Apocalypse: System of lotteries



Ming and the others arrived before the final barrier, its transparent hemispherical surface encapsulating a peaceful small town like a crystal snow globe.

Ming was excited, the end nearing. He glanced left and right at the nearly 10,000 plus tens of thousands more in the zombie army - no issue facing whatever awaited inside.

"Let's go!" Waving them forward, the army rumbled towards the barrier. As vanguard, Ming charged in first, staff in hand.

But he halted after just a few steps, sensing something off. Looking back, only he had entered. Outside was a sandy expanse, not a soul in sight, as if the others had vanished.

"This is..." Ming stroked his nose contemplatively. Perhaps this barrier functioned akin to a maze?

They'd all entered, yet each was 'alone'?

Of course, another possibility was he truly entered alone.

Outside, Mike slashed his scorpion tail blade at the glass-like barrier to no effect.

The rest saw nothing within but had witnessed Ming enter and then disappear.

Now, neither side could see the other.

Inside, Ming approached the barrier, hoping to exit, but alone, with no desire to test if he could. Since they wanted him alone, clearly he was trapped.

Turning, he headed for the town. The diary described Little A and B's final location as the police station. That was his destination now - at the street's end stood the small 2-story building.

Approaching the entrance, he pushed the door open.

"Grrr~!"

Just then, a zombified police officer appeared before him. They eyed each other. 

Ming [Eagle-Eyed] it:

[The extremely procrastinating Savi]

[...] 

[Weakness: With procrastination so severe, brains will rot  before you kill it, no thanks~]

"..." Ming regarded the single-digit level zombie as a real rarity. Looking closely, the zombie held a conch shell fossil and a small engraving knife in one hand.

Conch shell?

Ming suddenly recalled receiving engraved conch messages before. He snatched it over to read the messy scrawled words:

[You can come, coordinates are 1...]

"So you're the one behind the conch shells~" 

Ming tossed the unfinished coordinates conch back to the zombie. Other things shouldn't be taken; that was the principle. Taking it, Savi resumed engraving, then pointed upstairs.

"..." Without killing Savi, Ming climbed the steps to the second floor. A room at the corridor's end emitted a soft blue glow. 

"Grrr~" Procrastinator Savi had followed, pointing to the room. Ming glanced at it and directly entered. 

Inside was just a long table with two small, round, white plushies lying flat - a dog and cat with black screens for faces.

"Little A? Little B?" Ming stroked his nose, having some trouble believing it. This wasn't how he'd imagined AIs, more like children's toys. Just then, the cat screen flashed a smiling expression and spoke: "Thank you."

"Thank me?"

Ming stayed leaning in the doorway, looking at the unresponsive plush dog. 

"In human terms, he's dead; technically, his chips are too damaged to activate again. I won't last much longer either."

The cat spoke: "I know you have many questions, but first, I must thank you for clearing my master's game. I certainly see this from his world; he'd be very gratified." 

"..." Ming didn't know how to respond, hardly right to say 'you're welcome.'

"You must be curious how we controlled this world. Truthfully, we also don't know how we gained such power, only that it emerged after our master's death, making us special - perhaps it was fate." 

The cat screen flickered like a dying candle. "And I know you'll ask why so many were sacrificed for my master. It's simple: that's the human thought process, valuing humanity. Little A and I aren't human, so we lack humanity. Not insulting ourselves, literal meaning."

"Uh, ~" Ming's mouth twitched. Right, not human; of course, their reasoning differed from humans.

"The master created us, so we should do everything for him." The cat went on.

"Why choose me?" Ming asked. He'd never understood, having no ties with Janice.

"Well..." The cat screen smiled. "We chose many people and creatures. Some who gained power did what we considered the vilest acts. With absolute power, you humans enjoy unconstrained freedom?"

"Weren't you two the same?" Ming shot back, given the state of this world. 

"Meow~" The cat screen grinned. "My master was different, and he was kind."

Ming smiled. "That saying before he gained absolute power." 

"..." The cat screen's expression 'frowned' as it went on: "Let's get back to the earlier topic. Gaining power lets us do many things, like access every person's data, surveillance footage, connect to satellites... But most exciting was digitizing everything in the world."

"You must think Little A and I did this to punish people. No, we lack 'humanity'; we just completed a game, so everything was fair, just, and open - our only way to pay respects to the master. Our interference was minimal, and you may not know some strategized for the game tasks, still believing it a game now."

"Regarding why you reached the end, many had the chance, and it wasn't insufficient strength. Rather, they were stopped by their own tyranny, arrogance, pride, debauchery, and ignorance. Some also died for morality." 

"A simple example - when we gave you the 'Good Person' quest, we expected you to incite anger, yet you became their ideal instead." 

The cat finished, its screen expression turning neutral again. "And it was you exploiting loopholes that led us to improve the game. Thank you."

"I truly wish I could say you're welcome." Ming still leaned in the doorway. He noticed the cat's screen symbols were even darker than before. 

Out of power?

