ALL NOVEL Arc 1 - Chapter 1 - Alpha
A single incandescent light drifted through the infinite vastness of the void.
There were no other lights nearby, for the void was endless.
The light had not always been there, yet it had never come into existence either.
Alone, yet all-encompassing, it simply was in this endless space for eternity.
While the light existed, it didn't shine, for there was no darkness to contrast with it.
Whether it was truly a light at all was only for the void to know.
In this vast, infinite expanse of nothing, where nothing could ever happen, something did.
A disembodied, monotone voice spoke in a place without sound, without anyone to hear it, and without a voice.
[System initialization complete.]
[Strengthening Soul to prepare for transfer.]
The single incandescent light suddenly flared up, bright and golden, like a newly born star, before it transformed into a smaller, circular-shaped light.
The change took an immeasurable amount of time yet happened instantly, for no moments could pass inside the void.
[Soul transfer initiated.]
The circular-shaped light disappeared from the infinite vastness of the void, for it had never existed to begin with. The void was all there was, all that had ever been, with nothing existing, which could disturb its infinite vastness.
[Soul transfer complete.]
The voice of a disembodied, monotone speaker echoed, tearing Thea from her hazy state of mind. She didn't know where she was, as she found herself unable to move, see, or feel.
Before she could comprehend anything about her situation, the voice continued to speak.
[System]: “Welcome to the Allbright System, Participant Thea McKay.”
[Faction affiliation detected. Faction set to ‘United Human Federation’. Granting Faction-Trait to participant. Faction-Trait successfully granted.]
Inside of her mind, a blue box suddenly appeared.
[Faction-Trait (Unique - UHF): Soul Transfer.]
Description: Allows members of this Faction to transfer their Souls post-mortem into an empty, compatible shell, via the Allbright System. Each transfer increases the cost of subsequent transfers. Upon being unable to pay the cost, the Soul will be discarded.
[System]: “Your Soul has been returned from the Void. A suitable shell is in the process of being prepared, granting us the time to go over some important information, before you return to the world of the living.”
The matter-of-fact tone of the System voice explaining her circumstances left Thea disoriented, but there was nothing she could do, as she seemingly did not exist beyond her conscious mind. She didn't feel any emotions either, making the whole experience seem quite disconnected for her as a whole.
[System]: “You have successfully been initialised into the Allbright System, granting you full access to all of its features. As a direct result, however, restrictions have been placed upon your very being, in order to preserve fairness and integrity. These restrictions are as follows:
“You are not able to disclose any information about the Allbright System or its mechanics to anyone not initialised, until the completion of the Galactic Integration. You will physically be unable to do so from now on, as long as you reside inside of System-controlled space.
“You are not able to initialise anyone residing inside of a protected zone into the System.
“Your System Abilities and Attributes will be heavily limited inside of protected zones. Your System-Traits, such as your Faction-Trait, will function normally, however.”
Thea's mind was reeling from the barrage of information that this 'System' was bombarding her with. One thing became abundantly clear to her, though: The reason James and Sergeant Selene had been so adamant about being unable to disclose any information!
They had known about the 'System' all along! They were a part of it!
[Scan completed. Shell Blueprint creation initialised. Attributes transferred to participant's profile. Preliminary profile completed.]
Another blue box suddenly appeared in front of her mind's eye.
[Status & Attributes]:
Thea McKay - Level 4 - Contribution Points: 113 / 440 - Unspent Attribute Points: 16
HP: 0 / 100 - Stamina: 0 / 150 - Focus: 0 / 200 - ???: ??? - ???: ???
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - ???: ??? - ???: ???
Strength: 3 (+0%)
Finesse: 4 (+0%)
Vitality: 2 (+0%)
Recovery: 2 (+0%)
Stamina: 3 (+0%)
Focus: 4 (+0%)
Perception: 5 (+0%)
Resolve: 5 (+0%)
???: ??? (+0%)
???: ??? (+0%)
This time around, the box looked like something Thea recognized immediately.
It closely resembled a profile for a character in one of the arcade's games!
According to it, she had somehow reached Level 4 and gained 16 Attribute Points that had not been spent on anything yet. Assuming she started at level 0, that meant each level granted her exactly 4 points each.
With no idea what any of the Attributes did or what each number represented, however, Thea had no way to make any informed decisions on what to do with the unspent points.
She was curious about all the question marks in her profile, but figured that if the System hadn’t revealed them from the start, it was going to be a waste of time to try and figure out how to ask it for clarifications.
With nothing else to go on, she decided to simply bide her time and see if the System would continue its explanations.
