The heavens
-World unexplainable
-Contents
-Prologue
-Chapter 1: Lab
-Chapter 2: Portals
-Chapter 3: Breakdown
-Chapter 4: The others
-Chapter 5: Escape
-Chapter 6: Virtual
-Chapter 7: Internal fight
-Chapter 8: Code
-Chapter 9: Twist
-Chapter 10: Time effect
-Chapter 11: Last but not Least
_____________________________________________________________________________
"Prologue
2511 ACE/July 28th
Dear Joseph,
It was quite unexpected that you are willing to inquire about my wellbeing.
Well, I am doing fine- even though I don't fully appreciate the secretive plot which the government is planning.
Speaking of the government, they are driving me up the wall. For example, today they told me to stay at Lab 3, but about half an hour later they asked me why I wasn't in Lab 5. Pretty annoying, huh?
Certainly, I am not just sending you this telegram to ask how you've been doing. (I can hear your sigh all the way here.)
The environmental situation is getting worse; the government doesn't seem to care much. You know them. They used to be the first to panic if there were any signs of another climate change. Maybe you would know the situation better as you worked with them.
However, the indifferent attitude of the government toward the environment is not the only strange thing. On top of that, my fellow researcher vanished last week without any reason, and the government is silent. (And I had no idea what he was researching. He kept his research a TOP secret and reacted nervously every time I questioned him. It was as if his life depended on it.
Plus, the institution is getting more and more exclusive because they rarely visit the Laboratory. (MSI, I mean) And on many occasions, they held meetings inside somewhere very secure, and not in the open like they used to.
You might say: Is this the reason for this telegram? Finally, a month later, you answered my telegraph. However, all you did was threaten me without a reason.
Mostly, I will say no. But this time, I am quite positive about that question. Yet this is not for threatening, but a warning.
P.S: I don't know what exactly they are planning but believe me, it certainly is not something heroic.
Sincerly, Jate Augustein Hamiliton.
Jate gently pressed the 'send private' button. It was just a simple message he was sent to his old friend, but he couldn't resist turning around and searching if anyone was spying on him every time he wrote a sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1: Lab
Kila pulled her jacket on. Even though it wasn't cold thanks to the heater surrounding the whole building, she always wore this when she had to go out. Kila tied her reddish-brown hair into a tight ponytail, and gently pulled her bare feet inside a pair of sneakers. The rough texture scratched her skin. She checked if her roommate was still asleep. She could only identify it by the sound. Now, all she heard was a gentle, regular sound of breathing. Kila sighed. She half-hoped she was awake. Then Kila quickly opened the front door.
The hallway was chilly. It wasn't from the temperature but its emptiness. No one was outside. Only a low, whirring sound was coming out irregularly. Kila shivered, then turned her UV flashlight on. Even though it was too bright in this darkness, nothing was frightening her more than the dark. Kila zipped her jacket as if she was wearing armor before she went on a battle. Kila walked across the corridor. Some cleaning bots waved at her, but it was just a part of the program. Kila took a deep breath as she went into the computer room. She hesitated. This job was for Pluto, not for her. But anyway, it was her turn.
"Aw!" Kila quickly turned her light to the side. It was Albus, her crewmate. "I told you not to carry that light. It's too bright it will blind someone one day." Albus frowned, but he wasn't furious or anything. "Then you should purchase a goggle yourself." Kila snapped, but she was glad to meet someone else. Albus and Kila are appointed in the 'night-guard job for today. Although the main supercomputer controls all the machines and A. I inside the building, there should be someone keeping an eye on them according to Dr.Hamiliton. This made Kila weary. What is the use of it after all?
Kila quietly focused on the frame screen. The computer was sending a signal on the laptop, which showed the path and actions the bots were taking. Albus stretched and yawned. "I think Dr. Hamiliton has seen too many movies. Robots can't get their own minds. They are just machines." "Agreed" Kila answered dryly.
Kila saw a glimpse of a light signal on the edge of the screen. She of course didn't pay much attention. It was from the activator; a system that was installed to receive the results of the experiments conducted in the Main Lab. Main Lab, commonly known as MSI(Major science institutions) is a vital part of the science industry. They preserve numerous records about notable experiments and ancient science journals. Kila also heard that experiments taking place inside the main Lab are so important, that only the minority of the people who are associated with the experiment are granted to know about the elaborated information regarding the results. Due to this, only one person in this Lab can open the activator; Dr. Jate Hamiliton. MSI was always something mysterious to every student since there weren't many people who directly visited the MSI building.
