POV: DARREN
Asher Hardy sighed as if unsure where to start. He'd told Darren on the phone that something had happened to him, something unexplainable. Darren hadn't thought to ask EDS, who might have some insight into the situation, and thought the question to EDS while Hardy tried to collect himself.
"EDS, what do you think happened to him?" Darren thought.
"I can't say for certain, but I'm scanning him because something is definitely off," EDS replied in Darren's mind.
Darren continued thinking about the nagging feeling he was getting, and suddenly it hit him. What he was feeling wasn't unfamiliar to him, though it was still relatively new. It was the FLUX energy. Asher was radiating FLUX energy.
As soon as Darren realized it he heard Kaycee gasp, obviously realizing it too. Darren stood to his feet, putting himself between Asher and Kaycee.
Hardy sensed the change in the atmosphere and furrowed his brow. "Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Why are you radiating FLUX energy?" Darren asked succinctly.
"FLUX energy? What do you mean?" Hardy was confused again. He was really coming to dislike the feeling.
"You are giving off the same energy that the breaches give off," Darren explained, body tense.
"Breaches?" Hardy began, "You mean like…"
Darren cut him off, "Yeah, as in the huge hole the monsters who almost killed Kaycee came though. You need to explain." Darren tried to maintain composure, but he wasn't willing to risk the safety of Kaycee and his siblings. If Hardy turned out to be a threat, Darren would do what he needed to do to protect them.
"Relax," Hardy began, his gaze turning steely. "I'm still trying to figure out what happened to me. Why do you think I'm here?"
Before Darren could say anything in response, EDS spoke aloud, "Darren, Kaycee, stay still. It does not seem that Officer Hardy is a threat. But something has happened that I never expected, or even considered."
"Whoa," Hardy said in astonishment, "what is that voice?"
"That's EDS," Kaycee said with a soft smile. "We told you about him after the incident downtown, remember?"
Recognition dawned on Hardy's face as Darren spoke up. "EDS, what do you mean?"
"This is really amazing," EDS said. "It looks like Officer Hardy has developed a powerful core of some kind inside his body."
"A powerful core?" Darren asked. "What is a core?"
"Well, it's the best word I could come up with to describe the thing inside Officer Hardy," EDS said. "It looks to me to be some kind of power source, made of FLUX energy."
"A power source made of FLUX energy?"
"Yes," EDS mused, "I'm not completely unfamiliar with the concept, given my access to all the stories ever written by humanity, but I didn't think it would become a reality…"
"You're not really helping us understand this, EDS," Kaycee said.
"Oh, my apologies," EDS said with what sounded like a hint of embarrassment. "Just as there are a great many stories written on Earth about people who receive systems and gain powers because of it, which is undoubtedly why you believed me to be an entity of artificial intelligence, there are also many stories of people developing cores that allow them to gain immense powers. These are just fiction, of course, but here we are all the same."
"Are you talking about cultivation stories?" Aiden asked.
"Aiden, what are you doing in here?" Darren snapped.
Aiden looked at Darren sheepishly, "I just heard the conversation and I got interested."
Just then Ava popped her head out from around the corner. "Me too," she said, smiling.
"Well, it sounds like you might know something about all this," Darren said, sighing. "Out with it," he gestured for Aiden to continue.
Aiden smiled widely and continued talking. "I was just asking if EDS was referring to cultivation stories. It's like a subgenre of progression fantasy. They're basically stories where people have cores of some kind, often called mana cores. The characters in the stories then get stronger and gain higher levels by fighting and absorbing energies and stuff."
"That is precisely what I'm referring to, young Aiden," EDS said. "Officer Hardy, is this core causing you pain? It appears that it should be."
"At first, yes. Long story short, I ended up unconscious for multiple days, missing my shift at work, and experiencing immense pain. Now, though, I feel great. It's like my mind and body are balanced with this core, I guess it is, assisting with all of that."
"I am going to try to find more information on this," EDS said, going silent.
Darren began to relax finally, but still wanted more answers. Was there going to be a completely new type of powered person now? The implications were already making Darren's head spin.
