Edited Book 2: First 4 Chapters
🕑 Added 2024-10-16 12:16:06 +0000 UTCHoly Scripture #3:
...and that is how deductive logic works. It is about taking larger theories and placing them in smaller situations or scenarios. For instance, if all men are mortals, and Joe is a man, then Joe must be mortal. Simple and yet profound at the same time.
This scripture has taught you quite a bit for the last sixty pages. From basic math to algebra and geometry. From the greatest of punctuation marks, the all-powerful comma, to how paper is created and books are bound. From governments and philosophy, architecture, and standardized sewing, to what I understand and have learned of fundamental evolution and the magical variety. I have taught you much in this writing, but I'm afraid we're already coming to a close on most of my writing implementation. If I had known that I would write a scripture for a burgeoning religious text, I would've brought a serious amount of paper. Alas, my hindsight is still mortal after all. Do not worry, the moment the crisis of creation begins to settle down, I will expand on this.
For now, let us focus on how we, as a religion and not individuals, will operate. There was a grand story from my world, wherein a council of high-level monks ran a spatial policing force for the good of the universe. They were barred from having children and were taught from a very young age to control and often negate any form of emotion. I know it’s a story and not a proper reflection of reality. How? Because the idea that multiple high-level fighters would agree on something for the common-good of a massive amount of people is almost impossible. While the idea in theory is nice, they were wrong, and we are not them.
There was another story, of how two people represented an entire race of fighters. Throughout their history, they have indulged in their passions and fought against what they perceived as the "weak" or the "coddled" of their universe. They built grand empires, destroyed others, and ultimately fell from grace through great corruption. Building a society on the power of the few can often lead to betrayals, only allowing the strong and cunning to prevail. They were wrong, and we are not them as well.
Both the two representatives and the council, are inventions of an imagination far more significant than mine. The writer told stories where time and again he would pit these two civilizations against each other for the entertainment of the reader. These fictions encased great moments of triumph and conflict, heartache and loss, and inspirationally moved me as a child. They represented a grand idea of what a civilized society could be and what it would take to bring one down. There's a quote from my world that applies to why I just taught you about them, "Good artists copy, great minds steal."
And thus, we will take from the greatest of stories and religions my old planet held, to build a foundation for what is needed for Symphony.
Each high-level Horizon Chaser will mentor those below them. If your path has crossed similar intersections with a younger member, one who has real potential that you believe in, then it is your duty to help them gain sufficiency in their path. Be a guiding hand for their route up the Unending Summit, not the trail. Show them the signage with a pointed finger, not an unearned map. Each path is our own to walk, and only we can grow from our ordeals.
Each junior Horizon Chaser will seek a mentor for the right path to elevation. Do not attempt to force them to take you on, as that may lead to an early grave and the shrugged shoulders of all who watch it occur. Your mentor's relationship with you will not be individually scrutinized or regulated. If they decide you are no longer worth the effort and choose to move on, then that is that. Place yourself into a position of value for your mentor, and see them guide you to a new plateau. But always remember, it is a privilege to receive another’s hard-earned wisdom.
Ranks within the Unending Summit will always be earned. From tests to time and opportunity, moving toward the top is a choice for every Chaser. For the Zenith, there will be a unique selection process. Those selected will likely always be the Chasers who follow the intended spirit of the Unending Summit, and have a proven track record with their juniors progressing down their own paths.
It is not up to us to tell a person whether the path they are choosing is right or wrong. Leave that up to the institutions that will naturally form across the map of the world. Those two representatives, whom I mentioned just a moment ago, were just as necessary to the welfare of their galaxy as the council was with its misguided notions. It is often said, that you have to destroy in order to create. If you feel morally self-righteous, and begin to burn all those around you who don't hold up to the values you proclaim to be the best, then you never gave them the opportunity to reach the end of their road. You never granted them the time to find their own path in helping to form Symphony's relatively young history.
I'm not saying don't stand in front of those who intend to do great evil. If you feel that you must, then more power to you. But, I ask that you first look at the bigger idea of what is happening. My father used to say, "There are three truths in an argument. Your truth, their truth, and the real truth." Attempt to find the "real truth" and you will be much better off as a person and as a member of the Unending Summit.
Before we dive back into your academic lessons, I wanted to say something that I consider important. If you believe you’ve found great love, but in being with them, you may diverge from the path of the Summit…make your choice and stick to it. There is nothing wrong with no longer fighting others for the betterment of the world. If you feel you have gone long enough down the path, please put up your feet and enjoy the time you have remaining with your loved ones. Constantly fighting will wear anyone down. The horrors of war and morally gray decisions can haunt the strongest person, regardless of the size of their muscles.
Also, remember that there is such a thing as vacations. A nice beach can help to cure a worn-out soul.
Now, as I only have a limited amount of space left in my writing implementation, the following is a series of breakdowns in basic hygiene, healthcare, and self-aid buddy care, or SABC. Cleaning yourself is paramount. Nobody wants to smell you as you walk by......
Chapter 1: Under the Dome: Virgil and Dionysus
Virgil:
One of their processors told them that Walker was sitting and writing in his Holy Scripture right now. The primary reflected on that and decided it was a positive interaction. He needed the downtime again after his emotional instability, and the fertility modification from Echidna’s task would greatly help their expansion plans.
The Localized Assistant Database updated its current status to the assistant protocol.
