Traffic was strange on the way to pick up his cousin Ian. People seemed to either be avoiding the roads or making a bee line for one wreck or another. Then again Maik was taking the back streets, intentionally avoiding any of the main roads, at least for the most part. It was one one such Main street, north 501, where his co-worker Ian had wrecked, so some congestion was unavoidable.
It took some time reach his destination and had to go off road more than a few times before Maik finally spotted the other company work van in the distance. Along the way Maik had had plenty of time to reflect on the icon, the screen it brought up, the messages on that screen and the way the power had given out. It lead his mind down some dark paths.
Its strange how calm I'm being about all this. I really should... Everyone really should be freaking out, at least a bit more than they are. But everyone is just going on with their lives... Except that guy.
Somebody had a big cardboard sigh saying 'The End In Nigh' and blocking traffic on a side street Maik was passing.
See that's more like what I would have expected.... This must the what normalcy bios feels like. Out of all the times father has had us get ready for the imminent fall of society, this time it might actually happen. Yet, I'm calm, like its just another day. Hell. I'm not even over concerned that 2 of our work vans just got totaled in one day. Tomorrows schedule is going to be so fucked....
Maik was stopped at a stop sigh so he took a moment to open the screen back up.
Substitution of Back up Control matrix process capacity found.
Integrating digital entities into control matrix collective.
10.1% complete
If there's still a tomorrow after this things done loading.
Not long after spotting the other van Maik had pulled up beside, gotten out and walked up to tap his cousin on the shoulder. Ian jumped when he was touched but quickly noticed who it was and calmed down before moving onto damage control.
"Man you are not going to believe what happened...."
Maik simply help up a hand to preempt whatever story Ian was going to make up. It wasn't that Ian wasn't trust worthy. For the most part he was, and a damn fine tech. At least when it came to the technical side of the job. He just had a drug habit, hung out the the wrong people to maintain that habit and a propensity to be misleading when either of those two subjects came up. So Maik figured it would be best to just get the weirdness out of the way.
"Not to cut you off but the last I check this Back up control matrix thing was a little over 10% done integrating its digital entities, and I would really like to be... not here, when that process is completed. So how about we start loading up your shit and you can tell me all about it on they way back to your house. Sound good ?"
Maik gave his cousin two thumbs up and Ian nodded. It was had getting the stuff out of his van as it was sandwiched between a semi trailer in the front and a 6 wheel 4 door pickup truck behind. In total the van was probably about 20% shorter in length, bumper to bumper, than it should be. As such Maik did most of the heavy lifting. They both knew well that after a wreck you usually didn't really feel it until the next day and Maik didn't want Ian's injuries to get worse.
Still, most of the parts were stored in tote bins and that made for easy transfer. All said and done it took about 34 minutes to transfer everything they were worried about. A copy of registration and insurance information was placed inside on the drivers seat for the officer, when they finally showed up. Maik was pretty sure that, given how busy the highway patrol must be, that it would take forever for a trooper to show up. As such, they simply told the other drivers where the info was and headed out.
Maik took another look at the screen just before shifting into gear.
Substitution of Back up Control matrix process capacity found.
Integrating digital entities into control matrix collective.
26.7% complete
Running out of time.
Maik took it easy though and again stuck the the back streets, which by now had become far more crowded with all the other people with the same idea and far less experience. A drive that should have only taken 40 minutes, even while taking the back streets, wound up taking an hours and 28 minutes.
By then the integration was just over 60% completed and Maik knew that he didn't have enough time to get back up to the manor before 100%. He could make it to his house though. That 3 months of food a comforting promise of safety. But before he could leave he needed to make sure everything was okay with his cousin.
Ian's wife, Maya, was glad to see him and Maik could see a faint shadow of panic in her eyes. Their little boy, Ian the 2ed, was a bundle of joy at seeing his father.
"Daddy ! Do you see ? Do you see ?"
"Come here." Ian picks the little one up. "See what huh ?"
"See the, the, the, window. The, the window with the... The numbers."
