diff --git a/src/chapters/summoning.tex b/src/chapters/summoning.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1a7fbc --- /dev/null +++ b/src/chapters/summoning.tex @@ -0,0 +1,170 @@ +\section{Meeting With Destiny} + +I sat at my desk typing away. I'd been here for hours. It wasn't like I'd had +any other choice. If I finished this project, I could save the world. + +``Test One,'' I announced to the camera. I tapped a few keys on my keyboard. +The computer screen flashed several colours. I jumped when the machine behind +me started to emit a pulsating low hum. The magnetic field generator, no +doubt. + +The pedistal behind me glowed with a bright blue light and a circle of blinding +white condensed light formed over it, hanging a half meter off the ground. + +``The Transdimensional Phase Device appears to be functioning,'' I announced +excitedly. I wasn't sure if the recording setup could even hear me over the +thrumming the machine made. ``Continuing on to confirmation test.'' + +I plucked my coffee mug from my desk. It was long emptied and nearly ice cold. +I smiled at the camera and chucked it at the circle. As it passed through, the +circle of condensed light's surface rippled like water. I shifted slightly to +see the other side. + +``The portal has been formed correctly,'' I laughed. ``We're saved!'' + +As I was excitedly stimming, something unexpected happened: the mug flew back +through the portal, smashing into my computer's screen. I stood there, shocked +at the remains of my mug and the destroyed monitor. + +``What the--'' + +The form of a person passed through the portal. ``Air pressure stable,'' the +person said. Their voice was modulated. ``Atmospheric composition is +breathable.'' A pause. I realised I was only getting half the conversation as +I gawked at them. They shifted, turning what I assumed was a head toward me. +``Oh. Its another one of us.'' + +I furrowed my brow. ``Another one of... us?'' I asked. + +Moments of silence hung in the air between us before they tapped at a screen on +their wrist. The suit they wore hissed as the helmet released and folded back. +I was surprised. + +I was looking at myself. + +``Hey, I'm going to assume your name is Lyra,'' she said, smiling. It was odd +seeing my own face smiling back at myself. + +I nodded in shocked silence for a moment, then jumped for joy and stimmed some +more, wildly announcing success for the recording setup. + +``Woah there,'' she said. Her voice was crystal clear and beautiful. It was a +surreal experience to hear myself from someone else's perspective. ``Clearly +you're happy that this worked, but we're trying to explore the Outer Reaches +here.'' + +I giggled. ``Isn't it multiverse, or multiplanar space?'' + +``Lyra Prime, the first to actually hop through the planar membrane, decided to +call it the Outer Reaches, and it just stuck.'' + +``Wild,'' I nodded along before approaching the other me. The machine was +still thumming its now soft pulse, a more stable link established. ``May I +touch you?'' + +She blushed, a crimson that clearly held a meaning I didn't intend to invoke. +``A little soon, maybe?'' + +``Oh,'' I blushed, ``I didn't--'' + +Another person, or another me, I supposed, walked through the open portal. +``Oh wow,'' her voice was still modulated through the suit. ``The new one's +too forward for Theta-3.'' + +``Oh, you're one to talk,'' Theta-3 responded as the newcomer's helmet +retracted. ``At least she didn't immediately ask if my univere had Death Notes +like you, edge-lord.'' + +``What are Death Notes?'' I asked, snapping up my digital writing tablet to +take careful not of my interactions thus far. + +``They're an as of yet fictional notebook that allows you to kill people by +writing their name,'' the new Lyra explained. ``I assume you don't have them +here either.'' I was too busy writing to answer. + +``Oh gods,'' Theta-3 sighed after a few moments. ``She's just like Prime, too +busy taking thorough notes `for science' to even answer.'' + +I continued making notes, trying very hard to catalogue and understand. I +didn't notice the newcomer approach me. Before I knew it there was a gloved +hand guiding my face up. + +``Hey there, Little Prime,'' she said, a saultry tone permeating her voice. + +I hiccuped as my face flushed. ``H- hi,'' I tried. + +``I'm Lyra Zero,'' Zero continued, her eyes locked with mine as if probing for +the hidden secrets of the universe. + +``Hi Zero,'' I replied, unable to look away from her stare. + +``Zero, would you stop that,'' Theta-3 interjected, her face holding the most +unammused look I'd ever seen anyone make, let alone myself. ``And you, Little +Prime, would you quit writing notes, we have a full database of notes you can +copy back in Prime's lab.'' + +Oh, this was about to get incredibly complicated wasn't it? + +\section{Complication, Chaos, and Computers} + +``I don't understand,'' I complained to the me standing a few feet away. +Supposedly Theta was the commander of their self-defense force. Selves-defense +force? The terminology breaks down when there are multiple of a single person. + +Though, I supposed the majority of us weren't quite the same. From what I +could gather, there were clusters of alternate me's that had similar +personalities, and that's how I- they organized and named themselves. This was +surreal. + +The Theta designation was for those of me who had the personality or previous +life experience that lent well to militarized protection. The Prime +designation, of which only two were currently known, were supposedly both +leaders and scientists. I wasn't sure how that was supposed to work. Science +and leadership have almost nothing to do with eachother. + +``We are pushing back several incursions already,'' Theta stated. Her face was +scarred in a few spots. I decided to respectfully not acknowledge them. ``We +literally don't have the numbers to fight on another front.'' + +``This is about numbers?'' I asked. It seemed clear to me that no matter which +one of me I was dealing with, analysis was still a skill. ``What about the +eleven billion people on my planar Earth?" + +``And the thirty billion people on Prime Earth or the fifteen billion on +Omicron-4 Earth,'' Theta replied, an emotionless expression hanging on my- her +face before softening up. ``We've lost many planar homes, we can't save them +all no matter how hard we try. I'm sorry for your loss, but at least you've +secured your own safety and found a new home.'' + +So, I'd just been too late? I didn't know if I could accept that, really. +Shouldn't I, no matter which me we were talking about, value human life on a +very deep and basic level? + +She gave me a sorrowful look. ``You can try to talk with Prime about it. +Maybe get an emergency shipment of weapons we've developed, along with +instructions, to your world's people. No promises that they'll be good for +your, uh, specific needs.'' + +``So the incursions you're currently fighting aren't--'' + +``No,'' she laughed. ``I'd say fighting demons is completely new for us.'' + +``Well it was kinda my fault..." I trailed off, feeling sour again. I had +written a general purpose program to summon demons. One of my research +assistants emailed the program to every address on a certain email provider. +Now Atan was trying to setup a thousand year kingdom for... whoever his people +are supposed to be. Christians, jews, and muslims, I supposed, but nobody +really knew who actually worshiped him. Everyone else was going to die. +Opposing Atan was a demon trying to create a more livable world for demons. I +didn't actually know what their name was, but more than a few humans were +opposing both factions. + +It was only a matter of time before things started getting terrible for every +human on the planet though. Japan and most of Europe were already wastelands. + +``You already explained how it wasn't,'' Theta said, breaking my train of +thought. + +``Yeah,'' I sighed. ``I suppose I did.'' It didn't stop me from feeling +responsible, though. Afterall, I'd written the program. +