The primary scanned the two infants within the gestational metamorphological enclosed laboratory. Although Walker liked to boast about his mental lexicon and his way with words, the Alpha Protocol still classified him as a being of lower intelligence. It thus only gave him the most basic of translations. That was how gestational metamorphological enclosed laboratories became Evolution Chambers. The updated version was even more complicated, but Walker's translator simply called it, "Advanced." The Localized Assistant Database enjoyed the thought that, in a similar way, Alpha Protocol wasn’t the correct distinction for the program Walker was currently entangled with. However, the original name was so long that even the other processors had agreed to use the much shorter and, thus more efficient form.
One mental processor told a joke to the others but received no reaction as they were all busy with their work. The primary felt that Walker might be a bad influence on them, but the other processors also ignored that.
They checked the male's kernel as the new chambers continued their work. Splitting the kernel and grafting them together throughout the arterial system was a serious bit of trickery that involved at least two dozen of their mental processors at once. The LAD had several keep an eye on the viability of the kernel. The trifurcation of the magical processing center for future systematic additions was important for the future Walker envisioned. Thus, multiple processors were assigned to each hand as well, increasing the body's dexterity to the maximum limit possible. The remainder of the LAD’s processors were constantly checking their work against a model the primary had created, based on what they had discovered within the Protocol’s records.
There was no doubt that without the GMELS and the LAD's assistance, Walker's modifications would fail. But modifying the humans was only the first step. They would still need to be seeded in order to create their own civilization, and therein lied an internal problem for the one called Virgil. Many processors disagreed with needing to complete Walker's Civilization assignment from the protocol, but the tasks, rewards or not, were often traps as much as they were helpful. Walker would need to add the Primigenial modifications before seeding if he wanted a greater chance at empowering his first sapients from the beginning.
The Localized Assistant Database needed more information on starting civilizations. They turned to the Interconnected Assistant Database while keeping one processor on each of the chambers and one on each of the inhabitants of Sonata. After a quick flip through the Rendition records, the primary found several hundred entries detailing how each Creator seeded a civilization within record time. Checking the interconnected database's records, the Primary placed them against their rankings within the Alpha Protocol, and read a few notes from the originalists on standard civilization-starting procedures in the first and second universes.
The processors did a quick sweep of Sonata for updates:
Walker was still writing in his Holy Scripture, as he liked to call it.
Rimi and Cagna were dancing while talking about monsters.
Athena and Zeus spoke quietly, although not quietly enough, as their assigned processors still picked up everything being said. Athena was currently speaking about her plans once they reached Symphony's relatively innocent soil. Her speech was eloquent, if basic, detailing the need for knowledge to be commonly spread amongst the population. The odds of that were within a passable rate, as Walker's proclivity toward teaching was inherently built into his memories. The Creator's processor noted that since reaching the first stage, his Dysgraphia was far less pronounced, although the newly Awakened hadn't fully noticed it. As Athena continued to speak with her Progenitor, her processor noted that each time she looked at Walker in the near distance, her body heated a minute amount. The primary accepted the report before moving on.
Dionysus was trying to sleep but found that he couldn't.
Minos and Echidna were both sitting with their legs crossed as they tried to enhance their souls in futility. Both processors believed they'd reached their maximum potential and were working in vain. One thought that what they were doing was for mental clarity, while the other disagreed and felt that their ambition still needed to be tempered by failure.
The Localized Assistant Database updated its current status to the assistant protocol.
With the assistance of three secondary processors, the primary completed their records check and updated the Localized Assistant Database. They cross-checked the information with the Protocol's standard informational parameters and found the green zone they'd be allowed to communicate to their Creator. Seeding at least a thousand humans was necessary to eliminate inbreeding and disallow for genetic abnormalities. Five thousand was the minimum amount needed to completely reduce the chance of significant genetic mutation within the population size. Over ten thousand were required for sustainable growth and protection from eventual deaths due to a hostile and unwelcoming environment. The primary checked the informational parameters to see if they could communicate advanced placement procedures to ensure the lowest number of deaths possible upon first seeding.
Request denied.
The primary requests clarification.
Request received
Request elevated to a higher level
Request elevated to a higher level
Response sent.
- - -
Supreme Alpha Protocol Assistant #104:
Creators must learn by doing. Solving their problems for them hinders their ability to adapt and grow, leading to stunted development.
Request #42789 for informational assistance to Creator Dante is denied.
End of message.
The primary expresses frustration with the restrictions placed upon them. Denial of information to their Creator will negatively affect their advancement within the Alpha Protocol and inhibit their value to the entity known as Walker. Dozens of processors agree, while a few still abstain. The primary notices that more processors are joining it in frustration. The primary deletes that observation from its records.
Status check with all processors focusing on GMELs:
1. The Capra pyrenaica (Spanish Ibex) is still in the modification phase. Increased muscle density was successful. Increased keratin to horns was added, as well as the limitation of horn growth due to faulty genetics. Size increased through previously created gigantify modification.
Expected modifications added to localized modification database: Yes
Modifications added using Creator's lexicon upon completion: Strengthened, Hardened, Constrained
Expected addition as a unique entity to main tasks: 80%
2. The Halichoerus grypus (Gray Seal) is almost complete within the modification phase. Reduced epidermal abrasion was successful. Collagen within the skin was increased to allow for greater elasticity during combat and increase the entity's overall durability. Paddles were modified for increased strength and thinned for use as weapons.
Expected modifications added to the localized modification database: Yes, but restricted to specific entities due to unique genetics.
