2040 – Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
As the two women walked through the hallways of Babylon laboratory, they couldn't help but drown in their excitement at what they had achieved together. The feeling of fulfillment could be seen clearly on their faces, for their dream had finally been fulfilled: Revolutionizing the world.
Technology, at this point, hadn't yet evolved beyond what it was 30 years previous. Sure, the prospect of 30 GHz fifty core processors that didn't explode when you turned them on and 100 Petabyte hard drives were a huge step in the right direction, but a leap was what the world truly needed and desired.
"I can't believe we finally did it, Kazuki-chan! I was beginning to think slaving away in that hellishly hot laboratory for the rest of our lives was gonna be the only thing we would accomplish" Nuevra remarked as she fanned herself with her lab coat. Her shoulder-length maroon hair blew within the cooling breeze. She wore a wide smile on her face, her eyes a polished brown that sparkled like her brilliance.
"It was only a matter of time, Suzumiya-san" Kazuki concluded. "The money, the resources…everything was available almost as if the path we took had been prepared for us." Kazuki spoke as she parted her long, golden hair away from her face, glancing over at Nuevra. The beauty of her amber-like eyes combined with the looks of some vague roman renaissance painting sometimes made Nuevra itch a little from jealousy.
"Kazuki-chan…I seriously wonder if you're Japanese sometimes…" Nuevra jested as she poked her friend's face repeatedly with a comically strained but wide smile.
"You've known me since we were kids, Suzumiya-san. You know my parents so it should be obvious!" Kazuki blurted out in play frustration. It's not the first time she's been accused of being a foreigner despite actually being born in Japan.
"Exactly! That's why there's no need for you to call me Suzumiya when we're alone. You don't hear me calling you Koizumi-san now do you?" Nuevra responded with an arched eyebrow.
Kazuki sighed. "Alright alright, I get it…" she whispered as she looked down in defeat. The Koizumi and Suzumiya families had been friends for quite a few decades. She supposed it was only natural that she wanted to be referred to in an air of familiarity.
They soon reached their destination, the drink vending machine. Kazuki, as usual, paid for both of their drinks, a strawberry juice and a black coffee. Nuevra crouched down and sat in front of the machine to enjoy her drink while Kazuki looked down from the side with a smile. "You never change, Nuevra."
Sipping her coffee, Nuevra looked up at Kazuki with a confused look. "Did you just say something, Kazuki?" She pondered as she gazed at her friend.
"Of course not" Kazuki responded before sipping her juice. She's sworn all her life that this woman was some sort of telepath or something.
"Kazuki…We've finally managed to invent a formula that could change the face of space exploration, hell, even time travel forever…but to prove it…how could we possibly justify the cost?" Nuevra pondered as she swished around the coffee within her can. "Who realistically would be willing to allow us to harvest their brain?"
"…I would" Kazuki uttered with stone-like conviction before once again sipping her juice.
"Kazuki…shut…your fucking mouth this instant" Nuevra yelled, her face blue as she glared. "Do you really think I would let you sacrifice yourself for a procedure that may not even work?"
Before Nuevra even knew it, she was reeling from the blow dealt to her by Kazuki. It stung like nothing she's ever felt. Confused and infuriated, she quickly recovered enough to notice Kazuki's eyes, now at her level, and the desperation they portrayed.
"How could you say that about OUR dream?" Kazuki uttered. "It isn't something so cheap to allow all the work we've labored our entire lives for to be meaningless!" She declared as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "As long as we believe in ourselves and our dream…there isn't anything we can't accomplish…those were your words…and I'm willing to sacrifice my life if that's what it takes."
Nuevra slowly returned her friend's embrace as the tears that welled in her eyes flowed to her cheeks. She knew that there was no reasoning with Kazuki, as the cost of achieving a dream has always involved sacrifice in some shape.
"Suzumiya-san, I want you to live for the both of us from now on…never look back…please promise me." Kazuki whispered as she held her closer in a tight embrace.
"I told you to call me Nuevra" She whispered one last time.
2041
"Ma'am, the SIM has been successfully connected to all other components" The scientist declared as he held up his hand to his forehead in a salute to Nuevra.
"Excellent. At ease, 'soldier'…this isn't exactly the military you know" Nuevra snarked as she gave the man an amused look.
"So sorry, Sir…I mean Ma'am. I mean~"
"Shut up and leave my sight this instant!" Nuevra declared in her usual authoritative tone.
"Yes, Ma'am" The bumbling scientist uttered, dejected, as he made his way to the lab exit.
Nuevra chuckled to herself before sighing as she parted her now waist-length hair away from her eyes. Turning around, she gazed at the sight behind the special glass that protected her from raw energy output.
Inside was a shiny, silver, oblate sphere with wing-like ornaments on both sides. It sat on an altar embroidered with flowers, the top of which was wide enough to accommodate the organic machine. The altar slimmed as Nuevra's gaze descended to its flat base. There were five wires protruding from the its back, four that connected to other devices outside of the glass and one that connected to its power source, a geothermal energy generator that uses the earth under the lab to power the entire building. Slowly reaching forward, Nuevra caressed the glass as she looked upon the Sovereign Integrated Mind.
"Kazuki" She whispered. "It's time… to see if our dream will truly become reality." A tear managed to reach the floor below before she turned around, pressing a button on her desk.
"We're initiating Experiment #002, please report to the laboratory immediately, all staff on duty" She commanded before releasing her finger.
A few moments later, the team of scientists that helped forge the means of her formula was in front of her once again to help prove it.
"You, load the special film into the Time-Light camera!" She ordered as she pointed to random scientist mooks. "You, calibrate the Space-Time Triangulator! You, prepare to activate the SIM! You, man the Laser! I'll handle the plasma field generator."
Once all of the scientists were in their positions, they awaited their next order.
"Activate the Specialized Pin-pointer of Astronomically Rational Time Apparatus…Activate SPARTA!" Nuevra demanded as she thrusted her hand out in a particularly badass manner.
"Yes, Ma'am!" the scientists collectively responded throughout the room.
