"Middle Triumvarate" Book 1 Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Hey! Second chapter is done, so here you go.

Maeve staggered as the indescribable sensations ended, slamming her head into the door in front of her. It had been like the worst turbulence she’d even experienced on a plane combined with full body pain, along with feelings she struggled to explain. The sudden transition from feeling everything at once to all of it stopping left her nauseated and dizzy. She could hear Scarlett gagging behind the door and let go of her arm as she pulled it back. She slumped against the wall and dropped down to sit and wait for the dizziness to pass.

Ed propped one hand against the wall a few feet away and started heaving, his free hand against his mouth as he tried not to vomit. Alex copied Maeve in sitting against the wall, holding Amelia in his lap as she shook.

“That was terrible.” Scarlett groaned through the door.

“It did warn us,” Maeve managed to gasp out, which earn her a rueful chuckle from Amelia.

“What happens now?” Amelia asked.

“I’m guessing we open our eyes and see the next message from this System.” After a few deep breaths to fight the nausea, Maeve did just that.

---

The first stage of Universal Integration is complete. Your universe has been transfered and is now part of the Greater Quezeuq Energy Connected Universe, commonly referred to as the Greater Universe.

During the transfer of your universe the following immediate changes to your planet have occurred:

Planet size increased by 57%. Gravitational changes due to this have been lowered, gravitational pull is now 1.2% higher. Spatial expansion has increased usable planetary area by 37%. This expansion is not geographical or related to planetary mass and does not affect gravitational pull. Spatial expansion is 93% stable. This is a great result! Geographical shuffling and additions due to planetary and spatial expansions are 85% logical. This is a good result! Loss of human life following universal transfer is currently at 37%. While this can in no way be called good due to the large number of deaths, this is a lower than average number of people to lose at this stage of Universal Integration.

---

Maeve stared at the screen in horror.

Alex choked. “Holy fucking shit. That’s… that’s more than three billion people dead! How the fuck did that many people die that fast?” His eyes jerked to the side. “That’s… I mean…” His head dropped down, “Fuck.”

Maeve mentally asked the same question, prompting the System to show her the same message.

---

There are several major factors that influenced the current death toll. First and foremost, the system did not have access to enough Quezeuq Energy to initialize early enough to provide a true warning to Earth. Most planes were not able to land in less than ten minutes, and a large number of car crashes occurred as many did not believe the System’s warnings that technology would fail or were not able to safely pull over and exit their vehicle. Planetary and spatial expansions resulted in many buildings collapsing. A statistically low, but still large in raw numbers, amount of people were not able to physically handle resulting in their deaths.

The next few parts are important so save your questions for later and pay attention.

---

“It just told me to save my questions and pay attention to the next part,” Alex informed them all just as Maeve finished reading.

“Me too. It also said my name.”

“What?” They all turned to look at her, except Ed who was still trying not to barf.

“When we were running to find Scarlett, I looked at the message with the countdown to check the time, and it said ‘Hurry Maeve’.”

“It said my name too.”

Maeve glanced over to see Scarlett had pulled enough stuff away from the door for her to scoot part of the way through. He skin was covered in sweat and the red hair that had earned her her nickname clung to her face in clumps. “When I was tearing stuff down to get the door open looked over and it said ‘You can do it, Scarlett!’”

Amelia looked up from Alex’s chest with a frown. “That’s…”

“Alarming? Terrifying? Encouraging? Hopeful?” Maeve suggested. “The System is big brother, but it wants us to succeed? I’m not sure exactly how to feel about that.”

---

The System does want you to succeed, and you need to live to do that. Pay attention!

Quezeuq energy will begin flooding Earth shortly, as the Quezeuq Energy in the rest of the Greater Universe begins filling the areas in your universe that are lower in energy density, seeking homeostasis. As Quezeuq Energy begins to fill Earth, flora, fauna, and some non-living materials will begin to change. Living creatures will mutate, changing physically or gaining new abilities, while non-living materials will begin to animate, gaining the ability to move or even coming to life. These mutated or newly born creatures are referred to as “monsters” by the rest of the Greater Universe, and yes, they are exactly what most of you are assuming. A vast majority of monsters will try and kill you and you’re going to have to work, and fight, to survive. The System prevents Quezeuq Energy from mutating sapient life, however it cannot prevent Quezeuq Energy from permeating you, and wouldn’t even if that were possible. Monsters will try and kill you to take your Quezeuq Energy, and you should do the same to them. Quezeuq Energy can be harvest and refined to make you stronger in all kinds of ways, and doing so will greatly increase your chances of survival in this new world. The System will direct the refinement of the Energy in your body, you just have to harvest it. The System is aware that not everyone will be able to fight for their lives or for more power, though, which is why more than one optional path is available.

