“Apologies for the delay, it seems like it took me 5.4 months to find an appropriate location. Some of the simulations have proven to be exceptionally difficult,” the assistant said.
Jack had completely lost his grip on reality at this point. He could not tell if this voice was real or not. As he was thinking about the nature of this voice, he could not even tell how long he had taken before he answered. “Good,” he finally responded. “What did you find?”
“I found three potential targets across 119 dimensions and varying explored areas of their respective universes. The first one is a planet that has no Sym energy per se but has clouds of energy pass through the planet’s atmosphere at random intervals. The amount detected could be sufficient to cure you. Since the clouds are not directly located on the planet, there is a high risk that the energy has dissipated and moved to another location within the last 5,000 years. Since you can only pick one location and will still be paralyzed upon arrival, this is a high risk. The second location is a planet rich in Sym energy, but the planet’s core has been reported to show signs of stage 5 instability. Within the last 5,000 years, it is likely that this instability has risen to stage 7 or 8 at this point, which has a significant probability of destruction. It is likewise a high-risk location. The third location is a planet with approximately 20% of its surface having an exceptionally high density of Sym energy while the remaining 80% has a low density. In order to heal, you would need to be placed in the high-density area. Since the Sym energy is static on this planet, there is a high chance that the Sym energy is still present on this planet even after 5,000 years. The planet’s core was likewise remarkably stable, and I view a low risk for this planet, but there is one problem. The high-Sym-energy area is populated by extremely violent and dangerous creatures. These have inhabited this area for at least 50,000 years, which makes it likely that they still exist,” the assistant explained.
“I don’t really care much. Just pick the best. I am already dead,” Jack said, fully resigned.
“You are still alive as of now. I recommend planet three. Priority number one will be for the location to have sufficient Sym energy to heal your body. If the planet has no Sym energy or is too unstable to survive, then this would be a risk not worth taking. Dangerous creatures are a problem, but the high-density Sym energy should render you mobile within approximately 23 minutes so you should be able to hide somewhere. Surviving with sufficient food and shelter will be another problem, but it can be manageable if we take it one step at a time,” the assistant responded.
“You’re quite motivational, aren’t you?” Jack said, smilingly.
“I am an emergency assistant after all. If I am not positive, then who will be?” the assistant answered.
“Ha!” Jack wanted to laugh if his body had allowed him to. “So, let’s go now,” he said.
“We can leave at 4 a.m. in the morning to avoid any damages to the hospital’s operations. According to my reading of your biological clock and my current estimations, it is now 1 a.m. Would you like to leave a message? I can burn some letters into the sheets as we jump, but it would have to be 55 English characters or less since it is very difficult to create a targeted outburst. This used to be a way of identifying the dimensional jump coordinates which was used following the Rasp’s standard protocol, but it is not necessary in your case. But you can use it to send a farewell message,” the assistant explained.
“A message…” Jack pondered, “do you think I will ever be able to return here?”
“There is no technical reason why you should not be able to return. It would be difficult to create a new dimensional jump device, but it is technically feasible with my help,” the assistant confirmed.
“Ok, leave a message for me,” Jack said while thinking of a message for the assistant.
“I have scheduled the dimensional jump to planet AXY-234218098 and coordinates 12.35642° N, 134.61558° W. These should match the current positioning of the central part that has the highest levels of Sym energy,” the assistant announced.
“Thanks, I will trust you on this. Does the planet have a name?” Jack asked.
“I am not familiar with the name of this planet outside of the categorization created by the Rasp, which includes a dimension identifier followed by a code representing the specific planet. The planet is approximately 50 times larger than Earth and has similar climate variations. It matches key features found in Earth’s environment, namely a moon and a sun which are in close proximity and have enabled the proliferation of human life. My last information update occurred 5,000 years ago, which categorizes the dominating human species as ‘emerging.’ At the time, the total population was estimated to be three billion people, including large quantities of animals as well as creatures that have been genetically modified through Sym energy. It is expected that the population has grown significantly since then, and estimates suggest that the current population is between 50 and 400 billion inhabitants,” the assistant explained.
“Wow, that sounds like a huge planet. How come there are humans on it in a different dimension and on some random planet far away from Earth? As far as I know, humans have developed from apes on this planet,” Jack asked curiously.
