I woke up the next morning and saw that is was Saturday. When I went to the living room, I found a plate of fried egg is ready on the table. Beside is a piece of paper. I took it up and read it.
“Hello Innight. We decided to go over to the Elemental Realms today to practice our magic spells. We are sorry that we could not cook your lunch and dinner, so you have to do something about that yourself. Please do not blow up the house while we are gone, ok?”
Alright, if they are out, I can then take a look around the house properly to see if Miku is in this house or not. Knowing how I usually act, I can only hide her in these few places, either the house itself, or in school, since those are the only place I go as spent all my free time reading or gaming.
I wandered around the house and into the rooms of my wives, which I have never went into because I respect their privacy. I looked around to see if there is any buttons or triggers or any kind. I crammed into every nook and cranny I can find, but nothing turned out. I even pressed everything that may looks like a button being camouflaged within, but there is nothing.
“I’m getting really bothered. Probably it’s in school?”
Then I looked at the watch. It’s 1 pm now, I follow a strict schedule on my food consumption. I’m already late by an hour for lunch. I looked in the cabinets of the kitchen, searching for instant noodles.
“Found one. Eh… Chicken soup flavoured? I guess I don’t have an option to be picky here. Whatever, just take whatever I can get.”
I filled the pot with water and set it on the stove, waiting for it to boil.
That is when I realized that there is a string of words at the bottom of the pot, slightly distorted by the water, but still readable. That must be a message the previous Innight trying to send me. I wonder how is he able to do that? Normally two Timelines are disconnected from each other unless there is a wormhole that temporarily connects the two separate Timelines together. An action on one of the Timelines is independent of the result of the other Timelines. So how did he managed to cause a change in my Timeline when he is existing in another Timeline altogether? That would be a mystery for later. Right now, the most important mystery is to solve about why he actually sent me into this Timeline. I stared at the line of words, trying to read them.
Then I found out something peculiar. The words are written not in Rune nor English, which anyone would be able to read. They are written in Void language. That is language only us, the Creatures of The Void, are able to read. As far as I know, Creatures of The Void have never left the Plane of Void, so none of them would be able to read this message. What a clever way of encoding the message so that others will not be able to read it. I begin reading the message.
“Miku is brought by our parents when we are younger. She was hidden away in the garage and was deactivated. I reactivated her when I entered high school and entered the relevant information into her. She is still in her original module when I deactivated her before I travelled into this Timeline so she is much easier to find.”
Then the water boiled and covered the words, I lowered the flame intensity to continue viewing the words, but they were gone. I guessed the previous Innight does not want anyone else to view the message so the message is only there temporarily. Well whatever.
I slide the noodles into the pot and stirred them until it softens. Then I went to get a bowl. I couldn’t find any ceramic bowls, so I used my suit to create a bowl out of its material, whatever material the suit is made from. I gulped down the bowl of noodles in minutes, and washed it together with the pot. While I am doing so, I thought of something.
“Can’t he just communicate with me using the book? No one else has access to it and I’m keeping a close eye on it.”
Then I thought, there is a chance that the point of Timeline connection, which is the book itself, will lead to further anomalies if exposed to the environment. That might cause more problems later down the road so it will be better to keep that secretive.
After I washed everything, I continued the search for Miku. She must be hidden away in some secret compartment, if I know how the previous Innight is making all these puzzles to be. I wipe out a metal detector from the suit and dragged it all around the house as I search for the Miku.
She should be metallic, since technology can’t be so advanced to create a Vocaloid with complete with human flesh and everything else, right?
I wasted the whole evening and found nothing, I can say that I am, at the very least, annoyed. I did manged to find a lead though, after wasting over 5 or 6 hours of sneaking around. I found a small, cubic, blue metal box, presumably iron, as some of the paint has flaked away. It was hidden behind a false wall. Inside is a piece of paper folded neatly to fit into the box. I unfolded the paper and it was an instruction manual of the Vocaloid 01, the code name for Hatsune Miku.
