Jeremiah was sitting on the ground under a beautiful star-filled sky next to a pristine mountain lake. The cool mountain air was invigorating. It was the type of place he would have found truly peaceful if the world hadn’t gone entirely insane, and there wasn’t a strange blue man standing over him interrogating him.
“So, what happened here?” the blue man asked again, looking down at the young man sitting in the grass, a crude sledgehammer on the ground next to him.
Jeremiah shook his head and stared back in disbelief. “I don’t have any idea,” he finally said. “One minute, I’m running for my life from some psychopath militiamen, the next minute, I’m being chased by a super-sized gorilla with a flaming lion’s head. And now, some short blue dude is giving me the third degree.”
The blue man huffed, looking truly offended. “I will have you know I am above average height for my race!”
Jeremiah couldn’t help but chuckle.
I might as well go along with it and have some fun.
“Okay, an above-average height, but still very blue, man is interrogating me,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Not a whole lot different.”
The blue man stood there, a thoughtful look on his face. Jeremiah could see his lips moving but couldn’t hear anything he was saying, if he was saying anything at all. It appeared that he was having a conversation with himself. Finally, the man nodded and turned his attention back to Jeremiah and smiled in a way that didn’t exactly put the young man at ease.
“Let’s start from the beginning,” the blue man said. “My name is Regu, and you and I have found ourselves in a unique position. One that I believe will bring us both fame and fortune.”
Jeremiah studied the blue man for a moment. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of fame and fortune, but there was still something basic that he needed to know.
“What the hell is going on here?!”
Regu nodded enthusiastically. “That is a logical question for someone who apparently missed orientation. Let’s get you up to speed."
Jeremiah nodded his assent, and before he could say anything, the supposedly above-average height blue man began reciting words he’d clearly said many times before.
“Your planet is the newest world to join the Integrated Universe. Having reached the requisite level of evolutionary advancement, you were chosen to reap the benefits offered by citizenship in the Integrated Universe.
“As a welcome gift, you have been healed of all disease and age-related maladies. You will no longer be vulnerable to disease or aging. Do not worry; you will still grow as your species intended until you reach optimal age, so if you have not yet reached adulthood, you will age until you do so.
“You have also been given access to the Integrated Universe system of personal enhancement. This includes numerous physical and mental enhancements plus an interface system that will allow you to control every aspect of your new body, mind, and soul. Part of this system is the common Integrated Universe language, which allows you to communicate freely with any other citizen. There will be no language barrier to get in the way of open communication.
“In order to ensure equal access to these amazing benefits to all people, much of your current technology had to be eradicated. Do not worry. You will soon receive access to superior technologies, and by the time the integration process is complete, you will have access to the same technology that the rest of the Integrated Universe currently enjoys.”
“Alright, enough of the propaganda!” Jeremiah said when Regu paused, presumably preparing to move onto some other canned speech.
“Sorry. I used to give this speech to orientation classes for newly integrated worlds. I could go on for hours. Days, in fact.”
“Please don’t.”
It was all crazy. Pure, utter insanity. Except that it kind of all made sense to Jeremiah. He occasionally smoked joints with some really smart people who happened to work in the medical and technology fields. The idea of curing all disease and stopping the aging process was something that he had always believed was on mankind’s horizon. The fact that some advanced alien species had perfected it and had forced it upon the citizens of Earth didn’t seem all that far-fetched.
It actually sounded like a pretty good deal. Except for one really big problem.
“What good is never aging and being free from disease if giant gorilla-apes roam around looking to eat all of us disease-free humans?”
“To start with, you weren’t supposed to be here,” Regu said. “And they aren’t any different than the predators that roamed your planet before. Sure, the Lionape is bigger and stronger, but so are you. Relatively speaking, you should always be as strong or stronger than any beast you ever face.”
“Not supposed to be here?!” Jeremiah asked incredulously.
“Exactly. This area was clearly designated as Category 3.”
“How the hell was I supposed to know that?”
“It was on the map shared with your planetary leadership when they were informed of the coming integration fifty cycles ago.” The blue man looked thoughtful for a moment then added, “That would be roughly sixty years ago. The records state that the leader of the free world, one John F. Kennedy, met with the delegation from the Integrated Universe and agreed to the implementation plan on the morning of November 22, 1963.”
Jeremiah was dumbfounded. First, the idea that the President of the United States would agree to this integration seemed a bit dubious. “So, he actually agreed to this?”
Regu shrugged. “Well, agreed to might be a bit strong,” he admitted. “I am confident he was at least informed. The fact that he didn’t share that information with the rest of the planet is on him.”
“That’s a valid point, I guess.”
