Kennith - Individual Subspace Pocket
Still positively fuming, Kennith began to rub his eyes in an irritated fashion. After he regained some semblance of sight, what he was met with was less than informative.
Not only was there no sign of the machine that had spoken to him before, but there was also just a void of white surrounding him, and no matter which was he turned, that was all his sore eyes could see.
Running his hands through his hair, he was at a complete loss for what to do next.
Playing back the last thing he had heard he could not make head nor tail of what it could mean. Saved temporarily from further confusion, he heard it again:
“Your planet’s population of sentient beings has reached the threshold of 10,000,000,000 individual specimens and all, like you, are currently undergoing elevation.”
Furthering his previous attempt at polite abrasiveness he retorted.
“Now you listen here you ruddy tin can, I’ve had just about enough of this tom foolery!”
Unfortunately for Kennith the robotic voice continued unabated:
“You and your fellow sapient’s will have to adapt your psychology and physiology to be compatible with your new mana enhanced environs. Naturally this will entail you undergoing a brief and limited exposure to the afore mentioned ‘mana’.“
Turning beetroot red from the frustration of being ignored once more, Kennith made to speak only to be left with mouth ajar whilst the voice informed him of yet more nonsense:
“I shall now commence low grade mana exposure which may cause some discomfort, please stand by.”
Doing a formidable impression of a goldfish, he failed to think of anything to reply with until a new unwelcome sensation came upon him.
It began behind his solar plexus with a searing intensity that made him yelp in alarm and as the sensation began to spread out to his extremities he began to convulse violently.
After a few moments Kennith’s neurons had had enough, causing him to black out. Yet despite his insensate condition, the convulsions continued to increase in severity. With the increased intensity of the convulsions he began to foam at the mouth which was accompanied by the sound of creaking and snapping of his joints and bones, pushed well beyond their healthy limits by his spasming muscles.
The center of his chest began to pulse with a sinister red light and after several seconds ash could be seen floating up from it, followed by more and more, at an alarming rate. Soon the red light was infesting the totality of his insides as they slowly but surely began to disintegrate into a fine white ash from the solar plexus outwards.
Over the space of two minutes all that was left of Kennith Chadwick was sporadic piles of lazily settling white dust, in complete contrast to the frenetic scene just minutes before hand.
The silent vigil of the Arbiter was broken with a final pronouncement to no one in particular:
“Human 0,020,869,472 has displayed a severe Incompatibility with a mana enriched environment. Terminating individualized instance.”
And with that statement the remains of Kennith Chadwick and the individual subspace pocket winked out of existence.
Michelle – Individual Subspace Pocket
‘It’s happened again’ Michelle’s hung over mind said to itself, she was waking up in an unfamiliar place in discomfort and with no reasonable explanation as to how she’d gotten here.
Sure, she remembered the voice that sounded like a satnav, saying things that made no sense at all and as much as she was blustering about her lawyer, she had a feeling that would not get her out of this situation in the least.
Rubbing her already suffering eyes in the crook of her elbows in what her twatter fans would describe as ‘Adorable cuteness’, she tried to get a grip on the all white surrounds she found herself in whilst inwardly joking that it ‘looked just like Texas’.
Putting a stop to her thoughts, the voice spoke to her in the monotones of an uncaring machine:
“Your planet’s population of sentient beings has reached the threshold of 10,000,000,000 individual specimens and all, like you, are currently undergoing elevation.”
‘Ahhh crap, did that cara de mi huevo izquierdo agent of mine sign me up to some shitty audition without telling me again!?’ she thought.
Uncaring for her internal quandary the disembodied voice added:
“You and your fellow sapient’s will have to adapt your psychology and physiology to be compatible with your new mana enhanced environs. Naturally this will entail you undergoing a brief and limited exposure to the afore mentioned ‘mana’.“
‘He totally has, that fucking arsehole!’ she thought irately as the voice continued:
“I shall now commence low grade mana exposure which may cause some discomfort, please stand by.”
“Wait a damn second there buddy no one said anything about exposure to me!?!” She half yelled in a semi accusatory manner, but try as she might, the unknown process commenced in spite of her protestations.
It began behind her solar plexus with a hot feeling like thousands of little fiery knives, causing her already fatigued body to double over from the onslaught of pain. The unbidden sensation quickly spread to her extremities and where upon reaching her head, caused her to promptly lose consciousness.
An unspecified time later Michelle came to in a groaning bundle of aching limbs and head in an ungainly fetal position on the white floor. Ironically not the worst place or condition she had regained consciousness from she quickly assessed herself and surrounds once more.
