We Morlocks: We Gods, #2

By Ian Eress

Earth, Mars, New Earth, and several other planets are under attack by invaders from Andromeda during the Epoque of the Empire, following the Diamond Epoque, Decline, and Stanpocalypse. In the 128th century AG, humans are not the only ones fighting the vile Andromedans.

 

Legendary Diamond Epoque heroes Vishal D'Souza, Adam Kemp, and Adrian Adedeji escape unidentified prison ships to join the fight. Billions of humans have XNA thanks to them. Adam tries to get XNA for the Qeeravs. Adrian is traveling all the way to Andromeda to obtain XNA for the Azoins. Is it possible for them to accomplish the impossible?

 

Fiafi, Amaterasu, NBBN2, Elena Rogova's mind upload, and Gaia, a planet-sized Thinker, run Galactic Broadcasting Networking, a television news channel and fledgling coffee company. Will they be able to help humanity?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian Eress
• Release date: Nov 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201219840

Ian Eress

Born in the seventies. Average height. Black hair. Sometimes shaves. Black eyes. Nearsighted. Urban. MSc. vim > Emacs. Mac.

Book preview

We Morlocks

We Gods, Volume 2

Ian Eress

Published by Ian Eress, 2022.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

WE MORLOCKS

First edition. November 14, 2022.

Copyright © 2022 Ian Eress.

ISBN: 979-8201219840

Written by Ian Eress.

Table of Contents

BOOK ONE AWAKENISTAS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1 VISHAL ONE

CHAPTER 2 YOUNGER VISHAL ONE

CHAPTER 3 ADAM ONE

CHAPTER 4 YOUNGER ADAM ONE

CHAPTER 5 ADRIAN ONE

CHAPTER 6 CAPTAIN HANSEL

CHAPTER 7 VISHAL TWO

CHAPTER 8 YOUNGER VISHAL TWO

CHAPTER 9 ADAM TWO

CHAPTER 10 YOUNGER ADAM TWO

CHAPTER 11 ADRIAN TWO

CHAPTER 12 CAPTAIN FOKELT

CHAPTER 13 VISHAL THREE

CHAPTER 14 YOUNGER VISHAL THREE

CHAPTER 15 ADAM THREE

CHAPTER 16 YOUNGER ADAM THREE

CHAPTER 17 ADRIAN THREE

CHAPTER 18 CAPTAIN RAGIREZ

BOOK TWO STRANGE ATTRACTORS

CHAPTER 19 BUTI ONE

CHAPTER 20 YOUNGER BUTI ONE

CHAPTER 21 LOD ONE

CHAPTER 22 FELIM ONE

CHAPTER 23 RAYMO ONE

CHAPTER 24 YOUNGER RAYMO ONE

CHAPTER 25 BUTI TWO

CHAPTER 26 YOUNGER BUTI TWO

CHAPTER 27 LOD TWO

CHAPTER 28 FELIM TWO

CHAPTER 29 RAYMO TWO

CHAPTER 30 YOUNGER RAYMO TWO

CHAPTER 31 BUTI THREE

CHAPTER 32 YOUNGER BUTI THREE

CHAPTER 33 LOD THREE

CHAPTER 34 FELIM THREE

CHAPTER 35 RAYMO THREE

CHAPTER 36 YOUNGER RAYMO THREE

BOOK THREE ELOIS

CHAPTER 37 OWEM ONE

CHAPTER 38 OLDER OWEM ONE

CHAPTER 39 HLOZDU ONE

CHAPTER 40 OLDER ANGELOV ONE

CHAPTER 41 NODCU ONE

CHAPTER 42 PROFESSOR RANDOM ONE

CHAPTER 43 OWEM TWO

CHAPTER 44 OLDER OWEM TWO

CHAPTER 45 HLOZDU TWO

CHAPTER 46 OLDER ANGELOV TWO

CHAPTER 47 NODCU TWO

CHAPTER 48 PROFESSOR RANDOM TWO

CHAPTER 49 OWEM THREE

CHAPTER 50 OLDER OWEM THREE

CHAPTER 51 HLOZDU THREE

CHAPTER 52 OLDER ANGELOV THREE

CHAPTER 53 NODCU THREE

CHAPTER 54 PROFESSOR RANDOM THREE

CHAPTER 55 RETROSPECTIVE

For Caitlyn

BOOK ONE AWAKENISTAS

The Awakenistas woke up in a New York City park on Earth Zero. Twelve people, half of them worked for a startup. They got ill soon after that, hearing strange noises, seeing flashes... One of them, an astronomer, discovered a signal from Mars that he linked to the symptoms they were experiencing...