Freaking worthless politicians, Jeremiah thought, not surprised at all that they would cover up something of this magnitude. They were probably all sitting somewhere safe drinking margaritas on the beach right now.
Then it hit him. That date was significant. That date was tied to one of the most tragic events of the last century. He had been to the museum on a family vacation to Texas and learned all about that specific date and its significance in U.S. history.
And it explained why the rest of the world was never informed of the coming integration.
Jeremiah could only shake his head. Of all the dumb luck his planet could have.
“That was the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated,” he said. “If he was the only one told, that information apparently died with him.”
“Oh,” Regu said, the look on his face clearly showing he realized the magnitude of the mistake that had been made.
“There should have been a second notification to planetary leadership ten cycles before integration,” the blue man added, “but that doesn’t always happen. The IU communications department is notoriously incompetent. It’s full of kids of the higher-ups who have never worked a day in their lives.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Jeremiah could only shake his head and chuckle sadly. Many people had speculated that the world would have been a very different place if the events of that fateful day had not happened. He could now say that things would have definitely been very different.
Well, probably. Jeremiah still didn’t trust politicians.
“Alright, so how does all of this affect me?” he asked the blue man. “You can tell me all of the minute details later. I’m talking more big picture.”
Before Regu could answer, another thought struck Jeremiah. “And why the hell are you here? You mentioned an orientation class, but this doesn’t seem like an orientation class to me.”
The blue man looked at him, a very stern expression on his face. “I am here because you are literally the most powerful human being on this newly integrated planet.”
Jeremiah laughed out loud. It was the most absurd thing he had ever heard, but when he looked at Regu, he could find no signs of mirth on his blue face.
“You mentioned being chased by a monster. Tell me what happened. I assume you killed it somehow.”
Jeremiah quickly told him everything that had happened since waking up. By the time he finished telling about the beast sinking into the depths of the lake, the man was pacing back and forth muttering to himself.
“So, you’re not some sort of weapons expert or master fighter?”
“Not hardly,” Jeremiah scoffed.
“And the Lionape just fell in the water and drowned?”
“Pretty much.”
“Ughh!” Regu shook his head. “Nonetheless, you were given credit for slaying the beast, which gave you enough experience points to advance all the way to Level 10, thus earning the title of Elite.”
The blue man rubbed his forehead in consternation. “Unfortunately, you appear to have literally no usable skills and no weapons or armor of any kind.”
“Hey, that’s not very nice.” Jeremiah had just been starting to warm up to the strange man before that.
Regu blew out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah. Tell me about it. This was supposed to be my crowning achievement. Instead, I’m stuck with the first Elite in history to make Level 10 without killing a single monster or gaining even a single item, magical or not.”
“I didn’t understand a single thing you just said.”
The blue man turned away from Jeremiah and took a couple steps toward the lake. His fists were clenched at his sides. After a moment, he seemed to compose himself, and he turned back to the young man he’d just declared the most powerful human being on planet Earth.
Regu exhaled forcefully again before speaking, this time in a more congenial tone. “Alright. I think it’s safe to say that neither one of us is exactly where we wanted to be. There’s nothing we can do about that but move forward.” The blue man reached out a hand to Jeremiah and pulled him to his feet. “My name is Regu Rach’tha, and I am here to make you a King.”
“Well, my name is Jeremiah McIntyre, and I was here to pilfer an ounce of weed.”
Both men laughed for a good bit before Regu spoke again.
“Alright,” the blue man finally said. “The rest of the planet is stuck in new integration orientation for the next week. They will learn everything there is to know about the Integrated Universe and will even gain a level or two.”
Regu looked Jeremiah in the eyes and assured him, “It’s almost entirely worthless information. I will teach you what you need to know, when you need to know it. As far as the levels, you’ve already made it to Level 10, and by the time everyone else finishes orientation, you will have earned even more.”
Jeremiah nodded. “Okay. That sounds like a good plan, I guess. But what are these levels? And what do you mean, I am Elite?”
“Levels are essentially a measurement of power,” Regu said. “The higher your level, the more power you have. Reaching Level 10 is significant because it allows you to choose your first Pillar of Power and thus allows you to join a guild and earn a profession. Being one of the first one hundred people to reach Level 10 earns you the title of Elite and all of the benefits that go along with that. Like having a Trainer.”
“It kinda sounds like a video game,” Jeremiah said.
“Games are one method Integration Engineers use to train people on planets scheduled for integration. There is an entire day during orientation dedicated to making the connection between games and the Personal Enhancement System.”
Regu clapped his hands together, a smile on his face. “Speaking of the Personal Enhancement System, let’s look at your personal interface.”
