The music blared in the background, AC/DC giving me life as my fingers flew across the keyboard in front of me. I was in the zone. My mind and fingers working in tandem to craft the story that played out dozens, if not hundreds of times, in my head. Already at 4,500 words for the day, I was on a roll with my latest post-apocalyptic story. Even as my brain worked feverishly to conjure the words that my fingers typed, I couldn’t stop the giddy anticipation that built in me from thinking about the reaction my fans and readers would have.
Hehehe...I can’t wait to see how those guys in the Top 10 react to this reveal! God, I can’t believe everything came together so fluidly.
As I finish the paragraph I was typing, I paused and took a deep breath. Forcefully ripping my gaze away from the computer screen, I turned to my left. Trembling hands, giddy with anticipation of story’s success, reached for my extra strong black coffee. To my left though, sitting on the ground directly next to me, rested my husky and german shepherd mix, Duke. Funnily enough, his head bobbed up and down with me, in tune to AC/DC. I couldn’t help but smile as his intelligent, near human eyes, met my own and his wagging tongue hung lopsided from his mouth.
“Almost done Duke. I’ll take you for a nice walk and car ride in a -”
My words, which caught Duke’s attention and brought his ears to stand up while he cocked his head at my words, were interrupted by divine intervention.
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Congratulations Humans of the Planet Earth! Your planet has been selected for assimilation into The System. Congratulations! Congratulations!
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A voice, with the iconic tone of any TV show host ever, spoke in an overly excited voice with fake excitement and tension to an audience. An audience that apparently was real as after the voice ended its introduction a thundering sound of applause followed. The sound, coming from everywhere at once deafened my hearing and forced my racing mind to a dead standstill.
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Today, for all of Humanity, is the day of your Great Assimilation! An opportunity like no other to battle against your world’s fiercest mythical creatures and fantasy beings. An opportunity to fight, die, and evolve... all for the Divine Star Federation! Let’s give them another round of applause folks! Put those tentacles and claws together!
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The words, blasted through the apartment and caused my headache to worsen from its volume, sent a shock of realization through my body. With shaky hands, I pushed against the Ikea desk I used and allowed my rolling chair to skate across the hardwood mahogany floors. Gliding across the floor, I watched as Duke stood up and crouched in aggression. His fur, a blend of grey and black, stood up as a throaty growl was emitted from him.
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While it would be entertaining to watch the slaughter of your species by creatures of your own minds, we here at the Divine Star Federation are not without virtue. Thus! The start of the Apocalypse will happen for your region on Earth time of [ 3:30 PM ]. In the remaining 11 minutes before then, please prepare. Or don’t! It’s enjoyable to watch either way.
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Like a light switch that got turned off, the shaking din of noise from the announcer and his audience are silenced and all is quite. Even the normally bustling downtown streets of a small city outside Denver fall into a near comatose like silence.
Then chaos ensues.
Noises outside reach a pitch I’ve never heard before. Even through concrete and rebar reinforced walls, the sounds of screams, panicked cries, and confusion seep through to sow themselves in my room. Despite the noises and the fear that is alive in the air, I merely smile.
Oh...my...god...
My hands become clammy and sweaty as my thoughts began picking up in speed. Realization of what is about to happen slams into me as I stood straighter in my chair. My face, reflected in the computer screen, showed a maniacal and shit-eating grin that spread my young but slightly aged face of low-30s to an unbelievable degree
YESSS! Hell ya! This...this is actually happening!
Frantically, I rose and dashed across my living room floor. Papers of a dozen concepts and story ideas whipped through the air as I scattered them, but I paid it no mind. Instead, I bolt every door and window I have, before hitting Reddit and other sites to ensure that I was not the only one to hear that voice. In only a few minutes, it appears that the phenomenon had been felt and heard world-wide. Having realized the truth of the situation, I pumped my fists in the air and shouted in glee. It lasted only a moment though, before I got ahold of myself once more and prepared for the safety of myself and Duke. If hundreds of novels had taught me anything, it’s that a monster can spawn anywhere and at anytime. Like little Goblins spawning from a bathroom toilet.
Shaking my head disparagingly at the thought, a smile graced my lips as I gripped the cleaving knife in my left hand. In my right hand, rested a true to size Roman Gladius that I bought at the flee market years ago. The iron of the gladius heated up in my hand, causing sweat to run from my palm to its hilt as I fidgeted in barely contained anticipation of the coming change. Rapidly pacing back and forth throughout my apartment in preparation, it took only seven minutes before I was truly prepared.
My attire was composed of heavy duty cargo pants, black and with knee protectors connected to old and worn steel-toed boots. Additionally, a grey shirt of heavy fabric with a matching thick waterproof coat completed the look. The clothes hugged my 6’2 figure tightly, giving my thin frame a bulkier look. Combined with the weapons in my hand and the military grade backpack full of a miscellaneous arsenal of weapons and supplies, I looked ready for war.
With bated breath, I pounced across the living room in a jingle and clatter of metal and loose items. With a flick, the TV flashed to life as I threw the remote aside. On screen, CNN was reporting a “Breaking News” report about the phenomenon of the unknown voice and the resulting human actions. Video feeds of main population centers in the US were shown with people stupidly acting like nothing was really going on. A cut to another scene though, depicted a religious group in front of their church raising their hands to the sky and kneeling in preparation.
