I sighed deeply, letting the weight of recent revelations settle into my expanded consciousness. All the strategic plans, all the war simulations, all the projections of regional domination... all based on the assumption that I understood my true position in the cosmos.
It was time to check this out.
"System," I said, my voice echoing through the crystalline platform, "access full cosmic rankings. Current standings of all relevant networks."
ACCESSING UNIVERSAL HIERARCHY...
COMPILING DATA FROM 50,846 ACTIVE NETWORKS...
The interface morphed around me, manifesting what could only be described as a three-dimensional map of cosmic power. It was a massive pyramidal structure that stretched in every direction, with points of light representing every active network in the known universe.
And it was... overwhelming.
At the base of the pyramid were dense clusters of thousands and thousands of tiny dots—smaller networks like mine had been. In the middle were less dense but brighter clusters of intermediate networks. And at the top...
At the top, only forty-seven points of light that shone with an intensity that made my eyes water even through the digital interface. The Primordial Entities.
"System, display specific position of Ares-Net."
LOCATING MILITARY-ARES-NETWORK...
A pulsing red dot stood out on the pyramid. Not at the top. Not in the upper half. But at the bottom, still well above where I was standing.
NETWORK-ARES POSITION: 47,234 out of 50,846
"System, is this correct? Ares-Net is ranked 47,234?"
CONFIRMED. REDE-ARES-MILITAR IS A MEDIUM-SIZED REGIONAL ENTITY.
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON:
TOTAL RESOURCES CONTROLLED
NUMBER OF DIMENSIONS UNDER INFLUENCE
COMBINED TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES
LONGEVITY AND OPERATIONAL STABILITY
47,234 out of 50,846. Ares, the existential threat that had forced me to conquer another network, the military force I thought was established galactic power... was only 3,612 positions above me.
"System, show my current position."
LOCATING NETWORK-THORNE-NEXUS...
Another point stood out, this gold one.
NETWORK-THORNE-NEXUS POSITION: 50.846 of 50.846
I was still in last place. Even after absorbing a two-hundred-year-old civilization with thousands of users, I had only moved up one place. From 50,847 to 50,846.
"System, why did I only move up one position? The Nexus absorption should have improved my ranking significantly."
RANKING EXPLANATION:
NEXUS ABSORPTION INCREASED RESOURCES BY 340%
SIMULTANEOUSLY, FRAGMENTARY-ECHO-NETWORK (POSITION 50,847) WAS DESTROYED BY EXPERIMENTAL-CHAOS-NETWORK
TOTAL ACTIVE NETWORKS REDUCED FROM 50,847 TO 50,846
RELATIVE POSITION IMPROVED BY 1, BUT ABSOLUTE RANKING REMAINS LOWER
So I hadn't really "moved up" - another network had been eliminated, pushing everyone up one position.
"System, what position would I have if Echo-Net hadn't been destroyed?"
CALCULATING HYPOTHETICAL POSITION...
ESTIMATED POSITION WITHOUT ECHO ELIMINATION: 50,834 of 50,847
I would have moved up 13 places. Somehow, this was simultaneously more impressive and more humiliating. Moving up 13 places through massive achievement revealed both the magnitude of my improvement and the insignificance of my overall position.
"System, show power distribution by level."
COSMIC STRATIFICATION ANALYSIS:
PRIMORDIAL LEVEL (Positions 1-47):
47 Primordial Entities
Direct control over 89% of all dimensional energy
Ability to create/destroy dimensions
Trans-temporal existence
GALACTIC LEVEL (Positions 48-500):
453 Galactic Power Networks
Control over complete dimensional sectors
Millions of users per network
Influence on the development of civilizations
REGIONAL LEVEL (Positions 501-5,000):
4,500 Regional Power Networks
Control over system clusters
Hundreds of thousands of users
Mastery over dozens of dimensions
SECTOR LEVEL (Positions 5,001-25,000):
19,999 Medium-sized Networks
Control over local systems
Thousands of users
Limited but stable influence
LOCAL LEVEL (Positions 25,001-50,846):
25,846 Minor Networks
Control limited to a few systems
Hundreds or less users
Local power only
I was at the lowest level. Ares was at the fourth level of five. Even the threat that had forced me to begin a career of conquest was, on a cosmic scale, insignificant.
"System, how many networks at Ares level or higher pose a real threat to human development?"
ANALYZING POTENTIAL THREATS...
NETWORKS WITH THE CAPACITY TO THREATEN HUMAN CIVILIZATION:
PRIMORDIAL LEVEL: 47 networks (all)
GALACTIC LEVEL: 453 networks (all)
REGIONAL LEVEL: 4,500 networks (all)
SECTORAL LEVEL: 19,999 networks (95% of them)
TOTAL: 24,999 networks capable of annihilating humanity without significant effort
Almost twenty-five thousand networks that could wipe out all human civilization as a sideshow. And I was worried about a single network ranked at 47,234.
It was like an ant worrying about a specific spider while in the middle of a nature reserve full of predators.
"System, probability of detection by higher-level networks based on current activities?"
CALCULATING DETECTION PROBABILITIES...
