Making It Work, One World At A Time

Life sucks, you know? One minute you graduate college with an engineering degree with a great job lined up to start filling your pockets with cash, and the next thing you know you're in the doc's office getting the news that you're gonna die. It was some kind of new disease that the doctors have never seen before as he explained it. A few of his fellow white coat doctorate degree friends around him nodded as they all explained what was happening. To cut it short and sweet my body was shutting down in a slow and painful way. I came in because I already couldn't feel my feet, and my legs felt weak with every step I took. 

They couldn't heal it, or stop it with drugs as it was apparently in my fucking genetic code or something. Some sort of defect or mutation that just suddenly popped out of nowhere to let me know that my life wasn't meant to be a long one. I sighed and just got up and left the hospital, much to the distress of the doctors who wanted me to stay. I'm sure they wanted to study and help me pass easier into the night, but I wasn't looking to be anyone's guinea pig for the rest of my short time on this planet. No, I felt it was better to take a walk down the city streets and feel the cold winter air on my face. 

Wondering why it didn't devastate me? left me on the ground crying and begging for help from god or the doctors to save me? Because it was just par for the course for a little old me. I grew up faster than most as I came from a poor and single parent home after mom said she couldn't handle the job. Pops did the best he could with his nine to five dead end job to support a growing boy but I was barely fed, clothed, and healthy for most of my life from his meager salary.

Let me tell you, a start to life with those hiccups can really help one grow up hard and fast. I got into fights, booze, sex, petty crimes, and other shit as well. My life was headed for a cell block as a god given fact given my track record. It was only the loss of my pops due to overworking that helped me get my shit together. After I buried him in the cheapest box they had I got a nine to five and saved up for an online college degree. 

Suppose it was all for not given I find out that at twenty two I'm not gonna make it to twenty three. That I'm gonna croak faster than my old man even. Well might as well enjoy the brisk winter breeze before jumping off a bridge or something. A nearly did too as I gazed down at that ice cold water thousands of feet below me. Yet that was when I met the fucker who offered me a way to keep living. Tall, ridiculously handsome, overly dressed well, and surrounded by a rather eclectic and strangely familiar group of women. He talked me down from the edge of the bridge with an offer of a free drink and a way to save my life.

Did I believe him? No, but better to slam down some whiskey before slamming down into ice cold water. So I let him lead me to a nice bar in town, and enjoyed a rather pricey glass of liquor. 

"So what's your offer Mr.?..." I asked while taking a sip.

"Names aren't important, just call me, hah, call me the doctor" he said with a knowing smile. I gave the man a look at the nerd culture answer, but it wasn't like attractiveness, and attire defines interests. A stock broker could watch Pokémon reruns while collecting cards, while street thug gang members might like a nice brady and cigar on the weekends. Hell, I've lived a rough life, and look the part, but I myself have a collection of comics, game systems, and figurines and toys from both western and eastern cartoons.

"Oh, so it's more sci-fi than magic huh? well that's fine, just point me to your Tardis doctor" I said with a dry laugh. He chuckled at that and shook his head. He pulled out a phone, a newer one by the look of it and handed it to me. I raised a brow and took it while looking at the screen. it showed nothing but a black background with a "Do you accept?" question with a yes and no option at the end. "Well this is some rather ominous looking deal indeed. interesting to see how you sell me on this."

"In due time my man, in due time. Also, as fun as it would be to own that box, I find taking it rather difficult given the current owner. Buying it would also put back too much to be worth it at this moment. No, I just find that being called the doctor is a fitting name as with just a simple yes from you, will grant you a chance at more than just a longer life." he said with mirth. I raised a brow and looked at him before looking at the phone again.

"Oh do tell" I said. He smiled and reached out to the middle of the table and, In front of my eyes, summoned fire into his palm. I didn't flinch back as I stared at it and then at him again. "Neat trick" I said while taking another sip of liquor. His smile never wavered as he canceled the fire and waved a hand to send the whisky in my glass flowing out and around him, before dropping it back into place in my glass. I blinked again, doing my best to hide the fact that the display had made me a bit more believing in this deal. 

"Magic is real Scott" he said with a knowing smirk. I frowned at that as I didn't tell him my name, and didn't let any of his women near enough to pick my pocket for my wallet. "Well, real if you hit yes that is..." he continued and I leaned back to take him in more. I really didn't have a realistic reason to say no given my body's on a timer about to hit zero. Still, if this was magic and my soul could be on the line? better to make sure I knew what was on the line.

Let's say I say yes, what does that mean, what am I saying yes to, and what is your take away from this?" I asked. He nodded at my questions and started his pitch in earnest.

