The darkness disappeared, snapped back around the edges of his vision, dispelled by glowing light, and Daniel felt pain. His flesh writhed and twisted, slipping back into place, knitting itself back together. Bone shards sharply snapping into their previous shape, slipping through squirming flesh like dozens of needles into a pincushion. Wood splinters oozed their way out of cuts, swathed in black goop.
A large something, like air made solid, grasped his chest, dragging, pulling him towards a figure.
A formless, matte black cloak brushed the ground, completely disguising him. No, It. Broad shoulders were the only indication the cloak was actually occupied. Ivory sharply clashed with the cloying dark. A mask, resembling the face of some ancient marble god- eyes hollowed, black, bottomless. A voice, unmuffled by the polished mask, spoke, tone far too bright for the garb. Fear seemed to envelop the man, a second cloak, the primal emotion biting at the borders of Daniel’s pain-addled brain.
“There we are. All better. Couldn’t have you dying on me, not before I got the chance to even meet you.”
“Wha-” Daniel croaked, throat dry and scratchy, fear slowly devouring his consciousness, replacing all though with one word. Flee.
“Oh, I completely forgot about the instincts of your silly little monkey brain. Let me fix that for you, my charming little test subject.” The voice went silent, and suddenly the pressure ceased, now no more than a memory.
Coughing, Daniel spoke “Who, who are you?”, wary of the threat the figure posed.
“Me? Oh, well, I don't really have a name. I have titles. But you, in your infinite ignorance, would understand none of them, my very attempts to communicate with them would most definitely turn your brain to mush. And we definitely can’t have that. Not whilst you’re doing so well in this little project of mine. Hmmm…. I’d go by Theta, but I already named the project that. I suppose I’ll have to go for Tau, then. Nice, good, paired, letter. ”
“You’re one the guy who started all this? Why?” Daniel asked, cold anger shocking his brain back into working order.
“It wasn’t just me. Mainly me, yes, but not all me. Oh, don’t look at me like that, humanity's existence before us was completely pathetic before we arrived, not to mention, completely off track from what was needed. We actually helped you in the long run, trust me, in a few decades you’ll be thanking me. Besides, shouldn’t you like me at least a little bit? I did just save your life, and from what I remember, that is considered to be a sign of good faith in your culture.”
Daniel considered for a moment. “Let me down and I’ll talk with you. Maybe.”
“I guess I can do that, but even if you are thinking of trying anything, note that you would pose no more of a threat than one of your planet’s gnats.”
“Noted.”
The force lowered him to the ground, releasing fully when Daniel’s feet both brushed the dirt. Stumbling slightly, the man met the figure’s eyes, or at least, where they would have been.
“Better? Good, now you’re probably wondering why I’m even talking to you, right?” Daniel nodded mutely in response, brain still attempting to process what was going on.
“You see, Project Theta needs a certain type of individual in order for it to go the way I want. The others are trying to create a second One, but that’s not what we need right now. The close minded fools don’t remember how badly that went. What we really need, like I’ve been telling them, is -”
“What exactly is Project Theta?” Daniel interrupted, interrupting the rant before it entered full swing. “Why abduct me and force me through this? Why operate on me? Why give me this system?” The mention of Project Theta sparked Daniel’s brain, questions rushing out one after the other.
“Please… don’t interrupt me.” The fear flashed back into existence, before once more joining with the void. “It’s very, very annoying. I will answer all of your questions, provide you with information, and much more, if you promise one thing for me.”
“What?”
“I need an ally among you humans. Well, less of an ally, and more of a lackey. No, more of a willing test subject, but this is really just semantics. I need someone with which I can fulfill my goals. As literally, the strongest test subject, you are the best choice. Do not worry, I won't be forcing you to violate that petty moral code you humans have, no humans have to be har-”
“I don’t care about having to kill others. Will this negatively affect me in any way? Do I suddenly become your slave or something? The idea of being a glorified test subject, as you yourself said, doesn’t sound very interesting.”
The figure paused, if It had possessed eyes, It probably would have blinked. “I really wish you would stop interrupting me. I might lash out and accidentally kill you, which would be very bothersome. But, in answer, no. It’s more of a mutually profitable business arrangement. You’ll get knowledge, items, access to rare locations and valuable ingredients for crafting, anything you need for you to keep your place at the top of the pile. All I want from you, see, is your agreement to follow the class path I shall set out for you, and your willingness to do anything to remain the highest levelled human throughout the course of this experiment. Anything else you do doesn’t concern me.”
Daniel blinked. This was probably the best deal he would ever get. It was almost too good to be true. Power, wealth, information, all just to do something he wanted to do anyway? The masked figure seemed to be telling the truth, but the fact that he was an alien, made him doubt his gut.