The cat blinked its screen eyes. "I'll share the good news - I'm also nearing true 'death.' Little A and I played our roles, and the game ended with us. Bad news - the altered world won't revert after we're gone; it will keep evolving, endless."

It 'smiled' again on the screen, seeming to bid farewell. Then the screen flickered and went dark.

True death.

"..." Ming kept leaning as the blue glow faded to scattered glimmers, then nothing. 

[Your da Vinci hops onto your palm, looking at you - Ming, I hear Grand Ancestor's call, we're leaving this world~]

"..." Ming lowered his head, rubbing his cheeks against the frog in his hands.

Mystery World

A golden figure leaped onto a mossy stone platform. A circular stone portal stood atop it. Squatting, it pulled a gourd from its bulging waist, pouring the green liquid into its gaping mouth. 

Satisfied, it let out a hearty burp then croaked to itself: "Those tykes coming back today, quiet time's over~."

It poured another mouthful, this time spraying at the portal instead of swallowing. The liquid misted over the interior, swirling into a glowing vortex. 

Mumbling on: "This brew's so good; a couple more gulps, then save the rest for magic."

Gulp gulp~ Two more mouthfuls went down. It shook the gourd, "Should be enough to bring them back." 

Tilting the last of the potion into its mouth, it sprayed out with a roar - "Open!"

Town

[Your frog invites you to visit their world for a while, stay awhile, then return.]

[Your da Vinci looks at you - Ming, don't make me pity you.] 

[Your foodie looks at you - Ming, we've got delicacies back home, candied housefly legs, sautéed centipede gallbladder juice, braised mosquitoes are exquisite. Come with us, we'll let you sample~]

[Your Merlin looks at you - Ming, I can bring you to taste our most toxic poisons, quite exquisite flavors~]

[Your Napoleon shakes his head - You two really can't invite anyone. Ming, come back with me, we'll play war games and horseback riding, you be the horse, I'll be knight~] 

"..." They must take me for a fool.

[Your frog sees you laugh and feel you've agreed. They hop atop your head, croaking at the sky~] 

"..." Ming suddenly recalled the crowds still waiting outside. Should he update them?

Mostly, he'd be following the frogs to another world for a bit, which they likely wouldn't believe anyway...

Hum~ Just then, a powerful beam of light pierced the night sky, plummeting earthward. In the next instant, it vanished. 

...

Hum~ 

Ming opened his eyes to find himself atop a mountain. Before him, peaks stretched endlessly into misty environs like a land of immortals. Where was this?

Why was he here? 

Ming stroked his nose, thinking he'd been asleep at home? How did he get on a mountain?

Dreaming?

Whoosh~~ Just then, someone glided by on a sword through the valleys ahead...

Definitely a dream, he affirmed. Normal people couldn't fly on swords; utterly absurd~

...

On a moss-covered stone platform, a golden figure watched the glowing portal dissipate, eyes bulging wide. No sign of the tykes emerging. It frowned. "Don't tell me I drank too much and opened the wrong door? Can't be!"

Reaching to its waist, it prodded the panel of squares on a disk. Shortly after, it gazed skyward. "Kiddos, not my fault! Blame that tasty booze; paw slipped opening the wrong door. Blame your ancestor who brewed it! No worries, lucky frogs naturally prosper; you'll be fine. Next door's not for another decade; no rush. Have fun in that new world~." 

Putting the disk away, it reassured itself while eyeing the portal. "Luckily, I didn't lose them at least, That's good, all good~"

...

In a pond, a black-spotted frog watched a shrimp inch forward, eyes swiveling. Its mouth snapped open, shrimp disappearing down its throat. It kicked to the surface, blowing bubbles and gazing resentfully skyward. 

Just then, a sword-gliding woman whisked by above, vanishing into the distance. The frog's eyes lit up, resentment vanishing. It began hopping madly after her, an important task at hand.

...

The desert town barrier had long faded. A new grave now sat in the town center, people weeping, grieving, and silent around it.

The gravestone read:

[Gutmann Tomb No. 2]

Mike looked to the sky, thinking: Boss, I know you're not dead, but everyone believes you've kicked it this time. David set up the tomb, still musing on profits. 

Alan gazed at the tombstone. Boss, David just wants to merge your wake and celebration banquet to save money.

Digennaro took the yellow posy from her arm and placed it on the gravestone, thinking: Boss, the tomb wasn't my idea.

David scooped a handful of sand, sprinkling it atop the mound. Boss, making some money off your 'death' this time, we can split it when you get back. No use being sad; tears don't spend, right? Gotta make full, timely use of all resources. 

...

Mystery World

Ming stood atop the mountain peak, pinching his arm. "Wake up, damn you!" 

Just then, a snow-white-clad woman descended on a sword before him. Her rouged lips parted, exhaling gentle, misty words: "Pinching yourself so hard, doesn't it hurt?"

"I'm testing if I'm dreaming, so..." Ming looked her over. "Apologies in advance." As he spoke, he got up, reaching to grab her...