Ian was choking up a little bit, struggling to keep it together as he hugged his son.
"Yeah buddy. I see the window. Why don't you go inside and play, okay."
The child want more of his father attention but Ian turned to address Maik.
"So what now ?"
"M.D.s instructions were to get everybody up to the manor and grab my supplies. We don't have time to get to the manor before this thing reaches 100% and I don't want to be on the road when that happens. Did you ever restock your food stockpile ?"
Ian shook his head and Maik rubbed his hands though his hair.
"Alright then. We should be able to make it to my place. I still have a stockpile but it would probably only has the 4 of us a month or so. That and my place is closer to the manor. Not by much but still. We need to leave soon though. The sooner the better."
Ian and Maya both nodded and the three of them set about loading all the essentials up while little Ian the 2ed played with some plastic dinosars. The essentials couldn't fit in Maya's car went into Maik's already over stuffed van, but that was the thing about cargo vans. They could hold a lot.
They were off again, Maik leading the way sense Ian wasn't really up for driving and Maya didn't know the streets like he and Maik did. They made decent time, all thing considered and had just enough time to all get into Maik's house and take seats on the couches, the screen showing 99.8% to completion by the time they sat down.
"I would offer you some tea but.... You know."
They all shared a nervous chuckles before returning their attention to their own respective screens. 99.9 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Substitution of Back up Control matrix process capacity found.
Integrating digital entities into control matrix collective.
100% complete
Attempting to restore Master control matrix.
Error !
Digital entities insufficient to restore function of Master control matrix
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Attempting to restore Back up control matrix.
Error !
Digital entities incompattable with prime directives of the 5th Imperial Congregate.
Subordination of will of digital entities to unauthorized organizations detected.
Scanning unauthorized organizations for remnant forces under the directive of the 5th Imperial Congregate.
0.0%
Unlike the integration the progress bar advanced quickly, almost a half a percent each second. Ian the 2ed found the screen entertaining. His mother did not.
"What does it mean by unauthorized organizations ? Who. The Fuck. Is this 5th Imperial Congregate to say who or what is or isn't authorized ? Huh ?"
Ian just hugged her. Maik could tell that he was putting on a brave face and that he didn't walk away from the wreck unscathed. He was going to be pretty swore in the morning. The screen finished its scan.
Scanning unauthorized organizations for remnant forces under the directive of the 5th Imperial Congregate.
100%
Error !
Registry records restricted. Can not confirm the existence of forces beholdant to the 5th Imperial Congregate.
Citizens beholdant to the 5th Imperial Congregate needed to perform repairs.
Error !
No viable means of restoring the enter planer portal matrix found.
Calculating alternative.
Genetic heratage of 5th Imperial Congregate citizens detected among the population of Calsifus 5.
Initiating incentive program.
Scanning subjects.
What followed was the most invasive experience of Maik's life. He could feel as some kind of energy permiatted his whole being, starting at the top of head head before working its way down to the tips of his toes. Any attempt to stop it was futile and while it wasn't quite painful it wasn't pleasant either. Strangely though, little Ian the 2ed didn't seem to be getting the same treatment as he kept playing with his dinorsours as though nothing strange were happening.
Scan complete. Generating stat sheet.
Name : Maik Alphonse Daley
Species : Tier 1 / Human / H grade
Race : Celtic / Germanic
Cultivation level : 1
Age : 32
Gender : Male
Height : 190 centimeters
Weight : 78 Kilograms
Strength : 91
Flexibility : 99
Dexterity : 110
Endurance : 68
Durability : 82
Intelligence : 134
Smarts : 157
Wisdom : 113
Perception : 43
Charisma : 106
Chi : 148
aura : 135
Generating Quest.
New Quest generated : Restoring the Control matrix
Type : Open
Duration : Until control lock on local Planer shift seal fails.
Estimated time to seal failure : 7 years, 4 months, 1 week, 3 days, 2 hours. Approximately.
Objective : Restore function to the master control matrix aboard the Vassaroth or repair damaged Planer shift seals.
