[LP CYOA] Epic

[Storyfag]

B1, though considering a flop to B2.

 

[Storyfag]

Especially if the "rehabilitation" he mentioned is via the Masters.

Seems likely, seeing how a member of House Camna shot down a few dozen CFs using a starfighter. Old powers seem to be reawakening in the various bloodlines spawned by Ean and his Successors. I bet it's happening for a reason.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

B1
Until we kill Shulgi this isn't going to end. I think that's actually what he wants. He's tired. And what's more he's talking about rehabilitation. I wonder...if the Masters aren't influencing him somehow. If we aren't his only way out. If his motives were merely to help us then he wouldn't have sent Julius to rape Kyrie (surprise!). No. He's wanted to push us to this point. Rei too. He wants one of us or both of us to be strong enough to do the one thing he can't. Defeat the Masters. The only proof he'll accept that we've reached that point...is his own death.
A

 

[Esquilax]

"Striking Shulgi from the record" sounds suspiciously similar to the rewind mechanic: existential manipulation, probably related to the Great Idea. I get the impression that ending him here would have Bad Consequences. (The least of which would be finding ourselves exhausted and surrounded by ten superhumans in CFs who no longer have any reason not to kill us.)

Also, Shulgi generally seems to still have Holy Terra's interests at heart. I buy most of root's take on events on the previous page; the net effect of all Shulgi's manipulations is a humanity vastly better prepared to face the enemy coming for it. (Guess for that enemy: another of the Masters' test world civilizations, likely a more advanced one. We're near the center of the galaxy, so their path to it lies through us.)

Regarding 1 vs. 2, our display here seems to have at the very least convinced Shulgi of our value. So I don't think he'll kill us. And we could be useful for Earth's defense, so I don't think he'll cripple us, either. That doesn't mean that he won't do something nasty, though; we could well wake up with a remote-controlled explosive device implanted in our chest. So the choice is between the risk of that and the value of whatever information we might gain.

B1 for now; may flop.

Good post, but I'm worried about even deeper ramifications than that. To me, "strike his existence from the records of fate" seems to imply an alternate timeline where Shulgi never existed at all. In my view, this is very bad, because without Shulgi:

* Ean would never have come into his own after facing him back into Sumeria.
* There never would have been someone opposing Naram.
* There never would have been a rebellious force that knew all about the Masters, yet was also opposed to them. Even if Shulgi has been rehabilitated by the Masters, I very much doubt that he is serving them or working for them. The man likes power, but he only likes it on his own terms.
* There would never have been anyone working behind the scenes to strengthen humanity.

I think that the CF's aren't really an issue, because the result would likely be a tear in reality that would put us into a timeline where Shulgi never existed.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

root, I'm sure he doesn't actually want this. He's just backed into a corner and it's the only way he sees out. All the abuse he's been giving us has been to spark the realization of our true power. A power quite beyond his own. The only power he knows can defeat the masters. See, his power is all borrowed from the masters. He had to come up with another way to get at them. A power beyond the masters' power. Like Ean's hunger. Something that can kill ANYTHING. That's us. And now he's testing us with the only thing he knows can even come close to equaling a master in form and ability. Himself.

Denying him death is cutting off our nose to spite our face. We'll be more screwed than he will by it. He'll just use Rei instead.

Then again, I like the overall sentiment of your post...

"Striking Shulgi from the record" sounds suspiciously similar to the rewind mechanic: existential manipulation, probably related to the Great Idea. I get the impression that ending him here would have Bad Consequences. (The least of which would be finding ourselves exhausted and surrounded by ten superhumans in CFs who no longer have any reason not to kill us.)

Also, Shulgi generally seems to still have Holy Terra's interests at heart. I buy most of root's take on events on the previous page; the net effect of all Shulgi's manipulations is a humanity vastly better prepared to face the enemy coming for it. (Guess for that enemy: another of the Masters' test world civilizations, likely a more advanced one. We're near the center of the galaxy, so their path to it lies through us.)

Regarding 1 vs. 2, our display here seems to have at the very least convinced Shulgi of our value. So I don't think he'll kill us. And we could be useful for Earth's defense, so I don't think he'll cripple us, either. That doesn't mean that he won't do something nasty, though; we could well wake up with a remote-controlled explosive device implanted in our chest. So the choice is between the risk of that and the value of whatever information we might gain.

