The Gate to Hell

Jack did not sleep that night but had been observing the progress in the takeover of the West Alliance and the assault on the organization's safehouses to make sure that everything was progressing well. He trusted the assistant to make many decisions but he worried that it could be heartless at times. He wanted goals to be secondary to the well-being of the people. At least innocent people. He also made sure that the assassins were effectively used to oversee certain aspects of the operation that were requiring more finesse than the large bodies of the bats could provide. Especially the assassin he had briefly sent back and who was tortured, now named Dog and wearing a mask, was naturally gifted at management work which made him a good intermediary in the West Alliance takeover. Deer and Cat were actively helping in the takedown of the safehouses and were to rescue any potential victims. If they were children, they were to be brought either back to their families or, if they were orphans, back to the villa. If the safehouse was empty, it was to be destroyed by the bats. Based on the assistant's analysis, they would likely have 4 to 6 more children join them over the coming days.

"Jack, I have gathered data on the large blue gate we have observed in the high-density region. Would you like to hear it now?" the assistant said.

Jack was levitating, fully invisible, above one of the cities in Seinas that was being taken over by the bats in collaboration with the leaders of the local Serenity Sect. It went remarkably smoothly thanks to the bats' overpowering strength and the assistant's finesse in making the transition as seamless as possible while giving the government officials a graceful way out. There was also a clear plan of retaining most of the police force which allowed them to view this as a governmental dispute rather than an attack on the people. Conflict occurred, but it was far less than one would expect in such a scenario. The propaganda that was built around the vision that Margi had of Jack being a higher being was a very effective tool and the assistant used it to its fullest.

"Sure, tell me," Jack said.

"With the bat stationed at the gate, I was able to measure a fluctuation in Sym energy that seemed to directly originate from the gate. I believe that the gate is not used for transport but is in fact an emitter of Sym energy. The density in the area has increased significantly in the past days," the assistant reported.

Jack scratched his chin which felt strange to him in his invisible state since he was used to seeing his hand while thinking deeply. "But isn't that a normal thing? Sym energy always fluctuates and moves around at least a little bit."

"Yes, Sym energy does move but very slowly and it is never simply increasing or decreasing. Sym energy is constant and is never used up or generated. Even if you condense Sym energy and use it to create barriers, it is never used up or disappears. It simply transforms into a different shape or triggers transformations in other elements. But it does not disappear or multiply. This gate is multiplying Sym energy. This could be problematic for this planet. Sym energy should be constant over thousands of years," the assistant explained.

"But maybe it is a gate that simply leeches Sym energy from somewhere else, right? So what's the problem?" Jack asked.

"That is a plausible explanation. But if the source of the Sym energy is not from this planet or this dimension then the increasing energy density can bring this planet out of balance. The human population could not survive if the energy density increased significantly and it would be like gradually increasing the temperature until they are boiled alive. It could prove detrimental," the assistant continued.

Jack had removed the invisibility skill to think more deeply. "Are you suggesting that the dimensional links I have found that had a high-density Sym energy environment could have been made this way and this could also happen here?"

"These are two separate possibilities, yes. It could be that this has happened before and it could also be planned for this planet," the assistant said.

Jack used a portal and jumped back to the gate in question where an incredibly happy bat awaited him. It must have been bored out of its mind after such a long time alone. He patted the bat on its large head and gave it a smile. Bats were inherently social creatures so it was time that Jack replaced it. He also made sure at least two bats were guarding this gate from now on.

"I am thinking of destroying it. What do you think?" Jack asked as he gave the bat a belly rub.

"I would recommend not to destroy it yet but to gather more data. We should also have at least 500 bats do a large-scale search for humanoids, creatures and other gates since we are currently lacking data on them. They seem to have retreated but their silence concerns me," the assistant said.

Jack got up and jumped towards the gate. "Ok, do that. Let's find where the humanoids are hiding." Then he closed his eyes and accumulated more Sym energy in his body which was indeed easier when standing close to the gate. It seemed like this planet would be in quite a bit of trouble without his help.

