Chapters 154+155

Chapter 154: Just Rewards

Walker couldn’t have anticipated what came next. 

He found himself on a small podium in a well-lit and expansive room. It was a stark difference from the now standard endless void he’d entered since the second battle. To his right, another person translocated in on a podium of their own, slowly forming in the air. The creature was humanoid in shape but blue, with large and apparent gills sticking from the sides of its neck. 

Walker waved. 

The creature looked over at him and waved back. The fact that it had a three-digit hand barely registered in his mind.

“Huh.”

His eyes traveled around the area. It was a sea of podiums. A constellation of Creators. Even as he watched, more of the victorious arrived, many seeming to be as shocked as he was to see their location.

Why are they grouping us up like this?

It gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, only offset by the results of the fourth battle. 

That the Symphonians had made him proud was without question. They’d not only worked together with a sense of purpose, but had also pushed their skills and abilities to new heights. Maybe Runner couldn’t damage the Regenerating Behemoth. And maybe Thomas wasn’t the best at fighting. But together, they’d defeated the Alpha Protocol’s mettling. They had succeeded when so many other Creator’s entities had not. 

They were champions, both literally and figuratively.  

Walker scanned the room, trying his best to suppress the sense of superiority welling up. He didn’t look down on the other Creators for having it easier than himself- you never knew what other people were going through. The rich kid had problems just like the poor one, though of a different sort. But it didn’t matter; he was just damn proud of his people. 

Damn proud, he thought to himself again as more Creators filled the empty podiums in the chamber. 

And while they’d done everything they could to win, he’d sat in plush comfort from beyond. It had frustrated him to the point that he looked a little mad at that moment. You could only pull on your hair for so long before it relented and decided to stay that way. The battle had been set so that the Creators had little to no input. 

Unlike the third, which focused on his choices as a Creator, the fourth had concentrated entirely on his entities with no allowed input. Walker had grown so angry that he’d made a promise to himself- deep down within. He would have a part to play in the final battle, no matter what.

Walker continued to look around as most of the Podiums were now occupied. The varying amounts of different sapients in the room were staggering. But one thing did stand out. Many of the people in the room looked vaguely human. A slight difference here and there. The ears were too big. Eyes too small. Muscles too…gargantuan. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that humanity or something like it was well spread across the Multiverse. 

Of course, there were slime creatures and other fantastical folk he’d only seen in comics, dreams, and nightmares, but they were few and far between. It made him ponder some things. Like, why did he keep running into multiversal oddities if something like humanity was so prevalent throughout the stars? And, if humanity was so common, then why did he see almost none at the Grand Auction?

Multiversal racism?

He didn’t have time to further delve into the idea. As the final podium filled, the lights brightened to a blinding level. When they settled down, a large structure with nine seats appeared, one creature standing in front of each.

Melodramatic as shit. He glanced from the thrones to the other Creators on their basic podiums. Kings and peasants.

Eight of the people standing in front of him were unfamiliar, but he knew the ninth. With a large smile, the stitched man stood out compared to the dour expressions of the rest. From left to right, they took their seats in front of the crowd of silent Creators. Walker noticed a pointed glare aimed his way from the catlike man on the far right. Not knowing what to make of it, the man looked away from him and toward the crowd before speaking.

“Welcome, victorious Creators of the fourth battle. You have shocked us. Surprised us. Truly epitomized the purpose of the Alpha Protocol with your ingenuity, creative decisions, and viciousness. To be a Creator is to advance the Multiverse by any means necessary. In that, you have succeeded.”

The woman seated beside him spoke up next, “If you have not yet guessed it, we are the Alpha Protocol Council. In our long history, this is the first time a Rendition’s Creators has met us before the conclusion of the fifth and final battle. However, we felt it was necessary due to our decision following the fourth battle.”

The third man sneered at the crowd, “You’ll have twenty-five hours.”

That shook Walker. He still had many plans to see through and ideas he wanted to test. Not to mention the people of Luck’s Haven. He wasn’t the only one who was upset. Many of the Creators around him began to yell, but the Council was unperturbed. The fourth Council Member raised a hand, keeping it raised until the crowd quieted down. 

“I will be as honest with you as I possibly can. We have nothing left to gain from this Rendition. Everything we wanted to learn, we have done so. Everything we had an interest in has been studied. There is no more need for Rendition 4AA. It is time to move on and place our resources where they will have the most value.”

