Upheaval Read online

  Chapter 1

  The odd thing is the day started out normal. My alarm went off as normal, I showered as normal, I my breakfast as normal, and was chatting with my wife as normal. However, today will prove to be anything but normal. Today will be the day that Ulteria came to Earth and the Gate Wars started.

  "What is your plan today?" I ask Rachel, my wife, as she is making her morning oatmeal.

  "I have a big client coming into town. So you know the usual, I have to take him around to houses in Highland, Cherry Creek, LoDo, and Washington Park," she replies. Rachel is a real estate agent for wealthy clients. Big clients are always coming into town for her.

  "Who is it this time, anyone I would know?"

  "You know I don't like to name names, but let's just say it will be a beautiful day in this neighborhood if he moves into Highland with us," she winks and slyly smiles.

  We live in the cheapest house in the one of the top neighborhoods of Denver, Highland. This neighborhood has that suburban feel we are looking for, but still close enough to the city center for the nightlife we want. I wouldn’t say my wife and I are night owls, but we have been known to enjoy an adult beverage or two with some good music. Having some big shot moving into the neighborhood would only serve to sky-rocket our housing prices, so we might be able to sell for a sizable nest egg and retire early.

  "Well, good luck. I hope you can get him to bite. I could use a famous neighbor."

  Rachel is one of the best real estate agents in the city. She is at an 85% conversion rate. 85% of the leads she gets turn out purchasing a home. She credits her conversion rate to being aggressive while at the same time of being able to read people like a book. "What are you doing today, Will?"

  "You know same old same old. Educate the youth of America in the magical ways of science." I am a high school science teacher. A good one, I was voted teacher of the year by Denver Public Schools. I enjoyed engaging my kids and using real world examples of how science impacts their life. Last year my kids’ favorite experiment was to use the scientific method to figure out which wax worked the best on a snow board. My trademark is to light a Bunsen burner and fire some lycopodium powder to create a fireball. The kids love fireballs.

  Now is the moment my life changes. My wife and I are drinking coffee just enjoying each other’s company before she tries to land a whale, and I head off to work. The next few hours will prove to be critical in our development in the new world.

  A wave of sparkly purple light cascades across the sky and through the house. It passes through inanimate objects without a trace. It destroys electronics and flares up and infuses living creatures. When the wave hits my house my cell phones sparks and goes black, and there is a blinding flash when the wave hits my wife. It nearly blinds me with the flash and I scream out, startled. "I can't see. What the hell was that?" Unbeknownst to me the wave was changing me, morphing me into something different.

  "Ow, what was that?" Rachel shouts. We both can see, but we just don’t know if we should believe our eyes. It is almost immediately after the wave passes us that we receive our first notification.

  Congratulations people of Earth. Earth's petition to enter the Gate Wars is complete and accepted. The people of Ulteria have begun the transformation we have infused your planet with Ulterian Mana and begun to construct Gates across its surface. Our records indicate that some of your people are compatible with the system and will be able to adapt to Ulterian Mana. Those that adapt will gain abilities and powers beyond what is normal for your race. We encourage those individuals to enter the gates, battle across the galaxy, fight, win, conquer.

  The notification isn't something I read, instead it is something I simply understand and remember in the blink of an eye. I have heard of thoughts coming fully formed to people’s head and it has always been a transformative experience for them. Well, these notifications appear fully formed in my head.

  The purple light isn't normal, the words in my head aren't normal. It is becoming evident that this day is anything but normal. In the days to follow what is normal will be drastically different from yesterday. My normal days are at an end.

  "Rachel, did you just hear that?"

  "Yes, yes I did. What was that?" she replied concern lacing her words.

  "Something about Gate Wars and battling the races of galaxy. What is going on? What was that purple light?" At this point, I pull out my phone and try to unlock it to check the news, perhaps somebody knows something. This could be a government test, or a weather balloon for all I know.

  "My phone isn't working. I had a full charge this morning. It is like it has been bricked," I state. The flare, the notification I can handle, but nothing can compare to the fear that came from being disconnected from the Internet and the rest of the world.

  "There has to be a reason for this. Maybe we are under attack, we should stay here and let the government handle this."

  "How are we even going to know what they are doing without the news?" I grab the remote control and try turning on the TV to no avail.

  Congratulations you completed your adaptation to Ulterian Mana. You earned the achievement "Ulterian Mana". You are granted 100 honor as a reward for your achievement. You are level 1. You have unlocked Abilities. You have 1 unspent ability point. To learn about abilities please activate the tutorial. Think activate tutorial to begin.

  A second notification in as many minutes makes me stop freaking out about the electronics. It triggers the rational part of my brain. As a scientist, I cannot deny the facts. The fact is that something is able to communicate with me through my head. Could it be that what these notifications were saying is true, maybe the Gate Wars have come and things will never be the same? Rachel mentions that she got the second notification as well. We both adapted to Ulterian Mana rather quickly. Since we both got the message, this thing might be for real.

  "I'm going try to activate the tutorial. Make sure I don't explode," Rachel says before she collapses to the floor.