After meditating in front of the gate and accumulating more Sym energy for many hours, the assistant updated Jack on the progress of the exploration. They had sent 500 bats in teams of two to make the search more efficient and to cover large areas. Thanks to the assistant's coordination of the bats and the use of portals, it was a highly effective approach with the terrain being mapped in the most ideal way. The large-scale search had yielded significant results with 17 more gates being discovered in 10 different countries all with a similar distance between them. Based on their pattern, the assistant created a probability map which postulated the positions of undiscovered gates which proved to be a helpful guide in speeding up the exploration. It appeared as if the gates had appeared all over the planet but only in the high-density Sym energy fields which explains why their existence had not been discovered by others.

Instead of stationing a bat at every gate, the assistant had the assassins help the bats install simple detection devices manufactured by the Ashton family at the gates and leave a portal in the vicinity to allow them to quickly jump to the locations in case of an emergency. The assistant expected that there would be at least 300 gates on the planet even if only the high-density areas were affected. But it had found no clues as to how they were created or who brought them and since when they were there. In terms of resources, the 2,000 bats were mostly focused on the takeover of the West Alliance and the defense of the cities against the occasional creature attacks but, since both were progressing smoothly with just a few hundred bats, the search for the remaining gates had become a top priority.

Another discovery was that the amount of normal creatures had increased while the attacks of the gigantic ocean creatures on cargo vessels had become more frequent. But no bat was able to spot a single humanoid or any other creature that was out of the ordinary. It was as if they had disappeared from this planet.

Jack listened to the update by the assistant as he was sitting in a half-lotus position in front of the gate. He felt like he was a kid again, sitting in front of the radiator because it was cold outside. But the warmth from his childhood that used to give him comfort had been replaced by the increasing need for more Sym energy which kept his body calm and from shaking.

He stood up and thought about the next steps. He still wanted to return to Earth but the humanoids were his best bet and there was no way to find them. The research of dimensional links was ongoing by Fey and her team with the support of the assistant so there was nothing he could do to speed up the progress.

Jack lifted up his head and looked at the blue gate right in front of him. "Why do I feel like the creatures are trying to smoke out the humans on this planet?"

"That could be an adequate way of describing their strategy if they were indeed behind the creation of the gates. They seemed to attack humans because they distort the Sym energy field so it could make sense for them to use such drastic measures," the assistant added.

Jack took a few steps back and scratched his chin while carefully examining the blue gate in front of him. He was wondering if he should try to destroy it or if it was better to study it more. He walked towards the gate and looked at its blue and ocean-like surface. It had a peculiar pattern since it was sometimes calm but other times had ripples traveling across the surface. The more he stared at it, the more he felt like he could catch glimpses of objects moving on the other side. Sometimes he even felt like eyes were staring back at him but these were likely the reflections from the sun. The ripples looked nothing like what one would see on water since it looked distorted and almost angular. It reminded him of magnetic liquids being distorted by magnetic fields which caused them to arrange in peculiar patterns. Jack addressed the assistant. "Do you sense any fluctuations in the magnetic fields in the area?"

The assistant remained quiet for a few seconds. "I do indeed. It was so weak that I did not catch it during my earlier scan when we first encountered the gate and you stood further away. But standing this close, I can sense a faint magnetic field that seems to be changing continually."

Jack stepped close enough to the gate to touch its surface and placed one hand on it. "Analyze it and tell me the results and your interpretation."

The assistant paused for almost 2 minutes and then presented its results. "I can detect shifting magnetic fields that originate from the edges of the gates. The fields are too weak to have any effect on the materials in the environment so I do not understand what its purpose is. After analyzing the pattern, I can summarize that they are most likely used as an information system or are a byproduct of some other effect."

Jack walked away from the gate and looked at the ground, deep in thought. "Send bats to the-"

The assistant interrupted Jack. "I already sent bats to all the gates we have discovered and have analyzed the magnetic signatures. They seem to be different for each gate."

Jack had a frown expression for being interrupted. "Could it be some type of key?"

"That is one of many possibilities," the assistant added.

Jack stopped and turned around to look at the gate. "Let's try to play with the field. Maybe we can hack the gate somehow."

"I can create a very subtle magnetic field in your body that matches the magnetic field imposed by the edges of the gate. But I would suggest experimenting with a bat first," the assistant said.

Jack looked around at Alpha and Omega who had joined him as he was analyzing the gate but he had grown fond of them. He felt like he was the leader of his pack so experimenting on them did not sit right with him. "Let's subordinate a rat and see what happens."

Jack detected a nearby rat and swiftly caught it. The poor animal tried to bite its way out of his grip but to no avail since it couldn't even leave a scratch in his hardened skin. Jack smeared a drop of saliva on his own knuckles and the rat could not help itself but to lick it out of curiosity. Within seconds, it had been completely taken over by the assistant. Jack could feel the rat stopping to resist and he gently placed it on the ground. Like a dutiful worker, the rat ran towards the gate and stopped right before it.

"I will now adjust the magnetic field in the rat's body and attempt to walk through the gate," the assistant said.

The rat seemed to meditate for a second with the curious Jack crouching over it. Then it opened its eyes and confidently walked towards the gate but it hit the surface with its nose and was unable to penetrate it. What was curious was that the rat seemed to be repulsed by the gate rather than just being blocked. Then the rat took a few steps back, meditated and tried to pass the gate a second time. This time, it was suddenly sucked in and disappeared without a trace. Jack couldn't hide his shocked expression and he nearly fell over from his crouching position. "What the hell happened??"

"It's dead," the assistant said. "After sensing it being repulsed by the gate I thought of reversing the magnetic signature which should have the opposite effect which led it to be sucked right in. But the other side of the gate seems to have a Sym energy density higher than anything we have seen so far so it died within just a few seconds. Small bodies have a very difficult time handling Sym energy and high densities become exceptionally more dangerous to them."

Jack stood up and stared at the gate with an excited expression. "Is it another planet?"

"I do not know. The rat died too quickly. The energy density was about 35% higher than on the bat planet," the assistant said.

Omega slowly walked next to Jack. "I will go."

Omega was smart. It had the most advanced communication abilities among all the bats Jack had subordinated and it had perfect knowledge over grammar and the English language thanks to the assistant's help. Jack had talked to it quite a few times over the past weeks but mostly about its findings during reconnaissance missions. He looked at it with an almost concerned expression. "Are you sure?"

Omega stood in front of the gate and looked like an astronaut ready to launch. "I am. I have a barrier and portals. Also, the Sym energy should not be an issue for me."

Jack took a step back. "Alright. Return as soon as you enter to make sure that it is a two-way door."

Omega paused for a moment to allow the assistant to adjust its magnetic field and then slowly walked towards the gate. It was being sucked towards it just like the rat but its large size and enormous strength allowed it to easily retain control. The large dragon-like creature walked through the gate and, after a few seconds, reappeared before Jack.

Jack had his arms crossed and looked at it with raised eyebrows. "So, how was it?"

Omega lowered its body in front of Jack. "It felt just like passing any other portal. The Sym energy feels stronger on the other side. The terrain looks nearly identical to here."

"Did you notice anything there?" Jack asked the assistant.

"I could not detect anything special. But it is indeed correct that the other side seems to be a replica of this terrain. The rock formations around us are identical to the ones found on the other side," the assistant said.

"If it's safe then I will check it out," Jack said.

"It should be safe enough but I recommend sending more bats through first to further reduce the risk," the assistant answered.

"It'll be fine," Jack said as he walked towards the gate and let the assistant adjust his magnetic field to match the pattern of the edges. His heartbeat had increased as soon as he heard that the Sym energy density was higher behind the gate which sounded like heaven to him. He had been returning to the bat dimension frequently to relax since it was the highest density he had access to but this new place must be even better.

As soon as he crossed to the other side, he felt uneasy. He did not feel fear or in danger but there was something about the environment that seemed off to him. When he turned to look at the horizon he indeed felt like he was still in the same place. The mountains, the gate, and the sky looked identical. Only the bats that were waiting on the other side of the gate were nowhere to be seen.

"Is this a twin of the other planet?" Jack asked with a confused tone.

"I am not sure what this means but it does seem to be perfectly identical to our previous location. According to my records, everything is a 100% perfect match even down to the mountains around us," the assistant confirmed.