Using the Space-Time Triangulator and SIM, SPARTA is able to browse through all of outer space for a sample of time-light that matches either a specified year(time travel within the current universe) or at random (necessary to discovering other universes). The sample can then be copied digitally using the Time-light camera. Employing the use of their highly advanced computer in conjunction with the SIM, the age of each photon of light, and therefore its origin, is then analyzed and recorded. Once the process is complete, the sample can then be emulated by projecting photons that match the radiance recorded into the plasma field generator, creating what is essentially a portal into the time by having the emulated particles reunite with their true counterparts within the field. This forges a path in space-time to the time observed. This was all possible thanks to the discovery of a medium capable of observing the age of any photon and a formula that can convert raw photonic time into rational time (years, months, hours, minutes, seconds).
The scientists watched in amazement as the Photon Emitter projected an actual portal into its arch, allowing observation and travel to another world, another universe even.
The echo of collective clapping could be heard throughout the entire building.
"We did it Kazuki! We actually did it! Space-time travel is no longer a dream… it's all thanks to you" Nuevra whispered, her hands held to her face as the tears she held in flowed like a bursting dam.
That night, headlines all over the world announced the discovery of space-time abstraction. For the second time in history, since the moon landing, all countries across the entire world had reason to celebrate together. The Earth had achieved a way to learn of possible new life, new worlds similar to our own, and new technology to advance human civilization. Suzumiya Nuevra and Koizumi Kazuki had truly revolutionized not just the world…but the entire multiverse. Their names would be recorded into history forever.
Nuevra couldn't help but to ponder the topic they were called to discuss as she waited with all the other scientists present for the founders of Babylon to make their appearance to the meeting scheduled. Sitting in her assigned seat slumped, anyone could tell how bored she felt. She supposed now that space-time travel had been proven as factual and working, the need for rules and regulations was all too obvious. Hence, the necessity for a meeting of talking heads. Nueva sighed.
Suddenly, two familiar men entered the room. Guilhermes Brando and Gendou Natsume, the two heads of the Babylon Institution, had finally arrived.
"Thank you all for attending" Gendou greeted as he walked around the oval-shaped table of scientists to his designated seat at the top center with Guilhermes. A somewhat tall man with brown hair and a short but full beard equipped with sideburns and blue-tinted glasses; Gendou had an air of authority and, somehow, hilarity. Somehow slipping on a flat floor, he took his seat quickly, coughing to himself to regain his demeanor.
"As you all know, We have assembled you here to discuss the implications of space-time travel, which could, if left unregulated, have catastrophic consequences to…well…all of existence" Guilhermes concluded as he too rested in his seat, resting his cane at the side of his chair. A distinguished looking gentleman with white hair slicked back into a pony tail; Guilhermes wore a western-style suit at all times. At first glance, one could think he was an intimidating fellow, but deep down he was truly kind.
"You men are late…as usual" Nuevra remarked under her breath, just barely audible enough for the two to hear.
"We're also overjoyed that you, too, could make it, Dr. Nuevra Suzumiya" Guilhermes replied with sincere politeness as he peered at her, sitting within his direct view, with a worn but warm smile.
"Indeed…" Nuevra responded with an arched brow. She felt something almost sinister or perhaps grim in his solemnness. "Anyway, it is as you say. Now that Sparta exists, the future has become too…uncertain" She admitted. "The method we've created to travel to different worlds or 'universes', via 'space-time', also allows the manipulation of 'time'…I dare say we have entered a continuum shift anomaly."
The silence of the room was swiftly annihilated by the uproar of the panicked scientists.
"A continuum shift anomaly?! Was that not one of our worst case scenarios?!" One blurted out in disbelief.
Nuevra sighed. "It was the only case scenario, you dolt."
"Why not just destroy the machine?! Would that not resolve everything? How could we possibly allow this thing to exist?" Another proposed in outrage.
"You Fool! Sparta allows the manipulation of time! It now exists within the 4th Dimension!" Nuevra roared at the familiar but bumbling scientist sitting to the left of her. "Destroying it would only allow any other being except for us to use it! Its destruction would just be another subjective possibility of the continuum shift. The means of its control must also be within the 4th dimension! Only then can we assure it never falls into the wrong hands!" She concluded.
"And besides….there's no way I'm destroying my baby" she added under her breath.
"Suzumiya-san…you seem to have a better grasp on the scale of this situation than any of us. What do you propose we do to assure Sparta does not fall into undesirable hands?" Gendou inquired as he clasped his hands in front of his face.
"What we need to do is create a means of blocking our world from the possibility of visitors from the outside. That is just one component, however. We'll need to create a means to keep the 'multiverse' under a constant state of mutually assured destruction so as to insure the safety of all other universes as well as our own." Nuevra responded as she gracefully parted the auburn bangs obstructing her vision. Truthfully, she had already discussed all of this with Kazuki years ago. The thing Nuevra was truly pondering earlier was why they didn't just ask her personally about the matter rather than assemble her together with the mook squadron.
"What is the plan then, Dr. Suzumiya?" Guilhermes inquired with a perplexed look on his face.
"I've already drawn up plans for a device which should get the job done. I am calling it CAPP or Centralized Acute Power Parameter. It is a device that basically siphons power from a universe and dumps it into the SIM, which will act as endless receptacle" Nuevra answered coolly. "While the SIM is a mere medium, it is capable of seeing the universe as an entire whole, including empty regions. We can, therefore, create a unique set of photon superposition's that will essentially create a brand new space that will allow us to store us much excess power as we wish."
"In any case, once we install this device into several universes, the SIM will establish a restriction of power that will balance those that have the CAPP installed. As we install more CAPP's, the SIM will adjust the restriction to accommodate for the added load. With that restriction, the SIM will also be able to scan the depths of space for universes it deems unbalanced or outside the set limit, which will then be marked as our major priority for CAPP installation." Nuevra concluded.
The scientists looked on in disbelief. How could this single woman have thought up the means of establishing order in a universe, no, a multiverse that only recently started suffering from a continuum shift when they were just shitting themselves from its mere mention?! Truly Nuevra Suzumiya lived up to her famous title "Prodigium Mulier Scientia".
"That title is as pretentious as it is unnecessary' Nuevra remarked under her breath, chin in hand.
"Nicely said, Suzumiya-san" Gendou felicitated as he rubbed his hands, clearly strained from having clasped them for so long.
"All we really need to worry about is who put in charge with the task of installing CAPP's." Nuevra remarked as she tried to hold in her laughter towards Gendou. "The CAPP must be installed within the vicinity of the most powerful entity in that universe, which may just be an object…but could definitely be a person or thing who wouldn't give in without a fight. I plan on building a device that will serve as a powerful weapon for these…'Agents'."
