I'm not sure if I should be pleased with this

src/chapters/04-b-monsterseverywhere.tex

@@ -63,5 +63,153 @@ though.  Its unlikely that she'd appear here.
 \textbf{Manafed:} No, she's just incredibly tricksy and a bit of a pain in the
 ass.
 
-Deities.  Figured they'd be problematic with their own set of rules.
+Deities.  Figured they'd be problematic with their own set of rules and shit.
+
+I focussed on my mind for a moment before disappearing into a completely void
+'scape.  I saw my thoughts as they bubbled into existence before disappearing
+again just an instant later.  The implant must enable some weird types of
+self-introspection.
+
+"Yes, it does," someone said from behind me.  The entire environment blinked
+pink then red as I snapped around ready to attack.  I saw a young looking
+blonde floating upside down.
+
+"Anna, I presume," I offered as I forced myself to relax.  "You could warn a
+girl before just barging into her head-space."
+
+"But where would the fun in that be?" she asked, sticking her tongue out in a
+playful manner.
+
+"What's with the corporate love?" I asked, frankly.
+
+"No love," she giggled, "just trying to throw a wrench in the other deities'
+plans so I can go back to my set of universes."
+
+"Your set of universes?" I asked, confused.  There were other universes?  But
+why?  I mean, science said it might be possible, but we were nowhere near
+exploring what that might mean.
+
+"Yes," she said, her playful tone vanishing instantly, "I miss my home and I
+miss my power.  Omnipotence doesn't work in this universe due to some weird
+limitations."  Her face turned sour.  "It means I can't just alter timelines to
+get what I want and instead I have to keep powerful players in power.  Why do
+you think the free states exist at all?  If it weren't for me, corporations
+would rule every inch of this hellscape."
+
+"Alter timelines?" I asked, alarm radiating through every ounce of my voice.
+
+"Yes," she replied, "but alas, I can't just say 'no more technomage dragon god'
+in this universe.  By the way, I haven't taken care of that issue, but at least
+she doesn't control every aspect of technomancy here.  In fact, killing her in
+this universe could cause a massive schism that would end all life.  Fucked
+that one up one too many times in my own timeline."
+
+"There's a dragon somewhere that can control all 'technomancy'?" I asked,
+bewildered, "what the hell even \emph{is} technomancy?"
+
+"Oh my young fledgling," she cooed, "you'll hopefully never meet one.  They
+exist far beyond the stars at this moment.  Due to the expansion of your
+universe, its hopeful your entire species will never have to meet them."
+
+"There's life beyond the stars?" I asked, I didn't think I could be any more
+alarmed, but it seemed my patron deity was just dropping bombshell after
+bombshell on my fragile psyche.
+
+"Gods yes," she laughed, "you thought you were all alone here in this big ol'
+universe?  Pah.  The Kirtischians would wipe this sorry excuse for humanity
+into oblivion.  If they could ever figure out how to tear a hole through
+space-time, that is.  Luckily, every other deity also appears to take the
+stance on them that I do: don't let them touch anything they already haven't."
+
+"So humanity is better where you're from?" I asked, suddenly relieved that
+humanity was at least doing better in some other universe.
+
+"Yes and no," she began to explain, "gods above, I haven't talked about my own
+origins in this much detail since the first mage I made."  She materialized a
+chair next to me and lounged in it.  
+
+"In my universe, the one I was able to cultivate from its very inception,
+humanity wouldn't 'just happen'.  I tried so many things, but from the
+beginning to the end, humanity never showed up.  So I caused a few malfunctions
+on Kirtiscian spacecraft and crash-landed them on Earth to finally jumpstart
+humanity.  After that, I was able to gently nudge the right people into power
+and Earth, by the time it all ended, was finally populated by humans that had
+setup a true utopia.
+
+"How many timelines did you shave off into oblivion to get that to work?" I
+asked.  My lack of trust in people clearly showing through.
+
+"More than you could count, but less than infinity," she laughed, "of course,
+that's a lot less than I thought, too."
+
+"Why the special care for humanity?" I asked, curiosity finally boiling over.
+
+"Why not?  I am, after all, human," she admitted, "or at least I was,
+originally."  She pointed to a weird little tattoo she had on her shoulder.  A
+grid of spaces, some filled with dots, others not.  "My hacker emblem.  Someone
+who found a bug in the universe was awarded with one.  Mine?  Ascension.  I was
+able to um, without making it sound too much like an RPG, level up my
+abilities.  Until I was omniscient."
+
+"You played a lot of strategy games, then?" I asked, a smile cracking across my
+face.
+
+"Not as many as you'd think," she dismissed, "I was more of a hacker.  A lot
+like you, actually.  Just, a lot more into maths.  That was so many years ago,
+though.  Many universes worth of time ago, actually."
+
+That was a lot.  A lot to take in.  A lot to process.  That was a lot.  I mean,
+the fact that I was sitting there talking to an actual goddess was also a lot,
+so I suppose my idea of 'a lot' was suddenly very broken.
+
+My mind wandered back around to why I wanted to talk to her in the first place,
+not wanting to unpack all of the information that was just dumped on me.  "So
+why don't we split from the corp now that we are clearly big enough?"
+
+"Oh," she laughed, "quite the topic change.  Um, currently we're actually in
+the process, but really it comes down to ensuring that the Free State here
+still exists.  Eastern Hills is under constant pressure from Tamaki, under my
+direction mind you, to keep other corps in the area in check.  We leave and the
+entire area will be 'up for grabs' in the eyes of the corps."
+
+"So a bit of a catch-22, then?" I asked, pondering the politics that corps play
+with eachother.
+
+"Yeah," she replied, "I'd opt for an all out revolution from the people living
+here, but that would cost more blood and life than its worth."
+
+"So living in a Free State, despite the massive corps exerting their power
+anyway, is preferable to letting the citizens decide?"
+
+"No," she laughed, "but they wouldn't get a say in any case.  The corps have
+more power, money, and resources.  They would simply wipe any opposition out.
+Or, as is tried and true, and much much cheaper, run psyops until other
+citizens removed the opposition for them.  Takes a little longer, but they
+already control the media, so ultimately it cuts the cost by a lot."
+
+So she was saying its better to live in a facade of equality than to live in an
+open tyrany.  I wasn't sure I agreed, but I'd think on it more later.  I sighed
+and slumped down as I realized I had an absolute tonne of information to unpack
+and process later.
+
+"Looks like I gave you too much at once," Anna said laxidasically.  "Maybe you
+should head back to the party and be with others.  You have definitely been
+winning friends."
+
+"No winning about friendship," I stated, "friendships are bonds that are
+forged.  They aren't won.  Competition in this context simply doesn't make
+sense."
+
+"Fair, but my point still stands," she giggled playfully.  Again, treating me
+like I was a pawn in a game.  I didn't like it.
+
+"We're people," I said, "we all have feelings, and we shouldn't be played
+with."
+
+She gave me a puzzled look before realizing that my mindspace was becoming more
+violent in its shifting thoughts.  She nodded and was gone in an instant.
+
+Some goddess.  Using people for playthings to enact her will in the world.  At
+least she was a lot more limited here than wherever the hell she came from.
+And to be using us to get home was simply shameful.