Ne’lix looked up from his bunk to see Adam staring through a portal looking at him before he was picked up by an invisible force and whisked through the portal before it closed behind him. The force lowered him to his feet and released him. He started to smile when prompts flooded his vision

WARNING: You have entered a region of raw chaos. You are under the direct influence of Adamantadine. Adamantadine has offered to sway the hands of fate so that your exposure to chaos results in a positive outcome. To accept Adamantadine’s influence you must confirm your Allegiance to Adamantadine for the duration of 1,000 subjective years. If you decline Adamantadine’s influence the effects of raw chaos exposure will be random, as is the nature of chaos.

Would you like to allow Adamantadine to influence your exposure to raw Chaos, Yes or No?

Ne’lix chose “Yes”.

Pain unlike anything Ne’lix had ever experienced came from every single cell of his body and overloaded his brain. When he came back to consciousness he noted a flashing Icon in his vision indicating that he had a prompt waiting while he looked at Adam who was looking at him with concern. With a mouth that was suddenly dryer than he could remember he asked, “What happened?”

“I made a mistake,” Adam said.

“How?”

“Why don’t you look at any prompts you might have and see what being exposed to raw chaos has done to you,” Adam said.

Ne’lix closed his eyes and pulled up his prompts. You have been exposed to raw chaos. This has fundamentally changed you. You have gained the Fundamental ability – Code Locked

Code Locked – Nanites within your Soul’s personal sphere of control have been coded locked to you. You now have control over the nanites and can consciously control their function. The nanites in question were created by Adamantadine. You may only control nanites within your soul’s sphere of control. Commands to nanites outside that sphere of control are ignored. Your sphere of control is x inches from your body where x equals your intelligence attribute. If both Adamantadine and you give commands that contradict each other a contest of wills commences, and the winner takes control. When in areas already flooded with nanites you may take control of nanites that come within your sphere of control. You may create destroy and modify any matter that can be infiltrated by Adamantadine’s nanites that you control.

Note: because your body is infused with Chaotic Nanites you are considered Chaos Forged and immune to further metamorphosis or mutations due to exposure to raw chaos.

Ne’lix opened his eyes and looked at Adam, “I seem to be fine, your nanites fused with me and I can now control them though it looks like I’m pretty limited.”

Ne’lix watched as Adam closed his eyes, then opened them, “Why isn’t the raw chaos ripping you apart?

“It looks like my new fundamental ability code locked is doing something to prevent that from happening. If I had to guess my code-locked nanites are making sure to stabilize and rebuild my body so the chaos no longer affects me. There’s a note about that side effect, though it doesn’t come out and say that.”

Adam looked thoughtful for a minute then reached out and took Ne’lixs hand. As Adam rose to his feet he pulled Ne’lix’s to his as well., “Looks like I have a new ally,” Adam said with a wry smile then continued, “Okay I want you to get used to using the nanites. Look to the memories you’ve already experienced with me to see what you can do with them. In addition, I’ll be sending you a program that will allow you to quantum link to one of my management routines. This will allow you to call forth portals that can take you anywhere you desire that I have visited or that I have nanites.”

“What are you going to do?” Ne’lix asked.

“Me, I have an Emperor, Director of the Agency, and the new Director that took Trix’s place to confront and take care of among other things I need to do to get this Cosmos in order,” Adam said as he disappeared.

Ne’lix felt a bit overwhelmed but went to work. His memories of Adam’s life had shown Adam using the nanites for a lot of things. True to his word Adam shared a link that allowed him to call for a portal. He explored the house he was in while he fiddled with his nanites. He made himself a strong drink and chugged it and remembered that he could no longer get drunk unless he willed it. So, some good things and bad. He was going to need to practice with them. Ne’lix had a very good idea of just how powerful Adam was. If he chose to do a contest for control, he’d lose. So, he’d be satisfied with what control he had and be thankful because he was pretty sure he was now going to live for a very long time with this fundamental ability in play and that little fact that swearing his allegiance to Adam had most likely saved his life.

