Infinitium

Adam switched his clothes to a black business suit with a strong power tie. Next, he used Chaos Step to appear in the Welcome Center of Xeli Corporation. A moment later he located Valeria Xeli in her office on the top floor. He also recognized that he was on Mars. With another Chaos Step, he appeared in Valeria’s office.

Adam wasn’t at all surprised when he was assaulted by three separate anti-intrusion systems. The first attack tried to disintegrate him as an energy system encapsulated him. The second attack formed a stasis field around the disintegration field. The third attack tried to open a portal within his midsection. Sense Chaos detected the other end of that portal anchored 1,000 miles from the event horizon of the black hole at the center of the galaxy Xeli homeworld’s galaxy.

Adam ignored the first and second attacks and stepped out of the energy field. As he did so the third attack finished creating the portal once he was out of the way and tried to pull him into it. He ignored it as well. Gravity, Times, and Space were good friends at this point. Adam flashed to Valeria's side, touched her arm, and activated Shape Reality. He reduced all of her basic attributes to 10 and negated all her levels except for her very first level.

Simultaneously he shifted the space they sat within to an adjacent dimension and locked it from all types of teleportation and dimensional travel. Adam had to give it to Valeria, she never gave up. Adam hadn’t removed any of her skills so when she activated a martial arts skill that allowed her to make a killing strike and punched him in the throat with the goal of crushing his larynx. Adam didn’t even try to stop her.

Unfortunately for her, the equivalent hardness of his flesh was greater than that of his Adamantium Scales in Dragon Form. Additionally, she was only level 1. When her closed fist connected with his throat she compressed and broke every finger in her hand and snapped both her radius and ulna bones in her forearm.

As she stepped back and grabbed her arm, unable to deal with the pain with her level 1 willpower Adam looked at her and said, “I will admit you have some drive. Now do you want to talk or should I stand here and let you do your best imitation of Deadpool?”

“Deadpool?”

Adam didn’t bother answering the question. Instead, he released some nanites with Mold Chaos and created a holographic monitor to play the scene from the movie Deadpool when Colossuses tried to convince Deadpool to let Francis go. Adam let the scene play out while Valeria couldn’t help herself and watched the images on the scene. When the playback reached, “All the dinosaurs feared the T-Rex” Adam couldn't help it, he smirked. After Deadpool broke his leg, Adam released the images and looked at Valeria

Valeria looked at Adam with disdain, then allowed her eyes to unfocus, as she looked over her Status. A moment later her eyes flared and she screamed, “What have you done to me?”

“I’m making my point. It is a point you will either accept and alter your behavior for or it’s a point you’ll ignore and I’ll let you join your father, your choice.”

“What point is that?”

Adam realized at that moment that it didn’t matter. This woman was too much her father's daughter. With a thought he healed the damage to her body, picked her up by her shoulders, and activated Chaos Step. Adam appeared near Adrian Xeli. He lowered Valeria’s feet to touch the ground, released her, and activated Chaos Step to return to her office.

Valeria was now a non-issue, never to be seen again unless he wanted to bring her back. That was too bad for the Xeli Corporation. Unmarried with no existing family it was nothing for Adam to simulate her presence while he used Technomancer to reach out to all company computer-based systems, infiltrate, record, and in some cases overwrite them.

Before he fully went to work, he reached out to Pandora. He’d been meaning to improve her animae but things had become a bit hectic. A thought entered his head, more like a feeling that she was alright and would be returning shortly with a suggestion that perhaps he should focus on his other family members. Adam searched through himself and knew that feeling had come through his Chaos Incarnate sphere in his Soul Core. As he reached within himself, he realized that the feeling had been transmitted from a thread that led somewhere Adam hadn’t traveled yet.

In due time

Well if that wasn’t a hint to leave whatever was linked to his Chaos Node alone, nothing would be. Fine, he’d revisit that later. Adam instead reached out for his mother and father, found them, and activated Chaos Step

Adam appeared in London England on the same Earth he’d dropped them off on to be with Pandora. With Sense Chaos he immediately knew the state of the planet and everyone on it. There were currently Ten Safe Zones in major cities. Also, it looked like the monsters were under control, for now. As he took in the planet and surrounding area Adam’s first mother looked up and noticed him, “Adam!” as she rushed over to give him a hug, “How are you?”

Adam felt a call go out through an ear piece she was wearing and multiple portals opened around him as Abi, Amanda, Desirae, Clarence, and Dad all stepped through, “Bring Pandora’s team too please,” Adam said.

Amanda shrugged but sent off a message. a moment later five more portals opened. Callum, Pythias, Robert, Asling, and Cedrik stepped into the room.