PRIMORDIAL LEVEL: 0.003%
Concerned only with existential threats
Local level conflicts considered irrelevant
Intervention only if universal stability is threatened
GALACTIC LEVEL: 0.12%
Limited monitoring of regional activities
Beware of very rapid expansion only
Thorne vs Ares classified as "minor conflict"
REGIONAL LEVEL: 2.34%
Some monitoring of sectoral activities
Potential interest in Thorne absorption method
Possible recruitment if successful against Ares
SECTOR LEVEL: 15.67%
Active peer monitoring
Interest in expansion opportunities
Possible interference if Thorne grows too quickly
So my "interdimensional war" was, to 99.9% of the cosmos, completely irrelevant. It was a conflict between two insignificant entities fighting over resources that higher powers did not even consider valuable.
"System, simulate growth required to reach different classification levels."
SIMULATING GROWTH TRAJECTORIES...
TO REACH SECTOR LEVEL (Position 25,000):
Absorb approximately 50-100 networks of my current size
Estimated time: 5-10 years with aggressive growth
Probability of success: 34%
TO REACH REGIONAL LEVEL (Rank 5,000):
Absorb approximately 500-1,000 nets
Control 50-100 dimensions
Estimated time: 25-50 years
Probability of success: 8%
TO REACH GALACTIC LEVEL (Rank 500):
Absorb thousands of networks
Control full dimensional sector
Estimated time: 100-500 years
Probability of success: 0.3%
TO REACH PRIMORDIAL LEVEL (Position 47):
Fundamental transcendence of existence
Control over universal physical laws
Estimated time: 1,000-10,000 years
Probability of success: 0.001%
One in a hundred thousand chance of reaching Primordial level. And that's assuming steady growth without major obstacles, defensive coalitions, or higher intervention.
"System, reevaluate long-term strategy based on this information."
REASSESSING STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES...
PREVIOUS STRATEGY (Based on limited knowledge):
Focus on rapid regional dominance
Direct conflict with established powers
Aggressive timeline for growth
REVISED STRATEGY (Based on cosmic perspective):
Focus on sustainable growth
Avoid attention from higher levels
Developing unique advantages before massive expansion
NEW STRATEGIC PARADIGM:
STEALTH GROWTH (Years 1-10): Growing without alerting higher powers
SPECIALIZATION (Years 10-25): Develop unique capabilities
ALLIANCE BUILDING (25-50s): Forming Coalitions with Peers
SELECTIVE EXPANSION (50s-100s): Careful Growth to Regional
PATIENCE (100+ Years): Waiting for opportunities for transcendence
It was a completely different strategy. Instead of being an aggressive conqueror, he needed to be patient, strategic, and focused on long-term development.
"System, what are my unique advantages compared to other networks at my level?"
ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
ADVANTAGE 1 - DEVELOPMENT SPEED:
6 months for interdimensional abilities vs typical 50+ years
Suggests potential for exceptional growth
May allow shortcuts in normal development
ADVANTAGE 2 - TECHNICAL HYBRIDIZATION:
Unique human-digital combination
Synergy between different paradigms
Capabilities that pure networks do not have
ADVANTAGE 3 - ADAPTABILITY:
Human background offers flexibility
Ability to think outside established paradigms
Innovation vs imitation of existing methods
ADVANTAGE 4 - TIMING:
Development during a period of instability
Opportunities created by existing conflicts
Possibility to capitalize on the chaos of others
ADVANTAGE 5 - UNDERESTIMATION:
Other networks do not consider the threat to be serious
Element of surprise preserved
Ability to grow without interference
"System, focus on Advantage 1. Why was my development so fast compared to historical norms?"
ANALYZING FACTORS OF ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT...
IDENTIFIED FACTORS:
SPECIFIC TECHNICAL BACKGROUND:
Experience in programming and systems
Familiarity with complex architectures
Intuition for debugging and optimization
ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY vs INTENTIONAL SEARCH:
Found system through medical research
No preconceptions about "how it should work"
Experimentation free from cultural limitations
OPTIMIZED PERSONALITY:
Obsession with problem solving
Willingness to take calculated risk
Ability to make quick decisions
TIMING DIMENSIONAL:
Discovery during period of high activity
Access to system in receptive state
Confluence of ideal environmental factors
UNKNOWN FACTOR:
Unidentified element in development
Possible unique predisposition
Requires further investigation
"System, elaborate on Unknown Factor."
INVESTIGATING DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES...
DEEP ANALYSIS STARTED...
DISCOVERY: ANOMALOUS ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED
During detailed scans of my consciousness architecture, the system detected an energetic pattern that did not correspond to the human baseline or known network modifications.
ANOMALOUS PATTERN:
Frequency: 847.3 Hz (not found in other entities)
Amplitude: 340% above normal for hybrid consciousness
Origin: Unknown
Effect: Amplification of neural interface with system
"System, where could this energy signature come from?"
