Through the Living Heir

"Well, you haven't had any practice, and nothing is actually at stake - neither Doylist nor Watsonian factors are contributing. For instance, I would expect that you can make more useful creatures." "You know about the Authors, but you aren't stuck thinking about them. So you aren't ignorant, but you aren't having an identity crisis." "Exactly, they all what. Gnorw si yas I gnihtyreve. Sandwich, stapler, simulate, earthquake."

The construct looked torn, though it had no face. Combat programs fought against its inspiration's personality, one side wanting to kill the animal in case it was a threat, and the other intending to spare it and even perhaps train it. "In some ways, you have to be. But you're a functioning crazy - only slightly delusional and not having an identity crisis." "Ruh? You see - sometimes I don't, or can't."

The construct stopped and cocked its head, unsure what to do. "Exactly! You're nearly perfect to help them." Meat hit him over the head with a saxophone.

The construct was teleporting around them fairly unpredictably, then suddenly stopped and threw a wave of yellow at them, which disintegrated obstacles as it came. “I could have sworn Cricket told you about this…” Meat’s grin got wider, shining in the darkness. “Oh, seems I’m not lost after all…”

“Ah. Of course.” Rebus reached her and did so, blocking a strike from the yellow construct. “Because they know about the Authors and think they’re more important than they are.” I don’t even know if Meat has a soul. Or if having it would be good for you, given he’s a living fever dream.

“I try to keep things fairly realistic, so my physics-related tricks actually work.” Rebus explained. Though honestly I’m not sure what you’re referring to. “They’re both spiraling into identity crises at the moment.” Meat handed him the lower half of a shoe.

The construct took the collision poorly, effectively bouncing off and ending up off balance. It quickly recovered, portaling behind Rebus, then sending Rebus's retaliatory utility fog spear back at him with another pair of portals. "She is, yes. But she's just as broken as he is - he'll send her spiraling, and she'll take him down with her. Those two need someone strong to help keep them functioning." Meat cackled. "Nope! I told you - nothing is real. Reality is a fabrication made by bored people on the internet!"

The construct opened a yellow "portal" in front of her, coming through it at high speed, swinging two swords. Rebus leapt towards her as well, knowing that otherwise the construct would teleport behind them over and over. "You don't know how the world really works, do you... It's why Bat has gone to Tam for help, instead of you." The fire abruptly went out, as did the sun. Meat's eyes glowed green in the sudden darkness. "Birthday? And shoes? Unfortunately, such things aren't free. I will be, though."

Rebus smiled, and snapped his fingers. The last construct turned yellow, and suddenly sprinted at them, bounding off of walls as if gravity didn’t apply. In fact, there were visible changes in trajectory, the yellow construct sometimes falling downwards and other times not. “He has finished his vision. You call me crazy, while you live a lie?” In an instant, he appeared somewhere else. Meat the Minstrel turned his head towards Nemesis, far further around than should have been possible. “Hellllllo! I’m Meat the Minstrel, and welcome to the Thread! You’re not real!” Meat cackled, smiling too wide.

Rebus did a golf clap, resulting in the final construct repeatedly turning back and forth between them. “Shall we fight something harder?” “How do you know? I’m powerful. I can never be helpless. That you is weak, and the other two are literally you right now. Pick me if you want to learn, or choose the failure if you want to stay ignorant.” The light in the room changed, one side becoming more blue while the other turned red. “Alright, then, press the button and it’ll bring you there. Try not to lose or break the teleporter - it can explode, since it’s powered by antimatter.”

The construct kept running, weaving through the pillars. Rebus launched utility fog projectiles at the other construct, which had leapt onto the rope hanging from the ceiling and was trying to build up speed. The Narrator-Rose glowered, and space warped, pulling Rose backwards towards the mirror. “You’re forgetting something.” “Alright, though I do warn you Meat the Minstrel has some alarming abilities - and he might spontaneously disappear to go get a magical weapon.”

It worked, taking that one down. There was only one construct remaining, as Rebus had caught the other by running up a warp wall. “How, I’m unsure. But distress is part of it, and it only works on Nullite.” “Alright. I can help you find a stationary but pure evil ghost, a dream spirit of the fever variety, a Narrative tangle, a neigh-unstoppable telekinetic construct, and a weird Nullite computer thing, as well as provide transport to most other targets you may have.”