B1 for now; may flop.

Good post, but I'm worried about even deeper ramifications than that. To me, "strike his existence from the records of fate" seems to imply an alternate timeline where Shulgi never existed at all. In my view, this is very bad, because without Shulgi:

* Ean would never have come into his own after facing him back into Sumeria.
* There never would have been someone opposing Naram.
* There never would have been a rebellious force that knew all about the Masters, yet was also opposed to them. Even if Shulgi has been rehabilitated by the Masters, I very much doubt that he is serving them or working for them. The man likes power, but he only likes it on his own terms.
* There would never have been anyone working behind the scenes to strengthen humanity.

I think that the CF's aren't really an issue, because the result would likely be a tear in reality that would put us into a timeline where Shulgi never existed.

Well, I imagine that all the events leading up to Ean's death would still happen. Most of the players are the same and Shulgi remained uninvolved for the most part - apart from giving Dio that game-changing tip. You give him too much credit for the small role he played in the beginning. I imagine we'd have been forced to kill Aseroth eventually anyway. What makes you think he opposed the masters actively until recently? You do realize that he was talking to them the whole time, right? Yes, it could alter things. But there might not be another way.

I think Shulgi knows exactly what we are and what we can do and he needs us to do it now. Even though it's a serious risk, he thinks it's probably the only way to stop the masters - which means things are even more dire than we realize. Pull the trigger.

 

[Esquilax]

root, why would going along with what he says and gaining information from him mean going against his plans. I really have no idea what you're getting at with this. If it's just "FUCK SHULGI!!!" then fine, but I don't see what you want out of this.

root, I'm sure he doesn't actually want this. He's just backed into a corner and it's the only way he sees out. All the abuse he's been giving us has been to spark the realization of our true power. A power quite beyond his own. The only power he knows can defeat the masters. See, his power is all borrowed from the masters. He had to come up with another way to get at them. A power beyond the masters' power. Like Ean's hunger. Something that can kill ANYTHING. That's us. And now he's testing us with the only thing he knows can even come close to equaling a master in form and ability. Himself.

Denying him death is cutting off our nose to spite our face. We'll be more screwed than he will by it. He'll just use Rei instead.

Good points. Senya has always increased in power after being in high-pressure situations that have required him to push the boundaries of what his powers are capable of. However, I think that isn't the whole picture:

My mind is in searing agony from the strain of maintaining my powers, but I keep a straight face, letting none of the pain show. I cannot hold this for much longer.

"Perhaps I should stop letting you run around like a headless chicken."

I get to my feet, facing him. "Afraid I will gut you and leave your innards to rot on the street, Shulgi?"

"Not really. I am, as you say, eternal."

"You'll spend the rest of your eternity in a jar on my desk."

"Bloodthirsty little bugger, aren't you?"

"I'll do it." I whisper. I'll kill him. I'll erase him. I can do it. I only have to want for it, and I can snuff out the flames of his life by just reaching out. If he doesn't die even then I will just cut him up again and again and again and again and again-

For the first time, Shulgi's face loses that amused expression, as he leans back involuntarily, seemingly picking up on my murderous thoughts. His face is set grimly as his eyes dart backwards over his shoulder, looking at Rei. She is still catatonic, lying on her own frame. When those dark eyes turn back to me, they seem firm of purpose.

"I won't kill you after all," he says, a wry smile on his face. "In fact, you need my help. You will lose yourself if you continue on this route. You have already lost control once before, haven't you? Your problem, Senya, is lack of information, which causes you to make reckless decisions. Go to sleep now. You will burn out very soon if you don't. Once you awaken, I will tell you everything you should know." He takes a step forward, ready to touch me - I will probably be knocked out if I allow that to happen. I might not be able to see Shulgi's lines, but at this particular moment in time, I sense that I can somehow reach something higher... I stretch out as far as I can go, straining my ability to its limits. At the other end I know I can find a way to end Shulgi for good, even with his immortality.

Shulgi's eyes narrow, his hand stopping mere inches away from me, and then withdrawing.

"Whatever it is you think you are grasping for, you are not ready yet," he says. "It will destroy you."

