"Ax you get those plates clean yet?", My boss asked as he poked his head around the corner.
My name is Axon and I am a dishwasher. It's not the best job in the world, but it keeps me fed and a roof over my head. Although that's about all it does for me.
I live paycheck to paycheck, paying bills and buying food and cigarettes enough to keep going. This is Survival, I can't afford anything better even if I want it. Trapped like a rat in a maze that only goes in circles.
Turning to my boss I give an affirmative nod and turn back to the pan I'm currently busy scouring.
It's not all bad, at least I have friends and family who care about me, if I didn't I don't know if I would've survived this long. I have chronic depression and anxiety which makes doing even some of the simplest things a challenge.
I want to move forward and achieve success in my life, I don't want to be stuck in a dead end job for the rest of my life.
I achieved some success in 'curing' my depression, initially through the use of cannabis which would stave off those feelings temporarily and allow me to see the world from a different view.
Eventually I discovered hallucinogens and the useful effects of shamanism, specifically shrooms and LSD.
Shrooms I found put up a wall between me and those dark depressive thoughts, while a sense unending love and acceptance enveloped me.
LSD or acid was similar but instead helped me to gather everything I have ever seen or thought and showed me a fuller perspective in my life as well as the urge to 'get my shit together'.
Shamanism acted as a guide in part teaching me how to maintain control of altered states of consciousness
Why then do you ask am I still in a dead end job with few prospects of moving forward?
Well that's easy, you can't maintain the high forever, so of course those feelings fade and even if I know what I want to do, that doesn't mean I have the resources to change my life in an instant. At least not yet anyway....
"System has detected potential cultivator suitable to use 'God's Cultivation Path'. Do you wish to activate the system?"
I blinked, looking around for a hidden speaker, did I just hear a voice inside my head?! Oh God please don't let me be going insane!!
"Host's mental faculties are functioning normally, host has not gone insane." the voice replied smoothly.
Oh good I was worried for a second- Wait why am I relieved? What are you and how did you get in my head?
"Host is incorrect, the system does not reside within the host, it resides within the celestial body known as the moon. The system is speaking to you via telepathy"
The moon? I'm receiving psychic messages from the moon?
"Correct system is far too big to fit inside the host's body, would the host like to activate God's Cultivation Path?"
I wasn't so out of touch that I didn't know what a system was, I've read hundreds of transmigration and reincarnation novels as well as a wide variety of anime and movies, my imagination was pretty open at this point so I figured why not? Besides what kind of a person turns down the offer of infinite possibilities when they have nothing to lose?
"Activate." I said.
"Binding to Primary Host, please cultivate responsibly."
After that I finished the dishes for the night and let my boss know I was taking off. Then I started walking back to my apartment, it wasn't far and the summer evening was cool and quiet.
The system had been quiet since the binding had started and I was almost starting to doubt whether it was really there.
System are you there?, I thought pulling a cigarette from the pack and lighting it.
"Yes?"
I have a question that's been bothering me, do you mind if I give you a name?
"As my Primary Host it would be an honor to receive a name." the voice replied in a formal tone, although somehow I could tell it felt somewhat pleased with the idea.
Well, since you live on the moon how about Luna?
I'd been thinking about it for a bit but even though the voice couldn't be said to be either male or female I got the slightest hint of a feminine aura and since the moon itself is a feminine symbol this seemed like the best choice.
"Thank you Host! My name is now Luna."
There was definitely a feminine tone to the voice now and she sounded almost bubbly with joy. Was a system supposed to have emotions?
I set those thoughts aside for a moment and got back to the matter at hand.
So, Luna what are the systems abilities?And where did you come from?
"I am capable of cultivating anything the Host can imagine to the pinnacle of development including the Host as well as any object or being that you target.
As to my origins, I was created in a future alternate timeline where the earth was taken over by beings known as the Scarred Legion, a massive armada of warrior races that scour the universe conquering every inhabited planet they find. My Creator spent many years building me to send into the past and prevent the takeover of Earth, however doing so has caused a divergent timeline to emerge."
So does that mean the Scarred Legion is going to invade soon? Will we have enough time to prepare?
"The Scarred Legion will not arrive on Earth for another year in the current timeline.
I took a long drag and exhaled a large cloud of smoke.
This is going to be difficult, I thought, a year wasn't a lot of time especially if humanity was going to stand even a glimmer of hope of surviving an invasion. Don't get me wrong, our society has a lot of soldiers and a fair number of standing military forces throughout the world. However against a group of space traveling civilizations it could all be over in a matter of hours.
I finished walking back to my apartment took a few more puffs from the cigarette and went inside.