Category: Hugoverse

Stellar Tour 5: Zero Waiting

hugoserrataLeave a comment

June 23, 2021 A person finds a computer, and upon opening up one of its tabs, finds that he can edit, remove, or add aspects to any object in the universe.

–

“Well, that went…,” Oz sighed. He was glad to be out of the goblin’s boardroom. “…on.” He looked around to take in his new surroundings. Astra took them to another Earth straight out of the meeting. He was outdoors now and cycled through several deep breaths. He hoped the fresh air would rinse his lungs of the stench of goblins. When he first arrived on the Paradise server he encountered a horde of zombies. At the time, it was the foulest smell he’d ever encountered in his life. Then, he walked into the goblin’s boardroom. It was hot and humid. But, the stench made him wonder if all the humidity in the air consisted solely of goblin sweat.

If there was one thing he was thankful for, it was that the goblins barely let Astra talk, much less him. Oz did not have to open his mouth once and risk tasting the air. Now he happily gulped as much air as he could, and he caught the delicious scent of cooking meat. It wafted through a giant open archway ahead of them. Beyond it was a city of tents and stalls with dozens if not hundreds of patrons pushing through the crowd from vendor to vendor.

“We shopping?” he asked. Astra shook her head but walked forward through the arch.

“Now that we got help from the goblins, we need a team. That means you need to make your AlterNet character. This server is called ‘The Schoolyard‘. It was meant to be a tutorial server; but, since it was the first stop for most new players it drew some unsavory types. Sharp Development, along with plenty of helpful players, have managed to keep reasonably civil. Now the entire Earth is pretty much a grey market.”

“The goblins agreed to help? I was holding my breath so long I might’ve blacked out; I don’t remember that. All I heard was they wanted us to challenge them to a derby game. It was hard to keep track with them talking over each other.” Astra giggled as she led Oz through the crowd.

“We’re going to need all the practice we can get anyway. That’s why they’ll only help us if we beat them.” Astra turned right. Oz turned with her and stumbled in surprise at the new path. He had been enjoying the sights and sounds of the bazaar; he saw fairies, ogres, mermaids, and more purchasing deadly weapons and shiny trinkets. But, the new path changed under his feet from a worn dirt path to a paved concrete thoroughfare. The tents and wooden stalls lining the sides were replaced with brick storefronts, glass windows, and neon signs. Oz did a quick double-take to look back down the dirt path to make sure he didn’t miss Astra Traversing them to a new Earth. The crowded bazaar was still behind them and he could return to the dirt path with a single step. Astra continued walking and he dashed to catch up as she walked into a shop. A blue neon sign on the glass door only had three letters: “Jny”.

Walking in was like stepping into a new world again. Oz wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the sudden changes. Before he entered, the interior appeared to be a standard curio shop with knick-knack-lined shelves. The actual shop was a white room with no one else in sight. Oz had given up trying to keep track of Ben; Astra’s pet wolf. It could turn invisible, and she could send it to another Earth with a thought. As large as it was, it spent most of its time out of sight. Then, Oz noticed a sudden movement from under the white floor. A white and red koi fish swam out of the ground and sprouted crystalline insect wings. It flitted upward to hover before Astra. The young girl waved at it.

“Hi Flynn, is Jenny around?” she asked. Oz watched the fluttering fish hoping to see a talking fish for the first time. Instead, Astra shook her head, then sighed. “No, I didn’t make an appointment. Melody sent us.” The koi’s wings disintegrated and the koi plummeted to the ground and splashed into the white floor.

A white splash ring radiated outward from Flynn’s impact. The wake of the ripple replaced the white ground with green and white checkerboard tile. A counter appeared on one side of the room; then, a small red, round table sprung out of the tile along with two seats for the table.

“We wait,” Astra said, then took a seat. Oz noticed a lit brick oven behind the counter then took in the rest of the new room.

“Is this a pizzeria?” Oz asked. He wandered to the brick oven to take a closer look.

“It’s the AlterNet,” Astra said. “It can be anything.”

“Whoa!” Oz said. He’d turned from the stove to head to the table but flashing lights on the counter caught his eyes. A smooth glass keyboard seemed to be imprinted on the wooden, worn counter. Blue letters glowed under the elongated grid of squares. Oz couldn’t suppress the instinct to reach out and bump the neon blue spacebar.

The moment he did, a large display materialized before him on the counter facing him. The screen showed a single table in a pizzeria matching the room they were in. Oz didn’t see anything that resembled a mouse and his curiosity led him to hit the backspace key.

“Ow!” Astra yelped when she landed on her bottom; both chairs were gone from the room.

“Sorry!” Oz replied. He quickly hit the spacebar to try and bring them back. Instead, the table moved about a foot away from Astra.

“It’s better if you stop,” Astra said as she stood up.

“Yeah, It really is,” a new voice said. Astra and Oz turned to see a young woman focused on Oz behind the counter. She pulled back her purple hood to reveal her dark spiky hair; then, she crossed her arms and raised a single eyebrow at Oz.

Stellar Tour 4: Strolling through Paradise

hugoserrataLeave a comment

June 22, 2021 A new park opened for the wealthy called Zombie apocalypse. You need to fight zombies to stay alive and find the antidote. The winner team gets a huge sum of money. But if you die, you return to your real life unharmed. You can only participate once each year.

–

“Welcome to Paradise,” Astra said. She spread her arms wide and gestured at the neon cityscape before them. Pink and blue glowing skyscrapers rose high into pitch blackness. The heavens refused to back down from the bright neons trying to pollute the unnatural, inky sky, and that only magnified the contrast. Despite Astrid’s showmanship, Oz was focused on the street level. He heard approaching footsteps and noticed two people sprinting towards him and Astra; on closer inspection, he also noted a large crowd chasing the two runners.

