The Quantum Games

Chapter Eight

“It isn’t until that first hit that realization settles, and you suddenly understand that you are in a new world.” – The Reckoner, Former Champion.

Tutorial

Emy

Emy stood back in the white tutorial room as the two full pillars transformed into half-pillars rising from the center, each cradling a substance on its flat top. Across the room, Coach Williams met her gaze with a firm look.

“Let’s start small,” Coach began, gesturing toward the leftmost pillar. “Do you see the Sodium placed there?” Emy nodded in response. “Okay, now the real question: Can you sense it?”

Emy’s attention shifted to the pillar, holding silvery-white metallic shards. She extended her hand as if about to touch the object and focused her mind on one of the shards. To her surprise, the atoms responded, reaching out to her. She wasn’t moving the entire shard; instead, she directed individual molecules toward herself, manipulating them through the air.

“Good, good! Now, the tougher part,” Coach continued. “While focusing on the sodium particles, do the same with the second pillar substance. You wouldn’t happen to remember your first question from the mid-term, would you?”

“Sodium Chloride,” Emy recollected after a brief pause, glancing at the second pillar. Looking closely, it held another substance—pale yellow-green crystals of solid chlorine. Emy replicated the same draw she had done with the sodium, channeling chlorine elements.

“Now comes the fun part. Elements naturally want to combine, which both simplifies and complicates merging. But as builders, it’s our role to guide them. Imagine the creation you desire at the molecular level. What structure do you want to build?”

Emy focused on the two elemental flows on each side of her, feeling their distinct energies. With a concentrated mental effort, she envisioned pushing the flows together, guiding their interactions at the molecular level. She imagined the creation she desired, the structure she wanted to build. The sodium and chlorine elements began to merge, their formations intertwining as a white powder materialized. It fell softly to the ground, landing in the center of her connection. She had done it. She had created salt.

Her gaze held steady, her mind instantly questioning the event unfolding. In her perception, she had brought together barely visible elements and abruptly created this new compound, but how? She hadn’t moved anything into a puzzle-like formation; was this just a result of force?

“A natural talent,” Williams commended, his digital projection glowing with pride as if the real professor was present. “Not quite what you anticipated?”

“I suppose I was expecting it to be more challenging?” Emy thought out loud, wondering why she desired more difficulty.

“It will be, but only when you merge or force unnatural elements. In this instance, the atoms desired to unite; you merely served as the catalyst to facilitate that union.”

“So, I can do this with… anything?” Emy then questioned. “Anything you set your mind to. As a generalist, you can create and adapt to the needs at hand. Consider all the chemical reactions: Compression, Merges, Reactions, Acceleration, Transformation. The world is founded on atomic reactions. Understanding your energy and harnessing creativity allows for growth. Fascinating, isn’t it?”

Emy felt as if she were in another lecture, but this time, her body was filled with anticipation. There were infinite possibilities, not to mention the otherworldly elements that existed. "Incredibly fascinating," was all she could utter, her mind whirling.

“What’s next?” Emy directed a look of eagerness towards Williams.

Emy and the Professor spent hours delving deeper into Emy’s abilities. Salt was straightforward, but Emy quickly encountered her limitations for now. The more she uncovered, the more she realized she needed to learn and practice. The hammer and nail strategy worked on many solutions, but Emy discovered that mindset was crucial when controlling energies.

“I’m afraid we’ve reached our boundaries in this tutorial,” Digital Williams announced as Emy again attempted another merge scenario they had been practicing.

“What’s next?” Emy questioned, realizing how quickly time had passed, yet she still had minimal knowledge about the actual games.

“I’m afraid I cannot say. You will be taken from this tutorial and tested. To what extent, I’m never certain and not allowed to discuss the matter too much. The element of reaction is a primary training tool for the System.”

Emy, uncertain of what to ask given Williams’ perceived limitations, added one more question, “Professor, who are you?”

“Make it through this first level, and you’ll find out,” Williams said as he winked, and a white light engulfed the tutorial.

***

Level One - Post Tutorial

Full Team

The Quantum Games have commenced—best of luck to our future Champions.

