“I respect what you’re doing. As a professional courtesy, you may leave peacefully,” Dana Sharp said. She addressed the self-proclaimed “Emperor of Earths” in his throne room on one of her Earths. The grey-haired, wrinkled emperor smiled and playfully shook his head.
“I don’t know how you convinced my guards to let you pass, but I don’t think you understand who I am. I conquered my Earth within a decade,” he gave her a cocky smile. “Your Earth only took me two years.” The pale woman in a white suit rolled her eyes.
“Melody,” she said aloud as if she were calling someone. A tall black portal appeared in the air next to her. The Emperor sat forward on his seat as he stared at the floating, empty anomaly. It reminded him of the portals his armies used. He was relieved, and somewhat confused when a single woman walked out of the portal. It closed behind her. The woman looked like a shorter, stockier version of the pale, lean Ms. Sharp. “How long does it take Oren to saturate an Earth?” she asked Melody.”
“If he’s not being difficult, he can do it in about six hours,” she answered while glaring at the Emperor. Dana nodded while keeping her eyes on the old man.
“I can conquer an Earth in six hours,” she said. The emperor burst into laughter.
“HAH! Impossible. If you really had that kind of power you’d have dozens of Earths already.”
“Melody?” Dana asked.
“15 complete Earths owned by Sharp Development, 247 Earths where we have a presence. Over 500 official AlterNet servers and nearly 2000 unofficial servers.” Ms. Sharp raised an eyebrow at the emperor.
“It’s safe to say that I own, or can at a moment’s notice, almost 3000 Earths,” she shrugged. “If you leave peacefully I won’t interfere with any of your Earths if you don’t interfere with mine.” The emperor replied with loud, forced, obnoxious laughter.
“You’re bluffing. That’s… That’s an insane claim to make,” he stood from his throne and glowered at the women. “You’re crazy. Even if I thought for a minute that was possible, what do you need this Earth for?” Ms. Sharp sighed.
“I don’t. It’s the principle of the thing, it’s my property. But, I don’t have any interest in a conflict with you.”
“Of course! I knew you were bluffing. You don’t want conflict because you’re trying to talk your way out of subjugation,” he smiled proudly. “Go on then. As a professional courtesy you may leave peacefully,” he laughed harder when another black portal opened next to Dana.
“I think you misunderstood something,” Dana said. “I don’t have any interest in a conflict with you. And I don’t need this Earth. Goodbye,” she said to him with a grin; then, she turned to walk into the portal. “This one and the one he came from,” she said to Melody.
“Yes, Ms. Sharp,” Melody replied as her boss disappeared into the portal. Melody’s hands began to glow with bright blue energy.
“Wait, what’d she say?” Melody smiled.
“She said goodbye.”