“Astra…,” Oz said. He pointed forward and Astra brought her gaze down as the two strangers whizzed by at full speed. “…are those…zombies?” The chasing crowd was now close enough for the neon lights to give their rotting corpses a sickly pastel color with shades of pink and blue.

“Yeah,” Astra giggled. Ben, her white wolf, relaxed on his haunches in front of her. “Just let them pass, they won’t bother you.” Despite every muscle fiber in his body at the ready, Oz put all his trust into Astra. Oz needed to be there, but Astra didn’t. She had been nothing but kind since they met that morning on their own home Earth. He closed his eyes and held himself still as the zombies moaned and shambled past them. Oz felt dry, crusty skin rub against him and flake off; and, the odor was the most putrid thing he ever took a whiff of. A carton of rotten eggs would have been as refreshing as a tropical glade at that moment. Fear of attracting their attention was the only thing that helped Oz keep the funnel cakes from the fair in his stomach.

“Whoo!” Oz exhaled, then breathed in as much fresh air as he could as soon as the last zombie passed them. “Why didn’t they bother us?” he asked. Astra began walking up the street in the direction the zombies came from.

“‘Cause we’re not playing,” she said. “The zombies used to attack anyone; until a goblin cartel set up shop. Sharp Development used to keep them in check; but, once Ms. Sharp died, the goblins took over the whole server. They set up a game show on other Earths. Bring the competitors here and let them try to survive.” Oz tilted his head at Astra.

“Didn’t I just meet Mrs. Sharp?” Astra nodded at him.

“You met Mrs. Melody Sharp, Dana Sharp’s widow. She owns Sharp Development now.” Astra turned a corner into a significantly darker alley and continued walking. Golden stars filled her eyes; they glowed brightly enough to give Oz some light too.

“Oh..,” Oz nodded. “…if she owns the AlterNet and this server.. why doesn’t she just make the goblins help us instead of giving us a messenger quest?”

“I told you; the goblins took over,” Astra replied.

“But.. how? Can’t she reprogram the nanos?” Oz asked.

“How they did it is exactly why we’re here. The goblins managed to string together enough loopholes to win the server from Mrs. Sharp in a game. We need their sneaky little brains to get you off her..” Astra put her index fingers to the sides of her head to imitate horns. Oz appreciated that she did not use Ballisea’s name. “…radar.”

“We’re going to challenge her to a game?” Oz asked. Astra nodded.

“If the goblins will help us, yeah.”

“But… I don’t know a thing about roller derby. I don’t even know how to skate,” he added with a softer, more embarrassed tone.

“Well we’re not doing it right now,” Astra smiled. “We still need a team. So far it’s just you and me.”

“And Ben,” Oz added. Once Astra agreed to help him, Oz decided to try and be more inclusive of her companion.

“Nope,” Astra said. “I’m a Beastmaster, Ben and I are one character.”

“Oh, I see,” Oz replied. “But, why would she even accept a challenge?” Astra stopped walking and turned to face Oz; the golden stars in her eyes provided the only light now. The neon skyline could not be seen from the dark alley.

“She already lost one major game and is in preparation for another,” Astra said. “When you’ve been around as long as she has, entertainment is wherever you can find it. And since she can’t kill anyone right now, she’s probably bored out of her mind.” Oz’s day had been a whirlwind starting that morning on his home Earth. He’d learned way more about the universe than he thought possible. With every new revelation, he was too busy to consider Ballisea’s age until Astra mentioned it. Once she did, he was filled with curiosity. “How old is she?”

“Older than time and the universe itself,” Astra said. “Literally.” Oz chuckled.

“Which universe?” he asked with a smug grin. He’d been in almost a dozen different universes since they met.

“No matter what universe you go to, the oldest you’ll find is about 15 billion years old,” Astra said. Then, she shrugged. “So… all of them.”

Stellar Tour 3: Solar Celebration

hugoserrataLeave a comment

June 21, 2021 You wake up a normal summer day. Everything feels normal until you check the date. 32.07.2021.

–

Oz felt relief wash over him now that Ballisea was gone. He relaxed and finally took a moment to take in his surroundings. Minutes ago, he was at a park on his home Earth. It was a cool December day; but, now he could feel sweat beading on his brow. He was now at the same park on an alternate Earth. The trees lining the park path had a slight blue tint to them. Now that he could appreciate the differences of a new Earth without running for his life, he wanted to take advantage of it.

“Why’s it so hot?” Oz asked Astra. She shrugged.

“I dunno. It’s a hot day, I guess?” she said.

“In December?” Astra shook her head and pulled something out of her jeans pocket. Oz had seen plenty of technology while in training; but, Astra was tapping and swiping at a card-sized pane of glass. It was more advanced than any of the advanced phones his organization used.

“It’s July,” she said. “I think.” She showed the small display to Oz and he saw the date: 32.07.2021.

“But..it was December a little bit ago…,” Oz asked. Astra smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. On our Earth,” Astra said. “That doesn’t mean it has to be December here. Winter on our Earth doesn’t have to be winter here, and time is just humans keeping track of things. Each Earth starts doing that at different times in different ways.”

“Oh boy… I need to sit down,” Oz replied. He moved to the nearby wooden park bench. “I was not ready for today.” Astra giggled and joined him. Ben padded behind her and sat on his haunches by her feet.

“When traveling the multiverse it helps to just kind of go with the flow,” Astra said. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting to get kidnapped today either, you know? Things happen.” Oz chuckled

“You’re not going to let that go, are you?” Astra smiled and shook her head.

“Not yet,” she said. Oz nodded and returned the smile.

