Opening Moves Part One: Black Knight In the beginning, there was nothing. And since there was nothing, there was no one to record that non-time. This story is not concerned with that beginning, but with a different one. There was a time when none of what we now know existed. The universe was a hot and violent place. The form of things was variable and almost all was energy. Out of this primal existence rose three beings. Although we refer to them as beings, the nature of their being is far beyond us. They were consciousnesses that existed in dimensions we cannot see and saw the world in ways we cannot know. No name can suffice to describe these beings, but we shall call them Megami. The three of them came into existence without knowledge of how. There was no greater power guiding them, and so they were forced to discover the purpose of their existence alone. They each had different views of the universe, but one of them was possessed of the greatest sense of compassion in existence. Her name was Tokimi. This story really begins 20,000 years ago. Lady Tokimi had her vision on thousands of different events from across the galaxies at once. She saw a father beat his child. She saw lovers come to blows. She saw someone whose belly was swollen from lack of food. She saw someone killed for thinking differently. She saw all of these things that we take as such commonplace events. We have small minds and fragile souls, and so we push unpleasant thoughts out of our minds. A being like this has a near infinite capacity for memory, so forgetting unpleasantness is not an option. She saw billions of tragedies unfold in front of her, and she wept for every one of them. Her tears would be strong enough to daunt Noah. She had been holding back her emotions for a long time, for her sisters' sake. After this much time, she found that she was no longer able to simply go along with Tsunami. It was just too much to ask of her. So she called her sisters to her from across the vastness of multi-dimensional space. They could speak from afar, but Tokimi felt that something this important must be handled face-to-face. Hearing Tokimi's plea, the other two rushed to meet her. Soon the three sisters were facing each other. "What is it you need, Tokimi?" asked Tsunami worriedly. Tokimi looked at a sister's face and felt a wave of regret. Tsunami was such a noble being. Tokimi hated to do this to her sister, but she saw no other way. Swallowing her doubt, she spoke in the transcendent language of the Megami. "Your plan has failed, Tsunami." Tsunami stared at her for a moment. "What do you mean, sister?" "Your plan to save them from themselves. It has failed. They still hate one another. I've done things your way long enough, and I can't stand to see them suffer any more. How can you just ignore their pain?" "I have seen everything you have, sister. I have grieved over the bad. Have you celebrated the good?" "I know that they are not all evil. I have seen good people suffer. I see it right now. Why are we not helping them?" "We are, Tokimi. We send out millions of extensions of ourselves." "As counselors, nothing more," Tokimi sneered. "These 'angels' that you insist on using do not stop the source of evil when it would be well within their power to do so. They have a pleasant discussion and hope to make them change their minds." "You exaggerate, sister. And you ignore the fact that it has proven successful in the past." "Not enough, and not quickly. Sisters, we can stop all of this. We can make this universe better for them." "I can't see that as the will of the creator." "Tsunami, you have no direct connection to the creator. You do not know its will any better than I do." "Or if it even exists," said the previously silent Washu. They both turned to her. "Well it's true. We have no proof that there is a creator." "Which gives us only two scenarios," argued Tokimi. "Either we were created by a greater being who gave us power, presumably with the intent of our using it, or we are the greatest beings in the universe and thus best suited to determine its fate." "What do you think, Washu?" asked Tsunami. The redhead was quiet a moment before speaking. "I understand your pain, Tokimi. Truly I do. But I'm not sure your idea will work. Mortals may resist any attempt to force them to change their lives, even if it is for the better." "Then they are foolish and in even greater need of our guidance. It just proves that I have to put this new plan into motion. I was afraid that you would not help me, so I must do this myself." "Please- at the very least, wait a while," begged Tsunami. "Give them one more chance. They may surprise you." Tokimi thought about this for a long time. "How long?" she finally asked. Tsunami considered for a moment and then named an amount of time that was about 20,000 Earth years. "It will be immensely difficult, but I still have hope that they can change. So I will give them this last chance. Nevertheless, I shall be preparing in case I am right, which means that I shall not see the two of you for quite some time. I am sorry it had to come to this. Goodbye, sisters." She embraced the two of them one at a time. "I love you both. And I will never stop