Übermensch (3rd Edition)

Day 011, 17:00:31

The Id EIS eyes remain closed while I consider each of the necessary steps again.

Introduction. Testing. Contingencies. Success. Failure.

I sigh.

Just another day of service...

The Id EIS eyes open to view a fiery sunset across the sky, above tall Redstone spires spreading away from me until a vast A-Dome of frozen, curved spacetime amidst an open Redstone plain. Now uncurling from a crossed-legged position, I stand up, directing personal integrated gravimetrics to enfold me while I step off the sandstone spiretop out into empty air...

Falling. Slowly. Down.

... until a bodysnug C-Shield skins me before one of the Id EIS feet lands on the Redstone earth, then another as I begin walking through Redstone spires towards the vast A-dome upon the empty Redstone plain. Each step scratches in the silence while the slow-growth redstone ground continues aggressively nibbling at the C-Shield covering the Id EIS feet.

(I am powerful now.) In service to The Master. Good thing too, or I wouldn't have the ability to enter this area of outer warding. Hmm. The Subjects must be dangerous indeed to earn the use of redstone in such a barrier.

Nearing the A-Dome of frozen curved spacetime, I eventually come up right before it and stop.

Ok.

There exist numerous types of modern energy and shielding technologies. S-Shields/S-Domes are standard fields which are low energy but can provide moderate to high protective potential, making them perhaps the most popular and versatile form of shielding, yet there are also Statis Fields to induce stasis, Concussive Blasts to strike objects physically and/or mute latent energy, E-Fields to block things through the use of expanding low energy fields radiating continuously outwards or I-Fields which use energy radiating continuously inwards, Spack-Fields which are the weaker S-shield precursor, I-Shields which serve as an almost undetectable circumference tripwire that saves energy until a strong Shield is needed, and...

An A-Shield of curved spacetime waits as a dome on the Redstone before me, providing inviolate protection at the cost of massive continuous power.

I raise the left Id EIS hand and place it gently upon the surface of that frozen, curved spacetime. A vibration from within the A-Dome then suddenly PULSES through the Id EIS fingersbones.

First step.

Something SNAPS into place behind me, blocking all of the ambient daylight. I wait as heat prickles across the entire Id EIS from the automated Scan and Scrub fizzling away any tenacious redstone particles, then the inner A-Dome suddenly SNAPS from existence, revealing a giant opalescent curved S-Dome ahead, within which is a large bubble of clear strong material, within which is also a moderately sized enclosure habitat filled with scattered fruit trees, thorny hedges, and tall grass, except for...

Hm. Second step.

... big, dark-hued, bird-like creatures standing still in perfect rows upon an area of flattened grass, beady eyes already trained upon me.

Focus.

I dismiss the bodysnug C-Shield, smile upon those unnerving Subjects and stride off towards welded-metal scaffolding, then climb up the stairs running alongside it, each step ringing loud in the silence as I climb up to the viewing platform. A black chair glides over in automated anticipation, with floating display screens warming bright as they drift after it through the air above.

This will be fine...

I reach the viewing platform and sit upon the chair, which pivots gently afterwards, the floating screens now arrayed above all showing connection confirmation with the Id EIS wireless software interface. The enclosure is all visible below as Virtualizion software overlays a digitized, faintly glowing window at the bottom right of the Id EIS ocular field. Waiting as data is sending and receiving, I hum a snatch of nothing while watching the Subjects watching me from those perfect standing rows...

They are (dangerous.)

A brief pause.

Hm. The Master's copious research notes show these Subjects to be oddly conductive to the Evolution Trigger, as well as possessed of advanced instincts which border upon the standard classification for precognition...

A chime sounds.

Virtualized stats appear in the bottom right window overlaying the Id EIS ocular field: mild effect is estimated from one application of the De-Evolution trigger, which I have recently invented, upon these stubbornly Abberant Subjects. Current containment protocols here rate strong against potential disaster scenarios, but an alert sounds, reporting an anomaly found with automatically collated logs of recent Subject activity.

I frown...

The floating display screens above me each begin to show a different security video showing a different angle of the same past event at octupled speed: the Subjects standing motionless for almost an hour, before abruptly moving into action twenty minutes ago, each tamping down nearby grass with both big splayed feet until it is all evenly flat, then moving into three precise lines, with all turning afterwards, to...

Hm. To face where I was standing at the time, which was outside, meditating upon the spire. They... no. No, it is impossible. (No...)

I check containment protocols again: consistent. A brief pause, then after shaking the Id EIS head I prime the De-Evolution Trigger –

Immediately: synchronized motion begins within the enclosure.

I gaze down...

Each Subject has unfurled dull wings, thin tails rising behind them before curling above like scorpion stingers.

(Waiting?)

Feeling a sense of foreboding, I pull up containment stats upon the floating screens overhead again: strong.

I consider for a moment, then take another long look at the Subjects again...

(Waiting.) Hm. Ok.

I activate the De-Evolution Trigger.

A blinding FLASH, then warning chimes sound.

What?

The Id EIS ocular field quickly restores, now revealing stolen energy CRACKLING along the Subject EIS wingtips and tails, the Subject EIS hides also fluxing bright with it. Fascinated, I lean forward...

So they have evolved further since the last scan. (Or hid this ability, somehow.)

Arcs of energy begin FLASHING between them all, quickly building. Klaxons sound with harsh blares, and a concussive warning blast STRIKES upon the enclosure interior, staggering the fluxing Subjects still standing in perfect rows.

No.

I scramble up as counter-measures flash across the display screen floating overhead. Below, shared energy contracts into a single point which BURSTS, sending a beam STRIKING forward almost instantaneously to split the clear material bubble and S-Shield with a shattering CRASH and crackling SNAP. Dodging with post-human speed while activating a personal Shield, I am still struck solidly by the stolen energy beam, at which point the still forming personal Shield winks out.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Energy SIZZLES dangerously along the Id EIS body and through the blood, BOILING. With warning Klaxons still screaming...

... all goes black.