perizou
patreon
Energy Eater - Chapter 43 - Theory of the species
🕑 Added 2024-10-03 00:02:50 +0000 UTC#### Author's Note ####
Man, I really need to learn from Hera. WE DON'T RAISE FLAGS!
Said this chapter was coming in a few hours, and had a power outage. x.x
##################
Things on the road ended up being much less exciting than I expected. For one, no one was chasing after me. That was one of those strange things that made sense but also didn’t. If a random person appeared showing they had superpowers, you’d expect them to be chased down for answers. But at the same time, going after them could be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. Another possibility was that I was a bit too good at hiding.
I focused on staying in the woods near the road. Being out in the open sounded like a bad idea. In all honesty, I felt more comfortable surrounded by trees than I did in wide open spaces. Probably because of my old home. Even in the open areas there, we were always covered by vegetation and the massive pines that were everywhere. Still, sticking to the forest had its own set of problems. At one point, I had to fight off a small pack of three coyotes. They had no SP in their bodies, which the system confirmed by not even recognizing them as having levels.
It wasn’t hard getting rid of them, but I didn’t kill the creatures. I had enough food for the moment, and they didn’t seem to have much meat. When they realized they’d bitten off more than they could chew and started running, I didn’t chase them.
Not long after, I came across the remains of a… city? It was hard to tell. There were some buildings here and there, but they were sparse, even though there were quite a few of them. Most were partially collapsed, and the ones standing were almost hidden by the overgrown grass Still, I wasn’t entirely sure what to call this place. Every house was big, but not like mansions. They were just two stories tall. Another strange part of this area was the massive fields on the opposite side of the houses. They were probably old farms, but now completely taken over by whatever crop survived those years of abandon. It looked like wheat, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hidden Horn Village, the Village of Madison, and Fort Ennis could all fit inside it one of the fields.
{Predatory Sense} triggered while I was staring at the area, somehow alerting me to danger in the vegetation. Yet, there were no signs of animals, monsters, or even Eaters around.
'Sys, do you have any idea why I’m getting a ping from {Predatory Sense}?'
[System is able to identify the presence of a small amount of SP in the wheat fields. It is an effect somewhat similar to the reaction caused by the decomposition of an Eater’s body. Based on available data, the most likely explanation is that the field is using SP to create a repellent effect against predators. Alternatively, it is possible that the vegetation has mutated to the point of becoming predatory. System advises against walking into the field. In the less likely of those two scenarios, the sheer volume of wheat could pose a real danger.]
'Holy shit. I remember you mentioning that SP could be present in food, but I never considered that vegetation could start getting levels, tiers, and skills.'
[Flora, like fauna, is capable of utilizing some functions of the system without having full access to the interface that the user possesses. However, unlike fauna, vegetation is less capable of acquiring SP through consumption. If an animal kills another and eats its body, the SP goes to said animal. Only a small amount remains in the ground to be absorbed by plants.]
'So plants wouldn’t be one of the six intelligent species that have access to you?' I asked, while sipping some water.
[Correct. Even with the help of the system, it would take several thousand years for a plant species to acquire the same sentience as an animal. Several more generations would be needed for that new species to be considered truly sentient.]
The water I was drinking went down the wrong pipe as I started coughing. I barely stopped to catch my breath before speaking out loud. "What the fuck do you mean thousands of years? You can speed up evolution to the point where plants become people that quickly?"
Evolution was supposed to take millions and millions of years. Saying it would take just a few generations was absurd!
[That is an incorrect statement. Plants will always remain plants. They may gain capabilities such as speech and thought, similar to humans, but they will still be considered flora. Additionally, System mentioned ‘several thousand years,’ not just a few. This implies a much larger number. Even then, this assumption is based on preliminary data from interacting with the wheat field. As more data becomes available, the timeframe is likely to increase significantly.]
I paused, rubbing my forehead. "I’m really not sure if you’re messing with me, telling the truth, or telling the truth in a way that’s designed to freak me out. And honestly, I don’t know which option is scarier."
[User Cassandra need not be scared of System. System will never harm user or make any changes without user’s permission. Reminder: System is a tool. A tool cannot act on its own.]
"Right..." I muttered, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. There was so much I didn’t know about the System, and the idea that it could help plants evolve felt oddly in line with everything else I’d learned so far. It made me wonder what it could do to me and whether it was trying to evolve me too, but I shut that line of thinking down fast. That was a rabbit hole I wasn’t ready to dive into, especially alone.
Looking to my right, beyond the houses, I saw a reflection on the water. It seemed to be a river, but as I got closer, I realized it was much bigger. After a few minutes of walking, I came across a large sign: Lake Ennis.
That was the first time I’d seen so much water in one place, and it wasn’t even that far from where I used to live. It really made me feel like a frog in a well. Part of me wanted to just jump in and replicate all those beach scenes I’d seen on TV. But the problem was, I’d never tried swimming in such a large body of water, and without someone to teach me, trying to figure it out could very likely get me killed. I remembered Pops talking about rip currents and whirlpools, though I couldn’t quite remember if those were only found in the ocean or also in lakes.
