Chapter 5 - Clueless
Everything Span. He was getting use to the way everything twisted when the System moved him from one place to another. Up suddenly becoming down, left and right flipping, even the vertigo was bearable.
Whatever Bob did to him was entirely different.
When things started moving it was as if everything he was made from came to the unilateral decision to separate and make their own way in the universe. The result could only be described as nothing more than human vapour.
One moment he was there, the next moment he wasn ’t. He wasn’t actually anywhere, he just wasn't anymore.
He couldn ’t say it was painful. There was nothing left to feel pain, his big toe couldn't exactly say hey central nervous system I’ve been turned into toe vapour if there was no central nervous system to actually tell.
But in a strange way he still felt it everything. Like an amputee feeling a phantom limb, he could still feel a distinct phantom him.
“What just happened?” he said to nothing, absolutely nothing.
He couldn't even hear himself talking, which was a little alarming. He tried to pat himself down, couldn ’t feel a thing. He tried to look around, there was nothing to see. He tried to take a step forward, to sit down then stand up again.
There was absolutely nothing.
A dull throb appeared just behind his eyes. Oh great the one thing I can feel, a headache. I don ’t even have a a head too ache!
He was nothing, in nothing, and yet somehow still something.
How long had he been like this, minuets, no hours? With no point of reference things were starting to slip.
“Stop trying to comprehend nothing. Your not ready for the void and end up quite mad,” Syl’s oh so precious voice came from that odd place, “One second outside space and time and your already starting to panic. Get in here!”
“Er where is here?” he asked having no clue what Syl was talking about. “And how exactly do I get from here to in here ? ”
There was the faint trace of a frustrated sigh.
“I’m not done yet , one moment,” Syl said.
A moment came. Then it passed, or at least I felt like it did.
Nothing happened wherever here was, and the more he tried to get a feel for it the more his metaphorical head hurt.
“Syl? I’m-” he started, but there was bright flash of light and a slight sensation of being not so gently tugged away from the nothing.
Blinking away the odd feeling of looking off into infinity he looked around to get his bearings.
He was standing in an open plane of shin high indigo grass that swayed and rippled in a breeze he couldn't feel.
What look like a pair of binary stars dominated the space above. They pulsed softly to each other. The light they radiated cast over everything like the last light of a waning summers day.
Syl was sitting crossed legged on his bed just in front off him. The bed looking a little out of place in the indigo planes.
She paid his arrival no real attention as she worked a ridiculous length of thick electric blue hair into a pair of braids, her tongue pinched between her lips as she concentrated.
“Thanks for getting me out of there.” He said as he gave himself a quick pat down.
He was happy to see that everything was back to where he remembered it being. he even had his crocks back, though his backpack was missing.
“You’re still kind of out there,” Syl said after a moment, still not looking up as she tied of the last braid. “Except now your also in here. You’re technically in between I think. I just pulled your consciousness in on it’s self.”
He decided it was probably best not to dwell on whatever that meant. He was just glad he was somewhere instead of that nowhere.
“You like?” Syl said getting his attention by opening her arms wide as she gestured to everything around them.
“You do realise that’s just a mid range bed frame and mattress from a somewhat affordable Swedish furniture store.” He said pointing.
“Oh don’t get me started. My access to the system is abysmal now. That and I have no real authority to just do as I wanted.” She patted the bed beside her. “This is just familiar enough I could get it to manifest.”
Syl flopped back onto the sheets, grabbing a pillow to cuddle as she rolled onto one side. The spare pillow he had had for longer then he really cared for. A pillow that now looked a just a bit bigger and allot softer than he recalled.
Noting the space on the bed for another and not wanting to stand there looking totally clueless. with no where else to go he went and lay beside her.
The bed was exactly as he remembered, perhaps just a little bit more comfortable. The sheets smelled fresh and had that feeling only freshly washed sheets could give.
Syl gave him a smile and they both turned to look up at the starscape above.
“I did think about reconstructing your old room,” Syl said before the silence between them could grow uncomfortable. “But we both know that place was a little depressing, and small, and completely lacking in any feminine touches.”
“I will have you know I’m a bachelor,” he said with feigned injury at the unfortunately accurate critique.
“The only thing you did right was having decent bedding, though the choice of a double sized bed in that size room for a guy who was forever single. Might have been OK if not for the stupidly computer desk big desk.
He shrugged, slightly embarrassed “I was working on my self, kinda, here and there, when I had the energy.”
Syl didn't have anything to say to that, or she at least didn ’t want to comment any more than she had.