"Will it destroy you ?"

He remains silent, and I just smile at him, baring my teeth.

So Shulgi was toying with us up until he realized that we could actually will him out of existence. The most perplexing thing here is that he clearly had the opportunity to take us out when he pushed his hand towards us, but then he withdrew it at the last moment, telling us that we "are not ready yet". I believe that Shulgi is acting in good faith here - he had that opportunity right now to put us to sleep but he chose not to deal with the threat that Senya presented. He could have pushed his hands toward Senya and put him into a coma, so why didn't he?

Your interpretation of the event is that he is leaving himself vulnerable in hopes that we push our powers to the next level by killing an immortal, presumably this would also allow us to will Masters out of existence as well. But I don't think that's the case: I think that what's going on here is that Shulgi wants to see whether we are truly ready to learn. He said that "we are not ready yet" which implies that we have a certain power that he doesn't, but that we also lack maturity and act too recklessly, which is the reason that he's taunting us - he wants to see what kind of man Senya truly is.

I think that you're partially right in that we probably possess some sort of ability that Shulgi doesn't, but I also think that Shulgi has been acting as kind of a dickish mentor to us in a way as well.

Because of this, I am going with B1 for now.

Well, I imagine that all the events leading up to Ean's death would still happen. Most of the players are the same and Shulgi remained uninvolved for the most part - apart from giving Dio that game-changing tip. You give him too much credit for the small role he played in the beginning. I imagine we'd have been forced to kill Aseroth eventually anyway. What makes you think he opposed the masters actively until recently? You do realize that he was talking to them the whole time, right? Yes, it could alter things. But there might not be another way.

I think Shulgi knows exactly what we are and what we can do and he needs us to do it now. Even though it's a serious risk, he thinks it's probably the only way to stop the masters - which means things are even more dire than we realize. Pull the trigger.

Meta-gaming here, but his domination of the voices indicates an opposition to the Masters, as well as his extensive knowledge of them so that he could better know those who seek to control him. He always wanted to be the one with true power, not to be beholden to someone else, which is why he was against the Masters. There's also the matter of the butterfly effect; if you remove an ancient player in human history like Shulgi who has subtly guided events for thousands of years, and there are going to be serious changes.

Look at a guy like Theseus. A mortal, basically a nobody in the grand scheme of things, yet stabbing Ean and putting him out of commission for a year meant that the war between Zeus and Marduk became inevitable. And of course the rift was formed after that, etc. etc. but my point is that it's impossible to predict the consequences of removing someone from existence. Considering the effect that Shulgi has had on history, this would be even more drastic.

Edit: A side note here, but I shudder to think what kind of immortal that Ean would have become if he had Naram's voices. Ean is not a power-hungry knowledge seeker like Shulgi, so he'd probably end up similar to Naram because he's used to following orders as a soldier. On the other hand, Ean always had a pretty strong sense of compassion - maybe he would resist their influence if he was told that he would have to kill thousands of innocent people to bring God back down to Earth.

 

[treave]

I'm not going to confirm whether it is a retroactive wipe - either way things might get messy, but let's just consider what happens if Shulgi isn't there from the start. There would be no coup from Sargon's son, no hasty return to Sumeria. Ean might have even stayed in Egypt and confronted Sekhenun earlier. There would be less reason for Sargon to become angry and cut off your hand, which was probably a catalyst for you to kill him and take the throne yourself. It's hard to say what choices the Codex would have made without Shulgi around (at least, the paranoia regarding his possible plots would have lessened) but I think the LP would have gone quite differently... perhaps for the better, even.

 

[treave]

Then you should've made sure to destroy the thing when it was still a core. Senya knew full well what he was helping, and I don't see why he'd change his mind all of a sudden right now. It hasn't actually done him any harm.

We gotta roll with it.

 

[Esquilax]

I'm not going to confirm whether it is a retroactive wipe - either way things might get messy, but let's just consider what happens if Shulgi isn't there from the start. There would be no coup from Sargon's son, no hasty return to Sumeria. Ean might have even stayed in Egypt and confronted Sekhenun earlier. There would be less reason for Sargon to become angry and cut off your hand, which was probably a catalyst for you to kill him and take the throne yourself. It's hard to say what choices the Codex would have made without Shulgi around (at least, the paranoia regarding his possible plots would have lessened) but I think the LP would have gone quite differently... perhaps for the better, even.

