Deviant Empire Pt. 04

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Author's Note: We're wearing out the warm-up and there will be a lot more action after this chapter, so I apologize if it feels like a big infodump.

Also I apologize for it taking so long to get out. Flu destroyed any energy to write.

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Morning passed the young man in a rush. Noon would see him stir and revel at the comfort of this soft pillow he was holding. A stronger squeeze before he settled from half-waking back to sleeping. Only in another half hour would he run his hands over this furry pillow and press his head against it to notice that it was certainly not a pillow. Eyes crept open as the dim darkness of the room would let Will barely discern the sleeping form of Missy, comfortably nestled in the bed... with him practically on top of her, head between breasts.

And this is where he remembered the previous day... and that it was not a dream. He had sex... twice... and experienced this strange culture firsthand. He was still on the cruise ship Phoenix, probably so far away from Earth that their oldest probes never got this far. Will was not one to know the cosmos well enough to guess if that was right or not. He had no work he had to rush to, no schedule to adhere to... the ship's facilities were open 'round the clock. With a smile, he just let his head rest on that furry bosom for that last dose of sleep that tastes far better than the rest. One more half hour. Missy held her arms around him and the man never slept better.

Half an hour later, the man had no more sleep in him as the cat-lady was purring happily asleep, so with all the subtleness he could muster, Will extracted himself from her grasp before tiptoeing out of the room to be greeted by the stronger brightness found in his complex. Coffee sounded like a great idea.

It took him a bit to get the handle of the cookware... There was no stove to speak of, which initially confused him, but after finding the instructions for them he'd be enlightened as to why... the pots and pans had built-in heating elements to just cook... anywhere. He also found the espresso machine to pour himself a nice mug of strong coffee with milk and sugar.

As he was walking to his "balcony" to enjoy that mug with the nice view of an underwater vista, Will suddenly froze in his tracks. A man was there. In his complex. On his balcony. Leaned against the rail was the figure of a man looking to be either late twenties or early thirties, so probably around the age of thirty. Average looking, with a rounded face and a visible, but not extreme gut... the man with short hair and piercing green eyes looked at Will as he considered his means of defense. The man's right hand was held up.

"Relax, man. I'm not here to do anything."

Panic was certainly strong, but the younger man kept his will and... stood... butt-naked before this strange figure. The most distinctive feature was the long coat, some shade of red that he was wearing... it might do his figure good if he stood straight, but in his current position you could see the form of a man who "let go of himself". Will managed to speak with a dry throat.

"What.... Do you want?"

"To talk. You might want to sit down before you spill that."

A wave to the table on the balcony as the figure took a pull from the lit cigarette in his left hand. He certainly felt relaxed, but so have any who were confident in their ability to dominate an encounter physically. Will managed to step... very cautiously... towards the table, if only to put the mug down, though he did not sit down.... Being naked before this guy was not helping his confidence.

"Talk about what? I don't know anything. And how'd you get in? I thought I had to let people in."

"Alright, I bet you have a bunch of more questions about the situations, so let's solve them with one answer. Name's James. Yes, you can use that name. Most people call me by another name... well, title. I have several. But the most known, most prominent and the one that will get a reaction is... The Outsider."

It took a long time for the young man to process what this James fellow was saying. The conversation of last night was not yet settled in his brain. He had to struggle to remember where he heard that title. And then he did. This... guy... claimed to be these people's GOD? He scoffed both visibly and audibly.

"Pffft. And I'm Moses. Are you gonna give me the ten commandments to give to the people?."

"Remember they were fifteen before he broke a tablet. And no."

"What?" Will answered in confusion.

"You didn't see that? Gods... you have no idea what you are missing."

"Either way... I don't believe you are a god. You're just some long lived person who convinced these people you are a god. Just some cult leader."

