Infinite: The Fracture: Infinite, #1
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SERIES DESCRIPTION: The "Infinite" series consists of five books, each of which introduces a new, unique world. Following the rule "One world — one book," it immerses the reader in the story of Wanderer Jonathan Brooks, who travels through alternate realities, striving to fulfill his mission. The end of the Wanderer's journey comes either at the moment of his death or upon reaching the Center of Primordial Space. In any case, Jonathan Brooks will inevitably reach the end.
BOOK DESCRIPTION: "Infinite: The Fracture" is the story of Wanderer Jonathan Brooks, who embarks on a journey through the unexplored worlds of Primordial Space to uncover the mystery of the center of existence. In the Consolidated Nation, which paid the price for the discovery of Primordial Space and survived a catastrophe, the protagonist faces secrets, dangers, and an impossible choice that will determine the fate of the entire world.
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The Reincarnationist Papers - Origins Prequel: INFINITE, #0 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Infinite: The Fracture: Infinite, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Infinite - Demetrio Errante
Copyright ©2024 Demetrio Errante.
Registration number: SENADI-2024-86744
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.
ISBN: ISBN-978-9942-48-691-2
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover design by Yana Sandovich.
Editor: Olga Bobyreva.
This book is intended for mature audiences (18+).
Warning: This book contains mature themes, including violence, strong language, and adult content. Reader discretion is advised.
First published 2024.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Fate
Sometimes, one seemingly insignificant mistake can change the course of the entire civilization's history. Seven centuries have passed since the countries of the old world laid down their arms, renouncing cruelty and ignorance, and became one. They became the Consolidated Nation. Thus, a New World was born, marking the beginning of an era of promised development. Science and progress replaced the old gods. There were no more wars, no bloodshed of the innocent. Civilization began to flourish. But after seven centuries, the Mechanism was created. It marked the beginning of the end.
The Mechanism. Its power is great and at the same time dangerous. Professor Simon Williams, the father of the Mechanism, was conducting yet another experiment. The goal of the experiment was to use the Mechanism's capabilities to slow down the flow of time, to stop it, and, if possible, to turn it back. But the experiment failed. The Mechanism did not accomplish its task. A calculation error prevented the control over time. Time would not yield.
Instead of playing with time, the Mechanism opened a window into the unknown. They called it Primordial Space: an infinite expanse with an infinite number of worlds moving along a specific trajectory, as if in an unfathomable, endless dance. On that very day, Jonathan Brooks was born. His first cry echoed through the ward of the hospital in the stronghold city of the Third District, Corvin.
Control over time faded into the background and was soon forgotten. The main goal of the Scientific Alliance became the study of this space.
For several months, scientists from all districts of the Consolidated Nation researched and analyzed data that flowed endlessly through the window of reality. This might have continued forever if it weren't for Professor Simon Williams' assistant, Martha Crockford.
Martha's mind was unique. Hidden, always standing behind the scientists, she saw things others overlooked. She asked the crucial question, the most treacherous question that existed and would always exist in this world, a question that is the source of progress: What if...?
What if the worlds in Primordial Space do not move chaotically but according to a certain algorithm? And their trajectory is merely a consequence of something greater, something that exists at the center of Primordial Space. A point or perhaps a world that lies at the center of infinity. And most importantly, what exists within it? As soon as Martha Crockford posed the question, disparate data began to align into a sequence. Formulas intertwined in her mind. For a moment, she could see the dance of worlds and the answer to her question. It was singular: The Center existed. At that moment, the Consolidated Nation opened a door that no one was supposed to find.
At the next meeting of the Scientific Alliance of the Consolidated Nation, the question arose about how exactly to reach the Center of Primordial Space. Many theories were proposed, but for various reasons, they were rejected. The main reason for rejecting the idea was the underdeveloped level of technology. Even their society, which had gone through centuries of progress in science and technology, could not reach the Center. The meetings lasted weeks. Each of the Nine Districts proposed its own ideas, its own calculations. Due to different methods of achieving the goal, they could not come to a unified plan of action. Ultimately, it was decided that theResearch Corps of each district would develop and conduct its experiments. The goal remained the same: to reach the Center of Primordial Space.