Virgil was right again…not that I’m going to tell him exactly what was said here.

The smiling council member in the center laughed, “And so it is! Twenty-five hours, everyone!” He clapped twice, a rictus smile stretched across the stitches of his face. “Now, since we’re cutting down on your time so extravagantly, I’ve convinced the Council to lighten the difficulty of the final battle. Anyone who makes it through will be titled according to your placement within the protocol’s total points and granted a dominion that aligns with your accrued contributions.” He looked at Council Member One, the man’s eyes deadlocked onto Walker, “I believe they’ve earned the right to see their placement thus far, correct?”

The man’s glare shifted to Council Member Five before sighing, “Yes. Normally, you would not see this until the final battle, but this is a time for firsts. Behold!” He gestured, and a screen appeared.

Sitting right at number one was a name Walker knew quite well. 

First: Dante: Contribution points: 13,485

Second: Ferrule: Contribution points: 2,136

Third: A’ia: Contribution points: 2,056

…

The list slowly scrolled down, but the crowd did not like what they saw.

“82nd? Me?”

“Whose this Dante prick?”

“Isn’t that the asshole who created a destroyer?”

“Wait, do we get points for destroying other Creator’s planets?”

“Silence!”

Council Member Three’s voice was so loud that Walker felt his eardrums burst. With a slight sense of vertigo, he held a hand to the top of his head, waiting for the pain to calm down as his body went to work repairing it. He barely made out what was said next. 

“It is not your turn three!”

“You don’t have access to the sonic Evolution, four, so shut it.”

“Don’t call me four!”

By the time his ears had healed, the woman seated in the sixth chair was already speaking, “Yes, silence would be most beneficial. From everyone.” She paused to give the two chairs currently sulking a look, then continued, “The contribution points are tallied by studying the Creator’s discoveries, experiments, and, most importantly, their placement in the battles. Creator Dante has gone above and beyond compared to the rest of the fourth rendition. It’s purely logical statistics, not favoritism.”

Walker noted the stitched man’s smile, and the first chairs bared teeth at that. 

The seventh chair spoke lazily, as if every word was dragged out of him through force, “If you will all review your overlays, this will go much more quickly.”

…

…

…

Walker was about to look at them to see what was going on when it finally dropped in. 

Congratulations Dante!

Due to your current rank within Rendition 4AA’s Creator Wars, you may be invited to join the Alpha Protocol Council. 

This is quite the honor and comes with additional powers not customarily granted to standard members of the Multiverse.

Junior Alpha Protocol Council rewards:

Residency in the Center. 

Access to all the rights of a Junior Alpha Protocol Council Member.

A profound and Rendition changing income.

An invitation to all major Multiversal events. 

…

Should you maintain your placement and decide not to accept the Council’s invitation, you will still be granted the following titles:

Multiversal title: High Lord

Naming rights for Rendition 4AA. 

Rendition 4AA title: Overlord

Unique title: Rendition 4AA Top Creator

Symphony constellation title: Lord

Taxable allowance from Rendition 4AA: 1-2%

Taxable allowance from the Symphony constellation: Variable% 

The eighth chair crossed all of her legs as she spoke, “Have you all had a chance to see your potential titles? Great. Grand. Let’s get a move on.”

The man beside her rolled his eyes, “No showmanship. We decided as a group that you, the Creators, should be aware of your potential rewards. Exceed your current standing and find those rewards all the more significant. Exceed your limits, and you may gain an invitation to the most powerful factions within the multiverse. Good luck, and may you survive the final battle.”

Walker’s vision started to darken as he began to feel himself being translocated. But not before he caught the shit-eating smile still sitting on the stitched man’s face.

Chapter 155: The Liberated Ones (I)

While Walker received his rewards, including twenty-four identify abilities, twenty-four monitors, and twenty-four other abilities he already had, the Multiverse moved ever onward. 

Even though the Creator of Symphony was now richer in resources than he’d ever been before, the rest of those not so blessed were forced to struggle day by day. Food. Water. Basic shelter and jobs. Even the right to breathe clean air was decided by a mixture of birth, name, and location. The Evolver-verse was not the most comfortable or giving of places. The greater the wealth for those in lofty positions, the less it was spread to those struggling to eke out their next meal.

But from the darker corners of the multiverse, a flickering candle had been lit. It had started in an arena led by an unlikely source of rebellion. A man with everything and nothing to lose. A Creator who, unknown to the lower echelons, was a powerhouse in the newest rendition. 