The blue man spent a few minutes teaching Jeremiah how to use the system, and since he had seen messages before, he wasn’t nearly as freaked out when the first holographic display popped up in front of his face. It really was easy to use.
“They really spend an entire day teaching people how to use this?”
Regu nodded. “Yeah. There are thousands of newly integrated people for each Orientation Trainer, and each of them must be taught every single concept before the trainer can move on to the next topic. It can be quite an ordeal.”
I can relate to that. Jeremiah thought about all the hours spent at the community center trying to teach kids—and adults—basic wilderness survival skills. There was always one person who couldn’t seem to understand even the simplest of concepts. He could see how trying to teach thousands of people anything would take forever.
He was immensely grateful that he didn’t have to go through the orientation process as he called up his personal stats.
>
>
> Name: Jeremiah McIntyre
>
> Level: 10
>
> Profession: Elite
>
> Health: 190 / 190
>
> Mana: 210 / 210
>
> Stamina: 210 / 210
>
> Agility: 12
>
> Charisma: 12
>
> Durability: 9
>
> Intelligence: 11
>
> Strength: 9
>
> Vitality: 11
>
> Wisdom: 8
>
>
>
> Titles Earned:
>
>
> * Monster Tamer
>
> * Giant Slayer
>
> * Premier Elite
>
>
>
> You have 50 free stat points to allocate. You must allocate them within 24 hours, or they will be randomly assigned for you.
>
>
>
> You have earned the title of Premier Elite and have been awarded an additional 10 stat points.
>
>
>
> You have 10 skill points to use. You must use them within 24 hours, or they will be randomly assigned for you.
>
>
>
> You have earned the title of Premier Elite and have been awarded an additional 2 skill points.
>
>
>
> You have reached Level 10 and may choose a Pillar of Power.
>
>
>
> You have earned the title of Elite and may choose a bonus Pillar of Power.
>
>
“So, are these stats any good?” Jeremiah asked.
Regu’s eyes seemed to gloss over for a moment as if he was studying something only he could see before he answered. “They are a bit unusual because of the way you advanced, but overall, they are about what I’d expect,” he said. “The average starting point is ten for each attribute. Sometimes, a species will have a higher or lower starting point for one or more stats. From there, each individual can be a few points higher or lower on the individual stats. Health, Mana, and Stamina are all based on level with modifiers based on Durability, Intelligence, and Vitality, respectively.”
Jeremiah looked at his stats again and had to agree they made sense. He wasn’t an overly strong man, but he was pretty fast and agile. He was happy to see his intelligence was above the average of ten, and had to grudgingly admit that the low wisdom was accurate based on all the trouble he seemed to get into.
“So, what about all these extra points and stuff?”
Regu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That’s a good question. Normally, you would have used most of the stat points and skills already, and you would be heading down a specific path, be it Warrior, Mage, or whatever. Unless you really messed things up, we would just go with the direction you were already headed.”
The blue man rubbed his hands together as a broad smile spread over his face. “Given your unique situation, we have an opportunity to make sure all of your stats and skills work together from the very beginning. We can make sure there is absolutely no waste.”
Jeremiah couldn’t help but get excited. He didn’t fully understand how this whole Personal Enhancement System worked, but he felt like sixty stat points and twelve skill points were a lot. He had never before felt like he truly had power over his own life. Now he did.
“So where do we start?” he asked excitedly.
Regu stepped toward him and slapped him on the arm. “You start by going for a swim,” he said. “We need to see what kind of loot you get from that Lionape. It’s possible there’s something that will help us craft the perfect you.”
Jeremiah’s shoulders slumped. “Really? I don’t get to do anything with all my points right now?”
The blue man cocked his head to the side and looked at Jeremiah thoughtfully. “Well, I suppose we can use some of them. Regardless of what other choices we make, I’m confident you will be adding a lot of points to Strength, Durability, and Vitality. Strength will increase your damage in battle while Durability and Vitality will increase your Health and Stamina.
Regu spent a few minutes showing him how to allocate his points, and then Jeremiah added ten points each to Strength, Durability, and Vitality.
A tingling sensation started in his chest and spread throughout his body. It felt like he was being electrocuted, but it wasn’t painful. His whole body just . . . tingled. Jeremiah could feel the power in the sensation spreading through every muscle in his body.
Jeremiah moved his arms and hands experimentally as the sensation faded. He could sense the power in his arms and knew he was significantly stronger than he had ever been before.
“Congratulations,” Regu said. “You are now the toughest and strongest human to have ever lived on this planet.”
“World’s strongest man,” Jeremiah said. “I like the sound of that!”
He had a near uncontrollable urge to pick up a boulder and carry it across the beach.