Five years passed before the Third District announced that based on Professor Simon Williams' Mechanism, the Rift Gates had been created, capable of establishing a direct connection with the Center. Simon Williams and Eleanor Midwich, Deputy Chairman of the Third District, oversaw the construction of the Cradle Complex, where the Rift Gates were installed. All tests and calculations indicated the possibility of achieving the impossible, unraveling the mystery of reality. This was to be a new point in history, with no mistakes or failures; even several of the Chairmen visited the Hall of the Gates to witness the pivotal moment. The entire Consolidated Nation held its breath in anticipation of how reality would tear apart, revealing answers to all their questions. The experiment began.
At the moment all switches were flipped, when energy began to flow through the Rift Gates, the doors of the inter-district train, departing from the west railway station of the Third District, closed behind nine-year-old Jonathan Brooks. His sister had won a scholarship to one of the best schools in Revel, the stronghold city of the Seventh District, for her academic achievements. The last time Jonathan saw her was a year and a half ago when he saw her off from that station. Time had passed since the last meeting of the brother and sister, and therefore their parents decided to send him to spend the holidays with his sister. For Jonathan missed Ioanna just as much as Ioanna missed her brother.
As the inter-district train began to move, energy flowed directly into the Rift Gates, and after a few minutes, the connection was established. The bridge between their world and the Center was stable. The door was opened. After so many years and attempts, the goal was achieved. But not for long. A few minutes after the connection was established, the bridge was destroyed, but the rift remained open. The rift they created began to widen. They managed to hold it for only an hour, after which the energy became insufficient.
Jonathan vividly remembers that night, when energy supplies to all districts of the Consolidated Nation were cut off and redirected to the Rift Hall. From the window of the train racing toward the district's border, he watched as the lights of the cities went out and the buildings sank into darkness. The Third District had only three power stations: North, Pole, and Star, and energy from all districts flowed through them. Multiple overloads in the cores caused the complete destruction of the power stations, and the Rift Gates lost all energy. The Collapse occurred, releasing energy from Primordial Space. A fiery wave swept through the Third District, destroying everything in its path: people, homes, cities. Within minutes, it reached the train carrying Jonathan Brooks. The train was torn apart, and what remained was scattered across the forest through which the inter-district tracks ran. Millions perished that night, including Jonathan Brooks' parents, his friends, and his entire familiar life. The Rift Gates created not only a rift in reality but also divided his life into before
and after.
Projects aimed at reaching the Center of Primordial Space were shut down. For several years, the Nation struggled to recover from the colossal devastation caused by the collapse. An entire district vanished from the maps but remained in memory. At meetings of the Scientific Alliance, no one spoke of Primordial Space anymore. Millions had died, and even more had lost loved ones. A great mourning began. Even during the last wars of the old world, far fewer people had died. It was a tragedy for all.
But Martha could not come to terms with the failure and became the successor of the late Professor Simon Williams. She accepted and rejected new ideas, but their goal remained the same. Her mind teetered on the brink of madness. Yet, for reasons unknown, she managed to take control of it. Seven years after the incident, she presented a fully developed plan for achieving the same goal. The Center became accessible again, at least for her. It took her ten months to convince the Chairmen and the Archon of the Consolidated Nation to approve her project. Eventually, when everyone agreed, the existence of Project Fracture was initiated.
Everything was relatively simple yet extraordinarily complex. The method for reaching Primordial Space was different. There was no talk of establishing a connection with the Center. Project Fracture included several key elements. The first and primary element was the Fracture Machine, which was almost entirely designed by Martha Crockford. It took four years to build, and its main task was to create a fracture in reality and establish a bridge not with the Center of Primordial Space, as had happened during the incident in the Third District, but to connect with a neighboring world. After that, they would send the Wanderers — specially trained young men and women who would travel through worlds to reach the Center. The project's task was to ensure the achievement of the ultimate goal. Less energy expenditure and completely safe for their world. The tragedy could not occur thanks to the energy disks, distributing energy evenly.