The white light shifted, and Emy again found herself in the familiar classroom. The sharp scent of ammonia tickled her nose, just as it had before. But this time, something was different. She waited for her usual perception and vision issues to return, but they remained absent.

As she glanced around, a newfound awareness enveloped her. The molecules, elements, and compounds seemed to pulse and weave within the room, similar to the elements brought into the tutorial. They fused, creating the very fabric of reality. Though still solid and stable, the tables and chairs now possessed a fluidity that beckoned her to interact with them.

Emy stood there, caught between the mundane and the extraordinary, sensing the intricate dance of matter—the unseen forces that held everything together. At this moment, the classroom was no longer just a room; it was a symphony of atoms waiting for her to play her part.

Startled and blinking, Emy noticed most of her friends were once again occupying their usual spots throughout the classroom. She then glanced at James, their eyes locked, sharing an unspoken dialogue. Meanwhile, Will and Nadia sat a row behind, their demeanor contrasting—Nadia’s quiet reserve juxtaposed with Will’s usual vibrancy.

As the students exchanged glances, their attention was suddenly drawn to a movement at the back of the room. Standing there was Tuck, or rather, a transformed version of him. The boy they once knew had metamorphosed into a towering figure, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. It was as if electric currents were coursing through him, animating his very being.

***

Prior Tutorial

Tuck

When the light of the tutorial room hit Tuck, he quickly realized he wasn’t just dreaming. He had just answered the strangest questions of his life about participating in a game, and yet, it all felt so real. Tuck didn’t question or hesitate; the answers came naturally as if he were playing a video game. Yes, he wanted to compete. Yes, he wanted to be on a team. And yes, he obviously wanted to be a champion over building things. If this was a dream, he might as well continue with his choices. But as he progressed and didn’t wake up, realization started to dawn on him.

Looking at the digital version of Coach Williams was a bit trippy, but everything was so real that it didn’t much matter until his former Coach took an unusual tone.

“I didn’t think you would make it to this stage,” Coach Williams started with unusual disgust in his tone.

“What do you mean? What is this place?” Tuck responded, attempting to discern the intent of the comment.

“I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to be a Champion. The others tend to stick it out, but it seems like you take the easy way out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s just move on. Do you want to know what this place is?” Williams’s demeanor remained as he turned his back to Tuck and walked away from his former student.

“No,” Tuck called out, aggression in his voice showing. “Tell me what you mean?” Tuck tried his best to hold back the rage, as his former teacher and mentor, whom he trusted, turned back around and started to walk towards him.

“How many football games did you finish this year, Tuck? Or better yet, how many games did you let your team down by getting yourself tossed out?” The professor kept his glare as he walked towards Tuck.

“That wasn’t….”

“Your intent? You knew exactly what you were doing when you used extreme force against those other players.”

“I didn’t…” Tuck again attempted to defend himself, holding his rage to simmer at the man now striding towards him.

“You didn’t what? You didn’t mean to?” Williams now stood right before Tuck, looking directly into his eyes. “Bullshit.”

“I didn’t…”

“Save that for when you quit on your team again,” Williams said as he held eye contact with Tuck, allowing his words to sink into the young man’s core. Then, suddenly, two hands flashed forward towards Tuck and slammed into his chest, propelling him backward as he quickly attempted to catch himself from falling.

Looking back at his former professor, he saw the man anew, as the professor held both hands outward with a now mocking look. The simmering rage within Tuck exploded. Staring directly at the man who pushed him, who betrayed him, Tuck couldn’t help but feel his body convert, as if all the hairs on his body stood up as a wave of emotion took over. His entire body felt weightless as he gathered his grip on the floor and stepped forward to stand straight up. It was then that he saw the face of his former professor turn again to one of happiness as Tuck questioned what was happening. Raising his hands to his face, he then noticed electric currents shifting and churning within his arms as if he were charged. He then heard his teacher's voice.

“You didn’t… have control,” Professor Williams said as Tuck glanced at his body. “You are an accelerator, and your talent is triggered by emotion...”