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These people have no idea what is happening. God, just how many will die? No...no... Don’t think about it. All I need to do is come out the gate swinging. I can’t save everyone, but once I gain power and level up, I’ll be able to establish my own terrirtory or kingdom and allow for some semblance of normal life again. Plus, think of all the women. The ability to fly and shoot fire!
My thoughts derailed, going from worry for others to thinking about how cool and powerful I’ll become. Shaking my head, I cleared my mind and turned toward the TV once more.
December 21st, 2012. 11:29 AM.
In but a handful of seconds, the time switched just as the announcers on the TV paused as they waited with baited breath at what is to come. Unconsciously, I did the same.
December 21st, 2012. 11:30 AM
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I hope you have prepared Earthlings! The Apocalypse is about to commence and the thrill of a new, violent world is about to descend. I can’t tell you how excited we here are all for it. First though...
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The voice, now fully capturing my attention paused for dramatic effect while it’s no doubt immense audience collectively halted their breathing and chatter
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It is time to... Rank! The! Players!
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In a roar that nearly sent me toppling, the voices of an incalculable number of beings shouted in a frantic glee with the speaker. Their shrill screams and shouts of excitement barraged my ears. I gritted my teeth in an effort to fight off the growing headache. Through the slits of my eyes, I watched Duke as he lowered his head and pawed at his ears while whimpering. Seeing him in pain wrenched me worse than my own physical agony. Grabbing his fairly large body, I wrapped my arms around him as we both sat on the living room floor. Finally, after the sounds of excitement went away slower than I would’ve wished, the tell-tale fake laugh of the announcer resumed. As it did, I opened my eyes and felt my heart stop momentarily before speeding up rapidly. Before me, I noticed a floating box in front of my vision. It’s blue figure moved to remain perfectly in the center of my vision, no matter how much I moved or turned my head and eyes.
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So contestants of Earth, let me grant you the honor of my explanation. Before you is a measuring and evaluation device utilized by The System. This device will scan your body and give a number of rather important details. Things such as your System Statistics which will be portrayed in a fantasy-game system of measurement. This is of course done harmlessly, and with maximum intrusion into your being. Now! The important matter is the number that will appear once the evaluation is finished. This measurement, known as your personal [ Affinity for Essence ], will find how suitable a container you are for holding Essence at this moment in time. The higher the [ Affinity for Essence ] you have, the greater your reward. These rewards, in the form of our grand and immortal federation’s Divine Points, will be used to ensure those divined by Essence will receive a leg-up on your fellow species. The points will range from a distribution of 10 at the lowest Affinity to 10,000 at the highest Affinity, so use them wisely. Now! Let us begin!
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As the announcer finished his speech with words of ‘thanks’ toward the crowd that clapped and whistled shrilly, the rectangle box before me came to life.
Activating Assimilation Protocol for Evaluation
Target Identified and The System registered
Evaluation...Initiated...
Rapidly, three boxes appeared as their messages became displayed on top of each other. I barely read through them before the third box disappeared and blue light exploded around me. Serenely, as if it was happening to another person, I saw particles of light congeal on top of my skin. Slowly, they pulsed and vibrated which sent warm heat throughout my body. After only a few seconds, the blue particles that encapsulated me sunk. Only a fraction at first, then all at once, the blue participles of foreign substance completely sunk into my skin and through my body. Once more, the heat, warm like from a steamy shower, bloomed to life within me. It built, warmer and warmer, spreading throughout my body from my toes to my fingers. It was...euphoric. Never before have I felt such happiness and warmth and energy. However just as my mouth gaped open and my eyes fluttered into the back of my head in pleasure, the ecstasy faded. It drained, slowly but noticeably, before it soon left me. Moments, filled with dealing with the sense of indescribable loss, passed before I opened my eyes once more. In the dull of my eyes though, a new life emerged as I saw the notifications.
Evaluation...Complete...
Congratulations Contestant! Your [ Affinity for Essence ] has been evaluated. In accordance with your Affinity, you have been distributed.... 25 Divine Points to be used as you deem fit.
Achievement Unlocked
For being in the bottom 1% of Humanity for [ Affinity for Essence ], you have unlocked the Achievement [The 1%]
[ The 1% ]
Grants 5 distributable Attribute Points
Achievement Unlocked
For being in the bottom .01% of Humanity for [ Affinity for Essence ], you have unlocked the Achievement [The Unlucky Few]
[ The Unlucky Few ]
Grants a 15% bonus to the Luck Attribute
Achievement Unlocked
For being in the bottom .0001% of Humanity for [ Affinity for Essence ], you have unlocked the Achievement [To the Loser goes the Handicap]
[ To the Loser goes the Handicap ]
Grants a 20% bonus to any two Attributes of your choice
Please visit the Galactic Shop to spend your acquired 25 Divine Points.
You have 29 minutes and 22 seconds before the descent of the Apocalypse
Enjoy!
As the notifications appeared, bringing with it mayhem from the outside world, I stood numb and mute. My eyes, focused on the screens, shook in terror at the implication of what the blue boxes told me. From the screens, to Duke, to the now blank TV screen, I moved my eyes in numb disbelief. Only one thought entered my otherwise empty head.
This...this isn’t supposed to happen. What the hell! WHAT THE HELL!