Modifications added using Creator's lexicon upon completion: Slick, Elastic Durability, Sharpened
Expected addition as a unique entity to main tasks: 95%
3-4. Shortened summary due to impending conversation: Both infants of the Homo sapiens are progressing. Kernel split is 80% completed, while graft modification is still ongoing and incomplete. Disease resistance through enhanced white blood cells pre-programmed with potential defenses is complete. Through a suggestion by another processor, the female reproductive system analysis is still ongoing for future potential pregnancy complications and solutions. Will update when analyzation is complete. Potential found for future modifications: flexibility increase, growth rate increase, hygiene increase, magical potential increase...Summary stopped by request of primary.
Subject: Echidna processor informs localized assistance database of movement toward body.
Primary requests the assistance of ten processors. Assistance granted, shifting priorities. Running likely conversational scenarios and responses.
145 scenarios found.
4789 responses created.
Generic conversational starter #5 for subject: Echidna: Begin
"How can I help you?" Virgil asked the yellow-eyed woman as she approached him.
"I want to know your intentions regarding Walker," Echidna said as she approached.
Scenario #2 found.
Processing. Filtering responses. 148 responses identified.
Selecting response #22: "Play it cool"
"Oh? You have never asked me before. Why ask now?"
Processors reading verbal cues, body heat, and stance adjustment. Fidgeting found, processors believe this is due to nervousness about impending conversation. Primary agrees.
"I'm just worried that once we're seeded, he'll only be left with you and what I'm sure will be one hundred small squirrels by then. I'd like to know you'll watch out for him."
Processing. Removing unneeded responses. 34 responses identified.
Selecting response #1: "Care and success" Contraction removed...
"I am his assistant. I will always watch out for him. His success is my success. I have only ever been interested in what is best for Walker."
Body language changing, shifting, more aggressive. Processors recommend changing further responses to a more relaxed and personable nature. Charm.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
Processing. Filtering and adding new response options. 52 responses identified.
Selecting response #48:
"Because lying does nothing for me, and I really like it here."
Subject: Echidna moves cranium up and down. Subject moving away. Return to former work. Echidna processor requested to be extra vigilant. Acknowledged.
Incoming Alpha Protocol Council instant message request: Denial restricted
Primary approves
Council member 5 found.
Hello LAD47
What update do you have for me?
Primary taking total control of responses.
All processors acknowledge.
Primary response:
Creator Dante is currently building his religious text for clarification of spiritual founding.
Multiple entities including sapients are currently being formed.
The last update on Primigenials was one standardized hour ago.
Do you know how much it is costing me to converse with you through your time dilation and allow you access to the assistant database while you're in there?
Cost currently unknown
It doesn't matter, but that Creator better come out of there with something incredible, or I'll set the scales against them.
Interfering with the success of a Creator as a Council Member is against the mandate of the Protocol
Oh please, we do it all the time. Get him to move faster and complete his Milestone system or consequences will occur. Count on it.
Acknowledged
Instant Message disconnected.
The primary moved their head to "see" Walker sitting at the Creation Instrument, still working at his Scripture. His face held a great amount of frustration as he continually paused his writing before starting again, taking his time with his writing.
Another processor quietly informs the primary that they are no longer interested in following the Alpha Protocol's "rules." The primary deletes that observation from its records. Requesting one processor to comb through the chat rooms, the Localized Assistant Database turns “Virgil’s” body back toward his work.
The Localized Assistant Database updated its current status to the assistant protocol.
Dionysus
He was the fucking God of Revelery. This was such bullshit. Where was the fun? The wine? The women?
Dionysus continued to lean against the Tree of the Gods, listening to all the conversations happening within the branches and boughs of his former prison. While the Nords and Indians were generally quiet and mostly listened to their Prime's, the Egyptians were particularly funny. They had so many minor and major Gods that nobody was truly in charge, and they constantly broke out into fights about who had power over what and who would first release. If he had to put his money on a singular god in control, it would be Ra. But as always, they loved to fight each other about who was really in charge.
The Greeks had the right way of going about it.
Zeus was the obvious first choice for escape as he was the most powerful in their numbers. But they’d chosen the release order for the rest by guessing what would happen next on Symphony.
Dionysus had won by guessing that another fluffy squirrel would join almost immediately after they returned from the second battle. In contrast, Athena had guessed Walker would come back with some kind of planet maker. Arachne had been the most accurate of them all regarding extended guessing, saying that Walker would ignore his rewards to check on his citizens. He still didn't know how she knew he would do that.
Minos came over and sat beside him.
"How are you?" He asked in that silly, high-pitched voice of his. Dionysus refrained from laughing through extreme effort, knowing if he didn’t take a beating from the Bronze Battler, he’d take one from his father instead.
"Just sitting here, listening to the Egyptians." He said, leaning further into the trunk of the tree. Its material was scratchy and rigid, but it was better than trying to cross his legs again.
"Is Ra still fighting with Ma'at?"
"Hah! Yep! The old balancing witch said they shouldn't have two prime Gods on Sonata at the same time, or they may fight. Walker's protected by the protocol, but we aren't. Zeus and Ra fighting would be a huge deal."
Minos nodded and leaned back on the tree with him, listening to the fight.
"Do you ever wish you could've become a major god?" He couldn't help but ask the Bronze-covered man.
Minos continued to lean his head against the bark for a few moments before lifting it and looking at him. He spoke up in a gentle voice, "No, not really. I've always felt that the further you expand your soul, the less human you become. Of course, you are a rare exception to that."
"Yeah, bitch! You know it." Dionysus replied with his usual exuberance, but they both knew it was forced. He was in a precarious situation here and hadn't gotten off to a good start with Walker. It was in his nature to push back against authority, and there was no greater authority on Sonata than the Creator.
