Over the next few days, the summit continued without interruption. That wasn’t to say that nobody tried to sabotage or interrupt the proceedings, but they were easily fended off by the ARES troopers patrolling the city and the Aegis teams guarding the leaders. But while New York City was relatively peaceful, that wasn’t the case for the rest of the world, as protests sprang up with every article of the new world constitution that was ratified.……On December 30th, President Nazarbayev banged his gavel for the last time as he said, “With the ratification of the final Article of the Universal Constitution—”Everyone in the room applauded for a long while, feeling the heavy burden lift from their shoulders. The applause lasted until President Nazarbayev tapped his microphone, causing the raucous applause to slowly die down until it was quiet enough for him to continue his speech.“I would like to say that our job is completed, but Article II has yet to be completely enshrined into the co
Like a virus, the protests only continued multiplying day by day, ever since Aron had forcefully pushed through his empire proposal. It was really beginning to bother Nyx in particular, as she knew there had to be someone behind it, but none of their monitoring had discovered them yet.It seemed there would be a teething period as the world adjusted to the new order.But despite all the protests, there were still people that supported Aron’s plan. There were actually four categories that people fell into. Those that absolutely hated everything about the empire plan, those that disliked it to the point that they fell victim to incitements and joined the protests against it, those that didn’t like the plan but supported Aron himself, and those that would be happy to see the empire formed.Most of Aron’s support came from nations suffering under overwhelming poverty, rampant government corruption and oppression, and other assorted negative conditions that affected their day-to-day lives.
When the clock ticked over to 12:01 AM, marking the new year’s arrival in New York City, Aron took his place behind the podium, dressed in his new imperial regalia and carrying the symbol of his rule, a short, golden rod with a platinum globe on top of it. His manner was dignified and a serious expression was on his face.“Good day to everyone around the world. We are Emperor Aron Michael, the first emperor of the Terran Empire. We’re here tonight to explain how the empire will function, what the unification process will entail, and the rights and responsibilities that you, as citizens, possess and owe as well as the benefits We will provide you,” he began, keeping in mind that every word and action of his would be recorded in the history books for posterity.(Ed note: Aron’s using the Royal We here as he’s representing the empire rather than himself as an individual. I’m not the best at using the Royal We, so forgive any mistakes I may make; they’re wholly mine, not Agent’s.)“Curren
“With that out of the way, We will move on to other things.“Every police department will cycle through a period of retraining. Each cycle will last one week, and will be attended by a quarter of your police forces, including all leadership cadre down to the newest recruits. Some of you have already received notification of your appointment as constables, and your training will last the entire month. During the first week, you will be free to call in reinforcements from ARES peacekeeping forces if you are unable to keep the peace in your areas. This training is both optional and mandatory. Should you choose not to partake in the retraining, you will be considered to have resigned your position in the police force.“Along with the police retraining, all current government employees will also have the opportunity to choose retraining for absorption into an imperial agency of your choice or to retrain into a different career. You may also choose to retire from government service and be a
“Now I’m absolutely positive he’s gone insane with power,” Rick Ashley said, watching Aron make outlandishly impossible promises one after another. He looked at the mirror-topped coffee table in front of him, dusted with white powder and littered with razor blades and once-tightly rolled hundred-dollar bills that had slightly loosened up. “But that’s just even better for me!” He paced back and forth in his study, alternately cackling, smiling, and sarcastically applauding. “There’s no way the implementation of all those ‘rights’ will be anything but an absolute train wreck. The longer things go on, the more cracks will appear, cracks that the sheeple in my flock can survive and thrive in. The man is an idiot... an IDIOT! Some things just aren’t meant to be integrated, and the divisions will get wider and wider as cultures and beliefs and indoctrinations begin clashing with each other!” He imagined himself climbing to those lofty heights of power and wealth, leading a revolution agai
For the first time since the beginning of Aron’s first imperial address, he warmly smiled at the camera.“But just having unlimited access to experimental materials and resources in virtual reality wasn’t enough alone. After all, there’s only so many hours in a single day, so time becomes the most limiting factor when it comes to research. Hence the saying that time is a researcher’s worst enemy. So Our researchers set time to pass faster in the simulation than it does in reality. Currently, the human consciousness is the limiting factor, but the researchers are tirelessly working on increasing the dilation without negatively affecting the human brain.“So the three years you think We spent building Our technology advantage was actually much, much longer. Not to mention the benefit of time dilation and virtual reality environments when it comes to training soldiers, especially in conjunction with purpose-built medical pods that translate beneficial gains in virtual reality to actual r
Aron took a deep breath and relaxed, a compassionate expression on his face as he wrapped up his first imperial address. “I know the many changes coming all at once are difficult to accept. Especially as drastic and bold as they are.” He smiled wryly. “But there’s an old saying in my family: ‘begin as you mean to go on’, and that’s what I’m doing here. There will be an inevitable teething period as everyone grows accustomed to the new changes to, well... everything, really, but I believe in humanity. I believe in our ability to adapt to anything, and overcome what we can’t adapt to.“Mankind isn’t the fastest animal on the planet. We aren’t the strongest ones, either. We can’t swim in the ocean or fly in the sky unaided, we aren’t particularly stealthy, and we don’t have a very thick, robust hide. What we do have, however, is a sapient mind. We can imagine, we can develop, and we can make conscious decisions to follow our better natures instead of our worst.“I know I’m asking a lot o
True chaos arrived the morning following Aron’s address as swarms of delivery drones and fleets of trucks left each of the training centers. The drones were carrying AR glasses and VR helmets to those who had ordered them, and the trucks were loaded with VR pods. The delivery blitz had come without warning and created even more panic and rioting in some areas, especially those that were already leaning toward resisting Aron’s empire.That didn’t stop the delivery, though, as the uncaring drones and trucks being driven by ARES troopers cared nothing for the chaos. They merely rerouted around any trouble hotspots and continued on their way.Once the equipment was delivered to their new owners, reviews and discussions began springing up on Pangea mere hours later. All of the users were basically in agreement about how wonderful the new devices were, and of course, they were posted to Pangea through the devices themselves since the lucky people who already had them couldn’t bring themselv
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra