- - - - - - - - A cold dying world - - - - - - - -
In a dim place above the layers upon layers of computorium that make up the matrioshka brain, a lone man was operating some machinery. Even though the location of the man was closer to the sun than (where once was) the orbit of Mercury, the temperature of the place was nearly indistinguishable from outer space. Nevertheless, silence shone upon the last person in the world that isn't obsessed with the simulated universes.
That person’s name is Ardis Nittarren.
If someone were to ask me what my favorite genre is, “isekai” would be blurted out of my mouth faster than it takes for someone to blink.
I like isekai
I like it so much that I dedicate my whole life to this project.
Call it an obsession or impulsive. But would Picasso make Starry night without seeing the enchanting night sky from his window? Would Charles Thomas Rees Wilson have constructed the cloud chamber if it weren't for his intense fascination with solar glory?
Obsession drives us all into creating our magnum opus.
Undoubtedly I have created my own, yes my magnum opus, masterpiece, final creation. A device capable of transferring a soul. After centuries of research and countless breakthroughs, I managed to identify the human soul. The soul is a pattern of quantum probability that makes up the neurons of the brain. And It seems to be connected through quantum entanglement to a dimension outside this universe. Meaning, there is an exact copy of every soul in that place. Well, an exact opposite copy that is, fortunately I found out a way on how to swap the positions of these quantum entangled particles.
A machine of realities, no longer the cheap imitation that plague this world.
Whereas the matrioshka simulates realities, the perfect life based on the whims of lowly humans. I have forged a path to a whole nother reality.
But that doesn’t matter now, I already have what I need. Putting the device on my head, I lay down on my deathbed.
Whether this device works or not, either way, my body is dead here. That is to say, I don’t know whether I can transfer my soul back here or not. With the press of a button, all my assets will be transferred and distributed to all my relatives.
I hope they enjoy their perfect lives inside their simulated universes. Why am I not satisfied with the simulated universe, you say? I don't know actually, I just have this feeling of emptiness whenever I interact with the NPCs in there. They don’t feel real enough. And the world also feels bland and smells like AI generated garbage. Everyone is lazy here, perhaps I'm the only one left to advance science and technology in the entire human race.
Well enough of that, goodbye everyone, goodbye humanity, goodbye Dark-snow.
With the press of a button, everything went black.
- - - - - - - - Realm of Gods - - - - - - - -
When I woke up, everything was white.
Ah, the generic whitespace, where isekai MCs get transferred to first and get their blessings from a beautiful voluptuous goddess. Ah… my heart can’t stop pounding from the thought of what I am doing. All my life I have been reading isekai novels and envying the protagonist of these novels.
Calm down, calm down. I have to do what I have to do. Let’s see, what do we have here?
Nothing.
There is nothing here, umm well this is a predicament that I should've seen coming. How dumb! Every isekai MC has a beautiful, voluptuous goddess to guide them! These goddesses have magic, but I don’t, how am I supposed to do this then?
Okay, calm down again, let’s think. Did I just transfer myself to a blank place with nothing in it? Uhh, well no wait, that can’t be it. All the souls in the world are connected to here, so there must be something… something I can do.
If I were to be someone creating and overseeing a world, in what way should I most efficiently do my objectives? Ugh, that is also assuming that I and the being that created this world have a lot in common. Huh, how about using thought? Hmm, maybe this place has a similar interface to the simulated universes. Okay let’s try that, focus on that feeling…
As I try to ‘interact with the world’ the white floor in front of me moved. Shadows start to appear as the contraption arises from the floor. Fractals of white shifted, tear, moved, and changed shape to form a white block to the height of my elbows.
Huh, it worked, okay this is usable. I imagined a control interface like a computer in my mind, so this should be something similar. Damn, it would be scary if the universal interface of this place doesn't recognize what I'm trying to do, because I don't have any other ideas.
Let’s see what’s here…
In front of me stood a white block with a keyboard engraved into it. The keys are highlighted with white lights shining from the block. On top of it, there is a screen-like hologram floating just at eye level. There seems to be many alert indicators flashing for my attention.
World’s soul usage count? Oh, it’s nearly at maximum. That’s probably why the entire world was lazy, and no development was going on. The creator of this world must’ve left this world unattended, huh. The only reason I'm not lazy is that my goals align with what the world wants, in other words what I want and do, do not require more souls, so the world allows it to happen.
There doesn't seem to be anything I can do to raise the amount of souls available, well not that it matters, it’s not my goal of coming here after all. I’m sorry everyone, I pray that there will be a good, beautiful, voluptuous, goddess oneesan to save and tend to this world. Or maybe I can call for one from here? Eh, whatever.
Soul transfer?! I found it! Omigosh! Calm down, calm-down. Let’s check what’s in here.
As I read through the options, my expression continues to grow grim. What I'm looking for, was not here.
Dammit! It's just a feature to transfer this world's souls from one place to another within this world. Give me something more extraterrestrial please, no wait, extrauniversal? Extradimensional? Interdimensional! Maybe that's the key word that I'm looking for, let's search for it.
After quite a while… scratch that, a hot minute and a bunch of learning later.
Why is there no interdimensional travel? Is this the only dimension, or something? No, I must keep searching before coming to conclusions. Hmm… oh, how about a map?
As I began to type 'interdimensional map' in the search box, something that caught my eye finally popped up. I clicked on the link faster than I could finish my typing. Now, what I see in front of me looks like a star map of some sort. I can see the name of these bright star-like dots when I hover over them.
So I guess I can only pick these? Damn, there are a lot of them, their sizes also seem to vary.
