The Distortion
Chapter 5

Right after the Distortion, needless to say it was quite the shock seeing the world warp right before my eyes, while losing sight of my family no less. Then again, I was hardly an exception in that regard. Being welcomed by a unicorn wasn’t exactly the most reassuring introduction to this new existence either. Still, it could have been worse, much worse…some accounts spoke of gruesome tales.

The ensuing pandemonium made for a bleak scene, despair almost a foregone conclusion. And yet, there was a ray of hope, hope that would allow people to survive in this madness against all odds: Incarnation. And mine proved to be more useful than initially expected.

Any other man would have freaked out when suddenly faced with a mythical creature in the middle of an unrecognizable world. And I had seen people—a lot of them—falter right before my eyes, unable to withstand the magnitude of the mayhem surrounding them.

While I did certainly panic at first, I found myself recovering rather quickly, eerily so. I didn’t give in to the fear and anxiety because I could not, even if I wanted to. I wasn’t particularly calm either, but neither was I agitated. I was mainly in a state of constant activity, namely mental.

My brain would not stop working, thinking and analyzing every bit of information I could draw. I could have sworn even when I slept, I was still reflecting on how to proceed from where I was, figuring out ways to solve the next problem, considering all the possible outcomes. I may not have been strong—physically that is—but I was incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable.

I was a Scholar.

My intellect was my shield. Perhaps not the kind of weapon many would hope for since it didn’t strike at the incoming threats. But it more than allowed to me to defend against those threats, which nonetheless enabled my own survival. And that was ultimately everyone’s hope.

However, and no matter how robust of a shield it was, I could only fend off the increasing danger for so long. I was but one man hoping to stand against a world of terrors, a struggle which was bound for failure. Despite how untrustworthy humans had grown to be, it was inevitable to join others in this shared endeavor.

The process was undoubtedly lengthy, with the roster being shuffled more times than I could count—there was no shortage of betrayals. Eventually, we settled on one community where the mix of Incarnations was actually put to good use, which first resulted in a safe haven. A solid foundation for something more, something much greater than I—or anyone else—could have ever anticipated or hoped for.

Many other countries, kingdoms or empires that began to rise at the time were heavily reminiscent of the old and bygone eras from before the Distortion. It could have been attributed to the overall regression human civilization had undergone, which was only partially true. A key factor was the fact that the world’s surviving population predominantly originated from those old and bygone eras.

After all, those people were simply better equipped to survive in a post-apocalyptic setting than those who lived in the comfort of modern civilization. It also helped that there were notable figures throughout the world who rose to prominence in hope of reviving their respective dynasties.

And so, never having witnessed technological advancement in the first place to understand its inners workings, the ceiling of their knowledge only got them so far. Funnily enough, a good number of individuals were content with going back to simpler ways despite their origins—Laith, mama and baba being good examples.

Despite it all, the modern world before the Distortion wasn’t automatically sentenced to death, and neither were its inhabitants. Unable to fully revert to a “primitive” lifestyle where technology and machines weren’t a component of their lives, a unique place—vastly different from the rest of the world—was built.

And so my path aligned with those who chose to capitalize on the progress once achieved. With Incarnations pushing the boundaries of mankind’s innate abilities, what was known as the Republic of Neumund surpassed by leaps and bounds what humanity had previously accomplished. An unprecedented level of scientific knowledge we only thought possible in science fiction had been reached. Those two droids we just confronted were but a small glimpse of other inventions and creations.

Which would lead me to the main point: “why those droids were chasing after me and why is it that I decided to leave at that time”.

As a Scholar, I wasn’t limited to one field of study; in fact, I was one of the most diverse researchers in Neumund. You could say I ranked amongst the polymaths seeing how my work ranged from the most complex sciences to the deepest of humanities.

It all started with an analysis I was carrying out of the geological map of the world, the plane—the planet no longer a sphere—that was Earth 2.0, referred to as “Mihad” in Sultanate al-Furat. It was rather important to keep track of the behavior of an unreasonable world, however unpredictable it was. Evidently, such study was only possible to carry out in Neumund thanks to the enormous resources that were at its disposal.

