As Axel arrived at Fort Ord, he felt butterflies in his stomach. The base had been abandoned for quite some time, yet soldiers from various backgrounds roamed the grounds, exchanging wary glances.

He noticed a rugged-looking man with a pronounced French accent, another clad in bright clothes and adorned with tattoos approaching from the Brazilian side, and a reserved but watchful fellow who introduced himself as British. Nearby stood a cheerful and friendly man from China, while a serious-looking individual with closed eyes hailed from Japan. Lastly, he spotted a man snacking on bananas from the Philippines, adding an unexpected touch of casualness to the scene.

“Looks like a melting pot here,” Axel said, extending his hand to each one.

“I’ve seen less diversity in a country fair,” joked the Brazilian

“Looks like were a bunch of reliable folks are we now. Have each other’s six, yes?” said the British soldier with a firm grip.

The encounter sparkled with cautious camaraderie as they gauged each other’s intent. They settled into conversations about their experiences, sharing humorous anecdotes and establishing a flicker of trust.

The Filipino operative offered a banana with a warm smile.

“I’m Kokoy, by the way.” Axel accepted the fruit, appreciating the friendly gesture.

Axel wanted to probe the man seeing how casual he was.

“What would be our object—”

[System: Please enter the building labelled as Morgue, your seats will be indicated fourth from left to right]

Before his inquiry could be answered, the system gave him a prompt, urging him to get inside a building, specifically with seven seats and a dusty table. The other men followed him as if they all received the same summons and they sat down to their designated seats, unsure of what would happen or what to expect.

The tension in the air was palpable, the recruits forming an uneasy semicircle, their bodies poised for information that could alter their destinies. Axel sat among them, every nerve in his body tingling with anticipation, when the atmosphere shifted. The lights flickered, and from the shadows, a figure began to materialize, a silhouette cloaked in black.

The Figure emerged as if reality itself had unfurled to make space for it. Clad in a suit that absorbed light rather than reflected it, the Figure presented an air of authority that silenced the murmurs of uncertainty among the group. A visor shrouded its face, but its presence was both intimidating and magnetic.

“Welcome,” it intoned, the voice rich and resonant, reverberating against the dried-up paint of the walls on the briefing room.

“You are all here chosen by the system to serve humanity. You have been chosen to intertwine your fate with the very fabric of time and space. This is not merely a mission but a calling, one that will define the future of mankind.”

The men exchanged looks of anxiety, excitement bubbling beneath the surface as the Figure paused, allowing its words to sink in. Axel felt a mixture of dread and hope. The gravity of the moment swirled around him, urging him to focus on the task ahead.

With a sweeping gesture, the Figure summoned a projection, illuminating the darkened room with images of scientists and scholars engrossed in frantic work.

“This system,” it began, “is the culmination of humanity’s collective knowledge. It was forged by scientists, engineers and doctors from across the globe into what is known as the Analogue System.”

“The Analogue System is the coalesced consciousness of all past, present, and potential futures,” the Figure continued, the images shifting to scenes they’ve seen and history books and sci-fi like images that you wouldn’t believe existed.

“Its primary goal is to realign and enhance the past, pushing humanity forward. It guarantees that our present remains constantly protected while predicting future threats from multiple perspectives on all timelines.”

Axel and his peers listened intently, their minds racing to grasp both the power and responsibility embedded within the Analogue System.

“Currently,” the Figure continued, “if you are aware of the Kardashev scale, humanity hovers at the peak of Tier Three, on the cusp of attaining Tier Four. This progression, however, faces numerous threats on multiple fronts from hostile alien species attempting to impede our growth across spacetime.”

Axel felt a stirring anger at the mention of alien interference. This was more than a simple mission, it was a war for existence, a battle against those who plan to step on humanities fate.

“Your fight is not solely for survival,” the Figure stressed, its voice resonating with passion.

“It is also for our allies, alien species that benefit from a harmonious relationship with humanity. While engaging with them, we maintain our shared values, striving towards a future where coexistence reigns supreme.”

“Should you perish in the line of duty, you will not simply be lost to time,” the Figure warned, a note of gravity creeping into its tone.

“Death means you will forget your participation in our cause. You will return to a time before your service, typically a time in your childhood or early teens, and what remains will be merely the echoes of an inspirational nightmare tale to guide you toward resilience. Should you conform towards a normal life, no one will stop you or try to persuade you to come to any military force. Men, this is not a simulation, a game or a military exercise that you’ve had so far, the fate of not just a billion but all of humanity itself is on the line, all of the time past, present and future will rest in your hands.”

The men had shudders on their backs, the implications painfully clear. Failure may lead them to regressing humanity, even worse coming to an age where humanity may not even exist. He envisioned waking up in a world stripped of purpose, free of his recent memories, a return to naivety, robbed of the experiences that brought him here, or even, not existing at all.

“What you may experience here,” the Figure maintained, “will test your will to serve and protect humanity. You may see monsters that are only to be seen in your nightmares, creatures utterly grotesque you may not even see meat as food anymore, beings that you may even call gods, however, we have slain, destroyed and conquered all of this, we killed our way to we are today because, you, I and all of us worked in a united front to face the enemies. We must be inhumane to face these non-human threats.”

As the Figure spoke, the room’s digital interface expanded, detailing the capabilities of the Analogue System and its role in their missions.

“This system functions as a comprehensive storage space, designed similarly to popular MMORPGs. If you’re familiar with such frameworks, navigating the interface will be intuitive. The display can manifest in your field of vision if you consciously think of the Analogue System - it will appear on your retina, which is part of your eye. If you’re blind or the function of your eye is hindered, the information can still be accessed mentally. For those unfamiliar with the system, a manual is available in the lower left corner of your visual display, represented by a booklet icon.”

An icon in their system started blinking, indicating what the figure in black was referring to.

“Within this interface, you will have gear slots for your current equipment, displaying damage levels and durability. Your inventory will categorize items, providing easy access to weapons, armor, mission items, rations, personal storage, and Evolutionary Specimen.”

Axel’s heart raced as the possibilities unfolded before him. Weapons and powerful tools lay at his fingertips, yet he was anxious if these things were enough for them to execute the missions.