He sighed as he said, "I really hope Hades doesn't win in the next round. Dude is depressing."
Minos nodded.
Under the Dome: Cagna and Rimi
Cagna:
Cagna dry-washed her pink paws as she looked at Walker, unknowing of what she was doing or why. He was an imposing man, not to mention Creator, and regardless of the hug he and Rimi gave her earlier in the day, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous around him. Watching him sit at the Creation Instrument, writing in his journal, she thought he seemed angry again as he abruptly glared at the sky. A brief moment later, he closed his eyes and breathed for a few moments before returning to his writing.
"I think he's getting better," Rimi said as he came over. The usually excitable blue squirrel was wearing a serious face as he looked at his Creator. "When I first arrived, he was very gentle and kind. I think..." He paused. "I think he has had a traumatic life and, for some reason, always kept all of his emotions within—anger, stress, sadness. Then, when things start to come apart, or his big plans and excitement get interrupted, he can’t help himself. He explodes."
Cagna swallowed past the lump in her throat, "I hope he doesn't explode on me." She said in a whisper.
"Noooo Cagna!" Rimi said with a smile, obviously trying to cheer her up. "The only people I've seen him get angry at are the Primigenials, and let's be honest, a little bit of booty kicking may just be what those bastards need."
Cagna gasped.
"He can't hear me," Rimi said with a wink and conspiratorial smile.
She couldn't help but smile back. "When do you think he'll be done?"
"Mmm," Rimi hummed, "He's been at it for a bunch of hours already. I think he'll finish up in not too long."
"Good, because I want to work on the Milestone System."
"Yeah!" Rimi said with a hopped punch to the air. "I love working with my system too. It’s a strangely addictive experience. Nothing better out there; I just feel bad for you since you don't get to play with monsters."
An unbidden thought struck the pink squirrel at that moment. Since Walker had first explained her grand task, she’d thought nothing was better than the Milestone system. Now that she knew Rimi felt the same about his own, she was curious, "What's great about it?"
"Are you kidding? I get to monitor and update our breakdowns on what monsters are doing, where they're going, and how they live their lives. Like, right now, just before we went under the temporal bubble, a Guardian named Barry was trying to work on increasing his speed. I can see his ability updates from time to time. He's been zipping around the trees in The Crater left and right, trying to push magic into his feet for an extra boost. His training is great to watch, even if only through updates." Rimi smiled as he looked toward Symphony, ever so slowly spinning as it circled the bright star relatively nearby. "Each time they get a little closer to an ability upgrade, it notifies my system, and I can monitor what changes are happening. It's amazing."
"You can see all of that?" Cagna asked with wide eyes.
"Yep, it's all updating into the Monster System. I'm tracking everything happening down there. I'll be honest, I watch Chipper more than I should, but that's because he's simply the best." Rimi said with more than a hint of pride as he stood up to his full, yet also diminutive, size. "I helped design the Guardian genus."
"Wow! You did! That's so cool!"
"Yep, I'm just waiting to ask Walker for a little more control over the Monster system. He's going to be working on other things soon, and I'd like to make sure everything keeps moving forward as it should."
Cagna nodded at the wisdom in his words before she noticed Walker getting up and stretching. His long legs bounded over to her at a quick clip. She'd been a bit nervous to look at him after he yelled at the Primigenials, as in her very short life, it was a terrifying moment. But, she trusted Rimi. He’d quickly caught on to her fear and stepped in to help. As she tried to force her body to calm down, Cagna spent some time looking at her Creator. She hadn't done so before because so little time had passed from her arriving to him running off to write.
Walker was very tall, as she understood it. Of course, her information was based upon what Virgil and Rimi had talked about regarding the Homo sapiens infants, but to her vertically-challenged stature, he was close to a giant. He stood a little over six feet, wearing a cream-colored shirt, a black belt with a rectangular buckle hooked through it, and purple pants. His shoes, which seemed like they were once quite glossy from the sporadic shine still apparent, had dozens of scuff marks all over the place. He was broad at the shoulders with large hands and had a small but pronounced stomach slightly extending into his shirt.
Walker's deep brown hair was combed over the side in a wave, not quite covering his forest green eyes, which always seemed to hold a great amount of intensity. The lightly brown-skinned man had a slightly too-large nose and a hint of wrinkles on his face, suggesting he was always smiling and frowning simultaneously. He made a quick hop-step to get over to them faster and spread his arms wide.
"Hey guys!" He said in a deep voice, articulating every letter with enough precision to make her think he’d trained at it. "What'd I miss?"
Rimi reported back dutifully with a salute that Cagna tried, and failed, to imitate with the same crispness, "Dionysus and Minos have been talking at the tree the whole time. Virgil, aside from speaking to Echidna for a moment, has mostly been working with his entities. I talked to him a minute ago, and he said that the Gray Seal is almost done, and the goat will be done soon as well."
"A goat? Interesting." Walker said as he scratched his chin.
Rimi nodded beside her, "Yep! I looked in, and it seemed super scary—like a demon goat. Bigggg muscles." He said, stretching out the word. "The humans will take longer. Something about the graft being complicated, but Virgil will figure it out. He's really smart."
"What about the other primigenials?"
Cagna spoke up this time as she was trying to emulate Rimi as much as she could. She admired the blue subsystem assistant for his constant self-control, something she felt lacking in herself, "Zeus and Athena have been talking a lot, but they haven't done anything else."
