An unknown place

"Okay, so before we leave on the field trip, who can tell me the three parts that make up an atom" the teacher droned to a mostly empty classroom. "Mark, you always seem to have an answer for everything. How about you tell the class." the teacher said, with a subtle hint of condescension in his voice. The few students in the room looked immediately at me, waiting eagerly to see if this would be the day I finally failed one of the teacher's "pop quizzes".

"The Proton, Neutron, and Electron" I answered, annoyed that he was doing this right as I entered the classroom. "Not to mention the Proton and Neutron are also made up of other particles called quarks" I added in, knowing fully well it would annoy him.

"Good job, but the quarks part was highly unnecessary. Please stay with the class next time" he chastised, now visibly annoyed. My classmates giggled or shot me a grin, finding it all amusing. I however, didn't care very much. I had already gotten far too used to being the outcast in the school and targeted by teachers. After all, my parents were always too busy yelling or arguing to help me with my school or personal life.

Once all the remaining students entered the room, the teacher began talking. "Now everyone, make sure you have everything. We're going to be traveling to a local laboratory, they've been gracious enough to offer us a tour". As my teacher said this, I felt a jolt of excitement. It was rare to see or hear anything useful in my classes, I'd already studied all the material during the first month. This would be the first time I get to see something new.

Getting to the lab was the same as any other bus ride. As people got on, they made their way to the back where they could sit with their friends and gossip or play their games and I was given the seat at the front. Unlike a normal bus ride however, I wasn't by myself, I was with the teacher who's classroom I had just left.

Once we had arrived, we left the bus and stood in front of a massive complex of buildings. White, glistening structures, dotted the landscape. In the distance one of the buildings rose up high, giving way to a glass dome with the world's most powerful land-based telescope. Nearby, two large metal poles protruding from the ground, created a holographic sign. The sign was slightly faint due to sun beaming directly onto it, but it read: "The Institute of Scientific and Engineering Research was founded in 2091 by the Father of postmodern science. Incorporated by the state as the capital center of research, it has flourished and brought forth all postmodern advances."

All of this I was already aware of. Working at the institute was the dream of myself and every person like me. We could be ourselves, and our worth was based on what we know rather than who we know. Working there, I would be given all the resources I would need to begin working on projects I could only dream of since I was a child. It was amazing to even be given a tour, since most people who worked here only wanted to talk to people who could help in their research. Unfortunately the complex was too big to explore in a single day, instead we were touring the "Advanced Space-Time lab". It was a new branch in the complex, so I knew nothing about it through all my research on the institute.

As we walked in, we were greeted by a young, energetic man who seemed excited about what he had to show. He took us throughout the lab, showing us advanced gadgets he claimed could move objects without touching them. He demonstrated a teleporter by moving an apple across the room without picking it up. All of these things had never been shown to the public before. It was amazing, but also strange why a random group of 10th graders would be given a tour of something no one else knew about yet. It felt like we were given VIP access to an exclusive club. As we continued on the tour, I came across a strange looking bracelet. It had a holographic screen on it, but what caught my attention was the translucent band that could barely be seen connecting both ends of the screen. If it wasn't for the fact that it was perched on some sort of display stand, I'd have thought it was a regular device someone had accidentally left behind after they left work. "Well, it doesn't look nearly as important as any of the other stuff here. Maybe they won't mind if I grab it and take a look" I said, making sure no one but me could hear.

I reached out, and as I grabbed the bracelet it's band turned completely transparent, making me almost drop it. As I brought it closer for inspection, I noticed it wasn't completely transparent. Small lines could barely be made out, indicating the edges of the band. You wouldn't even notice them if you aren't looking for them. As I put it on to see what it was used for, something happened. Something that I'll never be able to forget. What sounded like thousands of explosions began to ring out around me, as everything went black. I closed my eyes and went to close my ears, preparing for what I assumed would be my death. Before I could even reach my ears though, the explosions stopped just as quickly as they had started. I opened my eyes, but everything remained black. I moved my body, and even though I could feel my muscles contracting, I felt nothing physically touching me, as if the air itself had been incinerated in the blast. Then something appeared in my field of vision.

[Starting Antimatter system]

[Checking vitals...Normal]

[Checking battery…Normal]

[Starting AI...Finished]

[Space-Time destination...Reached]

Just as I read the last line, everything went white. Light battered my retinas and I could feel my eyes burning. I closed my eyes again, waiting for them to adjust even slightly. That's when I noticed I could feel something again. I could feel a breeze across my skin, and hear trees rustling in the distance. I opened my eyes to a vast landscape of green. Thick trees covered the area behind me, making it impossible to see through. In front of me was a large drop, and beyond that was what looked like at least a hundred miles of open grasslands. Far into the distance I could even see a city, though it looked nothing like any city I had ever seen before.

"What is happening?" I thought to myself, confused as to how I even got here. As if in response to that very thought, a voice could be heard inside my head. "I thought it would be obvious. You've been transported". "Transported? Transported where?" I asked out loud, not considering the snarky remark from the voice inside my head. "A location would not be enough to give you an idea on your current situation. It would be better if I introduced myself. My creator gave me the designation omniscience V0.9.9. You do not, however, need to use my designation while talking with me. I can read your intent without it. As for information on what happened, I cannot tell you everything at this time." the voice said. It sounded far too human to be an AI, but at the same time its word made it clear I was not talking to a regular person.

"Why can't you tell me what happened?" I inquired, annoyed that this AI was keeping something from me. "You do not have proper access privileges. You need to unlock these privileges. The device will now scan your mind, and start presenting information to you in the most understandable method possible" The voice responded, and as soon as it did, a menu appeared in front of my face.

[Achievement complete: Introduction]

[Reward: 1 AP]

"Please let me finish my introduction. It is rude to interrupt" the AI said somewhat annoyed. I'd never heard an AI with emotion before, but the agitation in its voice was obvious. Such a thing had yet to be made, at least as far as I was aware. Maybe that's why the bracelet was inside of the complex.

"You are currently standing approximately 738 trillion light years from your starting position. This device was made to make your journey easier. I was also programmed for the purpose of gathering data on this new location, as well as studying the effects of the particles present. From this point onwards I will attempt to answer any questions about this new location as I discover it."

As they said this, a hundred questions went through my mind. I had no idea where I was, how I got here, or what this AI was talking about. However I was curious about the screen that had popped up earlier. "What was that notification earlier? the one that said something about an achievement." I asked, not sure what to expect as an answer.

"As stated earlier. This machine has adapted to your personality, and modified the way it displays information so that you can understand it as succinctly as possible. According to your own mind, you play a lot of video games. As such, the machine has adapted to play as one, making the machine easier to use. As you complete achievements and missions given to progress research into this new area, you will unlock points to further improve your access privilege in the system. Doing so will grant you new tools and features to work with, which could potentially help you in the future."

As I was processing what the AI had just said, it continued by answering another question I had about what particles they were referring to earlier. "Welcome to the dark matter research system."