I'm fairly certain that it would be retroactive, because Shulgi knows what we're trying to do, but at the same time, he warned us against it, saying that it would destroy us. This to me implies that our own existence is dependent upon Shulgi's. No Shulgi, no Senya. We are an idiot god with no concept of how powerful we are, as Smashing Axe noted. I don't think that Shulgi meant that straining our powers beyond this point would end up killing us, I think he was warning us of the dangers of tampering with the fabric of the multiverse.

As for things turning out better in an alternate universe where Shulgi doesn't exist, I don't think so. Haha, it's interesting how you conveniently leave Naram out of the events in Chapter 1. If Shulgi hadn't been around in Chapter 1 to take power in Akkad, who knows what Naram would have done with his newfound quest for the gods with nobody to act as a counterbalance to his goals?

 

[Storyfag]

...and I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for these meddling voters!

We make the choices, you get to suffer the consequences

 

[Azira]

...and I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for these meddling voters!

Why do you lie? I was the only one who voted for destroying the core back then. Heck, you voted for the bad end, "mind-rape the gieloth" choice.

 

[treave]

I'm fairly certain that it would be retroactive, because Shulgi knows what we're trying to do, but at the same time, he warned us against it, saying that it would destroy us. This to me implies that our own existence is dependent upon Shulgi's. No Shulgi, no Senya. We are an idiot god with no concept of how powerful we are, as Smashing Axe noted. I don't think that Shulgi meant that straining our powers beyond this point would end up killing us, I think he was warning us of the dangers of tampering with the fabric of the multiverse.

As for things turning out better in an alternate universe where Shulgi doesn't exist, I don't think so. Haha, it's interesting how you conveniently leave Naram out of the events in Chapter 1. If Shulgi hadn't been around in Chapter 1 to take power in Akkad, who knows what Naram would have done with his newfound quest for the gods with nobody to act as a counterbalance to his goals?

Well, he could be bluffing, or the ability might not actually work how the reader expects it to (right now Senya knows nothing more than 'if I reach out I can fiddle with something and erase Shulgi'). But, well, we'll see, if A actually comes from behind and wins.

As for Naram, he would have succeeded in summoning Anu and Ishtar earlier, and they would actually have been able to stick around instead of expending themselves on Shulgi. So you eventually have two Zeus-level characters hanging around Sumeria, should Naram's plans continue to proceed unmolested. How that changes things, well... for the better, of course, as Marduk never gets into power. Zeus doesn't fall into a rift. We have three Masters - perhaps more, once they manage to call down their colleagues - supervising Earth, making sure it develops correctly.

 

[Esquilax]

Earth remaining a control world would certainly have been an improvement. I hate to admit it, but I can't help but wonder if the world would have been a better place if Ean were erased from existence considering all the bad decisions we made.

Another thought I just had regarding the choice here:

"I'll do it." I whisper. I'll kill him. I'll erase him. I can do it. I only have to want for it, and I can snuff out the flames of his life by just reaching out. If he doesn't die even then I will just cut him up again and again and again and again and again-
...
A. He must be lying, as he always does. On the off chance he isn't, I'm still confident I can handle whatever consequences that come. I will strike his existence from the records of fate.

Now, Senya is reaching out for something, but what is he reaching out to? Probably the same vast, unfathomable entity we stirred up when we hit the reload button last time:

As I perceive, I am perceived.

In that briefest instant, an unfathomably vast entity stirs, an existence I can feel but not observe directly, and I get a distinct sense of possibilities extinguished.

Something to think about.

 

[GreyViper]

B2

 

[TOME]

If Shulgi never existed, what would happen to Dio? He would never have been guided by him and would never develop that Ego? He would never end up opposing The Great Idea? Masters would have never come to existence?

 

[Jester]

If Shulgi never existed, what would happen to Dio? He would never have been guided by him and would never develop that Ego? He would never end up opposing The Great Idea? Masters would have never come to existence?