Still, leaving this place without experiencing it felt like a waste. After removing my shoes and rolling up my pants, I walked a few steps into the water, relieved to find that I wasn’t being dragged by any currents as I submerged myself up to my knees.
For a moment, I let myself enjoy the peace of the area. Splashing water around and jumping like a kid visiting the river for the first time. There was something different about not having to fight against the current. Eventually, I just sat on a large rock with my feet still submerged. It was so serene. The wind rustled the leaves of nearby trees, tiny splashes came from fish moving about, and in the distance, the backdrop of a large mountain loomed. Maybe, despite everything, there was still some beauty left in the world.
“Hey, Sys, is there anything you can tell me about the other intelligent species that have access to you? Aside from the Eaters.”
[System is unable to give any information about the other species. The reason is that System does not possess this information.]
“Nothing at all? Like, are they aliens or animals? Have they been here for long?”
[That is not the type of information System can acquire independently. Only after user discovers that information, or locates a large storage of data related to the subject, will System be able to update its database.]
“That’s a shame.” I glanced down at the water. Some fish were starting to approach but darted away as they got closer, “What if we go about this in a different way? What are the requirements for something to get access to you, without being given the System by someone else?”
[In order to acquire control of System, a new user must fulfill the following prerequisites:]
[1. The new user must be capable of cognitive thought and communication.]
[2. The new user must come into contact with a significant part of System. This could take the form of a condensed cluster of SP hidden in a rock, such as the Solar System necklace user Cassandra is currently wearing, or by consuming a large amount of SP.]
[3. The new user must have access to a large source of energy, as that energy will be spent in the process of integrating with System.]
[If these three prerequisites are fulfilled, any living being can acquire System.]
Hearing that explanation made me frown. Not because it didn’t make sense, but because it opened up a complicated issue. As far as I knew, humans were the only species capable of cognitive thought and communication on Earth. But knowing the Eaters had access to the System meant they could do the same. Which begged the question: what about the other five species?
“Sys, you mentioned that if you evolved a tree to be like an animal, it would take generations to give it cognitive thought, right?”
[That is correct. Several generations.]
“What if you start with an animal? Could they learn to talk in just a handful of years?”
[System must issue a clarification. System will not be responsible for evolution. SP will guide a subject to a state where they can integrate with System. The primary directive of every system particle is to assist System. If SP is in a location where System is not available, it will attempt to create an environment where the existence of System becomes possible. This means that in any living creature, it will adapt that being into a version capable of possessing System. In non-living organisms, SP will reinforce them to the best of its abilities, utilizing any external influence as a base for development.]
“So, if left alone, everything on the planet could evolve? Even fruits and vegetables?”
[That is a possibility, yes. However, SP also understands the need for sustenance. When SP is in something, such as a fruit, that can be consumed by other beings to generate Energy, SP will defer to its secondary directive.]
“Which is?”
[ECO, or Energy Consumption Optimization. If SP finds itself inside a fruit and determines that other beings can use its energy to grow, SP will signal System’s network, indicating the Energy available in the fruit. The network will compare this data with similar fruits. After analysis, the network will decide if the fruit is more beneficial as sustenance or as a new individual that could possess System. If a System user is part of the analysis in any way, be it consuming the fruit, or growing it, priority will shift to assisting that user.]
“So, if I eat something, SP will recognize it’s good for me and avoid turning it into a sentient being so I can keep eating it?”
[The process has more nuance than what user described, but the concept is correct.]
“Huh. Neat. Kind of glad I won’t have to worry about running out of food, then.”
[As System previously stated, System, SP, and the System Network all work together to ensure users can grow. In no situation will SP or the System Network act in a way that could harm users. However, as System exists for individuals, a user could attempt to harm other users or interfere with SP or the System Network.]
“What do you mean by that? Like, could I use you to turn every fruit in the world into poison?”
[That is theoretically possible. However, it would require a large amount of energy and a specific skill. Just as user Cassandra can use {Formless Nodus Swipe} to kill another user, other users could create poisoned fruits or other harmful effects. But the fundamental functions of SP and the System Network cannot be altered by any user. SP and the System Network will always work to create a nurturing environment for all users. Any alterations due to the use of skills will not change that fundamental function, even if the end result is altered.]
“Okay, that makes me feel a bit better. Because if someone could just turn everything into poison, I’m assuming they’d be stupidly strong. But what about allergies? Or things that would hurt me but not other animals? How does the System handle that?”
[Allergies are considered a flaw. Increasing body strength will lessen the effects of allergies until they can be removed entirely. As for foods incompatible with other species, System cannot provide an answer without more data on the species that possess System.]
“Yeah, I kind of figured.”
It was nice knowing more about the System, but I also felt like I’d barely learned anything.
Before I could go back to the topic of what kind of animals could've become users, something massive moved in the middle of the lake. I had no idea what it was, but the size of the splash was almost as big as a house, and I had no intention of finding out what caused it. Especially since Pops used to tell me stories about giant sea creatures. Turning around, I grabbed my shoes and continued my journey north. There were still a few hours before sundown, and I wanted to find a place to stay that was farther away from Fort Ennis.