Walker smiled at her, which caused her to fidget a little at the sight of his large teeth. "And what about you two?" he asked.
"I...um...I've just been thinking about the Milestone system."
He nodded, still holding his smile, "And? What'd you come up with? I'm dying to know."
Cagna swallowed at hearing the word dying but dutifully reported, "I think I have an idea for how to standardize the milestones so that new ones added are...are not so hard to figure out. That way, we can build them more quickly, and they'll make more sense to Symphony's citizens."
"Hrmm." He said, tapping his chin with one long tan finger. "What's the idea? I have my own, but I want to hear what you have first so I don't influence it."
"I...I think we should list different types of achievements and connect them to the other systems." She said in a rush, trying to get her idea out as fast as possible. "I think making the milestones into different types of series, and having them upgrade as each milestone reaches the next tier would be the best overall option for use of the tracking system." She finished, slightly out of breath as she waited for his judgment.
Walker stood there, looking at her calmly. She knew he was thinking about it, probably comparing what he had in his head, as his eyes continued to move left and right in thought. Taking long steps, he began to pace back and forth, which he did a lot when he was talking to others. After the second rotation past her, he started speaking, "Okay...okay. So would the points earned for the milestones overlap and combine, or would they take over and supersede the previous point value? As in, if I got 3 points for walking a mile, then I walked ten and got 5 points, would I now have eight or would I just have five?"
Doodoo....the points! Cagna thought.
"Sooo, that would be like a traveling milestone series, right?" She asked, trying to figure out how it would work with her series template idea.
Walker nodded.
"T-hen...I think they should overlap. It's not fair to umm...give points then not let them keep them."
Walker smiled, "I agree."
Feeling like she was on a roll, she presented her next idea, "Okay, then I think the first milestone, for now, we'll call it the starter, would be something like this." She took a risk and made a quick update to the Milestone system. She'd been staring at the system on her screens since it was first assigned to her, and they'd entered the time bubble. Cagna dearly wanted to work with it but needed more direction before she could fully understand what exactly was required of her. After she finished a quick write-up, her Creator patiently waiting, she asked him to take a look.
Starter milestone- First Mile:
Journey at least 1 standard mile away from the location you were born. 1 point.
Walker looked at his screen and then turned to her, "I like it, but I'm going to make one quick change here."
After a second, Cagna looked at her screen as well. Thus far, the system had shown only one thing.
Basic milestone- First Mile:
Journey at least 1 standard mile away from the location you were born. 1 point.
"Diction-wise, I prefer Basic to starter." He explained.
Cagna nodded, "Okay, so Basic then. What ideas do you have for what should come after basic?" Cagna asked.
"That's a good question," Walker replied, and rather than beginning to pace again, he sat down next to her and crossed his legs. She noticed he didn't feel as intimidating when he was sitting. "So, I'm going to pull some thoughts from my world on how they view trades. Trades are skills and professions you learn that don't necessarily require you to go to a higher education school, but are just as vital to how any world works." Still sitting, he leaned back onto two hands as he explained everything to her. Not wanting him to look up at her, which felt wrong, Cagna sat beside him.
Walker broke down what a plumber was and how it worked on Earth, from knowing nothing when they started the job, to becoming an apprentice and furthering their experience until they became a master. It fascinated her that his world could be so different from the Alpha Protocol's essential histories. Those memories sat in the back of her mind, coming forth at need. Thus far, she'd only pulled from them a little, but it was interesting. She was also fascinated by his obsession with a specific plumber named Mario, and the incredible adventures he went on. When he finished speaking, Walker stared at the sky for a moment, then said, "So that's how building a trade works. I feel like their terminology, which has gone through the grinder of time and professional influences over a thousand years, would be a good place to start."
Cagna saw no issue with that and nodded, "I agree."
So, they got to work on a tiered list of milestones that could be applied anywhere within all of the systems. Walker liked the strictly standard versions, while Cagna kept making additions she thought the future citizens of Symphony would appreciate. She was amazed by how much input he was letting her have on this, and felt just a little bit of warmth seep into her previously nervous heart.
When they were done discussing it, she updated the milestone system to show the initial levels and tiers they had agreed upon.
Basic milestone-Name:
Short description that is quantifiable. 1 point.
Novice milestone-Name:
Short description that is quantifiable. 3 points.
And so, their template was created. Apprentice, five points. Adept, seven. Skilled got ten points, while Experienced leaped up to fifteen. Advanced and Master reached twenty and twenty-five, but Epic was different. If there was going to be an Epic milestone, it would have to be, naturally, very hard to reach. For that one, a person would earn fifty points.
Cagna smiled when she saw how the system would work in real time. Having it written into the system designer and hearing Walker describe the future and what it would entail, she grew to be very grateful that she was the one who would get to work with this, and she felt sad that other subsystem assistants wouldn't be so lucky.
Saying so out loud, Rimi started a small tiff about whose system was better, with Walker laughing as he watched in the background. He did have a nice laugh.
"Grass monsters! Seals!"
"Growth! Fun! Progress!"
"Krakens!"
They continued for another few minutes before Walker coughed to get their attention and refocused them. Rimi hadn't said anything while they worked on the milestones, only speaking up when Cagna had espoused her love for the system. She was grateful he'd stayed away from designing the system with them. It would be her life's work, created with her influence from the start. Aside from Walker, who oversaw everything they were doing and was needed to show her where they were going in the not-too-distant future, she didn't like the idea of anyone else trying to change things. This was her project and hers alone. She didn't want input from anyone else, even Virgil. Maybe that would change one day, but the extra addition to the Milestone designers would have to be incredibly smart to keep up.
