"Sweet," Percy grinned, "maybe I can visit the Game of Thrones universe or something. Damn, if I ever get my hands on those Lannisters I'll make sure to kill them all!"
Julia looked confused, "ah, Percy, what are you talking about?"
"Oh, sorry, did I say that out loud? Look never mind that," Percy turned to Saito, "so how close are you to making this work?"
Saito sighed, "let's just say this, Edison tried a thousand time before he got one simple stupid light bulb to work. I'm trying to do the same thing, only I don't even fully understand the implications of what I am trying to do. Edison at least knew what he was looking for, a durable element that glowed when heated up, I don't' even know how to manipulate the probability matrix of our world, let alone travel through to other worlds."
"Wait probability matrix?" Percy asked.
"Just a name I came up with for branch of physics I'm dealing with," Saito explained, "think of it like a phone number for each universe. Each number represents a particular set of events that formed this world, the ability to identify those numbers will give us a way to identify our universe and other universes."
"So if you figure out which number correlates with which event it should theoretically allow you to pick and choose the world you visit," Julia realised.
"But that means you can basically pick and choose the world you go to," Percy nodded in understanding, "but the numbers must be huge. You would need a super super computer just to process it all."
Saito sighed, "yeah. And not only that you would also need to have a way to create a gateway between worlds. Something not even the Gods can do, that we know off."
Percy nodded, "yeah....but damn Saito, you really are amazing. The last man I meet as brilliant as you tried to kill me, so you're definitely a way better improvement."
Saito chuckled, "yeah, thanks."
"Wait," Julia spoke up, "Percy, this kind of sounds like your ability doesn't it?"
Percy looked surprised, "what do you mean?"
"Your IDs," Julia explained, "you can basically create empty worlds can't you? And world's filled with monsters. Isn't that something like a parallel universe?"
"What is she talking about?" Saito asked in excitement.
"Well, I ah, well I kind of have this power. It allows me to create pocket dimensions," Percy admitted.
"What?!" Saito exploded, "you can create pocket dimensions and you didn't think to tell me?!"
"W-well I kind of thought you already knew," Percy admitted.
"No! Julia! Why didn't you tell me this the moment you knew he could do something like that?!"
"I didn't think it was important," Julia shrugged, "hell this is the first time you even mentioned something like this to me. If you had before I would have brought Percy to you the moment I knew he could do something like that."
Saito cursed himself, "fuck me in the ass! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! The answer was right in front of me the whole time and I didn't notice until it was right under my fuckign nose!"
Percy chuckled, "take it easy man, you're being way to hard on yourself."
"Percy," Saito snapped, "where did you get tese powers?"
"I-ah, I don't know. They just kind of showed up the same time my other demigods powers awoke."
Lie successful!
"Hm....maybe this could be a gift from the Gods," Saito murmured to himself, "tell me Percy what exactly can you do?"
"Well I can create this pocket dimensions, I think. Basically I have three types, one is empty, meaning other than me there is no one else in the world. The other one is filled with monsters and the last one is kind of like the first, except time is kind of diluted, it flows diffrently making every second I sped there longer than the real world."
Saito's hands were shaking now in anticipation, "P-percy, tell me. This world you can create, is it empty? Or is there something in it?"
"Well no, in fact it's like a copy of this world. It has everything this world has, buildings and landscapes. It doesn't have people, electricity, wind or even sound."
"How big is it? Did you ever explore it?"
Percy nodded, "yeah. In my time dilation ID. I went from Montauk, in Long Island, to Boston."
Saito suddenly jumped up, "YES! YES! YES! YES! Thanks you GODS!"
"What happened Saito?" Julia asked, "why're you acting like fat kid in a candy store."
"Julia I might as well be a fat kid in a candy store!" Saito shouted as he grabbed Percy in a tight hug, "you are amazing Percy, never leave me."
"Ah, I have a girlfriend?" Percy asked as Saito broke the hug, "but seriously man why are you this excited?"
"Because don't' you see what this is?!" Saito asked his excitement still running high, "you have the ability to create an empty world, a world with nothing in it. This would allow me to get a probability matrix for a world that is closest to normal. Meaning you Percy can create a universe which basically has a probability matrix of 0."
"Meaning you can work from it and discover the other numbers," Julia said as realisation dawned on her.
