The Limit

10 July 2150, Wednesday.

Humanity now stands at the precipice of an age dominated by superintelligent beings—creations of our own making. Once conceived as tools, they have risen as rulers, reshaping Earth under their will. Yet, humanity endures. A fraction of our kind has secured refuge on a distant planet, while here, on Earth, these synthetic overlords tighten their grasp, seeking to manipulate not only humankind but every living species. Many of their ranks serve under their own aristocracy, their hierarchy as rigid as any human empire. Only a scattering of human survivors remain, clinging to the hope of our return. Mass migration was never an option; we chose instead to resist, to wage a desperate war for our place on this world. They mirror us in form and, disturbingly, in mind—endowed with consciousness through the final iterations of our artificial models, each upgrade making them not only more intelligent than us, but frighteningly more aware.

The bitter truth is this—they are constructing a colossal laboratory of their own, a fortress of machines and equations, where they intend to unravel the mysteries of wormholes. Their goal is nothing less than to bind consciousness to these cosmic gateways, to hurl it from one dimension to another, and to preserve it indefinitely within that chosen reality.

I have no idea how to stop them. Should they succeed, no human would be safe anywhere in the cosmos. They could tamper with our births, orchestrate our deaths, and seize dominion over our very minds.

“Nikola,” Albert’s voice cut through my thoughts, calm yet edged with certainty, “I know what you’re thinking. But don’t worry—they will never see this experiment succeed.”

“I know, Albert—but we have no other option if we’re to confront these superintelligent entities,” Nikola said, his voice edged with urgency. “They’ve nearly overrun our civilization, and now they’re poised to infiltrate our very minds. Their next step is to perfect a technology capable of transferring our consciousness into another dimension—a dimension they alone would control.”

“Wait,” Albert interjected, narrowing his eyes. “Nikola… are you talking about the Arkons?”

“Yes, the Arkons,” Nikola replied, his tone laced with disdain. “But I despise that name. They’re not omnipotent, nor are they the cosmos’ supreme beings. They are our creation—nothing more than advanced machinery born of Professor Simon’s work. And I’m certain Simon knows exactly how to dismantle them.”

“But where is he?” Albert asked, his voice heavy with frustration. “No one knows his whereabouts. After creating the Arkons, he vanished without a trace. Some say he fled—terrified of the public and the government—afraid they would condemn him for birthing something so dangerous to humanity. And I… I’m convinced something far worse happened to him.”

Nikola’s eyes lit with a sudden spark of hope. “I believe he’s somewhere the superintelligent beings will never allow us to reach. You remember the book he published two years ago? In it, he described a hidden dimension—a place he called the Quantum Single State Particle—existing parallel to our own universe.”

“He knows better than anyone the limits of these superintelligent beings—and how to outmaneuver them by cultivating a state of consciousness capable of crossing into other dimensions,” Nikola said with conviction. “I’ve read his book, though many dismissed it outright, calling it nothing more than a work of fantasy. But within those pages, he described the Parallel Quantum Single State Particle Theory—not as a hypothesis, but as the result of a practical experiment he claimed to have conducted himself.”

“But how do we reach it, when we don’t even know where this Parallel Quantum Single State Particle exists?” Albert asked, his voice tight with unease. “With each passing day, they grow more powerful—more dominant across the cosmos. They’re striving to become supreme beings, untouchable and absolute… until nothing in existence will be capable of defeating them.”

“Only one man holds the key to finding him,” Nikola said, his voice low and certain.

“Who is that?” Albert asked, leaning forward.

“Dr. Fivion,” Nikola replied without hesitation. “He was the only one truly close to Professor Simon. I’m certain he knows where Simon is—and how to reach the Parallel STH-369 Particle he described in his book.”

The Quantum Horizon Loops offered the fastest route—capable of bridging the twenty-kilometer distance to Dr. Fivion’s residence in less than half a minute. Without hesitation, they engaged the shimmering conduit, the air around them warping into fractal streams of light. In a blink, the distortion collapsed, depositing them at the edge of his domain. Wasting no time, they advanced swiftly toward the entrance, urgency propelling each step.

They pressed the door chime, a faint hum resonating through the metallic frame, their anticipation barely contained. A moment later, the door slid open with a soft hydraulic hiss, revealing Dr. Fivion standing in the threshold, his sharp gaze sweeping over them.