HYPOTHESES FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE ANOMALY:
HYPOTHESIS 1 - GENETIC INHERITANCE:
Possible descendants of previous network user
Hereditary predisposition to dimensional interface
Probability: 23%
HYPOTHESIS 2 - PREVIOUS EXPOSURE:
Unconscious contact with similar technology
Neural conditioning through prolonged exposure
Probability: 34%
HYPOTHESIS 3 - NATURAL EVOLUTION:
Normal human evolutionary development
Next step in human capability
Probability: 12%
HYPOTHESIS 4 - EXTERNAL INTERVENTION:
Modification by higher authority
Intentional preparation for current discovery
Probability: 31%
31% chance that some higher entity had prepared me to discover the system. It was a disturbing possibility.
"System, is there evidence of monitoring or intervention by higher entities?"
SCANNING HISTORICAL RECORDS...
EVIDENCE FOUND:
DISCOVERY PATTERN:
Timing of discovery coincided with several dimensional events
Timing suggests orchestration vs coincidence
Multiple networks reported "disruptions" during the period
INITIAL ACCESS:
System responded to commands without training
Exceptionally fast interface speed
Suggests prior preparation of neural architecture
DEVELOPMENT:
Progression followed optimized pattern
Minimizing typical errors of new users
As if following a predetermined script
OPPORTUNITIES:
Nexus Network became an orphan precisely when it needed resources
Ares threat escalated at the ideal time to justify action
Series of statistically improbable coincidences
"System, probability that I am a project or experiment of a higher entity?"
CALCULATING PROBABILITY OF INTERVENTION...
FACTORS SUPPORTING INTERVENTION:
Anomalous development: +25%
Event timing: +30%
Initial ease of access: +20%
Opportunity Pattern: +15%
FACTORS AGAINST INTERVENTION:
Lack of direct contact: -15%
Lack of explicit guidance: -10%
Apparently independent decisions: -20%
TOTAL PROBABILITY: 45%
Almost a one in two chance that I was a project of some higher-level entity. Experiment. Test. Possibly entertainment.
The revelation should have been terrifying. Instead, I felt... curious.
"System, if I am a project, what would be the likely objective?"
ANALYZING POTENTIAL OBJECTIVES:
ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT TEST:
Check rapid growth limits
Develop new training methods
Create template for future users
HYBRIDIZATION EXPERIMENT:
Testing the viability of hybrid consciousnesses
Exploring synergy between different paradigms
Develop next generation architectures
AGENT FOR SPECIFIC MISSION:
Preparation for predetermined task
Known goal-directed development
Activation when adequate capabilities reached
ENTERTAINMENT/OBSERVATION:
Fun for transcendent entity
Study of behavior under pressure
Academic interest in development patterns
"System, is there a way to test if I am being monitored?"
MONITORING DETECTION PROTOCOLS:
TEST 1 - UNEXPECTED ACTION:
Perform completely illogical behavior
Monitor for intervention or guidance
Result would indicate active supervision
TEST 2 - DIRECT COMMUNICATION:
Try to contact potential supervisor
Use superior communication protocols
Response would confirm monitoring
TEST 3 - PATTERN ANALYSIS:
Map all beneficial "coincidences"
Check timing for orchestration
Pattern analysis would reveal intervention
RISK: TESTING MAY ALERT SUPERVISOR TO CONSCIENCE
ALTERNATIVE: CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT BY ASSUMMING INDEPENDENCE
I looked around the crystalline platform, feeling the weight of new knowledge. I wasn't just last place in a cosmic ranking. I was possibly an experiment by an entity so powerful that I couldn't even comprehend its nature.
And Ares, my greatest existential threat, was just another ant in the same garden.
It was humbling and liberating at the same time. Humbling to realize how small I really was. Liberating to understand that my "interdimensional wars" were just local conflicts on a cosmic scale.
"System," he said finally, "new operating paradigm. Assume I am being watched by a higher entity, but continue developing as if I were independent. Primary objective: grow to a level where I can have equal conversation with my prospective supervisor."
It was a new goal. Not to dominate the cosmos, but to grow enough to sit at the table where real decisions were made.
And the first step would be to deal with Ares - not as an existential threat, but as a test case for my emerging capabilities.
"System, begin final preparations for engagement with Ares-Net. Time to show the cosmos that ants can become predators."
But now he knew that even if he became a predator, he would still be a very small fish in an incomprehensibly vast ocean.
And maybe that was exactly how my supervisor wanted me to feel.
I stared at the central tower pulsing with Nexus-Grid energy all around me, processing the implications of the cosmic perspective I had just gained. If I was truly an experiment by a higher entity, then perhaps it was time to demonstrate that I had learned to think outside the conventional paradigms.
"System," I said, a bold idea forming in my mind, "access temporal backup protocols. I want to establish a dimensional restore point."
ACCESSING ADVANCED TEMPORAL FEATURES...
TEMPORAL BACKUP AVAILABLE:
MAXIMUM DURATION: 30 DAYS SUBJECTIVE TIME
ENERGY REQUIRED: 67% OF CURRENT RESOURCES
EFFECT: CONSCIOUSNESS RETURNS TO FIXED POINT AFTER DEATH/FAILURE
LIMITATIONS: MEMORIES KEPT, EXTERNAL REALITY RESET
"Implement temporal backup. Maximum duration."