She also noted that the lack of emotions from her current state of being made it exceptionally easy for her to accept all the information she received at face value. She was certain that if she was still inside of her body, with all the benefits and drawbacks it provided, she would have a much more intense reaction to what was currently happening to her.
[Generating starting ability for participant Thea McKay… Starting ability successfully generated. Ability granted to participant’s profile.]
As Thea awaited the appearance of another blue box, she was slightly taken aback when nothing happened. Wondering what was going on since the System had also stopped responding, she tried prodding the System with her mind. Elated at feeling something respond to her mental prodding, she nudged harder until the System’s voice returned.
[G…G…Generating starting a…a…ability for participant Thea McKay… S…S…Starting ability successfully generated. Ability t…t…transferred to participant’s profile.]
She was confused by the System’s sudden error, but had no way to investigate, as this time around, the System’s blue box successfully appeared in front of her mind’s eye once again, completely taking up her mental space for any further thought on the matter.
[Abilities]:
Active 1 / 5 - Passive 1 / 8 - Class: None - Specialisation: None
[Active (Silver) - Sensory Overdrive - Level 0]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of focus to drastically heighten their own Perception and mental capabilities for a short time.
Cost: 50 Focus - Factor: 500% - Effect Duration: 0.5 seconds
[Passive (Silver) - Meditation Focus - Level 0]
Description: Increases recovery speed of HP, Stamina and Focus by a certain factor, as long as the participant remains in a meditative stance. Drastically limits Perception for the duration of the meditative stance.
Factor: 500% - Perception Limit: 1%
Absorbing the information displayed in the box, she started feeling that she had somehow been sucked inside of one of the arcade’s games more and more.
Just what exactly was the Allbright System? How was it able to do all these things? Simply snatching somebody’s Soul from the void, generating and granting Abilities to people at a moment's notice?!
Even without her emotions, everything she had been told by the System so far seemed alien and utterly incompatible with the reality that Thea had lived in so far.
Despite that however, she knew, without a fraction of doubt, that what she was hearing and learning from the System right now was nothing but the unfiltered truth. She could not pinpoint the source of that certainty, but she definitely felt its existence.
With this new information, Thea's past experiences from the challenge two years ago suddenly made perfect sense.
All the marines easily outpacing her and having seemingly ridiculous levels of physical strength? Easy to explain with a high Strength Attribute.
Lieutenant Frost’s superhuman resilience, strength and speed? Easy to explain with a high combination of Strength, Finesse and Vitality Attributes.
The Stellar Republic’s inhuman ability to block her perfectly aimed sneak-attack? Likely some kind of active or passive ability that blocked incoming attacks with his shield.
It was easy for her to imagine that a seemingly omnipotent System such as the one in front of her right now, could create something as simple as an ability able to transcend the known laws of physics. Thea couldn't help but wonder about the limits of the System and its potential. But more importantly to her in that moment, was another question entirely:
What kind of abilities would it be able to grant Thea, if she fully immersed herself in it…?
If she had been in her real body, she would likely be giddy with excitement at the possibilities, but her currently muted existence had no such emotions. Nevertheless, her mind raced with ideas and possibilities, only to be abruptly brought back to attention by the monotone voice.
[Shell Blueprint creation completed. Attaching Shell Blueprint to participant’s profile. Initiating Shell creation according to Blueprint.]
[System]: “Your Soul will momentarily return to the world, housed within a newly created Shell, granting you full access to all System functions. This initial transfer is free of charge; however, please note that future uses of your Faction-Trait will incur escalating costs.
“Be advised that your new shell may feel significantly different from your previous one in certain aspects, due to the enhancements made by the Allbright System to your physical abilities. These enhancements correspond to the Attributes listed in your profile."
“Most likely, you will not experience this state of being again, as future transfers will occur without direct input from the Allbright System. To you, as a human, it will feel as if you are simply waking up from a deep sleep.
“The Allbright System thanks you for your participation and wishes you the best of luck in achieving optimal results moving forward.”
Thea was uncertain about what the System meant when it repeatedly mentioned 'participants' earlier and 'participation' just now. As the System seemed to have finished its introduction, Thea found herself alone with her thoughts, waiting for the 'Shell creation' to complete. It's not like she had any choice in the matter, really.
'I'm guessing that by "Shell" it means my body...? Is it actually creating a new body for me? I suppose it's not too far-fetched, considering it claimed to have retrieved my soul from the fucking void. Just what is this System, anyway? This whole situation seems absolutely insane on so many levels; I don't even know where to begin unravelling it...'
‘There is so much information that just got thrown at me… I wonder if the UHF will provide some kind of counselling, now that I’m finally able to be around people talking about the System? If not I’ll have to call up the old man and get my primer from him. Honestly can’t wait to learn what he has to say about all this. I can’t believe he kept this all hidden from me! Tho… I guess it wasn’t really his choice. System-blasted restrictions and all.’