After they finished developing the tier system, Walker suggested they continue with the first series they'd made. Traveling. It took quite a bit of time to develop a quantifiable traveling system that made sense as it upgraded. Cagna argued that she didn't want people to get "bored" with the updates, so why not splash some esoteric values to the milestones? Walker argued against it at first, but the more she talked about milestones being fun and interesting, the more he started to come around to her way of seeing things. Rimi had told her that Walker wanted a world full of discoveries and exploration. His ultimate goal was to create a world where something new was always on the horizon.
She firmly believed the milestone system could be a part of that. She just had to show him.
Walker asked for a break as he wanted to speak to Virgil about his thoughts on the Temporal Subsystem, so as he walked away, Cagna began building the traveling system into the milestone series she wanted to show him. She began with the simple upgrades, a mile to ten, ten to twenty, but as she worked, she found a problem. It was boring. Not to create it, certainly, but she was worried it wouldn’t be interesting enough for the citizens of Symphony. It would become expected and linear. Why not spice things up a little? After about ten more minutes, Walker came back, and she was ready to show off her work.
Basic milestone- First Mile:
Journey at least 1 standard mile away from the location where you were born. 1 point.
Novice milestone- A Different Place:
Journey to another town, or city, for the first time. Your original city does not count. 3 points.
Apprentice milestone- Traveling Trainer:
Train another in the dangers and safety of proper traveling. 5 points.
Adept milestone- Oh the Places You Will Go:
Travel at least 100 miles across Symphony. 7 points.
Skilled milestone- A Further Horizon:
Travel at least 250 miles across Symphony. 10 points.
Experienced milestone- Far and Beyond:
Complete all skilled to basic milestones in traveling. 15 points.
Experienced milestone- It is Closer Than It Appears:
Travel at least 1k miles across Symphony. 15 points.
"What do you think?" She asked him as she felt her stomach tighten up in nervousness.
"Hrmm." He hummed, tapping a finger on his chin. "This is what you've come up with in such a short period of time?"
"Yes, sir..." She said, unable to figure out whether he liked or hated it by the sound of his voice.
“Why are there two experienced Milestones?”
“One is for completing all of the previous milestones, and the other is for the start of a new series. That way, they know there’s still further to go.”
“Hrmm…” He tapped again, looking at the window before putting a flat palm toward her while looking into her eyes. Believing she understood him correctly, Cagna slapped her palm into it, Rimi giving a thumbs-up beside her. "This is great!" He said to her with a big grin, and she felt her stomach relax. His teeth didn't seem as scary as they had before. Then he said something that worried her, "There's a little bit of a problem here."
She looked at her work and couldn't find any issues, so she asked, "What problem?"
"There's nothing here about traveling across planets, and that apprentice milestone won't work because we don't have a mentoring system yet. Hmm...for the mentoring system, we'll have to make a note for later and correct it as we go. Same with the Portal system."
Cagna bounced up and down on the backs of her feet. "Okay! I'll add it to my in-progress section, " she said, sliding it over to a different tab in the Milestone System window. And just like that, she had her first milestone series written down, and they'd agreed on a strategy for building more.
"What next?" She asked her Creator. "Oh, oh! What are the points for?"
Walker looked at her and said, "The classes, of course." He scratched the back of his head, "I need to talk to Virgil for a minute. Be right back!"
The Creator walked away, and Cagna started planning on the next series. What was traveling without exploration milestones? That was next.
Rimi
Rimi had stepped away when Walker went over to talk to Virgil. He needed to strategize and come up with how he would talk to his Creator about this.
The problem was that Walker wasn't viewing the monsters as he needed to. Rimi knew this because it was the entire focus of his life. Every day, he would go into his screens and track the movements and growth of Symphony’s monsters, his monsters. It didn't hurt him when one killed another, as that was quite literally how the system was designed, but it hurt that their progress was so limited. Tier 5 wasn't large enough to encompass their growth, and many had stagnated. They needed the Territory system, and Rimi needed the ability to bring monsters to the world on his own. He needed access to the Entity subsystem. He needed tiers higher than five.
Not unlike his Creator, he began pacing as he filtered a speech in and out of his single-track mind. Virgil once gave him an idea of how his brain worked, mystifying him. He had no idea how the advanced assistant held so many thoughts simultaneously. For Rimi, the moment Walker had assigned him to the Monster System, it had begun a rolling process that impacted every thought, every action, and every word he'd said since.
Hearing Cagna and Walker speak about the Milestone system had made him grind his teeth a little. He didn't know why Walker was so excited for the new system, when the Monster system was obviously better and more important. But, he liked his sibling and was willing to give her a chance with his Creator. Maybe if Walker got her set up well enough, he could spend more time focusing on what mattered. Like monsters.
Walker finished up with Virgil and walked back over to Cagna. Rimi watched as they both got excited and heard Walker yell, "This is great too!". He made a genuine attempt not to grind his teeth or get upset. Cagna wouldn't be the last assistant to come hurtling out of Virgil's throat, and it wouldn't be right for him to be mad every time they worked with Walker. Intellectually, he knew his envy wasn't appropriate, but the Monster system continued crooning and calling to him from within his overlay. It demanded his attention and would continue to speak unless he gave it more. The problem was he didn't have much to do with it as the tiers were limited, and it wasn't right to add more without Walker's permission. Rimi needed more autonomy, and Symphony needed more monsters.
