Chapter 20: The Omniscend Protocol Begins
Ben Infinite – Chapter 20 | Word Count: ~1,100
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> "Omniscend Protocol active.
Evolution no longer passive.
You are no longer a user of the watch, Ben Tennyson.
You are now… its purpose."
— Omnitrix Core, Activation Sequence 01
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Location: Sedona Caverns, Temporary Base
Ben sat cross-legged in a makeshift command space inside a cavern, holographic star charts floating in front of him. The Omnitrix had been quiet for two days — eerily so — as if it were digesting the overwhelming data from its galactic scan.
And then, without warning, it spoke again.
But not in its usual voice.
This time, it was layered. Complex. Ancient.
> "Omniscend Protocol initializing."
A blinding green pulse erupted from the watch and expanded into the cavern, scanning Gwen, Max, Kevin, and even their surroundings.
Max stepped back instinctively. "That's… not a standard function."
Gwen raised her hand, shielding her eyes. "What the heck is the Omniscend Protocol?"
Ben didn't answer right away.
Because suddenly, he knew.
It wasn't taught. It was given.
A wave of memory, knowledge, and code that wasn't his own — like a library opening in his mind.
> The Omniscend Protocol was Azmuth's final plan.
A failsafe for when universal threat levels surpassed the expectations of any one species.
It doesn't just adapt to danger. It rewrites evolution.
And it only activates for one type of host: a conscious anomaly.
Ben wasn't just a kid anymore. He was an anomaly — reborn with knowledge he wasn't supposed to have. And now, the Omnitrix had recognized that.
It had chosen to evolve with him.
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Mission Grid Transformation
The Mission Grid, which once served as a galaxy threat map, now expanded into a Genetic Directive Matrix.
Zones: Divided into planets, anomalies, and "Ascension Candidates" — species capable of genetic uplift.
Status: Color-coded tags — Blue for preservation, Red for interference, Gold for fusion potential.
Entities: Certain alien races began appearing with an 'Ascend' tag next to them.
Gwen leaned over Ben's shoulder. "What does Ascend mean?"
Ben stared at the new tag beside several species: Vulpimancers, Pyronites, Galvans, and even extinct ones like the Vaxasaurians.
He tapped one.
The system displayed:
> Species: Vulpimancer
DNA Stability: 89%
Evolution Readiness: 96%
Suggested Uplift Path: Phase-Phantom Shift
Outcome: Omniscend Form Initiation
Gwen whispered, "It's not just scanning anymore… it's rewriting the future of species."
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Echo's Evolution – A Test Case
The Omnitrix pulsed. Without Ben initiating it, it selected Echo Echo and deployed him.
But this time, the transformation was different.
The Echo that emerged was taller, sleeker, surrounded by a harmonic distortion field. His voice wasn't a staccato glitch anymore — it was layered, harmonic, laced with sub-sonics.
> "I am Echo Prime," he said, his voice creating waves across the rock walls. "First of the Ascended."
Gwen's eyes widened. "What did you do to him?"
Ben didn't answer. Echo Prime looked at him and bowed slightly.
> "You didn't change me, Ben. The Protocol simply revealed what I could become."
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Max's Warning
Max pulled Ben aside later. "This is getting dangerous, Ben. Playing with evolution, rewriting biology — this is bigger than any hero role you've played."
Ben looked him in the eye. "I'm not playing. And I'm not a hero. I'm a variable."
Max frowned. "You're still human."
Ben's voice was quiet, but firm. "That's what scares them."
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Kevin's Greed – Exposure to Omniscend Echoes
Miles away, Kevin — now tapping into unstable side-data from the Omnitrix through his corrupt DNA — caught glimpses of the transformation.
His body began adapting, trying to evolve without the stabilizers.
But instead of harmony, his Echo strain became corrupted.
It screamed inside him.
> "You're not worthy," it whispered.
Kevin bellowed and lashed out, accidentally fracturing a nearby boulder into dust.
His hand trembled. His Omnitrix copy burned green-red.
He grinned through the pain.
"That means I'm getting closer."
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Gwen's Concern – And Her Choice
Gwen pulled Ben aside.
"Do you even want to ascend aliens, Ben? Is this your decision or the watch's?"
Ben hesitated.
"…I don't know."
"But you're going to keep doing it?"
He nodded. "Because if I don't — someone else will. Someone like Vilgax. Or worse, someone like me, but without a conscience."
She looked at him sadly.
"Then let me help."
Ben blinked. "What?"
"You need someone to keep you human, Ben. I've seen gods fall because they forgot how small things feel."
He smiled faintly. "Thanks, Gwen."
But in his heart, he feared it wouldn't be enough.
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Final Scene – The First Target
That night, the Omnitrix displayed its first official Omniscend Directive:
> Target: Planet Glivarus
Subject: Glivarian Queens
Threat: Parasitic Overmind Nesting Protocol
Mission: Initiate controlled Ascension or Extermination
Status: Ben Tennyson Assigned
Ben stared at the glowing mission alert.
He wasn't just saving planets anymore.
He was rewriting them.