“Tell me about Project Theta, and I’ll think about helping you.” The goal of the project would probably give him more of a tell if the alien was lying or not. That is, if he even told the truth.
“I was hoping not to have to do this, but you seem dead set on remaining paranoid. A trait I would be overjoyed at if it were not aimed at me.” An inhuman sound was suddenly expelled through the mask. “I swear to tell the truth at all times to Daniel Bishop, human number 3443570223, if I do not, may the AIOS strike me down and kill me.”
A blue screen appeared in front of Daniel.
Do you accept [Unknown]’s Geas?
Conditions- Will always tell the truth to you, if broken, [Unknown] will suffer instant death.
Yes or No?
Focusing on yes, Daniel then willed the screen to disappear. “What was that?”
“An experimental feature we’re planning on rolling out in phase two. That doesn’t matter right now, what does, is do you trust me?”
“For now, yes.”
“That is all I ask. Do you accept my offer?”
“For now, yes.”
“Perfect. Now what do you want to know?”
“Project Theta, what is it and why?” Daniel asked immediately.
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“Ugh. Take a seat, this will take a while.” A large platform of rock appeared behind Daniel, groaning up through the ground. Taking a seat, the man looked expectantly at the mask of the alien.
“You’re going to need some backstory for this, so please bear with me.” The cloak shifted slightly, the first movement Daniel had seen since the figure saved him.
“It all began a few hundred thousand years ago. My species, the One, started to spread to other planets. Our hivemind had evolved to the point that only the lower castes, Workers and Drones, remained interconnected, their thoughts for all to see. Our Scientists and Leaders could connect to it at will, but largely remained separate beings, we saw the lower castes as more of a biological computer or source of labour than we did as brethren. Everything was going swimmingly, we’d entered a seemingly endless golden age, and then we met the Reveki.”
Another shift in the black cloak.
“They were a sentient species of carbon based creatures, with a strong sense of tribal culture. We tried to make a good first impression at first contact, maybe enter into an alliance, so that both of us could live on their planet. They responded with extreme hostility. We would have just left them alone, but their planet contained some extremely beneficial materials, as well as having habitats similar to our own, perfect for us to thrive in. So we fought back. About ten days in, we made the mistake of giving away an entire research station of technology, and the fight became much less one sided. They were built just similar enough to us that they could use our technology, and soon they began to modify it. The war lasted for hundreds of millenia, and is still technically going on actually, spanning multiple galaxies to this day. Our species was never one of fighters, so we began a breeding program, turning ideal Workers and Drones into unquestioning troops with which to man our ships and fight our wars. This worked for a time, but over the last couple thousand years, the advantage they offered no longer exists. We looked for a new solution, and eventually found one, on your Earth.” The creature paused, Daniel feeling hidden eyes bore into his skull.
“We partially genetically engineered the apes developing in the jungles at the time, attempting to create an eventual new fighting force, this one composed of small groups of autonomous and proficient fighters. We lost this galaxy shortly after the beginning of the experiment, and instead of being able to selectively breed the ideal fighter, evolution did its job and turned you into the offensively garbled mishmash of genetic code we have today. Project Theta is an attempt to correct that and some, by implementing technology and biological traits found in other species now living under us.”
“Why didn’t you just immediately genetically engineer us? Selective breeding seemed like kind of a silly way of going about your plan.” Daniel asked, after a brief pause.
“We needed certain instincts hardwired into you, which is something that genetic engineering isn’t very good at. Besides, we had time, and artificial selection was cheaper, and allowed for flexibility in the plan. None of us agreed on the end result. We still don’t.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Why then did you turn to operating on me, and presumably every single human on Earth, before dumping us onto a reformed planet?”
“We no longer have the benefit of time. Our empire has started to stagnate, whilst the Reveki’s continues to grow stronger and stronger. If we don't have our super troops in the next few centuries, then we’ll be little more than a footnote in intergalactic history. We don’t want that.”
“So, drastic times, drastic measures?” Daniel summed up.
“Precisely.”
“This still doesn’t fully explain why you want me specifically to be at the forefront of your project, or why you're messing around with advanced AI, even I know that's a bad idea.”
“The other Scientists just want to make another hive army. They’re trying to push conditions to favour large groups of humans working together. I know that won’t work. We need small groups, or even individuals, that can act as shock troops and assassins, and you perfectly fit the bill of what I want. You’re cunning, capable, morally grey, and hate working with others. If an extreme example like you is seen to be thriving, everyone will have to accept that my solution is the superior one. In answer to your second question, the AIOS is not actually a true AI. It's no more than a glorified secretary, automating a lot of the process so us scientists don't have to run it ourselves. Even if we used the workers, we’d have to remain in constant control, and I don’t think the Two would want us to waste valuable resources when there are plenty of other options available.” Seeing the man’s slight confusion, the Scientist simplified his statement. “The AIOS is no more advanced code wise than one of your old voice activated assistants, we’re just using it highly effectively.”
