[FASERIP] Into the Cosmos, Part 1: The Cosmos Comes Calling

[truemane]

In face of eternity, there are no real beginnings. And no real endings. Laid out against the eternal tapestry of the cosmos, all stories fade to pinpricks of light against an infinite backdrop.

Physics tells us that, at the subatomic level, there is no difference between life and death between love and hate, between victory and defeat. Physics says that if you stand back far enough, all things are the same.

The universe says the same for stories: if you stand back far enough, every moment is the same and all stories are one story: there was a moment, and it passed.

No beginnings. No endings.

Except that this story, which is maybe THE story, does have a beginning. A moment when every particle in the universe, atomic and subatomic alike, conspired to arrange themselves in a single unique, unrepeatable pattern. For a moment, for the briefest stretch of time, there arose order from the endless roiling chaos of eternity.

And in that moment, there was light.

And in that moment, there was a voice.

ARISE, is what it said, echoing down through the brain and through the body, ARISE MY CHAMPIONS AND COME AT MY CALL.

And the light faded.

And there was a square room. With five plain wooden chairs. And a plain wooden table. And featureless grey walls. And no door. And no visible source of light.

And three other people...

Okay! Welcome to Into the Cosmos! So you have just been snatched away from where you were and put... here. In your first post I would like: a physical description, both of what you look like in general and what you look like right now, and idea of where you were when you were snatched away, and (obvs) your reaction to what just happened.

Any questions, you know where to find me.

[Umoon]

Excruciating nightmare like pain, but like a nightmare, the time had seemed to stand still before passing on an instant. He had been studying, the “demon realm”! It was slowly coming back to him. I got too close. . .Atrop sighed as he came to. He was in a very plain room with grey walls and a table made from what looked like large plant material.

There were three individuals around him. They looked different from Atrop’s people, but Atrop did not spend much time focusing on them yet. He had caught a glimpse of his hand and arm. Atrop stood up in shock. His skin had been light grey before with a slight blueish hue. . .but I had clearly been organic and natural looking. His hand and his four fingers now appeared to be made out of some sort of composite material. They lacked the intricate detail and individuality that normally showed on his hands. The veins and tiny bones that made up the hands of sentient, bipedal creatures were missing. Atrop attempted to calm himself down, but he was starting to panic a bit. Where and who was he?

Before he arrived, Atrop belonged to a humanoid species. There skin color ranged from a sandy tan to a light blue to grey. Atrop’s appearance had been light grey with a slight blue undertone to it. Atrop’s species did not have hair, but they did have unique fins on top of their heads. There was nothing on his head now. Where his nose had once been flat but distinct, it now appeared to have been carved like in an almost industrial like way. His eyes were pure white with a slight glow, ans their appears to be a slit running vertically above his eyes. Overall, except for his mouth, which appeared surprisingly natural, the remainder of Atrop’s body appeared to be slightly artificial. There was some musculature and detail to his body, but it was very clear that his body was not natural, lacking some of the detailed features and flaws that make an organic being appear organic. His skin is now a darker grey, and it has an almost rubbery plastic sheen to it. He is wearing no clothes but has nothing to cover.

[gryffydd65]

Eric realized he was sitting in a chair and not in the seat of his ambulance. He looked around for his partner Ramirez, but she wasn't here. He wiped his tan hand over his black hair, a habit he always did when thinking. He looked at the others realizing that they were different than the 5'7" 220 pound man he was. He reached into his pockets, his emt supplies still there, but not his phone or keys.

"Hello, I am Eric, what's going on? " he said looking at the others and the strange grey room.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

Gavin looked around the room with alarm. "How..?" he started to ask and stopped.

"Uhhh I'm exercising my right to remain silent." He says out of reflex. Gavin noticed some chili dripping out to the table and realized he was still holding a ladle. He rips off his apron and holds the ladle defensively like a sword. He tried to straighten his scruffy blonde hair and licked his lips nervously. His eyes immediately darted to find a door or exit. Oddly there didn't seem to be one. Gavin's first rule in life was to always know where the exits where, gradually the feeling of confusion faded into one of being trapped.

"Don't come any closer!" He threateningly waving his ladle. "This isn't the 25th street mission soup kitchen.. who are you guys ? Interpol ? FBI? I have rights you know. I got a lawyer. Did you drug me ? You drugged me didn't you?"

Gavin searched his memory and didn't think he had been hit in the head or blacked out.

