Ayo, I'm finally back. I wasn't expecting people to be as interested in this story as much as they have been. I just pulled the idea out of my ass and put it on paper. In any case, I'm back with y'all for another chapter.
Aside from writing this story, I'll need to do some serious catching up with the game. I'm currently still going through the Version 4.0 story.
This chapter is a bit of a drag-on and a bit on the short side, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure if I'm satisfied with it in any way, I may edit or change it at some point. I just wanted to release a chapter to tell you guys that this story is still alive.
As I have planned it, I intend for the story to truly kick off in the next chapter or the one after. I believe it's been delayed for long enough!
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Orion looked around with clear caution in his narrowed eyes, though the trace of curiosity and confusion was evident. Surrounding him was no longer the comfort of his apartment, but instead a vast, endless space of what looked to be code.
In many ways, it kind of reminded him of the empty space he'd be given whenever he started a new project area within the Playverse. Only, instead of the brighter space, this place was a black void with countless strands of data flowing around.
Although he had no idea where he was, his only choice was to simply...walk.
Within this space, aside from the countless strands of code, there were visible pathways of light that went in all kinds of directions. Whenever he took a step, it would cause a glitching ripple on said pathways.
"How long am I gonna have to walk before something happens...?" Orion frowned as he pocketed his hands and continued on. "At the very least, my Dataform Diver seems to be functioning. If push comes to shove, I'll escape into the Playverse."
As long as he was there, nothing could threaten him.
That much he was certain.
As Orion continued to walk up, down, and possibly in any other possible direction, he grew increasingly bored with each passing step. Of course, he'd never completely put down his guard, but with the lack of anything happening... it was frustrating.
"Hm...? Oh, seems like this marathon is finally over." Orion's ears twitched when a strange sound made itself known. Glancing up, his lips curled up into a small smile. "What the hell is this? You want me to smash this thing open?"
At the end of the path stood a large white gate made entirely of code, and it was even glitching in certain areas. However, aside from its strange composition, the simplistic design made the large keyhole at the centre the attention-grabber.
Staring at it for a second, along with glancing and inspecting the gate itself, Orion took out the very same key he had been given back in his apartment. The key itself hadn't changed at all, but it did seem to be reacting with the gate in front of him.
Flashing constantly in pulses, in synchronicity with the gate itself.
"What am I? Some rip-off Randolph Carter? I feel like I'm about to pass through the Ultimate Gate." Orion muttered to himself with a hint of amusement. Without hesitation, he inserted the key into the keyhole. "Let's see where this goes..."
After turning the key, the key itself seemed to almost be absorbed into the gate before the doors began to slowly open. From behind it was nothing more than a blinding light, yet Orion felt an incredible compelling feeling drawing him in.
Taking a small breath, Orion began to take slow yet heavy steps into the opening doors, and his vision began to become completely blinded by the sheer intensity of the light being produced from whatever was behind the gate.
"..."
"..."
"...▄▀▄█▀▄██▄█▄▄"
Accompanied by continuous beeping and the sounds of data flows, a strange mechanical noise sounded into Orion's ears, a noise that could hardly even be described as a voice. Slowly opening his eyes, Orion widened his eyes in shock.
Still standing on the platform of lights he had been walking on earlier, he saw that the gate was completely gone, and what greeted him was a truly shocking sight. Filling the entire void in front of him was a colossal mechanical head.
Although relatively hard to make out, the being was no doubt in the shape of a cranium. With a massive glowing red core where the ear should be located, along with countless cables hanging out from the neck area.
"Holy hell, Cybertron..."
"█▄▄██▄█▄▄ (Unknown one, blessed one)"
"..."
The previous awe on Orion's face immediately turned blank as he stared at the mechanical head of a god in silence, whether he bothered to register what was said to him was unknown, as he spoke up in a dull tone.
"You aren't gonna talk to me in code the entire time, are you?"
"█▄█▄▄██ (From origins unknown, you have arrived)"
"You're making me translate. Mother fuc-..." Shaking his head, Orion crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance before continuing. "Alright, wise guy. Who exactly are you? Most importantly, why did you bring me here?"
"██▄█▄▄▄█▄▄▄█ (Aeon of Erudition, seeking answers to all that is the universe)"
"Erudition? So, you're Nous. Wise guy it is then..." Orion's eyes flashed with obvious surprise upon receiving the answer. Though he then narrowed his eyes slightly before asking. "What does an almighty Aeon such as yourself want from a mortal like me?"