“So. Time is different on every Earth. What else do I need to know?” He looked around the park again. A part of him was hoping to see whether humans from this Earth were any different. But, as scenic as the blue trees were, the park was empty.

“You’re going to need a Mundo to give you the talk,” Astra replied.

“What’s a moon-doe?” Oz asked.

“Mundos are Uniques that usually love to explain the truth of the multiverse.” Oz nodded.

“What’s a Unique?” Astra sighed but smiled.

“Okay, I’ll give you the lite version. Most people you meet are known as ‘Zeros’,” she said.

“Yeah, Ballisea called me that; what does it mean?”

“It means you’re worthless,” Ballisea’s voice echoed around them with a light laugh. Oz froze. But, Astra put a hand on his shoulder to put him at ease.

“Oh yeah. That’s something you need to know; she’ll almost always hear her name. No matter what universe you’re in.” Oz instantly decided he’d try to avoid speaking her name again.

“But, it doesn’t mean you’re worthless,” Astra said. “It’s what we call alternate universe doppelgangers. Unique Souls have no Zeros. I am Unique Soul #35, La Estrella,” she said. Then, she clarified when Oz’s brow crumpled in confusion. “It’s ‘star’ in Spanish. No Zeros means I’m the only me in all of infinity.”

“#35? How many of you are there?”

“There are 54 types of Unique Souls, but I’m not the only Estrella.”

“Can they all travel between universes like you and…” Oz gestured at the empty park path in front of them to avoid using Ballisea’s name. Astra shook her head.

“The 54 Uniques are separated into six tiers. I’m not going to go into all that; but, the top tier is a group of Uniques called Celestials. Those are the ones that can Traverse universes.” Oz had a sudden insight and then turned to focus on the large white wolf sitting patiently next to Astra.

“Animals can be Unique too?” he asked. Astra nodded and reached over to pet it.

“Ben is Unique Soul #33, La Araña. The spider.” Ben chuffed at Oz, then dozens of small, moving, black dots appeared in his fluffy white fur and began crawling around like fleas. “La Araña can summon spiders from other universes through their pores and control them.”

“But what about that giant one that appeared behind me?” Oz asked. Astra pointed at the park path. Oz turned and noticed a horizontal, saucer-sized portal hovering three feet above the ground, then placed a hand on Ben’s head. The portal rained out half a dozen black widow spiders onto the cobblestones. After a moment, a portal appeared under them to swallow them again. “We can use our powers together,” Astra explained.

The sudden sound of footsteps distracted Oz from his next question. He turned toward the sound and was slightly disappointed to see a normal human jogging their way.

“Morning!” the stranger smiled and waved as he jogged by. “Happy Sun day!”

“Happy… Sunday,” Oz replied. “It is the best day of the week,” he added. The stranger slowed and turned back to them, then grinned.

“Traversing, huh?” Oz turned to Astra in surprise, and she nodded at the stranger. “Sun day only comes around once a year here. Ballis 7th, is when we celebrate the Sun with a giant festival in town. If you’re not rushing through, you should give it a look.” Oz tilted his head.

“Ballis 7th?” he thought back to the date on Astra’s device. “It’s not July?” The stranger chuckled and shook his head.

“Not with this heat it’s not. Around here, Ballis is the 32nd month of the year.”

Stellar Tour 2: Sun & Games

hugoserrataLeave a comment


June 20, 2021 Smash ‘Em Up Sunday: Bound by System

–

“Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.” – Charles de Mar.

Oz stared at the abyss-like portal before him. It stood vertically like an open door to the pitch-black unknown. When he received his assignment that morning, he did not expect to have his reality shattered. He was proud to be considered an official agent worthy of a solo mission. Oz worked for a top-secret organization that recruited and trained magical girls and boys. He regretted that it couldn’t always be done with their consent; but, his organization was keeping humanity safe. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use force; but, Astra did not want to be registered as a magical girl. Oz’s training led him to make threats he hoped he wouldn’t have to fulfill. Then, Astra pulled back the veil.

“Infinite alternate Earths…,” Oz said. “Infinite humans…who are we even protecting?” he asked.

“People,” Astra smiled. She dismissed the portal with a casual wave of her hand. She sensed it was going to be a conversation and moved to the nearest park bench. Ben, her white wolf, lay at her feet once she sat down. “You should protect people. But, you know,” she shrugged. “Take it easy. You do realize you were about to kidnap me, right?” she asked. Oz stood up straighter and locked eyes with the 13-year-old girl.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am… I don’t know how I can go back there now.”

“Then, don’t,” Astra said. Oz shook his head. He decided to join her on the park bench.

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy,” he said. “There’s a standard protocol for kidnapping,” Oz said. “It’s not an easy organization to join or leave.”

“Why not?” Astra asked.

“People talk about secret societies all the time,” Oz said. “They’re the real deal. After your spiderfall stunt, they found you pretty easily,” he said. Astra shrugged and giggled.

“I wasn’t even hiding,” she said. Despite himself, Oz chuckled. He needed whatever levity he could get right now.

“You don’t know the machinations they can bring down on me,” Oz chuckled again. “Heck, I probably don’t even know them. They control the world. That’s just the way things are. I’m powerless to change it,” He sighed and leaned forward with his forearms on his knees; he stared down at the gravel park path. Astra burst into a fit of giggles.

“You think they control the Earth?” she asked. “First of all, that’s not even remotely true. Second of all, even if it were…,” Astra nodded at the empty path in front of them; a tall black portal opened. “…just go to another one.” Oz sat up and looked at Astra again.

“What do you mean that’s not true?” Astra shrugged.