"So, do you have any powers?" Darren asked simply.
"Actually," Hardy began, "I think I do. I can't turn into lightning or anything like that, but I'm pretty sure I've got something called ultra sensory perception, along with really enhanced physical abilities. I can sense all of your emotions; I can hear your heartbeats; I have this crazy awareness of everything around me; and I feel far stronger and faster than I've ever been before."
"That's awesome!" Aiden said excitedly. "Ava and I have gotten quite a bit stronger and faster lately too, because of these," he held up his wrist band and Knight's beacon. "Wanna race?"
Hardy chuckled, "Maybe. That actually sounds like fun."
"Wait, wait, wait," Kaycee said, "You seem fine to me. It's not that you're not welcome, but why did you feel the need to come here?"
"Honestly," Hardy began, "I just needed someone to talk to about this. I know you guys have crazy abilities, and so does anyone else who saw the scene downtown, but I don't think I should just go around telling people about this."
He stopped to take a breath, looking around the room, before continuing. "Plus, I want answers. I want to know what's going on. I know you're stories from what you both told me the other day. But, what about everything else? What is this FLUX energy? Why are these breaches opening? What's this new continent Hiraeth doing here, and where the hell did it come from? I mean, I passed out and woke up in a completely different world."
The room was silent for a long moment before Darren finally spoke. "That's a lot of questions, and I'm not really sure we can answer them to your satisfaction. Let me ask you this: What do you already know?"
"Well, after I woke up I was instructed to go meet with my Captain at the PD. He filled me in on what the police and the government know, which isn't much; basically just what's obvious from the news."
EDS remained silent, so Darren began speaking again. "EDS, do you care to shed some light on everything for our new friend? And maybe for the rest of us, too?"
"Certainly," EDS replied. "Much has not been revealed to you yet, and I would be happy to share what I know. This will, however, be a somewhat lengthy explanation."
Darren looked around at the others in the room, each of them looking as interested as he was. "I think we're all okay with that," he said to EDS.
"Very well," EDS said. "The Great King chose those who were or could be most faithful to Him to combat the threat the breaches present to Earth. Contrary to popular belief, Earth is the center of the Great King's creation. The Dimenova, created as the balancing force for the rest of reality, including Earth, is a place where dimensions, timelines, and worlds converge in harmony. It was once a bastion of balance and stability.
"At its core, the Aurora Veils—flows of vibrant energy—wove the delicate threads of time and space, ensuring that each dimension remained distinct and unharmed. All FLUX energy flows from there. The Dimenova is the reality between all realities, the time between all times, the only place that touches all times, and the only place other than the Rift that touches all places. Every breach connects in some small way to the Dimenova, as well as to the Rift. The Dimenova is everywhere and nowhere."
"That sounds… confusing," Ava chirped.
"Indeed it is, young Ava," EDS replied. "One of the Titled Knights, John Armstrong, has already experienced a small fraction of the Dimenova, and it nearly killed him. So, not only is it confusing, it's highly dangerous as well. It is a place where anything can happen. Impossibilities exist there. Only the Great King Himself understands the Dimenova, its construction, and its function.
"But, I've gotten a bit sidetracked. Eons ago, this realm which is outside the perception of most living beings, experienced a cataclysmic event that would send ripples across the multiverse. The Aurora Veils, which had always flowed smoothly and predictably, suddenly became turbulent. Where once they moved in harmony, they now clashed violently, unleashing sparks of uncontrolled energy.
"There was a race of caretakers created to live in and maintain the Dimenova, called the Wunderkind. The elder leaders of the Wunderkind, known as the Luminaries, sensed an imbalance deep in the dimensional core. They gathered in a desperate attempt to calm the impending disaster, but even their ancient knowledge and power could not prevent what was to come.
"What followed was the Great Tempest. Unlike any storm ever recorded in Dimenova's history, it began with a convergence of FLUX energy which ravaged the Aurora Veils. The failing Veils triggered a cascading chain reaction of energy surges. The veils twisted and tore through dimensional walls, releasing torrents of raw, uncontrolled FLUX. This marked the birth of a cosmic catastrophe that still tears at the very fabric of reality.
