Creation: Book 3: Strandbinder Complete!

Walker slapped his palms together after the fiftieth Founder, now named Jackson, walked out of his office. He had, of course, explained to the man that the root of the name Jackson literally came from being the son of Jack. Similarly, if Walker had a child he could name them Walkerson. He'd never do that, but it was still interesting to him, and Jackson had liked to hear about it. At least he thought he did based on the man's tremulous smile as he left.

After the man walked out, Walker thought about the plans he'd made while within his hyper-time. Some were grandiose, and he was a little terrified they wouldn't work. Others were smaller and should be easy to put together. Normally, he would have a small notebook to write things down in, but after awakening he didn't have memory problems anymore. Instead, he went into the item system and produced a single piece of paper. Walker spent a few minutes making a checklist for the next week, and gave a check to the first task: Speaking to and naming the Founders of Symphony.

Nodding his head, he began working on the second task in his checklist. Make sixty vaults. He went into the item system and produced 55 leather bags. He needed to talk to Hephaestus to see if his ideas would work for the remaining five. Taking one of the leather bags, he used his Dimensional Pocket ability, then fed it enough strands of space to create a forty-five vault. As the strand was absorbed, taking only a few seconds to do so, he felt a little strange putting it under his desk. When he thought about why it felt so odd, Walker realized he had just placed an item worth an entire planet into the empty space between his feet. With a mental shrug, he figured that was just the kind of life he lived nowadays.

The Creator gave a soft laugh as he shook his head.

He completed a fifty and fifty-five vault after that. He needed to make sure the buyers didn't quite understand how exactly he was doing this. Flashes of the Council grabbing and throwing him into a cell for eternity shot through his mind. Hopefully, if he kept producing wonders and ideas they hadn't seen before, they would leave him be. He knew that was a lot of pressure, but it rested on his shoulders softly.

Three vaults now sat under his feet, and he looked at them to see what the difference was between each. The forty-five had a much lighter stain of blue in its empty center than the other three. He also felt as if there was a pull from them. Like the strand was reaching out and giving him its secrets. Once he recognized it and tried to focus on the feeling, it faded away. Minutes of searching didn't bring it back, and he shook his head.

Strange

As he added more of the space strand to each bag, the coloring changed a minute amount. Although he knew how, Walker didn't add any consciousness to them yet. He needed to show that skill at the right time, when he had a better idea of what he wanted from the council in exchange. Too many times in the past, in particular his embarrassing teenage years, Walker had jumped the gun. The common quote is that experience is the teacher of all things. Walker had been taught by his mistakes, and his awakened memories wouldn't let him forget it.

Each conversation I have with the council needs to be weighed and measured.

Mentally affirming that decision, he tried to lean back in his chair, but found it was impossible without breaking pieces of it off. He settled for laying on the uncomfortable hard floor and tested the malleability of his soul. He hadn't worked on it since finishing his body, and he was worried that it might be hardening up after his month in what he would equate to a coma. But as he grabbed at it, it easily stretched and moved around on his body. In fact, it was far easier to control than he'd ever felt before. As if it wanted to move and shift for him.

"What is happening to me?" He said to himself, just as a knock came to his door. "Come in!" He called out.

The Bronze Battler himself walked in. He didn't look around but instead strolled directly to the stone chair opposite of Walker and stood behind it for a moment. Minos looked at Walker as time stretched out, then said, "Thank you for letting me be a part of this, and for the garden. It was...nice...training the newborns. I have greatly enjoyed my time with them."

"What's happening?" Walker asked.

"It is my time." He said in his high-pitched voice, before waving his hands in the air.

He recognized what was happening right away, and as a minor god, Minos only had two tasks for Walker to complete, "Wait, what are you doing!"

"I have put it off as long as I can, but I was told that now that you are awake, I must finish the task that is required of me. I am sorry, and thank you again."

His hands stopped moving and an update filled Walker's vision.

Optional Tasks Updated!

- - -

Primigenial task complete: Establish a Blacksmith

Blacksmith established: 1/1

Reward for completion: Minos added to the seeding system

When the update faded away and Walker's vision cleared, he found himself in an empty room.

"Damn." Was his only response. Minos was one of the original Primigenials to join him during the alpha protocol. The armored man had always been supremely helpful, and it was a big loss for Walker and the rest of the people on Sonata that he would no longer be with them.

"Wait a minute." Walker said as he went into the seeding system. If Sonata was actively a part of the protocol, he should be able to seed him directly onto his large moon. When he went in, he found a tab on the right saying Primigenials in waiting. Clicking on it, he found Arachne and Minos listed, with Arachne's name written in a strange purple coloring, whereas Minos was in its standard white. Walker thought it must be because she violated her agreement with the protocol by giving him easy and non-sensical tasks. He clicked on Minos first and tried to seed him onto Sonata, but a screen popped up.

