“System, you’re there?”

[Yes, User Tobias Wong. How may I assist you?]

“Just wondering where you’ve been for the past 6 months. You haven’t said a word since giving me the mission.”

[The System has been with you all this time, User.]

“Well, you could have said something. I was working on a new technology and created several prototypes, including one that was well-acclaimed. Some rewards would have been nice.”

[Rewards are given to User Tobias Wong for completing missions that had been given. The Raging Steam is a prototype and not considered to be a legitimate battlesuit. Please work harder.]

I couldn’t help but chuckle. That was so like the System. “How about some skills then? I mean I did manage to put Mana into a working prototype. That must be worth a skill or two.”

[The work User Tobias Wong did to integrate magic with Steam and Clockwork technologies was very impressive. Normally, skills would had been given.]

“Normally? Why the difference this time?”

[The user was on a time sensitive mission. It was clear to the System that Tobias Wong would not be able to complete the mission in the time left. Takeover protocol is in place. The System did not give the skills as they would be useless to the user once Takeover is activated.]

I frowned at that. “System, what is the Takeover protocol.”

[The Takeover protocol is a protocol The Mad Triple put in place should any users failed any of their missions. The creator, The Mad Triple, install a video message for all the users regarding the protocol. Do User Tobias Wong wish to see it?]

“Yes.” The answer was immediate. I wanted to know what this Takeover protocol was, and why my father put it in me.

[User Tobias Wong had failed the mission. Takeover protocol activated. User Tobias Wong had chosen to see the video. Commencing body lock.]

An electric charge raced through me. I felt a quick stinging sensation, then nothing. It came so fast I thought I had imagined it, then horror came over me. I couldn’t move. My body was not responding, and I remember what the System said, Takeover! I couldn’t move my mouth, but my cybernetics still worked. I quickly send the System a message.

“System, what is the meaning of this?”

[Playing video.]

The System ignored me, and a program began running in my cybernetics. It was a video. It showed a dark metallic room. Different machines filled it and in the middle of the room was an old man lying on reclining chair. The video focused on the man and I realized that calling the man old was an understatement. Hairless, a sunken face, a skeletal body with countless tubes connected to him, he was ancient. I did not need the System to tell me who he was.

“Let’s see, who is it this time?” The Mad Triple looked over at a small screen on his left and smiled. “Tobias Wong? Faye’s boy. Yes, I remember her. She was lovely. Beautiful wings.”

The Mad Triple leaned back in his chair as a memory overcame him. I felt a punch to my gut. Age can bring low the greatest of men, and this was the case for my father. The Mad Triple looked at the camera and gave me a sad smile.

“Tobias, I am sorry. If you are seeing this video, it means that you are about to die.” A wave of dread came over me as my father continued. “As you can no doubt tell, I am dying. I am now well over two hundred years old, so this doesn’t come as a surprise. However, like most old men at the end of their time, I fear what is to come. It is ironic. All the times I had put my life in danger, and I now finally feel fear while dying in my bed. I would laugh if it didn’t hurt so much.”

“Now, some people might say I had lived long enough. I shall admit there is some truth to that. I had lived a long and exciting life. The System had no doubt told you of my successes in technology, magic, and cultivation. I would like to assure you that all of it is true. There are such things as magic and cultivation in this world, and my long life is proof of them. It was not enough. I want more. I want to live forever. So, I found a few like-minded people and together, we seek to crack the secrets of immortality.”

“Our group did not stay together long, but it was a fruitful collaboration. I wouldn’t say we all got what we wanted out of the project, but I did. I used their knowledge and expertise to create the System. Yes, I mean the System that is currently inside you. I had disguised the System as a gift, and I hope you had used it to your full advantage. It would make the takeover far smoother for me.”

“As you may have guessed by now, the Takeover Protocol is just that. I am taking over your body and I wish to explain the procedure to you before you go. I owned you that much. You see Tobias, true immortality does not exist. The human body deteriorate, the mind age, and nothing my group did could change any of that. So, we proposed several workarounds. The one we had the most success with, was the transfer of consciousness.”

My mind raced as I heard this. This sounded very much like what the professor was doing. Does this mean the professor and my father were working together?