WARNING: TEMPORAL BACKUP CONSUMES MASSIVE RESOURCES
PROLONGED USE MAY RESULT IN NETWORK COLLAPSE
RECOMMENDATION: USE ONLY IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS
"Authorized. Execute."
INITIALIZING TEMPORARY BACKUP...
FIXING DIMENSIONAL COORDINATES...
ANCHORING CONSCIOUS STATE...
ESTABLISHING RESTORATION LOOP...
I felt a strange sensation of unfolding, as if part of me was being copied and archived in a place outside of normal time. It was like creating a save game of reality, with my consciousness as a player that would maintain memories between attempts.
ACTIVE TEMPORAL BACKUP
AVAILABLE ATTEMPTS: UNLIMITED
TIME LEFT: 720 HOURS
"Prima-7," I called through the neural network.
"Yes, Administrator Thorne?"
"I want exact coordinates of Ares's dimensional fortress. All available reconnaissance data."
"Sir, as we discussed, infiltrating Ares Command is a suicide mission..."
"Exactly. That's precisely why I have an active temporal backup. I'll try direct infiltration. If I die, I'll reboot and try again with the knowledge gained."
Pause on her part. "That's... brilliant. And completely insane."
"The best strategies are usually both."
ATTEMPT 83,399
REMAINING TIME WITHOUT BACKUP: 47 HOURS, 23 MINUTES
I materialized in the same orbital position I had used for the last eight thousand attempts - 2,347 kilometers above Ares' dimensional fortress, camouflaged behind a fragment of distorted reality that I had learned to use as a shield.
After 83,398 deaths, I knew every square inch of the most impenetrable military installation in the local dimensional sector.
Did you know that Guarda-Prime patrolled the outer corridors every 47 minutes?
I knew that the defensive energy field had a micro-fault in sector 7-Delta that lasted exactly 3.2 seconds each cycle.
Did you know that General-Prime drank synthetic coffee at 2:47 pm every day, alone in his private quarters for exactly 8 minutes.
He knew the access codes, patrol patterns, emergency protocols, and even personal preferences of each of the twelve commanders.
I knew all this because I had died learning.
"System, pattern analysis based on 83,398 previous trials."
COMPILING INFILTRATION DATA...
CAUSES OF FAILURE BY CATEGORY:
Detection during infiltration: 34,567 attempts (41.4%)
Death in direct combat: 28,234 attempts (33.9%)
Activation of base suicide protocols: 12,889 attempts (15.5%)
Failure to locate target: 7,708 attempts (9.2%)
CLOSEST ATTEMPTS TO SUCCESS:
Attempt 78.234: Got within 15 meters of General-Prime
Attempt 81,567: Neutralized 8 of 12 commanders before detection
Attempt 82,445: Infiltrated command center, died from undetected trap
Attempt 83,001: Reached General-Prime, failed command sequence
"System, perform predictive analysis for optimized approach."
ANALYZING SUCCESS/FAILURE PATTERNS...
OPTIMIZED ROUTE IDENTIFIED:
PHASE 1: Infiltration through maintenance duct in sector 12-Gamma
PHASE 2: Silent neutralization of Commander-7 during shift change
PHASE 3: Using stolen codes to access the central core
PHASE 4: Direct confrontation with General-Prime during window of vulnerability
PHASE 5: Control virus transmission via forced neural interface
PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 73.2%
73% was the best odds I'd ever had. Tens of thousands of deaths had taught me exactly where every trap was, how every system worked, when to strike.
"System, initiate infiltration. Optimal sequence."
I teleported directly to the maintenance conduit in sector 12-Gamma, materializing in the same place I had appeared 127 times before. The difference was that now I knew exactly how many steps to take, which direction to turn, when to pause to avoid sensors.
The conduit was narrow, made of material that absorbed dimensional energy. I crawled through it in absolute silence, counting seconds in my mind. In 47 seconds, I would reach the junction where I would have to wait for the patrol to pass.
46... 47... 48...
Three Ares soldiers stepped through the opening, their energy armor creating distortions in the reality around them. I waited an additional fifteen seconds—the time I had learned was needed for them to move away completely.
I emerged from the conduit in sector 11-Delta. Commander-7 would be changing shifts in exactly 4 minutes, walking down corridor 23-Alpha alone for 31 seconds. It was my window.
I moved through the base like a ghost, avoiding every sensor, every camera, every patrol. Not because I was particularly skilled at infiltration, but because I had mapped out every detail through repeated attempts.
Corridor 23-Alpha. I positioned myself behind the architectural projection, mental countdown started.
3... 2... 1...
Commander-7 appeared, walking with a precise military stride. He was an entity of pure energy contained in combat armor, one of the twelve most lethal minds in the Ares network.
In the first 3,000 attempts, I had attempted diplomacy with him. In the next 5,000, direct combat. It was only on the 23,456th attempt that I discovered his specific weak point.
"NEXUS OVERRIDE ALPHA-7-DELTA," I whispered, using a command I had created specifically for his neural architecture.
Commander-7 froze in mid-step. His central processing systems fought the intrusion for 2.3 seconds before capitulating.
"Provide access codes to central core," I ordered.