Ooh fun! I'd gladly join, and should be able to make time for this given my investment in my stranded worldbuilding projects. These guys may be a little OP, though they're kinda crippled by infighting, bureaucracy issues, indecisive though humane policies, and an imminent economic collapse. The Interstellar Intelligent Species Council (IISC) Nation's Origin: Space! The IISC spreads outwards from Earth (which is now a historical site and nature preserve that contains almost no people), where the FTL drive was first invented, but it's a hegemonic empire of a dozen or so alien species devoted to economic, scientific, and diplomatic expansion through exploration of new star systems, trade with new species for tech and biochemistry, and ethical annexation. National Colors: Nation's Government Type: hegemonic bureaucracy officially headed by a group of representatives for each species, including honorary empty seats for those actively at war with it. They try to hear all voices and pass regulations that benefit everybody, but it takes around a year to communicate from the center to the fringes of explored space, and even longer to send any sort of military forces to do anything. Nation's Faith and beliefs: Miscellaneous, with philosophies from every species represented and blended together. All sapient beings have full rights (there's some friction with the Vvondin, a hive species with drones that would gladly throw their lives away for scientists or breeders); documentation of all life forms, cultures, and events is vital to scientific advancement and historical knowledge; biotech is widespread and some planets are set aside for evolution experiments in the hopes of creating new and useful biochemistry, and the post-scarcity economy means most things are free, but cannot cope with anything unique being coveted by all, and is about to experience a collapse as shipping resources to the fully mined and terraformed inner star systems becomes harder and harder. Nation's Ruler: technically the council, but they're too far away actually manage the colony and exploration ship. At the moment, the captain, diplomat, and head scientists would work together to make decisions, then create new organization if a colony is founded. Nation's Primary Race(s): the three species naturally capably of existing in air at typical temperatures are humans, Ferrians (very odd creatures made from magnetic nodes. They "eat" metal to acquire energy), and Sapiodrakes (bipedal dragons, effectively. They won't be on this ship though, because they were only recently contacted). Vvondin, due to their already-existent specialization for different roles, use biotech almost universally to survive in any environment. Some other species (there are thus far 13 known, including a couple at war with IISC and a super-intelligent AI that basically does its own thing) would also be on the ship, but unless they felt up to almost irrevocable modification, they would stay there or colonize some more hospitable planets. Nation's Total Population: the ship would start with a few hundred, plus some stored gene sequences for genetic diversity. The IISC itself has trillions of citizens living in mostly in megastructures like hollowed moons. Magic or technology use: very high tech, has never seen magic. Has FTL transportation and communication (though it's slow by some standards, and forcibly obeys causality by dropping out of warp if it enters a gravity well or "hyperwake" left by another ship), advanced computers with natural language processing, and most importantly biotech that can manufacture nearly anything from nearly anything, used in all aspects of life. Food, clothes, and tools are grown from portable organisms with overclocked metabolisms and computer-controlled genetics, and medical technology incorporates the ability to manufacture arbitrary proteins to its fullest extent. Spacesuits (and environment suits), temporary habitation, and, if pressed, armor are all made from incredibly durable self-healing biofabric, which can be adapted to nearly any situation. Other information: the IISC is very willing to incorporate alien technology and biology into their technology, just as they accept alien species and culture. This extends to magic - unless there are complications involving incompatibility, the IISC engineers will very quickly find ways to incorporate magic into their devices, probably resulting in a nation of immortals with infinite materials and power. (There will have to be checks in place - perhaps this could cause a civil war... or just make magic not overpowered. Or difficult to combine with technology.)

The first construct proceeded to run, bounding across what was indeed a trampoline. Evidently they shared a decision loop; Rebus had used the same tactics to once again corner one, leaving only three remaining. "I don't know. You probably don't want to pick me." Rebus found that amusing, though the man would be at best a lieutenant - they did not seem to be on the same level. "I have a potential list of targets for you - how do you acquire souls, and what can you do with them?"

“That’s good…” The second continued to flee while the first harried her with telescoping spears or solid waves of utility fog. Rebus imprisoned a construct in a sphere of utility fog, then caught up to it while it was blasting its way out. “I don’t know when it started; I hadn’t been around Nullite devices for a while.” “It utilizes omnion conduction fields to invoke forceful translocality, compensating for the shunting with expansion of telekinetic membranes, ignoring relativity through ansible tachyons to transmit quala structure to a specialized retriever which can itself be translocated into place with relevant dimensional coordinates, using antimatter to power the translocal shift, a jargon coordinator to account for complications and momentum cancellation, with metaphysical enabling of destinations, nanoscale machinery, predictive selection, and proprietary techniques.” Rebus grinned at Nemesis’s presumably stunned look. “If you want to know how it is operated, simply hit the button to go where you want, as long as there’s another node. It has a verbal interface if there are complications.”

