18:00 IST, Ninth day, Eighth Month, 3078 PV | Alpha Centauri IEC Megastation / Uriel Cruiser / Living room
"Ko, Ko.., KO, Ko!"
Hmm, I think I can hear some strange noises, it sounds like a name.
"Mr. Worthless pile of trash, wake up!"
A worthless pile of trash sounds like a good descriptor for me. Wait, where am I? What am I?
Oh yeah, that's right, my name is Kovon Ducker. I'm a contestant in Humanity's Trial of Ascension. As for where I am, I have no clue. I try to move my limbs, and they feel very heavy, and my head hurts.
"Kovon Ducker, if you do not wake up right this instant, I will smack you."
My consciousness slowly fades in, and I come to the realization that I am currently lying spread out on a couch. There is a faint floral smell in the air, it reminds me of the good ol' days of high school.
A few seconds later, I felt a sharp pain across my cheek. I jolt awake. I am currently in a living room. I identify this living room as the one aboard the Ae4-Uriel Luxury Cruiser.
"For Kek's sake, wake up, you useless NEET. It's almost time for our big party!"
At those words, I quickly realize that the voice I've been hearing belongs to my recently reunited childhood friend, Rayleigh Inan.
I start to remember the night prior. After the induction ceremony, Ray and I spent many hours drinking, enjoying food, reminiscing and discussing our strategy going forward.
At last, I opened my eyes. Ray lets out an exclamation of relief.
"Geez, you're finally awake, how much did you have to drink?!"
In my vision appears a prompt bubble from my augmentation kit. It asks whether I would like to expel the voluntarily consumed poison from my body. I, of course, chose yes.
Within a few seconds, my senses fully return to me. My limbs no longer feel heavy. My headache disappears, and I come to terms with my situation.
Above me stands Ray, she has a look of frustration and relief on her face. I must've been truly wasted. That Potainan liquor is no joke. Once she notices that I am fully aware, she sits down on the couch opposite the one I am sprawled out on.
Lucky her, she probably made it to her bed before passing out. I have yet to try out the beds, but given the massless tech installed, they must be supremely comfortable.
As a side note: I have processed the download of information from the insignia ritual. It mostly contained more information about the various species. But it also included some info on the homeworlds of the species. It also provided explanations for the ship engines and massless-tech that I've noticed in quite a few places. I shall gradually add this information to my codex.
This evening, Ray has changed into a stunning gown. It is a loose, sleeveless silver dress that just barely does not touch the floor. She is also wearing a pair of silver earrings that resemble dice. She is also wearing a large necklace with a purple crescent moon emblem on it.
It is just now that I remember that we have a grand ball in less than an hour. We are expected to dance and make connections with various species and other contestants. Here I am, just before the big event in a worn t-shirt and sweatpants. Whereas it is clear that Ray has put in several hours of effort into her appearance.
To remedy this, I access my database, also included in the earlier data download were a few designs for formalwear. I quickly found a design that I like. It is a formal tuxedo suit, in the color purple. It also has stylish embroidery of a crescent moon on the back, in silver of course. Rather than earrings, I opt for changing out my glasses to a smaller-framed pair of glasses that are in a nice golden color.
It only takes a few moments for my exo-suit to morph into the design that I indicated. Ray looks somewhat frustrated at how quickly I manage to find a fitting outfit.
"Men are so frustrating, you're able to find such a fitting outfit so quickly. I spent two hours trying to decide. Here you are, freshly awoken from your drunken stupor and already prepared in a surprisingly stylish outfit."
"To your credit, your outfit is stunning, far better than mine ever could be."
"Yours is quite good too, its just frustrating how little effort you had to put in"
"Youre forgetting one thing, I am an incompetent man when it comes to fashion. So, I simply pick what looks cool. Your approach is far more intentional and thoughtful."
"You really gotta kick that habit of degrading yourself, it won't be too appealing to representatives of the other species."
"I'm already doomed on that front, I highly doubt anyone is going to support the worthless NEET from Earth. Especially when the popular prodigious genius law student is right next to me."
"When you put it that way, I concede that you're correct. Even so, kick that habit, its not good for your health."
"Whatever you desire, Mrs. Genius."
With me getting in the last word, the room falls into silence for several minutes. We stare awkwardly at each other, the conversation concluded but with time still left until the Gala.
Thankfully, Uri saves the day with well timed news delivery.
"Good evening, Captain Rayleigh and Mr. Jerk."… really, she configured Uri to call me Mr. Jerk, how childish. "It is my pleasure to announce to you that the Ascension Gala will be starting in twenty minutes.
Contestants are to enter fifteen minutes after the event starts. It is recommended that you depart for the ballroom at 18:55 IST in order to arrive on time.
Have fun, contestants, I shall ensure the integrity of the Uriel while you are enjoying yourselves."
"Are ya ready, Ko? This is the second big event of the day. One that may very well shape the nature of our time in this game. You are likely not nervous, but I sure am."
