There he sat on a chair shaped as if it were a sunbed, with bottle in hand, suited up in a metallic box of an environmental suit, head and face exposed, and a brown dwarf star held up half-way on the horizon’s edge. It was very close, like a giant button mixed with pinkish and purple hues. Bright, yet dim enough for the reign of night, that, and probably due to a thin atmosphere, a pink to black sky stood over him. Starless.
A ring surrounded him and the structure behind his back. It was built into the ground and glowed a blue-turquoise colour, from this, it produced an energy field that was then formulated into an air-tight, pressurised dome. No foreign air could enter, neither radiation nor heat or cold or any other weather condition such as rain, heavy winds, snow, lightning etc. Inside he was shielded from all the elements. Not that he had to worry about rain or heavy winds due to the lack of atmosphere as well as the planet’s barren surface.
Plains upon plains of nothing but cold sand and jagged rock formations that stuck out of the world like spikes. Barely, though enough to glimpse them…were buried ruins of long-forgotten cities. The man did not know them, nor were they his people, he couldn’t remember much; being alive for many millenniums. As far as he knew, this place was great to hunker down onto. Because to be frank, least in his vicinity, there was nowhere else to go.
He took a sip from the bottle.
Then as he went for another, a swig this time round, only a dribble squeezed out. He eyed it up and found it to be empty, disgruntled, he bent over to his right and picked out a fresh one from an open casket that was nestled amidst other gear such as bags and small crates, though close enough for him to reach. With a sudden flick of his thumb the cap flew off and joined a pile of its brethren.
He drunk and drunk till the last sliver of light waned upon the horizon. Before it could become full night, the man scrounged his way off the chair and stumbled towards the structure. With a few swipes on a holographic arm device the structure’s door lock disengaged and allowed him entry. It was a circular room, one with a round, pearl white table in the middle, the room was also white; not in a pearl state such as the table, but white it was. On the table were a few glasses and plates were laid out. Sofas filled the sides of the room and tucked in between their corners were plants, plants that had bloomed from their pots with a potent vigour likely from diligent care.
Some areas of the room were polished, whereas others were not, as dotted about the place were pieces of paper, books, data-pads, and several holographic images of people, people he knew…or might have known. Even rows of clothes hung up high on a couple washing lines. One shirt, however, was not hung up and became the downfall of the man, he slipped and let out an abrupt exclamation of pain.
‘Argh!’
Impaired by alcohol, he squirmed to an adjacent room in where lied a bed. In there was messier, filled furthermore with books and data-pads, a withered plant lonely in its corner, yet the surrounding walls had an addition, posters.
Posters of specific people, whether historical, fictional or a mix of both…it wasn’t certain. Though it provided him a semblance of relief? There was no one else with him. Something else stood in a corner, not a plant, an object far taller and covered, draped in a multitude of fabrics.
Despite his drunkenness, he’d managed to climb into bed and soon the man’s consciousness, wavered, which momentarily progressed into the realm of sleep.
–
Knock knock knock!!!
Those weary eyes could not bring themselves to open right away. He struggled to pull them back. But, got up he did, in a sluggish manner, and walked half-awake to the door.
Knock knock knock!!!
‘Who the hell is there!?’, he ushered to himself.
Those eyes widened the second he said those words, who the hell is there?? The realisation that someone or something was there, behind those doors. Could it be a survivor? A traveller like himself?? An entity hellbent on claiming his soul??? Fortunately, the door had a peephole he could focus through. See whatever it was on the other side. Which, was what he’d expected apart from one thing…a person it was, a man to be specific, dressed in a set of strange, colourful clothes; that was the unexpected part. No environmental suit or anything, not even a breather. Even curiouser and scarier, was how the hell he entered the dome. As stated, nothing from the outside could have passed through it, not even people.
The man pretended not to exist, he said no word or uttered any noise.
Knock knock knock!!!
‘Helloooooooo, I know you are there…don’t pretend that I can’t see you through these doors. Thought you might want some company?’, the stranger said, the voice muffled by the barrier of the door.
