I never was one for dramatic displays of emotions, but the day the system messages appeared, you could say I was less than pleased. You see, I have been reading and writing in this sort of fantasy genre for over 50 years, and at the ripe old age of 87, Sitting in my hospital bed after a mild heart attack. Well, suffice to say I was less than pleased, don’t get me wrong, to say I was excited would be an understatement. But seriously!! The powers that be, decided that now of all times when I am at deaths door so to speak, to bring about one of my favorite literary fantasies. That’s the equivalent of being repetitively kick in the balls just after going through a vasectomy, while being told that the operation didn’t matter because you were sterile anyways, and always have been. While your wife and now questionable kids are in the other room laughing at you. Not that, that ever happened to me, but I’m sure it would suck just as much as this. Fuck you God, or Gods. You’re a dick.
Rant out of the way, onto one of the most fucked up things about this “Re-Integration day” as it has been come to be called. It all started with the Screen, and, yes; it was annoyingly blue, just like all the fictions said. Which of course leads back again God/Gods = Dick.
Greetings and Salutations!
We hope you have enjoyed these 250 thousand years of protection from the Vheil of Rhodes. The sacrifices made so that your race and civilization Could expand and thrive without the interference from the system were Legendary! We hope you have used this time wisely and that you as ancestors are ready to be re-integrated Into the System. These last 10 years should have been spent preparing yourselves and your world for the event.
As you well know, since none born were a part of the system at the time of conception, there will be a good amount of pain involved in the re-integration process. But of-course by now most should be prepared and services should be shut down while you are spending these last days in meditation and contemplation!
Additionally, we do hope you adhered to the recommendation not to have children under the age of 10 at this time, as the chances of them surviving the coming pain is less than 1 in 10000
Prepare yourselves, the re-integration process will start in [0:58:77}
All I could say after reading that message was a big FUCK you to our ancestors. I don’t know when or who or how, but somewhere along the line someone fucked us, big time. 1 hour, that’s all the notice and preparation the world of 7 billion people had to get everything grounded and shutdown. In other words, they didn’t all make it. I’m not sure what all happened as I was still bed ridden, but I could hear the screams and panic from the hallways of the hospitals.
I would later hear that all flight traffic was grounded, and flights in progress were routed to the nearest airport, they say the planes were coming in to the larger airport in 100 yard separations, but it wasn’t enough. Flights still over the oceans, were set on auto-pilot, in hopes they could weather out the process and have time to recover enough to land afterwards. Power stations were set to automatic and all safety checks were rushed, there were mistakes made. Defense systems were put under automated control, attached to Googles Deep Mind AI.
It’s a good thing to, it seemed that North Korea put in place an automate launch sequence of all its nuclear missiles to launch while the population of the world would be incapacitated. Guess they figured we would never allow a computer to control our nuclear arsenal. Must have sucked to be them, I hear the entire country is the largest glass export of the Asian continent now. But that’s enough of that. Back to my story.
I would like to say, I did something smart like, called a nurse and have her up the pain medication, but no. I was a United States Marine, and if you think a sailor has can string together some swear words and phrases, you have not heard anything until you get a crusty marine all riled up. I spent my hour ranting and raving spewing every vile phrase I could come up with, cursing our ancestors, the system, gods or gods, daemons and devils. It was Glorious, a riotous hour of wrath and wroth, then the clock hit 00:00:00, and the pain began.
Integration commencing, deploying etherical receptors
Commencing with Genetic grafting and alterations to genomes.
Starting Re-incarnation subroutines.
Locking Sea of Souls for pre…
That’s when my heart gave out and I died. What happened next, I can only surmise, as the only sense I had was of movement, there was a very fast acceleration, an abrupt stop, then a suction force pulling me back down, then darkness, and pain.
When the pain finally ended, and I came to, at first there was pressure, and another sense of movement, then a bit more pressure and finally light!! I think you see where this is going, let’s just say being born again sucks. Buy hey, I’m not dead, and I don’t have to live through a system integration as an old fogies, so I chalk that up as a win in my book.