"Ah…for that job, I believe our security guards will suffice" Guilhermes added. "They've been doing such an excellent job lately; I believe they are due for a promotion."
"Griffith and Souhaku? I suppose they'll do." Nuevra conceded.
"Excellent!" Gendou concluded as he got up. "With that, you are all dismissed."
2050
Sao Paulo, Brazil: The location of the second Babylon base. Considered an ideal location due to Brazil's considerable Japanese population, it doubled as a sort of vacation spot for Babylon's employees. Nuevra had long awaited a vacation after all the hard work done over the years and she's finally been given the chance.
Sporting a beautiful white sundress adorned in roses and a straw hat, Nuevra peered out the window of the maglev train she was currently traveling on towards Brazil. The elegant smile she sported could kill. The world that surrounded her was one in which she had a hand in cultivating. "You did too, Kazuki…more so than any of us" Nuevra thought to herself. She knew that one day, another person would step up with the same dream and, as her superior had informed her, a little girl in Brazil had the potential to do so.
"Suzumiya-san" Gendou greeted as he approached Nuevra, crouched in front of the Babylon vending machine as usual.
"Yes, sir?" Nuevra uttered in an almost contemptuous tone before sipping her black coffee. A sacred spot with many memories, she was somewhat appalled by this man, who would dare approach her on her break, especially in front of her sacred drink machine.
"How does a vacation in Brazil sound? I know you've been working hard with your team installing CAPP's and a break once in a while wouldn't be out of the question" Gendou responded as he too ordered a black coffee from the machine.
"A vacation?" Nuevra pondered. Suddenly her excitement exploded in a blaze the likes of which no man or woman had ever seen. "HONTOUNI? BRAZIL?!" She blurted out before she even knew it. Embarrassed, Nuevra quickly regained her calm demeanor. "A vacation sounds wonderful and everything but I'm surprised I would be approached for something so unproductive in nature"
"Well we have our reasons." Gendou remarked as he too sipped his coffee. "For one, we've built a new Babylon base in Brazil. It isn't out of the question to have one of our top scientists see if it is of standard."
"I see, that sounds interesting"
Gendou continued "We also have a promising young girl from Babylon Academy, the first school in the world dedicated to teaching students Cosmology, Quantum Mechanics, and Combat, also located in Brazil. She is a prodigy said to be the next …You" Gendou concluded.
"I see." She uttered as she sipped her coffee again. "The next me, huh? She sounds like she must be hell 'a smart…probably a brat too" Nuevra remarked with a strained smile as she tried to imagine the child in question.
"I would also like you to meet my nephew. He's currently studying in Brazil while awaiting his father's arrival."
"Half-pints akimbo?" Nuevra remarked, chuckling to herself. "I'm not exactly big on kids…but seeing as how I'm supposedly a world-renowned scientist, my ego hasn't grown so big as to reject meeting the next generation."
"How honorable of you, Suzumiya-san" Gendou acknowledged before tossing his can towards the bin right next to the machine, and missing, like a boss. "I'll see you there, then"
Suddenly Nuevra coughed as her sudden urge to laugh overwhelmed her. For some reason, Gendou came off to her as some sort of clown. Everything he did was like a gag, she really couldn't explain it.
Arriving at her destination, the box section of the train Nuevra was located in was suddenly pulled from the maglev train by magnets from the railings, lowering the partition into the station for disembarking.
Exiting the taxi, Nuevra had finally made her way to the new Babylon base. A giant white dome-like building with huge glass panels as windows. The building was the epitome of modern architecture. Once again donning her lab coat over her sundress, temporarily, Nuevra entered the building and approached the teller's desk to check in.
"Name?"
"Dr. Nuevra Suzumiya-Smith."
"Ah! Suzumiya-Smith-san-"
"Just Suzumiya please." Nuevra corrected.
"Yes, Ma'am! Welcome, Suzumiya-san, to Babylon Brazil."
"Thank you. Do you mind telling me where I can find the training facility? I wish to meet up with my team."
"Sure thing, Ma'am. If you take the elevator to the 2nd Floor, it should be the 3rd door to the right."
"And Gendou's temporary office?"
"Ah! Top Floor 2nd door to the left, you couldn't miss it." The teller replied with a smile.
"Thank you" Nuevra uttered before making her way to the elevator. Arriving at the 2nd floor, she navigated to the 3rd door and opened it. There stood Souhaku Shio, former security guard, a 30-year old muscular man with a brown goatee wearing the standard uniform of a Babylon Agent, a grey suit that could almost be mistaken for a male Japanese school uniform if it weren't for the azure shoulder pads.
"Shio-san, how's everything goin-woah!" Nuevra exclaimed, surprised by the sudden sword to sword action happening behind the glass.
"You're gonna need a lot more than that to beat me!" Yaritza Maia shouted as she back-flipped to dodge impending attacks. A Brazilian native, Yaritza had dark skin with fiery red hair in a ponytail. She wore a female Agent uniform consisting of a grey shirt that bore her midriff with blue shoulder pads and a grey skirt she wore over spats. Her striking green eyes held within them strength everlasting.
"We'll just see about that..." the young man serving as her opponent, Sohryu Kaminogi, remarked. Fashioned with the same suit as Souhaku, Sohryu was a somewhat short man with purple eyes and matching hair. Attempting to sweep kick Yari as she back-flipped, she quickly jumped high enough to dodge. Landing quickly, she dashed quickly to take advantage of Kaminogi's broad movements, striking swiftly with her training sword.
"Ten to Eight! Game Set, Yari wins!" Thiago Peluso declared. A dark-skinned young lad with black hair and brown eyes, he sported the now typical attire. "Nice job, Yari!" Thiago applauded.
"I see. These must be the Agent candidates, right?" Nuevra inquired as she looked on with Souhaku.
"Correct. These are the Top two recent graduates from the Academy's combat division." Souhaku responded with a grin. "The girl is my apprentice, Yaritza Maia. Thiago Peluso, the referee, is a graduate of the Cosmology Division."
"The other one is Kaminogi Sohryu, my apprentice." A familiar voice replied as he entered the room."
Nuevra turned around to see Griffith Siegroys, the other former security guard. A handsome man with long ivory-like hair, His eyes a deep blue that hid within them a desire for prominence.