“Ok, but why do we even have a system in the first place? It just feels like one of you got really into webnovels and decided to slap in one to make everything look cooler.”
“There are real benefits to it.” The creature sounded slightly embarrassed. “It raises motivation, allows us to implement a positive feedback loop, and it acts like a crutch, giving you an easy way to visualise how you want to improve. It’s basically a controlling variable so that everything goes to plan.”
“So the pleasure from killing is deliberate.”
“We need to get you guys over your culture's taboos on the action. You all need to become ruthless killers after all.”
“Ok, makes sense. I’ve got some other questions.”
“Proceed.”
“How much human civilization is left?”
“We left most of the major cities relatively untouched, we didn't want to completely rob you of your infrastructure. One of your biggest advantages is your technological ingenuity, and sending you back to the stone age prevents you from really using it.They’re all currently controlled by roving gangs of humans, none of them particularly nice. They’re sort of like the Player Killing guilds from your old video games. Don’t go there quite yet, they’ll prove much harder a challenge than rats, one you are not ready for.”
“Speaking of the ratmen, why are they so easy to kill?” Daniel asked the question that had been burning in his mind since he started to slaughter the species.
“They’re not really fully evolved. We didn’t really pay attention to the rest of Earth’s species at first, just slightly tweaked some conditions and hoped they’d turn into proper threats. We are implementing a ‘patch’, so to speak, that will come along with phase 2, fine tuning the current creatures, and introducing some of the made up creatures from your cultures, as they’ll provide a much bigger threat than most fauna here right now.
“What is the average level of everyone else?” Daniel asked, eager to know how ahead of the curve he was.
“You’re doing very well. The few people near as strong as you got there through mass slaughtering their kin. Average right now is probably about six or seven. Most people went looking for others, and have formed groups, so I’m going to need you to hurry up and, what’s the word? Grind?”
Daniel internally cringed, before quickly moving on.
“I’ve got a few more questions, and then you can tell me what you want me to do exactly. Skills, Classes, Attribute Points and magic. Explain.”
“I was hoping you would forget about these. Illogical, yes, but yet I still hoped.” Another inhuman sound. “Skills are more of a reflection of what you can already do, although if you get a Skill Boost, the knowledge will be forced directly into your head, uploaded, if you will. Skills require specific conditions to be met to level up, so you actually have to do the Skill correctly, and improve. Old fashioned ‘grinding’ won’t work here. Classes are little more than what you’ve already been told. Attribute Points do what they say on the tin, but can be transformed into Skill Boosts when you’ve maxed out three stats. Magic is basically just using your understanding of the world to manipulate it with your mental strength. Steer clear of it for a little while, pure mages tend to be physically vulnerable, and I need you very well rounded. Otherwise you won’t prove my point. As a bribe so you do not do anything silly, I will teach you some spells personally when you’ve become strong enough in your Class though. Don’t worry.”
“How much of an improvement do Skill Boosts give?”
“Depends on what kind you're using. A magical or technological one will vary, magical tending to be on the higher side, and technological on the lower. Using an Attribute Point only gives you two levels in whatever skill you’ve picked, as any more would give you a brain hemorrhage from such frequent use. Are you finished with your questions?”
“Yeah, I think so. Actually, could you give me some skill boosts?”
“Absolutely not. If someone caught wind, I’d be accused of tampering with the experiment and any credibility I had would disappear. “
A brief pause occured, long enough for Daniel to begin to become worried. Just before he responded to the silence, the creature spoke again.
“You now have the ability to talk with me using the Notes tab. I’ll write replies there too. You will now be briefed on what I wish of you. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Finally. Open your system portal after we are done talking, and pick the class Rogue. Next take the profession Survivalist, and pick the forest option. Assign your points equally between Agility, Dexterity, Perception, and Wisdom, and Intelligence. Place the spare into Vitality. Focus on raising the skills associated with your classes, and try and reach level 20 as soon as possible. Contact me then with a list of your possible specialisations, and I will tell you which are the best for you to decide from.”
“I’m going to be a full-on specialist? Isn’t that kind of detrimental considering I’m alone?”
“The Rogue class specialises in being able to do things, it's based more around being resourceful, than it is your attributes and skills. Survivalist will give you a boost to your survival skills, and just make living out here alone much easier. I know what I’m doing. I helped create the classes for Two’s sake. Now,a word of warning. If I find you haven’t been following my instructions, I will ensure that you die. You are not the only good candidate, just one of the best ones.”
With that the robed creature turned around, gliding towards the forest. A portal winked itself into existence, as black inside as the alien’s cloak, though which It passed. The portal winked out of existence and Daniel was once again alone.