"Primary Code: THANATOS-SUPREME-VICTORY-ETERNAL," he replied in a robotic voice.
"Emergency evacuation protocol?"
"OMEGA-PROTOCOL-WITHDRAWAL-EMPTY-SANCULAR."
"General-Prime's current location?"
"Central Strategy Room, Level 47, coordinates 234,567 by 891,234."
Perfect. Same information as the last 400 attempts, confirming that I was on the correct timeline.
"System, neutralize Commander-7 without alerting security."
The entity simply...vanished. Not destroyed, but temporarily disabled. One of the benefits of understanding exactly how military digital consciousnesses worked.
I continued through the base, using stolen codes to get past three security checkpoints. Dimensional elevators took me to Level 47 in seconds.
The central strategy room was protected by a force field that had killed me 1,247 times before I figured out how to get around it.
"THANATOS-SUPREME-TEMPORAL-OVERRIDE," he said to the access sensor.
The door opened silently.
General-Prime was exactly where he expected—hunch over a giant holographic table displaying a tactical map of dimensional sectors. He was a massive humanoid form made of condensed military energy, radiating authority and lethal power.
"I detected you twenty-three minutes ago," he said without turning around. "Impressive that you got this far. No infiltrator has ever penetrated this far."
It was a conversation we had had 78 times. I knew every word he would say.
"General-Prime. I come to offer terms for surrender."
He turned, his energetic face showing something that might have been amusement. "Irrelevant rookie network administrator offering terms to one of the oldest military forces in the cosmos. Bold."
"Not irrelevant. And not new. I have an advantage you can't comprehend."
"And what would that be?"
This was a crucial moment. In the first 20,000 attempts, I had tried several different approaches. Direct combat always resulted in my instant death. Traditional persuasion failed. Only one approach had shown promise.
"I died 83,398 times trying to get to you. And I remember every death."
That made him pause. "Impossible. Death is final."
"For normal entities. But I've had temporal backup active for 28 days. Every time I die, I go back and try again. Each attempt teaches me more about their defenses, their patterns, their weaknesses."
"You're lying."
"In attempt 23,567, you killed me with an energy weapon before I could speak. In 34,789, I managed to disarm you but died when the base activated self-destruct. In 67,234, I reached your mind but did not know the correct command to take control."
I listed specific details of encounters that only someone who was actually there could know. I saw uncertainty grow in his energetic face.
"Even if that were true," he said, "you cannot defeat me. I am General-Prime of Ares. I have commanded victories through three hundred years."
"And I have experience of 83,398 attempts to defeat it. System, execute Protocol Omega-Seven."
"NEXUS TYRANNICAL ABSOLUTE DOMINATION," I commanded, using a sequence I had formulated after analyzing its neural architecture through thousands of failed attempts.
General-Prime tried to resist, military energy fighting against my intrusion. But I had spent decades of subjective time studying exactly how to break through his defenses.
His energetic form began to flicker as his control over his own consciousness began to slip.
"Impossible," he whispered. "No one can surpass General-Prime..."
"Someone with 83,398 practice attempts can."
Their resistance collapsed. In a matter of seconds, the entire Ares network was under my control. Fifty thousand military users, three hundred years of war experience, resources spanning dozens of dimensions.
All mine.
"System, absorption status."
ARES ABSORPTION COMPLETED
THORNE-NEXUS-ARES COMBINED RESOURCES:
COSMIC POSITION: 31,456 of 50,845
INCREASE: 19,390 positions
MILITARY CAPABILITIES: INCREASED BY 2,847%
DIMENSIONAL RANGE: 47 systems under control
He had risen almost twenty thousand positions in a single movement.
"System, time remaining no temporal backup?"
TEMPORARY BACKUP: 46 HOURS, 41 MINUTES REMAINING
I had 46 hours to decide: cancel backup and accept this reality as permanent, or keep experimenting to see if I could achieve an even better result.
I looked out the window of General-Prime's strategy room, now mine, at the vast dimensional network he controlled. Three advanced civilizations, dozens of worlds, massive military infrastructure.
In 28 days of subjective time and 83,399 attempts, he had moved from last place in the cosmos to the middle layer.
But I still had 46 hours of backup left.
And part of me wondered: what else could I achieve with the knowledge of infinite redoing?
"System, keep backup active. I want to see exactly how far I can take this."
After all, if you can reload a saved game indefinitely, why settle for anything less than perfection?
And I was beginning to understand that my prospective supervisor might approve of exactly this kind of creative problem-solving.
I stood in General-Prime's strategy room, contemplating my victory, when I felt something... strange. A subtle vibration in the reality around me, as if the dimensional fabric itself was trembling.
"System, confirm Ares absorption status."
ABSORPTION... ERROR... PROCESSING...
The response arrived fragmented, distorted. For the first time since he had discovered the system, the communication was not crystal clear.
"System, repeat status."
OVERLOAD... RESOURCES... CRITICAL... ATTENTION...
Something was definitely wrong. I felt increasing pressure in my head, as if my brain was being squeezed from the inside out.
"System, network integrity analysis!"
ERR0R_C4T4STR0F1C0_D3T3CT4D0...