Surprised, yet not totally unexpected, maybe the man possessed a scanner capable of detecting life signs, or a vision that allowed him to see heat levels. Maybe both. But he could not hide forever. Ironic as that was, given the time.
‘Who the hell are you and how did you pass my dome!?
The stranger looked around, examined, and then realised.
‘Oh that thing, wasn’t much of a hindrance really, wasn’t even on my mind till you mentioned it. Same as this door really…doesn’t stop me. But I’d rather honour an invitation. Seeing that I’m probably the only person you’ve seen in a very long time, and what a time this is, is it not Xuan?’
His eyes widened yet again, more so.
‘How does he know my name!?’, Xuan wondered, shook, even…nobody should’ve known him, although this stranger did.
CLUNK, CLICK, CHURN, CLUNK
The doors opened.
Xuan, his arm stretched out, covered in holographic tapestry, yet it was different. The colour tone was of a deep red instead of a calm blue, and the stiff posture he took, it was an aim.
‘Then you’re aware of who you are dealing with?’
The stranger smiled.
‘Last of his kind, the Endur, known by many as an enigmatic scientist, a genius in his fields, a bringer of salvation, and damnation to those who did not appreciate the grandeur you came forth with’
‘Then what’s stopping me from obliterating you right now?’
‘Would you like an apple?’
‘A…what?’
‘Rather famished myself right now, thought you could use pick-me-up after all that booze?’
With a wave of his hand amidst the air and seemingly out from nothing the man conjured an apple.
CRUUUUUUNCCHHH
‘Hmm, so delicious!’
Xuan backed away as the stranger made his way into his home, still aimed and primed. Paces within his heartbeat quickened.
‘H-how did you do that?’
The stranger, marvelled by the interior, didn’t recognise his question at first, though further in a few seconds later he caught on.
‘This? It’s nothing much really just an Earth fruit, ah wait you wouldn’t know that place anyway, looooooooooong time before you were born, well, if it existed in this one, huh. Anyhow I’m not actually hungry as I don’t know what that is, wait…sorry! I do know what that is, but it doesn’t affect me; pretty sure it does you though…so come on what do you want?’
The stranger saw the confusion and growing horror on the scientist’s face. A smirk formed across his peculiar face that even Xuan had a sudden intuition that there was something more behind it.
‘How about you start explaining yourself to me, right now!’
‘Sooo demanding, in a moment, first I’m curious what this could be!’, he responded gleefully as he sprung over to the curtained object. With a gentle tug the curtain fell and there stood tall a silver-framed, rectangular mirror.
Reflected were their forms, the stranger, a lean, pale-skinned man, short, with hair that curled into waves, brown with white streaks at the front. He possessed a pointed chin with some stubble, sharp gold eyes wherein a subtle glow came from behind them, and an angular face that seemed young yet old simultaneously, accompanied with a droopy nose and thin lips.
His clothes were a blend of purple and crimson swirled in a manner of patterns, untarnished and shone a noticeable brilliance, though not to powerful where it would be blinding.
Then, there was Xuan. Tall and bulky, bulky furthermore due to the environmental suit he was in. Blue-skinned, bald, possessed large, black eyes and long ears that swept back behind his head, almost. The man’s lips were chunky compared to the stranger’s and his nose was larger to, straight and practically flat.
The stranger began to pose and pull a variety of expressions, a smile there, then a frown, followed with gritted teeth.
‘My goodness, look at me, ha! Mirrors, such interesting objects. Useful in some situations but dire to those choked by a need for vanity’
He noticed Xuan’s affixation on himself in the mirror.
‘Bet you haven’t seen yourself for a long time, so you’re not reminded, eh?’ He winked.
Xuan winced and was about to fire, but the stranger clicked his fingers, and Xuan felt a weird shift, an odd motion, the closest relation being was if you drove down a slope very fast and felt that lift. An urge to vomit also perked itself up in his throat. Though the urge was not strong enough, Xuan kept composed, marginally. He was more astonished than sick, as the two of them stood outside, and not only that; they were outside the dome!
