The memories come back a lot quicker this time. I know where we are – in the car Nikki took – and that Stranger is with us. Other and the time-altering non-entity are a short drive away and we were waiting until the start of the next event, so we didn’t have to deal with having to regain our bearings in the middle of negotiation. I see Nikki blinking and viewing the surroundings.

“Welcome back,” Stranger says. “I assume I’m reading your expressions correctly.”

“Yeah,” Nikki says, “it’s the third event.”

“Are you ready to talk with Chronos?”

“That’s what we named it?” Nikki asks.

“Yes, you named it that. It was indifferent to what it was called.”

“We’ll talk to Chronos in a bit, but there’s some important stuff I need to say first.” Nikki turns to me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t discuss this with you earlier, but I couldn’t risk either James or Amelia hearing it. But I’ve had an idea for that failsafe, so I’m lying to both of them. More so Amy, who I’ve been talking to for a while now.”

“Talking …” I repeat quietly.

“You want to know if we were actually having sex?”

“No,” I shake my head. “Well yes, I want to know. But it’s not like I want to want to know, you know?”

“We were talking and just that.” Nikki looks at my eyes. “We make it sound like sex so no-one listens in on us.”

“So, you don’t like her?”

“Not … in that way. She’s attractive, so attractive, but being with her would be too much effort. She’s a good ally to have, though. She thinks James is too powerful with his illusion powers and doesn’t want to rely on him – well, what she actually wants is to get him out of the picture. But I’ll discuss that in a moment. The most important thing is that she believes the five seconds will be enough, without any time-altering. I don’t know why, but she’s certain it will be. Unless James can alter time that is; then he’ll have the advantage. If we stop him, she’ll obtain her ideal world, and take over everyone else’s world. Except for me, she claims. If it so happens that I get my world first, then I’ll leave her dominion over hers, and together we’ll rule them all.”

I re-run the sentences a few times before they respond. They weren’t having sex. Amelia mistrusts James, but thinks Nikki will help her. I see two glaring problems, though. “How does that stop James?”

“It doesn’t. We’ll be sending another non-entity to James to delay him.”

Stranger points out the second problem. “How can she be sure that it will work with you?”

“Well she doubts it. Our plans are an ‘if/then’ sort of thing, but it has no reason not to help us, right? This is for its survival too.”

“Not all non-entities reason like you do.”

“I’m aware, but we have nothing better at the moment. But anyway, the failsafe: I will send another non-entity to delay her, and the time-altering one will stay here to give us the advantage, so I can get my world first. I know this relies on a lot of co-operation, but surely there will be enough of you that some share our goals?”

“There have been more appearing here in the past two days. I believe you’ll be able to find some which will agree to your plan. Other would be willing, at least. I would too, but I’m not suited to such a plan.” Nikki then addresses me, “I’m sorry I kept this from you until now, but what do you think?”

“It’s not a very safe plan, but I can see it working. Just … how will your ideal world help?”

“It’s my ideal, right? Well my ideal is being able to have power over the other worlds. If I get a world with that power, and if I can use it before anyone else gets their ideal world, then we’ve won. It’s the exact same logic Amy was using when she told me about her ideal world being one that consumes others. I think the worlds respond very specifically to what we want so I think I’ll get something with a similar power.”

“But this is just the failsafe, right? We’ll help James and Amelia out once we’re sure they’re not a threat.”

“Yes,” Nikki says. “This is just in case they betray us. No-one will be hurt – their worlds will just become part of ours, and we’ll rule.” I’m pleased; this is the perfect ending.

“Does that conclude your plans?”

“It does,” Nikki says. “We’re ready to negotiate.” We drive forward. Even though Other and Chronos are less than 100 metres away it feels like it almost an hour before we get there – I’m informed this is a sign that Chronos is nervous. Eventually we get close enough and leave the car.

I say “Hi” to the pair of non-entities. Other greets me too, and Stranger tells us that Chronos has acknowledged our presence. I look to where Chronos is; it’s hard to notice them because they don’t have form in the same way Other and Stranger do. Instead I can see, at once, everything that happened in the location where they are. Not much has happened but seeing countless different positions for blades of grass, and a squirrel in all moments of its scampering, is disorientating.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Let’s start then,” Nikki says. “We need you to help us. All you have to do is make the time in this world faster than that in the others when we’re due to receive our ideal world. If we get that, then I’ll stop any potential threat to this word. Your survival will be guaranteed if we get our world first.”

We wait a few moments. “I’m finding it hard to decipher its feelings,” Stranger tell us. “It has a strong desire to survive, but doesn’t trust you.”

“What other choice does it have?”

“It doesn’t understand that sort of reasoning.”

Nikki groans under their breath. “This is going to be difficult.”

“Trust can grow,” I offer.

“That’s assuming it works like a human does,” Nikki adds. “But it might.” They look back at the car. “Well, I have nothing more to say. I think we should start collecting points again. Maybe we’ll come across something more co-operative.”

#

“Oh wow,” Nikki says at seeing the board filled completely with notes. “There’s a lot to do.”

“They’re all the same task,” I say.

Nikki reads one of the notes out loud, “Get rid of the damn non-entities”. They sigh. “We can’t meet our quota for James if we don’t deal with this.”