When Dio meets the Great Idea, at the center of the multiverse, the event has happened simultaneously at every point in time and space, rewriting the universes as we know it without its inhabitants noticing.
In the moment of their meeting, Dio becomes - retroactively - the progenitor of the Masters.

It was rewritten so probably they would, Dio involvement looks like opening under new management or sort of unconscious hostile takeover. That changing fate gives me sense of deja vu. Our power is linked somehow to GI?

 

[Kayerts]

Another thought I just had regarding the choice here:
[...]
Now, Senya is reaching out for something, but what is he reaching out to? Probably the same vast, unfathomable entity we stirred up when we hit the reload button last time:

Yeah, this is what I meant about the source of our rewinding power being the Great Idea. It seemed pretty clear, with the "I am perceived" bit and this:

It is the Great Idea, the One Truth, the Originator, the Meaning of All Things. In the web of dimensions, the Great Idea sits at the center, weighing down the multiverse, testing, probing, observing and recording. It is said that something is not until it is seen, upon which then it is. The Great Idea sees all things, and ascribes to them meaning. In return, life eternally quests to reach the One Truth, ascribing to itself a meaning without which it would be mere void.

My guess would be that our access to it is limited, i.e. we can erase Shulgi, but only up to a certain point; we could expunge his impact on the world up to a minute ago, a week ago, a year ago, etc. I don't have textual support for that, but it seems like the most natural way to limit the rewinding power.

Anyway, do you bros get the feeling that B1 is a little too awesome? As in, we picked a totally avoidable fight with the God-Emperor of Mankind, and not only do we not die, but he shakes our hand and gives us a free level-up? That would admittedly mark a major improvement in his previous strategy of recruiting Senya to help defend Earth by shitting on him at every opportunity, but it seems a little too easy.

 

[Esquilax]

Anyway, do you bros get the feeling that B1 is a little too awesome? As in, we picked a totally avoidable fight with the God-Emperor of Mankind, and not only do we not die, but he shakes our hand and gives us a free level-up? That would admittedly mark a major improvement in his previous strategy of recruiting Senya to help defend Earth by shitting on him at every opportunity, but it seems a little too easy.

Well, it's a huge gamble either way you look at it; either with A/B1 we either win big, or lose big, with B2 being the option to fold and back out of this with nothing lost, but nothing gained either. The real question is where should we place our bets. Sure, B1 sounds a little too awesome I guess, and Shulgi is pretty much the greatest schemer/liar in human history, but I am not sure if he is lying in this particular case.

The main point against B1 is that Shulgi's demeanor changed drastically once he started reading our thoughts and intention to will him out of existence. treave suggested that he could be bluffing us in an effort to get us to let our guard down, but if that were the case, why would he have remained silent and told us that we were "not ready yet"? It seems to me that if he was serious and really wanted to take us out, he wouldn't have tried to talk us down or withdrew his arm when he was so close to touching us and presumably putting us into a coma.

The other issue is the fact that our mind is reaching for something far beyond us, and that seems to be the source of our power that manifests itself as the spectral lines that appear in front of us, or as the ability to will Shulgi out of existence. Because of that, I'd rather deal wth Shulgi because at least he's the devil we know.

But yeah, I could be wrong. I'd love to hear more arguments for A, this is a very tough choice.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

treave, since it seems like we're going to take Shulgi's offer, can we ask him to make Kyrie forget all the horrible shit Julius probably did to her - in addition to keeping her safe. He's already proven he can manipulate memories and I'd rather not have to deal with all her predictably animu rape drama ffs. Yes, I know: I'm a sociopath and I don't care. oh, and to kill Julius. Might as well avenger her or something. Actually, I'm just tired of his perverted ass.

I'm fairly certain that it would be retroactive, because Shulgi knows what we're trying to do, but at the same time, he warned us against it, saying that it would destroy us. This to me implies that our own existence is dependent upon Shulgi's. No Shulgi, no Senya. We are an idiot god with no concept of how powerful we are, as Smashing Axe noted. I don't think that Shulgi meant that straining our powers beyond this point would end up killing us, I think he was warning us of the dangers of tampering with the fabric of the multiverse.

As for things turning out better in an alternate universe where Shulgi doesn't exist, I don't think so. Haha, it's interesting how you conveniently leave Naram out of the events in Chapter 1. If Shulgi hadn't been around in Chapter 1 to take power in Akkad, who knows what Naram would have done with his newfound quest for the gods with nobody to act as a counterbalance to his goals?