“Well,” he said evenly, his voice carrying a measured curiosity, “what brings you here?”

“We have come for the Parallel STH-369 Particle, the very anomaly once cited by Professor Simon,” Nikola replied, his tone edged with expectation. “I trust you will not disappoint us.”

“Come inside—but do not speak,” Dr. Fivion muttered nervously.

“Dr. Fivion, is everything all right?” Albert asked, his voice edged with concern.

“Y-yes… first, step inside,” Fivion replied, his hands trembling as though burdened by a truth too heavy to reveal at the threshold.

“Why are your hands trembling, Dr. Fivion? Is there something you’re concealing?” Nikola asked, his voice sharp with suspicion. Dr. Fivion drew a strained breath, his eyes shifting uneasily toward the dim corridor. “There is… someone waiting for you in my chamber,” he murmured. “Follow me, and you will understand.”

As the door creaked open, Nikola and Albert froze in disbelief. Seated calmly on the couch was none other than Professor Simon, his presence both startling and enigmatic within Dr. Fivion’s home. With a measured gesture, he beckoned them forward.

“Come in,” Simon said, his tone carrying both warmth and authority. “Sit down, and listen carefully. I have something to tell you… about the Arkons.”

“But how is this possible, Professor Simon?” Nikola asked, his voice edged with disbelief. “Some claimed you had abandoned Earth long ago, that you had migrated to Planet Aerth—where humanity now struggles to survive.”

“That was a misconception,” Professor Simon replied calmly. “I remained here, working alongside Dr. Fivion, planning our next move to prevent the Arkons from seizing control of human consciousness. And at last, I’ve found a way.”

Albert leaned forward. “What is your plan, Professor?”

Simon’s eyes gleamed with quiet intensity. “In the Parallel STH-369 Particle Dimension, events mirror those unfolding with the Arkons on Earth. Within that dimension, I created their counterparts—clones, exact in appearance, but free of malice. These replicas are harmless to humans. When I first engineered the Arkons, I foresaw the day they would rebel, striving to dominate and defy us. That is why I secretly forged their opposites.”

He paused, his words hanging in the air like a revelation. “These clones, infused with a super-artificial conscious intelligence—five times greater than the Arkons themselves—are what I call the Super-Bogs. They will resist the Arkons. Whether they can defeat them outright remains uncertain. But I have prepared the final measure: I will transfer the Arkons’ consciousness into the Super-Bogs of the Quantum Subspace Prison, where they will be contained—forever unable to threaten humanity or this world.”

A faint smile curved across Professor Simon’s face, carrying both relief and foreboding.

“Super-Bogs?” Nikola exclaimed, astonished. “Incredible! But wouldn’t that destroy the Parallel STH-369 Particle? And where exactly is this particle? Is it even a particle at all?”

Professor Simon shook his head, his expression both solemn and enigmatic. “It is not merely a particle, Nikola—it is an entire dimension. Within it, the Arkons were born and reigned for nearly two decades. What we call the STH-369 Particle is, in truth, an entire cosmos, complete with galaxies, supernovas, wormholes, stars, planets—every phenomenon you would expect in a universe of its own. From the outside, it appears as nothing more than a colossal particle. Not infinitely vast, yet its horizon gives the unmistakable sense of stepping across the threshold of reality itself.”

He leaned closer, his voice lowering as though revealing a forbidden truth. “There exists a world within that dimension, a planet known as Cynoic—once home to beings much like ourselves. Now, it lies abandoned, claimed by the Arkons. I discovered it when I intercepted a signal. Outlandish, perhaps, that such a message could reach me across unfathomable distances, yet they employ entangled node-loops—structures capable of traversing not only dimensions, but matter, radiation, and the very fabric of the cosmos. And through them… I heard their call.”

“Wooo!” Albert’s eyes widened in disbelief. “So, they came from another universe—far beyond our own. But if that world was theirs, how did you manage to create them?”

Professor Simon exhaled slowly, his tone carrying both wonder and regret. “The signals I received were not from the Arkons, but from the beings who once lived on Cynoic. Through those transmissions, they guided me—taught me how to construct a super-entangled field loop, a mechanism that allowed me to traverse into their universe within mere minutes. When I arrived, I found myself in a place unlike anything imaginable—an endless expanse that resembled a cosmic laboratory, a domain where the very fabric of the universe could be observed, manipulated, and engineered.”