The next element of the project was the Reservoirs. Twenty-meter metal structures built in each of the nine districts served to accumulate energy for a week before launch and transfer it to the Father
— the Prime Reservoir installed above the machine. This would ensure stable distribution at launch. There would be enough energy to establish a connection with the nearest world and begin the way to the Center.
Once the Fracture Machine was fully built, and the Reservoirs were installed, the next phase of the project began, and a training program for the Wanderers was created. Dozens of young volunteers applied to the program to be part of the progress they would bring to the world when one of the Wanderers reached their destination. Among them was Jonathan Brooks. He was no longer the small boy who lay for hours with broken bones in the wreckage of the train, unable to call for help. Now he was a young man with eyes the color of night and hair as black as tar. Having recently graduated from school, he chose the path of the Wanderer to honor his family, wanting his family to be remembered not as names on gravestones but as the parents of a man who ventured into the unknown.
At the same time, the final pieces of Project Fracture were created: the Wanderer suit, protecting the traveler during his way to the Center, and the Translocation Apparatus in Primordial Space, a mobile version of the Fracture Machine. Its function was to split the Wanderer into energy particles, create a fracture, transport the traveler to the next world, gather him back, and leave behind a micro-fracture in reality, drawing energy from Primordial Space to recharge and prepare for opening the next fracture.
During her research, Martha Crockford realized that because the worlds moved on their trajectory, it was easy to determine the current location and the nearest world's position, as well as to calculate how much energy would be required to open a new fracture. She embedded this function into the main mechanisms of the Apparatus. The further the world, the more energy and time would be needed to continue the way. But there was also a problem. Upon leaving the world, the Wanderer severed the connection with time. Martha managed to reduce the distance to forty years. If the starting point was zero, the next world would be earlier or later by forty years.
The final elements were the implant, protecting the Wanderer's mind during the fracture, and the energy pistol, later named the Pulsar.
After numerous mistakes and failures, after catastrophically unsuccessful experiments, after the loss of millions of lives and a quarter of a century since the discovery of Primordial Space, the date for the Machine's launch was announced. Four Wanderers were chosen to embark on their way to the center of existence. And Project Fracture moved into its final stage. The launch of the Fracture Machine would take place in seven days.
Chapter 2
Fantasy
John opened his eyes. The silence of the room, shrouded in darkness, was broken by the ringing of the alarm clock. The central control system had been activated on schedule, and the Tech-Covering that darkened the windows turned off, allowing the rays of sunlight to seep inside. In a few moments, the entire room was flooded with light on that April morning. John ran his hand over the surface of the bedside table, and the ringing stopped. All night, thoughts had kept Jonathan from finding a path to peace, preventing him from entering the realm of Morpheus. His mind was torn between the pain of memories, fears of the present, and anxieties about the future. There was only a week left until the official launch of the Fracture Machine. John and three Wanderers were preparing for a way that could lead them to two outcomes: death or the coveted Center. After all, the path of a Wanderer ends either in death or in reaching the Center of Primordial Space.
It must be this way. It's natural,
John reassured himself. He had chosen this path, agreeing to embark on a one-way way. But that was a long time ago. Five years ago, he signed the contract and said yes,
and now only seven days remained until the way began. He had no one in this world, only a sister who had long begun her own life. And John felt like a lost ghost wandering through this world in search of the peace he could not find.
The Wanderer got out of bed and headed to the shower. The sterility of the room weighed him down, as everything in it and in the Fracture Project Compound was devoid of individuality. The sterile floor tiles, wall panels, laboratories, and equipment — everything that existed, except for his mind, was sterile. Placing his palm on the smooth panel in the shower stall, a stream of water hit his chest from above. Droplets ran down his body in thin streams, cascading to the floor. He stood still, waiting for the water to wash away his thoughts. This anticipation offered him hope — albeit an empty one — that the water would cleanse away what kept him awake at night. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds surrounding him that morning.