“You are to be congratulated ‘Human’ for having survived the low grade mana exposure test.”
Ignoring the satnav she noticed she had lost control of her bladder from whatever had just been done to her and she felt a rage rise inside of her.
Given she could not actually see her assailant, she started to vent it in the direction of the ceiling in a bizarrely questioning yet abusive manner.
“UY, QUE CARE-CHIMBA? WHAT THE DID YOU JUST DO TO ME YOU HIJO DE MIL PUTAS!?!?! ILL HAVE YOUR METAL BALLS FOR THIS YOU PINCHE PUTA!!!”
Receiving no response to her tirade, yet far from appeased by the nonresponse, she was about to resume it only to be cut off by the robotic voice:
“I am now about to begin the class aptitude test, this test will take into account your life’s previous experience, natural predispositions and bodies compatibility.”
A blue-ish cloud of what looked like gas appeared around her feet and began to rise up her body. Having had more than enough pain and discomfort for one day she turned and ran in the opposite direction she thought the voice was coming from.
Yet try as she might, she was met with nothing but white, leading to more nondescript white. Beginning to truly panic, she continued to run, belatedly noticing the blue-ish cloud was almost at her head where it began to settle obstructing her vision.
Not two frantic breath’s later she heard a *Whaaaaaap*, coupled with another bright flash of light causing her to trip and fall flat on her face.
Groaning for what felt like the hundredth time today she did a quick inventory of herself and aside from the aching joints from whatever was done to her, the bruised knees and forehead from her fall and the reemerging headache from her ungodly hangover she was relatively unscathed.
While a welcome surprise this did nothing to curb her recovering rage at being put through this seemingly nonsensical ordeal. Steeling herself for yet another delivery of her piece of mind to this puta barrata of a robot, the wind in her proverbial sails were once again forestalled, with another curt statement from her robotic tormentor:
“After reviewing the test results I have complied a list of available class choices, they are as follows.”
Reverse crab walking awkwardly back a few feet in alarm, as a new horror assailed her in the form of a blue screen which had materialized into the center of her vision.
Narrowing her eyes in annoyance at the realization of being literally and figuratively on the back foot for a majority of her thus far god awful day. She tried her best to calm herself to take in the contents of the screen that would not go away no matter how much she blinked or shook her head.
Quirking her eyebrows in growing confusion at it’s contents and covering her nose to stifle the growing stench of urine, she read and reread it in an effort to understand just what the hell the text of the invasive blue screen wanted:
Classes available for selection:
>Apprentice Spearwoman (Common)
>Apprentice Trader (Common)
>Apprentice Archer (Common)
>Apprentice Mage (Common)
>Apprentice Bard (Uncommon)
>Apprentice Knight (Common)
…Selection time remaining 2 Minutes 5 Seconds…
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
‘What the hell’ she thought ‘this is either the worst audition I have ever been not invited to, or there is something else going on here that I have no FUCKING CLUE ABOUT!’
Throwing caution to the wind as it was one of her least favorite preoccupations, she thought about selecting Apprentice Mage because ‘who the hell would want to be a trader anyway?’
Immediately after she mentally confirmed this choice, the screen containing the list of classes disappeared only to be replaced by another screen containing a single line of text:
Class chosen: >Apprentice Mage<
While her eyes were wide in surprise the monotonic machine spoke again:
“Congratulations human 0,710,864,632 on your new class. Given that your initial integration of mana and class has been successful, you now have access to your ‘status’ interface giving a truncated and itemized visualization of your current state. To monitor this visualization simply mental invoke the word ‘status’. To modify and distribute attributes and skill activation, you must mentally command the appropriate attribute or skill to be modified by invoking ‘increase attribute’ or ‘skill name’. Whilst accessing the status interface all selections and modifications are nonrefundable and final so please choose wisely.”
Doing her best to get a handle on her emotions while she listened to the deluge of unbidden information, Michelle massaged her arms and legs as she tried to pay attention to it while the voice carried on:
“Having completed your initial aptitude test, mana exposure and class selection successfully I shall now disseminate basic information on your soon to be new home and habitat and the system that is now part of it.”
“The world as you once knew it is no more, what domiciles, structures and facilities that previously existed have been reconstituted and relocated to better facilitate this planets elevation process. The biomes that used to exist haphazardly have been consolidated and reorganized in a more uniform manner.”
