5:7 Negotiations

The power rankings—between all the universes, between us personally, all of it—came out just about the way I expected.

In terms of personal power and understanding, I sat firmly at the top of the group, with Reilly second in power, and the Emperor coming in at a close second in understanding. A surprising turn of events, all things considered. He had been far lower before, and dethroned the Progenitor from second place. The Progenitor, who had taught us about Mr. Boxes’ [Words] to begin with, who I had honestly expected to rival, if not eclipse, me in what Mr. Boxes considered “understanding,” or the Dao.

That said, I suspected the change in my placement surprised exactly no one, judging by the total lack of reaction to it. I was, after all, the one who had changed the most—besides maybe the Oshun, but her change was a lot different than everyone else’s. They had all grown in many ways, to the point it was not quite so easy for me to see through them anymore…is what I would have liked to say. The fact of the matter was that I could still see through most of them, there were just things I had to look harder at if I wanted to truly pierce their veils. Such would be rude, though, so I largely refrained.

The rankings between universes were a different matter entirely, though.

The Four Realms themselves had not moved much from what I remembered of last time. In terms of energetic density and raw power they had dipped a little in the rankings, probably due to how much energy had been spent during the war and in rebuilding, and in overall size they remained dead last. But I was not just of the Four Realms anymore. The Four Realms extended into the additional four universes my children had created, and the budding fifth that Morgan refused to finish on principle.

The war and collision had stalled much, and the unification of the One World, Sehuyun’s universe, and the Four Realms under my Heavens made it all just that much more complicated. The universes were separate in name only, which meant I was reading information on three separate universes, not just one. The One World was low on energetic density and still vast in size, even if, in terms of scale, many others had begun to catch up to it. Sehuyun’s hoard was just…a mess, still, scattered about the rankings everywhere and just not appearing on others because there was no reason for it to.

This quirk of what I was building Mr. Boxes addressed directly in the rankings, mostly by providing two different sets of information: one that separated the universes, and one that counted the One World, the Four Realms, the Oshun’s old universe, and the budding things my children had made as a single cluster. A revelation that did not pass without an appropriate amount of muttering amongst my fellow Origin Deities, though no one asked me any direct questions yet. We went over much; from population data to density of gods and other things, which directions each universe was heading in their growth, how structures were changing and some predictions for how things would continue to grow. It was a lot of charts and numbers, if I was being honest, as well as a few highlights of what was working well. Far more in-depth than last time, and while it was interesting to see the Overgod’s perspective on all this, it wasn’t what got to me.

What really bugged me was the stability data; a set of data from the Overgod that tried to describe exactly how likely it was that a universe, or, in my case, universes, was going to collapse. It was no ranking. It was an average percentage, compiled and displayed for each Origin and God present, individually. And I frankly despised what I saw.

The Four Realms were, at their core, incredibly stable despite the limited growth in size. Multiple things had come together to make the Four Realms stabler; like my children’s universes. They were actively aided in firming up the Four Realms, not only acting as struts but draining off excess energy that was pooling in the wrong places. A fact that I hadn’t noticed until it was pointed out to me by the Overgod.

It was the One World, and Sehuyun’s old universe—and in fact Sehuyun’s body, which I was still currently shaping into yet another reality—that were causing me worry.

The [System] was rapidly stabilizing the One World, but it was still dangerously low on power. Desperately in need of more energy, in need of more powerful beings to rise up within the One World itself. Especially after having lost so many to the war, and the Rot.

On the other hand, Sehuyun’s universe was too nebulous. Even though we were currently in the process of figuring out how the hell to fit it in alongside everything else, there was still a decent chance it would collapse if things continued as they were.

Which meant I had to change things up.

My eyes flicked up to the other deities, reading their expressions as best I could—or, in MR-10’s case, trying to parse the flashing lights on its surface and translate them into emotion—and figuring out that none of them liked their answers all too much either. Except for the Emperor, who seemed content-ish.

The Progenitor was the one to speak first.

“I presume these statistics do not care, if our universes are inherently chaotic and in fact, use instability to grow. This is a statistic that judges, the model as a whole, a complete circle rather than…” The Progenitor trailed off, but I understood the gist of what he was trying to say. His universe was a prime example of it, after all.

