GoldFinger
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Chapter 1.
🕑 Added 2022-02-19 19:02:21 +0000 UTC
In This Corner Of The Multiverse : Next Generations.
Chapter 1.
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I looked at the roadmap to my plan projected over my desk, and smiled in satisfaction.
With a thought the datapad shut off the projection and switched off.
I tucked it neatly into the backpack and took in a deep breath of the summer night breeze, looking out the window at the blue moon shimmering in the Nabooan sky.
"Today is the day." I repeated to myself, as goosebumps ran down my arms with a mix of fear and excitement.
I opened the desk drawer and pulled out a plain sheet of paper, my letter, and put in on the desk, just as a gust of wind blew it off.
"Ugh! Stupid paper. Can't stay in place can you?" I chastised the letter before picking it up and placing it back on the desk, when another breeze threatened to blow it off. I shook my head and looked around for something to pin the letter under.
The pen was too light. And most everything else was going to be needed for the journey.
Oh, I know!
I unclipped my lightsaber from my belt and placed it over the letter, holding it down.
I made a mental note to take it back and close the window before leaving.
Then I got to packing.
My datapad was already tucked in, right beside my favourite blanky.
I looked at the clothes, rolled up in bundles.
Two shirts, two pants, my favourites, an extra pair of socks, and three of underwear. Also a microfiber towel.
And of course a survival kit, with a vibro knife and torch.
Pushing them to one side, I checked if there would be enough space for the rest of the stuff.
Yup.
I closed the lid on the backpack and set it aside, taking a seat on the lower bunk of the bed.
It was Julian's. He had won the much cherished lower bunk in a bet over podracing.
And now look at it. I can use it as I see fit, because that idiot twin brother of mine is out there weaseling his way through the senate.
Youngest senator in the galaxy my ass. He just wants to one up me!
Shame that too.
We could have gone together if he wasn't such a daft cunt about everything. Twin brothers forging their own legend in the vast multiverse.
Tch.
I bent down and put on my rocket boots, fastening them tight.
They didn't hold a big charge but they were good for short term flights. Besides, they also packed a magnetic sole so that was a plus.
Checking them for fit, I stood up and patted my robe, straightening out it's creases.
I checked my accessories, patting myself down.
Forcefield clip on. Right Hip. Check.
Fabricator Multitool. Inner Robe pockets. Check.
I looked at the bag and panelling on it's side. Solar battery. Check.
Universal Filter Water Bottle. Check.
Alright then. Clock's ticking.
I picked up the backpack and crept out of my room, making my way across the corridor when a door opened behind me.
I turned around slowly.
Ashla, my little sister walked out of her room in a daze stumbling towards the bathroom before she spotted me. Well more like force sensed me. I could feel her usual excessive sensory pulses beat against my wards.
Darn it.
"Hady?" She muttered, looking at me quizzically.
"Ashla, what are you doing up? It's way past your bedtime!" I said, wagging my finger at her.
Ashla rubbed her sleepy eyes, and looked me up and down, as a smug smile spread over her face.
"Hehehe.... You're going to the kitchen for extra cake?" She asked like a Trandosian star gate cop.
Yeah I said it. Some stereotypes exist for a reason.
"Oh no.... I'm caught!" I played along, "Don't tell mama and papa, please?"
"I won't tell mama and papa, but only if I get some too!" She extorted.
"Hmm? Sure." I said.
"Yay! Cake!" She jumped for joy.
"Shhh!" I panicked, pushing my hand over her mouth.
"...yay cake?" She repeated softer this time.
I smiled, patting her head, as her lekku twitched happily.
So cute!
"Race you to the bottom!" She said, glowing briefly as she disappeared with a soft thump, down the stairs in a white flash, without so much as a creak of the stairboards.
Sometimes even I feel jealous of her massive talent with the force. It all comes so naturally to her.
I shook my head. Time to make my escape while she's digging into the cake.
I tiptoed down the stairs, and past the living room.
I stopped for a minute and crouched down, looking through the keyhole and spotted my parents sitting on the sofa, my father playing with mom's lekku as usual. He leaned into her, pulling her into a kiss, aaand that's all I'm gonna watch.
I looked away, and took one last glance at the kitchen, the fridge's light dimly illuminating Ashla's form devouring the cake whole.
Yeah. That's taken care of.
I crept down the hallway once again and out the side, sliding into the garage/lab/basement.
I looked at the stuff available on the shelves and picked out a handful of items. A miniaturized Nuetrino bomb. Just in case.
A clone war era DC 17 blaster, and some old but still functioning ammo cartridges for some ranged capabilities.
A CodeRed healing serum injection. For emergencies.
Yes. Just one. I know I should take more, but I want to travel light.
Besides, I was planning on getting immortality soon enough anyways, so no point carrying dead weight. There's only so much one bag can carry and I need all the space I can get for the portal fluid. I picked up a portable canister off the rack and scanned the room once more.
Spotting the portal fluid tank in the corner, I walked over, filling it up.
I placed my backpack on a workdesk and secured the canister inside with straps.
I checked the stoppers and lid again. Can't have it leaking and destroying what little I am bringing along.
Alright, now where's that portal gun?
I'm sure Pa was working on a new prototype here last year.
I rummaged through the drawers.
I picked up a vial of glowing yellow liquid.
Concentrated blutamate? What's that doing in the drawer?