‘Might even do some theory crafting myself… It’s like a real-life game, after all! If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s games! Never would have guessed that my experience in the arcade would come in handy in such a particular way. Always figured the simulators would end up being more helpful than RPGs, yet here we are…’
‘I can’t deny that I definitely want to check out all this System stuff, regardless of what it is. If I can truly become like Lieutenant Frost, then it honestly doesn’t really matter to me where it came from. Shrugging off bullets? Dodging lasers? Sign me the fuck up! … Well I guess I’m already a participant, so no sign ups necessary anymore, ha!’
‘… I really need this System to finish what it’s doing, I’m totally losing it.’
Much to Thea's relief, she heard the System's monotone voice speak up again shortly after, freeing her from her own introspective spiral.
[Shell creation completed. Shell condition nominal. Soul transfer initiated.]
She suddenly felt a tug at her mind, and an instant later, she abruptly found herself inside a body. The whole experience of transitioning from an ethereal-like soul to a mortal body was jarring, something Thea would likely never be able to properly put into words.
It was like compressing a horizon-spanning lightning bolt into a small bottle; yet once completed, it fit perfectly. The process was uncomfortable, but the end result felt right.
Well... not quite. For a brief moment, Thea felt utterly alien inside this body, as if she had accidentally been deposited inside someone else entirely. Everything felt off, just slightly enough to be disconcerting, but not significant enough to cause immediate concern.
[Soul Transfer complete. Soul link with Shell initiated... Soul successfully linked.]
Suddenly, the "off" feeling that Thea had experienced inside the new body vanished. The System had apparently adjusted her soul to her new body, or vice versa.
Regardless of the specifics, she was thrilled with the outcome, as she finally had the capability to feel emotions once more!
As the soul linking finished and she was able to open her eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Thea found herself inside a tight cylindrical pod.
She noted that, curiously enough, she was fully clothed in the standard UHF recruit uniform.
Another thing that immediately caught her attention was that she appeared to have grown taller by around 2cm. This discovery led to an even more pressing realisation: 'Wait... who can tell they grew by 2cm in an instant?'
Her ability to perceive even the smallest changes about her body had apparently increased dramatically. To further emphasise this assumption, she heard a constant noise in her ears, a combination of both a heartbeat and the rushing of compressed liquid.
'Is... is that my own heartbeat? And... my blood? Is that what that is? This is going to get annoying really fast, isn't it...?'
She tried addressing the System directly, hoping to get its attention, "System, please turn off the blood noise!"
She waited expectantly for a few seconds, then tried a few different commands, with escalating desperation apparent in her voice.
"System, please reduce the volume of blood."
"System, please disable blood noise."
"System, limit Perception to environment only."
"System, stop internal noise perception."
"SYSTEM, TURN OFF THE DAMN BLOOD NOISE!"
Unfortunately for her, none of the attempted commands seemed to have any effect on persuading the System to help her out. When she had initially seen the number 5 next to her Perception Attribute, she had been elated. Being perceptive had always been her best trait, in her own opinion.
Now, however, she couldn't help but feel like it was all a cruel joke.
The constant rushing of blood, coupled with the frequent, rhythmic beating of her heart, was already becoming a perpetual strain on her less-than-ideal psyche.
With no way to affect this for now, Thea decided to distract herself by exploring the rest of her new body's capabilities. She pressed a button on a datascreen inside the cylinder that read "Eject," and the cylinder opened with a quiet swoosh, releasing her from the confined space.
Thea found herself inside of a small, dimly lit room that appeared to be designed specifically for housing the rez-pod. The walls were a neutral grey, and the floor was covered in a slightly padded material, perhaps to cushion any potential falls upon exiting the pod.
In one corner of the room, there was a small workstation with a computer terminal, likely for monitoring the status of the pod and its occupant. The display emitted a soft, blue light that cast an eerie glow across the room.
Directly opposite the workstation was a tall, narrow cabinet that housed what appeared to be medical supplies and spare clothing. Thea figured this was probably for the convenience of individuals who had just awoken from their pods, ensuring they had everything they needed to get started in their new life.
Despite its functional appearance, the room had a sterile, almost clinical atmosphere. The air was cool and slightly damp, hinting at an advanced climate control system keeping the room at an optimal temperature for the rez-pod and its sensitive equipment.
As Thea took in her surroundings, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and curiosity at the technology that had facilitated her transformation. She knew that this small room was just the beginning, and she was eager to discover what lay beyond its confines. She also made a mental note to return to this room later on, to thoroughly study all the technology inside.