"The Great Tempest unleashed chaos across the Dimenova, and the effects rippled far beyond its borders. Temporal anomalies appeared throughout the realm. Entire regions experienced rapid shifts, with some areas hurtling forward by centuries while others regressed to ancient, primordial states. Entire civilizations were swallowed in the blink of an eye, their futures erased or thrown into the past.
"Spatial distortions soon followed. The once-stable lands of the Dimenova became chaotic, with floating land masses crashing together, releasing tsunamis of liquid light. Quakes shook the foundations of reality itself. Dimensional barriers weakened, destabilizing not only the Dimenova but also numerous other realms, which had long relied on its stability.
"At the height of the storm's ferocity, an explosion erupted at the heart of the Dimenova. This blast released a surge of incredibly volatile and potent energy that radiated outward through the multiverse. FLUX, a force that defied the natural laws of existence, surged through the Dimenova, breaching dimensional walls and creating rifts in realities previously untouched.
"The release of FLUX energy created cascading effects across numerous dimensions. Though Earth has only now begun to feel the effects of this great cataclysm, other dimensions and universes have been totally destroyed by it.
"Random portals began appearing throughout the multiverse, sometimes in the most isolated corners, other times in the heart of bustling civilizations. These breaches connected disparate worlds, allowing creatures, beings, and phenomena from different dimensions to slip through into realms where they did not belong.
"Here we are now, on Earth, a planet uniquely positioned at the very center of the multiverse. The portals are opening with increasing frequency. Darren, you and Kaycee have only witnessed two breaches yourselves, but there have been thousands opening across the globe.
"Earth is no longer insulated from the interdimensional chaos, and has been thrust into the heart of the multiversal disturbance. Malevolent entities from other dimensions are exploiting the chaos, seizing control of FLUX energy to manipulate portals, invade new territories, and enact sinister plans."
"Oh…" was all anyone could think to say for several long moments. "I don't know what to say to that." Hardy was the one to speak, and his words seemed to bring everyone back to the present moment.
"That might be the craziest thing I've ever heard," Darren muttered aloud.
Kaycee replied, "I definitely second that. Is there anything else we should know? Like, how do you know all that? And who are you, really, EDS?"
"Good questions, Kaycee," EDS replied. "I suppose I haven't talked very much about myself, have I?"
At the shake of Kaycee's head, as if he could physically see her, EDS continued. "As you know, I am the Earth Defense System. That name also likely contributed to your earlier belief that I am an artificially intelligent being. However, AI systems are nothing more than cheap imitations. They are similar to me in the way that their functions attempt to imitate mine, but they are drastically less powerful and capable, as is every copy."
"Are you saying that humans copied you, EDS?" Darren asked.
EDS was silent for a moment, "I am saying that humanity has been working toward heaven since the Tower of Babel and even before that. Everything humanity does is in an effort to reach God, whether they realize it or not. Fortunately for you, you already know the way to Him, which is through His Son. This has become common knowledge on Earth, yet people still insist on finding their own way, even though such a thing does not exist."
Darren reflected on that for a few moments as the room grew silent. EDS was right, humanity always sought godhood, sans God. Humans wanted to be God, not to submit to Him.
"As for how I know the information I just shared with you all," EDS continued, "that's quite simple. I have an extremely vast repository of information. I have access to multiversal histories, biographies of dimensional explorers, and much more. If a book has ever been written anywhere in existence, chances are I have a copy of it."
"Whoa, how much information is that?" Aiden asked, brow furrowed.
"Truly understanding that is beyond mortal capacity," EDS said. Darren might have assumed EDS was being arrogant but he heard nothing egotistical or prideful in his tone at all.
"Before we get too far away from the subject, I wanted to mention that I did find some information regarding what is happening to Officer Hardy," EDS said.
"Well, please, go ahead," Hardy said interestedly. "I really want to know all that I can."