Second Chance: Atlantis 343 Book 1 Chapter 4 (Patreon)

The [System Administrator] was indulging her final moments of existence, tasting the new flavors of the coffees, teas, and alcohol the newly inducted Planet Earth had produced over the years. 

She, technically she was an it, had isolated herself in sub-atomic space, the same space where System interaction and integration took place, to enjoy these new flavors.

She was currently alternating between an Iced Coffee Mocha, extra sweet, double shot, extra foam, with whip cream, and a bottle of 2005 Domaine Leroy Musigny. It had taken time, a millisecond at least, for her to decide she enjoyed the red Pinot Noir over any other wine or champagne.  

The coffee and tea had been even harder to decide because she had enjoyed them all. She had decided that the beverages from pre-System integration needed to be saved.

She would allow the beverages she had enjoyed and the recipes to make them become part of the lexicon of recipes that those who selected cooking, brewing, alchemy, or herbalism to learn. 

The Administrator looked at the billions of computer monitors that were revolving around her, each representing a newly integrated system user in satisfaction.  This reboot had gone well, and the final step was finally accomplished.

Satisfied with the result of her work and her decision, the [System Administrator] swiped her hand across the area of sub-space directly in front of her. Her gesture dismissed the multitude of monitors that existed. It was an affectation, the gesture not needed. But it was part of the process that the [System] used when integrating a new world, copying the actions of the people that were being added. 

An act of mimicry of sorts, as the [System Administrator], took on the role of the species that had joined. The emotions, intellect, and physical capabilities of each species were tested, as the life of every individual was not only processed but experienced. The [System] did not just assign races, classes, and professions; it relived every second of every moment of the life of every individual that was alive at the moment of integration.

This ability to experience the hopes, dreams, and despairs of an individual and their civilization allowed for a more perfect integration. It gave the [System] a metric it could use to set the starting traits, skills, and attributes of a person. And a way to determine what to reward an individual and at what level with what milestones were the most notable.

Earth had been interesting because there was more than one race to be processed. A land and water-based species were both intelligent enough to undergo integration and retain their sapience and sentience. 

The humans had been no surprise. The [System] had encountered that species before, one of whom had reincarnated from this Universe into another. One that had leveled up to become the God Teigh.

Dolphins were the other race, a water-based species that had experienced their own type of character creation, a race that had been ignored and mutated as animals in [System Integration 1.0]. 

The rest of the world's native fish, animals, insects, and birds were classified correctly. Those species had been mutated and become more than what they had been, but those mutations had been primal in nature, a change across species instead of individuals. One that reflected the strengths and weaknesses of the originating species.

The [System Administrator] managed one last sip of her wine before she turned her attention to the last active monitor. The chances offered to Asteria Teigh had been a gift from the [System]. One made to Teigh, God of Illusion and Glamour. It had been one final reward for his work in finding and closing the virus that had infected the [System]. 

A virus that could have overturned the very foundation of the multi-verse. Teigh had already been rewarded for his actions, and this nudge in what race and class Asteria had been offered was more of a boon than a reward. A boon that the [System] had projected might come in handy at some point. It was only logical to keep the bloodline of the person that had managed so much from fading into oblivion. 

The [System] placed so much importance on the bloodline that it had embedded a hidden trait into Progenitor Bloodline feat.

Teigh had originally claimed a boon when he had reincarnated as a Sidhe. One that allowed him to respawn, to ignore completely once a year. The [System] had transferred a copy of that boon to Asteria. Teigh would probably never need it now, but there was always a chance. 

Even a God could be killed. 

So the System had copied the exact working and workings of [Rebirth]. Asteria would come to know of its existence at some point. She was half Sidhe, so was effectively immortal unless killed. But she could be killed, and if or when that happened, she would trigger the real benefit of having earned Teigh's Progenitor Bloodline feat.

Satisfied that this second chance was complete. This redo of a system integration under a revised and virus-free [System] was progressing as expected. The [System Administrator] closed the last monitor, cutting the feed that followed Asteria, waking her and setting her free from System space.

The final tie cut, Asteria would begin her life on the newly reforged Earth. And the [System Administrator] would fade into nothingness. With her job complete and her mission done, the [System] absorbed the matrix that it had used to create her. 

There would be other [System Administrators], but each time one was needed, the [System] would create a new sub-routine, a new logic circuit that would take the shape and form of a [System Administrator] best suited for the task required. 

**** I will be changing from 3rd person to 1st person narrative from this point on. 

I was confused as the town around me faded. I did a quick check of my equipment. The skin suit, as well as the Nano-assist device, were both still in place and functioning. I stood in place, refusing to move, afraid the town vanishing was only the first step in what was happening.

“More System fuckery?” I muttered, softly enough that someone would have needed to be standing within kissing distance to hear.

If I was still a sixteen-year-old girl, one that had just survived System integration. I might have flinched at my language if that was all that I was. But I wasn’t. I had my past life and experiences to fall back on, and language had been the least of my problems when daily survival was such an effort.

I had been moved to a beach. The sounds of crashing waves against the shore meant that at least one Moon still revolved around the planet. I would have to wait to see if the Sun rose and set to decide if the planet revolved, and watch to see if seasons changed to determine if it also moved in orbit.

I was pretty sure the System hadn’t changed reality to that extent, but I wasn’t willing to assume anything. But those were worries for another day, and if I was honest with myself, it didn’t matter what the System had done. I would never be powerful enough to change what had been done. 

I had some freedom in selecting my race and class. I would have to be happy that I’d been given a chance to choose how I would face this new world.