Starting to get a feeling that Toto was no-where to be found and Kansas was never coming back, a chill began to settle into her at the enormity of it all as more monotonic words found her:
“In light of this your species has been provided with new basic accommodations known as ‘Outposts’ in level appropriate zones along with access to a goods trading system known as a ‘Shop’. Currency to trade for items in the ‘Shop’ will be attainable from vanquishing mana enhanced entities in the form of condensed mana known as Manamotes. Manamotes come in different densities with according value ascribed to them and being universally attainable throughout the elevated cosmos are universally accepted currency on any world.”
‘Manamotes? That has to be the worst made up word I’ve ever heard…’ she mused whilst the voice carried on:
“Having just been introduced to the system your species plus the native flora and fauna of your biomes will have to undergo drastic changes alongside your planet to be able to survive in this newly mana enhanced environment. Any previous technology relying on electrons vigorous interactions will no longer function without the interaction of mana , this is by way of mana having altered your previously lived in environment at both the atomic and sub-atomic level.”
“To further advance yourself as an individual you are able to absorb mana from entities your own mana field has interacted with at the period of time before the entity ceases to be. The more you are responsible for hastening said entities demise the greater portion of it’s mana you will be able to assimilate into your own mana field conversely should another entity be responsible in a similar fashion for your demise the reverse effect shall be applied.”
‘Well say what you like about bat shit crazy auditions, but this lot really have really committed to the whole ‘live your narrative’ schtick’, she thought in an attempt to assert her grasp on the situation.
Indifferently, the voice continued:
“The process of gaining mana with this mechanism is called “gaining experience” and will quantified in your ‘status’, only when a sufficient amount has been gathered and your level is increased.”
“Another Method of gaining experience is through the quest system, there are two means by which to obtain and complete quests.”
But contrary to her attempts to supplant her own world view on the situation, the monotonous voice doled out more information:
“The first method is by being present in a specific geographical location and participating in a locally broadcasted system activity ranging from but not limited to exterminating other entities, destroying a specific structure or securing an area for a set amount of time.”
“The second method is by obtaining a quest from an ‘outpost’s’ quest bulletin board, these quests are refreshed every 24 of your hours and you are limited to taking only one per 24 hour period.”
Rolling her eyes as boredom and annoyance began to win out against her sense of dread she railed;
“Get on with it grandpa!”
But just like before the voice carried on, indifferent to her wants:
“Rewards for the quests can also differ greatly aside from a rewarded set amount of individual experience you may also obtain a cache of mana motes, enchanted items of varying rarity, consumables and much more.”
“All beings in a mana enriched environment are subject to the ‘experience’ system and are treated equitably and fairly regardless of beings existing belief’s or values.”
“While being an individualized instance of the Arbiter of the elevation tutorial protocol for your species’ personal subspace pockets my knowledge is limited to only what is applicable to my task. I must apologize if afore mentioned information on your current and upcoming circumstance is insufficient for you or has caused any distress, please take 5 of your minutes to familiarize yourself with your new class and ‘status’ interface.”
Just like that the lecture ended and another blue box appeared in the right hand corner of her vision:
4 Minutes 59 Seconds until elevation tutorial ends, you have also been provided with class specific equipment please prepare yourself.
Looking around in annoyance at being not only given time constraints but still being stuck in soiled clothing, her eyes rested on a white pedestal some eight feet away, which seemed to have a wooden rod resting on it. Tamping down her ire, she got to her feet while her bruised knees protested and cautiously walked towards the wooden object.
Upon closer inspection, it was a wooden staff of about 5 feet in length with leather tied in a simple rudimentary grip and no further attachment, curiously she edged still closer. Once within about two feet of it a new blue box grabbed her attention, focusing on it the text seemed to contain the items description;
Apprentice Mage’s Wooden Staff
Level Requirement: 1
Attributes: Melee Damage + 1 – 2, Magic Power + 2 - 8
Durability: 10 / 10
Description: An Apprentice Mage’s most useful item. A common magical item synthesized for phase 1 worlds.
Not sure what else to do she reached forward to the handle and when her trembling hand made contact, she felt a surge of power run through her very being. Oddly reassured by the new sensation that contact with the staff brought, she noticed the timer in the bottom right hand of her vision reading 3 minutes and 14 seconds she remembered the instructions the condescending robot had given her. Quickly she mentally intoned ‘status’ and the staff’s information screen disappeared, only to be replaced with a new screen containing her own statistical information:
STATUS
Name: Michelle
Age: 22
Titles: N/A
Class 1:Apprentice Mage Level :1
Class 2: N/A
Profession: N/A
HP: 19/21 MP: 24/24
Status Effects: Hung Over (-15% reaction time -25% regeneration)
Vitality: 9
Strength: 6 Dexterity: 9
Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 9 Luck: 7
Undistributed Attribute points: 5
Passives –
Human: + 5 attribute points per level
Lingua System: Able to communicate verbally with any system integrated entity and be understood
Introspective: + 5% to Wisdom
True Believer: + 15% to damage dealt and -10% damage taken when taking an action or actions that you believe are correct , -20% damage dealt and + 15% damage taken when taking an action or actions you believe are incorrect.