The droplets splashing against his body blended with the voices of students drifting in from the partially open window. They, like him, had entered the project but had not been admitted to the final stage. But they continue to learn and train in the hope that after the first quartet, they will become the next Wanderers. And there was also the voice from the loudspeakers, announcing the start of another machine check. And there was the question: what was louder? His thoughts or the sounds of the world around him awakening, filling with the life and energy of the coming day?
Seven days. In waiting — it's an eternity. But on the other hand, when you want to spend your last days in this world with your family — it's a second. This day was supposed to be the last day of preparation before the launch of the Fracture Machine. In an hour, John was scheduled for the final deep check of his Implant. It had been implanted after he passed his final exams when he earned the title of Wanderer. The Implant was a key component of the traveler system between worlds. Through the central nervous system, the implant provided access to the protective suit and the Apparatus, but more importantly, it protected the wanderer's mind during their way. Its function was crucial because if the implant failed, the consequences of each subsequent fracture would become increasingly severe for the mind.
John left the shower, put on the training suit he had worn for most of his training, and exited the room. The sun continued to flood the room with light. After closing the door, the Wanderer's room became completely sterile. The elevator quickly ascended to his floor and just as quickly descended to the ground level, where the training hall and cafeteria were located. As he walked through the empty corridors leading to the cafeteria, John caught the aroma of freshly prepared food. It smelled of rice, meat, and some kind of sauce.
Numerous metal tables, arranged in a checkerboard pattern throughout the space, were empty. He approached the counter, where trays of food emanated an incomparable aroma. John took a plate and put a few spoonfuls of rice and two medium pieces of meat on it, then headed to one of the tables by the windows overlooking the courtyard. On the other side of the glass, John noticed several students from the new class of Wanderers passing by in their training suits, and everything looked just as sterile, perhaps too sterile.
Ten minutes later, as John was finishing his tea, he heard footsteps behind him. Swallowing a piece of bread, he turned around. Samantha Fisher was approaching him through the empty hall. Her long blond hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, and her skin seemed to glow under the sunlight. Samantha was one of the few in whom recessive genes had prevailed. It was rare to see a girl with light hair and fair skin on the street. She was carrying several notebooks in her hands.
Hi, John! How are you?
Samantha lightly touched his shoulder, walked around the table, and sat down across from him.
Good morning,
John smiled back at her. Samantha adjusted her glasses and opened one of the notebooks. What's this?
My project,
she glanced at him and continued flipping through the pages.
John kept sitting and watching her as the light falling from the window divided her face into two halves: dark and light. Fragments of the past flashed before his inner eye: how they met for the first time in the introductory lecture several years ago, their first conversation, and how she smiled at him at the end. The flashes of memory plunged him deeper into the past, a time when everything was different, when the unknown was not yet frightening, and when the launch of the machine was something distant.
Have you said goodbye to your family yet?
Samantha paused, looking from one page to another. Here was the mistake.
Not yet,
John replied. What's the project?
Samantha pulled at her hair tie, and the shimmering golden curls fell onto her shoulders in the sunlight.
I'm thinking about how to get back after we reach the Center. You know...
she removed the cap from her pen and set it aside. The probability that we'll reach the Center is extremely low. And it's unknown whether we'll be able to return home even if we do reach it. But...
But what?
John leaned closer to her.
You know that stupid rule. If we leave a world, we sever all ties with it, including time. We don't know how many transitions we'll make and how long we'll be on the way. There's a chance that when we reach the Center, our civilization may no longer exist... Or, relatively speaking, it may not have even come into being yet.
I try not to think about that.
But still...
she lowered her head again and began reading her notes.
