Chapter 1 Last Resort

The universe is endless, with unfathomable worlds waiting to be explored beyond its horizon. A fraction of our universe is like a tiny speck of dust within its vastness. Out there, beyond the cosmos, lie multiple worlds, multiple timelines, and an endless loop of time that is infinite. Time is ineffable, yet it is sufficient for all. Creation and time are like two sides of a coin, waiting to be tossed around or flipped aside.

Our story journeys beyond the fabric of reality, to where it all began, for one would say that the measure of a man is what he does with power and that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I will be your guide and instructor to the vast, unimaginable realities of the Maniverse, which holds the secrets of wonders beyond time and space. I am the instructor, or as you will come to know me, Multiple Man. Join me as we venture beyond, within, and outside the Maniverse.

Somewhere beyond time and space, chaos emerged, and the war between worlds, within and outside the very fabric of existence, began. It was said to be the War of the Maniverse, filled with explosions and battle warships as the enemies approached the heart of Xenda. A race of extraterrestrial beings, known as the Guardians of the Maniverse, held, watched, and protected the balance of existence at their beck and call.

"Pi-minus, we can't survive this. You need to let it go," said one of his comrades. "The Vultrax are heading this way, and you can always make another."

A huge explosion occurred, breaching the security fortress and setting off the alarm systems. Pytronx emerged.

"My creator, this is what I've found in your sight, the power to rewrite history that will bring the universe to its knees; it's right in front of me, the core," said Pytronx.

He headed for the core but was confronted by Pi-minus's assistant, Luthax, who engaged him in an epic battle while Pi-minus perfected his most priceless creation. The Vultrax began shooting at Pi-minus as he ran for safety, still perfecting his masterpiece, while his assistant Luthax still faced off with Pytronx, the leader of the Vultrax army. As more enemies approached towards them, they fired at Pi-minus, trying to stop him from his creation.

"Backup system protocol: 2 minutes to total detonation," said the AI control system voice.

Pi-minus reached for the ejection capsule launcher, where he would put the completed "Auto-Grant" core for safety. He witnessed the death of his assistant Luthax, who was ripped apart by Pytronx. In a moment of desperation, Pi-minus launched and ejected the capsule to an unknown destination. This enraged Pytronx as Pi-minus was surrounded by an army of Vultrax.

Pytronx demanded to know where Pi-minus had sent the core to, but Pi-minus only replied with a single word, "you'll never find it." This only made Pytronx angrier, and he got closer to his maker, vowing to find the core no matter what. He ordered the death of Pi-minus and the entire race, leaving the dimension to its doom. Pytronx and the rest of the Vultrax began to search for the core, scouring through the multiverse.

Meanwhile, in space, the core set its course for Earth. As it entered the Earth's atmosphere, it created a sonic boom that shook the ground. The McCoy family was having a lovely dinner in their backyard when the xentorium core crashed in, causing a powerful shockwave that knocked out the world's power supply without causing any lethal collateral damage.

"What's that noise?" Jenna asked.

"It sounded like an explosion," said Rita. "Damn it! The power is out again."

"I'm gonna pee in the backyard," said Peter.

"Alright, honey, but don't go too far," said Jenna.

"What the f*ck? Nothing seems to be working. All electronic devices are down," said Mason.

"Language, honey. The kids are with us," said Jenna.

Peter saw something glowing as he walked towards the source of the light.

"Peter McCoy," the xentorium core whispered.

He reached out to the small, spherical object.

The ejection capsule launcher opened, leaving Peter astonished. He didn't know what it was as the core spread itself on his hand. He tried detaching it, but it wouldn't come off. The core wrapped itself around Peter like it wanted to bond. The procedure was painless on the outside, but on the inside, it felt like hell. Peter screamed, and Jenna heard him. She asked Mark to check on Peter, but by the time Mark got to Peter, he was already fine. They both headed back to the others.

Five hours later, the world's power came back on. News reports on TV went viral as to what caused the power outage. The hypothesis was that it looked like an asteroid or falling star that had shattered across the globe. No one knew what it was or how many there were.

The news report interrupted their family discussion: "We're sorry to interrupt, but this breaking news just came in five hours after the power outage. A meteorite made its way to earth, where it landed in Vill-city and probably the entire globe. We do not know what the object looks like, as some said it was a falling star. Our scientists are on the move to find out what could have caused the tremendous amount of outage. Stay tuned for more reports. CBNVI news out."

"Well, that's a relief," said Mason. Mark asked Peter if he was okay, and they both went inside.

"Alright, you know the drill, no staying up late," said Jenna.

"Uhn!" The McCoy children all replied.

"C'mon, Dad, can't we stay up a little while?" said Sophie.

"Nah, you all need to prepare for school, sweetie," replied Mason.