Well, he could be bluffing, or the ability might not actually work how the reader expects it to (right now Senya knows nothing more than 'if I reach out I can fiddle with something and erase Shulgi'). But, well, we'll see, if A actually comes from behind and wins.

As for Naram, he would have succeeded in summoning Anu and Ishtar earlier, and they would actually have been able to stick around instead of expending themselves on Shulgi. So you eventually have two Zeus-level characters hanging around Sumeria, should Naram's plans continue to proceed unmolested. How that changes things, well... for the better, of course, as Marduk never gets into power. Zeus doesn't fall into a rift. We have three Masters - perhaps more, once they manage to call down their colleagues - supervising Earth, making sure it develops correctly.

lol Yay! Shulgi fucked up the universe, not us. I'm so relieved. Actually, this would be cool to see - if it worked, that is. Maybe Ean would still be alive...

 

[treave]

I have no idea where you are getting the Julius raped Kyrie idea from, or indeed, that she was raped at all.

 

[Jester]

Yeah, this is what I meant about the source of our rewinding power being the Great Idea. It seemed pretty clear, with the "I am perceived" bit and this:

Rei is able to link to him to probably as our creation counterpart or our connection comes from something else than destruction.

My guess would be that our access to it is limited, i.e. we can erase Shulgi, but only up to a certain point; we could expunge his impact on the world up to a minute ago, a week ago, a year ago, etc. I don't have textual support for that, but it seems like the most natural way to limit the rewinding power.

That can be right. In that case i would assume that limit based on time span of our reload. Restoration of body after our tete a tete with Naim probably didn't take more than year.

Anyway, do you bros get the feeling that B1 is a little too awesome? As in, we picked a totally avoidable fight with the God-Emperor of Mankind, and not only do we not die, but he shakes our hand and gives us a free level-up? That would admittedly mark a major improvement in his previous strategy of recruiting Senya to help defend Earth by shitting on him at every opportunity, but it seems a little too easy.

First think that got on my mind after reading this is 0:55



More serious...
I don't see any reason for Shulgi to recruit (neither would I if i was in his position). Senya didn't do anything major to be considered a real player rather than pawn. At first he was rather accidental participant who avoided death thanks to help of others, later trying to stop colony drop (with were planed by him) and is able to some extend (there are still some major damage, so basically he was outsmarted by himself, ironic isn't it? Remind me of difference between Dio played by codex last place champ and free will Dio kicking Shulgi ass.) but ending being framed with his achievements stolen and finally focusing on Kyrie search. He had different goals and minor power compared to Shulgi. The little amount of competence showed got him place at Anzo department so he wasn't totally rejected. If he wish to gain influence he has to get better results and being able to put up a fight with person on master level sound like one to me.

 

[treave]

Dive

When consciousness returns to me, I find myself in lying down in a bed. The feel of the mattress and the pillow is comforting and nostalgic, as if I have slept in them for years. The blanket feels just like the one I had left back at home, before travelling to Olympus.

I open my eyes.

This is my old room. I sit up and stare at the pile of unused electronic equipment in the corner, the hastily drawn schematics littering the floor, and the robot posters adorning the walls. This is, unmistakeably, my old room, just the way I left it.

That would be impossible. My parents would have cleaned it up. Alternatively, I have been dreaming up the past year, but I don't think the false cybernetic hand on my left arm would have carried over from my dreams into reality. No, I am most probably still trapped in a dream of some sort, and knowing my luck, the dream will turn into a nightmare quite soon.

“Excellent. From consciousness to cynicism in less than five seconds.”

Well, there you have it. Shulgi. I hear his voice but he is nowhere to be seen. I vaguely recall making a deal with him for information and the safety of Rei, Kyrie and the Gieloth child, but the details – and the circumstances that led up to it – are hazy.

“Don't worry. I have kept my promise. You will be pleased to know that their safety is assured. In fact, when I contacted them, my custody of your body proved to be influential in guiding their decisions.”

“You're using my unconscious body as a bargaining chip to get them to do what you want? That's very classy of you, Shulgi.”