"I assure you that I have died, but... understandable. The last time I met something bigger than me I asked them to prove it. So, let's go with a wish. Nothing too big, but... what would you like to see done to prove this factor? I can do plenty. Though, I don't like to mess with minds. Small exceptions, like how your worker will not wake until I am gone."

A raised eyebrow from Will as he considered the proposal. He was given the option to ask for anything. "Nothing too big" might mean either he did not want to give a big boon.... Or was incapable of it. He decided to test that idea.

"Nothing too big? Can't do big things? You claim to be a god."

"Well, yes. But this is out of personal preference. Oh, and I can't change what already happened. I can change how people think about it, records, so on... but not... time. Speed it up, slow it down, but not change it. Maybe that is one limitation. Or I'm not aware if I can do it. Still, Let's not blow up galaxies or nuke countries yet, shall we?"

"Sounds like you're making excuses and might not be that powerful. Even the genie said ANYTHING."

"Dude, I'm powerful enough to bend over and eat my own ass. Not as fun as you might think. And the genie did not give a fuck. I do."

Will felt like he was testing the thing's patience, but so far there was nothing showing annoyance. He had to think what COULD convince him that there are such things. The technology he saw around him could do things he might consider violate set laws of nature.

"I... honestly don't see a way for you to do anything that I could not pass off as the tech of this place. I mean, I've already seen some impressive things. Not a lot that would surprise me still."

James rubbed his chin with his hand as he considered the situation.

"Hmmm... good point. They have been doing damn good work. Materializing and dematerializing... you could claim they have teleportation. They do, but it's not used because there's a one in 10000 chance that it can irreparably fuck you up. For a population of more than a trillion, that's ten billion people in every instant that could turn to chunky salsa. Showing you far off things? Sentry array and scouting probes have that." Another fervent rub of his chin until one idea came. "Okay, I got ONE idea, but this might hurt... not physically... just... in other ways. Despite not intending to. Heck, despite trying my best not to."

The young man cringed. Hurt? That did not sound good.

"I... don't like the sound of that. What would that be?"

"Well, if all else fails, how about you see the proper thing instead of this human avatar I send down here to be a far more pleasant sight? But, obviously, coming face to face with that... is probably gonna scar your soul. Yes, souls exist. And more. Actually, how about I just tell you things and maybe that can change your mind? I don't really want to risk it. If this turns you to dust beyond any ability I have to bring you back..." A look aside. "Well, I COULD do that. But let's not."

Will was juggling a lot of ideas. Mostly he thought that this was some other dream and he was still in bed with Missy, cuddling against her soft chest. He would rather this strange man go away and leave him be... but there was a curiosity... and they say that curiosity killed the cat.

He had not been a man to give any sort of faith credence, not just because of how lightly people took it, not just because of how he saw the people who claimed the closest adherence behave... but mostly because the world was such a fucked up place that could lend possibility to only two results... there is no god or if there is one... they do not care. Or are actively malicious. Even striking out one such result might be a big progress for what is known. These people... they were so sure this guy exists... but he had seen people believe in the strangest and craziest things with absolute zealotry, uncaring of how the world contradicts them.

Could he risk that... face of god... to see if this man was for real? Could it even mean something if he saw it? After all... what would it be? Just a bigger face in the sky? The guy seemed confident in his abilities.

"Show me." he finally said.

"You sure? We can try some other means."

"If it can really mean seeing what is... well, there's two results. I see it and it's not that impressive, or I do and... well..." He'll see if that happens. For now he was still skeptical. And still naked.

"Admirable pursuit of truth. You'll fit in here nicely. They also put a lot of stock in truth. Alright... now... how do I do this..." A moment of pause as the man closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Before Will could summon an answer, James opened his eyes again with a simple. "Ah."

Void.

Infinite, cold, empty void... blacker, darker and deeper than he ever saw... around him was only that. Not space, not black, but an emptiness that was almost daunting in his supposition that there was NOTHING there. And that was a much more friendly sight than what was right before him.