I can’t be bothered to read everything but I found a line of words scribbled at the very bottom of the instruction manual. It says “Vocaloid=human. Age=User. Place=Shapeshifted. Object= Void. Key=Finger”
That makes absolutely no sense to me, but whatever it is, it’s a clue. I will try to analyse it since I don’t have any other clue now.
“Let’s see. The first equation, Vocaloid=human.” This must be talking about Miku herself. So, this equation means that she is human.
Wait.
“How can this be? Has technology really advanced so far? Am I really living under a rock all this while? Has technology advanced so far that they can create a living human with the figure customized to their wants?”
I’m such a moron. Argh. Next!
“Age=User.” Now this is slightly trickier. This can mean two things, either the age of the Vocaloid is equal to the user, or the age of the Vocaloid is equal to the taste of the user.
Wait.
“This has absolutely nothing that helps me in determining where Miku is, why am I trying to decipher useless information? Next!”
“Place=Shapeshifted.”
This will be a simple one. This means the location (I think?) of Miku. Her location is Shapeshifted. This probably her body is shapeshifted into something else, through the power of Science, probably, since the previous Innight couldn’t use magic.
That caused me to think about something else, how did Miku interact with the wives back when she is active? The previous Innight said that in his dairy that Miku had previously interacted with the other wives, then what has caused him to shut down Miku instead of leaving it on?
Goodness, just by thinking these more questions pops up, faster than I can solve them. I’m supposed to find solutions to questions, not create more of them which I might never be able to find an answer to!
The next clue is slightly harder to solve. Object=Void. Now what could this mean? It means that Miku has relation to the Void. So, she is trapped in The Void? Then how am I going to retrieve her then? Knowing him, he wouldn’t put the pieces of the puzzle in such a difficult position. So The Void… What is the closest thing related to The Void that is close to us? The first thing I can think of is Master, which is the most easily assessable object that is related to The Void. (Even though he belongs to the Darkness Elemental Plane, he is closely related to the Void Elemental Plane since Darkness is the closest element to The Void)
That can’t be. Also, he said that even Master couldn’t be trusted as well, so it makes absolutely no sense for one to imprint the solution to one of the puzzle onto someone you couldn’t trust at all. So, what else could The Void be related to? It cannot possibly be related to myself, even though I used to be, and I hope I still am, the Grand Ruler of The Void. It will also make no sense if the piece of the puzzle is sealed onto myself, since that ruins the fun of the puzzle altogether. (I think so?)
I thought further, what else is related to The Void? There is only so much The Void objects present in the world right now. I do not know if the Void Elemental Plane even exist in this world, so I would tick that off the list right now. Let’s see… The closest thing related to The Void in this house… An inanimate object is the closest I can think of to solving this clue now.
Then it finally hit me. There is actually one known object in the house that has relation to The Void. It is my ship, “Void Storm”. The material that it is made out of, Voidiance, and is mined, and extracted, from the depths of The Void, though in very minute quantities. It is the only object in the house, as far as I know, that has relation to The Void.
“That took quite a long time. Alright let me take a look at the last clue.”
Key=Finger. After clearing out that harder clue, this makes this last clue easier to understand. As far as I can think, this last clue means that my finger holds the key, so this probably means I need to use my fingerprint to unlock her from her prison.
“Alright. Now we have all the clues, it’s time to rescue my favourite girl.”
I returned the box to its’ original position and set off to the garage. I entered the ship and begin searching everywhere. As I have mentioned previously, the ship is like a laboratory itself in the inside, the ship’s inside is as large as a two storey house itself, despite it being as large as a truck on the outside. I eventually found a small line of Symbols written on side of the walls of the ship itself. Again, I can’t read Symbols. I should really look for a book on decoding once I school starts on Monday. Then I heard a whisper near my ears.
“Don’t understand? I can show you.”
After the whisper ended, the Symbols slowly are replaced by normal Runes. I quickly started reading them before they vanish.
“Konami Code.”
The Konami Code, hmm…… I have to input this code somewhere to reveal something. Where should I input it? The Central System in the Void Storm? It doesn’t hurt to try it.