Xuan held his breath as if it mattered. They stood in one of the craters, and at an angle, upon a high ground, Xuan managed to see the structure and the dome over it.
‘Still going to shoot me? It is ok, you can breathe’
He lowered his arm, the holographic imagery faded, and his weapon disengaged. Unsure if he should, Xuan allowed small inhales, and quickly realised he was breathing normal air.
‘H-how…am I dead?’
‘HA! Come on Xuan you are smarter than that. I am here. Though looking at this universe, it won’t be for much longer’
‘This universe?’
‘Fancy a walk? I do, here I’ll change your attire’, the stranger waved his hands and by astonishment yet again, Xuan no longer wore an environmental suit, in fact, it wasn’t much of a change of clothes as he had been wearing them underneath the suit. Black shirt, black trousers, only thing that stood out was the steel belt and a stark contrast between himself and the stranger. Less encumbered, it was freeing, but he couldn’t help himself to not feel as if he were naked, exposed to all the elements that belonged to this remnant of a world.
‘Do not worry your suit is back in your place all nicely folded, come, we’ll head up this way as I can see a hill that we can climb. Leads up to the ridge’, he nodded his head into the direction of said hill and together, they walked.
‘Are their others?’, Xuan asked.
‘No, just you and me’
‘Me then, just me…okay, so you’re some multidimensional being that can travel through space and time, who can clearly utilise universal physics to suit their needs?’
‘Pretty much’
‘Then why me, why here, what’s your motive???’
‘To talk’
‘I find that hard to believe, surely you’ve got others thin…’
Offended, the stranger snapped back not in rage but under cool assuredness.
‘What do you know of a nigh omnipotent being’s motives? Am I not allowed to spend my time talking to you…this universe is on the verge of…tearing itself apart, yes, I see its patterns. Thought you might have wanted company seeing you are the last living being in its existence’
‘I meant no disrespect’
The stranger chuckled.
‘None taken, though, I would be lying if I’d said I came without a motive. Now that you have been given a semblance of hope, of not being alone, as well as this universe coming to its end…how can I just leave you here?’
The two of them were half-way up the ridge and it was a lot brighter as they were no longer in the crater’s shadow.
‘In actuality, I could stop this universe from tearing itself apart’, he claimed.
‘But then what would that leave you with, eh? A dead universe, saying that, if I can stop it…I could make it start again, bring its people back…reverse time…so many things’
‘This place died a long time ago for me’, Xuan said.
–
Together they’d reached the rim of the crater, they stopped and gazed across its dark surface, with only some of that surface being revealed by filaments of light. Where they stood offered a good vantage point of Xuan’s home.
‘When my eyes opened, not these ones of course, how to say differently…when my consciousness became aware enough of the existence around it; there were fractures in the paradigm. I watched some that were already there, others formed before me, whereas others…ceased to be. But it was constant, a cycle of something and then nothing, or nothing then something. Still, even that nothing had to be something. Even I am not certain on the intricacies of all these primordial forces, let alone where I came from, nor how or why. I emerged similarly to the many forms of energies…further patterns, you could say, not necessarily to the ones that govern your reality, though predecessors they are. Where I come from, exists outside the rules, so to speak. Here I am talking to you in a form, one of my personal favourites in fact, a Humanoid, and apparently a shape that many lifeforms take…interesting that, least in my day-to-day dealings. I have worn many shapes, so those who have encountered me I may have been one of their briefest acquaintances- whether passing by, being a fleeting shadow, a glimpse in a mirror or a worst nightmare’
‘You are indeed a myriad of things’, Xuan said with raised brows.
‘Myriad?’, the being asked.
‘It means “many things”’
‘Hm, I quite like that, myriad’, he smiled, then continued.
‘Anyhow, since then…the light has fascinated me…all its creations and variations. The diversity of it all! Personally, I am not keen on silence, and not much on endings despite them being a part of the very creation I marvel at and…am a part of’
‘Variations?’, Xuan said, intrigued.
