Part 2

Hello, Auren again. I have been getting accustomed to the way of life here. My home planet and this one are strikingly similar. Language, height, structure, and mathematics. It's mind-blowing, to say the least. Recently I found the material I use to power my suit. Potassium-40. Which I see can easily be found in this world. So I won't have to worry about getting out in time since this dimension sure is... Amazing to say the least. Anyhow, I was going to tell you about the first dimension I traveled to.

There I was alone in a barren world. Oddly enough there were a few differences I later found. Walking around the wasteland I found little signs of life. It seems all the color has been removed from this place other than the color I had on me and the fire I built earlier. The crackling of the fire was comforting as it was incredibly quiet on this plane. I sent out a small survey drone to scan the whole planet for life and other than plants there was none. "Has this place ever been colonized?" I thought to myself. Suddenly the drone came back and noted it did fine evidence of civilization not far from where I was camped so I decided to rest for the night and head out in the morning.

I woke up and the only thing I can hear is the gentle song of the wind rustling the dead leaves. The sun wasn't high in the sky when I woke so it must still be morning. I packed all the firewood I could carry in my bag and headed North toward the city. As I walk the derelict roads and empty fields I can't help but feel alone in my thoughts and feelings. I thought to myself "Is this my life now? Stuck to be alone until I die?" Normally I'm ok with being alone most of the time, shit I never dated more than a few times and lived alone for thousands of years. However this feeling was different, I didn't ever feel truly alone and here I feel like this. It took my entire people being gone and me being chucked into a new dimension to finally feel this hopelessness or complete emptiness. It's so quiet that my ears are ringing and I can hear my own heart louder than my thoughts.

I saw this large hill and began to climb it. I distinctly remember the hill was soft and malleable like clay it had a distinct smell almost like ammonia. Every step made it worse to smell and was harder to bear. I flipped my suit's helmet on to escape the overwhelming smell. I was still a little lightheaded but this was a powerful lesson to learn further on in the day. As I got to the crest of this hill I could see the city. It was rather large and looks like nature overcame the bustling city sprawl. To describe the layout it was a lot of towers many reached several hundred feet but in the middle of the city was a really large tower that dwarfed the rest. Many of the buildings were collapsing and I see multiple vehicles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. All of them were in surprisingly good condition but you can tell they weren't being used.

After about half a day of walking down the hill across a long road, I finally got to the city. Up close it was even larger than I estimated. Concrete towers that penetrated the heavens. On closer inspection, these towers were made of silver and stainless steel. They had no rust but were covered with vines and moss. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen It felt surreal being the only one here. Where was everyone? Why was everyone gone and why is there no life anywhere no bodies are either just a husk of a city. A city made by gods but abandoned by man. I started to investigate all of this didn't sit right with me. Even food that was left out wasn't molded due to all life being dead even bacteria. Everything was left in such pristine condition as well.

I went to what seemed like the town center which was a massive building in the middle of the city. As I got closer I can see there was a civil discourse maybe some sort of rebellion as bodies littered the ground in front of the building all covered with a light sheen of yellow slimy residue that had the same ammonia smell as the hill I walked on earlier. On some of the bodies, these people were wearing signs seemingly warning of the "end times" as the "great dying" was approaching. There was a large number of fliers and newspapers around each made of a strange plastic material but more coarse in texture. The fliers and newspaper, all relayed the same information. This world's religion was named Sarxism and how they were using ritual sacrifices to try and appease the elder god, the bringer of the end times.... the void. This dimension has him too but was here too. What is this thing and why was it able to exist across two dimensions? It looks like it was dated to be a week from now to get here. I had little time.

I immediately felt dread. I jumped to a new dimension just to suffer the same fate. I must leave this place and have enough fuel too but I must know why these people who revered this thing as a god. I looked all over the city until I found it. Church of the Devourer... "this has to be it" I said to myself. Approaching the door it was made of wood. and the building seemed to be entirely concrete which was weird based on the architecture of the entire city being way more modern and advanced. Ignoring that I pushed the door open... well I tried it was stuck on what looked to be a mass of bodies all covered in the same slime as earlier. I walked around and found a broken-out window and climbed through. As I stumbled through rather clumsily I see it in full display.