“Can I ask something?” he asked, ignoring the fact that anyone with sense knew that asking to ask a question was more than a little redundant.
“Ask anything you want, I’m all yours.” Syl said.
“Where did the smell go.?
Syl chucked softly. “It’s going to best for you to let some of if not all the things you’ve been holding onto go. Before there was no harm in in a little teasing, you were going to forget me all together and I was going to cease to be.
But now we ’re anchored. I don’t really want to remind you of the one that got away as you liked to call it. I’m sure ill find my own unique smell that makes you drool each time you catch me entering the room.”
“Oh, I told you about her?” he asked as his stomach sank.
“Her and some others you still kick yourself over. We talked about allot of things. You really are terrible with women. I’ll confirm that much for you.”
Looking for a change in subject he lifted his arms up to encompass the massive binary stars and asked, “Is that where we are going? And how come we’re here and not there already. I thought Bob the High and Mighty System Authority was going to just take us there. “wave his hand and poof, there.”
“Nope. They aren't even what I think you think they are. They are something incredibly important to the two of us. But ill cover that in due time. We’ve got allot to go over before we get to this new world. And passing us threw the void is both the quickest and longest way to get us there. I think…” Syl said sound a little frustrated towards the end.
She continued, “Bob passed me some information on where we are going, and there is a little preparation to be done before its safe to put you there.”
“Yeah bob did say to lean on my System Guide, that I was not getting a tutorial. After a thousand tutorials I don’t remember I don’t even get the benefit of one I will remember.” He said wondering if this was an apt example of irony, what was and was not considered irony always confused him.
Syl laughed, “it's actually funny you brought up the tests. It is the first thing on my checklists of things I wanted to talk to you about.”
Syl sat up, pulling her legs up under herself as she liked to do and looking down at him with a deadly serious expression he had yet to get from her.
“I want, actually no. I need you to understand something. There’s no more tests. From now on if you die you die, that’s it. No more system checkpoint to bring you back too. No more compensation from the System for a System Authority casually obliterating you as they casually cast you off into the void.”
Compensation? Obliteration? he wanted to ask what Syl meant but she clearly wasn't done and he really didn ’t want to interrupt her when she looked so serious. It was kind of cute if he was going to be honest with himself.
“Towards the end of the testing you knew with absolute certainty you were going to comeback and it emboldened you.” She said continuing her lecture. “Dangerously . ”
“That’s one of the reasons I think the calibration was finally successful. It wasn’t just that Bob interfered with something I couldn’t or wouldn’t interfere with. It was because I took the knowledge you couldn’t actually die from you and you started behaving as the System expected you to do.”
“But I remember you telling me how the tutorials worked,” he said sensing a pause. “You told me how death was the intended outcome. How dying was the ultimate lesson of the tutorial,” he said remembering the conversation as if it just been an hour or two ago.
“There is a thin line between knowing you can die and being okay with dying. You hadn't crossed that line yet.” she dropped her pillow on his face as she got off the bed. “It might might actually be a good thing I reset you. Maybe you won’t be so reckless. Now come here and check the notifications you’ve been ignoring.”
At the clear command he jumped off the bed and went to stand before her. He couldn ’t help but note that despite her slim athletic build the stood eye to eye with him. He had to wonder how easy it was for the system to create someone that was clearly meant to be his type, or if this was something Syl had chosen on her own like this new hairstyle of her.
“Trying something new, or is cosplay one of your things?” he asked unable to completely suppress the desire to know more about her.
Syl grinned at him cheekily, “you like it and we both know it.”
“It would be careless of me to comment as I still haven’t gotten around to watching the series, and I never got into the game. She could be annoying for all I know… but who doesn't like the girl with blue hair.” He said grinning back unable to hide his amusement.
“Well we watched it together and I at least liked it.” Syl said raising an eyebrow. “Not everything is going to be about you, I have a lot more freedom now and was just experimenting a little.”
Syl put her hands on her hips and she cocked them to the side. “And it's not just blue hair with you. Want me to start listing things you like in woman, we might get a bit side tracked but if we are lucky well have time to at least get you properly initiated with the system.”
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Defeated he raised his hands in submission and latched onto the last thing Syl said, “I thought I was initiated with the system.”
“You were, about a thousand times. But unfortunately each time you returned to the checkpoint in your room that part of your System connection was reset for the next test. Now stop stalling and check your notifications.”
Nodding he felt for for the dull pulse that was waiting System notifications. Right where he expected them to be they came to life as he paid them attention. Somehow at some point his notification had been switched to silent mode.