“I’ve been to Earths “controlled” by someone,” she said. “When you have control, you don’t have to hide it. They just want you to think they can make anything happen. Your organization might have plenty of resources; but;…controlling an Earth is out of their league.” Oz sighed again.

“Semantics,” he said. “The point is they can make the rest of my life very short and very miserable.” Astra shook her head.

“Nope. The point is you’ve given up trying to find a way out before you started. If nothing else…,” Astra made a gesture with her hand and a new portal opened. “Different Earth?” Oz shook his head.

“I don’t even know how you do that; I definitely can’t do it.” Astra tilted her head at him.

“It’s a portal. Anyone can walk through it.”

“And anyone just might,” a woman’s voice echoed around them. Ben immediately stood on all fours; his fur bristled and he growled at the portal. A tall, pale woman with tall bone-white horns atop her head sauntered out of the portal. She wore a long, flowing black dress that dragged on the floor. She looked at Astra and smiled. “Hola, Estrellita.”

Before Oz could wonder about the stranger a flash of black covered his vision. His mind was confused as to whether he blinked or not; but, suddenly the park was slightly different. The trees were taller than moments ago; the portal and the pale woman were gone. He turned to ask Astra but she was on her feet pulling his arm in a panic.

“RUN!” she screamed. She ran forward down the path with Ben at her side and Oz behind them. His first few steps were confusing. Obsidian darkness flashed over his eyes with every other step. It wasn’t until Oz noticed that Astra looked back to check for him after every black flash that he realized what was happening. Every few steps, Astra was taking them to another universe. Oz had a million questions, but at the moment, he trusted Astra more than he trusted himself.

Before Astra revealed the multiverse, Oz might have been tempted to try and fight the strange woman. He was a relatively new recruit with the organization; but, all his training taught him to be formidable with his magical abilities. Astra’s reflexive flight at the horned woman’s appearance hinted to Oz that he wouldn’t stand a chance. After another black flash, Astra halted. Oz ran into her but managed to slow himself enough not to topple them over.

“Estrellita, you know you can’t run from me,” a now-familiar voice said. Oz would never forget that voice for the rest of his life; and, it was burned into his brain mostly based on secondhand terror. He had no idea who she was. But, he knew that they ran through at least seven alternate universes; and, somehow she was waiting for them.

“Please don’t hurt him, Ballisea!” Astra yelled. She stood in front of Oz and spread her arms wide to defend him. Ballisea’s obsidian eyes flitted to Oz, then back to Astra. She sighed with disappointment.

“Little one, if I was going to hurt that Zero, I wouldn’t have let you take him for a walk. I happened to overhear your conversation, and it sounded like that Earth could use a little shake-up, hmm? Maybe do away with those kidnappers? I really could use the entertainment.” Astra stepped forward and tilted her head at the horned woman and relaxed her arms.

“Are.. you.. asking me?” she asked. “For… permission?” Ballisea sighed.

“For reasons I don’t feel like explaining, yes,” she said with a nod.

“No way!” Astra yelled. She was so excited she jumped in place. “This is because your team lost, isn’t it?” she asked. “EVERYONE saw that game; this is why the stakes were kept private, isn’t it?” she asked with a broad grin; and, standing closer to Ballisea than Oz would have liked. Especially when they were fleeing in terror moments before. Ballisea stared at Astra expectantly, but did not answer the question. “I won’t give you permission if you don’t answer me,” she said. Ballisea narrowed her eyes at Astra for a moment, then nodded.

“No. This is not related to the stakes of that game,” she said. “This is related to the stakes of the next game.”

“The next game?” Astra asked. “But.. your team… kinda died…?” she said.

“I’m building a new one,” Ballisea replied.

“Can I-?”

“No,” Ballisea cut off Astra’s request.

“Oh. Okay,” Astra nodded, then she looked at Oz.

“Is it okay if she kills all your bosses?” she asked him. Oz replied with a dazed nod. Astra turned back to Ballisea.

“JUST the evil organization. Take your skeletons and leave that Earth alone once they’re gone. I have family there; if you hurt them or any other innocents there, you break the terms,” Astra said. Ballisea nodded.

“Agreed. I’ll leave in peace. Once I finish,” Ballisea said. Then, she dissipated into a black mist that disappeared.

“What the hell just happened?” Oz asked. “First, we’re running for our lives.. then you’re giving her orders?” Astra shrugged and smiled.

“Everyone knows that the game is only fun if people follow the rules.”

Stellar Tour 1: Stellar Reveal

hugoserrataLeave a comment

June 19, 2021 You are part of an agency that tracks down unregistered magical girls/boys to train and register them in the system or to arrest them if they are uncooperative.

–

“Hi, I’m Oz,” a lean man with round spectacles stepped in front of Astra and introduced himself. The 14-year-old girl was on her way home through the park. Oz sat on a concrete bench and stood to approach her as she passed. Astra never feared talking to strangers; she could take care of herself and she wasn’t alone. Despite the grey, cold day Astra was in a great mood.

“Hi, Oz. What can I do for you?” Astra asked without giving him any information.

“Do you know what a special little girl you are?” He asked. Astra nodded, then whirled around to walk away.

“Yeah, that’s not creepy at all from a stranger,” she said loud enough for him to hear.

“You’re right, sorry!” Oz was quick to apologize. He continued pleading his case when Astra slowed and turned around. Thanks to the dark clouds hiding the sun or last-minute holiday shopping, the park was relatively empty. The closest person was a jogger on the other side of the park headed further away from them. Oz felt comfortable speaking some secrets aloud. “I’m here on business; what do you know about the unusual spider-fall a couple of weeks ago?” Astra wanted to play it cool; but, her answer told Oz more than she meant to.

“What business, exactly?” she asked. Oz smiled.