I was aware of the routine nature of this study conducted each year, although that was the first time it was assigned to me. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time since the head of the team—whom I was replacing—was indisposed due to health concerns. A pretense I gullibly bought into initially…a grave mistake on my part. Sadly, I only gradually realized how foolishly fooled I was, starting with the result of the analysis we ran.

While examining the map of the world and comparing it with the one from the previous year, a disturbing fact was brought about. And it had nothing to do with the geological data, despite some alarming details—irregularities had become somewhat regular considering the world we were living in. In fact, what caught my attention was something else, something so glaring even an illiterate would have noticed it instantly.

The map, or rather the world itself, had shrunk, quite literally. The dimensions of Earth 2.0, most notably its overall surface, were conspicuously smaller. There were good chunks entirely missing and no longer visible on the map. At first, I chalked it up to a potential malfunction in the equipment, a glitch in the system or a possible human error. After all, no matter how much we progressed, we could never reach absolute perfection.

However, upon further investigation, and after conferring with my team, I was shocked to learn otherwise. The result we ended up with was no mistake. And not only that, this phenomenon was repeatedly happening since the Distortion. For a decade, the most peripheral segments of our current world were vanishing on a yearly basis.

It was one thing that some land was swallowed by an earthquake or razed by a meteor or sunk by the ocean. But to suddenly, and periodically, vanish into nothingness, as in decaying, leaving zero trace…a terrifying thought. To top it off, this bloody reality was kept secret for some reason I completely ignored.

Naturally, I demanded some answers, and the opportunity would present itself whenever I had to report back to the authorities. My colleagues warned me against asking any “unnecessary” questions and simply provide the results matter-of-factly. They claimed it was for the better that I not dig too deep into this matter. Perhaps many in my position would have heeded the warning after seeing how nervous my fellow scientists were, but not someone as curious as I was. And so, as soon as I was done with my report, I bluntly asked for the reason as to why such crucial information was hidden.

The first response was rather expected: sweep it under the rug for fear of causing a mass panic, all the while working on a solution. In other words, treat this matter like a state secret to be concealed from the public. Not the worst argument to provide, but not convincing enough, for me at least. It was as if we were deliberately covering up a natural disaster about to hit not only the country, but the whole world as well. That simply didn’t enter my brain.

Then, a less convincing argument was provided, one claiming many people would treat this “Decay” as nothing more than an elaborate conspiracy theory. There would have definitely been a good number of individuals who would dismiss the truth behind it, but so long as the authorities treated it seriously, it should suffice. So I kept pressing and proposed that we at least share this disturbing knowledge with the rest of the scientific community.

Except I was opposed with a staggering refusal and denial. My proposal was rejected upfront without the slightest pondering. Not only that, the tone of the conversation shifted almost instantly. All of a sudden, I was being ridiculed with random claims thrown my way ranging from my suffering a burnout to straight-up accusations of incompetence and fraudulence…

Keep in mind that not long ago my abilities were taken very seriously and regarded very highly—enough to appoint me as the new head of the team—only to be derided by the very same people who praised me. However, I was smart enough to read between the lines and see beyond this charade. It was just another way of telling me how easily they could toy with my credibility.

Needless to say, I didn’t heed their subtle warning; I was quite known for my stubbornness. As soon as I was done with the meeting, I did everything in my power to spread the knowledge and inform as many people as possible mostly through publications and articles. I tried to frame the situation in a way that wasn’t so outlandish so I would ease people into the truth. I would start by piquing their curiosity so I could later grab their attention, such as pointing out the curious lack of investment in space and aeronautics research, despite the available tools at our disposal.

At first, the authorities left me be as if daring me to convince anyone. And indeed, not many people were predisposed to buy into this new reveal, however diluted. Many of the people I reached out to challenged my claims or flat-out disproved them. Most of those who readily believed me were known to have a knack for adhering to conspiracy theories as a whole. Not the most reliable people to have around if you wanted to make a point…

The people at the top must have been having a good laugh at first…but not for much longer. I was not to be underestimated. I wasn’t a complete nobody—in the scientific community or otherwise—and I was privileged with a good enough standing. I would need some measure of influence for my plan to work. It was my intention all along to stir up things a little and get people talking before escalating things in a dramatic twist.