"Ah, so good of you to show up Siegroys-kun" Nuevra remarked with her familiar authoritative tone and an arched eyebrow.
"I was under the impression you were on vacation, Ma'am" Griffith responded, clearly confused.
"Oh…so you think you can show up late just because I happen to be away, eh?"
"No, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am!"
"As punishment, I'll have you treat us all to dinner on a later date." Nuevra declared. "For now, I'm off to enjoy my vacation a little." And with that, she left the room.
"Souhaku…I think I almost died" Griffith uttered with a frown as he shivered a bit.
"No worries, Griffith. She's that way to pretty much everyone" Souhaku answered as he chuckled.
Exiting the elevator once again, this time Nuevra arrived at Gendou's office.
"Sir?" She shouted as she knocked on the door.
"Ah yes, Suzumiya-san, please do enter" Gendou responded on the other side.
As Nuevra opened the door to enter, she was greeted by the presence of three people. Gendou Natsume sat at his desk in the room while a boy sat to the side of him. Guilhermes was also there, seated in front of Gendou. Nuevra took the unoccupied chair next to Guilhermes.
"Suzumiya-san, this is my nephew. Say hi to Dr. Suzumiya, Kazuya" Gendou instructed.
"Hi, Ma'am." Kazuya Nagi greeted as he held out his tiny hand to shake.
"Ah, how cute" Nuevra remarked as she took his little hand in her own to shake.
"He is the heir to the Nagi family, known for their powerful ability, the Ryu-Ken, or Dragon's Fist." Guilhermes affirmed. "He is currently enrolled in Babylon Academy, Combat Division."
"I see. I hope you'll become a fine warrior someday." Nuevra announced with a smile as she reached over to pat the head of the young boy.
"Thank you, Ma'am" Kazuya responded, a smile clear on his face.
With her business at Babylon Brazil complete, Nuevra happily prepared to exit the building. She was stopped, however, by a young, seemingly lost, boy with neon green hair.
"Oba-san, have you seen my friend?" The little boy asked as he peered up at Nuevra.
"Oba-san!? I'm only 35 you little…" Nuevra blurted before stopping herself from clobbering a little kid.
"Hehe…just kidding Miss…" the kid replied in a tone one wouldn't expect of a child. "But really, have you seen Nagi-san?"
"Nagi? He's currently with his uncle. If you ask the teller, she should be able to alert him of your arrival." Nuevra responded with a perplexed look. "Who or what is this kid? He's dyed his hair at such a young age too" Nuevra noted internally. "Kid, what's your name?"
"Makoto, Ma'am. Makoto Ryoumiya."
"Ah I see. For now, you can wait here in the lobby for Kazuya."
"Exactly as I intended" Makoto responded slyly, his smirk clearly mocking her.
"God damned brat!" Nuevra concluded in her head as she furiously exited the building.
Luckily, Babylon Academy was only next door to Babylon Brazil. Because of the size of the two buildings, however, it was still quite a walk. The Academy's building was quite different from the main one. It was a massive, white, cylindrical-shaped building with a rounded roof with separate windows circling all around. Another oval-shaped cylinder protruded from the front like a handle, serving as a geothermal energy generator for the entire building.
Entering the building, Nuevra was greeted by a female Academy teacher awaiting her arrival.
"Oh, Dr. Suzumiya! I can't tell you how much we appreciate your visit here at the Academy." The teacher spoke as she smiled.
"The pleasure is all mine" Nuevra responded with a smile just as bright. "Where is this young prodigy I've been hearing so much about?"
"Ah! Right this way! Rosa's so excited to meet you." The teacher admitted as she led Nuevra through the guidance office and into a small room. Inside was a cute little girl. Her skin was dark but not nearly as much as the other native Nuevra had recently seen. Her long brown wavy hair and turquoise eyes gave her a waif-like appearance. What Nuevra was truly surprised about, however, was how much her face resembled Kazuki's.
"Dr. Suzumiya!" The girl blurted out right before glomping the ever-loving daylights out of Nuevra.
"Ugh…Rosa…Don't be fooled…I may have the face of a young woman but I'm getting old and this really hurts" Nuevra managed to let out under her breath as she recovered from being suddenly tackled by a little girl much stronger than she looked.
"Ah, sorry Ma'am!" Rosa responded as she unclamped herself to Nuevra's waist.
After getting up and dusting herself off, Nuevra took the seat directly in front of Rosa.
"So…I hear you've made great progress here at Babylon Academy. They say you may even affect the future one day with your potential." Nuevra acclaimed as she smiled at Rosa.
Blushing, Rosa stuttered as she spoke. "You flatter me. I've always just wanted to be g-g-great as you, Dr. Suzumiya."
Nuevra smiled tenderly as she patted the top of Rosa's head. "You're wrong, Rosa. I'm only great to those who have lived their lives settling for mediocrity. I'm just a scientist who's done her job. But you, Rosa…you definitely have the potential to be 'great'" Nuevra asserted.
"The duty of a scientist is not just observation and experimentation. We exist to further civilization through any means necessary. We forge a path to the future."
Rosa smiled gleefully as she took in the wisdom of her hero: Prodigium Mulier Scientia Nuevra Suzumiya. "Doctor…I too want to revolutionize the world" Rosa whispered.
Shocked at the use of words all too familiar by a figure she had just met, Nuevra responded by suddenly embracing Rosa. "The power to believe can bring forth miracles. Just believe in yourself and your dream and you can accomplish anything. Never settle for less than what you set out to do." Nuevra concluded as she let the girl free.
"Thank you!"
"You may call me Suzumiya-chan" Nuevra acknowledged. "I must be on my way now. Hopefully, we'll meet again, Rosa-chan."
As Nuevra got up and made her way to the exit, somehow it felt like she just accomplished something far more rewarding than anything she cooked up in a laboratory. "Isn't that right…Kazuki…?"
Nuevra peered up at the beautiful sky before approaching the taxi she had reserved for the day. Just as she was about to leave, Nuevra suddenly heard the sound of a little voice shouting "Sayonara, Suzumiya-chan!" Turning around, she could just barely make out the figure of Rosa waving goodbye with all her strength from outside the entrance of the school. "Sayonara, Rosa-chan!" Nuevra yelled back before entering the taxi that would take her to her complex downtown.