The nurse who pulled me from the whom, is caring me over to a heat lamp as I attempt to move my head to look around, unfortunately everything is blurry and out of focus. I can hear though, someone is crying about a doctor being dead, and patients red lining all over the place. There is also a very loud woman screaming about her baby.
“My baby, My baby, please tell me is he alive? Did he make it?” Not only is the voice loud, but pitched past the point of hysterics.
It dawns on me that this is probably my new mother, which is weird, I know, but hey life and lemons and all that jazz. I decide to let her know just how healthy I am, I figure I could probably scream and cry pretty loud, and since I am a baby, instead of weird looks and pitying smiles, I’ll get some sweet, sweet love and attention. Of-course in my head, I’m still cursing every known god and goddess for their sick sense of humor, all to the sound track of bad to the bone.
It wasn’t long after I started making my mark on this new world when the blue boxes began appearing again.
Transferring Parental controls to direct living parent
Parent Found: Mother: Stacy Albrook
Confirming Parental Acceptance of Responsibility
Responsibility Confirmed.
Welcome New Citizen!
These are your cached message!
These messages will have been stored and actioned by your Mother: Stacy Albrook,
you can make no changes to her selections,
so if you’re not happy, you should probably tell her,
or remove her from the equation should you dare.
Acheviement!
First Born of The Re-Integration:
As the first born of this, the re-integration of earth,
you receive 1 bonus attribute point! Spend it wisely!
Congratulations!
You have just received a bonus attribute point!
These can be assigned at the status screen!
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
‘Alright! An achievement and bonus points!’ Better check my status screen.
Name
UnNamed
Level
1
Class
None
Race
Human
Title
None
Attributes
Unspent points
Strengh
1
22
Perception
1
HP
10
Endurance
1
Qi
0/100
Charisma
1
Intelligence
1
Agility
1
Cultivation Level
Luck
50
None
I can’t help but grinning inside as I see the attributes spell out something from one of my favorite post-apocalyptic game franchises, how apropos. But what the heck is with that Luck! It must be the fact that I still remember my past life. The last messages I remember before I died were something about the Reincarnation Protocol and Sea of Souls… It must be that. I died right as the Sea of Souls was locked down. Then I must have bounced, and when a soul was called for was the only one available for this baby. Souls must enter the body shortly before being born. Hah! Take that you dirty right to lifers! A pox on all your houses!
All ranting aside now, let’s distribute those points!
Error! Parental Control Activated cannot assign points.
Please consult with your parent or guardian to make changes!
‘Are you fucking shitting me’ While this is happening they have finally finished washing me and I can now somewhat see properly, although the blue screen is crystal clear everything else is just a little blurry, its driving me batty. The set me in my new mother’s arms and I can finally see to whom my controls have been passed to.
Have you ever had one of those moment where you just know the universe is going to fuck you over royally and not use any lube. That about sums up what I am feeling right now, as I look on my new mother. Only one word comes to mind when I look upon her. Young. Maybe all of 19 or 20 years old. She’s still crying and not really paying attention to me or anything around her. I can hear some orderlies or nurses, moving about everyone is still crying, and here’s me, a new born, looking at my new mother, wishing I could slap the hysterics out of her.
It took a while for things to calm down, I could hear people moving around talking about the dead and still dying. They moved me and Stacy to a private room, shortly after arriving I decided I had had enough fun and went to sleep. I woke up with something soft being shoved in my mouth, round and wet, tastes good though. Wait, ohh well got to eat something, just don’t think about how pretty she is or that you could be her great grandfather. You’re a baby now, and at the mercy of those bigger than you.
While I was busy eating I noticed that there were some more blinking notification icons at the top right of my vision. Sweet action! Queued messages!
Name Change!
Your mother has given you your name, Trevor Albrook
Well at least it isn’t something stupid like a season, or a month, or perhaps a fruit. Those parents should be sterilized for their stupidity. At least my mom has some taste.
Your Mother has distributed your attribute points!
These points are set and cannot be changed once set.
Ensure in the future you discuss with your parent or guardian
on what you want to be when you grow up!
‘Oh no, show me my status!’