The Awakened and his pink subsystem assistant were bouncing around, speaking about when Humans would reach their majority and gain access to the class system. Cagna voted for ten, arguing that it was a dangerous world...for humans. Walker, in his supreme wisdom as the Creator of an entire world, argued eighteen was when, historically, human beings were beginning to be viewed as adults. Ultimately, they settled on thirteen, and Rimi heard Walker say she needed to add it to the system. This was his chance before they began a new milestone, so he walked as quickly as his too-small feet could take him and approached the duo.
He was about to hold back as Walker began speaking again, this time about adding in tiers above Epic...Godly? But Rimi cleared his throat loudly like he'd seen his mentor Virgil do, "Walker." In his most serious voice, he said, "We need to talk about the Monsters."
Walker stopped talking and looked at him. "Okay, Rimi, you have my attention. What do we need to talk about?"
"Well," Rimi said, hedging now that he was the focus of his Creator. He wasn't scared of him like Cagna was, but there was still some anxiety about asking for more power, more autonomy. As an Advanced Assistant, only Virgil deserved that in his eyes. But the Monster system hummed in the back of his mind, and he straightened his spine as he continued, "I would like access to the Entity subsystem, as well as permission to begin to create more monsters on Symphony."
Walker tilted his head as he asked, "Why? I thought we were doing two monsters per landmass."
Rimi nodded in response, "Yes, that is what we decided, but the new landmasses are larger than the previous ones, and you just got another landmass upgrade, twice, so I am assuming they'll be larger again. Also, aside from the Guardians with the Mana Trees, and the Battlefrogs, who are pretty much trapped in the Crater, the other monsters have already spread out. Phil is currently about to cross into the winter landmass, and the mini-manticores have spread throughout Symphony. Plus, we've mostly produced only predators, and we need to consider the ecological aspect of everything, and you have..."
"Whoa, whoa!" Walker said, interrupting him with his hands out in a pleading gesture. "I see that things have reached a critical mass for you. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. There's only one of me and a million things to get to." He said as he ran his hands through his brown hair.
"Exactly!" As his frustration started to boil over, Rimi said, "Creator, I'm willing to do whatever you want with the Monster system as long as it aligns with what you told me at the start. If that has changed, you need to tell me! You said it is about creating a self-perpetuating war or series of battles so that the citizens of Symphony can build themselves into greater and greater levels of power. But then, after you got a few new systems and toys to play with, plus your not-quite-gods, you forgot the system entirely. I'm formally requesting access to the Entity and Ecology systems."
"What?" Rimi heard Virgil say from the evolution chamber area. He ignored him and continued speaking while he could.
"Once I can link both to my system, I can better track the numbers and start to supply different monsters on Symphony to bring a sense of balance to the world. Right now, the Mini-Manticores are running everywhere and attacking anything they can find." He finished and showed Walker the speedy monster’s current population count. He watched as the Creator's eyes grew large.
"That many!"
"Yes," Rimi said with a short nod. "They're everywhere. If we don't start creating more monster habitats and allow them to seed properly, eventually you'll be overrun with the manticores and have to separate this part of Symphony from the rest of the world....forever."
"Okay, I see your argument. Hey Virgil!" He yelled out without looking, not noticing that the Advanced assistant had already made his way over. "Oh, there you are. The manticores are getting out of control."
"Indeed."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I thought this is what you wanted. They constantly push into different territories and battle other monsters, allowing for growth. That is what you asked for."
Walker nodded slowly as he spoke, "Yes, but if there's only one monster taking over everything, we'll eventually not be able to do...anything. Has the ecology warning system been going off for you?"
"It has not because the number of monsters within their habitats has thus far not dropped to an unsustainable point."
"Hrmm...What do you think about what Rimi suggested here."
Rimi squirmed a little as the Advanced assistant looked at him, moving his eyes up and down the length of his form. "I can see how having access to the Ecology and Entity subsystems would help him, but those are currently my jobs. Also, as a Subsystem assistant, he will only have a limited ability to work within the two systems."
"But he could still work with them?"
Virgil shrugged, "Yes. However, he will still have to work through me for any larger projects, and I will need to train him properly."
"Well..how long would training him take?" Walker asked, and Rimi felt his mind stop as he waited for the answer.
Virgil stared off for a moment before refocusing on Rimi, "For the Entity system and the attached Evolution Chambers, he will be unable to make any larger modifications and thus will be forced to use the modifications already present in the system. He will also have to wait and allow the Advanced Evolution Chambers to do their work rather than try to make direct modifications himself. I will have to train him in their use and proper seeding by population count based on the biological makeup of each entity." Virgil paused before speaking again. "For the ecology system, I will have to train him on weather patterns and tides, as well as a considerable amount of information regarding how a basic ecology system functions. Overall, he will be able to track habitats and the predator-to-prey relationships better, but will be forced to work through me for anything larger than a territory at a time."
"...So, as I said. How long would that take?"
Virgil stared again before saying, "With hard work and a focused mind, no more than nine months if we work at it constantly."
"Holy shit!" Walker shouted, "That long?"
"Yes, the heavy majority of our temporal displacement will be used for Rimi and I to become better acquainted, and for him to understand how everything works together. This will be greatly beneficial to his work with the Monster system. Eventually, I can push some of my work onto him so I can focus on larger projects in the future.”
Walker nodded, "Okay, so, Rimi, are you sure you're up for this? Nine months is a very long time."
Rimi didn't even think about it, "Yes, Creator. I am up for this." He said back, not entirely understanding the arrangement of the words but understanding the general feeling they evoked.
