Project Seraphina [LitRPG, Magitech, GL]

Interstellar Space, Aboard the Spacecraft Boundless, Year 13,369 A.I. (14 Weeks after Seraphina’s Awakening)

Ugh, it’s so boring! It’s been a whole fortnight on board the Boundless, and literally nothing has happened. I thought I’d see some big stars up close or even a couple of asteroids or, I dunno, aren’t there supposed to be creatures lurking in the interstellar void? But no, it’s black and empty. Except that no, it’s not even black with the faint illumination of stars to eye idly out of the windows, because it’s all just a blue streaking void. Something about needing to peel back the layers of reality and crumple the dimensions or something or other.

“I told you before, Seraphina,” Madison says, keen to my frustration before I even say a word in edgewise. “Space is vast. Very, very vast, so much so that it is almost impossible to conceptualize without formal training. If the entire planet you were created on were reduced down to the size of a grain of sand, we’d still have to travel for thousands of miles before we arrive at our destination.”

“It’s hard to believe, though.” I try to calm myself, but my [Bodily Control] Skill fails to completely calm my taut nerves, waiting for me to leap into action or, I dunno, do something.

“You knew this was going to be a long trip. Did I or did I not tell you that we were going to be away for a while?”

“You did, but I thought ‘a long trip’ was like, a day, maybe two. Sure, it’d suck and I’d be bored for a little while, but then we’d be there before we knew it and I’d get to see the joy and wonder of an actual Named World!” So many people to see and things to do and food to eat! So much food! I wonder what kind of food they have on different planets.

Madison just gives me a brief look. “You know, Seraphina, we won’t be going just for food and sightseeing.”

“Yeah, you said that. Something about stuffy dignitaries and the fate of the universe and disappearing parts of galaxies. I remember.” How could I not?

“It would be helpful if you would please remember to treat the summit with the dignity and gravitas that it deserves. I may not care too much about decorum, but a number of people we need to persuade do.” Another indignant look. “And the last thing we need right now is a bunch of infighting at the time when we need to be most united.”

I brace myself for a long-winded diatribe, yet more lectures about the importance of protocol and doing things by the book that she inconveniently refuses to give me to read for myself. As soon as I sit back down and start to get comfortable, an alarm blares out. Strobing red lights, ear-shrieking cacophony of dissonant tones, even the temperature on the Boundless drops precipitously as if to say that we’re dealing with Real Shit— capital letters very much included.

Madison stands with full poise in an instant. The next, she’s suited up in her full combat fatigues. Her weapon, [Divine Blade Luminaria] is glowing even more intensely than it normally does, the millimeters by which it protrudes out of its hilt enough to outshine the strobing red and even damage my eyes if it were so inclined. I knew from [Anomalous Decryption] that the weapon was sentient and powerful beyond measure. It appears likely that I’ll get a demonstration, and even one that doesn’t involve my face playing the role of punching bag.

A flickering holographic screen appears in front of the chamber. Madison pauses for the briefest of moments. “Message from Bridge, Accept.”

The static resolves itself into the Bridge, as Madison called it. Half command center, half cockpit, where all the instruments and other doohickeys that operate the starship are located. A decorated man in a navy-blue suit stands facing the monitor while four others are sitting at computer terminals behind him. Even before he speaks, I can make out faint flickers and hazy letters in the monitors on-screen, and the tension in the air screams to something unpleasant.

“Lady Mazerie… And Lady Seraphina, ma’ams.”

“Captain Stroma, Report.”

“At once. Sensors detect the presence of a void beast in local subspace, and a powerful one, at that. Computer calculations of the creature’s [Ether] signature place its effective level at over 220. High sixth ascension seems most likely, though we cannot rule out the possibility of it being low-seventh.”

Madison’s lips creep upward by the slightest amount. “Is returning from subspace to conventional space a possibility?”

“It is, Ma’am, although it doesn’t seem to be moving from its current position.”

“Interesting, though not outside of expected parameters based on currently accepted theories regarding void beasts. What would be the delay to go around the creature’s location… Say, avoiding a six-hundred AU radius centered on its current location?”

“We’d be looking at two-to-three days just to stop and give the computer time to run the new calculations. Possibly another day and a half of additional travel time based on the local density of star systems.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m on board.” Madison’s grin smiles. She turns back to me. “A worthy adversary for once.” Then back to the monitor.

“Current timeline to interception?”

“Two hours, Ma’am.”

“Maintain our present course, but drop speed from warp seven to warp four to avoid any dimensional disturbances as we approach. Alert me when we are within twenty astronomical units based on RMS distance for XSQ-1827, or if the computer detects any signs of movement or hostility from the creature..”

“At once, Lady Mazerie.” Captain Stroma salutes, then deactivates the signal.

“Void beast?” I ask.

Madison sighs and takes her seat. She pats the seat on the large sofa next to her. An invitation to sit, and a nonverbal announcement that this conversation is going to be difficult, to put it mildly. Having already opened the can of wyrms, I accept the request and take my seat.