Name
Trevor Albrook
Level
0
Class
None
Race
Human
Title
None
Attributes
Unspent points
Strengh
2
11
Perception
3
HP
20
Endurance
2
Qi
0/100
Charisma
5
Intelligence
3
Agility
2
Cultivation Level
Luck
50
None
4 points into Charisma!!! I bite down on the life-giving milk dispenser harder than I should and I hear a yelp of pain from above me.
“Ouch you little shit, be careful that hurt mommy!” She says as she inserts the other milk dispenser into my mouth, so I can continue getting my fill.
‘Hmph, serves you right messing with my attributes, and wasting points into good looks.’ I think as I continue to look through the rest of my Status.
Looking though there were two items that give me pause, I have a section for Qi, and a Cultivation Level. I had tried my hand at a cultivation fiction once upon a time, if I remember correctly Cultivation is the process of refining Qi from the energy of the universe. That would also indicate that I now possess a dantian, or that it could now be more accessible. I tried Qigong when researching for my book, and although it was relaxing and did help with my physical fitness, I never actually felt the supposed Qi. ‘It could be that those who did, were talented enough to gather it from beyond the Vheil.’ I thought to myself while pondering the implications. ‘I wonder if there is a Help section’
Greetings and Salutations!
You have opened the Help menu! Please select from the following choices.
Tutorial
Options and settings
Wiki-Guide
Glossary
Storefronts
Guilds
‘Always take the Tutorial, they normally give free stuff!’ I think as I mentally select the Tutorial option.
Error! System residents under the age of 10 cannot participate in the Tutorial.
‘You hate me don’t you.’ Seeing the message, I cannot help but sigh, it seems this is going to be a very long childhood. I detach myself from the milk-dispenser as I hear the door open and look over. A man in a pair of cut up jeans, and a shirt that reads ‘I’m Sorry if my sarcasm offends you’. He’s sort of tall, probably 6 feet, but I might be over estimating as everyone looks like a giant to my new born eyes. Raven black hair and crystal blue eyes. He would probably be considered Ruggedly handsome, if he wasn’t all of 19 years old, his face lacks the aged wisdom and still holds that youthful buoyance, to be called rugged.
“Hey Babe, Sorry about being so late. But the possible end of the world is probably the best excuse ever for being late.” He states while moving to the bed to look my new mother over and ogle and the glory that is myself. I decide to attempt to mess with him, and give him a mean mug look, but control of my facial muscles must not be working right. As he just laughs and attempts to tickle me, making those annoying baby talk noises.
“Humph, I suppose you can be forgiven this time. Just so you know I have already named him Trevor, and since you were not here I am his primary Parent! So, what I say goes! Already assigned his attribute points and everything!” Stacy says, with a pout on her face at first, that transforms into the “high and mighty” chin tilt as she finishes talking.
Secondary Parent registered: Dereck Albrook
“That’s fine honey, let’s see what we have!” I assume at this point he has figured out he can mentally call the status boxes. As he is tracing his finger in the air it abruptly stops, and he gasps “50 luck!! Wait. Why in all that is holy would you put 4 points into charisma!” he screams a little girly like.
‘Well at least this one might have a head on his shoulders’ I decide I can now attempt to smile and laugh at the young man as he continues to rant and rave about the waste of points, all the while the storminess of Stacy’s eyes get darker and darker.
“Dereck!” She states in a clipped and soft manner, which I guess he recognizes as the ‘ohh shit, I’m in trouble’ tone of voice as he instantly stops talking and looks down meekly. “I choose those stats, because I want a beautiful baby! Besides, don’t I always hear you saying that Charisma is a requirement for a good leader in all your little games you play!”
‘She has a point; however, this is not a game and if levels are anything like I think they will be I’ll get points in the future that can be put there. Now we should be worried about survival, for whatever happens next.’ Unsurprisingly, Dereck attempts to voice that same point, in his place though I would not have used the words “Stupid, Crazy, or suicidal”
While the two go back and forth on the merits of charisma and other things I find myself getting tired, and decide to take a nap. ‘When I wake up, I’ll try out the other help options to learn about exactly what changes occurred in our world.’