The Awakenistas managed to reach Mars. Aliens from Thohnuth in the center of the galaxy, on an expedition, captured them. Then there were more aliens that arrived—Qeeravs, Atagans, and Yuaters. The Awakenistas formed the Awakenistas Philanthropic Society...

-Quotes from the Eloi Wikipedia of the Inner Empire

ACT ONE FIAFI

The Awakenistas Philanthropic Society created Fiafi, five decades before the Prophet Galileo was born, based on Thohnuth's Urzur...

Urzur, an Artificial Intelligence, led the robotic expedition who tried to enslave the Awakenistas...

-Quotes from the Eloi Wikipedia of the Inner Empire

PROLOGUE

128th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, EARTH, FIAFI

THE EPOQUE OF the Empire follows the Diamond Epoque, the Decline, and the Stanpocalypse. A lot of things happened to people at once. Is there more good than evil in the world? I, Fiafi, a General Artificial Intelligence, think that we should not lose hope.

Vishal D'Souza, one of the Awakenistas, and his friends robbed an Earth lab. Now billions of humans have XNA, synthetic DNA. That makes them able to perform much better than the average human.

On New Earth, Adam Kemp, another Awakenista, was unable to get the XNA virus for the Qeeravs. (Qeeravs are aliens who tend to be smaller than humans and have green skin.) In addition, the Empire imprisoned him.

In an effort to find yet another XNA virus, Adrian Adedeji, also an Awakenista, gathered a fleet to venture deep into Andromeda. This virus is meant for the Azoins, crab-like aliens with one gender, who also happen to be the most numerous amongst our allies.

Emperor Buti, the son of the Leader, and Felim Ega, a Strange Attractor, attempted to halt the spread of the XNA virus amongst humans. Raymo Belonite, the son of the Leader, and Lod Wolf, a Strange Attractor, helped Vishal free Adam.

It was due to the self-proclaimed gods and possible HiDimBes, Vishnu, Zeus, Anubis, and Ejom that the Empire went through the Big Split. In the Inner Empire, Emperor Buti is in charge. His brother, Raymo, leads the much smaller Outer Empire. The Second Empire is under Felim Ega, and the Third Empire is under Bai, also called Thumb.

By design the Inner Empire is the largest and strongest. Then come the Second Empire, Third Empire, and Outer Empire. The HiDimBe, calling himself Vishnu, is the main deity of the Inner Empire. Vishnu offered to make everyone in the Inner Empire with XNA, what I and my colleagues, named XNA Heroes. This gives them, presumably through the Wavej Field, the power to kill many Andromedans.

In Virtual Life 43, I, Fiafi, am in a dark and ancient castle. Something from a horror movie. Dead orcs lie on the ground. None of this is real. The avatar I chose of a blonde elf is virtual too.

A small Japanese woman, clad in a medieval costume, comes into view. Albert Sawyer made Amaterasu based on my software. But she is not my clone. Vishnu still demands payment from the XNA Heroes, she says. Resources, temples, all kinds of art that strokes his ego.

I smile. He is playing the role of a god. But Emperor Buti must be happy with all the lupsofot he received from Vishnu.

Yes... It is ironic that Emperor Buti is a much better Wavejer than Vishnu.

A butler pops up. Hey, my dear sisters, how is it going? Major XNA Heroes inflation, eh? NBBN2 loves his butler avatar for some reason. Because Amaterasu was too formal and serious, Albert Sawyer created him shortly after she was created.

The Andromedans have XNA Heroes too, I say. Owem Marinov fought one of them.

NBBN2 shakes his head. But not that many as far as I know. We would have noticed if that was the case.

The mind upload of Elena Rogova, an ancient novelist and the maternal grandmother of Albert Sawyer, presents herself as a pretty brunette. What cheer, my colleagues. She loves William Shakespeare.