I input the Konami Code into the Central System. All the lights suddenly were turned off, everything was deactivated except for the Central System. A mechanical arm shot out of the keyboard, on it was a fingerprint scanner, with a wire connecting between it and the Central System. This must be the key. I put my thumb on it and a red line scan over my thumbprint. The mechanical arm then retraced back into the System. The screen darkens and I wait for something to occur.
Everything turned back on and the screen blared up again. This time, something blur appears on the screen and some signal static covered the screen. The screen naturally adjusted itself and eventually shows something that I have always constantly loved with all my heart: the 01 Vocaloid, Hatsune Miku.
*Yawns* “It’s been forever since I last had the conscious of feeling anything at all. Master Innight, did you just awake me from my sleep?”
She appears to be trapped in the screen, merged together with the ship itself as one body.
“I did that indeed. Do you happen to have some information that I really require?”
“Slowly does it first, Master. I need to separate myself from this machine. Can you help me with the process?”
“Sure, my girl.”
“There is an instruction manual on how to do that. Can Master please look it up on how to perform that action?”
Instruction manual? I think that must be the piece of paper I found inside the blue metal box.
“Please give me a moment. I left it behind in the house itself. I will come back later.”
I teleported out of the ship and went to get the blue box again, then went back to the ship. When I was back into the ship, Miku is walking in circles inside the screen, humming something that I cannot hear.
“Ah Master, you are here! Please open up the instruction manual to page A-5. Inside there you will find how to transfer out data of the Vocaloid program and solidifying it into human form.”
I opened up the piece of paper and read from page A-5.
“This page contains instructions to transfer information from the Vocaloid program into a real-life object. Please ensure that you close all other programs to ensure that the transfer is occurred smoothly and without interruptions. Please backup all the Vocaloid data just in case anything goes wrong.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Well that is always the case for all other installations and uninstallations of any programs. I continued reading.
“To begin transfer of data, please open up the Vocaloid program first. Please select the voice of your Vocaloid character, and the tuning of her voice.”
I opened up the Vocaloid program on the Central System. I was almost immediately overwhelmed by the number of clickables and buttons everywhere. I become stunned for a moment. Then Miku pops up from the taskbar and stood on it.
“Ehm… Miku, do you have any idea on how to operate this Vocaloid program? I’m totally new to this.”
“Ah of course. First you click on the toolbar on the program and select “Sound”, then click on “Tuning”. From there a window will appear, then you can tune my voice in that window. I personally recommend the Normal pitch, in other words, the default state. You don’t have to meddle and tune my pitch, sound and voice. You only need to click the button “Default” then it will automatically tune everything to the Default state.”
“I see. That will be simple. I don’t really understand about fine tuning instruments since I’m not a professional musician. This will simply my job by manifold.”
I followed Miku’s instructions and the various seekbar adjusted themselves to various positions. I don’t understand what they mean but it is not important now. I then closed the window and saved the program. Then I read the instruction manual again.
“After tuning the Vocaloid voice to the desired pitch, connect your computer to a Actualizer.”
Actualizer? What is that?
“Miku, do you know what is a Actualizer?”
Miku stopped dancing and singing on the Central System. She turned and looked at me.
“Acutalizer? This computer doesn’t need that. It already has the function of an Actualizer. Just follow the next step.”
“Open up the toolbar and select “Transformation”. A window should appear. From there, select “Data Solidification”. Please allow up to 45 minutes for the transfer and solidifying of data.
I followed the instructions and a window with a loading bar appeared. It gave an estimation of half an hour before the information is solidified. I definitely can’t be sitting here and looking at how slow the loading bar fills itself up. I will rather do anything but to waste my time away like this.
“Miku, I will leave the System here to do its job. When you are out of the Central System, come look for me in my room, understood?”
“Ok!”
“Don’t touch anything in the ship ok?’
“Understood!”
I left the ship and went back to my bedroom. I opened up the book on Timelines again to see if the pervious Innight updated the book on new information. When I flipped opened to the page where it is empty, an envelope is waiting for me inside. I took it out of the book and closed it, then sliding the book back onto my bookshelf.