The Progenitor’s Garden was an endless Big Bang cycle, the center being the Garden from which all templates were drawn, every time the Void touched the sacred center creation exploding outward in a burst of light to create another reality. Each one was bigger than the last, the Void continually eating the universe back inward to repeat the cycle over, and over again.

“That is correct.” Mr. Boxes said, and though I did not always perceive his communications as text boxes the way I had when I was a much younger god, I could still see the faint outline of one forming before me.

The Progenitor made a small noise, its body of light pulsing before settling back.

Stability, in my own head at least, likely referred to shadows as much as it did to universal structure and everything else. After all, if I remembered right, and I usually did, nearly ninety percent of all universes that died, died to their Shadows.

“I must confess,” Licht said, scratching the back of his head, “I do not fully understand all of this information. I am afraid I lack the frame of reference for it.”

“I am almost positive that is the point Mr. Boxes, sorry, the Overgod,” I corrected myself, knowing not everyone shared the irreverent nickname I used for the Overgod of the Multiverse, “is trying to make, and also what this [Stage] will be about. It was stated that our universes will be allowed to interact with each other more, even opening up trade. Now we have all seen statistics on where our respective universes sit according to the Overgod, numbers and details, and we have seen how we stand in relation to everyone else, even if we have not physically seen each other’s universes in a long time. The point being that now that we have grown some, it will be expected that other universes have what we lack, and that trade and communication will benefit each of us.” I explained patiently, rambling just a touch. “Am I incorrect?”

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“No, I don’t think you are,” Rising Wind Crashing Waves said, after a beat and no response from the Overgod. “It would make the most logical sense. Which means the next phase of this meeting is probably a meet and greet, once again—now with a clearer idea of what we need and what each of us may bring to the negotiating table.”

The Emperor frowned, six arms folding together.

“Some of us can exist in isolation,” MR-10 stated. “A closed-loop system. I am in no threat of collapse.”

“As expected of a God of Order. A holy machine, indeed,” Reilly drawled wryly, sipping heavily from his gourd. “However, if you only exist in isolation, then you may come under the threat that if something else is involuntarily introduced, the system collapses. A virus, perhaps. If I were to provide an example.”

MR-10 flashed its lights. “Point acknowledged. But my point does still stand.”

“Honestly, I’m just itching to know what specifically comes next,” Sylphina said, the chaos butterfly flapping her wings and sending a small storm of dust across the table. “This meeting comes at a time both opportune and inopportune, I’m sure, for many of us—neck deep in projects, or problems, as we are. Metaphorically speaking, for those of us without necks. And I do not want to be away too long.”

A sentiment I shared. Though at the same time, what was a few years away when we operated on the scale of eons? My ears twitched, and I turned my face upward.

Now it was Mr. Boxes’ turn to speak.

Ding!

[What happens next is up to you. As we speak, the distance and barriers between your universes are being shrunk and removed, relatively speaking. By the time you return, you should be able to sense each other’s domains, or at least get a vague direction each of you are. This is mostly how it will work when you rejoin the multiverse at large. Assuming you all continue to survive.

In the multiverse, trade and the like is typically handled by Origin Deities, Nexus worlds, the inter-universal flow, and things like Monkey Wrenches. Some of you know of what I speak; others do not. That understanding will come in time. Right now, avatars of mine are creating a smaller, more contained ‘flow’ between your universes. Think of it, if you will, a bit like a bloodstream. Or a river. Or a water cycle—carrying information, energy, and things from one space to the next, and back again.

Do not assume I am immediately ending the meeting, however. While you are here, you may continue to converse, welcome your fellow Origin Deities into your universes, or simply return if you wish to continue in isolation. But be warned. The barrier that protects you will now exist on a greater scale, further away from all of you. Paradoxes will be more likely to form, though most all of you have already created contingencies and defenses for such beings.

Once a certain point in your growth has been reached, the final stage will be the removal of the barrier, and for me to slowly introduce you one by one into the multiverse at large. This is the longest stage in terms of time.]

I clicked my tongue thoughtfully as I read the description of the flow. That sounded a bit like what Alexander was trying to make. His was still growing, of course, but it touched all of his siblings’ universes.