A contradiction of being who craved power if only to give much of it away. 

What had started as whispers and chatrooms written in the dark was now something else entirely. The Liberated Ones had begun humbly with several thousand members to the trillions in existence. Those several thousand had spread to other planets, who then spread to more, and more, the beast being fed by anonymity and a friend of a friend. Until, now, though still acting with shadowy power, they had a member on most planets in the multiverse. Though it had only been days, the need for release from the Evolvers was incessant. A parasite crawling behind the eyes. A dared upon dream called equality of opportunity. 

The power of the one was rising. 

And it had reached Luck’s Haven. 

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Walker came back to Sonata with a bug up his ass. It was not a literal bug, some creepy crawly trying to find a warm place, just a supreme annoyance at how the rewards from the fourth battle had worked out. 

He didn’t want all of those Creators wandering around Sonata. He didn’t want half of the new abilities he’d received, some being so overtly violent that he shuddered even to use them, let alone finish reading their descriptions. He just…didn’t want additional baggage, but he’d gotten them anyway. He’d voted for the everything bet because resources were resources, but that didn’t mean he had to like what came with them.

Besides, his vote wasn’t for him, but for Symphony. It was all and always for Symphony.

The time he’d spent locked up in the darkness with his reward screens was long. Very long. As if the council hadn’t wanted to let him go. But they had, and time moved on at a pace. Walker just needed to accelerate his ideas to keep up.

Time remaining until the next battle: 25 hours.

As he’d left, so he returned. Walker stretched his back, sitting upright from the lotus position he’d departed from, a migraine pulsing him into oblivion as Athena quickly moved from the wall and came to his side. 

“How did it go?” She asked with a worried expression and a soft, reassuring hand on his arm.

“We won,” Walker replied with a crooked smile as Virgil spoke up. 

“What is all of this?”

“They bet everything again.” He said with a tone of finality.

“Walker…”

“I know Virgil.”

“Walker…do you see how many planets we now have to-”

“I know! I did the math. Ninety-four new planets, seven of them gargantuan. Have you looked into what our options are for them?”

“Uh-huh,” Virgil replied with an oddly breathless voice, “I was looking into it due to our acquisition of Mirail’s worlds. There are several options.”

“Such as?”

The Supreme Assistant cleared his throat, “Ahem. You can continue to collect your taxes for perpetuity, allowing the citizens to continue life as is. What you would call the hands-off approach.”

Kind of, but not really, doing that with Luck’s Haven already.

“What else?”

“You can sell the planets through a specific marketplace. It has a dark history, and, knowing you, it would not be an action I suggest unless we run out of all other options. You can also absorb uninhabited planets for resources, like we had planned for a few of Mirails.”

Walker accepted a hug from his fiancee and a whispered welcome back as he said, “I had a meeting with one of the Council Members during the fourth battle.”

“Really?” Virgil replied, pausing long enough to look away from his screens. “What was said?”

Walker quickly recapped the fourth battle from the beginning to the end as Athena and Virgil quietly listened. Selecting the Symponians who would participate, the bets, his odd conversation with the stitched man, the win, and what was said by the Council at the end, including his forthcoming titles.

Virgil hummed when he finished, “You now hold thirty titles, Walker. That already places you as a High Lord within the Evolver faction.”

“No kidding,” Walker sighed, not wanting to think about it. 

“So,” Athena said as she leaned back on her heels, the lack of her warmth leaving a chill in Walker’s body, “This means you can’t simply bring over all of the people who want a second chance, at least, not without riling up the council.”

Virgil shook his head, “According to what he has just told me, he cannot.”

Walker’s body went still, “But what if we could?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t mean to Symphony, but to another place. One I know well enough to get them there and, immediately after the final battle, bring them here.” 

“You cannot mean the Earth,” Virgil said in a heated voice. “They are in the midst of the Omega Protocol. We do not even know how many of your people have survived.” 

“While that’s true, it would only be for a few hours. There’s very little time left until we all have to fight for our lives.”

“Against an impossible scenario,” Athena commented. 

Walker looked over at her as he spoke in a firm voice, “Yeah, but do you plan on losing?”

She shook her head, “I do not.”

“And you?” Walker said as he looked at his oldest Assistant.