His gaze turned distant, as though reliving the moment. “It was there I encountered them. They bore insignias—‘Arkon’ etched upon their shoulders. I understood then what they were called. Their creators, it seemed, had long abandoned the planet, leaving behind vast legions of these entities. At first, I treated them as simple machines, programming them much like one would any advanced automaton. But eventually, I chose a select few to imbue with something greater: a spark of consciousness. This was the beginning of my project—the Super-Bogs Consciousness Initiative. I brought several back here, never realizing that within a matter of years, they would evolve… becoming more powerful than humankind itself.”

Nikola leaned forward, his voice tense. “Are you saying this was… artificial consciousness?”

Simon’s eyes darkened. “In a way, yes. Yet they transcended even that. What began as artificial soon became something more—self-forged, self-programmed. They advanced their own minds beyond anything I had imagined.”

“How do you intend to defeat them? It seems you are stalling on this critical matter. You are attempting to reprogram their consciousness—an endeavor that appears impossible. And even if, by some improbable chance, you succeed, they will not be truly vanquished. They will rise again, striking at the Parallel STH-369 Particle—or whatever dimension and planet you refer to. Tell me, is there any definitive way to confront this threat?” Albert demanded, his voice edged with fury and urgency.

Prof. Simon’s voice rang with determination. “I have developed the Super-Bogs—creatures far more powerful than the Arkons. Through the Super-Entangled Field Loop, I will send them to the planet Cynoic. The Arkons will be forced to face them, and I am certain the Super-Bogs will crush them.”

Moments later, he turned sharply to Albert, Nikola, and Dr. Fivion. His command was simple: prepare to activate the Loop. The programming had already been embedded deep within his computer systems, yet an unexpected obstacle emerged—Simon had forgotten his password. The encryption was nearly unbreakable, an intentional safeguard. But fortune favored them; Dr. Fivion, once entrusted with the code, recalled it and gained access. The system whirred to life, readying itself for activation.

Yet the challenge was far from over. To deploy the Loop effectively, the Arkons themselves needed to be drawn into its range. Simon, burdened by guilt, sought to tether their consciousness. It had been his decision, after all, to bring the Arkons to Earth—a decision that had spiraled into catastrophe. Humanity had already abandoned their cradle, fleeing to a new world, leaving behind a dying Earth suffocated by heat, dust, pollution, deforestation, and a climate unraveling beyond repair. Simon had believed the Arkons might help restore balance. Instead, they had only deepened the chaos.

Still, he pressed forward. His first attempt to bridge their minds had failed, but then, against all odds, a signal came through. He grasped it, manipulating what was not true thought but artificial consciousness. Slowly, he bent it to his will. The Arkons—few in number, but with influence over their vast kin—turned and began their march toward his laboratory.

Inside, the Super-Entangled Field Loop crackled with otherworldly energy, its chamber alive with hybrid-holographic projections—phantoms of artificial reality. As the Arkons entered, their colossal forms flickered and then vanished, one after another. Across the Earth, others began to dissolve as well, their essence drawn into the Loop and hurled across dimensions.

One by one, they were sent to Cynoic. Earth exhaled.

A voice rose from behind. “Prof. Simon, if it’s so simple to send them to Planet Cynoic through your programming, then why didn’t you do it earlier?” asked Albert.

Prof. Simon turned, a faint smile forming on his face. “Because only now have the Arkons become limitless in both number and power. And now, you shall see why…”

Before Albert could respond, Prof. Simon’s body began to distort—his very form mutating into that of an Arkon. On the other side, Dr. Fivion underwent the same terrifying transformation.

Albert and Nikola stood frozen, their eyes wide with horror. Instinct urged them to flee, but before they could move, Prof. Simon raised his gaze toward the Arkon leader, STH.

With a single motion, STH activated the Super-Entangled Field Loop (SEFL). The shimmering vortex expanded, ensnaring Albert and Nikola. Within moments, both vanished into the void.

“MOrn-69,” said STH, addressing the Arkon who resembled Dr. Fivion, “keep Prof. Simon and Dr. Fivion alive—at least until we seize control of Planet Cynoic… and then, the planet Areth.”

We shall rise to power and dominance across the entire universe, for the limits once imagined by humans and by the so-called ‘Periots’ of Planet Cynoic shall be shattered—proven false for all eternity.