“But how do I travel to them…” I said, trying to voice my confusion.
“You go there yourself, of course”
“But… huh? Eh, who?”
“You can call me manager, I'm the manager of this place”
“Uhh, manager? Why did you not say anything this whole time?”
“Well, why didn't you say anything this whole time”
“Because I don't know that you're here!”
“You don’t know? That’s weird, are you newly conceived or something? But the association should've guided you, did they fail to detect you? Probability: very low, conclusion: ask question. Where did you come from?”
Oh crap, it sounds like I’m getting interrogated, should I lie? But I don't have enough information to make a convincing lie. He might be pretty powerful considering he is the ‘manager’ of this universe, what should I do?? Ah, I have a plan!
“I come from down there” trying to hide my nervousness I gathered my courage and said while pointing to the soul usage count on the screen
“A mortal visitor? Probability: impossible, Manifesting Aetherograph.”
Suddenly, numerous bright-colored lights appeared in front of me. Their color, ever shifting, as it danced around in the air forming a construct of some sort before shrinking into nothingness.
“Logical fallacy detected: Aetherograph shows mortal components. Hypothesis(a): Mortal soul has trespassed onto the heavenly realm, Hypothesis(b): Aetherograph has malfunctioned. Proceeding with rebooting Aetherograph.”
Isn't this really bad? That line sounded as if a police officer had pulled me over.
Whatever place this is, I don't want to come off as hostile to its resident director.
“Iteration 1…”
“Iteration 2…”
He's counting up to a really high number and as the amount of iteration goes up he says it faster and faster before it just sounds like the whirling of a fan, then silence.
I could not hear his voice anymore. Not even a single noise can be heard. While the room had gone silent, the latter turbulent encounter had not settled in my head, instead anticipation is building up within me, I could feel my feet become uncomfortably cold, and I started to shift around all jittery.
“Protocol Descent executed.”
By its voice, it was not the same “manager” I had been talking to. That same message seemed to echo all throughout this expanseless void. That voice sounds like it belonged to a woman, low in pitch, but it was unmistakably that of a woman. All proper like and pronounced in the clearest voice I've heard. Whatever protocol Descent is, I am sure my fate was sealed.
“In that regard, I must tell you humans are nothing more than a joke.”
In response to that announcement, the heaven itself shook mightily. In the end the heavenly realm that is the place I have become a trespasser, upon which the haughtily atheists of my world would rival this great quake as they quiver in their boots, the sight which I am about to describe is beyond comprehension.
“By what audacious path have you ventured into my divine domain, mortal?”
For what few words I have to describe what went through my head. Comprehending anything right out of my mouth will leave you confused as is.
In front of me stood a man in white. At Least, that's what I think this being in front of me represents.
“Answer my question mortal, I do not have the time for this”
Ah crap, do I continue my plan? Can he read my mind? No, if he can, he probably won't bother asking me. Is he testing my truthfulness? Not enough data to extrapolate, dammit, what do I do??
I think either way, I'm screwed, so let's go with it anyway and hope for the best.
“I- I think I died, and now I'm here somehow” yup, this is the greatest plan.
“Is that so? Well whatever”.
Whatever? What is he going to do? I can't see his expression.
“But my lord, according to the logs-”
With the snap of a finger, the hurried, desperate voice of the manager suddenly disappeared. It was like there was no manager there in the first place.
“I'm tired of these system errors, damn entropy eroding everything. Oh right you, I'm tired, let's just put you back while on the way”.
Put me back?
As I thought that, the surrounding space suddenly changed, it was like I was teleported. When I looked around, I realized that I was not teleported, but moving at ludicrous speeds away from that seemingly infinite white space.
Behind that white space is what I can only describe as the observable universe, sparkling galaxies sprawling like spiderwebs with gaping holes in between, moving away from me. Moving… that's right, it's visibly moving, at a fast pace at that. If this phenomenon were true then we would be moving faster than light, like, unimaginably faster.
And the place we are moving to is… void. There were no stars, no light, only darkness filled my vision.
“Warning: aether engine full throttle, extreme cavitation imminent”
Huh?
“Just go already, oh yeah you might want to hang on to something”
WHAT?
In an instant, an overwhelming force took hold. The world around me blurred into a cosmic blur as I got pulled along, my body subjected to a gravitational force unlike anything I had ever experienced. It felt as though my very essence was being stretched and compressed simultaneously, a surreal sensation that defied all known boundaries of physical existence.
The acceleration intensified, pushing me further into the depths of this void. My muscles strained against the immense G-forces, and every fiber protesting against the overwhelming pressure. Thoughts became fleeting as my mind struggled to keep up with the intensity of the journey. Each passing moment felt like an eternity as the weight of nine G's pressed down upon me, threatening to crush my fragile form.
In the end, I blacked out.
- - - - - - - - some time later - - - - - - - -
*crackle*
*screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEBOOOOOOOOM*
Blinding white and ringing are the only things I can feel. After some time, both died down and normality can be grasped once again.
“You got blown away by that? How weak”.
What just happened? I think I blacked out because of the g-forces, and woke up here?
“What happened to me?”
“Your soul got blasted by the aether sea and I had to help, be grateful”
“M-my apologies, my lord, I appreciate your help!”
I don’t know the full extent of the situation, but my instincts tell me that this guy’s opinion of me may determine the future of my life.
“At Least you know your place mortal, this is the world where you will be put in, consider yourself lucky. Now go away, I do not have time to dawdle around with mere mortals”.
Immediately after he finished talking, my vision went black, just like the first time my soul got transported to that white space. But, it seems like I have succeeded on my first goal.
