...........
Chapter 186: Pure Scientific Evil II
...........
Whatever adventure or research Dr. Manhattan was leading him into, Ian didn't know, but it would definitely not be a lovely ride. That's what he assumed at least.
"Where are we going?" Ian asked as he was teleported directly next to Dr. Manhattan, exactly one hour later. He acted calm and composed, keeping his emotions inside, and entering a scientist mode of sorts.
He had done so before, rarely but it happened. Even in his previous world, he had to do some heinous stuff to understand himself.
He especially delved into biology to study his blood and see whether it has any connection to his Death immunity.
So he accepted things as they are, and prepared for a scientific vacation.
"I have many test grounds in mind. We can go through them one by one." Dr. Manhattan spoke as he waved his hand, and suddenly, Ian found himself on a planet.
It didn't look any different than any planet in the universe, it was a chillingly icy planet, but Ian knows that he wasn't in his own universe anymore as he asked, "Neptune?"
"A different Neptune," Dr. Manhattan nodded, "I came from a faraway place, so I find this Multiverse very interesting because mine didn't work like this at all. It was a very simple singular universe."
As if a show of his incomprehensible powers, Dr. Manhattan waved his hand, showing an image of every single universe that forms this universe in detail.
"This Multiverse consists of multiple universes existing in the same physical space, kept separate by differing vibrational speeds. Each universe has its own infinite spatial and temporal dimensions."
Dr. Manhattan waved his hand again, zooming in on a specific universe, treating it like a toy, "This is the universe we are in. There are exactly 52 universes, and I call this one Earth 3 for a peculiar reason."
"Oh? Earth 3?" Ian wondered.
"Earth is very peculiar, and it's often the center of events, so I named most universes based on it." Dr. Manhattan cleared Ian's doubts.
Ian nodded, and after getting his rings back, he released his staff, activating the Rose of the Psychic, spreading his awareness throughout the entire solar system.
Unfortunately, despite that looking like a very vast space, it's still not to Ian's satisfaction considering most consomic awarenesses are capable of surveying the entire universe.
His psych, however, still allowed him to get a relatively clear picture of this universe's earth because he doesn't know much about the other Earths.
"I see... What is the goal here? Your research about me will give me some of the answers I want, so let's go all out." Ian said.
"Never planned to go easy. Let's first start by staying here until a change happens. All you have to do is to release your energy into the universe." Dr. Manhattan spoke as he closed his eyes, seemingly sleeping while standing.
"My Death Force?" Considering how long he was being observed by Dr. Manhattan, Ian assumed that he knows about it, perhaps even sense it, something very few being seem to be able to do.
"Yes."
"You want to see my effect on a certain universe huh? How time functions around me... Okay." Ian also wanted to understand why time behaves and behaved strangely around him.
It was just like the Flashpoint incident. His mere existence led to the creation of a paradox that threatened to destroy the universe, so even without being involved with time, he still affects it.
So Ian manifested a chair construct of fear and took a seat. Just like that, a week passed on the brink of an eye because these two beings didn't see time as much of a thing.
That goes especially for Dr. Manhattan who as he said is just is, was, and will always be. Ian knows him as a being who can perceive the past, present, and future simultaneously.
Well, no anymore. Ian was very sure that the reason why Dr. Manhattan wants to study him is because his very existence negated the concept of past and future.
Another thing Ian discovered was that he could still contact the girls through dreams, or specifically, through the House of Mystery despite being in a different universe.
That made things so much easier for him, allowing him to plan a few things for the future.
"It's done." Dr. Manhattan spoke, still with his emotionless voice. If he felt any emotions at the miracle that just took place, he didn't show them, "You... You've just created a completely different universe without the concept of future and past, or at least that's how I perceive it."
"Yeah, I've kinda anticipated because I expected someone to travel back in time to stop or something similar, but it never happened... When you travel back in time, do you enter the universe where I exist or one where I don't?" Ian asked.
"I tried it many times, but every time, I end up in a universe where you do not exist, in a universe where things progressed without your interference."
Dr. Manhattan finally opened his eyes and moved, eyeing Ian, "It's almost like you're an intruder, like me. You are not from this Multiverse, of that, I am sure. I still wonder though, are you from this Omniverse?"
It seemed like he wanted to see an answer from Ian's expression, but there was none, "Then let's find the answers, shall we?"
'Dangerous... Too dangerous.' Ian thought in his mind. He knew for sure that Dr. Manhattan couldn't read his mind, but he might as well be able to because he felt like Dr. Manhattan knows him better than he knows himself.
"Ok." Dr. Manhattan nodded, his expression never changing once since meeting Ian, not even when he spoke his next words, "Let's destroy this universe, and see what'll happen."
"Ahh, okay?" He expected a lot of things, but certainly not that, "Then let me take a tour first."
"Take as long as you want because you'll be the one responsible for destroying it." And so, Dr. Manhattan closed his eyes again. He's quite the odd being, Ian noted.
"Destroy a universe myself, huh?" Ian dwelled on the new discoveries for a bit, using the Forever Force to think at an unfathomable speed.
But soon, Ian found himself on Earth, a very different Earth with a depressive feel and it seemed to be mostly destroyed as if someone did most of the work for him.
His psychic awareness already told him what kind of world he was in. This is the birthplace of evil; rather than "right" and "wrong", the ruthless nations of Earth 3 cared only for strength above all, the weak deserving only annihilation.
This hopelessly corrupted world was thus ruled by the sadistic, unstoppable Crime Syndicate, twisted counterparts to the Justice League.
In Earth 3 performing crimes is as mundane as Prime Earth is fighting crime. And although there are laws and police, these usually only serve their own interests.
Like other Earths of the Multiverse, Earth 3 features a gallery of superhumans, but these are selfish and ambitious beings, as anyone in the universe.
Most important of all, Ian knows about the crime syndicate from Prime Earth because a member of it, The Outsider has come from this universe.
In fact, Ian knows exactly who he is, Alfred Pennyworth, or an evil version of him because this universe is a place of evil, way worse than Gotham could ever hope to be.
Ian also knows that the Crime Syndicate sent the Outsider to create a passage through the two universes for the Syndicate to invade.
So he had to wonder, what would the Outsider feel when he finds out his universe is no more?