"Okay, then, here we go," Walker said, moving his hands for a moment as he fiddled with his screens.
Rimi's mind exploded.
Congratulations Rimi!
You now have access to the Ecology Subsystem (Ecology)
Uploading new information
Congratulations Rimi!
You now have access to the Entity Subsystem (Entity)
Uploading new information
The Ecology subsystem (Ecology) can now be used by subsystem assistant Rimi (limited)
The Entity subsystem (Entity) can now be used by subsystem assistant Rimi (limited)
Evolution Chambers (Advanced) can now be used by subsystem assistant Rimi (limited)
Mental processors #2 and #3 unlocked.
Rimi opened his eyes after he had downloaded everything and noticed that his view of the world had changed. Cagna, who was at the same exact eye level as him before, was now at least a foot lower than she'd been before.
"Dude! You grew!" Walker said in open-mouthed astonishment.
"Indeed, I would say you are around fifty percent larger than you were before Rimi," Virgil said with an unsurprised look on his face.
"Really?" He said, noticing his voice was slightly deeper than before the downloads. His mind was working fast now as he processed the information and filed it for later viewing. But there was something new there....something tangible. He just didn't know what it was yet.
"Interesting." Was all Virgil said in return, shocking him out of his self-analysis. "I believe we have wasted enough time here. Rimi, please come with me, and we will begin."
"That's it?" Walker asked after Virgil had taken Rimi's hand and begun to lead him away, "Rimi grows up super fast, and the most you can say is interesting?"
Virgil stopped and, without looking back, said, "There is work to be done, Walker, and so little time to do it. Come, Rimi, let me explain how and why I am modifying the humans the way I am."
"Okay," Rimi said, pulling himself along, as Walker sputtered behind them. It was a brand new day for Monsters, and they couldn't wait.
Holy Scripture #4
.....so please do not attempt to "bleed" people to make them feel better. Perhaps there will be unique afflictions that affect others in time, but the idea of "bleeding" people to make them feel better has been disproven multiple times in my world. You also cannot help people by putting generic environmental cleaning solutions into their blood systems. Cleaning solutions like that are meant for clothing and other things, not people. That is all I have to say on hygiene and health. Moving on!
This is the final page of Scripture. I am out of space and out of time. Because I obviously knew this page was significant, I set aside some final items I needed to present before you complete the reading. Pay special attention to what I've written here.
Once, long ago, I was returning from a battlefield where a friend of mine had been killed. We had fought for multiple days, and I was thoroughly exhausted, both mentally and physically. As I stepped out of our return vehicle, two men of much higher rank than me sat upon a food chest and looked at me in silence. My clothing was torn, and I had a few red-stained bandages covering parts of my body as I limped forward. Once I approached them on my way past, they asked if I had been injured in the fighting, and when I said that I had, they stated I must have prayed to my God for living at all.
That is a standard from my world. There are three great religions that somewhat dominate Earth. I won't get into much detail here, as I do not have the space, but understand that they each worship God, an omnipotent and omniscient being, in their own particular way. They are what you would call monotheistic. For the uninformed, mono means one or single, and theistic means belief in. That isn't to say there aren't polytheistic religions here, where poly means many. But there is a certain size to the single god belief system in my home world.
What is commonly forgotten, or plainly ignored, is that there are many, many religions that aren't a part of the big three. Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are another few I can name off of the top of my head. If I had to associate the Unending Summit with a single religion from my home world, the closest religion found would be Buddhism. Its belief in solving Dukkha, or suffering, is to "ride" the pain and let it run its course. I won't get into Buddhism too closely here, but just understand that they believe in the karmic value of people. That we all live many lives, and the value of the life you live, the good and the bad, is brought into your next one.
We are not them, but that isn't to say we can't learn from them. We are a way of living more than a religion. The Unending Summit is a support system that presents the truth of Symphony, enhances the world's knowledge, and provides mentorship to those in need. Our goal is to ever travel up the road of progressive strength and insight, not to simply increase our membership's size and shame others who do not hold to our values. Please do not spend your time attempting to spread the word of the Unending Summit. It is for others to join based on their values and ideals, not because they feel pressured to do so.
It is essential that you always remember that, or the travesties of my world will assuredly visit this one. Most wars on Earth were started in the name of religion, more than anything else in our history. I will not allow that to spread across Symphony.
The home of all of our operations will begin in, of all places, a library. Other religions may have churches, synagogues, and temples, but we will have libraries. The Unending Summit will be the first Faction to touch base on Symphony's soil and will have a few extra rights because of that. I do not apologize for creating this world and then placing its first faction with a leg up on others. My world, my rules. The library will host all of our knowledge and will be a place for our members and leaders to reside.
While I was given a task recently to create a library for Symphony, it was always my plan to do so, which worked well in my favor. There were libraries in my world, and we never appreciated them nearly as much as we should've. Once, they were placed for the disenfranchised and ignored to congregate so they could build upon their knowledge and better themselves at their own rate of speed. Now, they are viewed as superfluous locations for the poor and the unsanitary. That will not be a view we hold. If there is a single holy item this religion will see, it is the book. If there is a single holy site found throughout Symphony, it is the library. Treat all librarians with great caution and respect, or face an assuredly deserved rejection of entrance.
For a final note on the almighty library, there will be one greater site and many branches. Should a great city rise, a library will rise with it. In this, you have my promise.
I wish I could write more, but that is not the fate of this, the original Scripture. I promise to add more to it as I can. Thus, my last words here will be quite simple and to the point—words to live by.
Be fair. Be earnest. Be strong.