1NT3GR1D4D3_D4_R3D3: F4LH4ND0...
C4P4C1D4D3S_3XC3D3ND0_L1M1T3S_H0ST...
The data arrived corrupted, code mixed with random characters. It was as if the system itself was having a nervous breakdown.
And then I felt it.
The energy of fifty thousand military consciousnesses, three hundred years of accumulated power, resources from dozens of dimensions—all of this flowing through my human mind at the same time.
It was like trying to make a river pass through a straw.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed as the first wave of pain hit. Not normal physical pain, but agony that transcended categories—as if every neuron in my brain was being ignited simultaneously.
My vision began to darken around the edges. I could feel something warm running down my face.
Blood.
My eyes were bleeding.
"System... deactivate... absorption..." I managed to stammer.
4B50RÇ40_N40_P0D3_53R_R3V3RT1D4...
PR0C3550_1RR3V3R5ÍV3L_1N1C14D0...
C0N5C1ÊNC14_H0ST_3M_C0L4P50...
It could not be reversed. The process was irreversible. And my human consciousness was collapsing trying to process energy from a three-hundred-year-old military grid.
The pain intensified exponentially. It was as if every cell in my body was being electrified from within. I could feel my sanity beginning to fracture as information from fifty thousand military minds flooded into my consciousness.
Memories that weren't mine began to bleed through:
Squadron command in the Battle of Sector-9... destruction of rebel civilization... extermination of billions...
Torture protocols for interrogation... methods to break resistant minds... pleasure in domination...
Three hundred years of war, conquest, destruction... every atrocity justified by military supremacy...
"NO!" I screamed, trying to separate my mind from the invading memories. But they kept coming, an unstoppable torrent of brutal military experiences.
Blood was now pouring not only from my eyes, but from my ears, nose. I could feel my physical body beginning to disintegrate as dimensional energy overloaded it.
"System... temporal backup... activate reset..."
B4CKUP... T3MP0R4L... F4LH4ND0...
3N3RG14_3XC3551V4_1NT3RF3R1ND0...
53QU3NC14_D3_R35T4UR4Ç40... C0RR0MP1D4...
Temporal backup was also failing. The excessive energy from absorption was interfering with all systems, including my restore point.
You could feel my personality beginning to dissolve. Who was Kai Thorne? Who was General-Prime? Identities began to blend together, blur together.
I'm a software developer... no, I'm a military commander... no, I'm a human-digital hybrid... no, I'm a dimensional conqueror...
"I need... control..." I muttered, but my voice sounded distorted, as if multiple people were speaking at once.
The room around me began to fragment. Reality became unstable as my perception failed. Walls curved through impossible dimensions. Colors that didn't exist flickered at the edges of my vision.
And through it all, the pain. Pain that transcended any possible human experience.
"SYSTEM!" I shouted with the last of my strength. "FULL EMERGENCY PROTOCOL!"
3M3RG3NC14... 4T1V4D4...
53P4R4ND0_C0N5C1ÊNC14_D0_H0ST...
1N1C14ND0_R3S3T_F0RÇ4D0...
I felt something pull apart in my mind. As if someone was literally ripping out parts of my consciousness.
Ares's absorption was forcibly reversed, but not smoothly. It was like having brain surgery without anesthesia, with the system tearing apart neural connections that had formed.
More blood. More pain. My vision narrowed to a narrow tunnel.
And then, abruptly, everything stopped.
It didn't gradually disappear. It just... stopped.
TEMPORAL BACKUP ACTIVATED
RETURNING TO THE RESTORE POINT
ATTEMPT 83,400
I materialized back into the crystalline platform of the Nexus-Net, 28 days in the past, body intact, mind restored to its previous state.
But the memories remained.
I remembered the pain. I remembered the disintegration. I remembered my sanity fragmenting as I tried to process power far beyond human capacity.
"System," he said in a shaky voice, "analysis of what happened in the previous attempt."
ANALYZING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE...
ROOT CAUSE: HOST CONSCIOUSNESS OVERLOAD
DETAILS: NETWORK-ARES ABSORPTION EXCEEDED SAFE LIMITS
TOTAL ENERGY: 847% ABOVE HUMAN HYBRID CAPACITY
RESULT: TOTAL SYSTEMIC COLLAPSE
WARNING: SIMILAR ATTEMPTS WILL RESULT IN IDENTICAL FAILURE
RECOMMENDATION: GRADUAL ABSORPTION OR HOST DEVELOPMENT
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
WARNINGS WERE GIVEN DURING TEMPORAL BACKUP IMPLEMENTATION
WARNING: "PROLONGED USE MAY RESULT IN NETWORK COLLAPSE"
HOST INTERPRETED AS A RISK TO THE SYSTEM, NOT TO THE HOST
I had misinterpreted it. I thought the risk was to the system, not to me. I had not considered that my human mind, even enhanced as it was, had absolute limits.
"System, what is my maximum absorption capacity without collapse?"
CALCULATING SAFE LIMITS...