In his wild motion, some chili flung off the ladle and splatter his blue t-shirt and jeans. Gavin didn't notice.

[truemane]

A figure appears in the room. 'Appears' is perhaps not the right word. More like, it was there the whole time, but like an optical illusion or mirage, they didn't notice until just now.

And, in fact, even now, the creature's form is hazy and indistinct. It is... fuzzy... like a page of text just a little too small to read without glasses, like something that flits into the corner of your vision, like something dimly glimpsed in the dark and never really resolves itself.

From what they can see, it appears to be about six and a half-feet all. Painfully thin. And might be wearing some manner of cloak or robe that covers it from head to toe. Whatever it is, its features are impossible to determine.

It moves forward, toward the large table, and looks around. And then looks at the three people before it.

"I do not understand," it says, and its voice is slurry and hard to understand, as though it were talking through a mouthful of mud. "This is not at all correct. Where are my Balreen? My champions?"

It is speaking a language none of them have eve heard before. But they can all understood it.

"Who are you? Tell me. What have you done?"

[Umoon]

Atrop pointed at the figure who stood up.

"I don't know who you are or anyone else is here, but I demand to know what has happened to me." He motioned to his body. "Why do I look like this? How did I get out of the threshold? I need answers!"

Edit ((Wanted to point out that Atrop would be speaking a different language from the humans and god wizard figure too))

[gryffydd65]

Eric looked at the others and suddenly realized the hooded man was saying something, something about champions. His brain itched, he remembered someone else said something about champions, right before he disappeared.

"What did you say about champions? " he stood up looking at the hooded man.

[Umoon]

Atrop wasn't really listening to what was around him. He couldn't stop looking at his body. It was unsettling. He had a vague memory of returning to his people before appearing in this room. His family had run away, and he had chased off.

"Had that really happened?"

Instinctually, he flew up to the robed figured and asked "I demand answers! What is going on?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

Gavin was stunned. He had no idea what was happening. "Who are all of you? Why am I here? I want to leave. Champion of what? I was making chili. " He said. Gavin backed up against the wall. "My chili is good, but it isn't that great."

[greenpotato]

A young woman in a dark hoodie and thick glasses with a mess of brown hair is among those numbered. A coffee cup is slowly lowered from her lips as she stares around in wide eyed amazement.
"Uh....."

[truemane]

The figure remains shrouded and indistinct but, all the same, it seems to gather an air of annoyance and resignation. As though a bunch of children were demanding to know why they had to go to school, and he was in too much of a hurry to explain it.

All the same, it casts its shadowed gaze across them.

"I have made use of the Great Alhkharhrhn, the God Engine," the word it uses is a long, incomprehensible cluster of consonant sounds, and the word it used was not 'God' but their minds form that word as the closest thing, "As is both my right of station, and my most terrible responsibility, to summon the Balreen, the Champions, the Guardians, the Saviours."

It looks again at those assembled. "But this is not correct. The Balreen are an ancient order on the planet Baal. They train for lifetimes, generations for even the hope of one day being called to serve the God Engine. To serve the universe in its hour of greatest need. The Baal are tall, powerful in mind and body even before the God Engine perfects them."

A final look and a watery scoff.

"None of you are Baal. None of you are of the Balreen."

The air grows warm and anger seems to seep out of the figure and fill the room.

"Tell me how this was done? How can ones such as you thwart the will of the God Engine? And why? Do you not know what will happen if the Balreen cannot protect the Founders? Why would you do this?"

Anger and confusion and a sort of lost plaintiveness fills its voice. Whatever all this is, it is clearly very important to this creature. And this was not at all how it expected things to go.

[Umoon]

Atrop floated down and sat on the ground.

This old fool might kill us. He put his head in his hands. He was too shaken and confused to argue right now. The thing was speaking of people, places, and things as if everyone knew what they were. Maybe the others did? Immense regret filled Atrop at this moment. Why had he been so curious and determined to prove everyone wrong. If he could just take it back it now. . .

[greenpotato]

"Ah...." The girl mumbles as she takes a step back. "..not ..on earth?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

"Clearly we're not 'Balreen' or whatever that is. I didn't do a darn thing sir. Honest. I have no reason to mess with your engine. You should talk to a mechanic and umm.. show us the door or how to get back to 25th street." Gavin started to wonder if the fuzzy man was nuts and he wasn't sure what would happen if it/him got angry.