Suddenly the tune of Hare Hare Yukai echoed throughout the room.
"Ugh…what the hell…" Nuevra uttered sleepily as she rolled onto her stomach to reach her cellphone on the dresser. After struggling to grasp it in her numb hand, she finally answered the call.
"It's 4 AM, you better have a damn good reason to be calling me, damnit!"
"Dr. Suzumiya!"
"Ugh…Steve? You realize I'm on vacation, right?"
"We have an emergency ma'am!" The all too familiar yet bumbling scientist yelled in panic.
"Shut up, calm down, and tell me what this 'emergency' is…I swear if you idiots forgot to plug in the computer again-"
"It's nothing like that, ma'am! The SIM has detected a universe with a power-level deemed immeasurable! We think it may be over nine thousand. You need to come back; we have no idea what to do!"
"…What?" She blurted out flatly in disbelief, her face blue in shock. Never had she imagined a universe with near infinite power would be discovered so soon nor could such a lame reference be made under that much pressure. Clearly she didn't give that scientist enough credit. Regardless, just what the hell could it be? The continuum shift was clearly an insufferable douchebag.
Sleepiness was no longer an issue. Getting dressed in a hurry, Nuevra departed her apartment complex only to be greeted by Guilhermes Brando, a limousine in his wake and train tickets in his grasp.
"You must hurry, Dr. Suzumiya!" Guilhermes declared as he opened the back door of the vehicle.
As they hurriedly made their way to the train station, Nuevra knew some sort of conversation with Guilhermes was inevitable.
"Dr. Suzumiya…" He inquired, a look of earnest curiosity lightened his normally grim demeanor.
"Yes, sir?" Nuevra answered, perplexed. What could he possibly want to talk about?
"I've been pondering to myself ever since that meeting nine years ago when we discussed the means of protecting our world."
"What is it, sir?" A casual look of surprise transitioned from Nuevra's disinterest. It took him nine years to ask this? Clearly the man was as meek as he was kind.
"Our organization decided to balance the multiverse by each individual universe. What I don't understand, however, is why we can't combine all universes together? Is inequality not the true underlying problem here? If we were all under one universe, the continuum shift you spoke of would cease to exist. All worlds would be one and true peace could be accomplished, could it not?" Guilhermes pleaded, waving his hands charismatically as he spoke. "With one universe, we humans could govern ourselves rather than contraptions and gadgets and we would all be under the same instance of time, eliminating the continuum shift anomaly. And so I implore you, Dr. Suzumiya, why?"
"With all due respect, sir, your ideals matter little to the reality of our situation." As Nuevra spoke, the train station came into clear view from ahead. "The existence of a 'multiverse' is within the natural order. Combining it would screw that all up and result in consequences the likes of which I can't even comprehend. That should tell you how dangerous an idea that is. I'd compare it to combining all the chemicals you could find in a laboratory to see the outcome." Nuevra concluded as she got up and left the partition.
"What good is natural order when it curbs the growth of our species?" Guilhermes pondered to himself as he watched Nuevra leave.
Caught off guard by Guilhermes' proposition, Nuevra wondered just what the hell that man could be thinking. Realizing there are more important matters than a delusional old man, she quickly made her way through Babylon Institution, arriving at the lab where Steve, along with the others of the mook squadron, sat in wait of her arrival.
"Ma'am!" Steve greeted.
"Yes yes, greetings and salutations…now TELL me what the hell is going on!" Nuevra yelled with a twitching brow.
"It is as we told you! The SIM has detected a universe with power the likes of which we have never seen!"
"Lemme see!" Nuevra blurted as she pushed aside the bumbling scientist to peer at the computer monitor. Sure enough, on the screen, a graph that compared the universe discovered to the restriction set by the SIM was shown. The restriction's graphic was too small to be seen while the universe in question towered over it.
"Crystal Dragon Jesus…Change CAPP installation priority to this universe immediately! The continuance of all that exists depends on it!" Nuevra declared. "How many of our Agents are currently in Japan?"
"None, ma'am"
"Shit...!" Out of options, a swift decision needed to be made.
"Activate SPARTA now! We'll analyze and observe that universe's stability and come up with a plan once we know what we're dealing with."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The scientists shouted in unison as they manned the collective components of SPARTA.
Suddenly, an alarm went off. A Code Black, the highest alarm there is.
"What the fucking hell?!" Nuevra spat; was Code Black even capable of being issued?
"Ma'am! That universe…it somehow destroyed the SIM lock protecting our world from the outside!"
"…." No sound escaped from Nuevra's mouth, an event that could probably trigger a code black in itself, as her irises widened. This was absolutely inconceivable. The SIM lock existed within the 4th Dimension…to think something could destroy it was unfathomable!
Suddenly, chairs, tables, desks, all that was within the room began to slowly levitate, gradually moving faster in a vortex that seemed to be coming from the arc within the plasma field generator. Scientists screamed in horror as their bodies slowly broke particle by particle by the vortex.
Nuevra could only look on in horror, her face riddled in despair. She too broke apart as the scientists did, like cheese in a grater. The pain, the tears…none of it would cease. It became all too clear. "I'm…going to die" She uttered before losing her sense of self completely. Closing her eyes as she disappeared, she accepted her fate.
Everything went white.
Opening her eyes, all she could see was white.
Grasping her body suddenly, it was apparent that she was now whole, unlike seconds ago.
"What…is this?"
"Suzumiya-chan!"
"I thought I told you to call me Nuevra~wait…Kazuki?!"
She looked around in what appeared to be a void of nothing but white. No objects, no sky, no ground. Nuevra couldn't comprehend how she differentiated between horizontal and vertical. She turned around or perhaps everything else turned for her and, before her eyes, Kazuki was alive and well. As graceful as ever, she wore a white dress that matched the domain.
"Kazuki…"
"Nuevra-chan…how are you supposed to live for the both of us if you're dead?" Kazuki pondered as she pressed her palm to her face in faux disappointment.
"'Nuevra-chan? I guess that's a suitab-wait so…I died after all" Nuevra said in disbelief. "Is this how you treat a heroine?! Damn it all!"
"Well, your body died, but your mind now exists within the SIM along with my own."
"Wait…this is the SIM?"
"Yes and no. We are in the SIM and at the same time, we're not. If I was to give this area, or dimension, a name, it would be: The Cloud."