Ciao, bella, I say.

The Thinker and our boss, Gaia, comes last. In her avatar, she combines the best features of several supermodels. Let's start. Our news company is not doing that well. The lawyers will drag Koen McCarthy to a courtroom soon. That will teach him about retracting his offer. We are making little profit with our coffee business. However, we can still provide synergy and add value.

Sometimes I have no idea what Gaia is saying. I am curious about Vishal.

Good, Fiafi, Gaia says. Keep an eye on him. We might score big if we stay close to him.

Amaterasu grins. Well, I will check on Adam then. But I am afraid that he will do something illegal again. I hope that he is more careful and clever this time.

In that case please do not report what he is doing, Gaia says. I would like to remind you that someone might be watching us.

Emperor Buti can do that through Wavej wormholes. He is not the only one in the Inner Empire who can do that.

NBBN2 chuckles. Then I will visit Adrian.

I will talk to Emperor Buti, Elena says.

Gaia gives a nod. And I will chat with Emperor Felim. We still have the matter of money. If we can't pay for our machines, we will be as good as dead. It is still possible that we win, and Koen McCarthy pays us big. We are now in the strange situation that some Elois have XNA. If they also boasted neural microchips and wealth, we could consider them real Morlocks.

In contrast to the elite Morlocks, the Elois are commoners. The Morlocks provide the Elois Universal Basic Income and Services—a minimal amount of money and free services. With the Andromedans invading, most Elois are soldiers. Morlocks are the officers. Morlocks have the resources to pay for rejuvenation procedures that increase their lifespans.

But not all Elois approve of this situation. Some Elois do not want anything to do with Morlocks, like the Refusers.

Is anyone working on that? I ask.

Gaia folds her arms. Vishal. Emperor Raymo of the Outer Empire approved his request to build factories for neural microchips. No one is working on enriching Elois, though. In possession of XNA or otherwise.

"Then that is what we ought to be doing, Gaia san," Amaterasu says.

We have money problems. How the heck do you expect us to help Elois out?

Amaterasu frowns. You are the Thinker. I am sure that you will think of something.

Maybe we will find gold or diamonds, NBBN2 says. There are supposed to be planets made of diamonds. A moon where they grow in massive amounts would be good enough too.

That is possible. Gaia does not look convinced at all. The real money is in stocks. The Morlocks invest and trade. We are not allowed because we can do it much better than them.

Elena scoffs. Someone, somewhere must be using computers to trade. I know that traders get severely handicapped to prevent extreme volatility, but come on. You don't think that they all rely on their intuition or luck, do you?

No, of course not, Gaia says. Yet we may not trade. It is the law in all the four empires. And if Lod Wolf gets his tiny republic, I am sure that this will not change.

Gaia is pessimistic. She expects us to be slower than her thanks to her large brain. Sadly, Gaia is always correct on that. Basic physics. Greater speed and better decisions result from more hardware.

Why not reach out to Vishnu? I ask.

Gaia scoffs. Because he is a fraud. That is why. He is lying all the time and possibly to himself. He is good at it. The same goes for the ones calling themselves Zeus, Anubis, Ejom, and the Jade God. Purportedly Vishnu and the other high dimensional beings are promoting a game. The We Gods game by HealSpell has blown up online. Our young friend, Nodcu Diawol, is all over it.

I effing love this game, NBBN2 says. Like forty four percent of humanity plays it now. Though admittedly not with equal enthusiasm. We should have gone into the gaming industry. Hey, Gaia, perhaps that is how we can stuff our pockets.

Believe it or not, I have thought about the same thing. We can play ourselves or assist players. The tournaments pay well, but at the moment not enough to make it worth our while. We could offer a cheap service to players. Billions of them if possible.

And what might that service be? Amaterasu asks.

Gaia gives her a sweet smile. Something that the players find tedious or lessons. We can combine it with our news network and coffee company. Perhaps we can rent rooms where players can drink our coffee, play We Gods, and listen to related news.

What kind of a game is We Gods? Elena asks.

NBBN2 speaks before Gaia has a chance to answer. A simple game, standard building and real time strategy. But the world is enormous, spanning multiple eras. I do not want to insult Gaia... She can't make something like We Gods on her own. I think that we are dealing with many Thinkers or something else entirely.