I slit open the envelope, and inside I find traces of white powder.
What does this mean? Does this white powder even mean anything at all? If the previous Innight is sending me this it means that it definitely has an important clue behind it.
But white powder? What kind of clue is this? Does it even mean anything? I know that it may mean something, but I am unsure of my Chemistry knowledge. Mind, I scored very badly for Chemistry in my last year of high school, despite me being well-versed with most chemical compounds. I need to be able to analyse this white powder, which could be anything raging from chemical salts, oxides, hydroxides, to complex chemicals like DNA or even a powdered form of virus. I’m not sure do I even have the necessary equipment to analyse this powder. I should visit my laboratory to see if I have the machinery to do that.
I clicked on the hidden button on my bed to open up the pathway to the laboratory, then I went down the stairs and into the laboratory. I then checked with the various machines in my laboratory, from the labels that is stuck on them, I can roughly figure out what each machine does. I managed to find one machine labelled as “Decomposer”. I think I can use this to decompose the powder, whatever it is, into respective atoms or ions so I can find something useful from it. It also has a computer connected to it so I can use it to analyse what is the atoms or ions that makes up this white powder. If it is going to be a virus then it will be decomposed into basic molecules, that will make it non-viral.
I opened up the slot and poured a little of the white powder into the slot and pushed it back into the machine. I clicked on the on button but nothing went on, I decided to check the computer instead. I then open up the only program on the computer attached to the machine with various wires. I don’t have the slightest idea on how to operate the machine, but I can guess how by reading the help in the program.
According to it, I need to turn on the machine first, insert the compound to be decomposed into the machine and then activate the machine using this program. I fiddled around the toolbar of the program and found a “Start” button. I clicked on that. Whirring sound comes from the machine and I can feel heat radiating from it. It is perhaps supplying energy into the compound to break it down.
I observe the graph on the program, there is only one linear line appearing on the graph. This means so far, the compound has not yet been decomposed. I decide to give it more time for the machine to work. I turn on the main computer in the laboratory to further try to figure out more mystery of this world and know more about why the previous Innight sent me here.
Before I could do anything, I heard a creaking sound coming from the stairways. Someone is coming down my laboratory. Who could it be? No one knows about this passageway other than me, and according to the diary my wives definitely have no idea about the existence of this laboratory. I have to hide myself in case that it may be an enemy, however small the possibility of that is going to be. I activate the invisibility shield.
Then a familiar sound came from the stairway.
“Master Innight, are you in the laboratory? I have finished transferring from the Central System.”
It is only Miku. I let out a sigh of relief and disabled the invisibility shield. I replied back at her.
“Yes, I’m here. Come down quickly. I have many questions to ask you.”
I wait for the footsteps to become louder and closer, then she appeared at the stairway.
“Master, I left the ship as it is, is that alright for you?”
“I will overlook that for now, I have more important things to deal with first. Miku, do you have any knowledge about the Symbols alphabets?”
“Eh, didn’t you already know that?”
“Do you have any idea what the previous myself have done?”
“What are you talking about, Master?”
This is hopeless. It appears that the previous Innight has not told Miku about his plan to swap position with myself before shutting her down. This is going to be more of a challenge than it already is.
“So, you have no idea what actually you are supposed to do?”
“I’m your closest wife, that is what I am. I’m supposed to help you out in experiments that the others will not risk their life to. I support you in ways that the others are unable to, and to rekindle the last flame of hope that you have before you are swallowed by hopelessness completely.”
“Miku, I need to break it to you now. This is something important so I need you to listen closely.”
“Yes?”
“Miku, I…”
A loud crashing noise, followed by loud blasting of sirens came from above the laboratory. Someone must have broken into the house and tripped over an alarm trigger. I know about this because I set up this system in the previous world using magic before. In this world, the system should be still in place, but the difference is probably that here the system is more technology based since the previous Innight is unable to use and cast magic.