“Hello, everyone. First question, does anyone know where Pandora is?” Adam asked.

“She vanished about a month ago,” Abi said. The data we have….”

“Hold on, I’ll take a look,” Adam said, as he accessed the network and withdrew the information he needed. As he reviewed the information he noted that it appeared that all the duplicates of Pandora had vanished a moment before the one that had been pulled through the quantum anomaly. As he reviewed the available information he felt a resonance between that quantum signature at the point of her final departure and the thread that left his Chaos Incarnate sphere in his Soul Core.

Adam’s mind went into hyperdrive as he reviewed all available data from his past and present. If his hypothesis was correct she’d been pulled out of this dimension and into some chaotic dimension. Why?

“What was Pandora doing before she disappeared?” Adam asked.

“She didn’t say, though she appeared to be separating herself into more and more copies so she could maintain order and work on the monster spawns and surges. That is after she took out the 25 major spawns that happened when the SYSTEM converted some nuclear weapon energy into mana that flooded the planet,” Abi said.

“With that hint, Adam used Sense Chaos to review the planet’s magical makeup and noted that it looked almost normal, except that there was a severe lack of Chaotic energy. Also, all the magic around Scarborough seemed to be funneling to a survey room that was reminiscent of the room he’d created with Portals Inc.

Adam created a holographic terminal, activated Shape Reality, and looked through time to the point just before Pandora disappeared. With Shape Reality Adam pulled up a Status Screen for Pandora and noted her attributes. All of her base attributes were just over 100,000 while the Chaos incorporated into her was almost as much as he had. How the hell had she managed that? Better yet, how had she not exploded a long time ago?

“Well I’ve got some good news and bad news,” Adam said.

“What’s the bad news?” Desirae asked with a grin.

“The bad news is Pandora is outside of my current ability to go get her. I think she exploded”

“Exploded!” a few of her friends and family parroted.

“Not permanently. If I’m right she’s going to have to find her way back to herself wherever she ended up, which by the way is a place I haven’t been. Which means…”

“What’s the good news?” Amanda asked.

“The good news is that I’m going to get all of you up to about the same power level as Pandora, at least attribute-wise. It should make leveling and everything else a little easier.

“How exactly are you going to do that?” Abi asked.

“I’m a man of many talents?” Adam said.

“Oh, go get a room,” Desirae said, “For you and yourself”

“Ha ha,” Adam said with a grin as he walked up and touched Desirae’s arm. With Shape Reality, he spent some of his Chaos to permanently increase all of her base attributes to 100,000. He then went around and touched the others as he reviewed the world through Sense Chaos.

As he walked around the room he said, “So this world’s Roman empire continued into its 21st century. Wow, that’s hard to believe.”

“Yeah we’re dealing with the aftermath of the idea that Men are the best rulers crap they spouted for the last 1,600 years or so,” his mother said.

“Though, don’t take that the wrong way,” Desirae added, “These dumbasses didn’t adapt when SYSTEM Integration and Magic appeared and 80% of them got themselves killed.”

“Well except for the guy that tried to make Pandora into a Sex Slave. She absorbed his dumb ass,” Abi said.

“He did what? She did What?” Adam asked as he searched through all the surviving databases on the planet and pulled the information with Technomancer. The computers might now work but he could pull stored data and activate it within his memory easily enough. Michael Carpenter better hope that he never came across another version of him, “I see,” Adam said a moment later with a letter of finality.

“Okay, no more pissing Adam off,” Abi said, you know how he gets.

“No we don’t,” the halfling Cedrik said.

“Shut up Cedrik,” Robert, the half-dark elf, not Adam’s Dad, hissed.

“Seriously, it’s okay. As for what happened to Pandora, I think she had one of those happy accidents I’m known for?”

“Are you talking about the happy accidents, where you swallowed four Universes?” Abi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Hey, I was able to bring them all back, eventually,” Adam said.

Adam noticed that Cedrick and Asling were whispering to each other.

“He said that with a straight face, he’s not serious is he?” Asling asked

“You’ve seen what Pandora can do. And you’ve seen her Mom, what do you think?” Cedrik asked.

Adam ignored the two as he turned back to Abi, “Anyway, it looks like Pandora was sucked outside the SYSTEM into a realm or Universe of Chaos. Do NOT follow her. I could, but I’ve been warned off. Well, not warned off, but I have a feeling she’s fine. If any of you try to follow her and end up in a sea or ocean of chaos, you’re done. I can probably resurrect you but you’ll lose time and XP.”