‘Of course, what is the word, parallel, alternate, different yet the same. In its entirety it is all one, though variations, nonetheless. Like a river, it can bear many streams, ultimately it is still the same river’
Xuan nodded in relative understanding. Yet that did not disregard the scientist in him…how, where, when, why????
All he had to go on was the word from an apparent being that hailed from a realm where logic was non-existent, as well as the very fabrics of the universes they inhabited within.
‘Is it only you, aren’t there more of you or anything else out there?’ proposed Xuan.
The being hesitated for a moment, then answered with a smile.
‘Just me as far as I know, as for other things, not certain- though could be a possibility. Say I have peered outside my space and glimpsed multiverses. Where they may be more me’s. Maybe we all are part of a greater being’, he trailed off. Xuan nodded again, then asked another question that regarded variations.
‘Back onto variations, your presence here expands on that?’
The being leaned in with a held hand high and said:
‘Exactly!’, he answered with a sudden wave of that held hand.
‘See here, is just a condensed fragment of my being, a projection, out of many- caused by my intervention into these universal matrixes. It is awfully dense in these places you live in. I had to turn myself, essentially, into a spotlight…and well, the dimensions between this universe and my place are not as…composed…as they were at a particular point’
Xuan turned and looked to the last remnant of the stars and appeared spaced out as his mind wondered elsewhere.
‘There are more of you?’
‘Oh yes…we’re all aware of ourselves…and the thoughts, as well, they’re the same, they are still my thoughts, though the actions or words I say may vary, vary vaaaaaaarrrryyyy…ooo’, the being’s body shook in a sensational manner, almost climatic, surge-like.
‘Excuuuuse me…that tends to happen when my, our, us, my…oh you get the picture…when I think, say or do the same thing within a singular, finite moment’
‘Interesting, some sort of multiversal synchronicity?’
The being looked up high to the starless black and purple sky.
‘In a way. Thing is, I can’t be everywhere at once, my focus can only focus onto a specific universe as well as its myriad branches. How to describe? Hmmmm…like a part of you is submerged in an ocean whereas the other side isn’t? You can still perceive what is going on above as well as below’
He returned his gaze back to Xuan.
‘Kind of like yours I suppose…you think you are less than you are…your consciousness, is fragile, but powerful. It all comes and goes from the aether. I can understand why though, with all these shapes…one can get lost in them’
‘Did you have difficulty finding a shape?’, asked Xuan.
‘When I first delved into these realms, yes, as I had no concept of a physical form. Had no clue on size, width, depth…mass, and time, well, where it was implemented at least’
‘Their are places without time?’
‘In a manner of speaking’, the being replied.
‘There are universes where time runs slowly, or faster, universes with varying degrees of composition in matter, anti-matter, dark matter and dark energy. Universes harbouring different levels of gravity. And there are ones that have no stars at all, made entirely of a fluidic composition…they’re even denser, about strangled me when I first went into one of those. Then there are universes with a much lighter vibe as well as its darker opposite. Truly, the paradigm never ceases in its amalgamation of creation’
‘But where does one universe end so that another can begin, how, what dictates the measurements, the rules, the what ifs, and where in this multiverse are they and where is the multiverse…what is the point?????????’
Xuan waved his arms frantically in the “air”, his expression of anguish caused by the unknowable.
‘As I mentioned earlier, even I don’t possess the definite answers to these questions. A key is all I can provide, and I shall, if you agree. Perhaps it’ll lead you to the answers you seek’
‘If the answers elude a being of your stature, what chance do I have?’
‘In the details, the patterns, ones you may see that I cannot perceive or understand. With a strand of this power, introduced, and combined into the material of your realms, maybe new patterns shall come forth, or even, patterns that are already there but are now…accessible’
A rumble coursed underneath the planet and caused bits of loose rock to crack and tumble. Though in the distance opposite them it was much worst. Xuan’s home, being on a high ground, a ground that bore unfortunate luck- fell in on itself, along with his home.
‘MY HOME! No…nooooooooo’, he cried, arms raised in the air, and then brought his hands to his face, as if to cradle it. Then out came a long sigh.