John had always admired her intellect. He knew she was one of the best students in the group, if not the best, and perhaps smarter than several scientists in the project. During training, she never solved a problem with force, only with her mind. She was gifted from birth. A future as the Chairman might await her; she could make numerous discoveries, create the impossible for their world. But she chose a path into the unknown. Why? John always thought about this — why the Wanderer? Why the Center of Primordial Space? But in any case, she had already made her choice.
What's the essence of the project?
It's related to the fracture procedure of our Apparatus.
The nib of her pen lightly touched the paper and moved across several numbers. It extracts energy from Primordial Space, thus charging itself, updates the map, calculates the trajectory of the next world, establishes coordinates, and creates the split. And I have a question: what if we modify it when we reach the center...
If,
John interrupted her.
What?
If we reach it.
A big question with a predictable answer... but I agree. If we reach it, will we be able to create a fracture back to our world using the knowledge we gain at the Сenter?
And why do you think there is any knowledge there?
John picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
Well, there must be something there...
That's the problem, Sam. We don't know. And that's what our way is about — to find out what's there.
There are many possibilities, but there's a tiny chance that we'll gain knowledge there.
Until we find out.
But still.
And then what? We know that the connection to the world will be severed, time will flow differently for us and for them. How do you plan to return with time taken into account?
That's the problem. I've almost solved it. I just need to figure out the energy issue.
There isn't enough of it,
John set the cup on the tray.
Even more. 'Not enough' can be attributed to the Fracture Machine. If we're talking about the Translocation Apparatus in Primordial Space, it currently cannot absorb that much energy.
Samantha looked back at her notes. This means that too is erroneous,
and she crossed out the entire line of formulas.
John peered into her blue eyes, watching her fully immerse herself in calculations. Silence reigned in the hall, occasionally broken by the sound of her pen on paper. Nothing could disturb her; even their words dissolved within her. Observing the process of creation, John felt as if he were in two worlds at once: in his world and in reality. The Consolidated Nation has five billion people, and among them, perhaps Samantha was the only girl who stirred a storm of feelings within him, igniting a certain chemistry in his mind and body. Samantha was special. If someone were to ask what exactly made her special, he would reply: she was absolutely unique.
Sometimes he felt a desire to take her hand, pull her close, touch her cheeks, and look into her eyes, to remain in that moment forever. To make the second last an eternity and to spend countless seconds with her. But all Jonathan could do was think about it, imagine it differently, dream of the impossible. He would never be able to experience what he wanted to feel for her. Fate had not allowed him to feel that. Fate had decided to play an ironic joke. The most John could feel for Samantha was admiration and respect. Friendship, trust, and peace... a semblance of peace. And it was so simple that it became complicated to understand. He only had this path with her.
Watching Samantha cross out words and write new ones, as numbers changed from one to another, John didn't notice how the world around him became empty. How the flow of people outside the windows ceased, and all sounds vanished. He turned around. There was no smell of food anymore, nor any food itself. Suddenly, their table became the only one in the hall.
Something is wrong here,
John addressed Samantha, but the girl had disappeared along with her notebooks.
John jumped up from the table, took a few steps toward the exit, but there was no exit. The doorway through which he had entered vanished without a trace. And with it, the walls and windows disappeared. Jonathan found himself in an infinitely empty space that began to dissolve around him. The lights in the lamps dimmed, allowing darkness to creep closer and closer to the Wanderer. In an instant, darkness consumed him. And throughout infinity, a voice echoed: Implant operational check complete.
Chapter 3
Choice of Fate
The sun illuminated Arkan on that April morning, a city located near the Fracture Compound. The trees in the parks glowed, and the streets quickly filled with people.
The Ethers took off and landed with the same swiftness. The technical name was the Electromagnetic Gliding Apparatus. The Ethers generated an artificial electromagnetic field, allowing them to glide along the planet's natural gravitational field. Their energy sources were so powerful that an Ether could remain airborne for nearly a day without recharging. Although the Consolidated Nation had to create a special infrastructure, over time, almost every family owned at least one Ether.