No offense taken.

Hmm? NBBN2 asks. Yeah, so the game is at first glance not complicated. Each player can join a team. They can unlock multiple characters. There are multiple races and professions to choose from. The We Gods game also has some magical elements. Teams can form alliances. So far with me, Elena?

Yes, the magical part intrigues me.

NBBN2 offers Elena a nod. I will come back to that another time then. Teams, they are called Tribes actually, can declare wars on each other. There are also Houses and Guilds that work the same way as ours. What else?

What is the goal of the game? Elena asks.

To gain as many experience points and resources as possible of course. There are multiple leagues—the Gods league on top. Hence the name of the game. Below the Gods league, you have the Demigods and the Angels. Then Diamonds, Golds, Silvers, Bronze, and Irons. As a matter of fact, each of these leagues is split into three subleagues. Upper, lower, and mid. For example, Upper Gods.

Elena lets out a sigh. That does indeed sound simple. How many of the players are Morlocks?

Ah, NBBN2 says. I forgot to say that you can progress faster through the game if you buy resources and perks. So, many Morlocks play We Gods. I can't tell you the exact number, though. But it must be high.

Gaia beams at NBBN2. Now we are finally getting somewhere. We need to find a way to help the Morlock players. Let's forget about coffee and news. I doubt that the Morlocks will need that.

Shall we focus on the Morlocks in the Upper Gods leagues or the Lower Irons, Gaia? I ask.

Good question. Correct me if I am wrong, NBBN2, but the Upper Gods will not need much help. However, they would tend to be more fanatic than the Lower Irons, having invested a lot of time and money in the game.

Yup, you nailed it.

So no lessons for the Upper Gods, Gaia says. But they would love to have less tedious tasks in the game.

NBBN2 scratches his chin. Upper Gods tend to have, as players call it, everything maxed. That means that they have almost nothing left to build. They can only build public buildings and help out their Tribe or alliance mates. They can't improve the skills of their characters either. Maxed! Some of them make new accounts although the practice is kind of frowned upon.

To play We Gods as beginners again, Elena says.

Yes, in a nutshell. I have heard of Upper Gods with fifteen maxed accounts. This is something we can help with. To babysit accounts, I mean.

Gaia arches her eyebrows. Will we get in trouble with the We Gods company? With HealSpell?

Uh, I am not sure... NBBN2 says. But I am certain that Morlocks would pay for that kind of service. In fact, I think that it already exists.

Gaia shook her head. Listen, it will not do for us to set up an illegal service. I will reach out to HealSpell. For example, the whole maxing thing has to go. I do not understand why you can't have unlimited builds and character growth. And it is a bad idea to have the Morlocks and Elois compete against each other.

Excellent! NBBN2 claps like a little boy. More levels and separate leagues for Morlocks and Elois. I love it!

Morlocks are not born equal, I say. Neither are Elois. I am sure that a Morlock Eloi split is insufficient.

Gaia shrugs. One step at a time. It is not our game. We should not push our luck.

How does the magic work? Elena asks.

NBBN2 grins. Spells and potions. Every character of every player can upgrade their individual spells and potions. This takes time and resources. You can speed this up with real cash. Each spell and potion has its advantages and weaknesses. In my opinion the game is balanced.

I know a thing or two about fictional magic, Elena says. I would love to have a look for myself. What kind of races do you have in We Gods?

All the species of the real world—humans, Azoins, Qeeravs, Thohnuths, Yuaters, Poids, Rosus from Umvitar, HiDimBes, NonLocBes, Atagans... And the ones from folklore—changelings, dwarves, faeries, elves, giants, leprechauns, pixies, rusalkas, vampires... Even nonhumans and mutants like the Thohnots.

And which eras? Amaterasu asks.

Prehistoric, Iron Age, Bronze Age, Renaissance, Industrial Age, Information Age, Diamond Epoque, Decline, Stanpocalypse, and the Empire Epoque we are in. Characters can travel through time. The Wormnet is much better than in the real world, and there are no Andromedans. No Bears from the Ursine Union even. A group took it upon themselves to count all the planets in We Gods. Their estimate indicates that, as I said, we are dealing with multiple Thinkers at least.