“We’re going to tell them about the non-entities anyway, right? We could bring this up.”

“He might decide it’s too big a risk—”

“Hello!” We all turn and face my brother waving at us and smiling. “I can’t stay for very long, but I need to address this matter personally. I really hate to interfere, but you’re attracting a lot of non-entities – many of them you can’t even see or interact with in any way, but if you accumulate too many this world will fall apart

and I can’t let that happen. Due to my negligence, I’d like to offer you all the chance to get points for removing them.” We back up as he approaches. “The wheel is in the usual place and the reward is tenfold larger than it was. I’d explain how to remove the non-entities myself, but it is very complicated and being imbued with the knowledge is easiest.”

“Is this really Jesus?” Nikki asks.

“This creature is a non-entity,” Stranger tells us. “That is all I know.”

“Then is it responsible for the notes?” Nikki asks.

“I don’t know. I assume so.”

“Then they’re fakes?”

“I assume so.”

Nikki nods. “Then it’s best if we ignore it.”

“If you ignore me,” the non-entity says, “I will have to do it myself.”

“Is it capable?”

“I don’t know.”

Nikki sighs. They look to the being that is like my brother.

“Nikki,” I ask, “do they look like you to you?”

“They do – which is why I still suspect they might be Jesus. They look like your brother to you?”

“Yes.”

“I am Jesus,” they say. “In the flesh. I’ll prove it.” And then the sun shines. The darkness is lifted from the world as if it was never there; we can see as far as we please and everything looks exactly as it does on a typical day in the real world – except for the lack of people. “As I said, I’m here because what you’re doing is putting yourselves and everyone else in danger.”

Nikki thinks for a moment. “I’ll turn the wheel if you tell us why we’re in this world together, when everyone else is alone.”

“I’ve already offered you a reward for turning the wheel! Why should I add to that?”

“Because it’ll make your job easier?”

“Oh fine,” they say. “This is a matter of urgency, but don’t ask for anything more. Let’s go to the wheel.” And so, we walk to the brewery, dread rising from my stomach, as the Jesus-non-entity whistles merrily. I look at Nikki, but they just focus solely on Jesus. Stranger says nothing, and Other feels very quiet. I don’t know where Chronos is or if they’re aware of what’s going on

Before we get very far, I notice something; I can see some of the nearby buildings and not see them at the same time. As in, I can see right past them, but they by no means look transparent. It’s just that they don’t exist, but I’m fully aware of them and could describe any detail if asked to do so. Similarly, I can describe any detail of what lies just past them. Jesus, who has been looking back at us quite often, sees me staring. They follow my gaze and their whistling stops. “We need to move faster; something very dangerous has appeared here.” The Jesus-non-entity runs, Nikki keeps up just about, and Stranger manages to stay with them easily. I fall behind very soon, but Other is kind enough to stay with me.

A short while later, they’re out of my sight. There’s no point running so I slow to a walk, but then a sound like an ominous waterfall fills my ears causing me to stall. My attention is directed towards the sidewalk immediately in front of me and I see that it also possesses that existing-non-existing property. And it’s spilling towards me. I turn and run back, but the ground there is also in this state. I don’t know if it truly is dangerous, but Other certainly thinks it is and so they direct my running to the right, through an alley, down some stairs, across someone’s garden, and onwards into another street which seems to be safe. I catch my breath for a moment – but only a moment because I feel Other’s concern for what’s behind us. Turning around, I see Chronos – or the effect Chronos has on the environment – growing stronger and weaker, wider, and smaller. I can see everything that has happened within a metre and moments later everything that has happened within twenty. They are distressed. The objects around are all in the paradoxical state; they are caught in the new non-entity’s sphere of influence and cannot leave.

I turn my head and body in search of anything that might help. At the same time, I want to keep running, to look for somewhere safer and wait until Nikki turns the handle and our world leaves this entity behind. But what of Stranger and Other and Chronos? As far sentient beings go, these are some of the kindest I’ve met, and they don’t deserve to die. But I can’t stop Jesus from making Nikki turn the handle. I can’t save the non-entities. I can’t do anything at all. And so, I won’t; I sit on the ground, just spectating as Chronos grows more distressed as whatever this new entity is tries to consume it. I watch its influence creeping up buildings and growing closer to me. My mind is washed with white noise from Other, who is despondent as I am, sad and helpless as I am. They sit behind me, so close my vision is almost completely darkened. I close my eyes. There’s not much point keeping them open.

Pin-pricks on my shoulders and over my chest, the faintest feeling of weight on my back, the white noise louder than ever. I realise what this is; a hug. Other, who can’t do anything to help the situation, just as I can’t, is doing all they can. And I’m just sitting here hoping for the end? How can I do that? I could have been the one to offer hugs. Before, I could have tried to save Chronos, even if it was futile. Winning life has never been possible; but I still tried. Nikki always tries, even when things seem pointless. Why should I stop trying now? I should try harder than ever. I stand up. I should try harder than ever because this is more important than anything that I’ve ever done before. I wallow in my thankfulness towards Other, and with my legs shaking, screaming down any thought that says give up, I charge towards Chronos. I don’t have a plan. A plan wouldn’t help because I know there’s nothing that I can do, but I can try to be close, to offer comfort. And if I die? Better than living in an eternity built on selfishness.