"To put it plainly, you would be signing up to be a sponsor of the 'Company', and before you ask that is their name as far as I'm aware. Now In this company, one picks a world, gets an accumulation of credits from said company from picking this world, and then uses these credits to upgrade themselves or their entourage to become better" he said. I gazed at him while chewing on my cheek as I listened with interest. Looking at his "entourage" I started to put a few faces to certain popular female characters of entertainment and grew a bit more wide eyed. 

"I take it these worlds would be ones I would recognize?" I asked as I shifted my gaze back on him. He held his hands up and nodded while waving to the women around us sitting.

"You got me, yep, that's correct" He said with a smile as he lowered his hands to rest flat against the table. "Another part of the system really, Infinite reality is quite the fun concept I must admit. One could pick a world from fiction and even given tools to "collect" famous characters to enjoy to their heart's content, pretty fucking great right." I snorted as his professional mask dropped and his lust showed clear on his face when he finished that sentence.

"That sounds like sex slaves buddy, and I'm not that kind of degenerate" I said while looking back at the women and trying to see if any were asking for help. Unfortunately all were holding calm smiles as they sat at nearby tables talking. The knock on wood got me to look back at the "Doctor" as he collected himself and showed me his salesman smile again.

"That's a fair point and an option you can choose to take if you want, but let us get back to the questions you asked." I drew my brow down at the blatant and blunt change in the conversation. He didn't deny my accusation in the slightest which told me a great deal about the man in front of me. "You asked what I got out of this deal? well some of those points you would get when selecting a world would go to me instead."

"Oh?" I questioned as a flick of greed flashed in his eyes. "I take it that's not supposed to happen usually?" I added, making his expression flash, surprise and worry for a millisecond before becoming flat. I could tell he realized I was reading him better than he was hoping. He steepled his hands over his mouth with a sigh and nodded.

"Correct, I'm a sponsored contractor, same as you if you accept" he answered. "See what I'm offering is usually done through an employee of the Company. They would tell you everything I just did, and if they got a yes would get paid a commission from the sale. Standard boring company stuff really." I nodded showing I understood. "I however wouldn't get that commission and need to basically take a percentage of the points you get from world selection to make this a good deal for me." 

"Okay," I said while seeing what he was doing. He wanted free points to buy more stuff for him or his "girls". I was that easy target given my death sentence that he figured out likely to do to some power or other. Fucker might be reading my mind as well, though given his genuine responses and surprised demeanor I hoped he wasn't. If anything he said was remotely true, then I had my out, and perhaps a true fresh start. "Okay, how many points?" I asked as I shifted the conversation into its final phase. I hate to say that I was hooked, but this was all just a little too tantalizing.

"Let's say eighty to twenty in your favor. plenty of points to give you a great start in whatever world you pick" he answered while putting his hands down to show a smile again. "I'll even help you find a great world to start with, and what powers to take to save your life." He then lifted a hand to me. "So, do we have a deal?" I looked at the hand and then at him, before looking at the phone. Did I really want to take a chance on this guy? I sighed. Either I die of my own accord and go out my own way or I take a chance that seems to good to be true...Ah fuck it.

Even if this turns balls up, I can pull myself out of it just like I've always done before. With a final look at the man I tapped yes and the phone screen opened into a selection screen that had options of worlds.

"Alright, but if you just took my soul I promise you I'll find a way to steal it back-" I tried to say, when my whole body froze before it started to move on its own. I tried to struggle but all I could do was flick my eyes to the cock sucker who was likely to blame for this. Given his evil smile and one of those women's eyes glowing at the table nearby I guessed right. Looking back down to the phone I saw my fingers moving through the screen like an expert and each selection made my eyes grow wider and more fearful. 

"Don't worry about your soul buddy, not even the Company can take that from you, though that's not to say a world can't" the douche said as he looked at me with raised hands. " Anyway sorry, but you caught me at a bad time. I lost a few too many bets and needed an influx of points to pay off some of our fellow sponsored contractors." I tried to struggle more as I saw my fingers transfer over nearly every single point I would have gotten from the world that was selected.

This was bad! I needed these points to survive with the option they picked! I looked at the man again, pleading clear in my eyes as I hoped he wouldn't do this. He never stopped smiling while shaking his head. "Again, I am sorry, but don't worry though, you'll have enough to prevent the worst from happening if you choose power ups correctly. I'd also let you know to check the mission screen, as that will be your best bet for points given the sparse picking for Wifus in that universal setting." I was breathing fast as my fingers finished the selection and pressed finish build. Then...everything went black.