No. Nevermind. Portal gun comes first.
I closed the drawer and opened the one below it.
Coloring pencils, that weird froopyland chalk set. That actually has some neat applications in life sustaining tech. Maybe I should bring one with me?
Nah. I shook my head.
At this rate I'll end up carrying a lab on my back.
I pushed aside the stationery and papers, drawings we made when we were kids.
He kept these here huh?
I looked at a butchering of a family portrait I had tried and cringed.
Ugh. I sucked at this.
I mean I still suck at it but at least now I don't bother with it.
I would have thrown them out by now but Pa's too sweet to do that, I guess. Sometimes I don't understand him.
No, scratch that. I almost never understand him.
I smiled.
I closed the drawer. Not here either.
I stood up, patted the dust off my pants and opened an overhead cupboard.
More junk. Great!
I pulled out an old B wing carburettor, and levitated it gently to the floor, digging in further when a rat jumped out from the cupboard, startling me.
"Fucker!" I cried out, sending a bolt of force lightning at it, frying it dead.
Sheesh.
The garage needs some serious cleaning.
If only Pa allowed the droids in here.
I shrugged. No point worrying about that. Pa's going to be as eccentric as always. Nothing can change that at this point. Maybe I'll clean it when I get back.
Or not.
I stood back up and dug into the garbage in the cupboard once more, when I spotted something glowing faintly neon green.
I reached in, ran my hand across the glowing glass vial, and felt for an edge, but found it stuck.
Annoyed, I gave the box a yank, pulling the device out.
It came tangled though, caught in the festival lights we used last year, sending a spray of dust across the room.
"Akhu, alhu!" I coughed, and fell on the floor, covered head to toe with little strings of lights.
"Haaah!" I groaned in frustration.
This goddamn garage is too unorganised!
I pulled off the lights and wires from myself, untangling the palm sized device from it in the process too.
Finally, I got a good look at it.
It was indeed what I was looking for.
A new prototype portal gun.
It was a square device, a little larger than my open palm, with a vial of portal fluid embedded into the slab at one side, a keypad and slit display screen on another end.
At the top, was a small bulb, with a flip switch to activate the portal gun on the side. On the projector bulb itself, was a rotary focus, like a miniature camera lense, to determine the size of the portal and the distance at which it opened from me.
I fiddled with it for a moment, and familiarized myself with it, engaging my tinker shard as an instinctual understanding of it's use came to me.
"Alright. I'm ready." I muttered to myself.
I checked the portal fluid levels in the portal gun and topped it off while I was at it, my backpack slung over my shoulders.
The calculations ran through my head again, confirming my thoughts.
I wanted to start my own adventure across the multiverse. Like Pa before me. And I wanted it to be my own. Not the usual apprenticeship my other brothers did under our otherworldly siblings.
It was safer yes, but could you truly call it your own if there was someone watching over your every move, pointing you every which way, almost puppeteering you along.
No. I don't think so.
Pa did it on his own. And so can I. In fact I want to!
But Ma and Pa wouldn't allow it.
Too dangerous. They'd say.
As if.
Growing up, I always wanted to be like Pa.
Like the stories of his adventures that he told us.
A multiversal swashbuckler, adventuring to worlds known and unknown, learning things, getting stronger. Apotheosizing.
But most of all, having fun.
I wanted to see other worlds too. I wanted to tastes all the flavours of the world. Fight monsters, get girls.
But so long as Pa is keeping an eye on me, I can't do that. Not truly free, at least.
Besides, who wants a romance with their parents helicoptering over them.
Ugh. No!
That's so lame!
I need to get to a random world outside Pa's control. One where he wouldn't be able to follow.
I love Pa dearly but he's too protective of us sometimes!
And did I mention the issue of privacy?
Imagine the thought of having a father that's literally omniscient. An elder god of the multiverse. Or at least a good chunk of multiversal clusters.
Yeah. At the best of times, privacy is an illusion.
Not that he didn't let us have privacy. He did.
But the thought of someone potentially being able to always find you, even out of love, is unsettling.
Thankfully, his true body had already ascended to a higher plane long before I was born and the avatars he left behind would need to actively look for me if they wanted to find me.
That was my chance.
The only way to hide from his sight, was to subvert all expectations. Go where he won't be expecting. At least until Pa gives in and lets me go it on my own. I'd say, a world or two till he relents.
Once he sees I can safely travel across multiple worlds alone, even he will have to agree!
And if he doesn't, Ma can always convince him for me!
This way, I'll be able to have my own adventure.
Without a nanny of an elder sibling shadowing me all the way at least.
I knew the process of getting out of his sight would require a randomized algorithm.
One I had prepared already. It took two months of coding and calculations, a ton of work, but I did it!
I connected to the portal gun's processor and uploaded the algorithm onto it, pressed the trigger.
An ethereal green portal opened up before me pulsing lightly and a cold wind blew at my hair from within.
I looked at the portal, mesmerized.
"Pretty."
Even after seeing it all these times, it's still as beautiful as ever.
Almost drew my eyes in.
I sucked in a cold breath, my hands balled up into fists shaking with barely excitement.
A big smile spread across my face and involuntarily, I began to giggle.
"Hehehehe... Let's do this!
Now what did Pa say when he went on his first adventure?.....Ah yes. Ahehem." I recalled, cleared my throat, as I stepped into the portal.
"To infinity and beyond!"