***

I teleported out of my Dyson sphere and appeared on Vrax away from any cameras. 90% of the planet was covered by them, but I knew where every single one of them was. I double-checked to make sure no one was looking my way then transformed into Trix and started walking towards the Politics and Religion Oversight Committee building where Trix’s old office used to be. Then I stopped

I moved back to where no there was no Camera coverage and transformed into Ahrem. I also had my nanites set up a privacy barrier so anyone looking in this direction would see only an empty corner in an alley. If they came close they’d see me but from a distance, I’d be okay. I thought about what I wanted then wished and willed Death to come forth utilizing my Spellweaver ability to cast a spell to bring her back. My will fought a barrier of sorts but I overcame it quickly and a prompt popped into my vision,

You are attempting to summon Death. The Cosmic Aspect of Death has sustained 2.22+21 points of damage more than death’s corporeal form could sustain. IAW the Laws created by the Aspect of Death all beings must regenerate any excess damage that would have destroyed utterly before they may manifest after destruction. As you are trying to bring her forth you may transfer your health and pay the cost at double the damage done.

Would you like to bring forth Death, Yes or No?

I chose yes. My health regeneration rate was more than how much damage she’d taken. The drain to my health as Death manifested before me was negligible. Death became solid with her sickle in hand, “Hello again?” I said.

“Hello again? Hello Again! I should kill you where you stand,” Death declared

“I’d think that through princess, if you attack me again I’m going to put you back where I just pulled you from and you can stay there until this Cosmos Rots”

“The others will not stand…”

“Zip it!” I said utilizing my full charisma and intimidation skill to silence her. “I didn’t bring you back so that you can posture, and I can monologue. The cosmos needs Death and I need you doing your job.”

Chastened, Death looked at me and her sickle disappeared as her clothes changed to a black business suit, “You know whom I serve, why would I do anything you ask?”

“Because even though you serve her, you also serve a purpose in this Cosmos that you must fulfill. I have a feeling in the coming days there may be a few souls that will need your guidance. “Also, I wasn’t sure if Death being incommunicado would prevent me from killing some people if the need arose so you’re out and your free.

“Yes, I am Death, none can look into my eyes and not die upon my command,” she said as she stared at me intently.

I checked behind me with my nanites just to make sure she wasn’t looking at someone behind me then made a show of looking at my arms and legs, as if inspecting them for damage before I looked back at her and snickered, “That attack was not even worth a message to tell me you used it on me.”

Death’s eyes widened in shock, “What? That’s not possible!”

“You say that a lot,” I said with a laugh. “Are you done? Can we both get back to work now?”

“I will never do anything for you,” Death said

“Just do your job, and stay out of my way, I have work to do,” I said as I ensured the nanites in the room had entered her body and were already infiltrating her.

I was really curious to see what she did next. I’d check back on her after I handled the director and got the ball rolling for the Vrax. I wasn’t going to be heavy-handed like I had been when I started but I did need to make my intentions clear. I’d go see Mr. Milston in a minute. I pulled up the data coming in from the satellite where the Director of The Agency was and went through their weapon armaments. Gravity bombs, Toxic Chemical Bombs, something called The Eradicator? What the hell was that? I looked up the specs on it and it was a one-shot, one-planet-dead weapon. Simple concept the missile was fired, phased through matter to the center of a gravity well then space inverted creating a short-lived hole into the Astral plane which sucked everything through. Most planets that housed life had a ferromagnetic core that created a magnetic field around the planet. This weapon was designed to strip that core away which destroyed the planet’s ability to create an electromagnetic field around the planet leaving it unprotected from its Sun. The planet’s sun would eradicate any life on the surface. The missing material could cause a catastrophic cascade that might shatter the planet but if the planet was large enough the molten core would just rush in to fill the void which would cause some earthquakes. As I looked over the specs I realized this was a weapon to instill fear and terror. No surface explosions, no death from machines. Just some earthquakes and then the people and atmosphere would be scoured off the planet as the solar wind hit the planet and wiped it clean. An evil weapon.