My eyes flicked up to the avatar of the Overgod, pulsing above us.

Like a nerve. Was it, perhaps…

“So we are supposed to just entreat with these strangers?” S said, the undead being vocally displeased.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at it. Why must Shadows be so dramatic? Sehuyun, Morgan, S. Gods above—well, I supposed that was not a good statement anymore, because gods were no longer above me. Had not been for a long, long time.

Everything was all hate with Shadows. I supposed that if that was what most beings chose to surrender and cut away in order to become Origin Deities, it made sense...still. It did make me wonder what the others’ Shadows would be like.

“Yes, you are supposed to entreat with us. Or not. The choice is yours,” Rising Wind Crashing Waves said dismissively, already rising to his feet, the great stag stretching. “I, for one, have many questions, most of which are directed at Statera, because I wish to understand his stance on all this.”

The Oshun reached over from beside me and touched my arm as all attention turned my way. And the weight of that attention, colored with a touch of caution and fear, pressed heavily upon my shoulders.

Or it tried to. I remained unmoved.

I am the Heavens, after all. Bah, new instincts. Focus, Statera, I mentally chided myself, grabbing my mind and bringing it to heel before I could drift away again.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I figured I would be first up. Let me make this abundantly clear. By this point I assume most of you know the broad strokes of what happened, whether you were told by somebody else or Mr. Boxes—sorry, the Overgod—filled you in. The point is this. I did not conquer, I do not seek to conquer, and I will not seek to conquer. If entreating, trading, and speaking with other universes helps me stabilize that which has come under my wing, I will gladly do so, but everything I have done has been in response to what has been pressed upon me.”

“And if it comes to light that absorbing one of us would stabilize your universe?” MR-10 asked a perfectly logical question, from a perfectly logical god of order, and that annoyed me to no end.

“It would not,” I said firmly.

Because there were no true assurances I could give them beyond my word. I was certain that in at least some of their eyes, all they saw was that I had grown by leaps and bounds in power, slain one Origin Deity, and was now essentially the highest power in three of the original twelve universes. I would not insult them by acting otherwise, even if it was not so grim. I made do with what I could; Sehuyun had given me no choice, and the Oshun were the Oshun.

“And why should we trust someone who has not even bothered to send their own body to this meeting?” The question this time came from Licht, and honestly surprised me some, because I had not expected one so young to be so perceptive. Not that I had been hiding that this was, for all intents and purposes, an avatar I had created.

I scoffed and leaned back.

Yet it was the Emperor who answered for me.

“That would be somewhat difficult, considering the nature of their existence,” he said. “An emperor builds his kingdom from the people in it, and takes the land. Statera is not an emperor or a ruler. Statera is the Heavens. Their body is the land.”

"Say what?" Nyxteria chirped, pulling its head out of a bowl of various nuts it had been chewing on.

"Ah, that explains why you felt far away and present at the same time." The Progenitor said, pulsing once. "Now I see it. I should have noticed sooner."

"I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on them," Reilly drawled.

"My sensors would disagree, Reilly. You seemed just as surprised as everyone else." MR-10 droned.

“Honestly didn’t think you would be the one to figure that out, Emperor,” I admitted with a slight chuckle. “Since when did you become so perceptive?”

“I understand rulers,” he replied. “I knew from the start. As soon as I saw you this time. Before, you were undecided on what you wanted to be, so I could not get a proper read on you. Ruler? Guide? You made do with being a Parent, but that was not where you could stay forever, and you knew that.” I frowned at him, retracing my own path in my mind. Unfortunately, what he said made sense. From the start, my goal had been for my children to grow beyond their nest, not stay within it. I had originally thought they would stay in the Four Realms, and I would leave; obviously, things became more complicated than that.

“Now the question is, what are we going to do? Are we going to visit each other’s universes? Stand and chat for a bit?” I asked, clapping my hands together to get this party truly started.

The answer was everybody already rising, conversations beginning—my questions largely going ignored in the clamor of what came next.

The Rival left my side almost immediately, making a beeline over to the First. The Oshun rose as well, laying a hand on my shoulder, and I, with a nod of my head, gave her the go-ahead.

I guess negotiations were about to begin, then, whatever that meant.