[truemane]

The creature pauses and it shakes its head in a very human-like gesture.

"This is impossible. The God Engine does not make mistakes. The Founders do NOT make mistakes."

It looks back to them. Just beside it appears a hologram of a planet. It appears to be mostly water, with what looks like city lights visible all along the seacoasts of the land areas, and throughout the oceans.

"This is the planet Baal. Two races live there: the Balreen..."

The hologram shifts to show a tall, wide, muscular humanoid that appears vaguely shark-like in its features, with massive teeth, claws, and a ferocious expression.

"...and the Founders."

And then the shark-thing shrinks to next to it appears a massive thing of tentacles and eyes with a large, large, large over-sized bulbous head. The tentacles split into smaller, smaller, smaller tendrils so it appears to be surrounded by an infinity of flowing hair.

"The Founders are the greatest minds of this universe. They built the God Engine. They have built an interstellar empire that spans galaxies.

"The is not the home planet of the Founders. They come from outside of this reality. But Baal is the only planet in all of our universe that can support the Founders in their larval state."

Both figures vanish and are replaced by a smaller creature, also tentacled, with a bulbous head. But this creature is very familiar to everyone present: it is an octopus.

"And the Balreen are their defenders when the planet Baal is in danger."

It looks at you again.

"Were their defenders."

A pause.

"I do not understand how this has happened."

[gryffydd65]

"I am emergency trained, do you need any help?" Eric said looking at the cloaked figure and the others, it came naturally to him once he realized he wasn't in any immediate danger. He automatically reached down to his pockets, checking each one by feel.

[Umoon]

Atrop sat silently in the corner watching and trying to absorb, but he was having a hard time doing so.

"Balreennn" Atrop said quietly. An odd word fit for odd creatures.

Atrop continued to listen.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

"Uhh you are talking some crazy stuff right now. But that there, that is an octopus or at least it looks like one. The oceans are filled with millions of them. Never seen those other guys before. They look like umm Aliens or something. Maybe a cross between a shark and man. Certainly not real. Looks like something from a comic book."

[greenpotato]

"A machine?" the girl questions "I understand. I understand? How do I understand? I feel.." She pauses, winces and clutches her head "My mind is so fast.."

[truemane]

The creature's body stiffens and it bolts upright. It points at Gavin.

"What is this? Are you saying that this..." gesturing to the Larval-stage Founder, "Is found on your planet as well?"

A stunned pause.

"That is astounding! That is the greatest discovery in the history of the universe! And are they protected? Held sacred by your people? Worshiped? Revered? Held up as the closest things to Gods we mortals are likely to encounter?"

And a look at Atrop, "And you? Are the Founders able to live on your planet as well?"

He pauses as Martha holds her head.

"Ah, yes, I was going to tell you next. The God Machine does not just choose its Champions, it also transforms them. If this process is the same for you, as it is for the Balreen, you will find yourself changing in any number of ways. Growing stronger. Or smarter. Or faster. Gaining astounding abilities and powers. The transformation itself can be disconcerting, but be patient. It will pass."

[Umoon]

Atrop looked up in confusion. He thought that the creature was talking very fast.

"Who. . .What" Atrop wasn't screaming, but he was speaking loudly now. What is the threat that you speak of?

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

"Well not quite. They just seem to normal animals albeit fairly smart animals. Nothing really separates them from anything else in the ocean." Gavin shrugs. "I've always thought they were... umm cool, those 8 arms and such. I've never seen octopus any other form then their... ummm 'larval stage'."

Gavin consciously leaves off the part where octopii are not at the top of the food chain. Or just how yummy calimari is. A discussion for another time he decides.

[gryffydd65]

Eric looked at the others, his heart started to race, thoughts of aliens, champions and octopuses crowded his mind. He felt his body changing, was it in response to what was being said or from the adrenaline of being with strangers in a room without doors and windows.

He looked around the room as his heartbeat got louder and louder. He moved towards the stranger who had brought them here, when suddenly he was surrounded by nine other bodies that all looked like him.

"Who are you? Why do you look like me?" He screamed.

"We are you, your future self, I am seven days from now, we are tomorrow, the day after, three days from now, four, five , six eight and finally nine days from now."