"█▄█▄▄▄█▄▄██▄ (One who walks from horizons unknown. One who defied laws and has brought forth the unknown)"
"▄█▄███▄ (I ask: Why have you arrived?)"
"You're asking why I'm here?" Orion raised an eyebrow at this. After a second of silence, he merely shrugged. "Sorry, but even I can't answer that one. All I'll say is that it wasn't by my own choice."
"██▄▄█▄ (I have observed: Changes to the world)"
"▄▄███▄▄█▄█▄ (Changes that were minor and isolated, but have no origin or observable cause. All occurrences must have a cause, yet these changes are exceptions)"
"█▄███▄ (I ask: How is this possible?)"
Hearing this, Orion didn't answer immediately, instead his eyes widened just ever so slightly as a look of realisation flashed on his face. From what he could understand from that statement, it seems that even an Aeon like Nous can't observe, let alone access, the very framework of reality.
Naturally, Nous could observe the changes that occurred in response to events within the virtual space, but THEY could not access or even trace any connection to their source.
Given the nature of the virtual space, it made sense.
Nous trying to understand or even comprehend the concept would be no different from a video game character trying to understand or access the game's source code, even that might be understatement.
"Who knows?" Orion didn't give a direct answer, instead opting for a vague one that could barely be considered an answer at all. "Even an Aeon such as yourself isn't truly omniscient, right? Who knows what powers are out there?"
"█▄ (...)"
"█▄████▄█▄ (I have observed: You experiment through unknown means, achieving feats that defy law. Your actions show purpose and ambition)"
"█▄██▄ (I ask: What is the purpose of your actions?)"
"I don't know, safety? Assurance? I could give you many." Orion shrugged as he gave his response to the question. "If I had to single one out, though. I'd say my purpose is simply to achieve my own goals and ideals."
"██▄█▄▄█ (Goals and ideals, the driving factor for many actions)"
"█▄█▄ (I ask: What is your goal?)"
"For someone considered all-knowing, you ask a lot of questions. You know that?" Orion clicked his tongue in amused annoyance. "To create a place that embodies my own view of a paradise, an ideal world for gamers. That good enough for ya?"
"█▄███▄███▄▄ (A paradise is a place considered a world of perfection, where every aspect reflects and embodies the idealistic Eden of an individual)"
"▄███▄ (As I have seen it: The image of perfection varies for every individual, thus the concept of perfection is impossible to define into a singular collective view)"
"█▄█▄ (Perfection is subjective. It cannot be universal)"
"▄███▄█ (I ask: Why pursue it?)"
"Does that matter?" Orion tilted his head before shaking his head, shrugging outwards. "If I see it as perfect, then why should I care what others think? As long as I see it as such, that's all that matters."
With a sigh, Orion frowned as he continued.
"I don't care if others think my so-called ideal world, my place of solace, contains flaws. All of us have to accept that there is no true perfection, there are always cons to pros one way or another. As long as it's a place I can escape reality, even if temporarily, it's perfect for me."
"▄▄█▄█▄█▄ (Reality represents everything that is, thus a world of your own making can only exist in the confines of reality)"
"██▄▄█▄█ (I ask: How will you achieve your goals?)"
"That's for me to know."
"█▄ (...)"
"█▄▄▄███▄▄█▄ (As I have seen it: As is according to the Equilibrium, all forces must have a counterbalance. Be it reality or even one's own ideal world)"
"▄▄█▄ (Thus, an ideal world is as flawed as reality itself)"
"▄███▄█ (I ask: Why pursue it?)"
"Huh? Are you stupid?" Orion blinked in disbelief after hearing this. "While I do agree with your statement, is it not obvious why? Both are flawed, yes. However, those pros and cons are different from one another. They're not the same."
"█▄▄█▄ (Change can be made if sought after)"
"▄█▄▄██▄██▄ (If an ideal world truly is just reality with its flaws warped to give way to the idealistic views of an individual, then reality can be changed instead)"
"▄███▄█ (I ask: Why pursue it?)"
"You answered your own question. Cause reality can be changed, and that makes all the difference. In my world, what I say and want becomes the law. I may sound a bit like a tyrant saying this, but that is simply a fact."
Glancing around, Orion looked at the countless lines of code that surrounded him in this space before turning to look back at Nous. Well, at least into the massive red light that could easily be mistaken for THEIR eye.
"I can't deny that maybe one day all of this power I've been given will be taken away from me, I simply can't know when or if it will happen. However, until that day eventually may come, I intend on using it how I want."
"█▄ (...)"
"█▄████▄█▄██ (A world of your own image, a world that may one day meet its end. If this is true, both your world and reality are alike)"
"▄▄█▄▄██▄█ (As I have seen it: If both are destined to one day meet their end, there is no point in changing that which will inevitably disappear)"
"▄███▄█ (I ask: Why pursue it?)"
"You don't get it, do you?" Orion shook his head in annoyance as he gave his response. "The end hasn't come yet, so I intend on living in the present. I eat to stay alive, but if I'm going to die one day anyway, am I just gonna stop eating?"
Cracking his neck, Orion gave another sigh as he then stared at Nous unblinking.
"Instead of worrying about what the future holds, I'll simply enjoy the moment I'm living in the now as best that I can. Maybe one day we'll all realise that our actions lead to nothing, but that doesn't mean they're meaningless. They have meaning because there's an end to them."
"█▄ (...)"
"█▄█▄█ (I was told: Your goal is to create a paradise in your image)"
"█▄█▄▄▄█ (Yet even so, you are uncertain whether your world will remain longer than that which is reality. Therefore, an end in an ideal reality is better than one in a temporary world of escape)"
"▄███▄█ (I ask: Why pursue it?)"
"I think I've humoured you enough. I feel like we're going in circles here." Orion narrowed his eyes as his previously bored tone became firm and sharp. "You keep asking me why. You're asking as if I need to justify my actions. A reason for why."
With a deep breath, Orion then pointed one finger at Nous.
"Then let me ask you a question: Why not?"
"█▄ (...)"
"Who says that a person needs a reason or justification for their actions? I have the power to do it, so why shouldn't I? What if I told you that the reason I want to make a paradise for people like me was that I wanted to?"
"▄███▄▄▄█▄██ (All actions have a reason behind them, actions cannot occur without reason)"
"That's where you're wrong, wise guy." Orion shook his head with a small scoff. "Many actions are taken on a whim, and the reason most of the time comes after to justify them. You're confusing reason with cause."
Perhaps on instinct, Orion quickly spoke up again before Nous could start his continuous beeping again, which had really started to grind against Orion's brain. Translating the mech head was a pain in the ass.
"Even as the Aeon of the Erudition, perhaps even you can't properly comprehend the thoughts of a being with emotions. I'm doing what I have been doing because I want to create a paradise where gamers can thrive, but that's only part of it. It's a reason, but not the cause."
"█▄ (...)"
"▄▄█▄▄ (I ask: What is the cause?)"
"It's nothing special really." Orion laughed to himself lightly as he answered. "I could have countless reasons for why, but only one cause for my actions. You told me before that living in reality until the end as best that I can is ideal instead of living in a temporary world..."
Although he had a small smile on his face, his eyes said otherwise as Orion stared up at Nous.
"Reality's brutal. People act like rules and laws actually mean something, but if you look closely enough, it's all bullshit! You get judged no matter what you do, and those 'rules' everyone talks about? People brave enough ignore them the second it benefits them. Fairness doesn't exist... it never did."
Orion's smile quickly turned into a frown, his eyes narrowing sharply as a look of clear disdain flashed in them.
"A world of unpredictability means freedom, but it also invites endless potential cruelty. Some people need a place to go where everything is established and fair, where everyone plays by the same ruleset. Such a concept is merely an illusion in reality, therefore... I'll make my own reality."
"█▄ (...?)"
"You asked me what the cause behind all my actions is. Well, in a world where reality favours some over others, you just get sick of it. My cause is as simple as that... I'm simply bored with reality."
To collect his own thoughts or to clear his own head, Orion went silent for a few seconds as even Nous didn't seem to interrupt him. Only after a good several seconds did Orion open his eyes again.
"Reality is a shitty game. I have no grand goal or ambition at the end of the road, my so-called paradise wasn't made to accomplish anything like that. I did tell you that I want an ideal escape for people like me, but the underlying truth is that I'm just selfish. I have the power to create something, so I did. I didn't ask for permission, I just did it. In the end..."
Orion, his expression back to its original dull self, then pointed once again at Nous.
"...I'm just bored."
"█▄ (...)"
"█▄ (...)"
"▄█▄▄▄ (Congratulations)"
"█▄▄██▄█▄▄ (Unknown one, blessed one)"
"██▄█▄█▄▄ (Genius Society #85)"