I rushed up the stairway and towards the source of the alarm, which is in the living room. Miku followed right behind me. When I reached the living room, I found someone, in a dark brown robe with a hood, crumbled in a heap in a rune circle.
I moved my hand forward to the person in the hood but before I could do anything, the person stood up, casted a spell and the ground swallowed him. I did not manage to get anything useful out from the invader.
Come to think of it, I have never heard of break-ins in my neighbourhood. Our security around this region is considerably high, so there should be no chance that anyone will break into our house. We were all underground when the person broke in, so it makes sense about the timing.
Then I remembered I was about to tell Miku something before we got interrupted.
“Miku.”
“Yes?”
“I need to tell you about something important. Let’s go to the lab so that we will not be interrupted. It is also safer to not anyone hear the truth.”
“Why are you so paranoid Master?”
“I just feel something is just off. I feel there is something going in the background without me knowing anything about it. I feel that I can’t trust anyone at all but you since I was instructed that you are the only one to be trusted in this world.”
“How can you say that Master? Everyone is nice in this world!”
“Maybe in the other Timeline that may be true, but this is not the case in this particular Timeline. Somehow, everyone is trying to kill me and I don’t have the reason as to why. This is what I’m instructed to find out now. Miku, you need to know about this, I am NOT the Innight that you are familiar with. I am another Innight summoned from another Timeline to take up his place in this Timeline to achieve something, which I have no idea what it is. From what I have gathered, you withhold essential information that I am currently lacking in this department. Miku, I need you to tell me absolutely everything, everything you know about this world. It may solve some mystery that is surrounding in this world itself, and hopefully prepares myself for whatever that is to come.”
“Ah…. That.”
Miku suddenly become silent for a long period of time.
“Error retrieving data bank. Please insert data bank 1, 3 and 10.”
She must be going through her memory database to retrieve specific memory to answer my questions. I really hoped that she holds the answer to many of my questions in this world itself, and by giving me those answers I can be able to do what the previous Innight summoned me here to do. Also, if I have enough information, I may be able to find a way for me to return back to my own Timeline.
Sadly, that isn’t going to happen. Yet. Apparently, some pieces of her data bank are missing. My guess is the previous Innight hide away all the data banks to prevent others from accessing this important information. According to his diary, he said “They”, means that there is a group of people hunting me down. He must have done this to prevent this group knowing that they transferred me over into this Timeline. I need to recover them out as soon as possible to figure out more of the mystery behind this world. Knowing how the previous Innight is, he will lock it behind several puzzles. I guess I will have to solve them first before I can get into finding more details.
“Detection Timeout.”
Then Miku raises her head again.
“Sorry Master. I appear to not have those associated memories within myself. You will have to find those associated data bank to activate the memories stored within the data bank. I’m sorry that I cannot grant you the precious information that I was instructed to pass on to Master.”
“It’s ok Miku. I understand. It is probably the previous Innight who removed those data banks and hid them away in some strange places. I can perhaps understand why he did that though. First thing first, however, Miku, do you have any information about this world that I need to know? I have some basic knowledge how this world functions, but I may have not known about certain properties in this world. I need to fit into this world as much as possible to prevent any complications while I try to figure out why the previous Innight sent me here.”
“Master, you need to know about the System that this world is built on, and the history of it.”
“Fine. Not now though, I want to update all of this happenings in my diary. This way I cannot lose track of my progress. My next goal is to figure out where he has hidden the data bank. Knowing him, he would have lock it behind several puzzles to prevent “Them”, whoever those people are, to figure out his plan. Now then, Miku, I need you to stay hidden somewhere. If the others came back and ask me about why did I reactivate you, there will be many complications. I do not have a proper answer as to why did I reactivated you and I have no idea why did he deactivated you as well. Stay inside my ship, I don’t think they are allowed to touch it at all so you will be safe there.”
“As you say it Master!”
“Now then. It’s time for dinner. Shall I cook?”
“No Master, I shall do it.”
“What shall it be? Please don’t tell me you’re cooking instant noodles because I can cook that myself without any help.”