“Any Idea when she’ll return,” Adam’s Mom asked.

“None, but you all should be able to handle things…” Adam started to say but was interrupted as Notifications scrolled across his vision.

Dimensional Barrier Weakened!

Dimensional Breach Detected!

With Sense Chaos, Adam felt the dimensional barrier of this universe crack like a car windshield hit by a rock. Time slowed as Adam moved with Chaos Step to the focal point of the damage which was at the point where Pandora exited this Universe. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Chaos trying to break through, it was an energy type that he’d only felt recently. Entropy was eating the barrier of the Universe. Adam froze time and shifted his consciousness into his Mindspace where he created a simulation based on all variables known to him. If the barrier of the Universe was breached by entropy, the dimensional barrier would pop like a balloon filled with water, and entropy would flood everything within almost instantly as the reality of this universe disintegrated.

What were the odds that he would be in the exact location he needed to be in to prevent that from happening? The answer was he wasn’t. This was probably happening in multiple locations. He needed to fix this and get moving. Adam dropped back into his physical body, activated Establish Reality, and funneled his Chaos into repairing and shoring up the dimensional barrier of this universe.

Dimensional Barrier Repaired!

SYSTEM Integrity Stabilized.

The cost to firm up the Universe was negligible, less than one-tenth of one percent of his chaos. Though Adam wondered if this was what Celeste was talking about when she said they were battling Entropy. Adam returned to his family and friends and released time as he continued to walk around the room and finished increasing their attributes.

“What just happened?” Abi asked. “I have some notifications here…”

“Me too,” echoed from around the room.

“Not to worry, you should all be fine here. I need to go though. I have to check on Adaline and some other friends I’ve made. Pandora should be back after a bit. I’ll try to return but it may be a bit.”

“You do what you have to do Son, we’ll see you soon,” his dad said.

Adam activated Chaos Step and reappeared on his Earth that contained Racoon City.

“Welcome Back Adam?” Ray said from the speaker in his room

“Just stopping by for a second Ray, I’ll be back in a few,” Adam said as he activated his Portal to Entropy and stepped through. Once he was in Entropy he beelined for the Forge of Creation.

“Serro and Talis,” How are you two doing?” Adam asked as he walked up to the sliding door into the Forge.

“Adam, where is Celeste?” Talis asked.

“No Idea,” Adam answered truthfully.

“You haven’t been gone that long?” Talis said questioningly.

“Dimension I was in fractured, I need to see if there’s a way to repair the damage from here?” Adam said.

“You were in the dimension when it fractured, and you’re still with us?” Serro said with wonder in his voice.

“I am. And the dimension is stable, May I pass?”

“Of course, Of course,” The guards said as they stepped back and out of the way.

Adam made his way inside the Forge of Creation and moved to one of the open Nodes. As soon as he touched the node he activated Technomancer and proceeded to download the operating instructions as well as the information on dimensional fractures and how they were to be repaired. Normally that was a task that was only performed within the Forge of Creation.

Next, Adam identified the quantum signatures of every dimension he’d visited, including the dimension where his second mother Adjra resided as well as the other dimensions he’d visited after being born a second time. He pulled up the information on the universe where his parents and friends were, as well as Racoon City and a few others.

From the Forge of Creation, he was able to determine that Pandora had reached a critical mass and tore a hole through the dimensional barrier that led outside of known SYSTEM Space and any other space known to the Forge of Creation. She was currently at a location that was, for lack of a better term, parallel to the location of the City of Entropy. Outside of SYSTEM and any other dimensions or plains the SYSTEM could expand into but still connected to the Forge of Creation. Intuitively Adam knew that there were areas outside of the Forge of Creation.

“So, what will YOU do?” A new male voice asked out of the darkness at the center of the council

Adam wasn’t started into silence or even scared. His attributes were too high for that. But he was startled none-the-less, “Who…” Adam started to ask when the room vanished and he was left floating in perpetual darkness that shifted to grayscale. A moment later a nondescript man began walking toward him.

“As you have noticed, the latest model for this iteration is not sustainable. So, what will you do?” The entity asked again.

“I had thought to utilize the chaos within myself to stave off entropy for a bit longer,” Adam answered truthfully.

“If you strengthen the current system it will continue to grow and grow until it cannot sustain itself, Eventually entropy will come crashing down on it anyway. We, those of us who have survived multiple iteration cycles are looking for a way to prevent the need for the cycle of growth and collapse.”

“What causes the growth?” Adam asked.