Skills – Apprentice Mage
1) Magic Missile (LvL 1): Cast a Magic Missile at a single target causing it to seek the target whilst caster is in line of sight and deal 3 – 7 Arcane damage (Damage and mana cost scales with skill level). Cost: 5 Mana, Cast time: 1 second, Cooldown: 10 seconds
2) N/A
3) N/A
4) N/A
5) N/A
6) N/A
“Dios Mio”
She said in a half whisper as she willed away the screen. Wondering just what the hell she was caught up in her mind frantically sought for a reasonable explanation. Her hung-over brain disloyally kept coming back to one startling, yet depressing possibility.
‘It’s official I’m fucking loco!’ she thought with growing despair as she slumped on the floor, with her new staff nestled into her shoulder, she buried her slightly flushed face in her hands.
She was reluctantly brought out of the depression she found herself sinking into by the ticking counter in the bottom right hand of her vision, just in time to witness it reaching zero.
Once again she was consumed in the now oppressive flash of blue-ish white light and with her ceasing to exist in the sub space pocket, it too winked out of existence.
Jupiter’s Core – Seraph #04762
If Seraph #04762 was fully allowing all of its synthetic neurons unfettered access with one another, this part of its purpose was the most reward orientated.
The refinement of a species down to its essential members with the utilization of the arbiter subroutine, whilst on surface level inspection was a wasteful measure, the quality of those left behind far offset the expenditure of mana and loss of sentient beings. Furthermore to be the instrument of betterment for a whole species in the space of a few hours more than made up of the millions of idle years, spent in passive mode.
Tabulating the results of ‘Earth’s’ sentient population’s elevation tutorial, the numbers of ineffective members of sapient beings was far less than optimal:
Mana Compatible: 4,200,000,000 (42%)
Manacraven: 3,525,614,952 (35.25614952%)
Mana Incompatible: 2,274,358,048 (22.74385048%)
To lose more than 25% of total sentient’s in the initial testing and mana immersion was cosmically unheard of and adding in the dominant species apparent psychological instabilities resulting in an almost equal number of mana craven to the mana compatible… That diminished the human race at well the sub 50% threshold.
The reason why these totals were so important was if one was to correlate these initial numbers and then extrapolate them based off of other bipedal unarmored sentient’s survival trends, whom also have undergone elevation to various stages, what you were left with was total species extinction well before even a single specimen reached the phase 1 level cap.
Naturally there had been certain species who were outliers in the statistics, but the chance of this occurring even to the end of the second phase was about 0.021%. Seraph #04762 spent a nanosecond recalling the ‘Dinosaurs’ futile, and premature fight with the ash titan during their first phase elevation.
The fight itself had been poorly coordinated due to the fractious nature of the diverse nature of sentient species at the time.
Certainly there had been some cooperation with the herbivorous individuals and the like, yet given the individualistic and territorial nature of the carnivorous specimens, continent wide cooperation was never really an option.
There was also the issue of the water dwelling individuals being unable to contribute to the attempt due to the land based nature of the fight.
Unsurprisingly the Ash Titan consolidated enough mana from the fallen sentient’s during the attempt and went nova, snuffing out all active elevants at the time.
All that remained from the time were fossilized remains of the unfortunate elevants and the phasic bosses central core, though having mostly deteriorated now for millions of years a portion of it was still visible where it lay in defunct rest in what the dominant sentient’s called ‘Central Australia’.
Neurons flickering back to the matter at hand, Seraph #04762 compared the previous inhabitants of the planet to the current ones.
Having completed the comparison, it acknowledged that while their psychological stability and mana compatibility were severely lacking it had formed a form of attachment to these descendants of monkeys, with their penchant for baseless optimism and twerking.
It took a nanoseconds pause to consider if this irregularity was cause to schedule self maintenance. Yet given it was currently completing all its required objectives of its core directives, it was deemed unnecessary.
Thus as it continued to fulfill its purpose it also continued to record their banal exploits through the first phase with slightly more than appropriate attention.