Chapter 1-4 - Factorial properties of Surround Sound
"Aww come on!"
"That was such a cop out!"
"I want a rematch!"
Four alien kids stood in front of a large projected screen. While the three kids were grumbling over their loss on the video game, the fourth nodded quietly to herself with a cheeky grin.
"Hey! 5.1! I totally should've won that!" The other two nodded in agreement. The winner, dressed in a grey loose fitting one-piece sweater, brushed her unimaginably long dark brown hair over her face, revealing a pair of focused and deadly crimson eyes. The accuser flinched from her glare but quickly regained his tough looking expression. "Y-yeah! The ship took off and then...the controller slipped out of my hand. That's right! It slipped out. That's what happened." The girl, 5.1, was clearly unimpressed.
"You mean to tell me that ship's take-off, which was warned to every operative on board through the may I add, extremely loud, PA system, made the controller simply slip from your hands? Is that even possible? The take-off was rather smooth don't you think? I thought you had super strength and a tight grip. You and your buddies there. So tell me factor-4, given all these variables, how did the controller 'slip' from your hands?"
The loser, factor-4, was stuttering nonsense trying to find an answer. The girl quickly turned around to face the other two trembling operatives who both gave a high-pitched yelp before absorbing themselves back into factor-4.
"Honestly...it was three against one. How is it that you and your clones can keep complaining like that with a straight face?" The long-haired girl sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.
Factor-4 wasn't stuttering anymore, though he was still tense from his fellow operative's intense interrogation. It wasn't the first time something like this happened. He knew he was a sore loser. He hated losing no matter how trivial the activity was. Of course, it wasn't 5.1's first time dealing with this type of situation either. Though they were both only a few years apart their relationship resembled that of bickering siblings rather than close friends. Factor-4's short-temper and 5.1's maturity, way beyond her years, always made lively interactions between the two. Nonetheless, their core personalities and similar hobbies allowed them to get along very well. Both loved to play games, often avoided responsibility and often played jokes on other people's expense.
5.1 felt her friend loosen up after patting him on the shoulder. Factor-4 breathed a sigh of relief seeing 5.1 wasn't as mad as she looked.
"You owe me." 5.1 jabbed at factor-4.
"Huh!?" Factor-4 returned a confused look.
"For not beating you up after that episode! Seriously. I was about deal out some serious butt kicking after hearing the garbage coming out of your mouth."
"Yeah. Fine..." He grumbled back. "By the way..."
"Hmm?"
"Did you remember to store your Emitter Pulse before take off?"
5.1 thought for a moment before a troubled look took over her face. Diving towards the door by the corner she swung it open and dashed out into the hallway, leaving a smirking factor-4. The operative went over to put away the controllers from their game. The sound of a metal door shutting a few minutes later got his attention to 5.1 in front of the door, her bag hanging down her shoulder and a resigned expression on her face.
"Forgot, huh?" 5.1 nodded silently. "I guess it's going to take a while to fix it. Want some help?"
"Sure."
The lights in factor-4's room suddenly went out and starlight soon poured through the window which covered almost the entire wall. The interior lighting shifted from a brownish-yellow tint to a glowing white light, outlining everything in the room.
"Whoa."
"Yeah. You got the best room on the ship. Lucky you. How long have you seen this now?"
"Countless times." Factor-4 was facing the window his back towards 5.1.
"Yet it never gets old."
"I guess." He shrugged.
"Jeez. You should really appreciate the view more you know?" 5.1 was telling him off like how an older sister would nag at their younger brother.
Both of them stared out into the starry sky. The background was illuminated by countless of stars. Some white, some red, some yellow. It was a view that both had probably seen many times, yet each time they gazed into the starry backdrop it always managed to have that effect on them. An endless stream of stars and planets. An unlimited amount of aliens just waiting to be discovered...and saved.
Factor-4 was a Terranian. His planet resided in the galaxy opposite this one; the Andromeda spiral galaxy. A galaxy far more superior in almost every way compared to its twin. Factor-4's own planet's technology quickly progressed thanks to his race's two unique abilities: Super strength and the ability to replicate themselves. These abilities allowed Terrania to propel itself quickly past the Stone Age and Bronze Age, where manual human labour was relied on. When they became more aware of their own abilities and the nature of how it worked it served to further accelerate progress in their technology. When a Terranian clones itself, the clones each have their own consciousness. However, their personalities, strength, intelligence and disabilities remained constant. Furthermore, each new clone does not make the original copy weaker as some operatives in the GKND believed. The clones were also inherently obedient towards the original. The downside is that when a clone is killed, so is the original.