***

Level One

Full Team

“Holy. Shit,” Will exclaimed, finally emerging from his exhilaration. “Tuck, what…what are you?” The question hung in the air, echoing the shock reverberating through the room.

Tuck: Accelerator, Level 4, 100% Health, 30% Shield

Emy examined her friend as Tuck began to explain.

“Coach Williams labeled me an Accelerator,” Tuck confessed. “Given your collective expressions, I’m guessing my body chemistry shifted. I possess an affinity for electromagnetic fields, which tend to manifest with considerable force.” His tone conveyed remorse as he reevaluated how this enigmatic gift had shaped his life.

Catching onto the somber undertone, James stepped in. “Tuck,” he said, his voice steady, “I refuse to believe any of those incidents were your fault.”

James was one of the few people who knew fragments of Tuck’s past before football. Tuck had endured a challenging upbringing with his father, which left him grappling with temper issues throughout his life. He had once held a coveted D1 scholarship in high school, but that was before an incident took it away from him.

James’ statement stood as a creaking sound came from the slowly opened classroom door, revealing a creature that resembled a gremlin. Standing two and a half feet tall, its brown and white hairy skin contrasted oddly with its oversized ears, which jutted out from both sides of its head. At first glance, it almost seemed cute.

Emy’s quick scan provided a brief assessment:

Grimbletooth: Level 1

This diminutive warrior class emerged unexpectedly in the vast expanse of the Aetherium Spiral Galaxy. Initially perceived as an insignificant breach within the planetary stronghold of Nexus, these subterranean beings carved out an underground dominion, ultimately claiming the entire planet as their own.

The group stood dazed, frozen in thought, staring at the creature. But the cuteness quickly dissipated. The gremlin’s face twisted into a scowl, showcasing a single sharp tooth and fangs emerging from its paws. Without hesitation, it ran and lunged at Nadia, single claw swiping at her face. The first blow landed, triggering a loud scream from Nadia as it poised for another attack. Yet, in a blur of motion, a mighty hand eclipsed the gremlin’s head, its ears sticking out comically through the gaps in Tuck's large fingers. Tuck hurtled the creature across the room with a resounding grunt, crashing into the brick classroom wall. The impact reverberated, leaving everyone wide-eyed and breathless.

SPPPPLLLLATTTTT! 3 Points!

Nex’s exclamation reverberated as the monster disintegrated into nothing.

Emy’s internal communication with her AI was immediate: “What the heck was that, Nex?”

“Oh yeah, sorry,” Nex replied. “Those are all preprogrammed by the head game masters for viewers. Would you like me to turn those down a bit?”

“Err, yea?” answered Emy.

“At your request, Ms. Fury. Combat Commentary set to 40%,” Nex confirmed.

Glancing at her interface, Emy noticed that the “Active Viewers” count had briefly spiked to 2 and then dropped to zero. "Wait, what did you just call me?" Emy questioned, the realization of Nex’s response hitting her.

Nex hesitated, his tone calm, “Uh, Fury?”

“Nexy, turn up combat commentary to 150%! That was awesome!” the group heard Will’s enthusiastic exclamation in the background.

Unable to hold back, James addressed Will, “Firstly, there’s no need to yell for Nex to hear you. And second, did you seriously nickname Nex as Nexy?”

If Will felt any embarrassment, he masked it well. He retorted to James, “Yeah, why not? It has a nice ring to it. Plus, I’ve even set up a sultry lady voice.”

Ignoring the comments, Tuck returned to Nadia, his eyes fixed on her bloodied face, now marred by a large horizontal gash stretching from her left eye to her opposite cheekbone. The rest of the group quickly followed, realizing their teammate had been clawed during the fight.

“Thanks, Tuck,” Nadia said solemnly. “I just froze.”

“We all froze, well, everyone minus Tuck,” Emy added, glancing at Nadia’s status display.

Nadia: Cellulator, Level 2, 93% Health, 0% Shield

Will spoke quietly, “I guess we now know the answer to the question we’ve been avoiding.”

James turned, curious. “And what is that?”

Emy responded, this time on Will’s behalf, her eyes tracing the blood trickling down Nadia’s cheek. “That this is not just a game.”