‘Well, isn’t that a party-pooper…’
The being watched Xuan in his solemn state, a tinge of, what would this be called- he searched within that multiversal consciousness…pity? The being experienced it before, with his many dealings with people and creatures alike, whenever they end up in situations that leave them with nothing.
With a click of those fingers the being could reverse time, though that wouldn’t stop the pattern that caused the quake, and thus the shattering. Unless that pattern was removed, if so, a separate timeline would splinter off from the one they inhabit.
‘Did you build that?’, the being asked.
A pause, no answer came right away.
‘I did’
Another pause.
‘It was a final endeavour…if I couldn’t give my people a home, I at least could give myself one, to die in’
Xuan looked up to the being.
‘What will this key offer me, then?’
The being tied his hands behind his back, strutted, and then regarded Xuan.
‘Near instantaneous travel across the Multiverse’
‘Near?’
‘Yes, before you can do a blip to wherever you must first enter the streams’
‘The streams?’
‘Layers harbouring information, dreams, nightmares, thoughts and…imagination’
Xuan’s eyes diverted away into thoughtfulness, and unironically tapped into the stream as he tried to picture it.
‘Every universe has one, and is, in essence, connected to each other. Which is why, to my understanding, is that imagination is the most prevalent force in all existence…including my own. It is usually where I learn languages of, people, in return I gain foreknowledge. These, streams, shall allow you to access a myriad of universes. Though I can’t guarantee which ones you would visit. You’ll have to figure out that yourself, whether by extrapolating the universal stream of a particular universe, or not, you may find a different way. Categorise as you would. But, if it is a place, you distinctly know, or are vaguely aware of…this key shall take you there, probably. Ultimately, with each of your travels, however they may go, organised or not, they will create diversity’
It was already evening, dusk, to be precise, yet it did not feel that way to Xuan. Clearly time did not matter since this being arrived. The last sliver of light vanished and all became dark. A click of fingers rang out, and a blue, ball of light blinked into existence.
‘What must I give in return?’
Unsure what Xuan asked, then came a chuckle from the being’s mouth, as he figured the context Xuan had referred to.
‘All your wealth, all your technological marvels…your soul’, he went into a full-blown laugh after he said that.
Xuan’s face remained stoic, his eyes a deadpan gaze.
‘Just a simple agreement, or not, you can stay here and pass on, along with the universe. All I am offering is the chance to propagate a better existence that you would find, fulfilling. Maybe give hope to another race of people, or if you somehow meet a version of your people, you could honour that promise you failed to give your own. You may even meet yourself…imagine the possibilities with two of you, three of you, four of…you get the gist’
The giant Endur scientist pulled himself up. He looked to the side, away from the being’s light, and peered into the surrounding darkness, which will be the fate of that last, dim star they orbited, even the planet they stood on will break down, and even atoms themselves shall be undone and the framework of this universe…would be shattered. Perhaps, unlike the being that possessed the means to stop a universe, perhaps he himself could find the answers in creating one, one that never ends. Quite the ambition, indeed.
‘Fine…I accept’
The being grinned brightly.
–
‘Right, in that case, your old suit will not do. I must make a new one, and by doing that I need to merge this universe’s stream just a little closer to us than it normally is’, the being raised his hands to the black sky, eyes closed, the light that lit the darkness, vanished. The process began.
Xuan watched intensely. The fabric of space above them fractured, tore, and whirled open. The planet was engulfed in a strange energetic miasma. Strands of pure light anchored themselves into the planet’s crust. The sky was a myriad of colours, both familiar and strange, yet the distinctive thing Xuan could make out was the swirls and streams within this emergent space. However, the more apparent it became, the stronger the whispers became…Xuan saw things that were and were not there, and that included the hearing aspect; voices that were dislocated from where they were, furthermore, the thoughts he perused became distant and distant, far away, to the point they were no longer his own. Despite this, the scientist in him was blown away.