The apparatus itself resembled a cabin that could accommodate up to five people, plus the family's luggage, with engines on the sides that generated the electromagnetic field, providing very smooth and comfortable control when operated manually. Although the Ether was made of composite metals, a large part consisted of specially constructed glass, allowing owners to enjoy the views while the Ether, piloted by autopilot, carried them through the clouds. There were also special versions of the Ether for ground use. They also generated an artificial electromagnetic field, but of lower power, allowing them to levitate only half a meter off the ground. Cars using wheels had long been retired, and some could still be seen in museums dedicated to the era of the old world.
Ioanna fastened her blouse and looked in the mirror. There, she saw a girl destined to receive an answer to a long-asked question. Today, fate had decided to give her that answer. She studied the girl's eyes in the mirror for a long time, trying to find answers to her questions. Ioanna squinted, attempting to discern something more in her gaze than just a reflection. Hidden within were fears and hopes. The eyes had never been just a mirror of a person's soul; they had always been a door. It was through this door that Ioanna yearned to enter. No one could say whether she succeeded because, at that moment, the phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Ioanna approached the desk, picked up a small bracelet, and slipped it onto her left wrist, feeling its cold surface against her skin. The girl on the other side of the mirror vanished.
Yes, I'm listening,
Ioanna said, touching the smooth surface of the bracelet, and a holographic control panel appeared above her wrist, connected to a portable contact device known as Pulse.
Good morning, Ioanna,
a familiar male voice came through on the other end.
Good morning, Mr. Volkov.
I just saw your resignation request. Why have you decided to leave us?
After the question, there was silence, but it soon ceased. You are one of the best reporters on our channel... you've come so far; you have such potential. Why?
Mr. Volkov, I detailed the reason for my resignation in my statement.
I know you have your reasons, Ioanna. Family, especially children, is one of the most important steps in life. I have two children myself, and I worked very hard to get permission. But...
Mr. Volkov, you know me. I've already made my decision.
I respect your decision and am ready to sign your request, but I have a proposal that I'm sure will interest you. You can consider it a favor.
What is it about?
Ioanna's voice changed.
It concerns Maria.
I've already congratulated her.
Ioanna approached the window, watching as the bus left the nearest stop.
Yesterday, she decided to celebrate her victory in the reporters' race for a seat in the Capitol and drank too much.
And what do you want from me?
Ioanna took a green belt from the bed and wrapped it around her waist.
Her rather delayed and incompetent decision landed her in the hospital with alcohol intoxication. It will take her a few days to recover. But everything starts today. And I ask you to go to the Capitol and report on the launch of the Fracture Machine in her place.
I can't, Mr. Volkov,
Ioanna said, clutching her bag. You know that my brother is one of the Wanderers. He will leave this world in a week. I want to spend this week with him.
A gesture on the bracelet projected the hologram of her manager onto the wall. The lights lit up, and his face looked at her from the wall.
Ioanna, listen, I will sign your resignation, but I want you to go and broadcast, to show the world the moment the Archon orders the Machine to launch. You must be there.
Why me? You can take anyone.
But you deserve it,
Volkov said, staring into the camera for several seconds. Behind him, a painting of cats hung on the wall. I remember when you just graduated from university and came to us. You were young, and I saw in you what I have seen only a few times in my life. Potential. And fate has arranged that I call you and tell you this today, right now.
I don't believe in fate.
The girl picked up her bag from the dresser and began to put documents into it.
Right now, resigning from here,
disregarding her refusal, Volkov continued, "you are leaving as a reporter who has worked well and even excellently for nearly ten years. But if you conduct this broadcast, you will leave us as a legend. You will enter history. And then, if you decide to return — because children won't always be children — you can find a job anywhere, in any position. I understand your situation with your brother, but I'm sure he will understand you and your decision. He has his own path. You have yours. There's only one first time. And in a week, there will be the first launch that