praying to God, whether he exists or not, that you are right." With that, Lady Tokimi departed. "What happened to her?" asked Washu sadly. "She was a caring being, but she had no faith," answered Tsunami. "Am I any better than she?" Tsunami smiled slyly. "You, Washu, are quite different." "How so?" Tsunami's smile grew even wider. "I think it best that you discover that for yourself." Washu stared at her, hoping for elaboration. "Right now we should focus on the current situation. We need to think about this. Would you mind slowing time?" "Sure." The timestream bent for them so that they were now moving through time at about a millionth the speed of most common beings. "Do you think they'll change?" asked Washu. Tsunami sighed. "Not enough to please her." "Then why-" "To give us time to prepare. We have to help them somehow. She will not try to do this personally. It would be too complicated. She'll have to raise an army and attack with it. Backed by her energy, there's no way the mortals could stop it. What we have to do, then, is find a way of dispersing our energy so that the mortals can use it." "Tsunami, are you serious? Listen to yourself. You're going to give up your power and spurn your sister for them?" "I wish there was another way. When you weigh our feelings against trillions of beings... I just don't see any other choice. And it's not as though I'm suggesting we kill her." "No, she'll survive. Though we may never see her again." "Washu, I know how much you prize the power of free thought, and I would not speak so presumptuously if I didn't know you so well. You're not going to let her imprison them." "You're right. What do we do?" "I have an idea for myself. There's a pirate group known as Juraians. They are strong warriors, and they may be the best front line defense. They hold trees in a sacred position. On their planet, a seed is about to sprout which will become a grand tree. I will transfer most of my essence into it. The power it gains will spread through its offspring. I'll also give one of the Juraians the ability to bond with the tree and use its energy, an ability which will also be spread through offspring." "Why only 'most' of your... essence? Is that how you put it?" "Because we need two things. We need an army to fight and a general to lead it. That general will require a sacrifice as well." "All right, but I don't think that I'll do it that way. I've never had as much raw power as you two. My power has always been knowledge, not strength. I have enough to make a general, as you said, but not really much more. Here's what I think: I'll make myself mortal and put what I have into some sort of battery. Then I'll be born into their world from some couple that isn't expecting to have a child. Once there, I'll take to advancing their technology so they'll be able to fight. You make sure that I find the battery as soon as possible. It'll have some sort of built in weakness so that eventually I'll have to develop a way of using it." "That's a good plan. So, I guess I'm losing both of my sisters at once." "I suppose so. Goodbye, Tsunami." Washu found a couple who were in the midst of relations and saw to it that they would receive a pleasant surprise. She pushed her essence into that embryo and her power into a trio of red gems. This is the form that the schism of the Megami took. Unlike many would speculate, there was no war in the heavens, because it was not the heavens that these three contested. It is difficult to imagine in the mortal world where greed often appears the norm, but this was a war fought entirely out of altruism on all sides. To most mortals, the space would appear to be a void. It was an area between galaxies, separated by millions of light years from any stars and thus insulated from any light. Matter and energy were as thin as possible in the dynamic universe. The temperature was at space's normal three Kelvin. To most mortals, it would appear to be a void. To a Megami, it appeared quite different. It is a common misconception that highly advanced beings such as these ignore the affairs of that which is below them. In reality, thanks to their supreme awareness, they are unable to overlook such things. Tokimi filled this space and saw things that mortals could scarcely imagine existing. A near microscopic pebble passed by. Several hundred years ago, a ship traveling through imaginary space had broken down some distance away. A small asteroid had hit it. The rock was shattered into millions of pieces. This lazily drifting pebble was one of them. Tokimi saw all of that. She also saw the type of ship that was piloted, the crew on it, where they were from, and many other things. A few thousand years down the line she would be able to see how any of these things related to Kevin Bacon. A being like that is painfully aware of the infinite casual connections between objects, in the same way that a dog can smell a tree and tell what has urinated on it. It is not able to ignore this extreme sensory input any more than a man could ignore light when staring at the sun. He could close his eyes, but light would still get through. It is one of the burdens of supremacy that no matter where on went one was