‘How?’, he asked. All he got in return was a:
‘Shh! I am concentrating’
This wasn’t exactly how he pictured it, the vision Xuan witnessed was a place of either actual water or a liquid form. The other was a type of energy- which seemed closer to this interpretation rather than the former. The “sky” was embroidered with streaks, swirls and waves of whatever energy this place was composed of, and it appeared as streams that went along and around in a manner of all directions to no specific destination. The deeper Xuan peered into the shimmer of veil upon veil and so forth, shapes started to emerge, the whispers grew louder and the thoughts, that were not his but also his at the same time, grew prominent.
The being sensed this.
‘Careful, you must focus your mind here, as many a strange thing can…materialise here. Anyhow, I need to bring your suit back’
‘Huh, why?’
‘To use it as a foundation for your new one, I need to fuse its material with the stream’s, quickly think of a cool suit’
‘Er…’
‘Thank you, that’ll do’
He clicked his fingers and Xuan’s old suit appeared in the air above the being’s head. Miniscule versions of the strands of light that were anchored into the planet slithered out from nowhere, established an orbit and then began to wrap themselves around the suit. Xuan watched as it melted away and reformed again, though into a suit of the darkest black, slim and in which looked relatively, quite comfortable.
The being rose in the air, opposite the suit, eyes still close. With outstretched hands he performed movements in various ways, and with each change in movement new strands of light formed and integrated themselves into the suit. Xuan did not know if these hand movements were necessary, but it did stuff, so he decided to retain the questions, and simply do what he has been doing ever since the merging…observed.
‘There, it is done’, the being said as he opened his eyes and descended gently to the ground. He clicked his fingers.
Xuan’s hadn’t realised immediately, yet once he figured that the suit was no longer in the air or anywhere near the being, he looked upon himself. The new suit covered his giant body.
‘Well, how does it feel?’
The scientist flexed his arms and shoulders, he noted the softness, he barely felt he had it on. Xuan also noticed tiny golden lines that were interwoven across the entirety of the suit and possessed a subtle, yet constant glow of gold light that coursed along these lines in a random formation.
‘Soft…but…’
The being raised a brow.
‘But?’
‘It feels like it doesn’t belong here, as if it’s, misplaced’
‘Because it belongs to everywhere. It being infused with the stream’s waters, so to speak, gives it access to other universal branches of this universe, as well as other distant, separate universes. This suit allows you to exist in any, it is fully adaptable, just don’t take it off when the universe you are in is not your own as your very being shall, literally, break down. Similar universes with the same or near components to your original one, not so bad, you may be able to survive for a time, but you will have to wear the suit again’
‘How can I do that if my universe is on the verge of dying?’, Xuan proposed. The being shot a finger at him, impressed by the point Xuan, pointed out.
‘By making a pocket dimension…I’ll need to bring every instance of this planet and us into it…hold on tight’
Onto what!?’ Xuan demanded, panicked.
Though the being disregarded his question and went onto creating this pocket dimension. All the versions of the being coincided with the transition, as well as Xuan’s, and the planet they stood on. It was brief, but Xuan saw multiples of this planet, heard his own voice, of words he specifically never said. Across the sky all these planets converged onto one point, somehow, followed then by a lapse of darkness that overcame the man’s consciousness. Eventually, there was light, a surface, the being; as if nothing had happened. Only difference was, was that the sky now comprised of streams, partially, the rest were a mix of black, reminiscence of space, yet without stars. Except that the sun of this world was here, albeit a lot brighter and…alive’
Another major and notable difference was that there were now these humanoid figures, in black suits, everywhere. Exactly like Xuan. Aside from several…a dozen? Some appeared smaller, thinner…feminine? Then, a voice boomed, not into their ears, but into that gooey, wired organ within their skulls. This came voice emanated all around them, yet somehow all of them intuitively locked eyes onto the source, least those who could as far as Xuan could tell there were figures on the horizon, and likely, beyond. A light bloomed above, brighter than the star that shone over the horizon. Xuan squinted and upon closer inspection, saw a figure, that in one moment resembled a humanoid shape then a ball of energy to then a humanoid again. A constant transition.