Jack walked around the gate to make sure that the bats were not actually here with him since he could not believe how similar it was but when he arrived at the other side, he saw nothing. His communicator likewise did not have any signal which confirmed his view that he was indeed on another planet. But something still bothered him as he strolled around the area. He looked around and inspected the horizon once again. "Can you reach Alpha and Omega from here?"

"Yes, I am in contact with them which must mean that we are at least in the same dimension," the assistant said.

"Tell Alpha to jump around and make footprints in the ground," Jack said as he focused on his portals and could feel that this planet was full of his portals even though it was seemingly his first time here. On the ground, he could not see any footsteps or traces of the bats from the other side. It was not the same planet but it also was. Jack was very confused.

"Take a few bats and explore the other gates as well. Let them check out the environment and report if you discover anything." Before Jack even finished his sentence, Alpha and Omega already popped through the gate and joined him in the high-density energy environment on the other side. Just like Jack, they had a strong craving for Sym energy since it was their primary energy source. This place was like a banquet to them. Jack mounted Alpha and the three of them started to explore the area. After flying for a few minutes, Jack opened a portal and the group jumped to a nearby location where a city should be.

Upon arrival, Jack only found a desolate desert with mountains and some dried up trees. Instead of the vibrant city he expected, he only saw emptiness. The portal that was supposed to be located on top of the wall was just hovering in the air as if it was placed there. "That is strange. This is not the same planet but all my portals are there. Do you have any idea why?"

"I do not. The energy density here is much higher than any of my records which go thousands of years back. Even if we were on the same planet in a different time, there should be no point in time where the energy was that high. And even if it was an artificially created replica of the planet, it should be impossible for your portals to be here," the assistant said.

"It's a contradiction. It should be a different planet but it should also be the same. There is no reason for my portals to exist while everything else is gone. Keep searching and tell me if they find something," Jack said.

Jack spent the next two hours jumping to different locations on the planet through his portals in order to find a clue but he could not discover anything. The planet was abandoned and there were no traces of life or civilization. He then sat down to meditate while taking in the exceptionally high density in the atmosphere. After twenty minutes of quiet circulation, he opened his eyes. "What if there were always two planets in the same spot?"

"I am not following this logic," the assistant said.

"When you talk about different dimensions, where are they in relation to each other? Are they stacked on top? Next to each other? Far away?" Jack asked, still meditating and watching his breath.

"No, dimensions are not spatially related to each other since they are separated by design. Different dimensions can be viewed as different layers of reality. They are neither close nor far away but are just in a different layer. You can imagine reality like a television and your remote control decides which dimension you look at. All the dimensions are superimposed onto the screen but the remote decides which one is shown. That is how dimensions work in a simplified way," the assistant explained.

"Are there dimensions that are copies of others?" Jack asked, his eyes closed again.

"Not according to my latest records. Dimensions are generally self-sufficient since they evolve based on the rules of physics governing inside and the amount of matter and energy that is available. To have a dimension copy another would require enormous resources and sophistication that even the Rasp were not capable of. And two dimensions coincidentally evolving in the same way is an impossible occurrence. But even if this were to happen, it would not explain why your portals are on this planet. We are clearly in the same dimension and not a different one since I can communicate with all the bats," the assistant said.

Jack thought for a few minutes. "What if this is a different dimension but it is also connected to the other dimension? Maybe my portals here are copies of the original that have formed here when I formed them on the other planet. Like forming two at the same time without noticing."

The assistant remained quiet for a few moments since this puzzle was quite perplexing to it. "A copy of a portal that forms its own independent network and a copy of a dimension that is connected to its original. Since we cannot access the planet's information networks, there can be no Sym devices here. Since your portals are here but they connect to each other instead of bringing us back, these must indeed be different portals in a separate dimension. My ability to coordinate with the bats on the other hand suggests that we are still in the same dimension. The gates connecting us to the other planet are a mystery to me," the assistant said.

"This feels like a copy to me. A very old copy. I do not know much about Sym energy but it seems to connect things. It turns thoughts into reality and even alters DNA. Why would it not be able to connect and alter dimensions?" Jack said as he stood up and made his way back to the gate.

The assistant remained silent as it was computing for a solution to this new discovery. After Jack had returned to his villa and spent the evening with Fey, the assistant broke its silence.

"Jack, I think we should try to contact the Rasp."