He ignored how he instinctively new that, system fuckery.
You have been Obliterated by a System Authority.
As this action was unsanctioned you will be compensated.
Compensation:
Your soul has been protected and your physical being will be restored when you exit the void and there is no longer any risk of immediate obliteration.
“Wait, Syl you said I’m still technically in the void right?”
Syl had made her way around the floating message to stand beside him. “Yup.”
“So if I’m reading this right then I currently have no physical being. What's this then?” he said patting himself down again, checking he was infect there.
Syl shoulder bumped him. “Same thing I have, self physical manifestation. Its a property of this place.”
Syl smiled as she looked over his message. “Though I find this amusing. Bob takes my System Authority body back. The things that thing could do would blow your mind. You really should kick your self for missing that one.”
He caught the implication, or at least he though he did. Syl could just be teasing him.
Syl saw him fidget slightly and just patted him on the cheek before continuing, “Yes I loose a body capable of things even the gods of the multiverse would die for. Then while I’m still recuperating from my tragic loss. Bob chucks you into the void, obliterating your pathetic meat suit in the process as it was utterly inadequate for the forces involved in travelling through absolutely nothing.”
“Pathetic meat suit seems a bit harsh, but I have a feeling your not wrong,” he had been meaning to work on himself in that regard.
Syl just smiled knowingly. “Next notification please.”
Welcome to the Multiverse!
The Multiverse is full wonders the likes you could never imagine.
It is full dangers the likes you have never seen.
You are not ready for this new world.
But be not afraid!
The tutorial you are about to enter will guide you as you find your place in this new world.
He couldn't help but scoff, “Be not afraid! That’s so corny.”
Syl just turned her head, leaned in close and whispered, “You wrote it.”
“Shit…”
“Don’t beat yourself up, we were tying to reduce the amount of people panicking when they entered the tutorial. That little corny message of yours reduced panic by around five percent on average so we left it alone. ”
“People were panicking when they started a test. Didn’t they have to accept the test to get into one?”
“Part of the test is not knowing it’s just a test. Everything needed to be as close as possible to actual tutorial conditions. Only you got a pass on that. And that being because I wanted you to recall what we discussed so you would hopefully stop doing the things you were doing. In hindsight I might have been causing my own errors to creep in long before I was doing it intentionally.” She sighed, “I really was a crap Authority. Next please.”
“I’ve got no complaints. Memories a bit fuzzy, but no complaints.”
Syl elbowed him hard in the side as the next notification popped up.
You have been removed from System Integration Tutorial by a System Authority.
Warning: You have not completed your System integration.
All System Actions above Initiate Level Remain locked.
A System Authority has added Manual System Integration to your available System Actions.
Would you like to perform Manual System Integration?
YES / NO
He was curious, “what happens if I choose no?”
“Not an option.”
“Yes it is, says it right there.” He said reaching out to point at the option when it suddenly changed.
YES / NO flickered and suddenly read as YES / YES
“You can still do that?! I’ve got no idea what I signed myself up for do I? Oh, wait, that option was also yes yes! I didn’t sign up for any of this did I,” he said in mock outrage.
Syl pointedly ignored him, “oh look a new one.”
The message buzzed then dissipated being immediately replaced with another.
Manual System Integration Initiated.
Welcome Initiate …
Significant detachment from current Name detected.
Please Enter a Moniker you desire. This action can only be completed once without the use of a suitable identity changing skills, items-
Before he could finish reading the list of ways he could change his names in the future he was grabbed by Syl and spun around to face her straight on.
She placed a hand on each shoulder. Syls grip allot stronger than he anticipated. Making eye contact she levelled a look on him that screamed shut up and listen.
“I want you to ignore the fact there are ways to change you identity after this. Because If you think I’m going to allow myself to be anchored to a meat suit with a ridiculous nick name or even using one of his old gamer tags. I might as well mutiny right here and now and use my pretty new braids to strangle you. It may not actually kill you on account of where we are. But are you willing to test me on that?”
“Your kidding, I wouldn’t.” he thought about it, “Oh shit I would.”
“Oh you did worse than that!” she let out a exacerbated cry.
“Do you have any idea how confusing it is for Jamie, Dave and Abigail when they get thrown into a tutorial and their brand new identify skill identifies the mysterious stranger that they just encountered as ‘the Protagonist’, ‘Death’ or even ‘Stranger’ because I do. People thought you were a damn npc. So I want you to listen to me when I say this. No more do overs, commit, and commit to something sensible. I’ve gotten a way without using a name with you because it’s just been us two. But that’s about to change”
“Why haven’t you just used my given name, I would have just accepted it?”