‘Welcome all, this pocket dimension is completed, here all of you can converge, exchange knowledge, trade, experiment and rest’
‘How many of us are there?’, one Xuan bellowed.
‘Same, I was thinking that too’
‘Me to’
‘Those of you who agreed…six million, three hundred thousand, two hundred and fifty-four’
The expressions on all Xuans, including Xuan himself, were of astonishment.
‘Six million, three hundred thousand, two hundred and fifty-four variants of myself are on this planet, right now!?’ One Xuan next to Xuan said.
‘What about the others who did not agree?’, another asked the being.
‘You are all smart, most of you…’
‘Hey!’ one shouted from the distance.
‘Wonder if our other versions can hear what their asking?’
‘Wonder if our other versions can hear what their asking?’
Two Xuans posed, not to the being but aloud, they were not far from Xuan and the questionees stood side-by-side, both locked gazes, and laughed.
‘They exist within their universes, waiting for death’, the being finished.
Gloom covered their faces, yet acceptance, clearly, these Xuans are all the what ifs to those who chose this path. One single thought passed through each version of this scientist:
‘That could have been me…’
The being heard it, then went onto his next piece.
‘I leave you now, but I will keep an eye on all your adventures…the multiverse is yours’
However, before the being could return to wherever it is from, another single thought rolled like mass wave inside every Xuan, and none of them asked, but the being heard it and engaged.
‘Again, you are all smart, you are Xuan, but to give you all a hint…frequencies. Every universe possesses one, each stream can have a multitude, leading to those specific universes. You can also move anywhere in here, teleport to that sun, fly to any of those streams around you. Remember, your thoughts have power here, as this dimension in its technicality, exists as an in-between. Also, check out your holographic tools. You’ll notice I have done a few…upgrades. This place shall, in addition, be a beacon. Simply double tap that extra sigil I engraved into your tool, or if memory serves well- meditate upon this place; and you shall return here’
Then the being left, it blipped out, and so every Xuan present here spoke amongst themselves. Discoursed about their own paths in life, family, hobbies, likes and dislikes, histories of their respective universes, plans for where to go and what to do. Other Xuans, like our own one in this story, kept quiet, and simply listened.
Xuan examined his holographic tool, and noticed the weapon systems had been raised, utility-wise, an upgraded frequency tuner and a software that was able to make resonance maps, but on a universal scale. As well as an expanded storage space for any valuable or useful information Xuan might find. Finally, the sigil the being had mentioned, distinct with a purple tone, as the rest of the holographic tool was of an amber/gold colourisation. It was a circle with swirls inside, that went around in a manner akin to a swirling staircase or vortex.
–
He said no word to any variant of his and proceeded to fly, up up and away into the fray of flowing streams. Others seen his departure, inspired, some followed whereas some went their separate ways. A strand of light drew close to Xuan’s vicinity, its size was that of your standard rope. With an outstretched hand, once close enough, he clasped onto it. Suddenly, he was whirled away, and in that moment the sense of control slipped away. The man’s consciousness waned and wasn’t sure if he were physically there or in a dream state, or neither. It was bizarre, new, horrifying yet equally fascinating. It felt like it could go on forever, he did not know how to stop, did he even want to? But he did. What a place he found himself in…an ocean? A space ocean. Xuan came upon something though, that resembled a mirror, and there was no reflection of him. What he saw, were blistering fields of galaxies, seeded with stars, many with planets, some without, and rarely ones that harboured life. Comparable to the stelliferous age of many common universes, such as Xuan’s.
The Endur’s giant hand placed itself against this barrier and at the moment of the touch, a gentle pull guided him inside. His being melted into it, integrated with it. Thus, became one with this universe, and potentially many more. The possibilities are open, and they are endless.
–
And they are open to you too, reader, whomever you may be. Thank you for the time (if any) you took to have read these words. Whether you found enjoyment, hate, confusion, indifference, a mix of all four? It matters not, I simply want to convey gratitude and wish that your adventures shall bring a sense of fulfilment that embellishes the existence we are all a part of. I see you, and shall watch these adventures, with constant intrigue.
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