[greenpotato]

The girls eye glaze over a bit, shes staring off at something unseen as she stands up straighter. She begins to quickly mutter a series of numbers. "Oh my lord!" she cracks a massive smile "I understand! I understand everything!" she then turns to the other three and excitedly spouts a long algebraic formulae at them "⚐︎■︎x♏︎ ◻︎●︎◆︎+⬧︎x ⧫︎(♒︎❒︎♏︎^♏︎) ♓︎⬧︎ ♏︎❑︎◆︎/♋︎●︎ ⧫︎□︎=( ♐︎□︎◆︎❒︎)✏︎"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin

Gavin's confusion continued to intensify as the girl started sprouting gibberish. He dropped his sauce covered ladle as he took another half step back. Before it could reach the ground Gavin reached out to grab it. A small black disk opened up in front of his hand as he reached and swallowed his hand. Another black disk near the ladle opened up. His hand plunged into one black disk and immediately appeared coming out of the other disk and he grabbed the ladle before it hit the ground. Reflexively he draw his hand back in horror. The ladle and his hand withdraw back through the disk and he pulled his arm out of the 'hole' - holding the ladle. "What the hell happened to my arm?". His hand felt fine, no pain. Actually he felt better than fine.

His hand now seemed be covered in something black, with an occasion rainbow pattern appearing. Similar to oil and water mixing. He looked at his hand for a moment and realized it wasn't 'something' but 'Everything'. The universe itself was folding around his hand. He didn't know how or why - he just simply knew this. He was suddenly very calm. "I understand - at least some of it."

He looked down at his feet and then across the room. Gavin steps back and a large black disk opens up and swallows him. He instantly emerges directly across the room from a linked portal. Gavin was now covered in head to toe in darkened folded space. He looked down at his hands and his appearance instantly returned to normal as he 'turned off' his power.


Gavin pulls off his apron and wraps up the ladle with it. He opens another portal and drops the two into it for safe keeping.

He looks over at the 'Erics'. "Interesting. Clearly a massive mess up." It wasn't obvious if Gavin was talking about himself or the 'Erics'.

[greenpotato]

"You all have extraordinary abilities it seems" the girl says as she looks from the doppelgangers to mr rainbow skin "Im Martha, and I think we should work this out together." She smiles
"Few quesions for us to think about; Are we awake? Did we all come from the same earth? Did we all come from the same year and day? Are any of our powers dangerous to ourselves or anyone else?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin


Gavin chuckles. "Martha, I am most definitely a danger to myself and others." Gavin flexes his bicep and winks. Gavin runs through the checklist.

"I'm Awake."
"Earth - Octopus in the ocean, blue sky, green grass. Bruce Lee is cool, bell-bottoms aren't."
"2019, - Uhmm, a Thursday maybe? I'm semi-retired so the days blend together. Though its a silly question there is no such thing as time trav..." He trails off and looks at Eric. "Uhm nevermind."


"My name is Gavin. "

[truemane]

The creature took a step forward and threw off its cloak and the shadows that had obscured it fell away, revealing a tall, almost impossibly thin humanoid that looked as though it had been assembled from some material that was both metallic and organic all at the same time. It moved with a liquid, fluid grace. It's face has vaguely human features, but they are basic and uneven as though created by someone who had only had a face ever described to them. It's eyes looked like small gears suspended in silicone.

"My name is Daal. I am the caretaker of the God Machine and for over a million years I have been both guide and mentor to the Balreen."

He looked over at the assembled.

"The news that the Founders exist elsewhere in the universe is glorious. And the only conclusion I can reach is that there is some planet-wide threat to your planet approaching. Your planets may need you. They may need you most desperately. You may be your people's only hope."

A pause. It... blinked... a covering irised closed with a click and then reopened.

"You have seen the beginning of the work the God Machine will wright upon you. There may be more. The process may progress in a manner unfamiliar to me. This is all new. We will learn together."

"But from the earliest days of the Baal, it has been necessary for its champions to take on the mantle the God Machine offers. And so I ask each of you to stand forward, accept this charge and burden, and take a name for yourself."

"And then we will go and we will make war upon those that would threaten your home."

[gryffydd65]

Eric looked at the strange creature and his new found allies.
"I, we will be known as the Tomorrow Man, at least that is what myself known as tomorrow has told me. We accept the challenge because as an emt, it's my duty to save lives. "

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gavin


Gavin looks to his right as he summons a large black portal. He gazes into it for a moment and turns back towards Daal. "Gate." He says simply. "I'm not sure I'm cut out to be any sort of hero but I'll try my best - all anyone can do I guess. About time I gave back a little."