Error

Primigenials may not be seeded onto a planet holding the Tree of the Gods

"That Tree is straight up bullshit," He said in frustration. He tried to think of why he couldn't seed the bronze battler and came up empty. Walker sat in contemplation, thinking it over. The only reason he could find, was that it was probably a pre-designed rule attached to the placement of the Tree. However the ancient prison had arrived, the issues surrounding it told him that they didn't want him to get too close to the Primigenials. That made him worry about Echidna and Athena, as he had grown to appreciate them both a large amount. He got the same error about Arachne, even though she wasn't truly a Primigenial anymore. It was a full blockade.

Walker continued to tinker around with the seeding system. It had never been upgraded and wasn't even listed within his system matrix. Come to think of it, Walker realized that the Universal Translator wasn't listed in his abilities either. He chewed on that for a moment, and concluded that they were hidden programs within the system. Something the alpha protocol didn't want him to mess around with, which of course made him want to do so with great immediacy. He pushed off the nostalgic teenage feeling as it struck him, remembering all of the times he had screwed up in his youth due to that complex series of emotions.

Walker was sitting in his chair, staring at the ceiling when his door opened without a knock. Athena walked in, looking left and right. She nodded when she realized he was alone, "So he completed the task."

Walker groaned.

"Oh, don't be like that." The goddess of wisdom said, "I like Minos too, but his task is complete. He won't be the last Primigenial to disappear, nor will it be the last task you complete. In fact, that's the reason I'm here. You have a whole line of people waiting for you outside."

Walker slapped a hand to his face, "Another one?"

Athena laughed, "Oh, wanting to be wanted!"

"Don't quote Jaipaul to me." Walker said with a mock growl.

"Fair. I did enjoy the memories we received of your poetry. The original forms always left something to be....wanted."

Walker groaned again.

"Now Now," Athene tutted, "You have many projects to complete and it's time to get all of the Greek Primigenial tasks delivered. I've already spoken with everyone, and they've agreed to the pragmatic requirements you set up after the whole Dionysus debacle." She shrugged, "The Nords will likely give you something unique, although," Her eyes fell on the Book of Odin sitting on the desk, "you could just finish the physical stage, use the book, and command the Nords to give you their gifts."

"Prime's can command their branches?" Walker asked as he took his hand off of his face.

Athena gave a half nod, "Somewhat. It depends on the disparity of power between your souls. Most Prime's gained their power by creating the branch they currently lead. When the Creator of Earth first established the Awakened, they did so in a large batch. Ymir, Uranus, Geb and Nut. Earth's Creator built them from the ground up, similar to what you are currently doing with the Founders. They then Awakened the original Primigenials, an admittedly lesser branch of awakened than those who came before, and sent them on their way to Earth's different geographical landmarks. The original Primigenials..."

"OP's" Walker said with a smile.

Athena replied with a smile of her own, "Sure. They spread throughout the globe and had children, awakening them in turn." Athena sat down in the chair opposite to him, her slight yet powerful frame not filling the chair in the slightest, "Over thousands of years, peace was fairly constant throughout the planet. There were wars every so often, but they were rare and hardly ever lead to any deaths. Well," She amended, "except for the Chinese pantheon. But you will need to speak to Magni about that, as they exchanged cordial relations with them for quite a long time."

"So, how did Zeus get to become the Prime?"

"He rebelled against his father, Cronus, because of how they were treated by the OP's, to use your word. Zeus was a major god, one associated with the icons of fertility and heroes, and yet he was not allowed to help shape events in our homeland. Cronus forbade it, as he was following the orders of his father Uranus, who was following the orders of our Creator. What those orders are, nobody alive still knows, but," She leaned her head back on the chair, "Zeus fought against his father with the help of his siblings, and won the day."

"That's where things get foggy. In the story, Rhea.."

"Zeus's mother,"

"Yes." Walker said with a nod, "She saved Zeus who freed his siblings so they could eventually take down their father. But what happened to Rhea after? Plus the other Titans?"

"I do not know. The history you know, from stories passed down and altered over time, was greatly muddled. To my knowledge, Uranus was still alive and well, working for his Creator." Athena said with a shake of her head, "You would have to ask Zeus or one of the other OP's. It was all before my time."

"I see."

Athena smiled, "Okay, I'm going to go out and organize everyone. I'll give you a few minutes to get organized in here, then they'll come in one at a time." She surreptitiously handed him a few pieces of paper. "Read it after I leave, also, please try not to fight with Hades."

