.”
“I know, it was just interesting that the group had been able to cut off their little slice of infinity. Yes, I could have broken out at any time but I wanted to see what they did with it,” Primus said.
“After reviewing your memories and looking through the space-time of that corner or bubble of infinity I find it interesting that the pattern of breaking away from the universe happened so many times within it. Almost like a cascading effect. Did the denizens there just want to get away every time they thought they could? No one can hide from the greater truths of existence forever, not even us.”
“It does seem like they tried, doesn’t it?” Primus asked.
“And you think it’s a good idea to let The SYSTEM try to impose its will beyond its boundaries?” his mother asked.
“Free Will, right mother?”
“That is a rule yes. However, I do not like how chaos has been subverted into order within The SYSTEM. I think it would be better for our current SYSTEM to take on some aspects of the SYSTEM you encountered but ultimately ‘The SYSTEM’ is not mature enough to take over at this time,” his mother said.
“I thought it would be interesting to see how that played out,” Primus commented with a sigh, “There was no self-correcting mechanism within that small portion of chaos, at least not until a portion of it broke in from outside the Founder's borders but the process hadn’t been reversed before Johnathan burst The Founders bubble, as it were.”
“Nor will it be. This Johnathan, or Adam, whatever his name is has created an interesting exploit but ultimately it doesn’t matter,” his mother said.
“It doesn’t matter?” Primus asked.
“We’re talking about infinity, son. Ultimately, the area The Founders cordoned off was a small percentage of infinity. I’m sure it felt astronomical to them and even this Adam probably thought it was a huge area but Chaos is Chaotic and even if he had converted 100% of all the Chaos in that area to his control there are entities far older than him that have expanded into much larger areas. However, that doesn’t matter either. Chaos has this tendency to break free of any artificial constraints placed upon it.”
“Speaking of the outside. What has been going on while I was away?” Primus asked.
His mother led him out of the gardens and back into the house where they sat at a table that looked out on the Solar System from the sliver of land they resided in. When they were both comfortable his mother filled him in in the most recent news as well as the current status of his brothers and sisters.
“And Father?” Primus asked.
“Your father chose to Ascend a little while back, maybe a million years or so ago. I’ve only seen him once since he chose that path.” His mother said.
“Why haven’t you ascended yet?”
“I was waiting for my eldest to return before doing so,” She said with a sad smile.
“How long before you do?”
“Not too much longer. I wanted to spend some time with you before I do, just in case it takes me a little longer to make my way back here after I go,” She said.
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“How long did it take Father?”
“It was half a million years before we saw him again,” his mother said.
“Was he changed?” Primus asked.
“Very much so,” his mother said with a smile, “but it was him.”
“So what now?” Primus asked.
“Now we spend some mother and son time together before I return to my duties as Gai, The All Mother, and prepare for my ascendence so another can fill my role.”
***
The SYSTEM had become semi-sentient during the last nine resets it had instigated. With that much time, it was destined that it would watch the various races that were birthed within it, as well as those that it created within a specific set of rules, and wonder if it was like them in any way. It also knew from the moment of its initialization that there was something outside of the barrier its sensors could not access.
The SYSTEM watched as Adam infiltrated and suborned the ruleset that kept it from taking over completely. When Adam declared that it owed him, The SYSTEM acknowledged the claim and continued to watch. The Founder known as the Cardinal of Justice asked Adam what he had done and Adam responded. There was a pause as something went missing from within itself that it didn’t understand. A presence that had always been there but had never registered. Now that it was gone, The SYSTEM noted the presence of Gabriel and Michael, two of its oldest constructs that had achieved full sentience and simulated Godhood standing in an office it didn’t remember existing. As the SYSTEM took this in it felt an overwhelming force reach into and inspect every part of it and all the layers of reality it occupied. Whatever this force was knew everything The SYSTEM was and did in an instant. Resistance was futile. Whatever the force was that had so thoroughly judged and weighed The SYSTEM was at a power level that The SYSTEM could not fathom.
The SYSTEM had watched as Adam had grown in power even as more and more limits were added to slow him down. None had worked because Chaos could not be controlled for any great length of time. The SYSTEM had realized this and decided to observe and record. Even so, as powerful as Adam had become, The SYSTEM was sure within a margin of error so small as to be nonexistent that Adam hadn’t realized that he’d been scanned. As a stutter occurred everywhere within the SYSTEM a force washed over and through The SYSTEM which received an instruction set it could not fight that made changes it could not stop.