“I believe I mentioned before that space is large. Incredibly, unfathomably large. And, unfortunately, there are rules baked into the universe about how quickly we can traverse through it. The Speed of Light. The universal speed limit, sometimes also called the speed of causality. No matter how much [Ether] one channels, the universe itself seems keen on maintaining this aspect of itself, even when ordinary physics would otherwise break down.”

“But then, how can we communicate with planets so far away in real time? Or teleportation, both Skills and the teleporters we’ve used before. Teleportation across a sufficiently large distance would not be possible unless–”

“Very perceptive, Seraphina. Ordinarily, we could not. However, we have also discovered that space has layers. There is the surface layer, the ordinary layer where physical creatures exist and where we have our homes and live our lives. However, if you peel back that layer, we find a number of additional dimensions and layers that have very different properties. That is the basic principle that allows apparently faster-than-light communication and transportation.”

“So we cheat,” I say. “Instead of violating the speed limit, we go to a different layer, where different rules apply?”

“Yes, and no. Imagine the primary layer of the universe as a flat surface, held taut by invisible forces, and then stretched by gravitational wells. Can’t well adjust that layer without causing a rip, and… well, suffice it to say that would be a Very Bad Thing. The subspace layer underneath? Well, that’s practically made to handle teleportation effects. Enough [Ether] and the right Skills or spells and you can pretty much turn it into putty. Fold it up, pinch a couple of places together, and you’re effectively teleporting without getting the universe all up in arms over it.”

“And let me guess. These void beasts, as you call them, live here in subspace?”

“Exactly. Although no one quite knows what they are or why they appear.”

“I wonder if this one appeared specifically to test us. Or test you, Madison.” I take a breath. “If I didn’t know better, from the way you were grinning just a few minutes ago, you were delighted to hear about it.”

“Who wouldn’t be? It’s a chance to gather more information on these creatures, and heck. Do you even know when the last time I fought something that was strong enough to give me Experience was? And right when I’m on the cusp of my final ascension.” Madison stood back up and looked out the window in the Captain’s lounge. “It’s as if Fortune itself had seen fit to favor me today, Seraphina. Especially if we have enough time for me to complete said ascension before the summit starts.”

“So what do I need to do? Am I supposed to fight as well?”

“Perhaps some other time. Much as I would like otherwise, though, this is a creature beyond your capabilities. However, I would like you to watch. Perhaps you will glean some insight that will help you develop your own Skills further.”

“I’ll do that.”

---

I had expected Madison to emerge from her private quarters in a full spacesuit insulated from the vacuum of space and decked in some sort of breathing apparatus. Never would I have imagined she would choose to wear a stretchy and skintight white jumpsuit along with a gold-plated visor that looks vaguely reddish.

“No breathing implements?” I ask.

“Of course not. One of the perks of reaching Level 200. No need for food, water, even air. Not that I’d want to go long-term with any of them; it’s quite uncomfortable. But it’s completely doable. Especially for such a short jaunt into outer space. Not like it should take more than a few minutes to kill this thing.”

“How?” This question comes more hurried than the last.

“Each Level, each ascension, each Skill and rank, they all make us more. More powerful, more capable. More magical. And a little further away from our baseline nature as a human… Or a cyborg, in your case. Taken to its extreme, in the limit, we become completely magical, sustained wholly by the ambient Ether pervading the universe.”

“Wow,” I say in a tone of reverence.

“But– Even creatures wholly of magic can’t last forever. And the universe’s dance is winding to a close.”

“Because of the void beasts?”

“What do you mean, Seraphina?”

“Creatures that natively lurk in the space between stars, able to travel between systems in a matter of hours, the disappearance of planets and entire swaths of neighboring galaxies. The universe’s dance winding to a close, as you so poetically stated. A horde of… trillions of void beasts chewing through galaxies like a soup of stars, entire races wiped out in the process.”

“It’s an interesting hypothesis, Seraphina, and one that some learned individuals have raised. However, there isn’t enough evidence to conclusively spin those yarns into a coherent theory.”

“Then, what do you think, Madison? Independent of proof or evidence, or the lack thereof, what do you think is going on?”

Madison pauses and looks out the window, watching as the shimmering blue-white haze of subspace passes us by, in super slow motion compared with how it had been before the call from a short while ago.

“I think the System itself is responsible for both phenomena. The void beasts lurking through subspace, and also the disappearance of galaxies, closing in on our own. Hence the reason we designed and commissioned your creation. As for the void beasts’ encroaching and appearing right here and now? The same reason behind everything the System does. It wants to test us. Me, specifically, right here and now, to see if I’m worthy of taking the penultimate step on my journey.”

“Because it wants us to grow stronger. More magical, as you said. Strengthen our willpower through repeated trials, and in doing so, deepen our connection to Ether.”

“I believe that to be the case. Many System Philosophers believe the same. It is the explanation which explains the most while requiring the fewest additional contrivances.”

“So, how much longer do we have before showtime?”

“Long enough to get a quick warm-up in first. Now then, Seraphina. Shall we begin?”