“Of course not. But Walker, the Earth is in a precarious position. If we lose, not only will you be damned to a destroyed Earth, but you will also be damning all of the people you bring with you from this planet. While the treatment of these people is unduly harsh, they are, at the least, still alive. You cannot guarantee that should they be brought to your previous homeworld.”

“How many applications are you going to approve?” He asked, curious about what the numbers came out to be. 

“The application team and I are prepared to approve a little less than eight percent of those who accepted the offer.”

“Which is how many?”

“Eighteen million.” 

“What?” Walker said with a gasp, “That’s way more than the people we have on Symphony. By a factor of,” He started to do some mental math when Virgil did it for him. 

“Ninety times greater, yes. However, each person’s psychological analysis showed an extreme need to leave the planet and start somewhere new. Each also demonstrated an ability to adapt based on how they answered the questions, and they are prepared to take the next step, regardless of where that may land them. These are an oppressed people, Walker. One who has been trapped in misery and monotony for all of their lives. There is no upward ceiling to break for them, only a stone wall built on tradition, rules, and money.”

“Well said,” Walker replied with a nod, still trying to think of how he would do all of this.

“Thank you.” Virgil gave a rare smile, “I have a lifetime of your speeches in my mind. It is helpful to bring them out every so often.”

Athena waved off their bromantic moment, “We can’t leave them there.”

“No,” Walker said, making a hard decision, “No, we can’t. Were there any other options with the planets?”

“Yes, one. You can gift the planet to the populace. It has not been done often, with only a few records I can recall of it occurring, but it is something within your rights. That is not to say that the planet would always be protected from an Evolver lord coming forth to claim it, but there would be a delay between their freedom and eventual capitulation.”

Walker’s mind traveled over his plans, connecting the dots of what the fifth councilmember had said, his expectations of the final battle, and his current placement amongst all the Creators of their rendition. There was still so very much to do. 

“What are you thinking right now?” Athena with a canted head. 

“That there isn’t much time.”

She gave him a sad smile, “There will never be enough time, Walker. That is the burden of rulership. As one fire goes out, another rises in a new location. You need to prioritize what matters most to you.”

“I concur,” Virgil replied. 

Walker got a similar feeling from the Book of Souls. He asked for a moment, then closed his eyes and thought about what he wanted to focus on. This was the final battle with the final timer to go along with it. If…no, when he won, impossible scenario or not, he would have to face down the Alpha Protocol Council and make a decision. Join them, or return to Symphony. 

Pssch. As if he would ever join that group of malcontents. 

But it required further thought. Anything he did now, as the seconds counted down, would be the end of the Alpha Protocol one way or another. All the decades he’d now lived through would come to a head soon. All the pain, the anxiety, the fear. It was all the marbles in a bag.

He was in no way the same angry, depressed man he’d been at the start of things. He’d changed. Evolved. Become something else entirely. Someone he felt his father would respect and be proud to call his son. 

A wise man once wrote, with great power comes great responsibility. But Walker preferred to think of it as, with great power comes difficult choices. He wasn’t a monster or a lord, no matter the titles they bestowed on him. Nor was he a god. He was Walker Reed.  

Thinking back to his alternatives, he considered everything again. He could slow time around Symphony, perhaps gain another year or two. Somehow, however, he knew they wouldn’t let him. Symphony had already gained all the extra time they were going to allow. Or perhaps only Sonata had.

The feeling from his soul was that he couldn’t simply ignore the lottery, not that he would want to anyway. Even if his oath would let it go, those people needed an escape, and he could provide one.

There were many systems still needing activation, not the least of which was the Soul system he’d built some relative time ago in the Ulysses-verse.

And all the abilities he’d absorbed. 

And the loose Creators running around his moon at the moment. 

The Egyptian tasks were still unfulfilled. 

Whatever Primigenials might come out of the Tree of the Gods next…

His new planets…

Spaceships…

Walker shook his head. Too much to do…delegation is what I need. 

He opened his eyes and immediately went to work. The first step he took was to gather all of the failing Creators' assistants. After a brief discussion with them, getting an idea of what kind of people they once served, he branded each, removing the protocol’s hold on them and making them one with Symphony. He didn’t need them reporting back on his every movement.     

The second step he took was to gather every assistant in the Tower for a final rundown meeting. They looked to him as Symphony’s Creator. But he was just one man with too many tasks to fulfill. Standing still, hands on his hips, he smiled at a few waves directed his way. There were as many assistants in the mix as there were varied heights, colors, and jobs. Some managed systems, others managed their fellow assistants, and the eclectic few adopted as battle spoils were unassigned. But they wouldn’t be for long.

