Bonus Chapter 5

Doctor Thurston Charleston (13th Universe)

The emergence of the plague was like something out of a children’s tale. One where people showed their true inner demons and began running wild in the world. Oddly enough, only the doctor seemed immune. Worse he wasn’t even the right type of doctor to really be attending to people.

Yet, despite being the exact wrong type of doctor he had two things that made him absolutely perfect for helping in this situation. First he had an undying want to help others, going so far as to volunteer at shelters and food distribution points for the infected. Second, he had a seemingly boundless faith that permeated from him. Everyone who took a moment to pray with him slowly got better.

That was the thing, it started with just a handful of people that were drawn to him and his free food. But over time, people noticed. Everyone that ate from his food and prayed with him got better, while those that refused to pray got worse. In the end it was a no brainer, even the unbelievers found themselves going forward and just bowing their heads. This gesture alone was enough for the miracle of Dr. Charleston to work.

No one exactly knew why this was the case, only that it was the case. People tried to take blood samples, and conduct different tests, but in the end nothing could scientifically prove the miracle that everyone was seeing with their own eyes.

In the end Dr. Charleston decided to give up his practice and go to the worst infected parts of the world. Immediately upon hearing about him, people would gather round and beg to be healed.

Burn pits were quickly established for the bodies of those who died. While others were funneled to se Dr. Charleston who made it his mission in life to see and help as many people as possible. He was thankful for what he had been given.

Unfortunately, this one act of kindness would end up being his undoing. An investigative journalist who sought to bring about the life and times of Dr. Thurston Charleston discovered a dark history when looking into his background. Actually, that isn’t exactly the way to phrase what was found. For nothing was found. The man, the myth that was Dr. Charleston was little more than a paper thin background for a person that never existed. There were no birth records, no school records, even the transcripts that said he was a verified Doctor of Psychology were from a school that had been purchased and consolidated into a mega campus, making his Doctoral work all but impossible to back track and truly verify.

In the end, the news story that was meant to be an expose about the man who risked his life to save countless lives, quickly turned dark as many saw this as little more than the guilty conscience of a man with many dark secrets to hide.

***

Jessica Childers (14th Universe)

To say that she was underwhelmed with the sample of meat she had been given was an understatement. Especially when she knew what this person had pushed themselves into becoming all for her.

In a way it was like she had awoken to find herself caught up in her very own personal fairy tale. She had been in a coma, that much she was certain of. Then out of nowhere her prince charming came. Rugged, handsome, with muscles, good looks, and he could play the violin. He saved her, over and over. Making it so she was one of the most powerful recruits to ever come out of the temple. She had over 150 attributes to spread out and apply, that was all before the strange man offered her a way to level and gain more powers.

Now with an Omega level class, that was well over level 100 with all eight powers slotted she was nearly unstoppable. She had her choice of anyone she could want. Yet, she had chosen him.

“Come on. Just one more set.” Jess found herself saying to Kyle Goldman, her version of Kyle that is.

Panting.

“I can’t.” Kyle complained.

That was the other thing, this Kyle complained a lot. For the most part, Jess could understand his problem. They were clearly on different power levels; she was well above his ranking, and he knew it. Still, he seemed to put up with it, if only for the chance to be with her.

Trembling, collapse.

His arms gave out, as he reached muscle failure.

That was the other thing, this Kyle Goldman was just a Wizard. Someone who had amazing magic powers and potential, but someone who was not focused in the slightest on their physical conditioning. Still, despite just being a month in, her Kyle had seen drastic improvements in nearly every physical attribute. The only problem was he could never keep up with her. This of course was to be expected, as Jess had made it so that each of her Attributes, even the physical ones were all over twenty points each. Her power rating was at an astounding forty points, the most it could go for her current level.

Huff.

Jess gave an annoyed huff, as she pushed out another set of the circuit they had set up. It was unfair, she knew it. The other grandpa, who looked and acted much younger than he looked was everything she wanted in a man, in a partner. She knew he said he was from a different universe, but what were they feeding their kids in that universe steroids? Gods he had been everything she wanted. Still she forced herself to calm down. Baby steps, just as he had to carry me. So too must I carry him.

Just as Jess was about to call it off for the night, Kyle finally managed to get to a sitting position. It was clear he was well beyond the point of muscle failure as even now his body trembled as he pushed himself up.

“I can’t do this.” Kyle finally managed to say.

Hearing that Jess just nodded. “Yeah, we might need to dial you back a bit.”

“No, I mean this.” Kyle said, as exhaustion filled his voice.

“What?”

“This, I can’t do this. Whatever this is, whatever you want me to be. I can’t get there as quickly as you want. I don’t know who you are constantly comparing me to, but I am not them. I won’t ever be them.” Kyle said, as he finally managed to fight his way up to his wobbly feet.

“Wait, I.”

“No, I’ve been dealing with this for a while. You are amazing. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I am honored that you would even consider me for the time you did. But I know now I can never be who you want me to be. I am not him, whoever this mythical god like being that you think I can be is. Nor do I think I will ever be able to be there.” Kyle said, as pain filled his eyes.

Hearing his words, Jess looked confused for a second.

“Wait what?”