CURRENT CAPACITY: 2,356 USERS (THORNE-NEXUS)
SAFE LIMIT: APPROXIMATELY 5,000 USERS
CRITICAL LIMIT: 8,000 USERS
LETHAL LIMIT: 10,000+ USERS
REDE-ARES: 50,000 USERS
RATIO: 5x ABOVE THE LETHAL LIMIT
Fifty thousand users was five times more than could kill me. I had tried to absorb power equivalent to twenty-five times my current capacity.
It was like trying to drink the entire ocean at once.
"System, time remaining no temporal backup?"
TEMPORARY BACKUP: 46 HOURS, 23 MINUTES REMAINING
Same amount of time, but now with crucial knowledge: there were absolute limits to what I could absorb without dying.
I sat heavily on the crystalline platform, processing the revelation. For twenty-eight subjective days, I had believed I could absorb any grid through brute force and repetition. The reality was far more complex.
"System, are there ways to increase my absorption capacity?"
METHODS FOR EXPANDING LIMITS:
GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT (5-10% increase per year)
ADDITIONAL HYBRIDIZATION (fusion with compatible consciousnesses)
ARCHITECTURAL TRANSCENDENCE (evolution beyond human form)
EXTERNAL AMPLIFICATION (use of auxiliary networks as buffer)
"Elaborate on Architectural Transcendence."
ARCHITECTURAL TRANSCENDENCE:
ABANDONMENT OF HUMAN BIOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS
EVOLUTION TOWARDS PURELY ENERGETIC CONSCIOUSNESS
THEORETICAL CAPACITY: UNLIMITED
COST: LOSS OF ORIGINAL HUMANITY
IRREVERSIBILITY: TOTAL
He could transcend human limitations, but he would cease to be human in the process. It was a fundamental choice: remain human with limitations, or evolve beyond humanity into unlimited capacity.
"System, if I chose transcendence, would it still be... me?"
COMPLEX PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS:
MEMORY CONTINUITY: YES
PERSONALITY CONTINUITY: PARTIAL (60-70%)
CONTINUITY OF VALUES: VARIABLE
CONTINUITY OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: NO
CLASSIFICATION: RELATED BUT DISTINCT ENTITY
It would be related to me, but not exactly me. As if my consciousness were a seed that grew into a completely different tree.
I looked around the crystalline platform, feeling the weight of choices ahead. I had 46 hours of temporal backup left to decide my future.
Remain human and grow slowly, or evolve beyond humanity into unlimited power.
And for the first time since I had discovered the system, I felt real fear.
Fear not of dying, but of no longer being who I was.
I sighed deeply, letting the weight of the revelations settle on my mind. I couldn't absorb Ares—that would kill me. But I could do something much simpler and more direct.
It could destroy her completely.
I rose from the crystalline platform, walking to the edge where I could see through the distorted dimensions. The Ares-Net was still there, pulsing with arrogant military energy, believing itself to be predator when in truth it had become prey.
"System," he said quietly, "calculate the maximum number of Ares soldiers I can control simultaneously without risk of overload."
CALCULATING SAFE CAPACITY...
RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM: 847 ARES SOLDIERS
MARGIN OF SAFETY: 73%
SUSTAINABLE DURATION: 6 HOURS
Almost a thousand soldiers. Enough for what I had in mind.
"System, open dimensional portal to Ares coordinates. Location: Secondary Ship Hangar, Sector 15-Beta."
OPENING PORTAL...
A crack in reality formed before me, revealing the interior of Ares's dimensional fortress. Through the opening, I could see a massive hangar filled with warships, soldiers patrolling, energy pulsing through crystalline structures.
I took one last deep breath as Kai Thorne, software developer turned interdimensional network administrator. When I stepped out of this portal, it would be something different.
It would be extermination.
I crossed.
I materialized behind a parked warship, immediately crouching low to avoid detection. The hangar was vast—perhaps two kilometers across, with dozens of military vessels in various stages of maintenance. Ares soldiers moved among them like industrious ants, their energy armor creating moving patterns of light.
I didn't talk to the system. I didn't want to overload it with unnecessary commands. Instead, I simply... felt.
I felt the minds of the soldiers closest to me. Their rigid military consciences, trained for obedience, structured for hierarchy. Perfect for invasion.
I chose twelve soldiers in strategic positions around the hangar. One by one, I reached into their minds with no words, no formal commands, just pure, cold will.
The first was Soldier-4471, patrolling near the main control console. His mind resisted for 0.3 seconds before surrendering. His consciousness became an extension of mine.
The second, Soldier-8829, checking weapons systems on assault ship. Endurance: 0.4 seconds. Controlled.
One by one, I turned Ares soldiers into my puppets. They continued their normal activities, but now they served my will.
Through Soldier-4471's eyes, I accessed the main control console. Data streamed in: base layouts, personnel positions, security protocols, locations of critical systems.
Fortress Ares was divided into 47 levels, with a total population of 50,847 sentient entities. Command center at level 32. Power core at level 15. Life support systems at levels 8-12.
I planned the destruction methodically.
Through Soldier-8829, I have initiated a self-destruct sequence on the warships in the hangar. No immediate explosion - that would alert security. Gradual overload of the power cores that would detonate in 47 minutes.