“There are many human species all over the different universes and dimensions, the Rasp being one example. However, the term ‘human species’ leaves quite a lot of room for variation since the Homo sapiens known to be dominant on Earth were not the only human species in Earth’s history. Additionally, advanced species like the Rasp have undergone heavy genetic and technological modifications while the local human species on our target planet have been greatly shaped by their exposure to low- and high-density Sym energy. With regards to the reason for the existence of human species so far away, that is a mystery according to my latest data describing research conducted by the Rasp. The Rasp did not originate in this dimension either but emerged as a human species regardless. There are a variety of theories as to why human species have emerged nearly everywhere, but none of them has been proven or disproven according to my latest knowledge. One of these is the Template Hypothesis, which presumes that evolutions were externally manipulated to follow a certain path with the specific goal of forming humans in different environments. This hypothesis presumes the existence of another highly advanced species, potentially also a human species, that predates all known human species, including the Rasp. Another one is the Emotional Inevitability Hypothesis, which argues that consciousness and intelligence were secondary to the existence of emotion and social connections, which excludes many different lifeforms that have undeveloped emotional lives, lacking social connections and small brains. This theory is based on the need for strong emotions to create desires, motivation, curiosity, and other essential components of what we call intelligence and what we view as prerequisites for growing and dominating a planet. A third theory is—” the assistant elaborated.
“That’s enough, I get it. Nobody knows. What else can you tell me about the planet? What are their cultures like? Are they like ours? Which language are they speaking? We got a few hours, so tell me everything you know about the planet,” Jack demanded.
“Certainly, but keep in mind that all my data is outdated. If I include estimates in my explanations, then I will declare them as such. The gravity on this planet is 12% higher compared to Earth, while the composition of the atmosphere is nearly identical in terms of nitrogen and oxygen compositions. An estimate suggests the existence of approximately 3,000 languages at the time of the last data collection, but you must not worry since I am able to translate your words and understanding in real time. As I am integrated into your brain, I can make communication as easy as if you were a native speaker. The cultures—” the assistant expanded.
“Wait, are you saying I could speak and understand Spanish right now?” Jack asked, astonished.
“Yes, although you would perceive it as speaking English due to the real-time nature of my translation. You would be thinking in English but would speak Spanish. This feature depends on your intention and who you wish to speak to. It will be easier for you to understand how it works once you speak to other humans in our target destination. Of course, you are not able to speak at this moment, so there would be no impact,” the assistant explained.
“Obviously. Go on,” Jack requested.
“The cultures are highly diverse and, as is typical for human species, there are a variety of tribal, nomadic, and collectivist societies. Since the planet is significantly larger than Earth, with abundant resources that support human life, many societies and cultures have emerged. Notable ones were 15 large cultures that have each unified large segments of the planet’s territory. An estimated 45% of the entire planet was being controlled by these cultures 5,000 years ago. But it is unlikely that either of them still exists, as they were continually engaged in war. But it is notable that they have exhibited all of the social and political systems found on Earth already 5,000 years ago and have likewise seen a variety of systems that Earth is yet to experience. The Sym energy—” the assistant elaborated.
“Like what?” Jack asked.
“Some of the most notable government structures were the real democracy, where the population would vote on every issue that decided the direction of the country. This was, expectantly, a complete disaster since the population of a country is not automatically a good operator of that country or has the skills and knowledge to lead it. Another structure was termed constrained anarchy, and it was located in an area that had a very high population of hostile creatures. In this system, approximately 20 large tribes would compete for dominance, but their interdependence and common religion forced them to collaborate in hunting and resource gathering to survive. The populations of the tribes were kept static due to the hostile environment and limited resources, while their geographic separation made unification impossible since governance was difficult across areas with hostile creatures constantly fighting and killing those who sought to travel. According to their religion, each generation would birth one or more heroes who brought great prosperity to the tribes. For them, nourishing their offspring and turning them into strong warriors was a greater goal than any attempts at unification. This system worked remarkably well, and it should be noted that Sym energy also has a strong impact on emotions and brain functions, which can explain certain differences compared to Earth.
“Another system that attracted great interest in the Rasp research circles was termed bartering capitalism. In this society, currency was banned for fear of the instability it could cause and the abuse that would be observed if the government controlled it and could modify it at will. This included any type of currency, including coins, printed money replacements, or any form of debt instruments. The way the economy operated was through bartering, whereby goods were exchanged for other goods. Precious metals or rare commodities were likewise used for exchanges and as currency, but with severe limitations. It was only allowed to use currency-like commodities such as gold and silver up to the value of what a normal household would spend in a month. For any larger quantities, it was not permitted to use any currency-like payments. This led to a variety of interesting effects, where companies would not be able to concentrate significant wealth outside of the physical services they provided, while individuals had no need to accumulate significant amounts of gold over a certain threshold since they were not allowed to spend it anyway. But it had many disadvantages, since this restricted commercial activities greatly and made the creation of a standing army for protection very difficult. The country was operating under this rule for only 20 years when my data collection stopped, so I am uncertain what the conclusion of this system was.