"*Scoff* of course I'm not nervous, you were always the worrier. It's just some introductions and a dance with some of the most powerful beings in the universe. Hmm, now that I say it out loud, I am starting to feel a nerve or two. Maybe we should have one last glass of that delicious wine before we go."
"Absolutely not, I'm cutting you off. We can't have you being drunk at the Gala. I do not wish to endure that secondhand embarrassment."
"Aww, you're no fun, what happened to taking risks and having fun?"
"It is already very risky, we don't need you going rogue drunk on fine liquor to make it so. Whether we both have fun is up to us, we don't need to ingest any poison to have a great time."
"Ah, Ray, always the responsible risk taker. I remember you were far more free when you were younger. Did all those fancy prep courses and lawyer school dull your desire for danger." I seem to have hit a mark, her demeanor quickly changes.
"Klack you, fine, but if you're gonna drink, I'm going to as well. Let's go wild out there, screw the political consequences."
In the few minutes before we have to depart. We proceed to each down an entire body of liquor. I'm sure this will have no negative consequences.
19:12 IST, Ninth day, Eighth month, 3078 PV | Alpha Centauri IEC Megastation / Ballroom Antechamber
Ray and I have arrived in the antechamber. The other five contestants are also present, in various states of apparent nervousness and dress.
Marcos Riven is in his usual general's uniform, however, it appears that he has changed the pants to something more fancy.
April Potter is in a loose-fitting light blue dress. It is fairly unremarkable. She is wearing her now signature music-note earrings. She is also carrying a case, from her introduction, I can infer that this is likely some form of instrument.
Geo Riker has changed out of his biker-look into a simple blue tuxedo. He is still wearing his cowboy hat, though.
Brian Klein decided to wear a basic tuxedo in a bronze color. It makes it appear like his torso is plated in bronze armor.
Lastly, Luna Aurora is in an absolutely insane dress. It has an iridescent shade that appears similar to an aurora borealis that you used to find near Earth's poles. As she moves, it reflects light in strange ways and easily draws attention towards her. It fits quite tightly, with long sleeves and a pair of white gloves. She is not wearing earrings, but has instead opted for a fancy choker. It has an emblem similar to the star on our foreheads on it. She really went all out with her appearance. It must've been custom designed as I didn't see any such outfits in the database.
The room's atmosphere feels very tense. Which makes sense, considering we are all about to have our first close contact with beings of other species. The first humans to ever do so.
It is precisely 19:15 IST. With no delay, the doors to the ballroom open, seeming to tell us that it is time for us to enter. Me and Ray are the ones closest to the door. So we enter first (followed by April, Geo, Marcos, Brian, and lastly Luna), we are greeted with a magnificently impressive ballroom.
The ceiling must be twenty meters high and curve in an arch-like shape. The floors and walls are made of a material that appears similar to marble.
The ceiling, however, appears to be a perfect recreation of Earth's night sky. It even has a fake moon. It is filled with thousands of stars, sparkling brilliantly. It is impossible to tell that it is artificial, it's almost as if the real thing is right there.
The room is lit quite nicely, seemingly lit from the fake-night sky.
In front of us is a large staircase that leads out onto a massive dance floor. To our right is a pathway that leads to a balcony overlooking the ballroom floor. Speaking of the floor, it is absolutely massive. It must be 2000 square meters in total.
The craziest thing is that on the ballroom floor are several hundred aliens. There seems to be an even mix of all seven species, although there are very few Itokin, I count seven in total.
Without any delay, I move up next to Ray and take hold of her hand. Clearly signifying to all those present that we are close allies. We then proceed forward and descend the steps onto the ballroom floor. As we descend, all those present quickly make room for us to proceed forward. In a similar fashion, the rest of the contestants follow behind us.
A few moments after Luna reaches the floor, a loud click resounds through the gala. All chatter and noise is instantly silenced. Moments later, none other than the illustrious Gamekeeper appears on the balcony. It appears that they even dressed up in a nice (Vaux-shaped) blue suit. As is typical, whenever The Gamekeeper appears, it is a clear indication of a rather lengthy speech ensuing.
"Welcome, ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between and without. While you all know why we are here, please give me leave to say it out loud.
It is with great honor that I am allowed to preside over such a function as this. With so many powerful beings gathered in an assembly that is never seen outside intergalactic forums.
Now, the purpose of us all being here is twofold. The primary reason is obviously to have fun, consume some fine liquor and revel in this beautiful ballroom.
The second reason is to allow our brand new contestants the chance to interact and get to know many of you fine folk.
So, without further ado, I pronounce that Humanity's Ascension Gala has now begun!"
The moment that The Gamekeeper ends his speech, the room fills with music. Not some alien music however, it appears to be various pieces of music throughout the entirety of human history.
I'm talking about old music that must've been made during humanity's primitive stage. To the great classical pieces of the Renaissance. There is even some Vocaloid music from the most recent era. The sheer cultural and historical representation is insane to me, a post-modern kid that has only ever heard popular recent stuff.