After finding out the mechanics and properties between their cloning abilities, government officials quickly transformed Terrania. Those with a high intelligence or above average physical body condition were valued by society. The gap between the rich and poor widened drastically. There was no room for the middle-class or the elderly. Those that were average, that didn't stand out, that weren't exceptional, were tossed aside deemed useless by the extremely hierarchical society. War broke out soon after. It showed Terranians a new dark side of their power. The war lasted no more than 6 months, yet it claimed half of the planet's population. Weapons technology, before virtually unexplored, soon leapt at blistering speed. Countless new ways to kill people were developed in mere weeks. At the aftermath of the war, regulations for the restriction of their abilities were soon put in place. Strict rules that everyone had to follow as breaking any of them resulted in death. Surveillance increased exponentially and an oligarchy emerged from what was once a democratic world government. Police raids were a common sight and children have become a resource and were treated as such.
Factor-4 was named Helmer by his parents. They were a typical Terranian middle-class family. Both his parents were struggling to get by. As neither of Helmer's parents were identified to have any genes with redeeming attributes, Helmer was treated as trash. In the eyes of society he was the same as disposable waste. Something taking away valuable space. One day, out of nowhere, a police squad busted down the door of their house and shot both his parents right before him. He would later find out from the GKND that his parents were part of an underground organization that carried out attacks on the upper class. Helmer soon found himself facing down a barrel of a gun when a bright light engulfed the entire house blinding him. The next thing he knew he was lying down on a bed in this very ship.
Because of his upbringing, Helmer was distrustful of everyone on board. He only complied when he found out what the GKND does, to stop evil adults and their plans and bring justice to all kids throughout the universe. He quickly became a shut in, only took solo missions and never talked to anyone unless it was his superior. That was the case at least...until the ship visited a certain planet.
Looking at the stars somehow always made one's self nostalgic. It was a sight that Numbuh 5.1 would never take for granted.
Her galaxy was situated near the edge of the observable universe and as such it was an unstable one. There were barely any sentient beings out this far. Her galaxy was ravaged by blinding asteroids and cosmic storms. From her home planet, Velhza, it was common to see small flashes of light in the distance. These flashes were planets being instantaneously blown up and torn apart by the harsh onslaught of unstable space. The planet itself was constantly hit with earthquakes resulting in a brown desert planet with about a sixty percent landmass.
The Vellhalas developed a technology that relied on transmitting strong bursts of energy waves by rapidly vibrating particles. It was designed to offset the earthquakes. These massive machines were installed deep underground. The rich few built underground cities near these sonic emitters while the many poor settlements were scattered across the planet's surface.
The local governing power in charge of Numbuh 5.1's district was nothing short of cruel. They would constantly make workers work overtime passing laws that required citizens to work ludicrous amounts of time while not getting any rest. Food shortage was always a problem and it was no secret the higher-ups were keeping it to themselves. An uprising was inevitable if not for the fact the higher-ups possessed their own sonic emitter. Instead of using it for its original purpose however, it was used as a mass murder weapon. It made the citizens think twice about trying to attack them.
5.1, Xella, had five siblings. Her own family was one of the more well-off ones having some connection with the local government. While both her parents worked, she would always stay at home and watch her siblings. She quickly developed a strong sense of maturity by taking care of them. There wasn't a moment when they weren't out of her sight. The few times her friends invited her out to play, she always took her siblings out to play too. Any fights were quickly resolved under her presence. Even though her parents were rarely around, Xella understood that their work was what allowed them to live this comfortably. She loved both of them very much.
One day, just after Xella's parents left for work she took her siblings to a nearby hill just off the outskirts of their district. She often went there to clear her head. The view at the top was monochrome and plain. Perfect for such situations. While her siblings were shouting and running she felt a faint tremor beneath her. Soon after smoke could be seen in the distance. It was the next town situated many leagues away from them. An earthquake had just destroyed that city. Their settlements were far away from the known fault lines which meant this earthquake was an extremely powerful one.
Thinking on instinct, her first priority was to get her siblings to safety in their town's underground shelter. Carrying the two youngest ones, she ran down the hill ignoring the constant pain. Her brothers and sisters began to panic when they saw her face.
"Hey Sis, what's going on?"
"It's ok. It's all ok." It was all Xella said over and over.
When they made it to the surface entrance of the shelter, her next step would be to warn the leader of the approaching earthquake.
"Stay here ok? No matter what happens, stay here. See the doors? Soon they'll open and when they do I want you to go inside. I want you to go inside and stay there. Stay and keep each other safe ok?"
"A-a-are you coming with us Sis...?"
"Yes I will. I'll be back. I need to get mum and dad, right? I need to get them. So you all need to stay here and enter the door when it opens, ok? Don't move from this spot. Don't go anywhere else. Stick together ok?" Xella tried her best to keep her composure. This wasn't the time to panic in front of her younger brothers and sisters. Everything is going to be ok. She told herself. She just needed to get mum and dad and warn the government. Her parents worked in the government building so it made things much easier. It's going to be ok. Looking at her siblings for what was the last time, she turned and ran toward the building in the centre of town.
Persuading the leader of the incoming earthquake was pointless. Convinced that they were safe, and not wanting to step out of their convenient lives. The leader simply mocked her.