never truly alone. thought Tokimi, Tokimi conjured up an image of a well-known three-person board game. There were only three pieces on the board. They had the faces of her and her sisters, but they were dressed as the game's figures traditionally were, in archaic metal battle armor and wielding sharp weapons. Tokimi looked at the figurines and then, acting on a light-hearted impulse, turned the images of her sisters into the bodies that they now inhabited. Tokimi laughed heartily at the baby covered by a suit of armor beside a mace several times her size, and the large tree with a spear sticking out of its trunk. It was a principle she had often extolled to her sisters: "While you should not make light of others' pain, you must be able to laugh in order to avoid madness." The mischievous Washu took this advice a bit too well, to the point where the name Loki might have been more apt. Tsunami, on the other hand, never really seemed to get it. "Now I suppose I should get down to business," said Tokimi. "The others have undoubtedly started carving their pieces. I must do the same. It would be foolish to create warriors from nothing. Such a move would waste far too much energy, and if I gave up too much of my strength, then I would be unable to maintain control over them. A better strategy is to recruit people who already have some power to serve my purposes. First, though, I require an avatar. Some of these mortals' minds may be overwhelmed if I tried to interact directly with them. So I will create a being to act as an extension of my will. That I can make on my own." She concentrated briefly and a long red jewel appeared. "Not that different from Washu's, I suppose. Awaken, my servant." An ethereal head appeared around the jewel. It was an older face with wavy white hair and no mouth. "Tell me your name," commanded Tokimi. "I am D3." "And you quest is what?" "My only purpose is to serve you, milady." Tokimi paused. "What is your favorite color?" "I- what?" She chuckled softly. "Never mind. I'll have to remember that one," she mused. "Now for your first task. There is one mortal that I need to speak with directly. Bring him to me." "As you will, milady." The private gymnasium's sole occupant was absolutely silent, moving slowly and deliberately. It was a preordered sequence of fighting moves, that fighting style's equivalent of karate's katas. He was a mid-sized man, a couple of inches short of six feet. He was thin and had no prominent muscles but clearly possessed a well-toned physique. His shirtless body glistened under a light sheen of sweat. His face was rectangular and his dull green hair was little more than a patch of fuzz on his head. A phone rang in the gym, startling him out of his concentration. Sighing, he lowered his arms in relaxation. "Answer," he said. A click indicated that the line was now open. "Alvatech Unlimited, President Alvers speaking." "Good morning, Mr. President. This is Harold Tomkins." "Harry! Been a while since ah heard from ya. How's runnin' the plant on- What planet're ya on again?" "Crimonno. And things aren't going too well, I'm afraid. Pauley croaked yesterday." "So? Isn' one employee jus' like another? Ah don't know ah ever heard annathin' special 'bout annaone wi' that name." "No, that's not the problem. When they took him to the morgue, they determined the cause of death was related to the inhalation of chloromeans." Alvers's eyes widened. "You promised me it'd have no obvious effects on the workers." "Normally the amounts that he was exposed to wouldn't directly kill anyone, but it turns out Mr. Pauley had a congenital pulmonary disorder he had been keeping secret, making him unusually susceptible." Alvers bit his lip. "'Scuse me a sec." He walked over to a punching bag and proceeded to wail on it for a couple of minutes. "All right," Alvers said after he was done. "How long 'til th'ealth Inspector checks the build'n'?" "I can probably hold them off for a couple of days." "Can we buy the guy they're sendin'?" "Leeback? I doubt it. He's a pretty straight arrow." "Then ah guess ah'm gonna hafta flip an ace out ma sleeve. Ah've got records uh the distric' manager's dealin's with a cer'n place uh business an' he's got a five hunnerd thousan' credit pre-nup. Ah'll send ya th'info an' you 'ave 'im switch this Leeback with summun more willin' ta cooperate." "I think Jolen's our best bet. He'll probably settle for around two thousand." "Pricey, but it beats th'alternative. It woulda been se'en thousan' ta fix the build'n'?" "Seventy-five hundred." "A'right, make it happ'n. Bye, Harry." "Goodbye, sir." The phone clicked off. Alvers thought for a moment, then decided to return to his practice. He was about to do so when a large red crystal, about four feet tall, appeared hovering in front of him. A white head shimmered into being around it. "Greetings from Lady Tokimi," it intoned deeply. "What in- who's doin' this? Is this a joke?" Alvers asked. "I come on behalf of my lady, who wishes to make you an offer which you would be hard-pressed to refuse." "What 'lady?' Ah ne'er hearda any Tokimi." "Of course not. Nevertheless, she has taken great interest in you. She knows that you have never been one to avoid