Bodies hung from the rafters stripped of their flesh and were exsanguinated and eviscerated. The people by the door were all stripped naked and on closer inspection, they were all stitched together like some visceral meat pile. I was sick to my stomach and puked on the floor nearly passing out. I turned away and got my composure why were they doing this? Was this thing a god they didn't please? I looked to the main stage at the pew and found the religious text. "All things that live belong to the great devourer, we sacrifice our loved ones to him so they may in turn be a part of him. Saving them from eternal suffering in the elder gods' gullet. Oceans of acid and air of fire are all that exists but if we give our bodies, minds, and souls to the great devourer we will be spared eternal pain."

As I looked more I see writing saying how the government was vilifying these religious zealots and outlawed their religion. I read the head priest's notes on his speech of this day "We will burn the city to the ground, we will round all the politicians and offer them up as sacrifices for him. He demands we take over and lead this city to ruin as it committed the greatest sin... Denial of his love." These wack jobs legitimately thought this was the best way to go. I put the notes in my pocket and see these people had no answers to them. Just knew he was coming and they couldn't stop it. I look further at the pew and notice a small button. I pressed it and the wall behind me began to split open revealing a secret room.

I used my drone to scan for possible signs of life. in the room first and nothing came back. As I got to the room I felt shivers run up my spine. Every fiber of my being was telling me nothing good will come of this. I rejected the feeling and shook my head. I am a man of facts and science. I opened the door slowly and what I saw was terrifying it was a large mural of the great devourer made entirely of human body parts and painted with blood. Under the mural was a bed with what I assume was the pasture dead. I found his journal

"We were blessed today. Outside the town, on the hill that smells of death, we found our greatest weapon. A poison so strong if we ventilate it throughout the city then everyone would be able to be saved and embrace his love. Tonight my scribes have gotten plenty of the substance we need. Tomorrow we storm the capital and take all the leaders and bring them back here. I will make a mural out of their flesh, I will destroy their bodies as the ultimate sacrifice for the elder god. All of them will pay for not following. Women, men, and children it matters not all that matters is his love."

After doing further research I found this group killed them all with mustard gas. I wanted to find more so I looked around hoping to find any semblance of hope or a way to beat this thing. I looked through the nightstands and dresser. I was checking the bed when next to it was a very loose floorboard. It was odd so I decided to pull it up. Inside the small hole in the floor was a book. Explaining in detail all they know of the beast. Turns out the priest didn't believe his teachings and was terrified.

The praying seemed to make it stronger and faster and an excerpt of the page goes as follows "It's been a full year and I have yet to hear anything coming from it, I keep hearing its groaning through the cosmos and into my brain with each passing day it seems to get stronger. What if this thing isn't the messiah we are wanting? I can feel it deep down we are not being saved we are being judged and judgment is soon hopefully this nightmare ends before it arrives." That was the last note. Seems they have no idea what it is but looks like religion makes it grow stronger.

I found the fuel I need in the lifeless dimension and started the suit up. I keep telling you about the suit it seems mystical and can do anything which is partially true. The SUIT itself is an anagram for Sentient Utility and integration technology. It is sentient as the name says and helps with vitals, reconnaissance, and safety. All are integrated into a light material that translates the local language and is immune to kinetic-based damage. Roughly how Earths Kevlar works but can think on its own and stop firepower by an order of magnitude more. It's a great tool for survival and is the only reason I am alive today. And yes it does come with a built-in "waste" disposal.

Now you know what it can do we can move on. During my time on the lifeless planet I was on I searched the city and found where the "King" of the city would be. A large building covered in dead moss and vines. The building itself seemed to be made of marble with a large wooden door that has been badly been broken open.

I stepped through the small hole that was made and saw a derelict fountain and bodies all around it. The fountain was filled with blood and the air had a smell of rusty metal and stagnant water. These bodies were completely exsanguinated. They had tubes that ran from a small incision in their neck roughly where the carotid artery would be into the fountain. This must have been one of the sacrifices. I felt a general unease because as I looked more into this incident the more evidence I found of ritualistic sacrifice. They were not only drain but I can smell the ammonia on them. They were pumped full of chemicals to replace their blood. I couldn't be around them anymore so I left to climb the gold-plated stairs and walk into the hallway of the king's quarters he sight was horrific.

In the hallway, I found more instances of sacrifice. What looks to be armed guards were stung up by their Achilles tendon and they were dressed much like an animal. They have been completely degloved. No blood stained the floor leading me to believe they were killed at another location. "If this is what happened to just the guard I can't imagine what happened to the king. I walked around the corner of the hall before opening the door to the king's quarters I had to compose myself. This is the worst possible situation they could be in and the worst for me. However, my thirst for knowledge and revenge drives me forward so I open the door. When the door swung open the instant smell of sweet flowers much like the honey suckles you have on this planet.