I sued the government.

Now that was certainly a bold move, but not out of the realm of possibility since we were living in a supposed democracy. However, when the charge in question was “conspiring against state security”, now that was most definitely bold. And it immediately became the talk of every citizen in Neumund, higher-up or otherwise.

And the president was no exception. After all, he was also incriminated, even if I didn’t point a direct finger at him. However, getting him involved ended up greatly benefitting me. Luckily, he was true to his reputation before the Distortion, which was the reason why I never accused him personally of anything. I was unconsciously banking on his good will, and that gladly paid off.

He was a man of great renown, one whose name was nothing short of famous, across the entire world before the Distortion. It did feel somewhat surreal that this particular political leader and revolutionary before the Distortion was the head of Neumund. I believe I could speak for most of the citizens when I say that we were fortunate enough to have such a figure at the helm.

I was never one for idolizing any icon or regarding them in a higher light, but I would consider meeting him in person an honor. An opportunity I would have appreciated a lot more if not for the less-than-ideal circumstances…it turned out to be much worse than I had initially thought.

The president, the highest authority in Neumund had absolutely no knowledge of the matter at hand. The information concerning the Decay was being kept even from him. I saw no plausible reason for him putting on an act or feigning ignorance. I insisted that our meeting be held in private so we could both put our cards on the table.

He was clearly distressed whenever he learned of the full truth, even more so when knowing it was never brought up to him or even alluded to. Perhaps that was the reason he eagerly decided to cooperate. Never mind feeling disrespected and betrayed by your own government, conspiring behind the president’s back had far more serious implications than his pride being hurt.

We both realized it, and it wasn’t long before our concerns came true. That meeting was a turning point for this little campaign I was leading. This time I wasn’t just being confronted with threats to my career or my reputation, but rather to my own life. I now had a rough idea of what might have happened to my “indisposed” predecessor and where my colleagues were coming from. I would assume they went through a similar process to force their silence. It was hard to blame them really. It wouldn’t take a genius to realize which weighed more, your life or your credibility.

Call me crazy, but I was willing to take the risk.

I acted as if the threats didn’t faze me and I kept pushing and pressuring, still believing I would get to the bottom of this. I couldn’t remember any instance where a matter was this sensitive, to a point where individuals usually privy to this kind information were being deliberately kept in the dark. That fact unequivocally proved how critical this reveal was.

They could not allow this secret to be revealed. Their real motives could not be divulged.

It wasn’t long before the president contacted me again to set up a meeting which was only made possible through roundabout ways. The very few remaining trustworthy people had to be found and mobilized for that short meeting to take place. The political sphere got severely murky during that time as the president’s influence and popularity were diminishing considerably.

A sense of urgency loomed over the entire country…and the whole world for that matter.

The president first warned me that digging up this information would inevitably cost him his life; the recent and sudden defamation was only a start. That was why he made sure to entrust his replaceings to me, hoping someone would accomplish what he wouldn’t be able to. As the president, he regretted having to burden me with this, for he felt it was primarily his responsibility. Unfortunately, the affair was so sensitive it sentenced him to death instantly. They were far more powerful than he could have anticipated, accessing a truth on a scale surpassing our wildest imagination.

After the death threats, the repeated warnings, the ever-increasing tension, I thought I was prepared for any revelation thrown my way. Still, I wasn’t prepared to learn the truth behind the Distortion.

Three seals. A Time Seal. A Space Seal. A Reality Seal.

Three seals to maintain the balance of the world by preventing the disruption of three basic and vital constructs, all to ensure a harmonious and stable existence. The many questions surrounding their origin, their true nature, their exact whereabouts remain unanswered. One thing is certain however: they are not supposed to be tampered with, let alone broken, in which case the unthinkable happens.

The three constructs they safeguard shatter with them and a lawless existence is brought forth, an existence that can’t sustain itself for long, a doomed existence bound to vanish. Its only hope is for the seals to be reformed and balance shall be restored once more.