Chapter 41

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1st Pov

Warping space, I vanish from my previous location and reappear hundreds of meters away on the edge of a building. Opening a portal, I step through, emerging into my lounge. Without hesitation, I head for the bathroom, shifting into my human form before stepping into the shower.

Letting the water cascade down my body I wash away the lingering feeling of filth, enjoying the feeling for a few more minutes I eventually decide to get out.

Stepping out of the shower I dry myself off with a quick use of my pyromancy before morphing into a set of pyjamas and heading for bed. 

The next morning, I go through my usual routine—making breakfast, chatting with Jean. Once everything is done, I settle onto the couch and pull up my system menu.

I open the multiversal travel function, deciding to familiarize myself with its features. Starting at the top of the menu a subheading divided the page into two sections, the top half is labelled visited worlds and has my current universe along with a star next to it.

Below it the other half of the menu has a search bar and is temporarily blank. Looking for anything else I notice a small dice icon in the top right of the screen, the button gleaming an enticing red colour.

As I hover over the button mentally, a smaller tab appears beside it, displaying text. "Random Travel: Clicking this button randomly selects one of infinite worlds know or unknown to the host. After selection, the host can decide whether they want to proceed or not." 

Humming slightly, I tap my lengthened claws against my chin as I think, the action releases a metallic clink that echoes around the room.

Deciding I can always choose another world if I don't like the random option, I tap the button. Instantly the icon morphs into a four dimensional shape that oscillates rapidly, each face containing a different icon as it spins like a rolled dice. 

Continuing for a few more seconds it eventually stops, the outwards facing side of the shape holding a hollow hexagon with three triangles extending outwards equal spaces around the edges.

Flashing briefly the symbol morphs into a series of new menus, the first was obvious and held two buttons, one to confirm the travel and the other to cancel the selection above both of which was a small label titled 'Murder Drones. 

Assuming that's the name of the universe I decide to keep looking over the other menus. Starting with the most important first I look at one of two hazard warnings.

"Warning, this universe operates under different laws. Some abilities may not be useable due to not being compatible with the universe itself. (Your abilities still exist but on a different wavelength to the chosen universe.)" 

Stopping on the menu I take a moment to actually process what the warning meant. From what I can infer some of my abilities won't work in the next universe, which could potentially be a problem.

Thinking it over I decide it doesn't matter too much, even if most of my abilities aren't available my physical abilities should more then suffice. I also have a myriad of weapons in my inventory that I developed in my spare time.

Moving on I check out the next menu.

"Warning!: The selected universe is highly incompatible to organic life. This could result in the almost immediate death of any organic lifeforms that travel with you." 

Sighing I realise I won't be able to bring Jean with me if this message is to be believed if her powers are suppressed as well in that universe she'll as weak as a normal human.

Standing up from the couch I walk casually over to the kitchen where Jean was still eating her breakfast.

"Hey Jean, I'm going to go on a trip for a few days to a few weeks. I can't bring you with me unfortunately though so you might not see me for a while." – Morgan

Turning Jean puts down her fork and looks at me confused.

"Where are you going, Aren't you able to teleport on command from anywhere on the planet? And why can't I come?" – Jean

"I'm heading to an alternate universe; I'll still be able to communicate with you through my mimics but it won't be my main body. And you can't come with me because the universe I'm heading to is supposedly bad for organic lifeforms." – Morgan

Nodding Jean scrunches her face in confusion before slowing turning back around to her food.

"Okay Morgan, that's a lot to process. But I trust you and will leave it up to you, have fun." – Jean

Smiling I lean down to hug Jean briefly before breaking away. I warp down to my lab, gathering an arsenal of weapons. After stocking my inventory with extra ammo and strapping a few to my body, I ensure I'm prepared for any scenario.

Psionically scanning my equipment a few more times I confirm everything's in order. Morphing back into my base form I modify it slightly by forming another pair of arms, growing an extra tail, and solidifying certain parts of my body so it can function without shapeshifting.

After all I don't know which powers won't work in the next universe and can't take any chances. Briefly glancing to the side my eyes flicker over my half completed prototype armour, sighing I realise it I won't be able to complete it in a reasonable time and relent to leaving it here.

Psyching my self up I do a few mini hops before activating my labs lockdown protocol and stepping into the isolation chamber. Finished with my preparations I decide to get on with it and mentally push the travel button on my system.

Instantly the menu expands into a large screen counting down from ten, upon reaching zero the screen changes to a deep red pulsating around the edges like the accretion disk around a black hole.

Walking around it I find the portal seems to entirely disappear when looked at from the side, waving my hand around the edges I admire the two dimensional nature of the vortex. Finished with all my delays I move back around to the front of the portal and step through.

Immediately upon contact with the portal a strong suction force draws me in, flexing my powers I find I can halt myself but decide its better not too. Moving fully into the portal I watch through a hazy connection to my mimics as the portal closes behind me.

Inside the portal space seems to warp and bend as distance and time breaks down around me, riding through a relatively calm strip I travel the violent dimension between universes as I get the feeling I'm moving out.

Continuing to flow along the path for a few more seconds I eventually come to a jarring stop, turning around on the spot I look back towards where I came from. There in the far distance among a myriad of infinite colours I spot a colossal black plain that takes up a great deal of my vision. 

In the centre of the spot, I notice an incredibly bright dot floating alone among the black void, as I attempt to look closer I'm distracted by the edges of the black plane shifting. Then in a manner similar to my tendrils the plain reaches out and wraps around a small dot floating just outside of its limit.

Pulling on the dot it draws it in before placing it close to the existing spot. Instantly a faint white line appears and connects the two dots as everything begins to shift again.