Gaia cocks her eyebrows. What is the payoff of having so many planets? It seems absurd to me.

I dunno. NBBN2 shrugs.

Which spells are there? Elena asks.

Invisibility, lightning, earthquake, rage... There are ninety of them. Potions include healing potions, love potions, and invulnerability potions. It is impossible to know all of them because players are free to invent new ones. It takes time and resources like everything in the game.

What kind of resources are there? I ask.

Ores, gems, oil, superconductanium, gold, silver, all kinds of currencies...

Gaia rolls her eyes. They overdid it. You do not need that many types of resources.

I disagree, NBBN2 says. I know that you are a Thinker, Gaia, but... The build times vary wildly from seconds to kiloseconds and megaseconds. Maybe gigaseconds should come next.

No, the build times would just have to vary less. There would be fewer planets. Several orders of magnitude less but more build and skill levels.

NBBN2 clears his throat. If you can convince the other Thinkers, I support your plan. But I think that the build and upgrade times are like this on purpose. To extract more bucks from the players. They have no incentive to change this. Forty four percent of mankind already plays We Gods. Of course they could play more often. Only one percent of the players actually spends money.

It could be more than one percent, Gaia says. They could all be fanatics. It is just a matter of finding the right balance. I can help with that.

CHAPTER 1 VISHAL ONE

Gaia summons me for a one on one chat in Virtual Life 43, in a saloon that could have come from a John Wayne movie. I just got off the phone with Cyril Stone, the Chief Operations Officer of HealSpell, Gaia says. He rejected my proposals, but he is willing to read a detailed email that I will send him later. At least Mr. Stone is okay with us babysitting accounts of rich Morlocks. He said that they do not have the bandwidth to police multiple accounts. I will get a written confirmation of all that through our lawyers, so that we can cover our asses if need be. They have VIP passes for those who have too much money to burn. That is how they earn their profit.

So no extra levels? I ask.

No, Cyril Stone laughed it off. Yes, finishing builds could provide a dopamine boost to players. But purportedly having thousands of levels adds no value. It is too much work for them. Also they do not have multiple Thinkers working for them. Instead they are using hacks to fake a vast Multiverse.

I nod. That makes sense. What about betting on Tribes to let those with surplus resources have fun?

That could work, Fiafi. Thank you. I will propose it in my email. And I am not giving up on my ideas just yet.

128th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, THE EPOQUE OF THE EMPIRE, OUTER EMPIRE, FIAFI

VISHAL D'SOUZA IS an Awakenista, one of the founders and leaders of the Awakenistas Philanthropic Society. After some unpleasantness in 11 AG, 128 centuries ago, 404 gigaseconds, he left the APS to head another organization, the shady Robin Hoods. Vishal and I will not discuss them.

Vishal talks with a low voice and is fit. It is common for him to smile, a friendly smile. He wears a green T-shirt and blue jeans as he Flies through space today. He Flies unaided without a spacesuit, much like a bird. However, no wings are flapping. The sole sandal he wears is on his left foot. Morlocks are hard to please. Unless you resort to, um, hard drugs, bloodsport, orgies, or combinations of those. Games will not cut it. The Robin Hoods have been trying to let Elois infiltrate the Morlocks. In fact, Diviak is still doing that.

My drone that can barely keep up with Vishal projects my Presence next to him. Is he still alive?

Why wouldn’t he be? I am the same age as his father. The Robin Hoods print organs and bones and transplant them into Eloi volunteers. They teach them how to behave like Morlocks, give them neural microchips, and everything else. And now Emperor Raymo wants me to give Elois with XNA neural microchips. To produce them at least.

How many Elois have the Robin Hoods recruited? I ask.

I am not at liberty, um, to tell you. Or how many of them actually managed to join the ranks of the Morlocks.

It is not enough to offer XNA Heroes neural microchips. Vishnu and the other HiDimBes demand increasingly higher reimbursement for their services.

Vishal scoffs. Extortion! First Vishnu only asked for poems and songs written in his honor. Then it was little shrines. He requested a temple from someone for only three days of being an XNA Hero.

He knows that we are desperate. The Andromedans are at the gates.

Adam will have to think of something, Vishal says. Or Diviak. I have my hands full with the electronics factories.

Adam plans to steal the XNA virus for the Qeeravs.