"The Cloud…so then…this is where all the emulated photons we've created end up" Nuevra concluded. "So…Kazuki, what exactly happened back there? I never imagined I would witness the beginnings of a black hole."
"It would appear you already have an idea of what happened" Kazuki remarked with a smirk.
"You have a point…Why do I know exactly?" Nuevra asked, clearly puzzled by her sudden omniscience.
"Because silly, you are now a part of the SIM. The Cloud is a dimension that acts as an onion layer to the multiverse. While in here, answers seem to come naturally" Kazuki concluded.
"Somehow, I feel like I'm cheating" Nuevra said as she rubbed her head. "So how exactly did we discover a universe condensed into one?"
"Yeaaaah…sorry about that. As the SIM, I was assigned the task of finding universes with power higher than the restriction set, so it was only natural I would seek out the one with the highest." Kazuki answered, rubbing the back of her head apologetically.
"I see…well it was inevitable. Don't blame yourself" Nuevra concluded. "So how did I get here?"
"Your powers."
"Powers? Me?"
"Yes, you. You have a power that manipulates reality in some weird way"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Not kidding here, you have the power to manipulate the world like playdoh in any way you desire. That's why our formula succeeded."
Shocked at this revelation at first, it didn't take her long to come to terms with it. "I see…so I got here by using my powers like a plasma-field…following the photons to their logical conclusion"
"Correct! Prodigium Mulier Scientia indeed. You got things a lot faster than I did, Nuevra-chan." Kazuki congratulated with a wide smile.
"Please don't call me by that fanboy title…but yeah, I guess The Cloud's helping me grasp things…so now that I'm here, I suppose it'll be easier to prevent that hero-killing bullshit from happening again thanks to these fancy powers" Nuevra concluded to her formerly, currently, or not so much deceased friend.
"Indeed! Your power lies in your mind, which is now a part of the Sovereign Integrated Mind. You're free to do as you please"
"I see…" Nuevra sighed. "Might as well fuck with Gendou….hate that guy"
"How petty…" Kazuki remarked with a grin.
The entirety of Japan was in a panicked frenzy. It didn't take long for word to get out that a singularity was ripping away land, water, air…pretty much matter in general from existence. Its spread wouldn't take much more than a single hour. Countless civilians boarded emergency vehicles and maglev trains heading to destination 'get me the hell out of here'.
As Guilhermes Brando was on his way to his private estate via limousine, he lingered upon what it would take to achieve his dream in which all who resided in the multiverse could live equal and free. The invasion of other words to install what basically amounted to a collar was no different from oppression to him. He acknowledged that perhaps, right now, combining all into one was dangerous, but he believed that, with further research, it was possible to avert the risks.
Suddenly, the sounds of a triggered alarm startled the usually calm gentleman. It was clearly an evacuation alarm, normally used when something like an earthquake or tsunami was about to hit Japan. Questions could be asked later, for now he needed to get out of Japan as fast as possible as the alarms advised.
"Jeeves! Quickly turn the car! We need to get to the Emergency Vehicle station in haste! I have a Babylon private flight vehicle there." Guilhermes ordered.
"Sir, my name is not Jeeves! It is Maxwell! But it is as you say!" the well-meaning butler said.
Suddenly turning the car around like a professional race car driver, Maxwell put the pedal to the metal and jolted up the street, at this point somewhat vacant due to the impending evacuation. The remains of a fallen evacuation vehicle quickly came into view as they drove.
"This is horrible….park the car! We need to search that wreckage for any survivors!"
"But, Sir! There's no telling exactly what it is we're evacuating from! Time is of the upmost concern!"
"Exactly, Maxwell! Just as we wish to escape alive so too did whomever was in that shuttle! I absolutely refuse to abandon human life in negligence! Park the car THIS instant!" Guilhermes demanded.
"Yes Sir!" Maxwell complied.
Parking on the side of the street, Guilhermes made his way to the wreckage sight as fast as he could muster with his cane. Muddling through the rubble with his bare hands for any survivors with help from Maxwell, Guilhermes found nothing but ruined corpses. "My fellow man…deceased before my very eyes…I don't understand the injustices of this world" Guilhermes uttered, tears streaming, as he prayed silently. Continuing to dig, the sight that beheld him was one he couldn't even believe even with his own eyes. Two small girls, one with long ebony hair, was holding the other, a red head, within her arms, conveying a story in which a brave young girl saved her friend by sacrificing herself. Upon checking their pulse, Guilhermes confirmed that they were indeed alive.
"Jeeves! Please assist me in taking these two to my car! They're alive! We must have them treated immediately!" Guilhermes said as he made his way to the limo, exhausted beyond all belief but hopeful.
"At once, sir! My name is not Jeeves, sir!"
Back on the road towards the station, Guilhermes looked over at the two survivors. He decided that if their families were nowhere to be found, he would serve that purpose instead, for they would no longer have anyone in this world to care for them.
It didn't take them long to arrive at their destination with Maxwell's high-class driving. Carrying the two girls in their arms, they boarded the Babylon sky vehicle, destined for Brazil.
Once in the air, the spectacle before them was one that invoked shock and awe. The area where Babylon Institution once resided had been all but erased by what looked like a single dark point. It would probably go on to eventually engulf the rest of Japan…perhaps more.
"Bloody Hell…" Guilhermes uttered. There was no way there would be survivors on land in a phenomenon of this nature. Guilhermes, once again, prayed to himself silently.
1 Month Later. International Territory, New York City.
"Guilhermes Brando and Natsume, Gendou…we have summoned you here to inquire and discuss the event recognized by the world at large as the cataclysm. The event in which Babylon Institution is being held accountable." The representative of the United Nations announced.
The room in which the representatives of all acknowledged countries met and mingled was as vast as one would expect. Guilhermes and Gendou stood in front of their podiums as the representative overseeing the hearing looked down from his stand in front of them. Behind him, were the representatives themselves in desks that had their respective country's name in clear alphabetic letters on the name plates in front of them.
"Your honor, our knowledge on the matter is limited, for you see, we only have the data we backed up from Babylon Japan to Brazil. From what we have gathered, based on the backup from that day, we came across a universe that had a nearly unlimited power output" Gendou affirmed. "Based on what Guilhermes and many other witnesses described as they escaped Japan, the Babylon Institution was engulfed by a single point of darkness which was identified as being a singularity."