I went through the rest of the arsenal and then had my nanites make everything inert. They wouldn’t need those kinds of weapons anymore. I also disabled every safety feature and weapon in the Directors office as well as the weapons on his person that were technological in nature then teleported into his office.

The Director heard the pop as I appeared and looked up as his left hand unobtrusively pushed a button on his desk as he asked, “Ahrem Bianci I presume”

“Yes and No,” I said as I transformed back to Adam, “Just call me Adam”

“Okay, Adam, for what reason have you appeared in my office?”

“No reason, I just wanted to see who had ordered the death of Trix and why?” I said.

“You realize that any second guards are going to come through the door behind you and end our little talk.”

I turned to look at the door, which I knew he expected me to do, then lazily looked back as a plasma weapon in his hand fired at me. I allowed the weapon to hit me dead center in my chest and even I was surprised when it did almost nothing to me. I checked my combat Log

The Director has fired a high energy Plasma Gun at you for 1,114 damage

Primary Projection of Absolute Soul Level Disparity reduces damage by 1.0E+8 times, 0.00001114 damage taken

Soul level disparity kicked some serious ass. Or should I say it took the kick out of an ass-kicking? Who knows, it would make this a bit easier. The plasma had burnt a hole in my suit which my nanites were replacing even as he tried to pull the trigger to fire another shot. I dissolved the gun out of his hand as I said, “Excuse me, we need to talk.”

Through the nanites in his body, I felt him activate a device embedded in his skull that targeted me as an evil smile crept onto his face. A portal opened above me as a wall of force surrounded me. My nanites had already detected the tungsten rod entering the atmosphere. He’d timed this poorly; it would be a full 10 seconds before the tungsten rod would have come into the portal and vaporized anything inside the force bubble attached to the portal. That wasn’t going to happen though because the tungsten rod disappeared as did the controlling device in his head.

I dispelled the force barrier and the portal with a thought then stepped up to the Directors desk and sat down in a chair across from him. I conjured up two whiskies on ice, one in front of him and one in my hand. And offered a salute. The Director picked his glass up and, sniffed it, “Come now Director, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead. He lifted his glass as well, “To Change,” I said and we downed our drinks together.

The Director set his glass down and asked, “What do you want?”

“There are a lot of things I want. From you, I want to find out why you killed Trix. I need to know the motivations behind that decision,” I said.

“I see,” he said before he stood and continued, Then you wasted a trip because the reason Trix was killed is simple, The Emperor ordered it.

“That’s it? That’s the reason?”

“Yes, that’s the reason

“And you don’t know the reason?” I asked questioningly

“I don’t ‘know’ the reason but if I was a guessing man I’d bet it has something to do with how he believes that Trix’s assumption that she was in control really grated on him. He was the emperor after all, who did she think she was?”

“Truthfully, she was an entity that could help you into the next life. From your attitude and information though I get a strong impression that this is a local political problem.”

“Are we to be slaves to the Gods? Are we to follow every single thing they say like good little children.”

“From the things I’ve discovered of the Vrax empire and the composition of your populace as well as some of their activities on some of your more lawless worlds ‘good’ is not how I would describe approximately 65% of the population of the Vrax participate in amoral activities. When 30% of the last 35% are either children or the elderly that have not found a way to extend their life, either by choice or lack of opportunity, ‘good’ is most definitely not a word that I would use.”

“But we are a free society, for the most part, and our citizens can participate in whatever activities they desire.” The Director said.

“Not interested. I’m sure you’re trying to think of ways to either capture or kill me. Maybe one day that will happen but today is not that day so here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to leave in about a minute and you’re going to go let the emperor know that I’ll be coming to speak to him shortly. Do you think you could let him know that I’m coming to visit soon?” I asked as I teleported outside the station and then willed myself away from the planet at faster than light speed. There was something about the silence of the vacuum I was traveling through and the distortions of light that I flew through that found extremely soothing, much more soothing than being in pure chaos or the astral. I guess the state of being surrounded by nothing is very similar but some stimulation is a good thing.