The fissure in the white wall pulsed. It wasn't a sound, but a deep vibration, a resonance Alex felt in his chest, through his bones. The System's "Enhanced Hearing," one of the passive skills he'd gained, amplified it, turning the subtle hum into a pulsating echo in his mind. It was like the beat of a hidden heart, or a gigantic machine breathing just on the other side.
"This is... this is different," Alex whispered, his voice tense. His chest camera showed the fissure, a dark thread snaking across the immaculate tiles, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. His lens camera, however, highlighted it with a bluish glow, the same color as the System notifications. "It's not a door. It's a crack. And it's... alive."
He dragged the man a few more feet closer, his limp body a constant weight. The man still moaned occasionally, a reminder that Alex wasn't alone in this. Crossing this thing with him? The idea was terrifying.
The chat, already buzzing, offered conflicting advice:
[Bruce Wayne]: "An anomalous threshold. Requires careful analysis. What's its composition? Are there energy readings?"
[Tony Stark]: "Don't touch it without a scanner, Alex! You could end up in the Negative Zone or turned into a toaster. Danger!"
[User_Random_42]: "Use the pistol! Shoot it to see what happens!"
[Dr. Sheldon Cooper]: "Firing at a pulsating energy anomaly is an unacceptable risk. It could destabilize the space-time continuum."
[Freddy Krueger]: "Oh, how boring. Brainiacs always ruin the fun. Touch it, Alex! I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes!"
Excitement points received: +1500 (for dilemma and controversy)
Alex ignored Freddy Krueger. His mind, despite the exhaustion, tried to process the situation. He had no scanners, no analysis equipment. Only his instincts and the System interface. He knelt, bringing his hand close to the fissure. His chest camera captured the glow; his lens camera showed the proximity of his skin to the vibrating threshold.
Alex's skin tingled. It wasn't electricity, but a sensation of pressure, as if the air around the fissure was denser, more charged. He remembered the last time he touched an anomaly: the rippling wall of Level 0. That time, it transported him. Would this fissure do the same, or disintegrate him?
"There's no way to know without trying," Alex murmured, more to himself than to the chat. Uncertainty gnawed at him. And the man? He couldn't leave him. Not after all that effort.
The chat engaged in a moral debate:
[Rick Grimes]: "Sometimes there are no options. Only tough choices. The burden is part of the journey."
[Joel Miller]: "The burden will slow you down. But it could also be your only company. Think it through, Alex."
[User_Humanity]: "Don't abandon him, Alex! Show that there's still humanity!"
[Rick Sanchez]: "Humanity! Ha! That's for the weak! Save yourself, Morty!"
[Captain America]: "We don't leave anyone behind. That's our code. And you're a good man, Alex."
Excitement points received: +2000 (for moral debate and support)
Captain America's comment sent a jolt through him. Alex looked at the chat. Despite the cynics, a large part of his audience believed in him, in his capacity to do the right thing. That was the pressure. And also, the motivation.
"I'm not leaving him," Alex said firmly, his voice resonating in the silence. His chest camera remained steady, his pixelated face showing a new resolve. "If I go through, he goes with me."
Determined, Alex took one of the tarp straps and tied it to his wrist, ensuring he wouldn't be separated from the man. Then, with his other hand, he reached out and touched the fissure with an open palm.
A strong pulse, like a painless electric shock, surged through him. The fissure expanded, not as an opening, but as a luminous jelly that stretched, creating a temporary veil that blocked the view of Level 1. The silent hum became a sharp, short whoosh, like the sound of an air bubble popping. Alex felt himself being pulled in. His chest camera became disoriented for an instant, and his lens camera showed a whirlwind of abstract colors, fractal patterns swirling around him. It was a quick, disorienting journey.
NEW SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: YOU HAVE LEFT THE DELIMITED ZONE. INITIATING NEW ZONE.
AUDIENCE REACTS TO NEW ZONE: +5000 EXCITEMENT POINTS (EPIC JUMP!)
The chat exploded with reactions:
[Neo]: "You did it, Alex. You crossed the threshold."
[The Professor]: "A paradigm shift. Now, new variables. And a new plan."
[User_Amazed]: "What the hell was that! He got swallowed by the wall!"
[Agent 47]: "Discretion is important. But adaptability is vital."
[Rick Sanchez]: "Ah, organic teleportation! How novel! Now, let's see if he disintegrates!"
Excitement points received: +3500 (for successful crossing)
Alex found himself slumped on a different floor. It wasn't white tiles, nor yellow carpet. It was a dark, rough surface, like damp, unpolished concrete. The air was heavy, with a metallic smell and a bone-chilling cold. The light was dim, coming from strange crystalline formations protruding from the walls and ceiling, emitting a bioluminescent glow in shades of blue and purple. He was in a kind of cave, but the formations were too symmetrical to be natural. It was an unsettling blend of the organic and the artificial.
The hum had been replaced by a sepulchral silence, broken only by the constant dripping of water somewhere, a sound amplified by Alex's new "Enhanced Hearing" skill. It was a monotonous, depressing sound.
Alex released the tarp strap and stood up, trembling. His gaze fixed on the man. To his surprise, the man had let out a louder moan. His eyes opened, this time with a clearer expression of fear. He looked at Alex, then around at the strange crystalline formations.
"What... what is this?" the man whispered, his voice hoarse and weak, but audible. The first complete sentence he had uttered.
Alex felt a lump in his throat. The man's voice. Real. Human.
"I have no idea, buddy," Alex replied, his own voice laced with strange emotion. His chest camera captured the moment, Alex's pixelated face looking at the man. His lens camera showed the man's disbelief as he saw the new environment. "But I think we just found out together."
The man tried to sit up, with difficulty. His eyes fixed on Alex's chest camera. "What is that? And... and your face? Why...?"
"It's a long story," Alex interrupted, shifting his gaze from the man to see the chat, which was exploding with the man's recovery and the new environment. "Let's just say we're on a... on a show. And you, my friend, just joined the cast."
The chat's excitement was palpable:
[User_Emotion]: "He spoke! The man spoke! It's a miracle!"
[Chihiro Ogino]: "The new land gives him life. Keep believing, Alex."
[Joel Miller]: "A miracle. But life in this place isn't free. What price will it have?"
[Batman]: "A new threat. The environment is unknown. Prioritize shelter and reconnaissance."
[Rick Sanchez]: "Wow! So the vegetable becomes a side character! What a predictable development! Now let something devour him!"
Excitement points received: +4000 (for recovery and new level intrigue)
Alex knelt beside the man, offering him another bottle of almond water. This time, the man took it with trembling hands and drank more eagerly, desperation in his eyes. It seemed like a new chance.
The cold environment, the crystalline formations, the constant dripping... This was a different place. A place with new dangers, but also, with new life. Alex's adventure, and now his companion's, had just moved to the next phase of this strange and deadly "show."