It was a momentary reprieve from all the death and dismemberment I have been seeing it was.... nice. Here there were no dead bodies and no sign of destruction either. It was immaculately clean which made my anxiety slowly rise. Was someone still alive here? Couldn't be since the entire population has been dead for quite some time. The room was beautiful! It was full of colored lights and drapes. The bed was gigantic and must have been at least 15 ft x 15ft. I sat on the bed and it was so soft and comfortable. It was the softest bed I ever felt... I was already getting tired so I decided to lock the bedroom door and lay down. Suit told me there was still no life or movement detected so I laid down with ease. It felt as if I was sleeping on a pillow made of clouds.

I woke up in a state of shock as my suit's alarm was blaring telling me "You're in danger you need to teleport out now again this is serious the void is above. I looked up and saw the ceiling of this building being ripped open and before I could teleport I felt my body being lifted into the black abyss. I can hear the cries and wales of all the people it has swallowed. The pain of each of their stories all overlaps to reach me in my head space. I can see the great empty by the hungering maw of the great destroyer. A never-ending void that seems to suck the concept of hope right out of me.

I felt... helpless... Like I was infinitesimal compared to this thing. I felt overwhelming despair and fear as I flew into its gullet. And just as soon as I was in It was just me floating in nothingness. As far as I can see it was all black. I tried to shine my light but even light was swallowed by the immense darkness the void is,

As I floated in the big space I heard it talk to me. "Welcome to the end this is where all things die. Life, love. happiness are all constructs of the mind and all get swallowed by me" I thought to myself "How am I not dead? Why is it sparing my life" It shook a lot and sounded like a deep chuckle? The void once again spoke "I choose to keep you alive you will be my herald, the harbinger. There is no stopping me, there is no running away. I supersede everything, all concepts and creation are nothing but a page in a book to me. Listen carefully, I am the alpha and omega. The beginning and end. Nothing is above me or below me as I am all things." I started to get dizzy and shouted at the beast "I will stop this... I will stop you!!"

It was then I woke up from a deep sleep. Cold sweat dripped from my brow and I felt out of breath. The suit was telling me "Your heart rate was nearly 200bpm are you ok now?" I thought for a second and looked around and thought how real it all felt. I can't believe what I went through. Was this all a dream or revelation? "No.... it must've been a dream," I thought to myself. "I am a man of science and there is no god, no kings only men." I stood up off the bed and walked toward a quite large bookshelf. I don't know what I was searching for but it seems I found the right book. It was called revelations. As I pulled on the book a mechanism started to turn it around. I stepped back quickly as it was rather startling. Like a bookcase secret door that's rather cliché but I never expected it so I'm assuming it did its job.

"Suit. Analysis" suit whirled for a second and said "one lifeform detected. Nonhostile medical diagnosis shows it is in a coma." Strange the one surviving thing on this whole planet is this thing in a coma. I used my built-in light to illuminate the dark room. In the back of a metallic pod was a person. The person was rather old and looked to be kept on an artificial life source. Next to the pod was a message on a computer. "

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away."

- Bysshe Shelley-

Something to learn about this dimensional travel is many literary phrases are common ground. It makes no sense he should know this, but I digress. In a note underneath the poem was him saying

"I caused the great collapse, the rise, and fall of the government, and the rise of the religious zealots. It was all foretold in my nightmares. Death awaits us all but I feel I deserve something worse than death. I deserve to suffer in my mindscape for all eternity. I am the last surviving Layline on this planet and I will suffer for my transgressions. Void take me."

Its name was directly mentioned here. I was startled, to say the least. My empathy was kicking in as I felt rage for all those lost souls all of those deaths perpetrated by this man. All the agony and fear of the entire race were screaming to kill him. But No it was too good for him to die now. He wanted to suffer so let him. With my knowledge of this world, I decided to leave. The rest was all I've read and heard before. The new dimension awaits. I look into the sky toward the void one last time raised my hand and said "Fuck you" as SUIT transported me to another reality. This one was filled with life and the air was clean but this is a story for another time.

I appreciate all the kind words, It's not easy integrating into a functional society as large as this one. I will have part three out soon. Suit and I will be making sure those stalking men stay away. Be safe out there

-Auren Da'at-