Bombsii
IM ON THE ROAD ON THE ROAD TO VIRIDIAN CITYYYY~
[Mankind tests its power & bastardises everything it touches through a generational tale up Mt. Fallacy, an AI mountain playing God.]
PROLOGUE - Making History
“I want to touch it.” Said the naïve child.
The boy’s curious eyes were transfixed on the colossal giant, towering above all of civilisation. The epoch of sophisticated culture had gathered in the Aether Pantheon on this day to make history. Feats of brilliance and technological understanding had led to discoveries beyond mortal comprehension, for mankind had transcended every material goal in their path- on the road to becoming so much more than mere mortals. Having conquered the surface, the seas, the skies and the constellations- only one wall remained- omniscience.
“Behave boy, the mighty Pari Passu is no toy. Now quiet! The Venture is about to speak.” Said the boy’s frustrated mother, pulling on his arm.
Across all of the worlds, the mighty iron Titan had brought all of humanity together today on Earth, their planet of foundation- to do just as it had been designed to do- lead humanity to Godhood. In entered the elite as four figures emerged from beneath the ground, commanding an instant atmosphere of presence. A hooded middle-aged man in the highest of garb tailed by two associates guarding the floating figure behind. A small, impossibly elderly man who’s every slightest action felt like it carried the weight of the universe. The assembled reaches of mankind watched the Venture in awe. He was of the most influential and intelligent beings the universe had to offer- second only now to the metallic Pari Passu, he looked up to it in scorn.
The ancient man and his loyal Hoodsman levitated to the center podium in graceful decorum as all mouths fell silent. The Venture as grand as he was, was hardly known for his speeches- so much so that this may have been his first words this turn of the century. As mankind’s anticipation reached its peak, Earth’s wisest lips curled open into a smile.
“Humankind…” he uttered. The world watched in awe and adoration. Trembling at the thought of what words may follow and what monumental weight they would carry. “…Everything man has done is yours. The common man to the greatest inventor, the pioneers to the explorers to the labourer to the…common man, this is your achievement.” He slowly managed. The hooded man unveiled, revealing a middle-aged face. This was the head of the Transcendence Scientific Unit, the man representing the many little men who created the work that stood before them.
“Thank you Venture, for it was not just technology that led us here but all of us, our way of life that founded our next, our final vehicle. Of course unlike before this vehicle will not be transportation in any lateral sense but instead to allow us to comprehend our imperfections and finally take us to another plane of existence! Cheers filled the stadium, as people of all ages and backgrounds embraced the idea of the bigger picture…and how convenient that would be for them. Children and adults alike were all too welcome to accept Godhood.
“Now! Parri Passu! Grant us the final progress! Knock down the final wall!” chanted the Hoodsman, arms stretched out as if heralding a God. The Parri Passu some would argue was akin to such a thing, a marvel of abstract thinking & mechanical engineering at the end of its development. At the beckon of the audience of the human race, the omniscient mech body knelt like a statue. Face like a sculpted statue of old and a gigantic fist laid out on the ground, as if about to bestow a present to a small child. As the crowd roared, cheering the granting of all of their desires, a bright light began to emanate from its hand. The key to absolution, its robotic fingers began to unfold as violently beating hearts finally saw their key in the palm of its hand…..
There was nothing. The palm of its hand laid out on the ground presenting nothing. The longest collective silence in human history dropped.
“What?” finally escaped out of the Hoodsmans mouth. He stood there looking for answers, as his desperation turned to anger. How human of him.
“What!?” Screamed the low-tone elite, followed by the violent expression of denial of “No!” He spoke for the human race. “Impossible! There’s more! We know there’s more to the universe than this, we know because of you, Parri Passu!” He continued, not stopping for breath. His screams echoed the pantheon and resonated with everybody it rattled.
“Have we reached the ceiling? I refuse it, no I know it to not be true- so why do you deny us?!” He continued. “Does our ability not move you? Does our ambition not inspire you? Have you never dreamed of things beyond your grasp?” The titan stared back at him coldly, no expressions to read- but many lost and devastated faces around the capital filling the pantheon with distraught sadness. Finally, cracking his voice and extinguishing the fire in his heart- the man let out one final, roaring statement.
“We will play in infinity!” as he keeled over, slowly falling to his knees and gasping for the air of the entire collective human race. The Venture eyed the mech, silent. Slowly, a humming came from the mech in reply- the fingers writhed as it brought something new into creation. Not an answer or a tool, something other-wordly. A small ball exploded from the palm of its hand, vibrating the blood of everybody in radius of witness, the waves of power died down as it motionlessly presented its gift. The Venture, suddenly shocked to the core eyed it- unsure of what it had produced.
The ball was no bigger than a human head but on upon viewing, went infinitely deep. The stadium stared into the abyss, transfixed by the dark purple static inside the ball, unstable black lines ecstatically jumping around as if somebody had scribbled something out within it- nobody could turn their eyes away. When suddenly, a human hand reached out and made contact with the sphere- an unknown hand unidentified to this date. It grasped the foreign object as it slowly developed its internal reaction. The ball reacted to the unknown touch and imploded, splitting particles and resetting the world to what generations have known it as today. Matter reconstituted itself into a jagged vengeful mountain. The icy hellscape known today as Mt. Fallacy. This hand truly had made history- by bringing the end of the world.
“And what’s the moral of this tale kids?” Asked a native sensei, generations later.
“Don’t play God.” Answered the school of young children.
---
CHAPTER #1 - Who Ended the World?
The former God Parri Passu sat in the primitive igloo, perusing this old memory as it vacantly watched over the young school of children listening to their teacher finish the tale. It’s new body much smaller and thrown-together than its previous form- a sad cluster of automaton arms and robotic expressionless screens with a small drive plugged into its worn, rag-tag body. It watched, vacantly.
“Good! Listen to your elders and remember that banded together we are…?”
“Strong!” Chanted the children in unison. Harah, the clan matron smiling at the front at her bemused model class despite the perilous blizzard outside. They sat around in a circle on the cold ice, warmed by the fire, it burned more intensely as another voice chimed in.
“Fools”. A snide look on her face as she rested against the cavern entrance. This was Kana, of the Noguhdt clan- daughter of the tribe leader. “That makes you all...fools. According to that silly little adaptation of yours, not wanting to be a submissive little sheep is what doomed us all to horrible frozen deaths.” The children’s smiles began to fade, the woman’s hardy presence filled the room and the burning fire nearly extinguished by the gale of icy wind that seemed to follow her. Harah comforted the cradled younglings and looked up at her in disgust.
“Enough from you! Don’t listen to the horrible brute children, the moral of the story is stay strong. Listen to one another, together we survive.” She reassured them, slightly pleadingly.
Kana took charge of the room, “and what a nice little retelling it is. Though I don’t think I quite agree with what you’re teaching our young Harah…and neither would my Father, would he?”
“I don’t answer to the Clan Leader, my allegiance is to the Elder.” Replied the motherly woman trying to keep her cool. “He’s an ancient brick! Even if I knew why we keep that ancient relic around, god knows that’s not how it’d want that story told!”
“Insolent child!” the older woman bellowed, “Your idiotic father has been brainwashing you hasn’t he? The damned sacrilege. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were his lineage who reached out and touched the sphere in the first place!”.
Kana hit the lady. A slap across her face knocking her to the floor, the children began to cry. Kana had lashed out and regained her cool…assessing the situation, she was embarrassed by her actions and went to leave.
“Sorry Robo-Gramps…I…didn’t mean to.” She uttered to the decrepit pile of gears in the corner. It gave a silent expressionless reply as it sat there and continued to watch eternity unfold.