  "Rachel!" I run over to her. Trying to rack my brain at this point to remember CPR. First thing, assess the situation. A random voice in my head is talking to me, I am in my kitchen and my wife collapses after activating a thought tutorial. No one else is here, situation clear. Second, check breathing, I flip her over and put my ear to her mouth and nose. She is breathing. My heart skips a beat, at least she isn't dead or dying. I shake her, no response, I shout, no response. She appears to be in a deep sleep. She said she was going to activate the tutorial, maybe this is what the tutorial does. It knocks you unconscious? I pick her up from the hardwood floor and carry her to the couch. I place her on the couch and cover her with a blanket.

  I pace back and forth a few times it does nothing to change her the state of my wife. Without access to a phone, I have no way of getting help. There is nothing I can do at this moment, so I wait a few more minutes and decide to start my own tutorial. If I can better understand the tutorial maybe I can figure out a way to calm down, or help her. Right now, I am a mess of nerves waiting for her to wake up. I sit down in my chair, kick my feet up, and think, "Activate tutorial."

  A dizzy sensation builds up quickly. I try to resist. My eyes roll up inside my head and I pass out.

  Chapter 2

  I wake up in a spacious white room. There is a red brick wall with a black panel and a wooden door behind me and an ever-ending white void in front of me.

  Welcome to your Whitespace. You will come here from time to time to grow and develop your abilities. Your world has been granted admittance to the Galactic Gate Wars. Gate Wars is an competition between the races of the universe. In Iron Division I, the species of the universe battle in 2v2 competitions to the death. Your race must earn 1,000,000 Iron I Tokens before you can advance to Iron Division II. You can use
the Iron I Tokens that you earn to purchase items from the Ulterian Foundries through the Gate Store located in the black panel behind you. Advancing your division gets you access to rarer equipment from the foundries.

  The Ulterians devised the Gate Wars as a method for peaceful exploration of the universe. Before the Gate Wars, the more advanced races of the universe enslaved and subjugated the newer races. The newer races were viewed as inferior merely because of their technological advancement. The Ulterian revolted against their masters eight hundred millennia ago and used the technology they gained to establish the Gate Wars. This caused an intergalactic war between the old and new races. However, this the old races and their sense of superiority could not withstand the never-ending onslaught of the new races. Now we live in a time of peace. Never again do the new races need to fear the old. For everyone is equal in the Gate Wars and races are free to grow and develop at a natural pace. As you advance in the Gate Wars, you will be able to travel to different planets and colonize the them thus expanding your influence in the galaxy. The higher your races rank in the Gate Wars the more opportunities you will have in the universe.

  Your body is one of the individuals that has completely adapted to Ulterian Mana and as such you have been given access to the Mana ley-lines of your planet and the Ulterian System Interface. The interface is your window into the majesty of Ulteria. Your interface will guide you as you advance in levels and skills. Pay close attention to your interface it was specifically designed to help you develop.

  You begin your journey with one ability point which you can use to purchase your first ability. Abilities are active or passive and will change the way you interact with the ley-lines of your planet. Let's spend your first ability point now.

  Based on your personality, genetic disposition, and quantum entanglement with your planet, you have the following choices of abilities.

  Regeneration (Passive): Your body heals at an accelerated rate.

  Energy Beam (Active): Fire an energy beam from your hands.

  Strength (Passive): Perform previously unheard-of feats of strength.

  Charge Weapon (Active): Temporarily super charge a weapon.

  Stun (Active): Temporarily stun targeted opponent.

  Dimensional Door (Active): Create a gateway from one location to another location.

  To the death? I will be battling to the death? I have never killed anything in my life, now I will have to kill the other races of the universe in some sort of blood sport? I am a scientist at heart, and I am geeking out about meeting other races, but having to kill them. I am not sure I am going to be up for these Gate Wars. If these Ulterians have the technological ability to span the universe and give other species powerful abilities, then there is nothing I can do to them, I am at their mercy. Thinking that the interface will be intuitive and helpful, like the notification claimed, I click on the first ability that catches my eye, Energy Beam.

  You have selected Energy Beam.

  Energy Beam (Active): Create a beam of electromagnetic energy from your hands. The energy beam contains 10 units of power for up to 2 seconds. Cooldown 10 seconds.

  To activate energy beam focus on firing an energy beam from your hand. Let's try it now.

  Well, shit. I didn't mean to select Energy Beam, I just wanted more information. In video games, you can always get more information before you have to commit to an ability or skill. I look for a way to go back, thinking that I would get to select again, but can't find anything. This interface is certainly unforgiving of mistakes and the stark contrast just proves to me this isn't a game. I will have to be more careful about clicking in my interface next time. If there is a next time.

  To activate energy beam focus on firing an energy beam from your hand.

  The notification comes again with the instructions to fire the beam and I notice that a target has appeared about 50 yards ahead of me. I stare at it uncomprehending for a bit, the target is so mundane in this otherwise magical world. Trusting in my eyes and what I am seeing and hearing, I point my hand at the target and focus on shooting a beam out of my hand. Nothing happens. I focus on powering up my hand with energy. Nothing.

  To activate energy beam focus on firing an energy beam from your hand.