Rocketing back towards the dark plane I'm instead aimed at the new dot instead of the bright one. Zooming faster and faster towards the new universe my vision gets overwhelmed by a steadily growing light.

Shutting off my vision and shielding my eyes I go in blind as I collide with the new dot. 

Stumbling slightly, I rapidly blink as my vision recovers and I look around, spinning quickly I look behind me to see a purple version of the earlier portal idly floating in place. Reaching out I tap it only for my hand to bounce off it like a solid surface.

Panicking slightly, I quickly pull up my system menu – and breath a sigh of relief. There next just below the registry for my home universe another option titled 'Murder Drones' has appeared, to the right of it a new button floats with a symbol of a portal.

Mentally hovering over the new button, a separate menu appears. "Universe Linking: Toggle this button on to unlock this universe's current portal. Notice: A new portal can be created at any time but anything can come through an unlocked portal."

Swiping the menu to the side I briefly consider unlocking the portal before deciding against it. Finally, now less panicked I decide to assess my situation. 

Starting with my surroundings I'm currently standing below the remains of a devastated and ice covered city, in the far distance I see some kind of spire made of smaller objects but would have to get closer to make them out.

Looking down I see fractured remains of human skeletons and strewn about parts of robots, whilst above I see a ringed planet orbited by a singular moon glowing brightly in the sky. Finally, the most notable thing I notice is how smooth and interesting everything looks.

A suitable comparison would be a realistic looking animation, pondering that thought and the name of the universe I decide that for now I'll assume this universe's closest media equivalent in other worlds would be an animated show.

Having enough of looking around I lightly shake off the thin layer of snow building up on me and decide to assess my powers.

Starting with my shapeshifting I feel a slight bit a resistance but am otherwise unhindered and can shapeshift as I please. Happy with that I move to my next power my psionic abilities and all that came with it.

Tapping into my abundant reserves of power I attempt to extend it out of myself, the action itself works but after a bit of trial and error it seems my energy works on a different wavelength to this universe and can't interact with its matter.

Sighing I get on with the next ability, activating my phasing whilst attempting to float off the ground shows to be mildly effective as I rise a few metres from the ground and through a lamp post. Whilst hovering I throw a light punch at the lamp just to test my strength.

Instantly a small boom resounds as the pole turns into a deadly projectile and imbeds itself deep into a nearby building, the building which itself seems to be very well made.

Satisfied with my tests, I move on to my last ability. I reach out with my mind, searching for nearby electronics. While I can faintly sense them if I focus, my connection is weak—I can't interact with them properly.

Kind of bummed about all my sensory skills being suppressed I decide I'll have to make do with my omnidirectional vision and enhanced base senses.

Done with my tests I try to figure out what to do in this universe, doing a quick spin I decide to investigate the distant spire first. Hovering off the ground I start flying slightly over a hundred kilometres an hour as I head to the spire.

Below me the remains of the vast city extend in all directions over the horizon, each new building showing signs of devastation and general neglect. Groaning mildly to myself I'm pout slightly at the suspense, surrounded by all this new stuff yet I can't find out what happened with my sensory skills suppressed.

Approaching the distant spire I begin to notice the individual details, by which I mean the multitude of broken robots encased in frozen oil. Speeding up I'm getting closer when I notice some movement near the base of the tower.

Stopping in mid air I hover in place as I watch the strange robot with purple hair and a fancy gun approaching a entrance in the base of the spire. 

Feeling curious I decide to watch from a distance for a bit longer, flapping my wings I move to a building sat opposite to the entrance of the spire and land. Sitting down on the edge I lean against a gargoyle whilst modifying my colour like a chameleon to visually hide myself.

Looking up at the gargoyle I get a new idea a jump up, walking along the edges of the building I reach the corner. There I begin morphing my body to I was an exact replica of the gargoyle on the other corner.

Satisfied with my plan I turn my focus back to the strange robot from earlier, the robot appears to be muttering to herself whilst digging through piles of robot corpses. Occasionally she disappears from view but she always eventually returns.

Sighing I'm starting to get bored and consider moving in when, a streak of yellow light cuts through the sky, accompanied by a sharp metallic gleam. The object in question heads straight into the top of the spire before landing on the broken device in the centre.

Looking closer the new object seems to be a larger more warlike version of the smaller purple haired robot. Extending from it's back two metallic wings spread wide whilst adorned by blade like feathers, from lower down on the robot a long tail extends before ending in a syringe filled with yellow liquid.

Overall, this robot is larger and seems more masculine then the other while wearing what looks like a pilots hat. The other robot noticing the new arrival quickly hides behind a pile of debris before using a broken piece of glass to watch.

Crushing a random robots head in it's hand the robot begins to look around, its visor displaying a long cross glowing a yellow colour, below its visor a razor sharp mouth drips oil. Noticing the purple haired robot the male one leaps into the air, it's wings extending as it homes in on its target.

Noticing its approach the purple haired robot begins backing away whilst fiddling with the gun in her hands. From my angle I'm unable to see what she's doing but after the male robot knocks the gun away I notice a new power cell attached to it.

The fight was brief but brutal. The purple-haired robot staggered as the male's stinger pierced her hand, but she grit her teeth and pushed through. With a sudden burst of movement, she lunged for her weapon, snatching it up. In a single fluid motion, she spun, aimed, and fired. The shot ripped through the male bot's head, carving straight through the metal and obliterating everything in its path.

Mind halting slightly for a microsecond I begin to recalculate my threat assessment of these bots. Based on the damage of that attack it might actually be able to do some damage to me.