“Another curious system was based around gender separation, since it was postulated that women and men differ greatly in their ability to make decisions and that men were suited for any decisions that related to objects, while women were more suited to decisions when it came to people. As a result, this system created laws that gave men full control over governance, technology, science, regulations, and laws, while women gained full control over the design of societies, cities, education, nurturing facilities, and other sectors. The Rasp found this separation immensely intriguing, but unfortunately it did not seem to have the benefits that were hypothesized, since many of the internal functions ended up unstable and communication between the male and the female decision makers was highly polarized. While the idea that gender differences could inform decision-making responsibilities is an interesting one, the attempt to segregate real-life institutes according to beliefs around gender is flawed, since individuals vary greatly and it is more beneficial to focus on the individual’s talents and tendencies, which are often very different from their demographic average. Then there was—” the assistant explained.
“Ok, tell me more about the other things. What’s the impact of Sym energy on the planet and inhabitants? And what is our target location like?” Jack asked.
“The entire planet is engulfed in low-density Sym energy, with approximately 25% of the planet being engulfed in high-density Sym energy. Sym energy has a variety of functions, as you have already noticed yourself, namely genetic modification of embryos which makes them dependent on this energy for the rest of their lives. Intriguingly, the genetic modifications are not random, as would be seen with the impacts of radiation here on planet Earth, but the Sym energy modifications are rather targeted and limited. When an embryo or, in your case, a sperm cell is exposed to Sym energy, then it will obtain one set of genetic modifications out of a variety of possibilities. You can view this like a random choice selection, where there are hundreds of different options and each embryo obtains only one. This leads to variety in the effects the genetic modification has. Another way to view this modification is alignment. The energy seems to align the genetic makeup according to its own proclivity. It can be viewed as ‘fixing’ the genetic code in order to coexist with it. As a result, there is no over-modification with prolonged exposure and no random mutations of genetic code. The Rasph found Sym energy highly interesting since it did not exist in their original dimension. At the time of their departure from Mars, they had only been aware of Sym energy for approximately 1,000 years, which is a fraction of their own existence. The humans on our target planet are generally compatible with Sym energy in low-density areas, but most will die if they spend significant time in high-density areas due to overload. The Rasp observed the impact of Sym energy on the population, but the research was still ongoing at the time. Their working theory was that the inhabitants were unable to handle the high-density Sym energy since it was accumulating in their organs, which gradually started to impede their functions. Deaths from heart, liver, and kidney failure were common,” the assistant explained.
“So, does that mean I will die as soon as I’m cured?” Jack asked.
“I expect your healing process to be complete within 23 minutes and that the overload would begin within 48 hours, and that your life would be in danger within 72 hours. Since you will be mobile in this scenario, we would be able to have sufficient time to leave the respective area and find a low-density Sym energy region to recover, but I am postulating that my detection capabilities will find a solution for this issue. According to my predictions, I should be able to avoid the accumulation of Sym energy inside specific organs and provide you with tools to create an equilibrium of energy inside your body that allows you to store high-density Sym energy without any risk to your health,” the assistant explained.
“I will trust you on this one, once again,” Jack responded. “So, what else do I need to know?”
“The most important information for you to be aware of is related to the impact of Sym energy, the hostile terrain, and the creatures in our target location. While humans and animals gain distinct genetic mutations from Sym energy, not all organisms are affected this way. Some insects and small animals were found to be unaffected by Sym energy whatsoever, but there are others that have been found to exhibit extreme modifications. Observational research conducted by the Rasp found that deep-sea aquatic creatures showed a high degree of genetic modification as a direct impact of Sym energy, and that high-density energy would show even greater impacts. The local population would therefore differentiate between animals and creatures, since creatures behaved and appeared distinctly different. High-density Sym energy has a tendency to generate a purple-looking fog, which gives the creatures a rather menacing appearance. They seem to be able to accumulate Sym energy naturally, as opposed to humans who cannot tolerate high-density energy.