  "I'm trying, you notification dick. Is there a trick to this or something? Why isn't this working?" I exclaim out to no one. There has to be a trick to hitting these damn targets. I clear my mind and my hand starts to feel warm. I focus on pushing out the warmth from my body. Nothing.

  To activate energy beam focus on firing an energy beam from your hand.

  "Argh!" I scream out in frustration and just throw my hand forward like I am throwing a baseball. Something snaps inside my arm and a thin blue beam fires from my palm. The pain is excruciating. I almost lose consciousness inside a world where I am already unconscious. The pain does not last, though, it fades fast.

  Congratulations you have fired your first energy beam. However, your beam was not powerful enough to destroy the target. Try again. To activate energy beam focus on firing an energy beam from your hand.

  The feeling of my arm on fire is still vivid in my mind. If using Energy Beam is going to be like that every time, I will never use my ability again. The notification reminds me again to focus on firing an energy beam and it annoys me into compliance. I scream again and toss my arm forward again and another blue beam comes out, only this time the pain is significantly less. I miss the target to the left, but at least I didn't almost black out. I toss out another scream and another beam and again I miss the target wide to the right. How am I going to hit anything, if I have to toss my arm like this? Pain streaks through my arm again and again as I practice firing my energy beam. Whenever I stop, the notification comes back encouraging me to experience the pain again. However, one bright spot is that the pain is getting smaller the more I use the ability. Therefore, I think I am making progress, even if I still can't hit the broadside of a barn.

  I need to work with what I am given. Selecting Energy Beam was a mistake. Now I am stuck with it. If I am going to be fighting to the death, I should learn how to use my abilities the best that I can. Determined to make the best of this situation, I fling my hand forward without screaming out and the beam still shoots out. Progress. I don’t have to yell like an idiot every time I use my ability. That last beam clips the target causing it to spin in place. This is frustrating. How can I expect to hit anything if I can't hold my hand steady? Do I really have to throw my arm every time? I throw twenty more beams only marginally improving my accuracy. I have never been good at throwing a baseball and the motion was very similar. I am not a professional baseball player, there is no way I am going to be able to increase my accuracy without many more hours of practice and who knew what is happening to my wife right now. Is Rachel okay? The pain is almost nonexistent now and I start to notice a funny sensation in my arm and chest. A wavy sensation bouncing back and forth between my hand and my heart. It travels up my arm to my heart and back down my arm. Once the wave reaches my hand it shoots out the beam. By throwing my arm forward I was forcing the wave down faster.

  I focus on that feeling, that wave in my arm. I concentrate on holding my hand still but somehow manage to force the wave back and forth. When the wave is approaching my hand, I focus on letting it out. Success! I fire a beam while having a still hand hitting the target squarely to the right. I still don't break it, but progress is progress. I fire three more beams at the targets hitting the last target dead center. The target still doesn't break. If a beam dead to the center still isn't powerful enough to break the target, how am I going to manage it? There must be more secrets to my ability.

  I push the wave up my arm and take aim with my hand. My shoulder is a little stiff so I roll it out and let the wave bounce off my hand and back to my heart. This beam fires and it is noticeably thicker and bluer than before. Did letting the wave bounce off my hand cause the beam to be bluer? Does bluer equal more power? I concentrate on pushing waves throu
gh my arm and letting them bounce off my hand. Back and forth. As the waves bounce the pain returns, not so bad as before. I focus on maintaining as many waves as possible before I release. I count up to twenty waves, before my arm starts to itch and I feel the power tearing inside of me. Even though I made it to twenty waves, I don’t notice any build up in pressure after the tenth wave. It is like I am holding a heavy weight for a long period of time. Right now, I can only hold the charge for twenty waves before I have to release it. I will have to work on that. Being able to fire a heavily charged beam in a split second could be a matter of life and death. This beam is huge and thick and almost a navy blue in color. It hits the target and shatters it into a million pieces.

  Congratulations, you have broken your first target. Would you like to compete in the challenge course?

  I think no, I don’t want to start a challenge course. Just because I broke one target doesn't mean I am ready to face a challenge. Succeeding at a challenge could give rewards and any edge will help me survive. If I am going to do a challenge course, I am going to do this right. I need more practice and I need to be able to use two hands, maybe using two hands will allow me to use two cooldowns, thereby firing twice as fast. I focus on the waves in my left hand and I the painful burning sensation returns. It appears that I have to start from square one with my left hand, I had forgotten how mind bogglingly painful the first beams were, but now that I know the trick to firing the beams the pain diminishes quickly. Soon I am firing beams out with both hands-on cooldown. It turns out my idea of using two different cooldowns with two different hands does not pan out. Both hands share the same cooldown, so only one beam every ten seconds no matter which hand I use. My left hand is more awkward and my aim is a little poorer, but in a pinch, it might make a difference. Like if my right hand is bound or restrained. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to experiment. While I am getting my left hand ready I discover that as long as I charge up the energy beam to level four it breaks the target. I have to let the wave bounce three times and release it on the fourth. Good information for the upcoming challenge. I concentrate on the challenge and focus on starting the challenge. A spinning timer appears floating in the distance, it is counting down from 3... 2... 1.