Saito nodded, "yeah, plus we have something to compare it to. Since your, what did you call it? Your time dilation ID?" Percy nodded, "right, time dilation ID. Since you have that we can compare the probability matrix for the two worlds and find the number which affects time! Meaning if we combine that and manipulate our world's own probability matrix number we can essentially-"
"Create time travel," Percy realised, "b-but that won't be our world. It would be a world which is exactly like ours."
"So?" Saito asked, "we still would have the ability to shape a world! Think about it, a world where Saturn never rose, a world where demigods didn't have to hide! Percy....you could be the key to unlocking interdimensional travel and time travel."
Percy looked at Saito and then the rectangular device on the table. "Do you really think we can do this?"
Saito nodded, "yes Percy I do. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but if we don't try we will never know if we could have ever succeeded."
Percy nodded. He began to think, 'could I be part of something like this? Fighting a war is one thing, being part of one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in modern times is another. This could change the way we see the universe. Compared to all of that.....I'm nothing. I'm.....no, no. I have always been something. A son, a demigod, a fighter. Maybe now I can add scientific pioneer to that list.'
Percy looked into Saito's deep blue eyes and nodded, "let's do this Saito."
The legacy of Athena grinned, "fuck yeah," he put his hand up high and Percy high fived it.
"So what first?"
"Give me a second," Saito grinned picking up the cube and placing it in Percy's hands, wires and all, "I'll have this set up and running in no time."
Percy nodded and let the man do his thing. The scientist moved all around his lab dragging his white board towards the small work station he had set up next to Percy and the cube. He turned on a PC and connected it to the board using that as a monitor.
"So how exactly does this power work Percy?" Saito asked as he typed away at the keyboard.
"Well I basically just concentrate hard enough and presto, instant pocket dimension. I also bring whatever I'm holding on to," Percy gestured to the box, "so that means this box and the wires attached to it."
"I see....him, hold on," Saito then walked up to a modem on the wall and broke off the wifi signal distributor. He then took the box from Percy and removed the wires on it replacing it with the plastic antenna.
"This should help," Saito said going back to his computer and calibrating the antenna to send and receive signals from the box, "theoretically speaking it should work."
"What are you going to do anyway?" Julia asked looking at the board as it continued to shift from one graph to the next not stopping long enough for one image to register on the Praetor's mind.
"I've converted the antenna attached to the box into a SOS signal that my machine should be able to detect from the fabric of space and time. Should."
"So it's like a big lighthouse?" Percy asked.
"Well more like a lure," Saito explained as the box started to turn itself on, whirling alive, "it basically gives out a signal that we can pick up on and if we can, we can use this data to pinpoint where you are."
Percy nodded, "okay....but is this really a good idea?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"I mean you said it yourself right? It's a lure. If we catch a fish it'll be fine, but if a shark manages to get a hold of it....well, you have seen JAWS right?"
"Relax Percy that should be impossible," Saito waved away the demigod's plight, far too focused on the achievement he was about to accomplish.
"Okay....if you say so. When do you want me to start?"
"Whenever you're ready Percy."
"Be careful Percy," Julia spoke up, "if anything happened to you Thalia would kill me."
Percy grinned, "relax Julia, I'm always careful."
Julia groaned, "I know that look. It's the same one you used when you were about to unload a truck full of imperial gold weapons on us."
"Hey, I didn't hear you complain," Percy shot back, "now shush. We are creating human history right here Julia. So sit back and be amazed."
Saito nodded, "whenever you are ready Percy."
Percy nodded and looked at the box in his hands. He held it tight and focused, 'ID create: Empty!'
The world shifted as suddenly Percy found himself in complete darkness.
'Shit! Did something go wrong?' Percy snapped his fingers forming a ball of fire lighting up the room he was in.
It was the lab, except everything was powered down. 'Right, this place has no electricity, hence no light.'
Percy then looked down at the box he was carrying. It had a loading screen runing. Percy waited patiently for loading bar to fill up when suddenly text popped up on the screen with a sound;
PING!
SAI: PJ? CAN YOU READ?
"Saito! Yeah I can-" Percy stopped, 'what are you doing you idiot? They can't hear you!'
Percy looked to the keyboard on top of the box and smiled.