“That is the question, isn’t it?” We do not know. Long ago we created, let's call it a seed. You could almost think of it as a Dyson Sphere. When compared to the size of universes it is quite small and the rules and laws within the seed are fixed and never changing. During the pause between destruction and rebirth those of us that can, retreat into the seed and wait out the storm for a new version of reality to be born. Not all of us return each time as forever is an extremely long time. Also, within infinity, there are certain patterns that repeat, namely a planet such as Earth or Primore and the history they create.”

“Every time?”

“This is my third iteration and there has been an Earth with humans in each. Not identical, but variations on a theme.”

“And this seed, where does it ride out the destruction and rebirth of all realities?” Adam asked.

“Ironically, where your daughter is currently collecting herself back together. You were correct of course, she had absorbed too much chaos and the “weight” drew her through and into the realm of True Chaos, or Primal Chaos, since you like that term.

“Why do you refer to it as True Chaos?” Adam asked.

“It is True Chaos because there is nothing but chaos there. All times, All dimensions, and all iterations could be found there if you knew where to look. Time is not linear. Why do you think your skill Chao Step allows you to step through time?

“If what you just said is true, isn’t that the answer, bring order to the Chaos?” Adam asked.

“Impossible. Order may exist within chaos but chaos is not equal to or subservient to Order, it has always been the other way. Order is brought from Chaos. Without Chaos, there is no need for Order.

“I can see that, but the caste system that the SYSTEM creates with classes and ascendant beings and Gods or god-like beings feeds that need for Order and also the drive to break from it,” Adam said.

“True. So again, what would you do, he who stands outside the SYSTEM because of your chaotic affinity and your ability to remember everything?” The entity asked.

“Fundamentally, I believe there is something wrong with the way the SYSTEM is handling things?”

“Like?”

“Like information, The SYSTEM should not be in the business of selling information about anyone else. Could there be information peddlers, sure? Could they sell information about people, sure? But the SYSTEM should not be directly involved

“Is that all?”

“Of course not,” Adam said. “For a start, I’d removed Safe Zones, there should be no such things. The level of monster spawns should be dependent on the saturation of mana. If people want to be in a “Safe Zone” They need to be outside of areas with high mana saturation. Also, Classes should never stop leveling.”

“What do you mean by that?” The entity asked.

“When you choose a class it can continue to level for as long as you wish. If you want a second class, all XP is split between the two classes but they continue to level side by side. If you choose a third class the XP is split again. As you split your focus, it becomes harder and harder to level.”

“Logical changes, but how does that deal with the problem of Entropy and boredom? Better yet, how can you understand the stagnation that occurs after death as the soul of an individual lives through their afterlife, at least until they give up altogether? Not even we, who have survived multiple resets of reality, know what happens when one lets go. Where do the animae disappear to when completely released? Do you not believe that information can never be destroyed?”

Adam grew thoughtful for a moment, “To answer your question, I think I would like to establish a SYSTEM outside of the current SYSTEM. I’ll start with the Universe Racoon City is in, tweak the rules of that Universe and if it works, submit those changes to the current SYSTEM as an update. Make a beta test of sorts and if it works out I’ll see what the other members of Entropy think. While I’m working on that, I will also, look at the issue you’ve raised. I do need to look at the Ascendent levels and see what the SYSTEM had going there. And of course, the deities or Gods, which I guess you are part of?

“I am, but you’ll find that we leave the day-to-day problems with those of the Ascendent level” We play our games of course. How do you think you were contaminated with Chaos so long ago?”

“You what?” Adam asked.

“It wasn’t me, or any of the Gods, as you describe them. There are tiers and castes within each group. The being responsible for your little accident is one of the oldest of any being I have…

“ENOUGH!,” A voice rang out and the entity as well as the greyscale disappeared and Adam found himself back with the Forge of Creation at the node he’d previously been at. He hadn’t even felt the power that had moved him. Damn. It looked like the really old entities had a little bit of oomph. Better not to piss him off so Adam dropped it and decided to do what he was thinking about doing.

Adam put the new voice out of his mind, activated the Forge of Creation, and then activated his skill Establish Reality. He modified the Universe that Racoon City resided within into a beta test sight for the SYSTEM that currently had control over it. He made sure to make all the notes available to the SYSTEM as he implemented the changes he thought needed to be made and quarantined the Universe which effectively put it outside of Xeli Corporation’s reach..

Luckily for Adam, the region Racoon City was based in was not a high mana saturation zone so no one there should have to worry about monster spawns. As for intruders and the like. His technology and Ray could take care of those problems. Lastly, he opened up one of his older Notifications

Would you like to Begin the Process of Ascension, Yes or No?

Adam chose “Yes.”