There are three more affiliated institutions in the industry despite the Main Lab. Firstly, it's the biology Lab(BNI). They are the most important part of the industry because their major job is to study the natural environment on earth. Since the main issue among the public is usually about climate change, the biology Lab is the one that often gains a lot of attention from the crowd. Next is the physics Lab(PHI). Most times, the physics Lab creates the hardware of the computer or artificial intelligence(A.I.). This is why there are a lot of robots roaming around the building. Lastly, there is the chemistry Lab(CAI). They research the change of matter properties and also takes some role in medical treatment. They manufacture a new chemical that will be used for beauty or medicine. However, in fact, this part of the industry is often considered to be unnecessary. And to be honest, Kila partly agreed with that statement. Indeed, she didn't feel much impact on the chemistry Lab.
Kila blinked. It was very tiring to be staying up while everyone else(despite Albus) were asleep. Albus was dozing off on the portable sofa nearby. Kila flashed an irritated glance at him. Although the 'night guard' job was pretty simple and rather considered not to be important, they were still responsible for this mission. Albus always told Kila not to forget that she is also a human. (Although Kila never got the real meaning of that word) Kila gave a weak blow on Albus's forehead. Albus flinched, but he didn't respond nor woke up. '4:00'
"Good morning." Dr. Hamiliton said as he stepped into the Computer Lab. Kila let out a sigh of relief because Albus woke up nearly an hour before the appearance of Dr. Hamiliton. "Hello." Kila smiled briefly and walked out, leaving Albus alone. Albus followed Kila right after.
Kila set on the bench. She took a few bites on the sandwich she purchased inside the cafeteria. "Is it enough for that piece of bread for you?" Albus sat next to Kila, holding a can of diet coke. "You going on a diet?" Kila asked, her gaze focused on the ground. "Not really." Albus glanced at the logo of the can. Letter 'Ivy' was written in shimmering silver. "Sarah gave it to me. By the way, how did you know...?" "I saw it on the commercial. It contains about 40g of sugar." Albus shot a skeptical look at Kila. "Well, it's up to you to believe." Kila finished and bit a mouthful of the sandwich. "I don't care," Albus added, but he left the can unopened.
"Hey, didn't you hear the news?" After a few moments of silence, Albus asked. "Yes." Kila pulled her gaze up to Albus. "Well, that was unexpected. MSI is about to present its new VR technology." "VR?" Kila muttered. She thought the topic was intriguing, but she was unsure what the MSI was planning for. "Wait, maybe I have a video about it-" Albus turned his screen on. But even before he could click a single button, ads filled the screen. It was about 'Ivy', a famous beverage company. Kila had heard that the 'Ivy' is related to the MSI and they often donate a large sum of money to the institution.
Kila rubbed her eyes as she glanced at the clock. It was a quarter before 1. She was finishing the conclusion of her Essay about software. Kila took the digital goggle off after a few minutes of reviewing the documents she had downloaded while the research. This goggle was only suited for showing the data which were already downloaded; which meant that it was impossible to do internet with it. Kila stood up, then noticed a notification sign on her watch. She was kind of shocked when the message was sent by Dr. Hamiliton. "Ms. Turnen, if you see this, would you mind coming into the Edgelock meeting?" Kila immediately opened her screen. Edgelock meeting was the official meeting program made by MSI. No one can record the meeting nor intentionally hack it.
"Good evening, Ms.Turnen." Dr.Hamiliton turned up on the screen. He looked very, very careful. "What's the matter, doctor?" Kila asked, nervously. "I know this can be very unexpected, but I am asking you this personally." Kila nodded dryly at the introduction. "I would like you, to visit the MSI next week." "Sorry?" Kila suspected her ears for a second. "It's not much. Look, I don't feel well about requesting this kind of favor to a student, but this is kind of an emergency. I had to go to the building myself to test the simulation about the new project. But... yesterday, a university in France has sent out a result about space travel software and it wasn't quite like the prior calculations. You know, this kind of case is very important especially when it comes to space... This means I cannot attend the MSI simulation project." Kila understood what he said. But she still didn't get some parts. "But why me? I mean, there are plenty of people." "That's true, but due to the final exam, all of the graduation crews are busy just for their own works. And of course, I cannot send 1st graders. Plus, you are the only person who has the mentality rate over 'Delta' among this building." Kila was confused. Why was the mentality rate have to do with all these? Mentality rate was the essential test in which all the researchers have to take once a year. The highest level is Omega, and below there are Delta, Gamma, Beta, Alpha. But in fact, very few people are at Omega level, and so is Delta. "I can't tell, but only people with their mentality rates over 'Delta' can participate in the program." Kila saw Dr. Hamiliton constantly tapping on his desk with his thumb. This only happened when Dr. Hamiliton was in his 'worst' mood. "Um... so, when, precisely?" Kila asked as politely as possible. "Next Friday, at 9 am. The address is on the message file I just sent." Kila noticed another sign of notification on the side of the screen. Kila had to understand, that this case was something inevitable. And she also admitted that second-graders are the most stable and relaxed people in the whole PNI. "Wait... then I am going by myself?" Kila asked, desperate for any sign of companions. "You will go to MSI alone."