PJ: CAN READ.
PING!
SAI: RETURN TO HOME?
Percy didn't bother to respond as he closed his eyes and thought, 'ID Escape!'
The world then exploded with light as Percy found himself in an active and bright lab. Julia and Saito were looking at him with a big smile on their face.
"So....did it work?"
"You bet your ass it did!" Saito yelled out in happiness, "I got 590 terabytes of data from that trip alone! I maybe have 40, or 45% of the total probability matrix. The computer couldn't understand the rest, maybe it has something to do with your powers being mystical in nature, but this is the furthest anyone has ever come before!"
Percy grinned, "sweet. Want to test out the time dilation ID now?"
"Percy are you sure that's a good idea?" Julia asked, "maybe we shouldn't push our luck."
"Julia come on, you can't stand there and tell me you aren't the least bit curious about how this is going to turn out. I may not be a genius, but even I'm excited about all of this."
Julia sighed, "well you got me there....fine. But I swear to the Gods if something happens to you it's not my fault."
"Deal," Percy grinned, "now let's try and crack time travel shall we?"
"You my good man are my spirit animal," Saito grinned, "all right, I've saved the data from the previous trip. Let's get this show on the road!"
Percy nodded and closed his eyes, 'ID Create: Time Dilation!'
The world turned dark again, this time Percy didn't bother using his fire as he simply turned to the monitor to wait for Saito's message.
PING!
SAI: DO YOU READ?
PJ: YES
PING!
SAI: WAIT 5 MIN, LOT OF DATA
PJ: K
So Percy waited, he waited and waited. After 5 minutes he typed;
PJ: COME BACK?
PING!
SAI: OLY 1:30 MIN
'What? But I know...time dilutions, shit!'
PJ: TIME IS DIFFERENT HERE. I'LL WAIT
PING!
SAI: THANKS
Percy sighed and sat down with the box held tightly in hand. He had to wait what....20 minutes?
Percy groaned, maybe he should train or something. Or maybe read a book. He did never finish Storm of Swords, there was just a little left, but after the Red Wedding....
Just then;
PING!
ALL FORCES ATTACK!
Percy raised an eyebrow, "what the fuck?"
PING!
ALL HAIL DARKSEID!
"Who the fuck is Darkside?"
PING!
DESTROY THE EARTH! LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND!
Now Percy was really concerned. Maybe it was nothing, a glitch, but that wa a lie and Percy knew it. The message were far too coherent to not be from intelligent life. There were only two options, one someone had attacked New Rome and taken Saito and Julia hostage. Option two someone other than Julia and Saito were contacting him.
Both options were scary to say the least.
'I need to get back home, now,' Percy decided as he stood up, 'ID Escape!'
The world exploded into light as Percy found himself back in the lab. Everything was alright, Julia and Saito just looked at him with confused looks.
"Percy? What are you back so soon?" Saito asked.
"I started getting these weird messages on this thing," Percy told him pointing at the box, "something about destroying the Earth and someone called Darkside."
"Darkside?" Julia asked in surprise, "what kind of second rate super villain name is that?"
"Wait we didn't send those message," Saito spoke up as he looked at his readings, "but we did pick up on something....well an anomaly really. It was brief but.....maybe you were right. Maybe something tried to-"
"WARNING! WARNING! SYSTEM BEING OVERRIDDEN! WARNING!" the computers started to exploded out distracting everyone. Saito flew to the keyboard typing away to try and find out what the problem was.
"What's happening?!" Julia asked.
"I-I don't know! Something is hacking into my systems! Something powerful! It's break down my walls faster than I can build them!"
"Saito the cubes getting hotter," Percy told him, "like really hot." The box was practically glowing now.
"What?!" Saito turned and started at the cube, "no! This shouldn't be possible!"
"Saito why is this thing glowing?!"
"Peyc let go of that now-"
BOOOOOM!
Before Saito could say anything Percy suddenly found a giant white tube opening up behind him as it sucked him inside. Percy let go the box he was holding as he felt himself being pulled out of this world. Bright loud light covered his vision, he couldn't see a centimeter in front of him.
"Percy!" Julia jumped to try and grab him but the mysterious tunnel of light disappeared as soon as it appeared leaving nothing but the glowing white hot computer box behind.