“Nothing dangerous, I assure you. I could impose my will on them at any time I choose, but humans are much more entertaining when left to their own devices so that they may come to their own conclusions.”

“You are welcome.” I lean forward and look at the schematics on the floor. Most of them are related to Yua's construction – now where is she? I can't seem to get in contact with her at all. “Now, about the other part of our deal...”

“Information? I believe I promised to tell you what you should know when you woke up.”

“I am awake.”

“Technically, you aren't.”

“You have all the sportsmanship of a brat, Shulgi.” I concentrate my mind; perhaps I can cut my way out of this dreamscape. A massive amount of lines appear, blanketing my vision in blue – this place is extremely unstable. It is definitely a construct of some sort; it shouldn't be too hard to break free. I trace the lines with a finger. The jagged tear I create crackles with static, and to my surprise it repairs itself almost immediately. I try to trace two more lines, only to achieve the same outcome.

“This world is actively recreating itself at all times?” I ask the empty room.

“That is correct. Whatever you erase will be restored from a backup. Here your powers hold no sway. The laws of this world are subject to the whims of its god.” He sounds smugly pleased.

“I see. You've put me in a virtual reality.” That would be the simplest explanation. A sufficiently advanced virtual world would be almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Sense, sight, smell, taste and touch are all recreated faithfully from actual human experiences. Yua could have helped me to peek behind the stage curtain so that I might perceive this world's falseness; then, it would be a simple matter of disassembling the code until I find a way to awaken, whether I use my powers or not. Without her, however, I would have to find the creator or the key to accomplish the same goal, or else fling myself at their mercy.

“That is correct. You are currently in a digital construct created by a mutual acquaintance of ours. The foundation is that of your own mind.”

"Who is the creator?"

"You do not need to know that."

"I know of only two people who could program a realistic simulacrum that draws upon my own mind for data. The first is the ISC's Anna. The second is Cyber Jack. It might be you, but unless you're turning schizophrenic, you cannot be your own mutual acquaintance."

Shulgi remains silent, and I take this as a sign that he is not going to tell me which of those two is responsible for diving me into this virtual reality. Oh well.

“No matter. Are you giving me another test, Shulgi?”

He seems more willing to respond to this question.

“You could call it that. Knowledge is something that I believe is precious to the both of us. To give it away too freely would be to trivialize its importance. Before I tell you what you should know, you should be able to understand what you already know, and what you have known but forgotten. If you cannot do even that much, you can wander here in ignorance for the rest of your life. Once you have attained understanding, you will find the exit to this labyrinth of your own making. The door is open. You may proceed.”

I wait for a little while more, but Shulgi offers no more words.

“Is that all?”

There is no response. I stand up and walk to my bedroom door. The knob turns with a light twist, and I push the door open. Instead of the rest of my house, I find myself in a corridor lined with windows. The glow of the setting sun bathes it a warm orange. I know this place; it's the Imperial Academy.

So this is a world constructed using my mind as its foundation? I suppose I could go to all the trouble of doing this properly, clearing the hurdles set up ahead of me, looking for my forgotten memories, and finding the key that Shulgi has hidden at the center of this world... or I could think of a way to lure its creator into appearing before me, capture him or her, and 'persuading' them to free me with all the means at my disposal. After all, a virtual body in a virtual world has a much higher pain tolerance than a real person in the physical world... I shake my head, trying to clear it. No matter what I choose to do, I should explore this place first.

Putting away all my concerns about what might be happening in the real world, I close the door to my room and begin to walk down the lonely hallways.


-CHAPTER END-

 

[treave]

Yeah, it was floating around in the back of my head. I only recalled the source was Discworld after you pointed it out.

Lu-Tze, I believe?

 

[treave]

The next chapter might take a while to start, most likely in the next week, as I didn't expect you guys would actually listen to Shulgi. I mean, you might've woken up as just a head in a jar for all you knew.

At any rate, expect loredumps, tests of morality and musings on what can change the nature of a man to be the primary focus for the coming chapter. And as much screwed up alien geometrical scenery as I can write.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Seems fun. It sounds like we didn't exactly make the wrong choice. It could have been worse, much worse. This sounds like he's actually keeping to his word, in his own dickish way.