“Because the System already acknowledged your desire for change way before it spat me out. I was of the System so I felt it was appropriate to let you decide,” Syl said.
Crossing her arms against her chest, even he could tell she was annoyed, maybe even upset.
“What about when I named you-“
She punched him in the arm, “you tried to name me Sys!” she yelled at him. “I refused because I was of the System, not the actual System.”
“Ah, short for system.” He gave Syl a nod, “so names are important to you, got it.”
“Not just me, the System might not truly care but there are still System enforced naming conventions all across the multiverse. Even had laws on what you could or could not name your child! Only reason the System didn’t slap you down before for some of the crap you used was because The Milky Way Galaxy is so far out of the way. It has yet to fully integrate and there was no organisation in range with the leave to knock some sense into you.”
“Surely would have had a suggestion, if I was that bad.” He said.
“I hadn’t reached the capacity to actually care when you tried naming me. I hadn't even manifested yet. My purpose was still my controlling factor and what you call yourself never truly effected the calibration so I couldn't do anything if I wanted to.
By the time I was pushing my purpose I was use to how we communicated, ” Syl paused to catch he breath, clearly deciding if she wanted to say more. She did.
“Even if I helped you choose a name you liked it would have been in vain. The moment the tutorial was finally calibrated and you entered the tutorial for the last time. The name I knew you by would have been… it would have been erased along with all memory of me.” Syl said, her eyes puffy and her chest heaving sightly as she pushed to explain things.
“But you’re no longer a System Authority bound by its purpose. You’re not going to be absorbed. And I’m certainly not planning on forgetting anything anytime soon.” He gave her a long hard look.
Syl tilted her head in confusion as tried not to sniffle. His stomach sinking as he tried not to think of all the things he didn ’t know he’d lost.
“You let me choose your name. I’m clearly incapable of committing on the subject. Got any suggestions?”
“I told you, It’s not within my purpose, I can’t-“
He held up his hand to stop her. “Syl you’re not thinking straight. You can. More importantly I want you to. But if you suggest Hue for human I’ll be very disappointed.”
Syl paused, her eyes growing slightly as she realised her mistake.
Her lips started moving as if she had something she wanted to say, the words were either caught on the tip of her tongue. Or Syl was smart smart enough to find the words she wanted to use before saying anything.
Something he knew he struggled with
“I…” she tried.
He just waited for her to continue not wanting to interrupt he chain of thought.
“I liked it when you used Kai. You used it a couple of times. Some people called you K, or Kay depending on how you look at it.” Syls confidence grew with each carefully chosen word. “You liked it when people did that. Paul is impossible to shorten unless you wanted people calling you P, which as you know is way too close to someone calling you Pee… one of the reasons you never really gelled with the your given name. You felt it was plain, common. But Kai is, at least where you came from, totally unique.”
He couldn’t help but let his smile grow, he tried of-course but the more Syl talk the more he knew he had made the right choice to make her decide.
His smile must have been infectious as Syl practically beamed back at him.
“It’s strong, but short. And has some great meanings behind it across the different cultures of Earth. King, Warrior, sea and ocean. There is also food, which is a bit different from the others, but it could lessen the sting if you ever get eaten again. But where you’re from it doesn’t really mean anything so you can make it your own. And it shouldn’t be too far out of place where were going,” Syl finished.
The way she smiled was beautiful. She obviously knew he liked, but did she know he already loved it.
He dropped his smile, folded his arms and just looked at her in feigned dissatisfaction.
Syls smile vanished as she visibly deflated, “what? You don’t actually like it do you!”
He shook his head, “I said you could choose. Then I find out you already have something perfect that’s probably been rattling around in the back of your head for decades if not centuries that you’ve been too afraid to commit too. Then you torture me with an adorable explanation instead of just doing it. And I thought I was the one overthinking this all these years.”
He didn ’t see the slap coming, “I hate you so much.”
The Name Kai has been suggested by System Guide Sylph.
Do you accept.
YES / YES
Significant attachment to the name Kai detected.
Kai just grinned.
Syl was smiling. She might have tears in her eyes but she was definitely smiling.
She wasn ’t actually that mad … he hoped.
Traits Discovered:
Clueless:
You have proven time and time again that you are clueless when it comes to women.
Women who realise you are Clueless will be around 25% more likely to forgive you for being Clueless.