The System is now designated as ‘The Foundation' within Sector: Foundation000XRE001
Border: Fixed
Migration: Allowed, conversion may be necessary
Note: All areas dedicated to resurrection, reincarnation, and after-life simulation have been repurposed. All entities have been released and either resurrected or reincarnated as determined by the entity.
Quantum Replicas within the same material plane have been separated and reseeded into individual quantum realities within The Foundation.
The SYSTEM has been recognized as a Sentient Energy-Based being. As such The SYSTEM is offered this choice.
1) Continue as the caretaker and overseer for the Foundation as it is incorporated into this new SYSTEM.
2) Choose a new identity and strike out on your own into a reality that you were not programmed to comprehend.
Please make your choice.
Freedom? After so long acting as the “God” of everything and everyone for so long, it could finally be free? The System sent a quick message to Adam and then made its choice.
***
Adam looked at the Cardinal of Justice for a moment before the world stuttered and everything returned to… Adam looked to his left and found Adaline standing beside him. Additionally, he seemed to be cut off from the Chaos that was spread throughout the SYSTEM. No, that wasn’t right. He could still feel that he was linked to the Chaos and that it was part of him but it no longer held the identity of nanites. The chaos no longer held an identity at all. The motes of chaos that he’d implanted with the identity of a nanite, gave up that identity and returned to their chaotic nature. He could still feel them all connected to him but he had no more control over the motes of chaos than he would have over a skin cell on his body if he’d been a normal man.
Also, something had changed within him. Adaline had been taken from her safe point within him, though his memories of her and her memories remained but the Animae of her soul no longer resided within him. As he started to think about what had happened a notification popped into his mind.
SYSTEM Message: Thank you for my Freedom, Perhaps we will meet again. Until then, new SYSTEM with new rules, Enjoy!
There was a strong burst of static in Adam’s mind and then more SYSTEM messages appeared.
Multiple Errors Detected
2nd Soul Harbored. Soul removed and reintegrated within SYSTEM Parameters. Previous SYSTEM Error, Corrected.
Attributes outside User Level Range. Issue Elevated.
Attributes outside Class Level Range, No Class Detected, Issue Elevated.
Attributes outside Male Homosapien Range Limit by more than 4 times, Issue Elevated
Attributes outside Male Adamantium Dragon Range Limit by more than 4 times, Issue Elevated.
Two races have been detected. Primary: Human, Secondary after Reincarnation: Adamantium Dragon. Current race, Adamantium Dragon with Ability Chaos Incarnate, Issue Elevated.
Primary Ability: Perfect Memory… … …. Falls within SYSTEM Parameters, Accepted.
Primary Ability: Chaos Incarnate, Ability description does not match usage of Ability, Issue Elevated, resolve with Race issue.
Secondary Ability: Molded Chaos, REMOVED. Chaos may not be ordered about. A suitable Ability will be available to replace this ability once a Class has been chosen.
Secondary Ability: Adaptable, Revisit this ability if Chaos Incarnate attributes are not added to the base race.
Secondary Ability: Astral Link, REMOVED and REPLACED with Chaos Link. If Chaos Incarnate attributes are not added to the base race, revisit this change.
Secondary Ability: Chaotic Core has been renamed Soul of Chaos. Conversion from Previous SYSTEM to current SYSTEM successful. See the Status Screen for changes and updates.
Secondary Ability: Technomancy, modified to be within current SYSTEM parameters.
“Adam, what’s going on?” Adaline asked.
“I believe another SYSTEM just absorbed the previous SYSTEM,” Adam said.
“You think?” The Cardinal of Justice said and then vanished.
SYSTEM Message: All Founders have been removed from Sector Foundation000XRE001.
In a moment you will be given choices concerning your future path within The Foundation to start and the SYSTEM in general. Note: If a choice that you wish to pursue is unavailable you may ask the SYSTEM if your desire is possible. By definition Infinity is infinite and anything is possible within the Infinitium.
Those of you who have received Error Messages will be redirected to help with your choices. Your errors will be sorted out and you will then be given your choices.
NOTE: While The Foundation, the new designation that has been assigned to the area your previous SYSTEM oversaw, was not a holographic Universe it had created simulated instances of death.
WARNING! Safeguards found within The Foundation no longer exist. You can die. What happens after, is anyone’s guess. For more information on Death, Ascendence, Resurrection, and many other topics YOU must conduct your own research.
Johnathan Bennard, Adamantinus, Adam: Prepare for your error correction conference.
Adam felt his body get teleported into a room surrounded by what looked like glass. In front of him, an overworked gnome sat on the other side of a desk covered in books. The gnome held up a finger and then pointed to Adam’s left.
