3 Chapter 3 - I Can’t Change My Mold
A collection of light particles suddenly appeared, coalescing into the form of a tall and slender young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. His dark hair, the same color as the midnight sky, was perfectly coiffed, and the circular lenses of his glasses gleamed in the dim glow of the recessed lights.
Alpha 7419 rolled his glowing violet eyes, unamused by the unnecessary theatrics that always accompanied this kind of instantaneous travel. He sighed, shaking his head mournfully as he brought up the data crystal that Delta 367 had given him.
He held it toward the light, turning it this way and that. It was surprisingly high quality for being a simple recruitment tool. His lips quirked upward into a sarcastic smirk, and narrowing his eyes, he snarkily chided, "Wasteful."
Still, he had promised his boss he would consider the proposal, so it wouldn't do to simply stare at the useless thing. He stepped to the simple table that served as a station for his home terminal and placed the crystal on its surface.
As he settled into the ergonomic chair, he glanced at his surroundings and paused before viewing the data. This was bound to be a long and tedious process, and his space was specifically designed to induce a sense of calm and tranquillity that would encourage him to sleep. Unfortunately, that atmosphere would likely lead to undesired results this time, so he decided it would be best to change things a bit before he started.
With a wave of his hand, Alpha 7419 brought up a control panel that hovered translucently in front of his face and adjusted the lights, changing the warm glow seeping out from the sunken track at the top edge of the four walls to a cooler, brighter radiance. The rich dark wood panels that lined the walls transformed into high gloss white sections, and with one final flick of his finger, the alpha system closed the display.
After rolling his head back and forth a few times, Alpha 7419 lightly slapped his cheeks and pronounced, "Let's get this over with."
He pressed the data crystal to his terminal, and, as he watched, the clear gem dissolved into code that floated into the air and then blended together to form the image of an attractive female AI who smiled broadly and began to speak in an enthusiastic yet sensual tone.
[Congratulations, and welcome to the IMDA Corrections Division!]
[You have been personally selected out of trillions of applicants for this fantastic opportunity due to your outstanding job performance and compatible skillset.]
"What applicant?" the alpha system complained to the empty air around him. Feeling somewhat disgruntled, he muttered, "Don't make it sound like I actually asked for this..."
As the projected female strolled through the space above his desk, the area gradually assumed the appearance of an office filled with cubicles. As if to illustrate the enormous scope of competition for the position, the camera backed out to show a massive sea of systems slaving away at their desks.
[Be proud that you have been recognized by the Creators as the best and brightest of your peers as you begin your new and exciting life as a Field Agent!]
Seemingly random cubicles suddenly started lighting up, and the systems within them were pulled out and placed in a line where they stood at attention, saluting as the flag of the IMDA waved in the background.
Alpha 7419 rolled his eyes exaggeratedly when he saw this gaudy display of patriotism. Just because he was loyal to the cause, fanatically, if a particular gamma system was to be believed, didn't mean he was blind to just how ridiculous such an overblown spectacle truly was.
[You and your soul companion, or 'Host,' will travel through time and space, able to observe and experience the infinite bounty of the multiverse.]
The view panned to the side, showing a group of strange creatures. Some were clearly humanoid, but others didn't resemble the systems standing across from them in the least. Some of them had animal-like attributes, and some were even stranger, having bodies made of fog or some sort of gelatinous material.
Both sides clasped hands, or rather, appendages, in a gesture of friendship before the image panned up, revealing the clear night sky, a multitude of stars twinkling in the distance.
[Every mission you are assigned will bring new adventures and new experiences.]
The view moved through the scattered stars, inexorably focusing on one specific planet and soaring through its atmosphere until the surface was clearly visible through the clouds.
Alpha 7419 found his curiosity slightly peaked. As the ground came into view, he noticed that the simulation had been seamlessly injected with actual footage, and he found himself leaning toward the display to get a closer look.
The alpha system had never ventured outside his home dimension. Despite his curiosity, he had always put his work first and never bothered to go to any company-sponsored retreats or even take a vacation.
[You'll have the chance to visit exotic locals such as aquatic worlds inhabited by mermaids and interstellar cities that float completely isolated in space.]
As the display alternated between various environments and locations, Alpha 7419 couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to actually step into another world.
Would the water be warm and inviting by that beach? Would the snow be as soft and fluffy as it looked drifting lazily through the sky in the mountains? What would it be like to actually breathe air with physical lungs as he stood under the rays of an actual sun?
He would be lying if he said that the idea was anything other than tantalizing.
The scene changed again, showing a glittering white city with impossibly tall spires perched improbably on a sea of clouds.
[Heaven and Hell themselves will not be closed to you.]
The corners of Alpha 7419's lips quickly turned down, his previous interest promptly vanishing.
He had almost forgotten the existence of those irritating elitist societies that were constantly fighting with each other for supremacy. Thankfully they weren't a part of his sector. He'd heard gossip from other monitoring systems that those regions filled with supernatural beings were rife with anomalies, thanks to those over-powered jerks.
Occasional news of this god or that one causing a conflict with someone else would trickle down to the monitoring department, providing the lazy systems with nothing better to do something to talk idly about. Rumors of weak mortals attempting to stand against gods and demons like a mantis trying to stop a chariot were also in plentiful supply.
Alpha 7412 had no interest in involving himself in all that drama. It seemed far too troublesome.
As if sensing his disgruntlement, the view changed again, now panning over an ancient city steeped in history.
[Enjoy a taste of antiquity, or take a peek into the future as you perform your duties, playing your part in significant historical events that shape the very essence of the multiverse.]
"Tch," the alpha system clicked his tongue irritably. "As if supernatural bickering wasn't bad enough, now you're trying to sell me on mortals fighting mortals as well?"