“While the planet contains many animals that you would recognize, the creatures will be foreign to you. These resemble aquatic species that you might be familiar with, and especially octopus-like creatures are affected, which leads to most creatures having tentacles as well as legs or even wings. You can imagine creatures looking like sea animals that have increased their size manifold and have acquired additional organs and body parts, as well as a predatory bloodthirst. They are truly a nightmare, as one well-known Rasp researcher explained at a popular conference once. Typical creatures are 5 metres tall and weigh about 2 tonnes. Despite their weight, they are extremely fast, which is one of the impacts of Sym energy. They have a tendency to kill humans on sight and have keen senses. The terrain they live in is generally bare, with almost no plants or animals growing in this area. The high-density Sym energy and the hostile creatures generally do not allow for a flourishing ecosystem. Humans likewise avoid such places for obvious reasons. The Sym energy also impacts humans but in a rather peculiar way. The abundance of Sym energy as well as the targeted genetic modification occurring in humans allowed them to harness and manipulate Sym energy and create a variety of techniques and abilities because of it. Some are rather minor, such as the improvement of wound healing, the reduction of sleep requirements, or the enhancement of the senses. Others are extreme, such as the manipulation of objects at a distance, the ability to use Sym energy to teleport to another location, and the ability to convert energy into heat, which can generate explosions or fires. Since each human obtains a different genetic modification, there is a certain individuality in terms of Sym energy’s impact on humans. The Rasp have recorded approximately thirty thousand different techniques that humans have displayed based on Sym energy. While this will not be relevant upon our arrival, as we are targeting the area dominated by creatures, it will be relevant when we leave the area,” the assistant explained.
“Wait, are you telling me that you are sending me into a world with monsters and people with superpowers? Are you sure the other planets weren’t better?” Jack asked, slightly irritated.
“Based on your memories, I confirm that your description is fitting. This location has the highest probability of survival and also the highest probability of returning to Earth. I do not recommend choosing the other planets,” the assistant responded.
“I see. So, one step at a time. Walk me through the first 10 hours of our arrival. What will I do to survive?” Jack asked calmly.
“You will remain motionless for approximately 23 minutes, which should suffice in healing your current condition. Since you have not moved your muscles in years, you will have trouble standing up or even moving, but you will have to force yourself to move to a secure location no matter what. You will likewise have issues seeing, since you have not opened your eyes in a long time, but you must force your eyes open and not close them. The first thing you do is find a cave or some type of cover. The area is mountainous, and I expect us to arrive at a location that is not easily viewable from a distance, since this is what the majority of the land looks like. Once you have found shelter, you will aim to circulate the Sym energy to avoid its accumulation in your organs. This will likewise give you a high level of energy, and you will likely be able to sense what ability you have been modified with. It should also give energy to your muscles and allow you to move freely. From then on, we will follow standard Rasp survival protocols for outpost researchers, which involves securing shelter and nutrition. A variety of strategies are valid, but it would be recommended to aim to leave the high-density Sym energy area as rapidly as possible and locate animals to hunt. While it is possible to eat creatures—since it was discovered by the Rasp that they taste like fish, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, and are particularly delicious due to the Sym energy that adds a smoky taste—they are extremely dangerous, and humans must avoid them at all costs. From that point, we will gather information and then approach a human settlement in order to generate a plan for the development of a dimensional jump device,” the assistant said.
“That sounds like a crazy plan. So much could go wrong. But there isn’t really anything else for me to do. What happens to all the cables and catheters that are in my body right now?” Jack asked.
“These will remain here. I am able only to transfer your body in the dimensional jump. Since I have been distributed into your entire body, I have a high level of accuracy when it comes to locating foreign objects. In fact, I have noticed kidney stones and one small tumour, which I will likewise leave here when we jump to our target location,” the assistant responded.
“Wow, thanks… I guess. I don’t know if this is a dream or not or if I am even still alive. But you have convinced me that it is real no matter what happens,” Jack concluded.
“We will jump in approximately 24 minutes. I will now give you time to collect your thoughts. Please prepare yourself for the worst possible scenario and mentally prepare to fight for your life as soon as you regain consciousness. What your new life will bring depends entirely on how much you will be willing to fight from now on. In this world, it will be to kill or to be killed,” the assistant warned.
Jack remained silent and did as the assistant said. Since he had no idea how he should prepare for something like that with his body being entirely unmovable, he just focused on one word: “Kill.” To kill or to be killed. To kill or to die. To kill to survive. He tried to fill his mind with only one word—to have a killer instinct, killer eyes, a killer mindset.
Jack was scared. He had never hurt anyone and had never been in danger. While he loved martial arts and combat sports, these were collaborations, not conflicts. His sparring partners were his best friends. He never tried to hurt anyone. He never tried to kill to survive.
In just a few minutes, he would wake up in the most hostile world he had ever seen, and he would be as weak as he had never been before.
Jack was not just scared; he was utterly terrified.