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend to be someone I am not. I hate the violin. I hate the way you are forcing me to be someone I am not. I just can’t do it anymore. I think you need to find whoever it is that you really want and be with them.” Kyle said.

At that, he turned and stormed off.

Jess looked on in shock and horror at Kyle’s slender retreating back.

“He hates the violin?” Jess found herself repeating, as she watched him retreat. She stewed in anguish for a few moments before finally returning to her barracks room. She had been made many offers, most of which would mean she would make a lot of money and be allowed to break her initial service contract. Opening her wallet, she pulled out one of the cards that she had kept. One from an attractive blonde who had initially interviewed her a few weeks back, shortly after her awakening.

Rather than ask her about her levels, and what she experienced during her trials. The reason this person stood out was for the fact that they asked her about not the trials themselves, but about the man who had walked her through her trials. The same man who said to be patient with this universe’s version of himself.

Pulling out the card, she read it.

Dia Monde

Number: XXX

Personalized Extension: 108

The last part about the personalized extension was written by hand in a flowing bubble script. Seeing the card, Jess felt it was time for a change.

Ring.

Despite technology advancing by leaps and bounds the need for people to hear sounds while systems spoke to each other over vast distances was a near constant.

“Hello?”

“Is this Ms. Dia?” Jess asked.

“Sorry, this is her secretary. Do you have an appointment or an extension code?”

“108?” Jess said, her voice coming out as more of a question than a true statement.

“Oh, Ms. Childers. I have been told to expect a call from you.”

“You have?”

“Yes, but first can I ask about the nature of this call?”

“I wanted to know if her business proposal still stood?” Jess asked, as slightly hesitant tone to her voice.

***

Rayquel (13th Universe)

Rayquel watched as General Fellina paced up and down the corridor. Finally after the hundredth time of her pacing, Rayquel decided to speak up.

“It’s no use.”

Pause.

Finally, the general stopped her incessant pacing up and down the command room. The clicking of her boots against the marble flooring was beginning to drive Rayquel crazy.

“Can’t you see it? He has the truth. He knows what happened.” General Fellina began, her words coming out as nearly crazed gibberish at this point.

“You had another vision?” Rayquel asked.

At that, the General nodded.

“He is linked to the disappearance of your wings. I am certain of that.”

“He admitted to knowing as much.” Rayquel offered.

“The only thing is how? I can see him across multiple universes, fighting some thing.”

“So what should we do with the band members?” Rayquel asked the subject that both had been avoiding. The subject that was close to causing an international incident. It was meant to be a trap to lure Kyle out of hiding, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Release them. They don’t know where he is either.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“I have seen him. He is battling the same disease we are, but he isn’t here. The people that he is talking to, working with, they haven’t moved. At least they haven’t moved here.” The General said.

“So what should we do?”

“What can we do? All we can do is wait for him to return.”

“Is he really that important? He is by all accounts just a boy. A boy who was denied entry into the trials.” Rayquel posed, though she even doubted the veracity of her own words, even as she spoke them. The boy had a presence about him, one that spoke of power and conviction. Even when being threatened with armed guards, he looked, he looked resolved. All he had wanted was a vehicle. For that price, they could have given him the vehicle. Worse, he knew things. He knew their song, even going so far as to perform it amazingly well. Then he was gone.

“Right now, I think he is even more important than we could ever hope to understand. He knows things, things that I wish to know myself.” The General said.

“So we are going to wait for him, even while we are dealing with our own parasitic outbreak?”

“I see him as a cure for this as well.”

“You think he started the plague?”

“Of course not, but I can see that he is capable of curing this whole thing, if we but let him.”

“You mean, if we didn’t force him to leave?”

At that the General could only nod, as a somber form of agreement clouded her beautiful features.

***

Jessica Childers (16th Universe)

The universe was dying. They were losing, the Heralds of oblivion, or the apocalypse, or whatever they were calling themselves were winning.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Jessica found herself asking. Her husband Chet had died the night before, and with his death she was released from his tyrannical hold over her mind. Only after his death did she realize all the warning signs that her first husband had warned her of. He too had died, as part of the first force to face the Prolaxian hordes.

“There is one thing we can do, though it will cost you everything.” Sharma said, pulling out a golden cube.

“Everything?” Jess asked, though at this point in time she was willing to pay almost anything, if it meant that her daughter Sasha could survive.

“Well not quite everything.” Sharma said, looking down at the little girl within her arms.

“Then what do I need to do?” Jess asked, a form of steely resolve filling her.

“You would sacrifice yourself to save your daughter?” General Sharma asked.

“I would gladly sacrifice myself so that my daughter and others of this universe could live safely.”

At that, General Sharma nodded.

“Very well then. This is an old form of magic. One that I am not quite certain if it will work or not, but it is an old portal used to reach across the cosmos into the realms of alternate futures, to pluck from space and time a hero who can save us now in our time of ultimate need. Are you sure you wish to proceed?” Sharma asked.

There was a moment’s hesitation, before a resolute Jess nodded to herself, then answered. “I am.”

With that a sad look of resolution filled Sharma’s face as she nodded to herself, before responding. “Very well then, let the Hero Summoning begin, know that work this intricate might take a few days.”

“I am prepared, whatever the cost.”

Sharma just nodded sadly, “I hope so, for all our sakes.”