risk when there was the potential to gain knowledge or power." A subspace portal appeared in the room. "Now all you have to do is step across the threshold and open yourself to a whole new world of possibilities." Alvers hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. Whatever this thing was, it had him pegged. He still thought that this was probably a joke, but if it wasn't, then there was no way he could pass it up. Steeling himself, he walked through the portal. Tokimi watched the man step through, just as she knew he would. He appeared in her otherworldly temple on a platform that traveled through the temple, passing impossible marvels of architecture that defied laws of science and common sense. To Tokimi, all of this was mere special effects. Her visitor was sitting calmly on the floor with his head resting on his fist, but his eyes were careful to take in all the sights. Thirty minutes passed for Alvers before the floating platform arrived in a brown walled room with a high ceiling and no visible floor. The room dissolved into an infinitely starry night. Black silhouettes rose up and then a huge, stunning being appeared above. Alvers, grinning slightly, took in the sight of the being who was as beautiful as she was awe-inspiring. "Nice trick. Mus' be great at parties. So what's yer story?" "Zebulon Alvers," her grand, melodious voiced echoed, even though there appeared to be nothing for it to echo off of. She looked forward without meeting his eyes. "A Captain of Industry to his friends, a Robber Baron to his foes. Born to a middle class family of corporate drones who never made an important decision in their lives, he was determined to be the master of his own destiny. Made his first hundred thousand by selling defective hand weapons to the losing side of a war for twenty-five credits each, five times their production cost. Founded a small company called Alvatech Unlimited, specializing in spaceship components that were more cost-effective than their counterparts (and no decisive proof of the alleged defects was ever offered). A strong believer in the theory that knowledge is power, he created an information network that allowed him to know his competitors' plans as well as their weaknesses. Much of this information was gained through bugging private rooms, hacking into networks, and paying off those in the know. Also used disclosure of this information as a threat to ensure the compliance of those who might be trouble to him. Now owns the largest technology company in the known universe, with divisions devoted to military technology, computer systems, transportation, and several dozen others. Continues to control the market by making business almost impossible for smaller competition and then buying it out. Also makes a large amount of money on the side by smuggling controlled goods, such as illicit narcotics." She turned her deep purple eyes to meet his dull brown ones. "Am I forgetting anything?" "No," he said, continuing to stare. "Ah think ya got ever'thin' but ma last physical exam in there." "Well, if you want to speak of things physical, I could point out that the blood flow has increased to one part of your body." "Hey, what can ah say? Yer a babe." Laughing, Tokimi descended to take a humanoid form just slightly taller than her guest. "You are a man of great ambition, Zebulon. I can use someone like you in my quest." "What kinda quest're ya talkin' about, Miss- Tokimi, is it?" "Nothing less than the absolute domination of the universe." Zebulon looked carefully at her unflinching face. No, she was serious. "What sorta domination?" "A fine question, indeed. You already possess great power in some respects. In your society, money is power, and you have money. Yet there are still limits to what your money can do. By the law, you are a criminal, even if it cannot be proven. What is more, everyone knows it, and they are laughing at you." A series of pictures appeared floating in the sky around them. They contained a number of caricatured depictions of Alvers portraying him as a greedy man of comical self-centeredness. "I have seen quite a few of these mockeries. They can be rather humorous at times." Zebulon shrugged. "Whadda ah care wha' they thinka me? They're not doin' annathin'." "You cannot lie to me, Zebulon. I know you too well. You are always wishing for ways to increase your control over the world around you. If you could, you would have it so that people say only what you allowed them." She leaned her head over to his ear and whispered. "I can give that to you." "Yer talkin' 'bout milit'ry power, then. Establishin' some kinda gover'ment." "That is the ultimate goal. It will take time, of course, but if you accept my offer, then eventually you will be acknowledged as the master of the universe." "And wha's in it fer you?" "You only concern yourself with your own advancement. Why do you care what I obtain?" "Ah don't. But ah don't trust an offer with no strings. Ah've learned ta look a gift horse in the mouth." "Fair enough. I have my own ideas about the way the universe should be run. I think it best that it be controlled from one central power source. However, I have no interest in glory or accolades, so