“There’s a magical world hidden just underneath the real one,” Oz said. “My organization recruits and trains magical kids, like you, to keep the normal world safe.” Oz noticed golden stars flash in Astra’s eyes for a moment; then, she grinned and shook her head.

“No thanks,” Astra gave him a half-wave and took a step forward.

“Wait,” Oz said. “What do you mean, ‘no thanks’?” he asked. “I’m asking you to help save the world. You know, where your friends and family live. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Astra turned to shrug at him. She idly tugged at the strings of her blue checkered hoodie as she raised her shoulders.

“Sure. But, I’m not gonna stress it. If things happen and I see an opportunity to help, I’ll help.” Oz shook his head and gave a slight chuckle.

“Of course my first mission wouldn’t be as easy as training,” he sighed, then focused on Astra. “I’m sorry to say, I must insist,” he took a step towards Astra. As soon as his foot landed, a low, rumbling growl filled the air. Oz glanced around the park, then tilted his head at Astra. “I see you’re eager to fight. I must say, that reflects quite poorly on your temperament. Don’t worry, you’ll learn tools to manage that aggression during training.” Astra rolled her eyes.

“It’s not me,” she said. “Show him, Ben,” Asta added. When she did, a large white wolf, almost as tall as her, materialized out of thin air. The wolf stood next to Astra; his fur bristled with his ears laying back and he bared his teeth at Oz.

“I don’t want to fight you,” she said. “But Ben is more than happy to.” Ben barked at Oz and half-dozen large black widow spiders flew out of his mouth. They landed on the concrete path and immediately scurried towards Oz.

“You’re going to have to do better than that, puppy,” Oz smiled. He lifted his hand chest high and made a crushing gesture with his fist; wispy green energy lifted the six spiders off the ground and pulled them together. The loose tendrils of energy coalesced into a grapefruit-sized ball, then shrunk. The spiders were compressed into a single small black sphere before the energy dissipated. The mass of spiders landed on the ground with a moist plop and released dark green ichor. “I’m taking you in for registration one way or another.” Astra shuffled closer to Ben and put a hand on his head.

“I already said no thanks,” Astra replied with a smug smile. Oz kept his focus on the girl and wolf before him and did not notice the extra tall black portal opening behind him until Asra pointed it out. “Maybe he’ll want to go with you,” she said and pointed behind him.

It was Oz’s first mission alone, but he wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t have turned around if the hairs on his neck did not jump to attention as soon as Astra pointed behind him. He spun around and immediately stumbled backward trying to run away at the same time. He managed to keep his legs under him and keep his cool, despite the surprise. A giant purple spider with a body the size of a Volkswagen crawled towards Oz on giant spindly legs. Each of its eight eyes was almost as big as Oz’s head. Oz made a crushing fist; green energy gathered around the beast but it maintained its pace toward Oz.

“Okay, I guess I have to get serious,” Oz said. He held up a jade fountain pen. “Authority Access,” Oz said. An emerald light flashed from the pen; it was bright enough to make Astra blink. when she opened her eyes an instant later, Oz stood there wearing the exact same suit he wore moments ago. But, instead of the spectacles, he now wore a forest-green eye mask. The pen became a long jade staff. Oz pointed it at the car-sized spider.

“Wait! Don’t hurt it!” Astra said. A giant portal opened under the spider to swallow it again. “I just wanted to scare you,” she said. “I really, really don’t want to fight you.”

“Then, don’t,” Oz said. “Join us, help protect the Earth.”

“My dad always says something that I think applies to you,” Astra said. “You need to broaden your horizons; there’s ALWAYS more out there than you know.”

“That’s a nice lesson,” Oz said. “But, I don’t see how it relates to saving humanity from the forces of evil.”

“Well, for one thing, it’ll help to know this isn’t the only Earth that exists,” Astra said. A tall portal opened halfway between Astra and Oz.

“There are infinite Earths out there, most of them with humans,” Astra said. Oz had been curious where the spider came from and went. Now he had an answer; it came from a different Earth. He stared at the portal as his mind raced. Alternate Earths, infinite alternate Earths.

“Saving humanity? It’s just busywork,” Astra said. “Not only can you not do it; you don’t have to.”

Two nights: Misunderstood

hugoserrataLeave a comment
[WP] A fortune-teller tells you that you will die tonight. But it’s the 21st century, so you forever take flights west so that the night never comes. from WritingPrompts

“Two nights….” the hag said.

Her accent thick, “..you dead.”

Roger nodded and formed a plan.

A day to make arrangements;

Then, his race began.

“I’ll chase the sun,” Roger thought.

“Avoid the the night and prevent

my expiration.” He felt clever.

During a pit stop, he was caught.

Soldiers armed and armored

boarded the plane. Taking over.

“Kill him,” One gave a command.

“I was wrong,” Roger murmured.

The intruders approached him.

Two knights. Weapons in hand.

Nothing Doing

hugoserrataLeave a comment
[WP] You go for a walk on the beach one night and notice a boat near the shore. You approach the boat to find two passengers tied down and blindfolded. There’s another problem, they don’t look human. from WritingPrompts

“You don’t want to do that,” the sudden voice startled Charlie. He yanked his hands away from the mermaids he was about to untie and whirled around to find the voice’s owner. The sun had already set below the ocean, but there was just enough purple twilight left for Charlie to determine the beach was empty.

“Who said that?”Charlie asked. The pair of bound and gagged mermaids quieted their struggles. They made enough noise to attract Charlie’s attention and seemed content knowing he was trying to help.