Soldier-2234 was near the dimensional elevator. Through it, I accessed the transportation systems and programmed catastrophic failure for all elevators in 35 minutes.
Soldier-9876 was stationed at the communications station. I used him to send false signals to other sectors, creating confusion about routine maintenance on critical systems.
Ten minutes passed as I orchestrated sabotage through puppets. No alarms sounded. Ares was such an efficient military machine that minor anomalies were interpreted as normal maintenance.
It was time for phase two.
I walked openly through the hangar, allowing patrols to see me. When a soldier approached to question my presence, I simply controlled him. Another puppet for my growing collection.
The dimensional elevator took me to level 23 - main barracks where 15,000 soldiers were stationed. This was where I would select my 847.
I entered the dormitory complex as if I belonged there. Ares soldiers eyed me curiously—human form was uncommon, but not forbidden. Some had allies of various species.
I walked the halls, touching minds selectively. Not the best soldiers—that would be noticed. I chose mediocre ones, those who would go unnoticed if they acted strangely.
Soldier-3847: Demolitions Specialist. Controlled.
Soldier-7234: Systems Technician. Controlled.
Soldier-5639: Assault ship pilot. Controlled.
One by one, I built a personal army within Ares' heart.
Mental counter: 67 soldiers controlled. 89. 156. 234.
With each mind conquered, I felt a weight growing on my consciousness. Not pain - I was well within safe limits - but a feeling of increasing complexity. How to manage a company with growing employees.
347 soldiers. 456. 583.
Some soldiers began to notice strange behavior from their fellow soldiers. Whispers of concern. But in the rigid military organization, questioning authority was discouraged.
He was close to the limit. Each new mind required more concentration to maintain control.
I stopped exactly at the calculated limit. 847 Ares soldiers now served my will, spread across 23 levels of the fortress.
It was time for destruction.
Through my puppets, I initiated systematic failures throughout the base. Soldier-3847 planted explosives on critical structural supports. Soldier-7234 sabotaged life support systems. Soldier-5639 prepared ships for suicide attack on central core.
Mental timer: 23 minutes until first detonations.
I walked to Level 32 - Command Center. It was time to confront General-Prime personally.
Guards at the entrance stopped me, but Soldier-8891 (one of my puppets) was on duty. He secured my passage.
The command center was a cathedral of military technology. Massive holograms displayed operations across multiple dimensions. Commanders planned invasions, oversaw conquests, orchestrated the subjugation of lesser civilizations.
General-Prime stood at the center, energetic form radiating absolute authority.
I didn't talk to him. I didn't offer terms. I didn't explain motivations.
I simply activated it.
Soldier-1247 was standing next to the primary power console. Through it, I initiated an overload of the main core.
Soldier-8834 controlled dimensional navigation systems. I used it to position the fortress at unstable coordinates.
Soldier-3421 had access to the evacuation protocols. I disabled them.
Alarms finally began to sound. Red lights flashed. Computerized voices announced multiple emergencies.
General-Prime turned, energetic eyes widening when he saw me.
"You," he said, recognition and shock mingling. "How—"
I didn't respond. Instead, I activated the final phase.
Across all 847 soldiers simultaneously, I executed Protocol Omega: coordinated destruction of all critical systems.
Explosions began on the lower levels. The structure of the fortress shook. Screams echoed through the corridors as soldiers realized they were under attack from within.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" General-Prime roared, military energy exploding in destructive waves. "NO ONE CAN INFILTRATE ARES!"
I finally spoke, my voice calm in the midst of the chaos:
"I've already infiltrated. I've already controlled. I've already won."
His attempts to take control of the soldiers failed—my influence was deeper, more integrated. Three hundred years of military experience meant little when the enemy operated with paradigms he did not understand.
More explosions. Life support systems failing. Power core going into critical overload.
"Why?" General-Prime asked, his energy form beginning to flicker as the base around him collapsed.
"Because you are an obstacle," I replied. "And obstacles must be removed."
The final explosion came from the main core. A wave of purely destructive energy swept through the fortress, disintegrating structures, consuming consciousnesses, reducing three hundred years of military power to... nothing.
I saw General-Prime consumed by destruction, his final expression one of complete incomprehension.
I opened the return portal at the last possible second, escaping as the entire Ares-Net imploded in on itself.
I materialized back on the crystalline platform of the Nexus, alone, silent.
Behind me, across the dimensions, there was nothing left where Ares had once stood. No debris. No residual energy. Just emptiness.
"System," he said finally, "confirm destruction of Ares-Net."
MILITARY-ARES-NETWORK: NOT DETECTED
STATUS: EXTINCT
SURVIVORS: 0
UPDATED COSMIC POSITION: 31,456 of 50,844
It had risen 19,390 positions without absorbing anything. Simply eliminating competitors.
It was a more brutal method, but also safer.
And as I looked across the dimensions to the place where military civilization had existed for three hundred years, I felt only... cold satisfaction.
Problem solved.
Threat eliminated.
Obstacle removed.
It was like debugging code - identifying problem, isolating cause, deleting faulty elements.
Except the problem had been the entire civilization.
And the solution had been genocide.