"I'm not the one who-" Walker started to protest, but Athena interrupted him with a raised palm.

"I know. Hades has had a hard life. Just, give him the benefit of the doubt, please."

She smiled and got up, but before she could head toward the door, Walker said, "Don't think I didn't hear about it. The founders couldn't stop gushing about your matches with Runner. So, when are you going to be ready for that match of ping pong?"

"Oh?" Athena said with an intense expression on her face, "You think you're ready to play me?"

Walker gave a cocky smile in return, "Oh, I think I'm up for the challenge."

"We'll see," Just before she turned around, she said, "It's a date," then quickly left the room.

A Date

Walker spent the limited amount of time he had reading the piece of paper she'd handed it. It described a rather awful situation he would have to deal with personally. He'd disciplined children in the past, but not adults, and certainly not at this level of trouble. He sighed as he put them on the desk near the corner. This wasn't something he could avoid, and the consequences of doing it wrong could be dire.

Walker built two more fifty vaults while he let his mind wander away from the issue. His thought for why he continued to build the arguably smaller vaults was simple. He didn't want the council to think he could progress through the vault sizes so easily, otherwise, they may decide there was less value overall to the bags. He finished up and put them by their siblings near his feet. A knock at the door and his meetings continued with gods instead of Founders. They continued to come in, one after another, each grabbing a seat before speaking.

The Primigenials who had already given him their tasks never showed themselves, but he already had a measure of them and the way that they thought. The new gods were altogether different. Apollo and Artemis came in together, each having contrasting demands in their tasks. Cupid was interesting, although Walker could do without his terrible sense of humor. Every other word was a double entendre and no laughter escaped his lips as the teenage-seeming god continued his attempts to get him to laugh. Athena joined Aphrodite for obvious reasons when it came to her turn, with Hephaestus coming in directly after, looking around suspiciously as he did so. A quick conversation and a light demand from Walker, and the god of smithing left with some purpose to his steps. Hades was, as always, difficult to work with.

"And what kind of task could I give to you, Creator?" The darkly dressed man asked as he crossed his legs across from him.

"As I understand it," Walker said, stalling as he tried to figure out how to gain the upper hand on the god of the underworld, "the tasks have to be a reflection of the god giving them. So, what are you interested in seeing in this world?"

"Hrmm," Hades hummed, tapping one cheek with a few fingers, "I have been paying attention since first arriving, and I've heard the discussions of your furry creatures. I know about these....systems." He said the last word with a grimace. "I also see why you want them. You want control over your humans."

"Well-" Walker started to say, but he was interrupted by Hades waving a hand.

"Yes yes, I know what you're about to say. Symphony is free. Sapients and monsters can do as they want. Yada yada yada. I've heard your newest beast practicing on the Numbers outside."

"Founders."

Hades nodded his head, "Of course. So, what are you going to do with the souls of the creatures who die here?"

"I'm sorry?" Walker asked, thinking he had heard him wrong.

"What are you doing with their souls?" Hades waited a moment, then his eyes opened wide, "do not tell me you have been letting them go uncaptured."

"I don't-"

"Fool." Hades said with a scowl as he leaned back, "The souls of the unawakened are eternal. Why do you think I am called the god of the underworld? My entire life was focused on maintaining order with the souls of the released. Cycling them into the structures of rebirth, or if they chose, allowing them to live their eternity in peace. Of course, they had to earn that peace, but enough did so that it is hardly worth mentioning."

"But how..."

"Reach the third stage, fool. You can't do anything without it." He continued to scowl until his face morphed into something Walker would say resembled loss, "Just make certain that your new gatekeeper has a partner. It is much much easier with one." He abruptly stood up without explaining anything further and performed his task assignment before leaving. Not that it helped Walker figure out what to do next. He dodged around all of the other tasks piling up, so he could look at them one at a time.

Optional Tasks Updated!

- - -

New Primigenial task: Establish an Afterlife:

Let the deserved and undeserved be judged.

Afterlife established: 0/1

Task giver: Hades, God of the Underworld

Reward for completion: Spirit Modification

"What the fuck." Walker said, putting his hands on his face as he leaned against his desk. The biggest thought running through his mind was that Hades had left an important clue there. The souls of the unawakened were eternal. What about the Awakened? More questions lingered as he spoke with Ares and Asclepius. Both had basic requests, with Aslcepius's being rather easy to complete.