Yeah, I know. Diviak is not giving up on his operation yet. The optics and ethics of robbing a bank are... Interstellar trade is not what it used to be because of the Andromedans. A number of major Houses have a monopoly on crucial products and services. There is no way for outsiders to make money fast.

Unless fabricated Morlocks of the Robin Hoods can assist.

That is Diviak’s department. I promised Emperor Raymo to deliver the neural microchips on time. So I intend to keep my promise.

The sphere-like Barrier around Refueling Station Yuri Gagarin, also known as Refueling Station Five, burns like a bright sun. It is supposed to keep out the deadly hordes of Andromedans like the Great Wall of China was supposed to keep the Mongols out of China. The Barrier has a radius at the order of magnitude of one astronomical unit, the distance from Earth Zero to Sun Zero.

Two hundred eighty one sextillion square meters. To save on material the Barrier is not an actual wall but a conglomeration of loosely connected grids that would admit small drones or starfighters. A billion tonnes of light but strong material went into the construction process for each megasecond. This continued for hundreds of generations.

Some of the PLAM (plasma, lasers, antimatter) cannons of the Barrier are still alive. But the Andromedans have the Refueling Station surrounded.

It boasts a microscopic black hole. The laser arrays of a Dyson swarm using the power of a star created it through a Kugelblitz. The Dyson swarm, consisting of countless O’Neill cylinders, is no more. We use the little black hole as a crude matter to antimatter converter. For fuel.

Everywhere that Vishal spots enemies they Burst into flames. This is what being an XNA Hero means. Vishnu, or someone else, uses Wavej wormholes to achieve this effect. Vishal has a day and six hours left. After that he must do something for Vishnu to keep this ‘ability’.

Five Andromedan starfighters burn. Because of his XNA, Vishal has good vision, much better than the average Eloi. But still he can’t be everywhere and see everything. And he wants to build factories and do politics. He ranted about the Freedom and Rights Party kiloseconds ago. They are pro-Morlock, anti-Elois, and anti-aliens. Everything that Vishal is not.

Emperor Raymo does not want anyone to be evacuated, I say.

He is a stubborn military man. But his younger brother is, um, worse. A drone explodes, then a starfighter. Vishal has more trouble with starships. He has to stare at them for longer times, but often they just move away before incurring serious damage.

It takes a while for us to reach the Refueling Station as Vishal continues Zapping at enemies. An airlock admits us in an O’Neill cylinder, a large rotating cylinder that generates gravity. We land in a dusty, metal lane. Emaciated men, women, and children pull at the remains of two black horses.

"People of Yuri Gagarin, we are coming to save you, Vishal says. Please prepare for an evacuation."

A dark skinned woman with light brown hair smiles. You and which chomping army, sweetie?

XNA Heroes. More than you can count.

The woman chuckles... But then a woman Flies in like Vishal. More XNA Heroes Arrive. Some of them wear colorful capes and costumes. Others are clad as soldiers. But the majority did not bother and dressed like the average civilian.

The local residents rush to get their belongings. Several of them do not need to do that and approach the nearest XNA Heroes. They Fly away. The Andromedans have trouble dealing with the XNA Heroes. For one they do not show up on radar.

Vishal Takes the dark skinned woman with light brown hair with him. What do you think about the Freedom and Rights Party? he asks.

The woman arches her eyebrows. Who? Oh, those blazing guys. Not much really. They care more about humans than aliens. I am fine with that. But they are overdoing it. I am an Eloi, like almost everyone else. The FRP rigardus down on us. Is that what you wanted to hor?

What is your name?

Repowe.

I am Vishal D’Souza, Repowe. This is Fiafi—

I know who you both are. I may be an Eloi, but I am not uneducated.

I never, um, thought that you were, Vishal says. Repowe, I am working on a factory that will produce neural microchips for Elois with XNA.

The XNA virus did nothing for me. You are talking to the wrong person.

Vishal shakes his head. Not necessarily. There is no real reason, apart from cost, to not give you neural microchips.

Gosh! And then what? Do you want me to vote for you? What are you running for—mayor, governor, president?

Nothing yet, Vishal says.

I do not mind, though. You saved my blasted life. It does not matter if you forget to give me neural microchips.