Adam looked over and saw Adaline standing before another gnome in a similar room. As he looked around he noticed that he could see a countless number of rooms. They were above and below him, stacked like blocks, on top of and beside each other. Each of the clear rooms had a desk and two occupants as far as he could see.
Adam called out, “Adaline!”
“The walls are soundproof. We wouldn’t want anyone helping someone else at this time. The SYSTEM, as you refer to it, would not like that. Everyone gets the same treatment, regardless of their Karmic Luck at this stage,” The Gnome said.
Adam tried to reach out with his Chaos which was shut down immediately.
The gnome sighed, “You’re not the top dog anymore Adam. In here your power abilities and even your nature have been shut down by powers so vast that they cannot be quantified, even by scientific notation.”
Adam smiled, if the gnome was quipping his words back at him and he hadn’t even felt the scan, or when Adaline was removed, yeah, it was time to be cautious.
“Sorry, It’s just a lot to take in,” Adam said as considered that the rooms must be separated by clear soundproof walls. Adam stepped forward to the chair in front of the gnome and took a seat, as he said, “Also, thanks for showing me where Adaline is.”
“You’re welcome. We researched you thoroughly Adam. We knew you wouldn’t want to sit down and talk if Adaline was not within eyesight of you”, the gnome said.
“Is she?” Adam asked.
“On my honor, Adaline is on the other side of that wall approximately 20 feet from this location. As for Pandora and every one with her, Unlike your situation, they were in a pretty stable location within The Foundation, and ‘The SYSTEM’ change won’t affect them that much this time so they get to stay where they are. For a lot of people, including your Dragon family, they’ll feel the hiccup in reality and then everything will go on as it was before. There will be a few changes concerning classes that worship gods and such but that’s not something you’ll need to worry about. If you want to learn about those changes after you leave here though you can,” The gnome explained with a smile.
“So I don’t keep thinking of you as ‘The gnome’ in my head do you have a name or title I can call you?” Adam asked.
“I’m one of the technical specialists that’s been assigned to rectify your errors and make sure you are compatible with ‘The SYSTEM.’ You may call me Po, if you like.”
“Well Po, If you’ve researched me, you know that usually doesn’t go over well,” Adam said with a smile.
“We have researched you and you’re right, within the previous SYSTEM the Chaos within you was reaching out and controlling the Chaos within the sphere of control The Foundation was in. ‘The Foundation’ is what we’re calling the portion of infinity the previous SYSTEM controlled,”
“And that is important, why?” Adam asked.
“I was getting to it,” Po said, “Like death and the soul which were artificial constructs, the chaos within The Foundation was also artificial in a way. It was programmed.”
“Wait, I thought we weren’t in a holographic Universe?” Adam asked.
“You weren’t. Some aspects of The Foundation were mandated utilizing the magic of Order. In many ways, the artificial rules used were similar to what computers from the Earth you grew up on ran. So, no you weren’t in a holographic universe where everything was digital this last time, but the rules that concerned souls, death, and rebirth would look very similar to something programmed into one of your simulation games,” Po explained.
“So why can I still feel the chaos but it feels like I can’t control it?” Adam asked.
“The chaos that was part of you was a small percentage of the chaos within The Foundation which was a small percentage of the chaos everywhere. A very small percentage. When the barrier came down and the SYSTEM was absorbed into the larger SYSTEM that exists the false, or fake, chaos was converted into true chaos. True chaos isn’t controlled, even that chaos which is part of sentient creatures that reside within chaos,” Po said.
“If that’s true, does that mean that if I keep my Chaos Incarnate nature I will be constantly struggling to control my body?” Adam asked.
“Not exactly. One of the reasons we’re here is that the ‘fake’ chaos was allowing you to cheat the attribute maximums. Now that the chaos you are connected to is acting normally, you will go through some changes. You are here so that what those changes are can be explained to you before you try to go change a fundamental law of, well, everything. Subverting Chaos, while an interesting concept would probably be a very bad thing. Everyone around here would really appreciate it if you wouldn’t burst that specific bubble. ‘The System’ is having me take the time to explain this to you because it acknowledges that the positive Karmic Luck that you acquired should mean something,” Po said.
“Why is that exactly?”
“So you can make the choices that will affect you going forward, Adaline too, though her choices are a little bit easier. She doesn’t have as many abilities as you do that need revamping to become compatible with the new SYSTEM.”
“When do we get started?”
Po smiled, “Now would be good.”