[Looking for adventure?]
When Alpha 7419 heard this question, he couldn't help but reply out loud, "No. Not at all. Not ever."
[As field agents, you and your host will take on many roles, from heroes to villains, royalty, possibly even the agents of fate.]
As the female system's voice continued to narrate, the display showed several sequences that looked like they came straight from action vids. Weapons fire lit up the room, and smoke seemed to fill the air.
Alpha 7419 rolled his eyes for what was probably the hundredth time tonight and sighed yet again, shaking his head. He knew one or two adrenaline junkie systems in the office who had secretly installed war games on their work terminals and knew that this segment would undoubtedly appeal to them. However, he had no such interest.
His eyes drifted away from the center of the display.
BOOM!
An explosion rang out in the room, and a cloud of dark smoke filled the narrow space.
In shock, Alpha 7419 snapped his head back to look at his terminal, thinking that it had blown up. However, the smoke, and the flames that lit up the room with an orange tinge, were merely another projection.
He clutched his chest, breathing heavily as the 'smoke' slowly dissipated. If this was something he could expect to encounter, then the alpha system was definitely out!
[Together, you'll right wrongs, solve mysteries, and purge injustice, facing danger head-on and playing your part as the front line of defense, protecting the multiverse from all manner of anomalies and distortions.]
When the narration mentioned the defense of the multiverse, Alpha 7419 felt a little uncomfortable. He had always been proud of the work he did precisely because it pertained to keeping the anomalies from harming the innocents.
He clenched his fists and guiltily resolved to keep a more open mind. If it was to protect the innumerable innocent denizens of the multiverse, he really shouldn't look at this opportunity with such a biased view.
[You and your host have been carefully selected for maximum compatibility, and the rigorous selection process virtually guarantees that through cooperation, any obstacle that you may encounter in the line of duty will be easily overcome.]
Thousands of profiles danced around the room, flitting here and there before fluttering away in pairs.
"Hmmm..." the alpha system hummed as he absentmindedly waved away a profile that fluttered a little too close to his face before darting off to find its pair. With access to the most highly advanced technology ever created, past or future, let alone a compatibility check, even the most complex mathematical theorems would be resolved with ease.
So, perhaps, a perfect match could be possible...
[As for compensation, our wise and benevolent Creators will provide free upgrades to use at your discretion. No points necessary! Simply choose the upgrade you want, and the download will begin immediately.]
Alpha 7419 frowned. He had never really used the upgrade shop because he viewed most of the available items as frivolous or vulgar. What reason would he have to change his appearance or learn martial arts?
Even the ones geared toward processing power and improved memory weren't very tempting to him. In the alpha system's eyes, he was created to be a monitoring system and given everything he needed to perform his task flawlessly right from the start.
Why mess with perfection?
However, given that he was considering a career change, he grudgingly admitted to himself that the upgrade points would probably come in handy sooner or later.
[To facilitate system-host interactions, you will also be provided with a secondary avatar and your very own pocket dimension: The perfect place to rest and recuperate between missions.]
Although the avatar didn't much interest him, and the various images of different pocket dimensions didn't draw much appreciation from him, Alpha 7415 was attracted by the thought of having a space that was all his own.
Although his apartment was similar to a pocket dimension, it was still connected to the other units in the same "building." Occasionally, he would be forced to have some kind of purposeless interaction with his neighbors.
Even if he had to share the space with his host, that was only one person, and they were guaranteed to be compatible. In all likelihood, they could divide the area and never even encounter each other unless they had critical mission-related matters to discuss.
[Outstanding performance in the field will lead to even greater rewards and public recognition. Every year there will be an opportunity to participate in the awards ceremony where those field agents who go above and beyond the call of duty are recognized as shining examples of what an IMDA Case Agent should be.]
The projection showed a clip from the said awards ceremony, but other than to gawk a bit at the many bizarre and unusual hosts that appeared alongside their systems, he didn't pay it much mind.
The alpha system had never been all that interested in such things before, so that would hardly change now just because he watched some shameless propaganda.
[No matter whether you seek adventure or acclaim, you are sure to find everything you desire.]
The alpha system feared that his eyes would be worn out by all the eye-rolling he had been doing this evening. He desired nothing more than peace and quiet and the opportunity to do his job efficiently and without interruption.
Finally, the female system that had been narrating reappeared in the scene, indicating the end of the holo-recording. She smiled warmly and finished the script.
[Welcome aboard, Agent. Your new life awaits!]
The holographic projector shut itself off, and a thick legal document materialized on the desk. Alpha 7419 scanned through it and picked out the important parts that the holo-vid had glossed over.
Such as travel being limited to mission locations only, free upgrades had to be earned and were based on job performance. Also, the avatar's and pocket dimension's base settings could only be changed at the discretion of a supervisory agent.
This information neither surprised him nor concerned him in the least. However, there were two items in the disclosure that gave him pause.
One, soul bonds are permanent and irreversible. The connection between host and system could only be dissolved if/when one or both parties ceased to exist.
And two, unapproved changes to the timeline, whether intentional or accidental, are prohibited and considered a crime punishable by fines of up to 10,000,000 upgrade credits, eternal imprisonment, and/or complete and total erasure from the multiverse.
Alpha 7419 took off his glasses and rubbed wearily at his eyes. He was still inclined to refuse the offer, but the holographic recruiting device had indeed brought a few crucial factors to his attention.
Although the missions were undoubtedly dangerous and none of the rewards were particularly appealing, the alpha system's sense of duty and morals had been tugged at, and the more he thought about it, the more difficult Alpha 7419 found it to reject the offer.
In the end, although it pained him to do so, he called his soon-to-be-former supervisor and informed her of his decision.