Kila nodded.
Kila lay still on her bed. MSI was covered with mystery and secrets, as it always was, and it always had to. Kila placed her smartwatch on the drawer and connected it to the charger. She then remembered hearing propaganda about the analog clock inside the building. The reason that she defined it as misinformation was that these days, no one uses an analog clock. In fact, the analog clock was disappeared a century ago.
Kila woke up when she heard a loud beep coming from somewhere near the restroom. She frowned when the alarm from the room next door was accidentally set up this early. Kila fell back on her bed and pulled the blanket all the way up to her forehead. She tried her best to find the right position, although it ended up as a failure. Eventually, Kila gave up and struggled out. She checked the instructions Dr.Hamiliton had sent to her yesterday. "To guests." Head letter showed brightly on top of the screen. The list itself was very formal. But while Kila read each of the lines, she found something weird. At the very end of the screen, there was a vivid red sentence, saying- "Make sure to bring your watch." Kila frowned. What was this talking about? Watch? She was sure that there would be at least one somewhere inside the building. But anyway, Kila shook her head and closed her tablet. Although she didn't really trust the instruction, Kila did fasten her smartwatch around her wrist.
Kila stabbed the straw into the cotton of juice. The letter on it glinted by the faint morning light. Then she realized that she had received a message by the vibration of the mirror she was staring at. She quickly changed it into the auto-screen mode. She sighed when she saw the one who texted her this early. It was Albus. "Sorry, that call was a mistake." A brief sentence popped up. The message was sent nearly 4 hours ago. It was good that the call came while Kila was asleep so that she didn't have to answer. Kila disliked answering or calling directly to somebody. While Kila was trying her best to organize these useless thoughts still buzzing in her mind, she accidentally dropped her cotton. Drops of liquid spread all over the floor. Kila bent down and picked the cotton up. Robot busily cleaned the floor. Kila glanced down at the robot then walked away.
Kila stepped into the subway. She constantly glanced at the watch fastened tightly around her wrist. 7:50:38. Kila sighed as she sat down on the 'opened' line. She felt the faint vibration of the engine as the subway started to slide. The woman next to Kila dropped her pearl necklace and her bracelet. Kila managed to the caught sight of one part of the pearl, moving back and forth around the floor. Then it suddenly vanished. As the woman fastened her golden- bracelet tightly to her wrist again, Kila saw the glowing initial- T. "Tomas? Tomson?" Kila guessed the full word of the initial for a second, then focused on the GPS screen next to her seat.
Kila stepped into the large hall. A robot- sightly shorter than Kila herself- slide toward her and halted in front of Kila. It offered Kila to show her smartwatch. Kila leaned her watch forward. Blue light streamed out from the eye of a robot, scanning the watch screen for a second- then a smiling face appeared on the screen of the robot. "Acess granted." It said then slid away to another person. "So this is the reason why the watch was so important?" Kila thought. But she couldn't get rid of the feeling that this wasn't the end of it. Since the instruction emphasized bringing the 'watch', not other devices which would be perfectly fine to check the identity of the individual. However, these thoughts were completely forgotten when she saw the overall view of the entrance. It looked so different from the Labs Kila had ever seen. It wasn't covered with gray wallpapers nor dusty marble tiles, but the overall interior of the lobby was well designed with beautiful patterns that almost reminded Kila of a luxury hotel with high-tech equipment. The ceiling was 10 times higher than the entrance of the PNI building. Cream-colored tiles decorated the floor, which shined by the reflection of light. Kila could see the letter 'L' next to the front desk.
"5th floor," Kila whispered to the android speaker. Although Dr. Hamiliton told her that he had already reported the change of the plans to the MSI project team, She couldn't help feeling nervous.