---

Maeve heard a muted ding and a small light began to pulse in the lower left corner of her vision. Looking down at it, she saw a small bar of options, with one saying “Quests” glowing.

---

All living people have been assigned a Quest by the System, designed to keep as many people alive as possible. This is the Systems goal, the survival of as many sapient beings as possible. While the survival of the individual is important, wanted, and supported, it is not the main priority. Each individual person must struggle to survive for themselves, and for those around them. The System will provide aid as possible and within the System’s tenets, but it isn’t going to hold your hand or do anything for you. If you want to live, you need to ensure that you do. Access your Quests tab when you’re ready to being, but it is highly recommended that you don’t dawdle, monsters may begin spawning at any time, and will spawn at a high rate until Quezeuq Energy density beings to settle. This process will take roughly 27-31 hours. Following the initial density settling period, Quezeuq Energy will continue to fill your world until the newly expanded Greater Universe reaches equilibrium. Global monster populations will remain high until this happens, which will take anywhere from 1.5 to 3.75 years.

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The screens dumping info stopped for a moment, and with nothing else to do Maeve opened the blinking quest tab to see what the System wanted her to do. She mentally selected the tab and a brand new screen appeared in front of her, this one looking like a typical quest log from an MMO. There was only one entry, titled Make it to Safety/Become Your Own Safety.

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Quest: Make it to Safety or Become Your Own Safety

As Quezeuq Energy fills your world and monsters begin to spawn worldwide, a majority of surviving humans are in danger. However, Quezeuq Energy doesn’t fill a world evenly, and some areas are denser than others with Energy, resulting in higher danger. The lowest density areas are the safest, with the weakest monsters, and a large number of them have been artificially safeguarded from monster spawning by the System. Make your way to the nearest Safe Zone and you won’t have to worry about monsters appearing next to you while you sleep.

With all things in life, there’s also another option. Instead of running for your life, fight back against the threats that want to take it from you. Killing monsters is the fastest way to gather Quezeuq Energy, which will empower you and make you strong enough to survive the dangers to come. Reach a high enough level to consistently survive in the area you’re in and you’ll have the same chance of living as someone who makes it to a Safe Zone.

You are currently in a medium danger density zone. For you to survive here, you’re going to need to make it to at least level 10. Fight and level, run to a Safe Zone, or do a little of both, it’s up to you. They’re all viable options and the only bad thing you can do here is give up and die.

Success Conditions: Make it to a Safe Zone

Reach level 10

Make it a lower level danger zone and reach the necessary level for that zone

Failure Conditions: Die

Difficulty: Variable (Personal Difficulty: Achievable)

Rewards: System Boon(s) (Rarity Based on Difficulty/Achievements)

Experience (Variable)

Penalties: You’ll be dead

This is an introductory quest and is automatically accepted.

---

Scarlett had finished digging herself out of the barricaded room and stepped out to join the rest of them by the time Maeve had finished reading the quest. She waited quietly as everyone else read it over, with Ed having to catch up to everyone else now that he was done dry heaving in the corner. Maeve pushed herself to her feet and Alex followed her lead, helping Amelia stand too. Right before Maeve was going to start speaking, the System popped up with one final message.

---

This is the end of the general information dump. More general information may be accessed by asking the System questions. The System may not always respond. Not all questions will be answered. Some answers require higher levels, removing yourself from your current situation, or even payment. The more specific the question, the less likely you are to receive an answer. The System has learned that self sufficiency is the best way to ensure each individual lives, and thus the System encourages you to live and grow yourself, with minimal direct assistance from the System.

Anyone not within a Safe Zone will now be provided with a temporary compass that points towards the nearest Safe Zone. The color of the arrow corresponds to the density of Quezeuq Energy in your local area. Red is high, green is low. If your arrow turns black, run for your life in the direction the arrow points.

Do your best to live, all of you.

---

When the message vanished, a small tree dimensional arrow appeared in the top corner of Maeve’s vision. It spun around for a moment before coming to a rest, pointing off in the distance. As it did, it slowly began to fill with color until it was painted yellow with a tint of orange to it. Maeve didn’t know which cardinal direction the arrow was pointing off the top of her head, but she was pretty sure it was away from the closest town, which was probably going to be a problem, since Scarlett lived there with her mom. Maeve, Amelia, and Alex lived in a slightly larger town about an hour’s drive away from the museum, and the arrow wasn’t pointing that direction either.

That’s assuming anything is where it was before this, Maeve realized. The planet got bigger and things got moved around according to the System, so we could be somewhere completely different, or either town could be. There’s no telling right now.

