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878 - The Zelvora Scapegoat
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 05:06:31 +0000 UTC“Would you like to test it?” Masimbia asked, his tone calm and measured. There was no point in further explanations, he knew their minds were already racing with doubt. Instead of arguing over the validity of the technology, he would let the results speak for themselves.
Silence.
None of them answered immediately. Their hesitation was obvious, their expressions guarded. Trust between them and the Empire was at its lowest, this was nothing more than a transactional relationship, devoid of any real goodwill.
And with what they knew of the Zelvora’s capabilities, both in offense and defense, some from firsthand experience, how could they be sure this wasn’t a trap?
What if, the moment they put on the devices, the Empire activated them?
Trapping them in an illusion.
Brainwashing them.
Shattering their minds.
Or, worst of all, extracting their memories, laying bare their governments’ secrets, their personal vulnerabilities, handing the Empire an undeniable edge.
The risk was too great.
Seeing the silence stretch on, Masimbi decided to intervene. He knew exactly what was holding them back. Turning to the Zelvora representative, he said, “As a member of a civilization well-versed in mental abilities, would you like to use your own powers to determine whether there’s any danger? Since you’ll be the one interfacing with the tower, you’ll be able to perceive what the VR is attempting to extract from you. In return, you can determine if this Virtual Reality system poses any risks.”
His words seemed to have an effect. The Zelvora representative hesitated only briefly before giving a slow nod of acknowledgment. The other representatives exchanged glances, silently agreeing. If anyone could detect potential threats, it would be the Zelvora. Their civilization was known for its trustworthiness; if he vouched for the system’s safety, they could rely on his judgment.
Still, to be absolutely certain, they could have him swear a mana oath to verify his findings. That would remove all doubt.
With the decision made, the Zelvora representative was provided with detailed instructions on how to use his psionic abilities to interface with the Virtual Reality tower stationed within the Trade Hub. It was already active, accessible within certain frequencies, he only had to reach out and connect.
The Zelvora representative closed his eyes, focusing as he searched for the tower’s signal. It took mere moments; unsurprisingly, the frequency was easy to locate. Without hesitation, he sent out a pulse, just as instructed, initiating the connection.
The tower responded instantly by sending a probe toward him. Remaining vigilant, he allowed it access, carefully monitoring its behavior. The probe skimmed across his mana, gathering rudimentary data through an intricate process of data scraping. Within moments, the tower had compiled a full, momentary analysis of his physical form.
Then, before he could fully process the transition, the tower attempted to pull him in. His senses flared in recognition, this was a mental network. Understanding its nature immediately, he chose not to resist.
………………
“Oh my god…” Cravath muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
He was floating in a vast void—endless, silent. There was light, but no discernible source, an eerie illumination that allowed him to see his own hands as he instinctively raised them. He moved slightly, testing his control, but everywhere he turned, there was only darkness stretching infinitely.
Then, a sudden shift.
A brilliant blue light flared into existence, sweeping over his body in a rapid scan. Before he could react, a mirrored version of himself materialized before him, a perfect reflection. He studied it carefully, searching for discrepancies, and there were none. Every detail was flawless, down to the smallest imperfection on his skin.
He knew the tower’s initial probe had collected data on his body, but he hadn’t expected this level of precision. In his own civilization, even their most advanced mental networks struggled with accurately rendering physical forms, often relying on the user’s self-perception rather than objective data. But this… this was something else.
Before he could fully process his astonishment, a voice resonated through the void:
{What is your name?}
A holographic screen materialized in front of him, waiting for his response.
{Cravath,} he answered.
The screen instantly updated, displaying his name in his native language.
The questions didn’t stop there. More inquiries followed, some simple, others more probing. Out of curiosity, Cravath attempted to lie on a few, only to be immediately caught. The system promptly warned him that the initial information needed to be accurate, as it would form the foundation for his experience in Virtual Reality. Realizing it was just basic details, age, species, and similar non-sensitive data, he complied.
Once that was settled, the system presented him with an option to modify his avatar within set limitations. He opted to skip it, choosing to keep his form as it was. Instead, he focused on completing the rest of the registration, curiosity growing. If the sheer depth of this onboarding process was any indication, then the actual VR environment must require computing power beyond his imagination. Was the empire truly capable of backing its claims?
After finishing the necessary steps, he was presented with an unexpected requirement—a mana oath. The terms stated that all contracts signed within the VR under the empire’s supervision would be legally enforceable in the real world, provided both parties agreed to the conditions. It was a clear sign of the empire’s intentions: this wasn’t just for entertainment. They were integrating Virtual Reality into real-world affairs.
Before he could decide whether to accept, a notification appeared, and the requirement vanished.
[It has been determined that you are currently assessing the VR at the request of the Imperial government representative. Hence, for this session, the mana oath requirement has been waived.]
A new, smaller hologram replaced it.
[Would you like to log in?]
[YES] | [NO]
Without hesitation, Cravath selected YES.
His surroundings rippled and distorted—then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself standing in the middle of a street.
Shock was written all over Cravath’s face as he took slow, deliberate steps toward a nearby bench. With each step, his mind raced, analyzing everything around him. As soon as he sat down, he closed his eyes, focusing all his mental abilities to detect any flaws in the world he found himself in.
Yet—nothing.
No matter how much he scrutinized his surroundings, everything felt real. Had he not been actively monitoring the communication link between himself and the tower, he wouldn’t have even realized he was inside a Virtual Reality system. From the moment he connected, the tower had taken over all processing, requiring no further input from him, just like breathing.
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. The sheer scale of this world wasn’t what unsettled him, he had seen mental networks this vast before. But those had only been possible within their own star systems, where every participant contributed their mental energy to expand and refine the shared experience. This, however, was different. The empire had managed to replicate such a feat without requiring a mass contribution of minds.
Unwilling to accept what he was seeing so easily, he decided to push further. He attempted to hijack the system, to break the boundaries of his access, manipulate the virtual space, and override the constraints. If this was truly a mental network, there had to be a way in.
But no matter what technique he used, he was met with failure.
The tower’s systems prevented every single attempt, restricting his influence within the designated frequency range. It was airtight. The empire had already accounted for his capabilities and implemented countermeasures.
Realization dawned.
They weren’t just experimenting with mental networks.
They were on the verge of mastering them.
Comments
GripenSupremacy
TYFTC
Jade
TYFTC! This was a great one showcasing the literal multigenerational leap ahead in tech the empire has over the Concave, and was awesome
