One chance

"A blinding light suddenly opened up before him, and he was enveloped in a dizzying whirlwind of colors and sounds. He felt himself being pulled into an endless spiral, his body wrenched from his familiar surroundings and transported into an unknown universe. It was as if time and space had merged into a disorienting blend of distorted images and sounds.

In an instant, he felt himself being thrown out of the portal, landing hard on the cold, harsh ground. He squinted his eyes, trying to recover from the shock of the journey. The ground seemed to spin beneath him, and the air around him was laden with strange, acrid smells.

Suddenly, he was overtaken by a powerful sensation of nausea. He tried to steady his breathing, but it was too late. A hot rush rose up in his throat, and before he knew it, he began to vomit violently. His body convulsed, trying to purge what seemed to be a reaction to the tumultuous journey through the portal."

"After he finished, he remained kneeling, breathing heavily and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes darted around erratically, trying to orient himself and understand where he was. The world around him seemed foreign, and the experience of the journey had left him shaken and weak."

"This universe looks very different from ours. The structures of the buildings are much larger, and from what I observe, there are two major changes. It seems that two natural satellites or two moons that orbit around the Earth, and the sun is not a typical one ,it is red."

"Apart from these things, I'm glad I took my helmet off so I didn't vomit on it. Another essential detail is that I've been transported to this universe that seems to be theirs, but not to an exact location ,likely because I played around with the coordinates a bit. Fortunately, this turned out well because if I had landed at their point of departure, I would have been interrogated and might not have escaped easily."

"It seems I need to do two things right now to be able to blend in among them. The first is to find the items and herbs I need to create an antidote so I don't lose my mind, and the other is to manage to make some money. During the seven months I was on the journey to Mars, I managed to develop the antidote further. Now, when I take it, it lasts for 24 hours ,not only that, but the virus remains in the body without multiplying with its help."

"Will there ever be a moment when I can create an antidote to completely eradicate the virus?"

"As long as I keep wearing the full suit, the virus won't have contact with others. Fortunately, I landed in an unpopulated area, so there's no one around to catch the virus. It will stay in the air if I don't do anything about it and will multiply, but with the help of a device that creates a barrier where nothing can enter or exit, it will remain contained until my body absorbs it back.

Even though the virus multiplies, if it doesn't find a host, it re-enters the body. This barrier seems quite intriguing. I don't know its exact maximum capacity since I didn't create it myself, but it does pique my interest to find out."

"The city was a labyrinth of towering buildings that loomed high above, casting deep shadows over the streets. As he walked, the bright neon lights flickered erratically, giving the whole place an otherworldly, almost surreal atmosphere. He kept his hood pulled up, his suit tightly sealed, and his breathing steady. His gaze scanned the surroundings with a sense of urgency, yet he knew he had to blend in.

"The streets were bustling with activity, despite the late hour. The air carried strange scents of spices, metals, and an unfamiliar tang he couldn't quite place. He navigated through the crowded streets, dodging passersby as he made his way toward the market district. It was there that he hoped to find the rare herbs and substances he needed for the antidote. His journey was punctuated by the strange sights and sounds of the city, making it difficult to stay focused on his goal."

"Finally, he reached the market, a sprawling bazaar filled with stalls and merchants selling a wide array of goods. His heart raced as he searched for the right vendors. He approached a stall displaying exotic plants and herbs, his eyes darting across the vibrant foliage in search of the specific items he needed."

"He haggled with the merchant, his voice calm but firm. After a tense exchange, he secured the herbs at a fair price and continued his search. The next stall he found offered the other components he required for the antidote. Once again, he negotiated, his eyes locked with the vendor's as they settled on a deal."

"With the necessary ingredients in hand, he made his way back through the city, the weight of his mission pressing on him. As he left the market district behind, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, but he kept his composure and focused on his goal: creating the antidote to keep his mind clear and his body under control."

"It seems to be getting quite late, so I'll need to find somewhere to sleep, but I don't have any money. Where else can money be made if not at a casino?"

"It seems that even in this universe, gambling games are very popular. I entered a large place, a casino with numerous games of chance, but what caught my attention the most was the poker game, being a card game, it's one of my favorites. It didn't take long for suspicions to arise about me wearing a bionic suit, but they allowed me to play alongside them.

Without any money, I bet items I had taken before leaving the ship. The first was a very advanced radar, which unfortunately I lost. The second item was the device that created the barrier, and I lost that as well. I began to think it might have been better to sell them, but I realized that it wasn't over yet.

I bet the device that could transport me to another universe. It seemed this was a very expensive device, but I knew I couldn't lose it since I needed it. Even though the other players couldn't see my face, they could sense the fear gripping me at the thought of losing something so valuable. Of all the players, only one wanted to play for such a high stake ,none other than the one who had taken all my other devices.

He bet the items he had won from me plus double, as my device was very expensive. The game had already begun, and he didn't even look at his cards; he was so confident he would win that he said he didn't need to look."

"But fortunately, I won the game. How? Simple! I lost those devices at the beginning to create an illusion of fear and desperation for money within me. I knew beforehand who would take them from me because the dealer was an acolyte of the one who took them.

By the final round, I had already memorized the positions of all the cards in the deck, knowing what he would be dealt. When he shuffled the cards, he made a suspicious cut with his finger to give himself better cards, but at that moment, I used my bionic arm. With the help of gravity manipulation, I was able to use a form of telekinesis on certain cards so that when he shuffled, he ended up giving me the good cards.

This plan had been crafted from the beginning, even before I participated. An absolute success!"

"Although it might have been better to steal the money directly from the casino because the staff were very upset and wanted to hurt me. I say hurt with the hope that they didn't intend to kill me, but I'm not entirely sure of that. Of course, they couldn't do anything to me, given my experience in combat and my more advanced weaponry.

It seems I've managed to make much more money than I needed. I stored it in a dimensional bag, an advanced technology where many items can fit into a space that appears small but isn't. I found it on one of the other poker players."

"Now, the last thing I need to do is find a place to sleep."

"It seemed quite common to walk through the city with lethal bionic weapons, which is why the casino allowed me to play. It looks like I've found a place to sleep at a hotel that looks better than any other I've seen before. It seems I've truly ended up in another universe.

Maybe it doesn't seem like I care about the other universe, just that I've moved on from what happened. But I still hope that maybe I'll be able to do something about my own universe."

"I settled into the soft bed, unable to take off my suit, but still feeling comfortable. How long had it been since I last had a chance to sleep so peacefully?"

"In the morning, it seemed I wasn't as lucky to wake up peacefully. Instead, I was awoken by six soldiers in bionic armor."