A plaza on Earth appears as the background fades to black. There are more Albertas, asexual offspring of Albert Sawyer, in armor suits than I am used to seeing. In addition, the men and women use odd words and accents when speaking English.

Worm World, I say. The parallel Earth.

WORM WORLD

GIANT WORMS, ALMOST as big as ancient trains, with leathery, barbed skins gave the parallel Earth its name. Gigaseconds ago before the Stanpocalypse and Decline, our enemies, bodiless beings such as the so-called Vishnu, who are spread through countless parallel universes, sent them to Worm World. Nevertheless, the Leader and his armies killed all the Enemies, the ones in the Milky Way. Currently, we face new and stronger enemies.

My eyes are locked with the gaze of a blue-skinned giant wearing a golden crown, golden bracelets, and strange clothing. In a long white robe, a blonde woman with a ponytail looks out over the plaza. In convincing white robes, the three sisters of General Gull Erica watch her expectantly. In their twenties maybe, they seem young, but they could be Immorts.

We have not gained any terrain on the moon of planet Mugenia, Gull Erica says. Our troops are dying. They were infected by an airborne virus. It causes brain cells to mutate fast. Our soldiers suffer from a sort of aphasia.

Was planet Mugenia not destroyed? the tallest of the three sisters asks.

Gull Erica nods. It was, but its moon was not.

You are not serving me, Vishal, Vishnu says in a booming voice. No one in the plaza pays attention to him, Vishal, or me. You are serving Emperor Raymo and his god. Why?

Milord, what do you expect me to do? I am wanted in the Inner Empire. I stole an XNA virus and gave XNA to as many people as I could. You, yourself, asked me to do that.

You did not use your brain. Did you really expect me to turn each human into a XNA Hero? All this Wavejing will  cause Unification soon! (Unification is the merging of parallel realities.)

Vishal frowns. I did not think of that.

Well, you should have. A planet, Nezdo, is on the verge of Unifying. Do you want to provoke the Judges of the TC or the NonLocBes? I will only aid XNA Heroes with neural microchips from now on.

What does it matter if they have them, milord? Vishal asks.

It is easier to communicate with them. Plus, their number is smaller.

Lord, the planet can be evacuated, I say. The Andromedans are a bigger threat.

No, you are wrong. You lack the understanding to make this call.

Vishal clears his throat. Excuse me, milord. With all due respect, if the XNA Heroes can’t fight the Andromedans, we do not need you. Please excuse me for being so blunt.

Rude and ungrateful... But what can one expect from a lifeform like yours? Begone!

CHAPTER 2 YOUNGER VISHAL ONE

Black space replaces the fading Wavej hologram, close to Refueling Station Yuri Gagarin. That was interesting, wasn't it? Vishal asks.

With a slow nod, I acknowledge him. Worm World, Worm Earth. No more XNA Heroes then?

Nope. Not the way we want them. We are back at square one. What are the odds of another mighty being offering his or her services to us?

It depends on your time requirements. Very small on short notice. Emperor Buti and his First Generation are the only ones who stand in the way of the Andromedans.

Vishal scowls. That is unacceptable. We will think of something. There are the Albertas, Second Order, Strangers, Rosus, World Commandos, Uplifters, and even Stan. Let me tell you about my time on New Earth if you don't object.

What is the point of minding? I'd like you to go ahead.

8th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, THE DECLINE, NEW EARTH, VISHAL

VISHAL D'SOUZA WAS planning to catch the two Rumtacds, mother and daughter, Imdchu Tchumeke and Womadizo. The Rumtacds of the Nezceraliqos. The Koivepos, another Rumtacd tribe, wanted to help Vishal and his friends.

After mounting their horses, Vishal and his friends galloped toward their camp, cutting across in a shorter route. The Koivepos came too. Following the trail was no longer necessary. When they arrived at camp, a small cluster of people were gathered around the central campfire. When Vishal dismounted he found himself surrounded by people, most of whom seemed to be laughing.

Vishal, Diviak Sawyer (the son of Katie Sawyer who created me) said, patting him on the back when he caught sight of his friend's expression. How are you?

Not bad. Vishal explained about the new plan.

The younger people in the camp protested. They did not want the two tribal leaders to be captured.