“I did.” Charlie suddenly noticed a shadow on the beach, though it wasn’t cast from anything. A black spot rippled on the sand in front of Charlie. Then, a seated figure appeared from thin air. She wore all black; a dark hood and mask obscured her face but Charlie could clearly see glowing golden stars in her eyes. Charlie took a step back in surprise and almost tripped himself into the boat. He managed to stay on his feet and stared at the person in black.

“Who are you?” Charlie asked. He thought he saw her shrug, but it was hard to tell. Her black outfit blended together making it difficult to see any of her contours. Her voice was the only clue he had she was a woman.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m just telling you that’s a bad idea,” she replied.

“What’re you going to do if I untie them?” Charlie asked. She laughed quietly, then responded.

“Nothing,” the woman said.

“So why shouldn’t I untie them?”

“Unfortunately, that’s the only warning I can give you. I can’t give you any more information. But, let me ask you this, do you know why they’re tied up?” she asked.

“No, but I’m sure it’s nothing good,” Charlie replied. Again, the woman gave a small laugh; it was just patronizing enough to make Charlie feel like an idiot.

“You’re right about that. But, not in the way you think,” she said.

“And you know why they’re tied up?” Charlie asked. “Did you do it?” he added once it looked like she nodded. The purple evening was disappearing and she was getting more difficult to see. Charlie considered pulling his phone out for more light but considered it might be rude. And he did not want to draw attention to his phone if she was dangerous.

“I didn’t tie them up, but I know why they’re there. It might be giving you too much information, but you seem like a nice guy,” she said. “When I look at them, the word ‘bait’ comes to mind.”

“So what are you doing here? Waiting for someone to take the bait?”

“That might’ve been the case if I hadn’t stopped you,” she replied. Another giggle made Charlie feel even smaller. “I’m waiting. My friends are on their way, and we’re planning to take the bait together. If nothing else, maybe you can understand that you shouldn’t take it alone.”

Charlie was willing to heed her warning until she mentioned friends. Then, it became obvious she was stalling. She surprised him, but she was alone and significantly smaller than his 6’4 frame. Once her friends arrived, he wouldn’t be able to rescue the mermaids. But, if he acted fast he doubted the petite shadow would be able to stop him. She probably wanted him to think she could have killed him by surprise and was pretending to be friendly.

“I’m going to untie them,” he said sternly.

“We all make mistakes,” the woman said. Charlie kept his eyes on the shadow and slowly worked his way around the small boat backward; he did not want to have to turn his back on her to untie them. He reached down and began working the ropes around one of the mermaid’s wrists. She seemed to understand he was helping and remained perfectly still. Finally, he felt the strap come loose. He sighed in relief when the woman did not make any moves to stop him.

“WHO DARES TO FREE MY PRISONERS!??”  A voice bellowed from the dark oceans. A red glow above the waves caught Charlie’s attention. Then, it jumped into the sky. A towering naga with pearlescent scales on his lower half crashed on the beach next to Charlie and showering him in sand. Its upper torso was twice as broad and muscular as Charlie’s and he carried a red-glowing metal trident. “DEFEND YOURSELF, VILLAIN!” The naga rushed at Charlie.

“HELP!” Charlie immediately dashed toward the shadow. Adrenaline heightened his senses enough that he could still see her form in the darkness. But, suddenly, she faded out of existence as he got closer. He heard her voice one last time.

“I warned you what I’d do if you untied them.”

Family: Planned

hugoserrataLeave a comment
[WP] It’s ‘Bring Your Kid To Work’ Day. Not many people in the lab had kids, so the ones that were brought were left alone while the researchers got back to work. 2 mischievous young kids left alone in a room in a super top secret organization research lab with 0 supervision. What could go wrong? from WritingPrompts

“Don’t worry, they won’t find it.” Tommy’s father said over the intercom accidentally. The whole conversation seemed like an accident he wasn’t supposed to hear. Tommy and his new friend, Brad, grinned at each other the moment the intercom shut off with a loud click. They got the impression Tommy’s dad was leaning on a button he shouldn’t have been.

The pair of 10-year-olds began eavesdropping halfway through the conversation. The voice of Brad’s mother suddenly filled the white room they were in, “… left the node in there. I should go get it.”  Her concerns were dismissed by Tommy’s father; but, it was too late.

“The node!” Tommy whispered to Brad with wide eyes. “I’ve heard my dad talk about it! You?” Brad nodded.

“Mom said it could change the world!” Brad replied with his own whisper.

“Let’s change the world!” The pair of boys hopped off the red chairs and each headed to a different side of the room glad to have something to do. Up until that moment, they sat at the red table in the center of the room with bored, sullen looks. The white room seemed to be some sort of storage area with plenty of boxes and crates of different sizes. Curiosity itched at them, but the boys had strict instructions not to dig through anything.

The two managed to behave until the fact that a node was in the room was revealed. They talked about how the boxes were full of boring stuff. They instead found a distraction in talking about video games for about 15 minutes before the intercom accident. They scrambled through the smaller boxes first but found only forms and other minor electronic parts.

Outside the room, Brad and Tommy’s mother and father chuckled to themselves while they watched the two kids making a mess. They didn’t have the foresight to put things back the way they found them and instead opened more and more boxes.

“It looks like that’ll keep them entertained for a while,” Evelyn said.

“Yeah.. maybe too long,” Thomas replied. “We need that room for other experiments today. I think we’re going to have to cut their adventure short.”

“Do we have to?” Evelyn asked. “They look like they’re having fun.” Thomas shrugged.

“We already got what we need;” he added a sigh. “But, I guess there’s no harm in letting them play a bit longer.”

“Just a bit?” Evelyn asked. Thomas turned and gave her his full attention; he appraised her with a stern look.

“You got attached, didn’t you?” he asked. A hint of disappointment colored his words. Evelyn could only shrug sheepishly.

