The Machine God

Chapter 76 - Sidekick

Chapter 76

Sidekick

Alexander stepped out of Precision Unlimited’s workshop into the station’s eternal twilight. His shoulders slumped from exhaustion, but his stride remained con...

Chapter 75 - The Weight of Heroes

Chapter 75

The Weight of Heroes

Augustus stepped through the doorway onto cool stone tiles, the shift from Argentum’s afternoon to Mediterranean night immediately apparent. Stars bl...

Chapter 74 - Moving

Chapter 74

Moving

Augustus stepped through the portal into the estate’s living room. Through the wraparound glass walls, late afternoon light painted the mountains gold. Two hours u...

Chapter 73 - Pay to Win

Chapter 73

Pay to Win

Alexander stepped through the doorway into the workshop he’d rented through Precision Unlimited and stopped, taking it all in.

The workshop stretched out...

Chapter 72 - Pressure Points

Chapter 72

Pressure Points

Augustus stood in the reception area, watching Paul rise from behind his crescent desk of polished black stone. The Truthseeker’s measured gaze took in hi...

Chapter 71 - Henchmen Manifested

Chapter 71

Henchmen Manifested

Annie forced brightness into her voice as she stepped back into the living room. “How’s everyone doing? Still enjoying the Barkforce?”

She s...

Chapter 70 - The Big Lie

Chapter 70

The Big Lie

Alexander made it back to the estate without further incident. The walk from the lake gave him time to process what had just happened. A bounty on their heads, ...

Chapter 69 - A Nice Day

Chapter 69

A Nice Day

Alexander woke to the sound of chirping outside and the faint thrum of dramatic music from inside the house. After getting dressed, he made his way downstairs, s...

Chapter 68 - Choosing the Dream

Chapter 68

Choosing the Dream

The rest of the day passed in a blur of strange normalcy, punctuated by the oddity of alien foods.

Augustus returned through a portal with bags tha...

Chapter 67 - Practical Matters

Chapter 67

Practical Matters

After a brief discussion about the quest that continued to blink insistently at the corner of Alexander’s awareness, they set it aside. The System wante...

Chapter 66 - Spread the Dream

Chapter 66

Spread the Dream

Alexander released the last of the restraints holding the alien. The creature’s breathing had steadied into something like sleep, chest rising and fallin...

Chapter 65 - The Good (Bad) Doctor

Chapter 65

The Good (Bad) Doctor

Alexander closed his eyes and reached into the security panel, unlocking the door.

The mechanism clicked softly. He eased the door open, peering...

Chapter 64 - First Contact

Chapter 64

First Contact

Alexander waited until the man had moved far enough away that he wouldn’t hear him, then he pulled on the hatch, easing it up.

He dropped down into th...

Chapter 63 - Subtle Unease

Chapter 63

Subtle Unease

Alexander moved quickly through the dim corridors, his drone keeping pace. He kept checking for any change, but had so far found only disappointment.

Hi...

Chapter 62 - Splitting the Party

Chapter 62

Splitting the Party

Alexander leaned against a crate, taking a few moments to let his heart rate slow. Annie pulled her helmet off first, the small oxygen canisters startin...

Chapter 61 - No Witnesses

Chapter 61

No Witnesses

The rooftop was quiet.

Augustus lifted his wand, the beginnings of a portal forming, until Alexander caught his wrist.

Augustus turned his head, on...

Chapter 60 - Fear of Falling

Chapter 60

Fear of Falling

An hour had passed since takeoff, the cabin’s steady hum broken only by the occasional rustle of movement, or the clinking of ice in Augustus’s drink. 2025-09-27 13:19:26 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 59 - Crime-A-Lot

Chapter 59

Crime-A-Lot

Very early the next day, Alexander stood on a low platform while an elderly tailor circled him like a hawk, tugging at sleeves and muttering to himself in accen...

Chapter 58 - Auggy's Crazy Plan

Chapter 58

Auggy’s Crazy Plan

Alexander sat on the couch watching the holo, listening in on the debate between Annie and Augustus.

The news anchor’s voice droned on about ri...

Chapter 57 - Kill Quest

Chapter 57

Kill Quest

Alexander spun lazily on the stool, holding his favorite drone in his hands. Little had changed in the few days since the System’s reveal.

The workbench ...

Chapter 56 - First Defeat

Chapter 56

First Defeat

Annie stumbled and almost lost her footing.

Her opponent was taller than her, not that it was any surprise, but he was also quicker than she wanted to ad...

Chapter 55 - Of One's Own Accord

Chapter 55

Of One’s Own Accord

Annie looked at him askance. “You killed yourself?!”

“I didn’t mean to,” Alexander said, feeling defensive for some reason. “I think...

Chapter 54 - A New Power

Chapter 54

A New Power

After congratulating Talia, the others quickly realized that they all had hit at least one threshold themselves.

The mystery of ascension had long since l...

Chapter 53 - Rivals, Not Enemies

Chapter 53

Rivals, Not Enemies

The agreement held, though the two teams kept their distance from each other.

Alexander found it strange, the shape of trust in a moment like this...

Chapter 52 - The Black Knight

Chapter 52

The Black Knight

The knight spun, swinging the heavy sword wide. It flared with light. Alexander seized his two crafted drones with Metallokinesis, dragging them into the p...

Chapter 51 - ...Now.

Chapter 51

…Now.

Everything went white.

The next thing Alexander knew, he was rolling on the ground, screaming as fire tore down his spine, and agony exploded inside his skull...

Chapter 50 - ...Begins...

Chapter 50

…Begins…

Alexander hopped through the portal, swinging the tonfa to deflect a barrier-javelin Maximilian hurled after Annie.

The portals winked out.

He stud...

Chapter 49 - Phase One...

Chapter 49

Phase One…

Alexander leaned against the wall while he waited, slowly winding spools of wire around his arms. Now and then, a portal appeared and a pile of objects tumbled...

Chapter 48 - Just Add Hands

Chapter 48

Just Add Hands

“Are you okay?”

Julia startled, then glanced at Raelene. “What?”

Raelene didn’t take her eyes off her tablet. “I asked if you’re ok...

Chapter 47 - Secrets Unearthed

Chapter 47

Secrets Unearthed

Talia pulled on the director’s consciousness. It was easy compared to what it had taken to do the same to Flashpoint or the Ice Queen even for a few mom...