He had no idea of distance, but he could tell it was BIG. It burned. Not his eyes, not his skin... but something else. A golden ring stood against the darkness, its alignment completely straight to his position. No... it was not a 2-dimensional object... he just could not see it as anything else. Inside it was not white, no... it was light, a light so strong and white that it might sear his eyes out. A thicker ring of fire burning a dark green nestled in the middle... and in that ring was a blackness that felt hungrier than the empty void around him, desperate for anything to fill the space.

An eye... or the image of an eye. It was difficult to absorb the entire image in its entirety, his mind refusing to take it all in, wanting to just separate the components into easily quantifiable, justifiable things... but that... was HIM. It was most certainly aware... and looking at him. And the sight BURNED.

One second. He has been here for just one second and he felt like he was being thrown into the hottest furnace man could make... like he was burning from every instance. His ears could pick up only a persistent rumbling noise, as if the thing was burning and he was becoming part of the fire. But it was not fire.

No... that was certainly not fire. The green ring was something else in its entirely, for now just smoldering low, calm, content, concerned... and it still felt like he walked on the sun. He understood not with his mind, but some separate instinct from all bodily functions. He could feel it at a metaphysical sense. Rage. A LOT of rage. So much that an unprotected look upon a world could scorch it clean. The rage to burn a thousand worlds.

Two seconds. Each felt like an eternity. Here... time did not exist. He experienced it only as an echo. Were they even seconds? Was he ever somewhere else? Is there something out there in the void? But now... he could start to... feel the thing.

Images flashed in his head, days, years, centuries flowing past vistas as continents shifted, cities rose, roads fell over the land, the planets swinging through the sky in the grasp of gravity, tiny beings building their metal shells to step from their homes out across lands, upon seas, into the sky and off to space... he felt... pride. Comfort. Like a parent. And when a little red dot appeared that none other could remove, a flash of rage burned that made the red dot go away and progress resumed.

Three seconds. He was back. Will looked ahead to still see the man before him, still in his room, his skin and eyes were not in any way harmed... but it felt like they did... like he was still far too warm and too cold... his hands wrapped around his body and the sensation of touch came faded. A shudder... he needed a bit just to gain back grasp of his mind.

"You alright there? Out of curiosity.. Since Everyone sees something different... what did you see? I have no goddamn idea how I look up there."

"A... big.... Angry eye... watching over people." The response came as if he went through a blizzard. He was downright shaking. But his body was not cold. No... no... Will was now very aware something was up there and watching them intently.

"Ah. Might have been influenced by seeing the seal they have for me. And Lord of the Rings. Yeah, fun fact... your mind and eyes just cannot grasp the form up there so they try to find something to approximate it. This human form cannot grasp that one so... well, I know how I look up there, but never have a good idea down here."

"So... so... you are real." Will was slowly getting his senses back as he tried to fit this into his world view.

"Yep. Sit down. Coffee's getting cold and you might need a moment."

Another drag taken from the cigarette as Will took the offer to sit down... a much needed action as he desperately grasped at the real cup before him... and it was not getting cold, though the fading memory of that impossible burning might as well have it be frozen. A deep breath.

"I... might need a lot more. I mean... time... no, I don't want to see any more... I... I get it." A sigh. "Maybe I should have asked for a pony or something."

James gave a chuckle.

"Maybe. But, you can now walk away with a very real knowledge beyond what most have. Also, relax... you can't hold those memories so they are gonna fade, though you're gonna remember what you felt." One more pull. Will managed to look at the man and not associate him too strongly with the fading images. He noted how that cigarette was not getting any shorter despite him pulling from it.

"So... why.... Why do you want to talk? To me? I mean, this might have been easier to do to a lot of other people. Your people might just accept you off the bat."

"True. But I know what my people would also do and I need someone who might think on this choice. I want you... to make a choice. For me. Yes, you heard me right. No need to give some immediate response. Big choice and all that. I can elaborate and so on. Actually... why not take a moment to talk a bit? I do so rarely have the chance to talk to someone who won't jump at my feet. Yes, they are like that. Did they mention how I told them to take it easy with the worship and still they fucking don't?"