"Alright, everyone to your rooms," said Jenna, while kissing Mason.

"Ugh! C'mon, Mom!" said Mark in a gross way. "At least do that when we're all asleep. Yak!"

"Alright, sweeties, up you go," said Jenna. "Early to bed, early to rise."

The kids all went to their rooms. Sophie and Rita shared a room, while Mark and Peter shared another room.

Meanwhile, at Lyrecius Corp, the organization conducted an investigation into the cause of the global power outage. One of their researchers suggested a hypothesis that it might be of alien origin attempting to make contact. The CEO of the organization went to Mr. Lyrecius to demand answers and results regarding the situation.

"I don't care about your hypothesis, Doctor," said Mr. Lyrecius.

"I'm a scientist," replied Dr. Henry Monroe. "Well, of course, I'm also a doctor as well," said Dr. Henry Monroe jokingly.

"I don't care about your degree, Doc. I'm paying you for results, not hypotheses," said Mr. Lyrecius. "As the head of the research team, you're supposed to provide me with facts and evidence, not theses or hypotheses. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," replied Dr. Henry Monroe, who was trying to explain some vital information to the CEO, who was only concerned about the present situation at hand.

Meanwhile, in Peter's room, he struggled in his sleep, having some kind of nightmare or a vision. His entire body organs began to evolve, his brainwaves were developing faster. Inside his brain was like a speeding electron and proton in the form of blue sparkling light that resembled an electrical charge, releasing every piece of the xentorium core into his bloodstream and brainwaves. His entire body was going through the transformation stage of recalibration, and he sweated a lot in his sleep. The xentorium core was at work, and in an instant, his eyes exploded wide open as his iris turned completely mechanized like an artificially intelligent type with blue energy aura around him, which was only visible to him. It was internal and external.

The next day, the kids prepared for school, and Mason drove them. They were excited, but Peter seemed a bit tired. They drove for thirty minutes before they arrived at their destination, Vill-city Junior High School.

"Be careful, kids. Have fun in school," said Mason as the kids departed.

Rita: "So we'll all meet back here after school. Stay out of harm's way."

Mark: "Sure!"

Meanwhile in Physics class, Peter began to undergo some final changes. He could see through people and even read their thoughts. The core had fully evolved. As lecture was going on in class about parallel worlds and the early universe, Peter heard a buzzing sound inside him, as if something wanted to communicate. Then, he heard a voice inside him.

"Hello, Peter McCoy! I'm Xentorium, your personal guide," said the voice.

Peter was in shock, but luckily no one was paying attention to him as he excused himself from class. He headed straight to the boy's restroom where he talked with the artificial intelligence.

"Who are you?" asked Peter.

"I am Xentorium Core, a highly evolved mechanism created from the very source of existence itself and far beyond any other," replied the voice.

"This can't be real!" exclaimed Peter, slapping himself close to the mirror.

"Why would you do that to yourself, Peter McCoy?" asked Xentorium Core.

Peter then recalled what he had experienced the previous night.

"That thing I saw... Yes. It has to be," said Peter to himself. "But how?"

"Affirmative, Peter McCoy," said Xentorium Core. "It was I who bonded with you, and from the look of things, our calibration is complete."

"What calibration?" asked Peter.

"DNA changes and adaptation," replied Xentorium Core. "There's a lot you need to learn before we get started on the main course."

Peter argued with the Xentorium Core, and some group of boys entered the restroom and caught Peter talking to himself. Peter whispered to the Xentorium Core, which informed him that he was the only one who could communicate and hear the voice of the Xentorium Core.

Most of the boys ignored Peter's strange behavior in the restroom, but Tyson and Jerry and his gang entered and began to bully some guys their age. They threatened and took their cash, and cornered some boys to the restroom wall where they beat them and took their belongings. While all of this was happening, not far from Peter, who was trying to understand the Xentorium Core inside him, made Tyson and his gang think that he was referring to them.

Peter put his hands on the sink and continued communicating with the Xentorium core.

"What? Are you for real?" asked Peter McCoy in disbelief.

"Excuse me, McCoy!" replied Tyson, who turned to face Peter, but Peter wasn't even looking at him. "If you've got something to say, say it to my face like a man."

"Oh oooh!!" the gang awed.

Tyson walked towards Peter for a confrontation, without Peter's awareness, as he was deeply engrossed in his conversation with the Xentorium core. Tyson raised his fist to punch Peter, but Peter caught his hand quickly, which was shocking to everyone.

"Wow!" exclaimed Jerry. "That was some quick reaction there."

Tyson was amazed by Peter's display and backed off, leaving him with a warning threat, while the victim managed to escape amidst the distraction.

"This isn't over, Peter McCoy," said Tyson, walking away with his gang.