9 Universal Threa (1/2)
An emergency meeting was called on the planet's HQ building. The timing was odd; nothing had been happening for a while now. Peace had generally reigned throughout the universe ever since the mega corporation had cast a wide shadow monopoly on every travel and arms business in existence. So it was odd that a level 0 alert, the most dangerous possible, was being discreetly sent to a few executives in the building.
Once everyone gathered in the divination-proof meeting room, questions poured forth.
”Hey, do you know what's going on? How is it possible for a threat to the entire universe to exist?”
”Level 0? Are you crazy, Boss? At least go with a 1. Do you know how ridiculous this sounds right now?”
”If this is accurate, though... this is more than we can handle, isn't it? I'm nervous about this...”
That's right. A level 0 alert was inst.i.tuted. A guaranteed threat to the entire universe. And looking at it from a logical perspective, there was no reason for such a threat to even exist. Everybody looked in the same direction, demanding an answer.
On one end of the oblong table, an elderly gentleman spoke up. Despite his age, he looked as sharp as ever, and no one would ever doubt his ability to command. This man was the Boss, and the men in the room were his closest partners. Of course, if anyone else were to speak up like this without permission, they would be severely punished. This was also the reason everyone in the room trusted him. The company had been through some rough times, and now it was prospering more than it was ever thought to be possible. And through all of it, this man was the leader.
”High energy beings detected, gentlemen.”
Every being in this universe had a certain energy level. The word ”high” was too vague. It could mean almost anything, including above average. But everyone present knew. If the alert level was 0...
”How high..?” Someone hesitantly asked.
”Enough to warrant a threat level of beyond universal rank.”
The answer, which should have been obvious, shook the room. Everyone's heart seemed to stop. The deathly silence was intensified by the soundproof room, and nervous swallowing could be heard.
Finally, someone mustered the courage to speak up to break the unproductive silence.
”Um, Boss, you said beings, plural, right? How many?”
”Two.”
Some of the executives sighed in relief. Apparently they had missed the careful wording of the Boss.
”Oh... even though the threat level is beyond X+ rank, the fact that it's made up of two of them should make them S+ or X- rank individually, right?”
”Wrong.”
”What?”
”There are two of them. They're *both* ranked beyond X+.”
Silence filled the room once more, and those who had sighed in relief earlier began to wish for ignorance.
”Ah... Then... it's even worse than alert level 0, isn't it?”
”That's correct... but unfortunately, level 0 is the most urgent I can authorize.”
”Has... anything like this even happened before?”
The Boss hesitated.
”I don't know for sure, but it's rumored that the last time this happened, the Operator was created.”
The Operator. A virtual database that tracked everything's statistics, and quantized/quantified energy levels. The introduction of such a thing changed the entire existence as they knew it. No one alive even knew of anything before the Operator existed, and life without it was unfathomable.