Will did not remember asking that question. The torrent of information came at him, but he was more and more capable of taking it.

"Uh... sure... I mean. Well, I bet you know everything about me. Not like I can talk about that or..." Beat. "How is it like being a god?"

"Hard to explain. My best view is that it's kinda like playing a game. Like one of those old civilization games or the like. People's lives just float on past... and unless someone does something interesting you might not even notice them pass."

"So... does that mean I'm interesting?"

"Oh, quite. Not the kinkiest guy to come from Earth, not the most curious... and not shining in any other categories... but I have to say the one who has shown a real... desire to learn. You're giving the place a chance at teaching you something... other maximum degenerates are treating it like it's the place they belonged all along, all while ignoring that it is most certainly not their fantasy world and they can't just fucking pull down the pants of anyone they want and fuck them right there." Beat. "Seriously, it happened more often than you think."

That made the young man laugh thinking how some people from Earth could weird out the place known for casual sex. This was helping him get a bit calmer.

"Hey, I came here just thinking I could bone."

"Yes, but once it did not conform to an image, you did not ignore evidence of the contrary and started to adjust. Others have come to study my people... but are in no way considering straying from their existing belief. This is just data, but not something to change their world view. And you have the grand mass of average people who are neither doing sexy stuff or trying to learn anything... but they are enjoying the comforts."

With that grand image in mind, Will did feel like he was indeed interesting. He was... giving these people a real chance. One more needed gulp of coffee. It went down way too easy.

"But I don't know much yet. I mean... I assume I don't know much. Doubtful I learned everything about it in a day."

"Yes, and that is also important. If you go too deep, your choice will be pretty much done. I need to have some... uncertainty."

Again with the choice. Will decided to cut to that part.

"Alright... so... not like I'm gonna make it yet... but what's the choice you talked about. And why can't you make it yourself?"

"Because I know what I'm gonna pick. I know what my people would pick. I know what those from Earth would pick. I need someone in the middle. And you... are about there. No, you're not gonna disqualify yourself if you go another day without making it, but after a particular event... well, let's just say it's gonna be set. But... before that..."

Here it comes. Will struggled to think what the hell could a god struggle before choosing. Had to be something big. But with that thinking... it made sense why he sought out someone like him. He kept quiet to hear what he had to say.

"There is a lot to say... But, the short of it is that Earth will soon refuse any further interactions with the Empire. No learning, no helping, no nothing. You can probably guess why already... The fortune system, if even a suggestion of it gets used on Earth will disrupt almost every rich man there is, every bank, every politician, every grand capitalist, every CEO that uses unfair practices and exploitation to get their money. That's already enough to make the only people with actual decision power to say no. Even if that does not happen, the sexual freedom of this place will drive most men away from the planet, leaving them with very few to still do the much needed jobs, and leaving a shit ton of women behind in need of facing reality. And even if we don't consider that... the much fairer practices, improved safety... utopian conditions... would make any and everyone who could suffer on Earth want to come over... leaving behind only those with something to gain on your old system... or would if they still had all those people. You're gonna see the space version of the iron curtain fall down."

Will did not even need to think on that response. He'd been growing towards it... and wondered when it would happen. He hoped it would not happen until he was back on Earth and safe from any issues. Though with the implications of the iron curtain done before... things on Earth would get worse.

"Alright, I see where you're coming from." Beat. "Hold on... just... a moment."

A wave of his hand was given for Will to ask his question.

"Tell me something... these people... The Empire... they're from Earth... right? That.... Event where it said you brought them there... you brought them from Earth, didn't you?"

James gave a gesture that was... uncertain... as was his expression.

"Eh... complicated... they are in some sense from Earth. I most certainly am..."

That surprised Will so much that he blurted out his words in interruption.