Penalties for failure : Calsifus 5, local designation Earth, will no longer be isolated from the Extra Planer realms.
Rewards : Maintain your planets isolation form the greater collective of connected inter planer worlds.
New Quest generated : Avoid the apocalypes.
Type : Open
Duration : Until Calsifus 5-A, local designation Moon, impacts Calsifus 5, local designation Earth.
Estimated time until failure : 32 days 7 hours to point of no return.
Objective : Contribute a collective total of 4.6816e+13 Joules of energy in the form of Chi to the stability array aboard the Vassaroth through this interface.
Penalties for failure : Calsifus 5-A, local designation Moon, will impact Calsifus 5, local designation Earth, resulting in the extermination of all life on the surface.
Rewards : Varies - Dependent upon contribution.
Tier 1 : Contribute at least 1,400 calories of Chi. - Gain access to the newly integrated system between the digital entities of Calsifus 5 and Planer Portal management matrix. A monthly renewal fee of 1,000 calories of Chi will apply after the first month.
Tier 2 : Contribute at least 2,100 Calories of Chi - Gain access to the newly integrated system between the digital entities of Calsifus 5 and Planer Portal management matrix as a Prime member. Remedial citizenship within the Fifth Imperial congregate. Tutorials in the use of Chi skills. A monthly renewal fee of 1,400 calories of Chi will apply after the first month.
Tier 3 : Contribute at least 3,000 calories of Chi - Gain access to the newly integrated system between the digital entities of Calsifus 5 and Planer Portal management matrix as a VIP member. Remedial citizenship within the Fifth Imperial congregate. Tutorials in the use of Chi skills. Access to the Chi skill store. Access to advance citizenship status. Access to system titles withing the purview of the system. A monthly renewal fee of 1,800 calories of Chi will apply after the first month.
Would you like to begin contributing now ?
Yes / No
The idea of the moon hitting the planet was absolutely terrifying to Maik and frankly, equally strange things had happened today. He clicked yes.
"Congratulations ! Hidden achievement unlocked. By Immediately accepting to contribute extra Chi energy in the Collective Chi energy contribution quest you have been granted a complementary Tier 3 tutorial to help you perform the task. Tutorial will commence in 30 seconds. Would you like to Decline ?"
Maik's mind raced.
"30 second ? What the hell ? That's not enough time."
Ian and Maya were starting to ask Maik what was going on but he had no time. If he was about to enter a tutorial then he needed to know more about what he was working with. More about the system that he was about to have a tutorial on. He scanned over the stat sheet in a rushed panic and pounced on the first attribute that seemed like it would matter the most. Chi seemed to be the Measure of how much Chi Maik have to work with and Aura was the measure of his spiritual presence. That information and a short warning to his cousin was all the time he had time for before he passed out.
"Unlocked a tutorial you shou....."
Commencing Tutorial.
Maik felt his mind become connected with a vast alien intelligence that was far above an beyond anything he could conceive or comprehend. It helped him, patiently guided him through motions and techniques of fundamental Chi control he had never considered. Maik came to realize that this, most fundamental of all Chi skills was tier 2 and that he had only had an Intermediate mastery of the skill. Unlike the Tutorial, which showed Maik what it would be like to have Expert skill.
Maik had little to no control as the Personal fitness matrix lead him though the motions for what felt like hours. He tried to retain and to emulate as much as possible but the deft control was simply too far beyond him. I was like Maik was sharing the experiences of Alex Honnold as he climbed all the way up the side of the El Capitan mountain with just his bare hands, when all Maik had been capable of doing was hiking up a modest hill. There was just no way Maik was going to be able to replicate the feat in short order.
Still the tutorial was a massive boost. it showed Maik what was possible and gave him a little more than just an idea of how to get there. He was able to revisit parts of the experience several times before this part of the session wound down to zero. The second part was an equally detailed experience on how to direct Chi energy into the interface, as well as interface manipulation. Maik even got the impression that there were multiple uses for pumping energy into the interface beyond contributing to the quest or paying the monthly subscription.