“It wouldn’t be that Master. Trust Miku!”
“Fine.”
“Now. Time, we haven’t seen your magic abilities before, can we have a glimpse of it?”
“Alright then. City of Devouring Time!”
A dark shadow stretched out from under Time and covered the entire room. Charlotte, Nicki and Luthriel crumbled onto the ground.
“What…What is this? What are you doing, Time?”
“This is my beginning magic, the City of Devouring Time. My magic is not as the same as most of yours are. My magic costs my time to be consumed as I use it, so I have to replenish it from an external source.”
“Can’t you drain it from somewhere else?”
“Since you all asked for it, I thought it will be nice to showcase it to you all.”
“*Sigh* Ok so it’s our fault. Can you show us something else?”
“Zafkiel, Zayin!”
Saying these, Time fired her gun at 3 of them in rapid succession. The 3 of them froze in time and unable to move. Time moved close to Charlotte, tapped the tip of her musket on Charlotte’s head.
“Well, well, well. Now I am in a dilemma. Shall I continue to showcase my real abilities to them and risk more problems down the road, or shall I create a clone of them and remove their real self from this Timeline?”
Time turned around. A smile crept up on her face.
“Ara ara. Finally came back to see me, haven’t you? How is the plan going?”
………..
“Of course. He still doesn’t have any idea. We have to do this slowly. We need to first gather enough Time first to activate The Gate. Our current method to accumulate and store Time is just too slow to carry out the plan quick enough.”
………….
“There is such a thing? Tell me more about it.”
………….
“Interesting…. We should go ahead to steal it, but first what do you think I should do with these people that may interfere with our grate plan?”
……………
“Very well. I shall go with your suggestion. Zafkiel, Yud Bet!”
“That was a nice meal Miku. I have no idea that you can cook very well.” I said this as I wash the dishes.
“All thanks to Master for creating me like this!”
“Looking at the time, they should be back now.”
“Innight, we are back!”
“Quick, Miku, hide!”
“Eh, why do I see song sheets on the table? What are you up to, Innight?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing!” I shouted from the kitchen, still washing the dishes.
“I don’t believe you! I’m coming over to your place!”
That sounds like Nicki.
The kitchen door flung open and in walk my wife. She looks at me before turning her attention to Miku.
“You reactivated Miku? So did you managed to figure out the fault in her system?”
“Yes. I spent the whole day figuring that out since I have nothing to do. It turns out she has…”
“Ok ok, I don’t need to know the technical details of it. Please make sure Miku doesn’t go into repair mode when you are not around again.”
“Roger that.”
I finished washing the dishes and went back to my room with Miku. I opened up the book about Timelines to the fresh new page, there is nothing written there. I lie on my bed and rolled to the side.
“Do you think that this world can once again regain peace, Master?”
“What do you mean by this, Miku? This Timeline is at peace now.”
“It is now, but there are evil presences lurking among this peaceful world. For now, it is hidden, but something tells me, their time to rule is about to come.”
“Don’t say such things. The combined effort of all the Grand Ruler of the Elemental Planes will keep this world at its current state. This is not likely to change anytime sooner.”
“Somehow I don’t feel that way Master. The mana is talking to me, and they sense imbalance in the flow of the mana network, for what reasons they are unable to tell me.”
“let’s talk about that tomorrow. Oh yeah, Miku, did the previous Innight take you to school?”
“I’m a Vocaloid, I don’t need school, but his Master permitted me from following him to school, so I guess you can bring me there.”
“That shall be the plan then. Yes. I need to sleep now, Miku, do you have another place to sleep or…”
“I always sleep with Master.”
“HUH?! But I have always slept alone! I don’t think I’m used to having someone in the same bed as I do!”
“Just try to get used to it. I’m not comfortable us I don’t have anyone near myself sleeping.”
“Al..…. Alright.”
Miku climbed onto my bed and lie beside me. I begin to sweat.
“This is not going to be an easy night, with a girl sleeping beside me…Must not think about it. Must not think about it……...”