Countless Moving Parts

Task One Completed. From the centre of one reality to the true centre of their multiverse. Lore emerged from the chamber barely winded and immediately wrapped Char and Piper in their embrace. Excitedly they took a glance out of the observation window to be sure they were where they needed to be. Satisfied, they continued to enjoy the moment; if the worst came to it, they wouldn’t have too many ahead of them. Varkral and Juror emerged from the corners they had been thrown to during re-entry.
“Bit shaky but we’re still alive.” He chuckled. “That’s all that matters.” He dusted himself off as he joined them.
“J to Tolan: sorry about that, should have given you a heads up. Is everything still alright down there?” She spoke into her Breacher.
“Right as rain. Barely felt anything. I keep telling you that you need to get yourself one of these thrusters.” Tolan gave his best laugh but by the time it came out of Juror’s Breacher’s speaker it was merely an undulating, synthetic squeal.
“Carry on then.” She tapped her wrist and came over. “Now what?”
“We wait. We’re just a small part of this operation now.” Piper smiled. “Time’s been busy. It still is I suspect.”
“I think it is.” Lore nodded. Piper gave a subtly impressed look. Char and the others had no idea what was going on.
“Mind cluing us in?” Varkral slammed at his arm. With every whack it hissed and spat. “Sorry about that.”
Lore gestured for Piper to start. They in turn did the same. For a moment it seemed as though neither would speak. Then they both spoke at once. Lore gave Piper the all clear. “Time hates that its father tricked it into fighting, or at least tried to. So it followed that logic and found that the other Cornerstones weren’t too happy when their respective Reality’s asked them to fight too.”
“How many Cornerstones are we talking?”
“Four from every universe. Four slightly annoyed gods from every universe.” Piper smiled. “So it’s gone around what it called the megaverse to convince them to fight for us.”
“Megaverse?” Juror crumpled her face. “I know about the different realities but… Megaverse?”
“Our reality is split into fifty three distinct sections. Fifty two multiverses and one central core.” Piper span around, arms out. “Fifty two multiverses makes a megaverse.”
“So… If I’m correct in thinking, there are fifty two universes in a multiverse and fifty two multiverses in a megaverse, not counting the central core?” Piper nodded.
“And we theorise there are fifty two megaverses in whatever comes next. But we can’t be sure because no-one’s ever broken that barrier.”
“Not yet.” Lore smirked. “But we have to be ready for that next stage. Du’Walles is coming.”
“That’s where Time’s plan comes in. It knows that eight Cornerstones and a handful of active Reaper matrices won’t be enough so it’s recruiting more. More power is equal to a higher success chance.” Piper fumbled at their arm. They slid an obviously borrowed Breacher from near their elbow to their wrist. “Brian let me borrow his. Time said it would give me a bell when it was ready. I’ve had it scanning the future for that time. I am loving this duel style; Reality picked the place but we get to pick the time.” Not long after the room fell silent, the Breacher pinged. “Three months’ time. Nice.”
“Let’s go then.” Lore smiled thinking of Tolan in their lab below. A second, less dazzling white flash occurred and the group were transported to the same place but three months ahead of their last location. Almost as soon as they touched down, sirens began to blare.
“Computer, report!” Juror shouted. Nothing. “Computer! Report!” Again, nothing. She had had enough; she slammed her fist into the wall and removed a bouquet of multicoloured wires. Their individuality was short lived as they quickly became stained with her blood but at least the sirens had ceased. “Computer,” She paused to take a breath. “Report.” This time she got her answer.
“There is currently an unauthorised individual in the conduit interface chamber.” This response caught her off guard.
“Clarify?”
“There is currently an unauthorised individual in the conduit interface chamber.” The computer echoed. “You are currently located in the conduit interface chamber.” This only served to confuse her and everyone else further. The only people they could see around them were the ones who had been there three months ago.
“Sorry about that.” A very guilty and rather sweaty looking Brian stepped back into the room. “I know I should have knocked first but could you please tell your murder bots that we’re allies. It’s been trying to kill me for the last two weeks.”
“You survived Tolan for two weeks… Impressive.”
“That’s Tolan? The big squiddy spider things? Or the monitor with a buzz saw?”
“Monitor with a buzz saw. The ‘squiddy spider things’ are my Bailiffs.” Her smile, like her hand bled sadism.
There was a sinister clanking slowly approaching them. As it neared, instead of getting louder, it grew quieter until all that could be heard was a slight, yet ever growing, hum approaching. Lore and the group backed away. Brian made it to the centre of the chamber before the station’s systems kicked in properly. As he crossed the floor where the main harness sprung from, it swallowed him. Snake like swarms of programmable matter slithered through the air and entangled his wrists. Forcibly posed as a T, Brian could only await his punishment. He was calm. He knew he had no reason to be afraid but he didn’t cry out. He just stood there and waited. A squad of Bailiffs surrounded him, Tolan wasn’t much further behind. A sinister fog preceded them, their monitor red with murderous intent. They revved their saw as they made their way to Brian.
“Oh, hi J.” And with that, all hostile pretences were dropped. “See you’ve met our intruder. The Bailiffs claimed to have killed him on multiple occasions but here he is.”
“He’s an ally apparently.” Juror let that balloon deflate swiftly. Tolan sighed.
“Shame, I’ve been enjoying the breaks. How many of these bloody clones did you say you wanted?” Like Toy Soldiers.