Thanks to her heightened Perception, she could easily tell that her heart was beating rapidly and that the rush of blood throughout her body had similarly accelerated, eager to push her forward, towards the new-tech equipment inside the room.
However, she was also mindful of her previous experiences with her enhanced senses and felt the need to proceed cautiously.
Worried about what her new body might be capable of, especially given her unfavourable experiences with her vastly improved Perception so far, Thea cautiously moved her arms and legs one at a time, getting a feel for her new Attribute-enhanced body.
She took her time, focusing on each movement, and trying to find the right balance between her newly acquired power and the control needed to manage it.
As Thea began moving around cautiously, she experienced a newfound strength in her limbs.
The power coursing through her was exhilarating, making her feel more alive than ever. This became evident when she effortlessly performed a high kick that audibly sliced through the air. The ease and fluidity of her movements took her by surprise, and she realised that her abilities went beyond her expectations.
Wanting to test her increased Finesse, which was rated a whole point higher than her strength, Thea experimented with complex hand gestures. She marvelled at the precision and control she now possessed, feeling a difference in every subtle movement—each more graceful and agile than ever before.
Thea continued exploring her new capabilities, attempting physical exercises that would have left her winded or struggling in the past. She easily completed complex sets of push-ups, pull-ups, and sprints without even breaking a sweat.
The realisation of her newfound potential was both empowering and intimidating. With this new body, she could achieve things she had never before dreamed possible.
Although she was still far from Lieutenant Frost's impressive physique, Thea felt she had a clear path ahead for the first time.
Before, she viewed the lieutenant as a lofty goal, akin to a girl dreaming of becoming a princess—something desired and dreamt of, but with no tangible way to achieve it.
Now, however, she sensed a very real path emerging from the foggy mist, one that, despite being challenging to follow, was still possible.
Brimming with giddy energy, Thea went on towards the final step of her tests - the active Ability - but immediately ran into an issue: The System had never given her any instructions on how to use the active abilities that it had granted.
Slightly irritated by the continued lack of concrete instructions from the System on how to actually use it to any degree, she decided to simply try out different things again, as she did not really have anyone to turn to and ask for advice at this moment.
The first thing she tried was to simply focus her attention on the name of the ability.
‘Sensory Overdrive.’
Much to her surprise, this time, it worked immediately.
Time seemed to slow down around her, giving her the sensation that everything was happening in slow motion. The colours and details of her surroundings became incredibly vivid, as if she was experiencing reality in ultra-high-definition.
She tried throwing a punch, but only saw her fist slowly move forward, as if she was submerged in an extremely viscous liquid. With a rough estimate, thanks to her previous thorough examination of her own capabilities, she assumed the perceived time dilation effect ratio to be somewhere around 1:5.
Her mental capabilities were boosted to an incredible degree as well, allowing her to process the obtained information at an astounding speed. During this brief period, she was able to take in and analyse her environment with incredible detail and accuracy, that she had never thought possible before.
The sudden and intense influx of sensory information was overwhelming at first, but it was immediately apparent to her that it would provide her with an extraordinary advantage in situations where split-second decisions and reactions were crucial.
The one main downside that Thea immediately recognized, much to her chagrin, was that every sound became distinct and clear, allowing her to pick up even the most subtle of noises.
Unfortunately for her, that meant mostly listening to her own internal body more so than anything else, as she suddenly became aware of the, usually, subtle noises that her individual organs, muscles, and joints made on a regular basis.
If she wanted to fully use Sensory Overdrive to its best effect in the future, she would have to figure out a way to filter out these annoying internal noises…!
As the effects of Sensory Overdrive wore off, she needed to take a moment to readjust to her normal sensory levels and process all the insights she gained during the brief, heightened state. After around five seconds, she had managed to readjust to her normal state.
'That was… something!', she thought with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. This was undoubtedly a very powerful ability in the right situation, but she was somewhat worried that the drop after the effect's duration ran out could lead to dangerous situations in the future.
Following that, she experimented with her new passive ability to recover her used-up Focus.
She entered her usual meditative stance, and it felt as if every sound she had previously perceived in such detail had suddenly disappeared. It was akin to stepping into a nearly soundless, lightless room, as her Perception was reduced to an absolute minimum by her Meditation Focus.
After about five minutes in this stance, Thea quickly checked her status and saw that she had successfully recovered ten Focus before leaving the stance. Satisfied with her tests, she couldn't help but wonder about the challenges that lay ahead and how her enhanced capabilities would impact her future.
For the moment, though, she revelled in the sensation of her improved form and access to her potent new ability. Determined to seize the opportunities it would undoubtedly offer, Thea was eager to embrace the path that lay ahead of her...