“From the beginning, The Alpha Protocol labeled me as a Creator. But what does that mean? The definition of creation is the act of bringing something into existence. But isn’t that what you all have done with the systems? Is that what you continuously do?” He paused to let that settle, then said, “In my mind, we are all Creators. As such, I no longer wish to be called that word. If I am a Creator, and you are a Creator, then using it as a title makes no sense. We’re all, all of us, Creators. For now on, please only call me Walker.”

Saying so, he waved a hand, a screen appearing beside him, “The following are your assignments for the next twenty-four hours, all the time we have left before the final battle. Because of the amount of work I’ll have you doing, many of you will gain access to systems you didn’t have before. That will come with upgrades and information. Please use it wisely. For those of you worried you won’t have enough time with me to get the work done-”

He stopped himself as two dozen versions of himself appeared, “Please speak to any of my reflections, and I’m certain they will inform you of my wishes. This is the end of the Alpha Protocol, my friends. Let's use our time well. Thank you.”

As they left to their jobs, Walker called over Virgil, Athena, Rimi, Cagna, and Neus. 

Athena gave him a look, “you’re leaving again?”

Walker nodded, “But it’ll only seem like a short time for you. There are…things I need to test out, and things we’ll still need before the final battle. Virgil, I’m going to create a system that absorbs the System Linker ability. If I do it correctly, it will allow you to choose which systems to sacrifice abilities to. Should help us in the last battle.”

Virgil tried not to show his excitement, “I understand.”

“I also want you to absorb every single unoccupied planet we have, and for the occupied ones, activate the lottery system immediately.”

Virgil’s eyes grew large, “But Walker, that would mean-”

Walker interrupted him with a smile, “No, I’m not taking all of them on. The initial phase of the Lottery system has been modified. They don’t know it yet, but those we deem worthy are about to be rewarded with their own planets. For Luck’s Haven, I have no choice but to take them on. For everyone else, the least I can do is shift the balance of power from the haves to the deserves.”

As Virgil absorbed that, he turned to his first three subsystem assistants, “Now. You are my most knowledgeable assistants after Virgil. While your assistants are working on their tasks, I need you three to do something else. Rimi, I want the Lore system up and running immediately.”

“Really?”

“Really really,” Walker said with a nod, “If there’s anything in there that may help our people with what I’m about to do, they’ll need it.”

Virgil blinked, “What are you about to-”

“Okay!”

Walker smiled, then it shifted to a frown as he turned to Cagna, “I’m sorry, but since Milestones are going to take a backseat for some time, I’ll need you to manage the Creators we now have here. I’m planning on releasing them from their contracts, but I can’t do that until the moment the Alpha Protocol ends. It’s too dangerous to let them wander.”

“Can I take some of the new assistants with me?”

“Absolutely. Also, one of those Creators is like Mirail; I’ll need you to get him to start donating crystal like his fellow Cerulean.”

“Got it,” The pink squirrel said with a nod. 

Lastly, Walker turned to Neus, “Territories are going to be slow going as they’re designed to build up over long periods of time. Because of this, I was hoping you would be interested in helping to construct some spaceships with our new Cerulean friends.”

“Yay!” The green squirrel said with a leap, “Does this mean I’ll get a new system to play with?”

Walker shook his head, “Not for this. But I’ll try to find something else fun for you to do.”

Athena stepped forward, “What about me?”

Walker sent off each assistant before turning to the goddess of wisdom and his betrothed, “Walk with me.”

Together, they began the long climb to the unique portal at the top of the tower. As the doors opened, revealing the permanent portal within, Walker looked at his fiancee, “I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to have our ceremony yet.”

She shrugged with a smile, “It’s enough to just be together, to be near one another. Getting married always seemed to me like a formality in love. Nice to have, but not necessary.”

The portal turned on as she looked at him with a big grin. She didn’t receive one in turn, causing her smile to tilt as he said, “That’s what makes this all the worse.”

“Wha-”

Walker shoved her through the portal. On the other side, a burst of gold came through as the woman stood quickly, looking back at him with a betrayed expression. Walker stilled his face as he said, “I can’t lose you. I’m sorry.” 

He shut the portal off before locking it, then walked away with his eyes on the steps to come.