He was another minor god who had been imprisoned with the others, although his story was unique. Walker spent a little bit too much time talking to him about the fall and resurrection of Hippolytus, a man killed and brought back to life through CPR, which was far too advanced for the people of that time to understand. He died immediately after, but the story had gained so much renown that Zeus chose to awaken Asclepius so the mortals would continue to hold faith in the Greek pantheon. Asclepius wasn't a fan of the adulation, as he was more interested in spreading the healing arts across the world. He'd only had time to advance the idea of disallowing bloodletting before being imprisoned with the others. As he walked out, his task now added to Walker's burgeoning to-do list, Hera walked in.

She was a beautiful but cold woman, with skin the color of ruddy brown. She sat primly on the stone chair, her face not reflecting how uncomfortable the hard stone seemed to make everyone. Her poise showed a stark difference from the others who came before, with the only possible exception being Athena. She sat straight and tall, a superior cast to her shoulders as she stared up at him.

"Why are you punishing my son?" She asked in a deeper voice than he'd expected from the small woman.

"Which one?" Walker couldn't help but reply. Athena had broken down for him that a lot of the myths surrounding the birth of the gods were straight bullshit.

"Creator, do not act stupid with me. You know I mean Dionysus. He cannot help what he is."

Walker leaned back, "What he is, is a straight idiot. I don't care that his oath binds him to constantly be an immature fratboy, I care that he's making my job harder."

"Then give him something to do." She said, folding her hands in her lap.

"Like what? What job could I give to the man who constantly wants to drink, fuck," she flinched, "and generally cause mayhem."

She sat perfectly still, looking back at him, then in a too-calm voice said "I will make it easy for you." She began to wave her hands.

Walker sighed.

Optional Tasks Updated!

- - -

New Primigenial task: Employ Dionysus, the god of revelry:

There is value in every creature, being, and god. Do not simply give up on those you deem unworthy. Make more of them. Each has a purpose.

Jobs given: 0/1

Task giver: Hera, Queen of the Gods

Reward for completion: Charisma Modification

Walker read it over then focused his eyes on the queen of the gods, "Won't you get into some trouble for doing that?" He asked.

Hera nodded once with precision, "Yes. But, when you have children, Creator, you will find that their needs trump your own." Saying so, she stood up in one smooth movement and exited the building. After she left, he reflected on their quick meeting. He found some admiration in himself for the queen of the gods. She was likely going to join Echidna in the weird half-status of awakened but unable to use any of her powers. But it didn't matter to her as long as her children were happy. Her sacrifice made him begin to doubt his treatment of Dionysus. A pulse in his chest answered that for him.

Two pings told him his next meeting was up, and those that followed went at a quick rate. Demeter, Hermes, and Nike were rather fast. Demeter was prim and proper, and she only asked Walker to destroy Hades for her one time. Walker's refusal only caused the woman to nod. Hermes, the god of messengers, seemed to have a bad case of ADHD, constantly shifting around and looking at everything in the room. Which was nothing. There was nothing in the room but Walker, a lot of stone, and a collection of empty bags sitting behind and under him.

When Nike entered, she immediately challenged him to a fight. He countered that by asking her if she'd ever defeated Ares. When she said she had not, he just gave her a blank stare until she gave him her task and walked out of the door. The last of the Greek pantheon waited outside, but he asked for a few moments alone. He wanted to get through his updates while he could. Opening his overlay, the unread primigenial tasks organized themselves into an easy-to-read list.

Task Giver: Ares, The god of war

Task: Oversee a great battle

Reward: Martial modification

Task Giver: Asclepius, The god of healing

Task: Introduce the healing arts to 50 sapients. 47/50

Reward: Recovery modification

Task Giver: Apollo, The god of the sun

Task: Create one work of art that is beyond the scope of humanity

Reward: Flame modification

Task Giver: Artemis, The goddess of the hunt

Task: Have your entities conduct a successful hunt for a creature that exceeds one thousand pounds.

Reward: Nature modification

Task Giver: Cupid, The god of desire

Task: Create five serendipitous encounters between sapient entities.

Reward: Connection modification

Task Giver: Aphrodite, The goddess of love

Task: Make Sonata beautiful

Reward: Beauty modification

Task Giver: Hephaestus, The god of smithing

Task: Produce one unique weapon yourself

Reward: Producer modification

Task Giver: Demeter, The goddess of the harvest

Task: Seed and grow three fields, then harvest them

Reward: Bountiful modification

Task Giver: Hermes, The god of travel and commerce

Task: Start an economy on Symphony

Reward: Speed modification

Task Giver: Nike, The goddess of victory

Task: Defeat Nike in three contests.

Reward: Stamina modification

He still had a few more notifications to go over, specifically his civilization ones had started popping, but he didn't have time to get to them as the Norse gods walked into his room without warning.

Magni stepped in and sat in the chair opposite of Walker, the two female nordic gods taking positions on either side of him.

"What?" Walker asked with a tired expression on his face.