“What should we do?” Amelia asked, looking at Maeve.

Maeve took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She glanced up, just then noticing the electric lights were out and the only light was coming from the small windows set near the ceiling. “We need gear and supplies. Since this appears to be some version of the apocalypse and monsters are going to try and steal us, we’re going to loot. There’s food in the vending machines we can grab, and there are weapons and armor in the medieval and civil war exhibits we can take. Even if they’re museum pieces, something is better than nothing.”

“I brought me and Alex’s gear in my car.” Ed told them all, “I was bringing it to him so we could get some practice bouts in later, it’s newer than anything the museum will have, and it’s fitted to me and Alex.”

“We’ll still hit some exhibits for other stuff, since they’re closer and since the three of us will still need something, but that’s really good, Ed.”

“Should we try and grab any guns?” Scarlett asked, “The security office might have some, and I’d rather be shooting at a monster than trying to run up on one and bonking it with a sword.”

---

Chemical reactions will be changed by the infusion of Quezeuq Energy similarly to the disruption of technology and electrically powered devices. It is recommended to avoid firearms until you are able to acquire a System protected firearm or otherwise protect the ammunition from Quezeuq Energy. Attempting to fire a gun will likely result in a more potent chemical reaction than necessary to fire the weapon.

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Scarlett scowled at the message that popped up in front of them. “No guns, got it. It was a long shot that security would have any guns lying around that we could just grab, but it would have been nice.”

“I was going to recommend we use my truck to get to wherever this Safe Zone is, since it’s  an old enough car to not have much electrical parts, but if the engine’s just going to explode…” He shook his head.

“Yeah, that’s a no go.” Alex kissed Amelia on the side of the head before walking over to the door leading out of the restoration department. “I don’t see any movement outside. Let’s go, but everyone keep your eyes peeled for monsters.”

“We don’t know anything about what they look like, right?” Scarlett followed behind him, scanning the ceiling as they walked,

“There’s not many living things here that aren’t humans, so they’re likely to be things that aren’t alive suddenly moving and trying to kill us.” Maeve told her. “Watch out for exhibits coming after us or computers coming off of desks.” She paused as they started to move from the staff only hallway into the closest exhibit floor. “Everyone, wait.”

“Do you see something?”

“Not a monster.” She grabbed a decorative flag from and pulled it out of the stand holding it in place. Pulling the flag off and keeping the pole, she held it out to Ed. “ Temporary weapons. There’s only three of these, so Ed, Alex, and Scarlett will each get one. You two fight with melee weapons on the regular, and Scarlett you’re in better shape than either Amelia or I.”

Scarlett looked at her from the side as she accepted the wooden flag pole. “You’re more on top of this than I am, I feel like I’m going to wake up and this is going to be a shitty dream any second.”

“I’m used to stressful situations and thinking on my feet. This is the first time it’s really translated form Dungeons and Dragons and video games into real life, but I guess the critical thinking skills are the same.” Maeve laughed without any real humor in it.

They pushed forward, with Alex in the lead, the three girls in the middle, and Ed holding up the rear. They walked slowly, constantly scanning for monsters as they traveled past exhibit after exhibit mainly focused on the history of Georgia and the local area in particular.

“Wait!” Amelia stopped and pointed off to the side. “There are first aid kits in the bathrooms, we should take those!”

“Good idea.” Maeve started to head in and jerked to a stop when Alex grabbed her arm.

“Let me or Ed go in first.” He stuck his head in before advancing into the bathroom and opened each door with his pole before nodding. “Nothing moving.”

Maeve and Amelia grabbed both first aid kits from those bathrooms and they continued on into the Civil War exhibits. As they rounded the corner and started passing maps and models that showed Sherman’s March and explaining it’s long term consequences on the American South, they heard glass breaking and the sound of something heavy slamming into the ground from just up ahead.

“What do we do?” Scarlett hissed.

“We see what it is and figure out if we can kill it.” Maeve whispered back. “The System told us that killing monsters is the best way to get stronger, whatever that means in the end. But killing monsters to level up to kill more monsters is the core loop of anything with level ups.”

“How are you so calm?” Ed asked, whispering like anyone else. “Hell, why am I so calm? I feel like I’m going to lose my shit, and then I just don’t.”

“The System’s probably suppressing emotions that would lead to us freaking out. It said its main goal was to have as many people live as possible. Everyone panicking right when monsters come crawling out of the woodwork is probably counter to its goals of keeping us alive.”

“That’s fucked up, and somehow understandable.”

“I’m guessing we’re going to be feeling that way about a lot of what the System does, if the novels my brothers made me read are anything like reality. Now everyone shut up, there are monsters up ahead.”