[Umoon]

Atrop looked up from where he was sitting.

“I have been cast out from my people. I have no family, no home, and have lost my identity. You’re offering me a place in the universe, and for that I will accept. You may call me what my people have resorted to calling me. Demon.”

[greenpotato]

"I will be... Logic" the woman says sternly

[truemane]

Daal looked at the small ragtag group assembled before him and something in his artificial expression softened.

"The taking of names is a powerful thing. You will find yourself changing in ways that both create and are created by the names you choose for yourselves. Your names mean nothing except to yourselves at the moment, but if indeed your planet faces a threat as serious as I guess it might, then your names may echo through the generations."

A pause. "But that is for later. For now, we test the work of the God Machine."

Daal raises his hand and the scene changes with a sudden jarring moment of vertigo, the small cozy room vanishes and the group find themselves standing on an impossibly tall cliff

All below them an alien landscape stretches for miles and miles and miles. It is a forest, of sorts, but the colours of the leaves are a brilliant blue-yellow and the trees are hundreds of feet tall.

Below them rushes a river. It flows down a narrow, winding way until it reaches a vast, angry sea. And clustered all around the seacoast is an alien city. Tall, slender spires reach to the skies. Small, agile vehicles dart in and out among them. The streets below are filled with humanoids walking here and there and land vehicles moving about.

Daal stands behind you all.

"If you look up you will see three dark spots in the sky. Those are battle cruisers of an invader race that has come to colonize this planet. There is a similar trios there," he points.

Three other small shadows on the opposite side of the sky.

"Each of these cruisers contains a massive projectile. A missile. Two of them are troop carriers. They will land and open a spatial gate, discharging battalions of shock troops. Two of them contain thousands of attack drones. Small, but fast, and heavily armed. And two of them are bombs containing a biological weapon that will wipe out every intelligent being on this planet in a matter of hours."

A slight pause. Daal looks up. His eyes whir and click.

"They have all just launched. They enter the atmosphere in a matter of moments. Be quick now. Let us see how well the God Machine has chosen its warriors."

[gryffydd65]

Eric and his tomorrow selves look at the situation, "I have ,we have to get down there as soon as possible. As far as we know, we don't fly or any of that super hero type stuff. "
He looks for a way down.
"Maybe we can get those ships to come over here. "

Ooc I try to use illusions on the pilots to get them closer.Sending pictures of huge tanks approaching to this cliff. I will try and take over their mind if they get closer.

[greenpotato]

"Wait what?" Logics eyes widen "That's a lot of ordnance, I dont think I can fly or anything either. I just feel a bit smarter."

[Umoon]

"I can fly. I'll go check on them and see if there's anything I can do." Demon flies up, and is going to go try and fly around and observe the ships to see if he sees any weakness he or someone else can exploit.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Gate

Gate gazes up at the tiny dots, barely able to see them. He closes his eyes and reaches out with his hand. "They are out of my reach. Though I could probably transport you both if they got closer. Maybe we could take over the one with the missile and use it to take out the other batch of three."

"Maybe Demon could have carried me up there and I in turn carried you in folded space.."


He raises his other hand and a large portal opens up and remains open. "When the time comes, enter the portal. You can be safely transported from there if and when Demon comes back. Worse comes to worse, I could try chain teleporting on to a ship but that would be ..........dangerously dangerous." Gate says ominously.




Gate opens a two way portal to his mini-pocket dimension and leaves it open. He waits to see if Demon comes back with any news.

[truemane]

Flying up into the skies, Demon sees the projectiles right away, just as Daal said. Six of them. One of each type from each battle cruiser.

They are all oblong objects almost a hundred meters long, with a powerful propulsion system at one end. Two of them seem composed of thousands and thousands of small orbs all stuck together. They look almost organic. Almost cancerous. Two of them have flat, blunt fronts, with seams that indicate they will open. The final two are seamless, featureless, perfectly smooth and as black as the void of space.

As he flies, Tomorrow Man covers the ground in tanks approaching the top of the hill. As he does, one of the two 'cluster' missiles and one of the two 'flat front' adjust course and veer toward them.

The other two, pause, and a red light emerges from small openings near the front of the remaining troop carrier, scans Demon, and then they each continue their course toward the city.

The final two follow.