Jack knew even less of what to say. “I have a soul?” The first launched a spear of utility fog at her, while the second launched itself into the air. The reflection looked sheepish. “I break things. Like Bat used to.” Rebus looked surprised. “I didn’t realize you were here. Nemesis, I have a network of technological teleporters you could use.” He handed the man a teleporter, though he made sure it couldn’t get him to Bat, Rose, Symbol, or his moon.

Jack wasn't sure what to say. The construct dissolved, though there were more around. The reflection looked at her. "Hi?" Rebus smiled, putting out a hand to shake. "Do we have a deal, then?" "I suppose you were dead at the time. Malevolence is frustratingly similar to me and wants to conquer the entire Thread by acquiring Antagonist. The Blade likely isn't even all that useful, but there'll be collateral damage and harm to my reputation if I don't get it first, which then harms me."

“I was speaking to her, actually.” The construct tried to sidestep, took the hit, then tumbled off its platform and to the ground. Which one’s the normal one? The one with no tattoos, or the Nullite one? “I don’t know whom your nemeses are. I would doubt it.”

“And you are familiar with Malevolence, correct?”

Jack was bewildered. “Well, I do hope you get your soul returned.” The construct had bolted during the brief confusion, leaping between several elevated platforms at a diagonal to her. Meanwhile, Rebus had cornered a construct and killed it - evidentially they were fairly unskilled in melee. “Yes. The portals that Cricket makes, if something is halfway through them when they close, can cut through nearly anything.” “Yes. I would provide you resources and direction in exchange for you taking out some immortals I don’t like, not harming my allies unless I tell you you can, and me getting partial credit for enabling your actions.” “I’ll break it down, as long as you wait till the end before making snap judgements or trying to kill me. Have you heard of the Plotblade Antagonist?”

“Yeah. You have to come with me now or something.” The red ones did, the green don’t. A shield of green utility fog stopped the strike, though the Plotblade did punch through it. The construct leapt backwards, the shield blasting apart into a brief smokescreen. Did you miss the vision part? “Interesting… I may sponsor you, actually.”

“That seems of questionable legality. You’re under arrest? That’s what they say in the penny dreadfuls, at least.” Jack was clearly out of his depth, but managed to pull off a serious face. Let’s see… round, bordered by white void, grey surfaces, black edges, white utility fog holding stuff up… lots of parkour stuff, like ramps, platforms, warped walls, a sectioned-off floor area that might be a trampoline, ropes from the ceiling, pits in the floor, hurdles, things to slide under… If Symbol tried certain gestures or verbal commands, she’d be able to make temporary structures as well. The green construct turned, then leapt forward, launched by a telescoping pillar of utility fog. It soared through the air, putting its momentum behind its blade in a downward strike. Meanwhile, Rebus blocked a spear of utility fog with one of his own, then performed a similar trick to Symbol’s opponent, kicking off of a well-placed wall to end up behind a construct. “Become this? I’m normal, basically - probably the closest to you. Rebus gave me some special forces training and the best enhancements he could without replacing anything, then basically told us we could do whatever as long as we’d fight against any truly Thread-ending threat. Does Cricket use portal cuts in your reality?” “Somehow I’m not convinced… it won’t be quite this second, but I have a few immortals I wouldn’t mind no longer needing to worry about. Is souls all you harvest?” Alright, see you tomorrow.

“You do not seem to be a very nice person. How did you acquire a contract if you did not build the contracted?” In fact, this had been the plan all along. Green spikes of utility fog telescoped at Rebus, the branching support structures they were pushing off of glowing as well. Rebus jumped, pushing off of an orange platform to get higher than he should have, then knocking one of the spikes into the ground and briefly running across it. “If you don’t have anything better to do, you can pick me and find out.” She noted. This version of Rose was pacing slightly, or perhaps prowling, but stopped as Rose turned to her. “Do you need something?” “Ah. I do hope you have an end goal with this - souls are rather important for the continued functioning of magic, the mind, and the immune system.”

Apparently my memory abnormally good and not just ordinarily good (though I think it’s a common trait of high-functioning Autism). My teacher wanted me to highlight passages from a reading “so you can find what you read”, and we had some brief mutual confusion. I wonder if someone neurotypical would be willing to come over here and explain how “normal” people think - it’s a qualia that is fairly hard to project to others who think differently.