“It’s been nice not coming home to an empty house,” she said. Thomas shook his head but also gave her a gentle grin.

“Well, we can’t do anything about it now. But, I feel like Ms. Sharp will be pretty happy with the progress we’ve made. As far as I’m concerned, this…,” he nodded at the monitor and the two boys still tearing boxes open. “…was your idea. You’re the one that deserves a reward and I’ll be sure to tell Ms. Sharp that in the report.”

“Really?” Evelyn’s eyes immediately sparkled with hope.

“Sure,” Thomas said with a shrug. “It was fun for a little while, but I think I’m over it. Besides, now that we’ve finished this project, who knows what Ms. Sharp will want us to work on next? I want to be ready for whatever it is. I can’t do that if I’m babysitting.” Evelyn nodded but kept her eyes on the monitor. She focused on the small, glassy rectangle standing upright in the center of the red table.

“We’ve just figured out a way to make nodes invisible to NPCs,” she said. “I’m not sure I want to be part of whatever’s next.”

“You don’t have to be,” Thomas replied with a warm smile. “I’m sure Ms. Sharp won’t have a problem with you retiring and moving to a quiet server with your new son or daughter.”

“Maybe one of each?” Evelyn asked with a slight smirk. Thomas rolled his eyes, but laughed.

“If you’re going that far, might as well get yourself an NPC husband too,” he said.

“I just might,” Evelyn added with a wink.

“Anyway, time to clear the room for the next experiment,” Thomas said. “Did you want to say goodbye to Brad?” 

Surprising Prophecy

hugoserrataLeave a comment
[WP] "Look, I know it is hard to understand, but you are the mighty hero promised to save the world from Moloch, who’s coming after yo-" was the last thing the weird ol’ man with a witch hat and a long stick said before you gunned him down with yer ol’ shotgun Daisy. NO ONE enters your lawn! from WritingPrompts

The old man was on the ground before the blast finished echoing in Jed’s ears. The bright afternoon sun made the red fluids leaking out of the man and onto the grass more apparent.

“DAD! What the hell did you do!?” Alvin dashed through the screen

door and tore the shotgun out of Jed’s hands.

“‘Meant to be a warnin’ shot,” Jed grumbled. “Not my fault he didn’t move.”

“Uugggh,” a faint groan came from the grass and Alvin hoped he might still be alive. If only so his father would be charged with attempted murder instead of manslaughter. He couldn’t help but feel this was his fault. His father had been growing more out of touch lately. He should have taken the shotgun away earlier; but, Jed was so attached to it that Alvin couldn’t bring himself to separate them.

“Go inside and call an ambulance,” Alvin said. Jed sighed, then nodded. Alvin ran to the old man. “Don’t move!” Alvin said as he knelt next to the robed man. He’d managed to roll over onto his back. His lungs wheezed with every breath as he stared up at the blue sky.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry. Help is on the way.” Alvin was a 21-year-old college student with an undeclared major. The only way he knew how to help was whatever he learned on TV. He moved the once blue, blood-soaked robe out of the way to try and find the wound. He remembered that applying pressure to the wound was a thing, and he hoped it was actually helpful. Once he found the wide buckshot area on the man’s pale, wrinkled skin, he folded the robe over and pressed hard.

“He he… ,” the old man suddenly gave a laugh. “…I never saw it coming,” he said.

“Don’t talk. Save your strength,” Alvin replied.

“Your father is a hero,…” the old man whispered, then he laughed again.

“Shhhhh,” Alvin replied. “It’s not very heroic to gun down an old man,” he added.

“Hero of destiny…,” the old man said. Alvin felt his stomach drop with the realization that an ambulance wouldn’t get there in time; if his dad called at all. The robe was saturated with coppery red and he felt his hands get wetter and wetter. He decided to let the man speak without shushing him again. “…destined to save the world from Moloch. I was going to train him…” For the first time in his life, Alvin wished he had closer neighbors. But, their house was in the center of his dad’s 4-acre plot. The sound of the gunshot might have been noticed, but it wouldn’t draw any attention. It wasn’t unheard of to hear gunshots out on the farm any time of day.

“Destiny’s a bitch,” the old man laughed.

“Who’s Moloch?” Alvin asked. He hoped to at least make the stranger feel some importance in his last moments.

“Powerful… evil sorcerer…,” the man answered. “..but now….,”

“How can we stop him?” Alvin asked. It was a polite question. He did not believe in sorcerers but that wasn’t important to explain to the dying man.

“Your father…,” the old man laughed again.

“My dad is the chosen one?” Alvin asked.

“.. I was going to train him…,” the old man repeated.

“What can I do?” Alvin asked.

“.. going to train him… then… betray him,..,” the old man laughed again.

“What?” Alvin asked in confusion. Then, he noticed wisps of black smoke emanating from the old man’s body.

“Your father…,” Alvin heard the man’s voice, but his lips no longer moved. His bald head fell back and stared blankly as the black smoke rose. The empty corpse disintegrated into white dust that vanished instead of collecting on the grass. “…fulfilled the prophecy.”

Sculpted Status

hugoserrataLeave a comment
[WP]A wizard turns people into marble to pass as a genius sculptor from WritingPrompts

“Steph… oh god…,” Will fought back his tears. The statue looked exactly like his best friend down to the jean jacket she wore the last time he saw her. He knew she was working on a huge story and had not heard from her in a couple of days. He went to her house but only found an array of notes and half-thoughts. More than anything, it amazed Will that Steph was one of the best journalists in the city considering her disorganization. He learned the wealthy, mysterious sculptor was the center of the story and decided to try his own investigating.