As Kila arrived on the floor, she was surprised that the floor was so quiet. Silence crept over her as she walked deeper inside. Two guard robots scanned Kila in front of the entrance. The security system was more than she had imagined. She went through a room with cameras analyzing and comparing her with the original data from PNI. Kila was astonished that she was very, very relieved when she saw the word 'granted' on the monitor. "Project I.T.L., Lab #5" Was written next to it.
Kila stepped into the Lab. It was larger than she thought, and it was also empty than she thought. A man, wearing casual jeans and a sweatshirt motionlessly stood in front of the screen filled with numbers and complicated formulas. He was tall and had a proportionate body shape. His overall look was somewhat different from what Kila had expected. He didn't seem to be a doctor nor a professor. in fact, he even looked similar to a tourist Kila saw on her way to the MSI building. Kila looked around to see If there were any other people, but the Lab was empty. "Excuse me?" Kila called out, tired of waiting. The man turned around. Kila automatically dropped her gaze to the ground. "You must be Ms. Turnen, right? Dr. Hamiliton told us that you would be replacing him for the simulation. And don't worry; it is nothing serious." Kila looked up. The man didn't look that extraordinary as Kila thought. He had a brown mustache neatly shaved, with dark eyes keenly observing Kila. There was a red lanyard that hung around his neck. It was written "Teo Amsterdan". Amsterdam gestured to Kila to follow him. He walked through the glass door with swift-natural steps. The door automatically opened. Kila realized that he was wearing air- sneakers that absorbed the sound. On the desk nearby was a soda- with the letter 'Ivy' once again printed on the cover of the can in gleaming silver.
'Tick, Tick'
"What..." Kila muttered to herself as she entered the door. Unlike the first impression of Lab 5 which was pretty small and simple than she thought, behind the door was like another building. The ceiling, which would be the highest Kila had ever seen, was made of stained glass, shining with gold, green, purple, and blue. Kila recognized some of the images carved on the glass. It was an ancient religious symbol based on Christian myth which Kila had once seen while she went through historical documents. She slightly frowned due to the sunlight filling the overall space. Right under it, a few drones were flying back and forth through the air. Each of them carried a database- though it wasn't the kind of ones Kila saw back at the PNI. This one was smaller, yet it looked much more fragile. In front of Kila, there were a lot of rooms, each of them had a fingerprint sensor, and doors were made of thick metals which made it impossible for anyone to intrude. On the center of the hall, there was a single screen, filled with more codes and numbers. Kila held her breath and gripped her tablet tightly as she went past it. According to her observation, the screen can contain a thousand times more than the ones back at the other institutions. In fact, it wasn't quite surprising because, to handle millions of new data updated per day, the material which takes a major role to send and control those data would surely need a lot of storage space. She habitually dropped her gaze. The pattern of the floor matt was similar to the ones she had seen in the lobby. Part of it was wet, and an 'Ivy' can roll around the floor. Kila swiftly walked over the mess as she followed Amsterdam.
The overall view of the room was different than Kila had imagined. Since the MSI never had any presentation about new results, Kila was sure that there would be cameras everywhere. However, as she entered the hall, It was totally the opposite. A plain concrete wall guarded the room. Although it was very, very exclusive, the room itself was huge. On the center stood a colossal container made of invisible glass. Inside the container was two chairs. It looked rather normal to Kila. It was a plain- wooden one with an MSI symbol carved on its back. Amsterdan stopped and turned to Kila. "first, I think I should inform you of simple steps. After my signal, you will go into the glass container over there and sit on one of the chairs. Then the helmet will emerge in front of you. Put it on. And enter the word, 'checkpoint, 092225." Kila nodded. She muttered the code over and over again, then one question struck her head. "Wait, then there are no motion sensors? How will I be able to enter the words?" "You'll see." Amsterdan meaningfully answered.
As the digital watch reached 12 pm, a few more people came in. They were wearing uniforms of the MSI, which were covered with glinting silver fabrics. Kila nervously waited on the spot Amsterdan has marked. They seemed to be talking to one another, but since it was too far away, Kila could only identify the faint sound of the verbal conversation.
"Now." Amsterdan gestured. Kila walked at a repetitive pace toward the container. One of the researchers fixed her gaze to the monitor inside the generating area(as Kila guessed).
Kila entered the container. She entered the passcode. She was surprised that it perfectly sensed her motions without any sensors. "Technology" Kila thought.