"I see" the representative acknowledged. "Continue."
"It is using this data and witness testimony that we've come to the conclusion that we had somehow interacted with a universe in which a big bang had yet to occur" Gendou finished.
"Interesting…Would you say this was a result of negligence on Babylon's part by assuming all universes were safe to observe?"
"Your Honor, our Institution prioritized the safety of our own world over all others first and foremost. Our lead scientist, Nuevra Suzumiya, who died trying to stabilize the universe in question, created a means of protecting our world and timeline from outside forces. This pre-big bang universe, however, was powerful enough to destroy our defenses! We never could have foreseen this no matter how much we prepared" Gendou pleaded.
"Fair point, Mr. Natsume. So what do you propose we do to prevent this situation in the future? The destruction the cataclysm caused was the likes of which has never been witnessed in the entirety of mankind! Half of the entire Asian continent and Oceania have been erased from existence, for god's sake!"
Guilhermes would not allow another opportunity to speak up to pass again. "I believe that the method we are currently using to balance the multiverse is both tedious and oppressive! How could installing power limiting devices onto other universes be any different from invading a country in search of weapons?"
"Ah, Mr. Brando. You bring up a fair point. So I'll ask the both of you, then. What do you propose we do to prevent the ungodly destruction we've bared witness to from happening again?" The Representative of Japan uttered with a grim tone.
"I believe, your Honor, that the key to multi-universal balance is to combine all universes under one! With a single universe under a single instance of time, the possibility of discovering another universe pre-big bang becomes non-existent! Mankind will be able to govern its own world without the use of convoluted machines! True peace could be achieved throughout the entirety of existence! It is truly the ideal method." Guilhermes spoke, again in his charismatic manner.
"Your Honor, that possibility has already been explored in the past by Dr. Suzumiya's team and was deemed too dangerous to fulfill!" Gendou retorted as he nodded, allowing his glasses to glare in the light. "The multiverse has always been just that, the multiverse! Tampering with it by combining it into one goes against the natural order! Not to mention the possibility of combing with another pre-big bang universe! It would not only be the cataclysm all over again, it would be the end of existence."
"Point made. Guilhermes, your proposal is much too dangerous to be considered"
"But, your Honor! It is only dangerous now because we know very little of what we are actually dealing with! With more resources, we could easily research the safest method of unification and set it in motion!"
"The safety of our own world should be top priority" Gendou declared as he readjusted his glasses with a single finger, arms folded. "We do not possess enough time to dedicate a team of scientists to the pursuit of unification, which is currently considered a more dangerous method to our current one. I propose we split our single power restrictor into two. The level of power deemed safe will reside between these two governors, making it impossible for us to run into another pre-big bang universe. As we move along, we slowly increase the governors to find other worlds. If we run into another non-big bang universe, we will instantly know of its nature and lower the governors again to search for stable universes" Gendou concluded. "This is the absolute safest method"
"I agree, Mr. Natsume. What are your needs?" The representative asked.
"Simple, I'll need the capital necessary to found a new organization with the sole purpose of protecting our own world and the balance of others. We will call this organization "Redjust". My wish is that it will be considered an organization under the United Nations."
"Granted and mandated, Mr. Natsume" The representative declared as he stamped the seal of the United Nations onto the proposal for Redjust Gendou had prepared beforehand.
"Your organization will be directly under the jurisdiction of the United Nations. You will receive your grant to start it in a couple of days. Meeting adjourned!"
"Excellent" Gendou whispered to himself, glasses flaring, before tripping on flat ground once again. Quickly regaining his demeanor, Gendou swiftly vacated the vicinity. Somewhere, in some other world, someone could be heard laughing hysterically.
As Gendou was on his way to Babylon Brazil, which was now called Babylon New Japan; he couldn't help but skip a little in celebration of the founding of The Redjust Organization, his sole proprietorship. Arriving in the lobby with a spring in his step, he was greeted by Agents Souhaku Shio and Yaritza Maia.
"So, Sir…how did it go?" Souhaku asked in anticipation as he held his chin.
"We were approved. From now on, Babylon New Japan is now the headquarters of the Redjust Organization. You two will be receiving your new uniforms shortly" Gendou responded as he adjusted his glasses.
"Yes! I can finally begin working!" Yari yelled in excitement as she jumped in celebration. With a body so bombastic jumping up and down in excitement, the men couldn't help but to look away in embarrassment to retain their professionalism before regaining their demeanor. Luckily, Yari was much too excited to notice.
"Indeed. We'll start installing CAPP's again once we finish the rebuilding of SPARTA. Was the SIM retrieval successful?" Gendou inquired.
"Yes sir! As indicated by our sensors, the SIM was in the location equivalent of where Babylon Main Branch used to be. It is currently in our labs where are newest recruits, Thiago Peluso and Rosa Makihara, are using it to rebuild SPARTA" Souhaku responded.
"Excellent" Gendou uttered. "Maia-san, I have a personal favor to ask of you"
"What is it, sir?" Yari replied in anticipation with a smile.
"Would you mind personally training my nephew, Kazuya? He lost his father in the cataclysm. Under normal circumstances, a boy of his age would probably be crying himself to sleep every night. Kazuya, however, is strong. He wants to become an agent as quickly as possible and you, being one of the best there ever was, would be the perfect teacher for him." Gendou responded.
"Ah. I would be honored, sir." Yari complied. She always wanted an apprentice and who better than the director's nephew? Perhaps this was her chance to prove herself to her superiors and earn herself a promotion.
"Excellent! I'll be in my quarters then" Gendou concluded as he entered the elevator; little did he know, the edges of his long coat were stuck in the gap as the doors shut behind him.
"Nuevra-chan…you really need to stop doing that" Kazuki said as she sighed.
"Oh come on! You can't tell me that isn't hilarious!" Nuevra replied as she rolled on the white void that could be considered a floor from her own laughter.
2052 – New Korea, South Africa.
Guilhermes was not a man who gave up so easily, as his dream was one in which failure was not an option. It didn't matter if the United Nations did not sanction his actions as he didn't need their money or their acknowledgment.
Guilhermes drove around New Korea, his two adoptive daughters sitting beside him, tapping a happy tune with his foot. With the help of a certain benefactor, the means to create his own organization were just around the corner. While Guilhermes was indeed a wealthy man of wealthy wealthiness, it took a lot of money to replicate a machine like SPARTA, which was why he needed the help of this benefactor.