I look over at April, and she appears to be in a state of bliss. All the other contestants are also seemingly happy, aside from Luna, who is wearing a perfectly composed mask that looks like she is ready for some high-stakes business dealings.
I turn my attention back to Ray, she meets my eyes and seems to nod. A signal to proceed with our pre-arranged strategy. Without any hesitation, Ray quickly pulls me out onto the empty space that is designated for dancing.
The current song playing is a classical piece, one of Beethoven's, I think. We quickly match pace with the music and start lighting up the dance floor. Thanks to our augmentation kits, even though neither of us has had previous dance training. We are able to perfectly match our mental images.
Every single eye (and sensor) in the room turns to look at us. Staring in utter amazement as we waste no time performing complicated-looking dance maneuvers. As we continue to absolutely nail our pre-planned steps, several of the aliens in the audience pair up and start to do various dances. Although for those species without typical bodies, they seem to just move in circles around each other. I guess every species has to have its own definition of dance.
Meanwhile, many of the Velz that are present are performing beautifully, some dancing alone and some in pairs. Their brilliant assortment of wings are spread wide as they perform beautiful maneuvers.
The Shesah are undoubtedly the masters of the dance floor. Their unparalleled agility makes them extremely talented dancers.
Three of the other contestants also decide to join in the dancing. April and Geo pair up and perform some interesting maneuvers, although not as complicated as our pre-arranged ones. They both seem to garner many eyes from the Shesah and Pota races.
Luna also joins the dance floor, performing dances that are clearly tailored and highly advanced, designed for one to do alone. She looks like an idol combined with a ballet dancer. She garners more than a few onlookers on her own. I notice several Vaux and Zekan paying close attention to her.
Unexpectedly, Marcos and Brian also join the dance floor together. However, it appears that even with the augmentation kit, Brian is struggling to dance. Marcos seems to be fairly competent, however. I notice many Vaux and Velz are looking closely at the pair.
Even though Ray and I are no longer the only ones on the dance floor, many eyes are still turned. They appear to be watching and observing us, sizing us up to determine our worth. Most interestingly, every single Itokin (none of whom are dancing) seems to be staring directly at me. Most of the Arkan, several of the Velz and a couple Pota are staring at Ray.
Overall, it seems that all the contestants are drawing a decent amount of attention from the representatives.
After about two hours of constant dancing (which doesn't tire us out at all), Me and Ray exit the dance floor. We start to walk around and try interacting with many representatives. We learn many of their names and where they are from. However, most of this information is useless as we have no idea where these places are.
As we are wandering, the Itokin approaches us. As during the induction ceremony, they do not speak. Instead, they hand me an orb, which from my data I know is a form of sharing contact info and information. I quickly tuck the orb away safely into my pocket. The Itokin then quickly departs, all without saying a word.
Ray, on the other hand, is approached by several representatives from Arkan, Velz and Pota. I stay a few paces away and let her interact with them. From what I overheard, they are discussing many things. In the end, she ends up receiving twelve Arkan orbs, six Velz orbs and two Pota orbs.
It is from this that I understand the function of these types of things. Each orb is essentially a connection to one of the various species. I feel they will come in quite handy in the very near future.
I have not been able to pay much attention to the other contestants, but I definitely notice many of them interacting with representatives. It appears that Luna is approached by many. I can only infer that each contestant has received orbs as well.
After around three hours of interacting with the representatives off the dance floor, The Gamekeeper appears on the balcony once again. Naturally, a loud click, which is obviously a cue for silence, resounds once again.
"Dear attendees, I hope you all have had a wonderful time full of revelry, drinks and socialization.
It is with deep regret that I must announce something very tragic. It is now time for Humanity's Ascension Gala to conclude. I wish the event could extend longer, but out of courtesy to our very important guests, we must have a time limit.
I hope you all are quite satisfied with the results of this gala. Stay tuned for other such events that may be held in the future.
Farewell, and may the light always be within your stars."
With that announcement, people quickly start filing out of the Gala hall. Many of whom are still talking as they walk off to who knows where.
Just like the rest, us contestants also file out back the way we came. We are then directed to head back to our ships and get some much needed rest.
I can sense that today was a very important day. However, I expect there are many more significant events in my near future. Now that I have formally allied with Ray, I can be fully confident going forward. So, whatever the future may bring, I say, bring it on.
End of Chapter 8
A/N: Greetings, dear reader, it is I, the author of this ever-expanding novel. I hope you have enjoyed another extra-long chapter… It seems that once I have an idea for a chapter in mind, I just start writing. Then I blink and three thousand words have appeared on the page. Oh well, I'm sure if you've made it this far you'll enjoy what I have written.
I apologize for the dancing scenes, I would've liked to add more description about the dancing itself, but dancing is something I have zero knowledge of. Instead, I have put extra effort into imagining cool outfits for the characters.
I hope you have checked out Kovon's Codex and have learned a bit more about this world that I have built, there is much more to come, so stay tuned!
Once again, if you have enjoyed this story, please make sure to like/favourite/comment/review/leave fun jokes, they are much appreciated.
Cathrix