The background suddenly turned white. Kila looked around. As she tried to touch the wall, a red sign appeared- "Do not interact". Kila walked far from the wall and sat down on the chair. A hologram formed in front of her, resembling the shape of the helmet. As Kila gently reached it, it dropped on her knees. It looked similar to the armor helmet which was used in the battle loyal game a century ago. Kila placed the helmet on. The faint sound of the machine vibration made her dizzy. It felt like she was in a subconscious state. Then, all of a sudden, the solid floor she was stepping on, disappeared.
She was floating. Thousands of spectrums and light shimmered past her. It was like- she was in outer space. The background was still white. And it grew brighter and brighter. Soon, it was nothing more than a flash. Although Kila was watching all of those scenes, she was unable to percept if she actually existed in the space. She was just watching it, from far away, drifting closer every second. Her senses faded, but the ability was still there. Like the ear without pinna. "If there was a term of 'time' in this world, it would be nothing more than a waste." Kila thought. Everything was way too fast, but way too slow. She was in the world of paradox.
And in the world of paradox, everything can happen... even if it is something erroneous. Even the things that will shatter one's imagination. Where every single prediction fades, space without possibility.
Soon, the light vanished in one moment. It was like someone had grabbed the whole thing and forced them inside the box. Darkness continued. "Something's wrong." Kila thought, desperately wishing that her guess was incorrect. She looked around. It was space. A REAL space. Not like the ones which faded like a dream. She was standing still as a rock.
(Outside the Lab)
The alarm rang the whole building. Amsterdan bit his lips anxiously. "What's going on?" His co-researcher asked. Amsterdan looked at the young fellow. He had bright green eyes filled with curiosity. Amsterdan blinked, thinking the right way to explain this whole situation- and it had to be quick. "Contradiction" He finally found the right word. Then Amsterdan asked the young man to step aside for him. He had no more to say- nor hear.
"Contradiction" Amsterdan repeated the vocabulary to himself on his way. That was the vital part of the project- and he knew just too well that anything can happen at this point. 'Contradiction' is a dangerous thing. Especially when it comes to time, where a single twist can change everything. "It can't be..." Amsterdan muttered. Everything was perfect. No other formulas they didn't count nor probabilities left behind. However, he bitterly accepted that nothing can be 100% sure. Amsterdan thought of the best-case scenario that maybe he could fix this problem. It might be a small error anyway. Conversely, the worst-case scenarios... in fact, it was impossible to make one conclusion for that. History might change. The whole dimension can be changed. Or...
There might be nothing.
Kila blinked. It took some time for her to percept that she was back on her steps and could move physically. Although it seemed quiet, the full speculation was far different from the prior explanation. It was dark. It was cold. The chill wind breezed through her. Kila took a step ahead.
'Tap'. The sound echoed the space as Kila paused. The vibration spread all around the ground. It was like she was walking on top of an invisible jell. "Wasn't this a simulation?" Kila thought. Everything was way too- real. Then, blinding light shined behind her. Kila turned around.
She held her breath. There were exactly three circular figures in front of her. Each of them let out light so bright. Kila then noticed that she wasn't standing on a jell.
In fact, she wasn't standing on anything. Total emptiness infinitely continued below her. Kila looked up. Again, it was the same. Suddenly the portal started to expand as it combined into one. Soon, it gulped the whole space, including Kila. It felt like she was getting sucked up in the vacuum cleaner.
(Outside the Lab)
Amsterdan shook his head. Everything was out of control. "We lost track of her." Dr. Jaden said. "Then, you mean that she vanished? Forever?" Amsterdan asked. "I'm afraid... yes.." Dr. Jaden hesitantly replied. "I mean... if she is dead, then it is actually a fortune. Nothing would be changed." "What? Think about the results if this thing goes on the authorities!" Dr. Ilzabeth argued.
Chapter 2: Shadows
"MSI accident" "The tragic accidental simulation"
Albus tossed the screen onto the table. He was sick of all this. It has been a month since Kila disappeared. Of course, the project was canceled. Dr. Hamiliton escaped to Italy, away from people's disgusted evaluation towards him. "Where would Kila be?"Albus asked himself. Surely, the MSI experiment was risky. And yet they are still struggling to find out the reason for the accident.
Kila opened her eyes.
She was standing in the middle of- of- somewhere strange. It seemed like a Lab, but no... not the ones she had seen back in 2058. It was a lot smaller but had more things going on. Kila blinked. Then she heard a footstep. Faint but strong. One question still haunted Kila- Where am I?