"Please listen to me! I saw it! I saw the earthquake. The next town is completely destroyed. You have to warn everyone and get them to the shelters!"
The leader, a rather lean looking person, was dressed in a clean robe. A stark contrast to the dirtied rags Xella had on herself. No doubt she would have been thrown straight out of the court building had it not been for the fact her parents worked here. Unfazed by her frantic pleas, he simply brushed her aside.
"Hey kid, don't you have somewhere else to be? Go play outside or something. I'd really hate to get the guards out here."
"Please listen! If you could bring the emitter with you and follow me to the hill you'll see everything!" Xella went down on her knees, throwing away any shred of dignity she had left to save her family. "Please..." The leader was taken aback by this gesture and a look of disgust was on his face.
"Alright kid I don't have time for this. You," pointing to one of the guards, "take her out."
As the guard reached for the sonic emitter, the floor visibly shook under them. The sound of overhead lights swinging above created an ominous chiming sound. The floor quickly stopped shaking.
Everyone went silent for a moment still trying to grasp what actually happened. Before they were able to however, a much more violent rumble shook the entire building. Chunks of the ceiling broke apart as if it was made of clay. Xella saw part of the ceiling fall down toward a nearby guard creating a loud crunching sound. The surrounding hall was already turned to debris. What happened next, she struggled to remember. All her other senses drowned leaving only something akin to tunnel vision. Sound slowly faded, spatial awareness slowly dimmed until all she could see was the sonic emitter. Her body was moving on its own reaching to the item that was the only thing she could see. While everything around her was completely destroyed all she could perceive was that one single device. The screams of people, the tear of metal and falling rubble were all drowned out.
GKND reports said the entire area was completely destroyed and the ground was almost intraversable. She was found lying in the middle of a pile of rubble clutching a peculiar device tightly in her arms.
The girl slowly opened her strained eyes. She was dreaming. That's what she thought. There was a person with fair skin. Fairer than any she had ever seen. The person's hair was spiky and the bangs covered most of the face. A weird looking device was attached to the person's nose and mouth. She struggled to force her eyes to open wider but they wouldn't. She couldn't feel the ground anymore. Another person, who looked nearly identical looked at her before nodding. An abrupt jolt of movement caused her consciousness to fade into black once again.
"I hated that planet." Factor-4 broke the eerie, yet somewhat calm, silence.
"Earth? Why?"
"..."
"It was beautiful. A planet with such green plants and dark blue oceans. Such vibrant colours. Don't you think?"
"..."
"Why...?"
Factor-4 spat with a bitter whisper.
"It's just like Terrania."
A clattering knock on the door startled the two out of their thoughts.
"W-who is it?"
The door opened, revealing Numbuh 99.0. Both their expressions changed to hide the earlier delicate atmosphere. As usual, 99.0 was crouching under the door to get inside. His two pairs of arms folded tightly as he struggled to enter. Compared to him, factor-4 and 5.1 were mere small fries in terms of size. He didn't only tower over them, but his extreme bulk and stocky face made him look all the more intimidating.
"Bit of a squeeze there big guy." Factor-4 grinned. Numbuh 99.0 was probably one of the few operatives he could talk to on reasonable terms. After entering the room, two other operatives.
"Eh...?" Factor-4 was surprised by who emerged.
"Guys!" Numbuh i skipped towards them.
"Hello." Root-2 gave a dull greeting and stayed next to Numbuh 99.0.
"What are you guys doing here?" 5.1 said excitedly.
"We're going back out there!" As always, Numbuh i excitedly exclaimed without elaborating anything. "We're going back out there into space! Seeing and flying and stuff!"
"Wait, slow down. What are you talking about?" Numbuh 5.1 frantically tried to get her to calm down with little success.
Factor-4 went over to root-2, who was showing a lack of reaction from what was happening, and asked him about the situation.
"We're being reassembled into our old sector."
Factor-4 was hoping that what root-2 said was some kind of joke (even if that was impossible).
"Are you sure?"
"Variable factors indicate an extremely high probability of being reassembled into Sector VA and redeployed into field missions." Factor-4's hair rustled slightly.
"'High probability'? So it's not confirmed?"
"There is a 99.99999999998% chance we will be reassembled into Sector VA and redeployed into field missions."
"And that other...zero point zero zero something percent?"
"Extremely unlikely scenario where the ship's birthday light fusion reactor malfunctions leading to instantaneous and catastrophic meltdown of this ship leaving everyone, including the new recruit and three key operatives aboard this ship, to die." His gaze and expression did not change. "Do not worry. The death is painless."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
Factor-4 scratched his head. There would only be one way for his sector to be redeployed.
"Does the new recruit you mentioned have anything to do with this?"
"89.9423% probability the new recruit has major influence in developing our current situation. 94.2912% he is assigned into our sector. 98.9826% he is assigned as our sector leader."
"How long do you think this'll last?"
"Insufficient data."
"Huh?" Factor-4 looked puzzled. Root-2's response puzzled him even more.
"I'm playing...a game."
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