It was just past midnight on a brilliant moonlit night that Will found a statue that looked too much like Steph. He snapped a picture of her and the rest of the lifelike statues in the courtyard. He didn’t have a plan yet; but, he at least wanted to have evidence in case the statues disappeared somehow. He felt grateful the full moon gave him plenty of light and did not have to risk using a flash. Will headed to the main house to see what he could learn; but, the glass doors swung open as he got closer.

“I’ll show you…,” the sculptor said. Will recognized his portly form and silver hair from Steph’s notes. He panicked for a moment until he realized the sculptor hadn’t noticed him. His attention was focused on someone else and Will had time to hide behind one of the larger statues.

“Wow…,” Will heard a woman’s voice, then watched the pair walk into the courtyard. “They’re beautiful,” she said as she took a moment to admire different statues. Then, she turned to face the sculptor.

“You’re really talented,” she said as she stepped closer. “And your hands are still sooo soft.”

“Well, I do cheat a little bit,” the sculptor replied with a chuckle. He brought his hands up on both sides of her head and caressed her cheeks. Will watched it happen; but, he couldn’t pick out the moment when her pale flesh became solid stone. He did not notice it until her dark hair began turning stiff and white.

“NO!” Max dashed forward to try and stop the process. He threw all his weight against the portly sculptor and received only pain for his efforts. A bright blue flash blinded him momentarily the moment he made contact; he was flung backward and landed on his butt.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?” the sculptor turned to face Will once his date was solid stone. As Will tried to process the situation he realized this man was likely a wizard. He watched him turn someone to stone, and Will guessed it was some sort of mage armor that pushed him back.

“You turned my friend to stone!” Will yelled from the ground. He stayed down to give himself extra time to think. He didn’t answer any of the questions, but Will hoped the accusation would put him on the defensive.

“Ohhh, I didn’t know she brought a friend,” the wizard said. “But, that’s kind of weird; what was the plan there?”

“Not her,” Will replied. But, he offered no more information. The wizard sighed.

“Listen pal, you’re lucky I’m not rushing to call the cops on a trespasser,” he said. “If you don’t start being helpful I’ll skip that courtesy.” Will finally pulled himself up from the ground and laughed as he did.

“Go ahead and call them,” he said. “Maybe you can explain how you’re turning people into statues and pretending to be a sculptor.”

“Oh, yeah, I kind of don’t want to damage that reputation,” the wizard sighed again. “Look. The cops don’t have to get involved; just tell me what you’re doing here.”

“You turned my friend to stone!” Will repeated.

“Ughhh,” the wizard gave a frustrated sound. “I turn a lot of people to stone. You need to be specific, and what exactly do you want me to do about it?” The discovery happened so fast that Will hadn’t fully registered the situation yet. But, once the wizard asked what he could do, Will realized the obvious answer.

“Changer her back! Change them all back!”

“Whoa, whoa. let’s not get crazy,” the wizard replied. “Let’s start with your friend and go from there. Who is she? You said it wasn’t her, right?” he nodded at the recently created statue.

“No, but her too!” Will said. The wizard shook his head.

“She didn’t see you interrupt our date, I might still be able to salvage it,” he said. “Who’s your friend?” Will was only there for Steph. He didn’t want to push his luck when it looked like the wizard was willing to talk things out. He pointed at the stone Stephanie.

“Oohhh, you’re Steph’s friend?” the wizard asked. “You must be Will,” he said. He walked toward the statue and Will approached too. Although he kept his distance from the wizard.

“How’d you know?” Will asked.

“We got to talking when she interviewed me; she told me all about you.” They reached the statue and the wizard placed a hand on it without hesitating or stalling. Stephanie’s cold, pale cheeks filled with warmth and color again.  She was facing forward and only noticed the wizard.

“How long was that?” she immediately asked. Then she looked up. “And why wake me up at night?” The wizard nodded at Will without a sound.

“Will! What are you doing here?” she asked as soon as she saw him.

“You went missing and I came looking for you,” he said. “Then I find out this guy can turn people to marble  and turned you into a statue.” He said. He wrapped his arm around her and tried to pull her away in his direction. Stephanie laughed.

“I knew leaving you a voicemail would be useless,” she giggled. “I didn’t have time to type out a text but I hoped you’d at least check your voicemail after not hearing from me for a few days,” she said. She gave Will a playful shove, then turned her attention to the wizard.

“Sorry my friend’s an idiot,” she apologized. “But, how long was that?”

“It’s a little after midnight, so I guess we’re on the third day,” the wizard replied. Steph nodded and immediately pulled a notepad out of her purse.

“What’s going on?” Will asked. “This guy’s turning people into statues against their will and pretending to be a sculptor. How aren’t you more concerned?”

“Whoa, whoa… who said it was against their will?” The wizard asked. Before Will could reply Stephanie nodded.

“Yeah, you’re just jumping to conclusions,” she said. “Technically, yes, he turns people to stone. But, it’s not against their will; it’s like having your body cryogenically preserved. People pay him for the service to sleep until the future. I had to try it out.”

“What about her?” Will pointed at the newest statue.

“Oh, well…,” the wizard hung his head slightly. “I didn’t expect the date to go as well as it was going. I needed a few minutes to clean up my room; she’s not gonna notice.” Stephanie nodded.

“These last three days passed without me noticing a thing. Even less than the blink of an eye.”

“And as far as pretending to be a sculptor…what’s the harm in making a bit of extra money on the side? People think I’m talented and I get all kinds of money just for hanging out with them or giving talks. I don’t even have to sell any of my statues because an artist is allowed quirky prerogatives. So… can I get back to my date now?” he asked.

“We’re already out the door,” Stephanie replied as she grabbed Will’s hand.