my position would be behind the curtain. That is not to say that you would become a mere figurehead, of course. The two of us will work together to determine the fate of the world." "Tha's cer'n'ly an int'restin' proposal, Tokes. Lessee exac'ly how yer gonna deliver yer end." "Very well. Attack me." "Ah think ah'm prolly a bit outmatched." "Don't tell me that the great Zebulon Alvers is afraid of a woman." "Hey, in the business world ya run inta quite a few uber-bitches. Somma them'll scar a man fer life." "Don't worry, it's only a test. You can will any weapon you can imagine into existence." "Jus' promise me there won't be anna whips involved. Ah knew a Juraian chick once who- well, less jus' say it brings back some bad mem'ries." Tokimi burst into laughter and Zebulon jumped forward, throwing a punch at her face. The goddess easily caught his fist in her claw. He dropped and did a sweep kick, which she jumped. They continued to spar for a bit, Tokimi only dodging the attacks sent her way. Zebulon threw another punch at Tokimi. She moved to push it aside and small, sharp spikes appeared all over his arm. She did not stop, and as their arms made contact the spikes vaporized. Zebulon was only mildly surprised by her defense as Tokimi sent a roundhouse kick at his upper body. He rolled under her leg and came up holding a high-powered energy rifle, which he promptly fired at her. The beam dissipated when it impacted with a glowing rectangle in front of Tokimi. "That will be enough, Zebulon," she said as the gun vanished from his hands. "This is called Light Hawk energy. It is the lifeblood of the Megami." "Megami?" "Extra-dimensional life forms. We exist in dimensions that you use for little more than sending ships through." "Even ah'll admit ta bein' impressed bah that." "I am offering you a chance to wield this energy yourself." "Ah'm not much fer the energy manipulation style of fightin'. Th'whole shootin' beams at people isn' really mah style." "Yes, you like to feel your opponents' pain. This energy makes you stronger as well, though. It can work from within." "Jus' the same, ah think ah'll pass. Fightin' ain't really that impor'nt ta me. Sure, iss nice ta be able ta scare people now 'n' then, an' sometimes summun'll come lookin' fer trouble, but fer the most part ah rely on usin' ma head more'n annathin' else. Thass how ah control things." "You desire power through knowledge. You want to understand the world and make it work for you. Is that it?" "Exac'ly." "That is exactly what I offer you. You know that knowledge can be turned into power. Likewise power can be turned into knowledge. That little display was just a demonstration of the most obvious type. The true power of the Light Hawk Wings is the ability to see the connections inherent in the universe. You see, it is useful to call it a different type of energy, but just as all matter is made of the same subatomic particles, so all energy is really the same thing. We just inherently know the best way to use it. I can see how all things connect. If I give you the ability to use this energy, then you will be able to do the same. It will not happen all at once. If you invoked it too quickly, then you would not be able to control it. You might try to hit someone and accidentally cleave a ship in two. Over time, you will start to see things that you never saw before. With this new insight you will soon become the most powerful person in the universe. Then, in 20,000 years, we will take full control." "20,000? Damn, y'sure are patient." "That is the way that it must be. We will spend that time in preparation." "A'right, if you say so. Ya've got yerself a deal." He extended his right hand. She took it in her purple claw and the two shook. "S'now what?" "Now you shall return to the place from whence you came." "Thass it?" he asked, feeling his dismissal was hugely anticlimactic. "That is all for now. I have given you the power. It will start to work in you without your even realizing it. I will contact you in the future." "Well, a'right. See ya later, babe." He blew her a kiss and then disappeared. Tokimi sighed sadly at the situation. "I wish I didn't have to use scum like that in my plans." "Is milady afraid to get her claws dirty?" asked D3 in a slightly mocking tone. "Not afraid, merely regretful." "Perhaps you should use someone different. One who shares your views." "I had considered that. The problem is the sad fact that, for many of these mortals, idealism is a far weaker force than ambition. A promise to use power for the good of others can easily be betrayed in favor of personal gain. Someone whose only goal is power is easily manipulated. Give him what he wants, and he'll follow you to the end of the world." "He certainly wasn't very respectful." "I cannot demand respect of him. He must be allowed to consider himself an equal partner." "What shall we do next, milady?" "We do have a long agenda. For the time being, we shall wait and see how my new champion handles himself. Then we will have him start building connections. We will need people from many organizations to join in our merry little conspiracy. Until that time we shall wait and watch." "As you will, milady." Jurgan