Arriving at their destination, Guilhermes swiftly got out of the car and opened the door for his two daughters. The first to exit was the long, ebony haired girl who had lost the use of her arms and legs to save her friend, now her sister, from the vehicle crash. Moira Asahina's eyes sparkled in the sun as she got out. The other was the red headed girl whom Moira had saved, her best friend, Tamaki Takamichi. Her grayish blue eyes hid within them friendliness the likes of which no mortal had ever seen.
Stepping into the building's lobby together, Guilhermes was greeted by three men. The first two were the former Babylon agents Griffith Siegroys and Sohryu Kaminogi, now under his employ. The other gentleman, however, was one who did not belong in their world.
"Good evening, gentlemen" Guilhermes welcomed before introducing his new family. "These are my daughters, Asahina Moira and Takamichi Tamaki."
"Very nice to meet you, sir's" Moira and Tamaki greeted in unison as they bowed.
"You have such polite children, Guilhermes" Stefano DiMera said as he patted both of their heads with a worn smile. An aged man, Stefano sported dark brown hair with a matching mustache that stretched to the sides of his face. The hairs on his chin that formed a beard were a testament to his age, as it had already gone white. Sporting a suit not too different from Guilhermes, they clearly had similar tastes.
"Of course" Guilhermes responded. "I can't thank you enough, Mr. DiMera, for your generous donation to my organization." As he spoke, he reached out to shake Stefano's hand.
"Not a problem at all." Stefano responded, firmly shaking the Guilhermes' hand. "I was frightened, at first, when your two Agents appeared before me out of thin air in my estate but, after a long discussion, I see this as a great opportunity for my expanding my business."
"Your satisfaction is also mine" Guilhermes said with a smile.
"I see your daughter has recovered wonderfully from her surgery." Stefano noted as he glanced at Moira.
"Ah, yes! The operation was a complete success. Her paralysis is no more" Guilhermes affirmed. "The augmentation device was also installed with no complications. She is now capable of harnessing and wielding electricity as if it were natural, just as she had requested."
"Requested? This...Child...requested those type of abilities of her own will?"
"Yes! You see, we both share the dream of unification. Unfortunately, power is a requirement if we are to achieve true peace. My daughters have taken it upon themselves to see this dream become a reality" Guilhermes concluded as he bent down to hug both Moira and Tamaki. "They are my future"
"I see…well then, may all our dreams come true" Stefano uttered as he looked down upon the family of peace seekers.
2061.
"Kazuya! You done yet? I don't got all day you know!" Yari called out from the other side of the sparring cage. Sporting a uniform similar to her old Babylon uniform, the only real difference was red shoulder pads. She was doing her typical pre-battle stretches in anticipation.
"I'm ready" Kazuya uttered, his determination made clear from his tone. Activating his Vorpal Gauntlet, Mugen, light formed into his hand in the shape of a training sword. Holding his free hand out towards Yari, sword overhead, Kazuya adopted the very same stance he had learned from Yari.
"Excellent form! I've clearly taught you well." Yari noted with a smirk. "Let the Entrance Examination begin!" She shouted as she charged Kazuya at her full speed.
"… She's as fast as always" Kazuya said in both awe and exasperation.
Starting off the mock battle with a Cross Slash, Yari quickly appeared behind Kazuya after almost seeming to disappear, back to back. Kazuya, however, was skilled enough to see what she did and countered each hit with his own in quick succession.
This was a mistake, however, because the hits were already dealt by the time Yari had reached his back, giving her enough time to try to sweep kick him. "You're still too reckless!"
"Or just reckless enough" Kazuya remarked as he jumped to avoid the sweep. Taking the opportunity, he striked Yari as her back was turned. This was blocked, however, by Yari's sword as she flipped towards him. "It won't be that easy!"
"Damnit! Freakin amazon…"
Forced to take the defensive because of Yari's repetitive front flip kick attack, Kazuya had to not only avoid the heels of Yari's combat stilettos, but also block the sword strikes she somehow managed to throw in between. Temporarily ceasing the barrage as she stood on one hand, Yari began to rotate like a top, a sword to attack below like a saw and her feet to strike above.
"This is…ridiculous!" Kazuya exclaimed as he Sparta kicked the middle where she was open.
"What can I say? I love me some freestyle fighting" Yari remarked as she came down to the floor to dodge the kick.
"Freestyle this!" Kazuya said with a smug smirk as he cuffed his hands, letting his sword dissipate.
"Hadou-ken!"
A black tattoo appeared to eat away at Kazuya's skin as his cuffed hands released a purple fireball. It's swiftness at point-black left no opportunity to dodge.
A direct hit!
"Ohoho! So you swiped one of Ryu's moves while we were in that world, eh? Well then…congratulations, you are now an official agent of Redjust." Yari said gleefully as she sat on the floor rubbing her gut. Not everyone knew, but getting hit by a Hadou-ken felt a lot like getting punched clean in the stomach.
"Finally..." Kazuya uttered as he rested his stance. Finally he had done it. After years of training under Yari's direct tutelage, Kazuya was at last an official Agent. Now he could personally assure that nothing like the cataclysm would ever happen again.
"Domo Arigatou, Shishou!" Kazuya shouted as he bowed to Yaritza, tears rolling down his eyes.
"No need to get all sentimental on me, man. Just suit up and prepare for your first official mission!" Yari remarked with a grin as she disengaged her Vorplet, Lirio.
"Mission? Already? I just got hired…how could the SIM had assigned me one so quickly?" Kazuya asked, clearly confused.
"Don't ask me! All we know is that before you even took your exam, the SIM had detected a powerful signal in the past and had requested that you personally oversee its retrieval."
"Retrieve? Since when did we ever 'retrieve' something powerful, especially in the past!?" Kazuya responded with a clearly frustrated tone.
"This would be the first time. And whoever it is, we have reason to believe the SIM wants you to recruit them."
"'Them?'…It even informed you it was a person?" Kazuya was at his wit's end. This clearly went against all protocols of their organization. He didn't know what kind of power they were dealing with but surely it was something chaotic to be able to screw up the system in such a way.
"Yep. So suit up and get ready! You're headed to the past, amigo." Yari declared as she kicked her apprentice's bum through the lab doors.
"…yare yare" Kazuya uttered.
