American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

370. The Law of the Dark Forest.

"Information from another multiverse?"

Susan's brow furrowed as she looked at Reed, who was engrossed and scribbling excitedly at his desk. A sense of unease crept into her mind. Unlike Reed Richards, Susan had little interest in unraveling cosmic mysteries. Although she was also a scientist, her aspirations were always centered on benefiting society and giving back to people, not on exploring things that could lead to danger.

Moreover, she was now a mother. Everything she did revolved around her children, and in her experience, anything related to the "multiverse" rarely led to a good outcome.

Think back to the past—Reed's research into time had drawn numerous enemies from the future. Now, with this new information from another universe, it was clearly something they should avoid meddling with.

"No, I need to report this to Alex," she decided.

Shaking her head, Susan picked up her pace. In the past, it may not have mattered, but now both she and Reed worked under Alex. Any unexpected event was something they were obligated to report to him, especially information from another universe.

This could potentially have repercussions on the Wasteland Universe, which had only recently stabilized; no outside interference could be allowed. After all, her two children lived in the Wasteland.

Reed heard Susan but did nothing to stop her. He understood the importance of this as well, and Alex had far more extensive knowledge about the multiverse. With his intervention, it would indeed be safer.

In fact, Susan hardly even needed to go herself.

Everything they did was under Ms. Minutes's watchful eye. As soon as the Multiverse Temporal Barrier Oscillator malfunctioned, Ms. Minutes had already reported it to Alex.

"…It's unexpected that we could receive signals from another parallel universe here," he mused.

[Since we're positioned outside the timeline, signals drifting across the multiverse occasionally pass through our vicinity. It's not improbable for Reed's device to inadvertently pick up some.]

Ms. Minutes explained softly as she stood on Alex's shoulder.

"No, what interests me more is the source of the signal. The multiverse is full of unknowns; some universes could be described as 'disasters' or even 'purgatories.' No one knows what type of universe they might encounter."

Alex took a sip of tea, frowning slightly as he continued, "And sending out a signal? That would mean exposing that universe's coordinates deliberately. One misstep, and it could become the target of attack from malicious universes. This runs entirely against the Dark Forest Theory."

Hearing this, Ms. Minutes nodded thoughtfully.

[You may be right, my lord. Perhaps they are simply very confident. After all, the world is vast, and some people just never find their match.]

"Possibly."

Alex shook his head, unsure.

[Then, what do you intend to do?]

Alex didn't answer. Instead, he quietly held his teacup, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window in thought.

Having traversed numerous times and visited several universes, whether it was Marvel or DC, Alex had seen worlds dark and hopeless. Now, in control of the Wasteland, he wanted to avoid further complications.

Footsteps echoed from the silent corridor, and Susan, the Invisible Woman, hurried in.

As she entered the hall, she saw Alex standing alone by the window, gazing out into the darkened room. The atmosphere caused her to unconsciously slow her steps.

Although she wasn't sure what Alex was doing, she didn't want to disrupt the quiet. Stepping gently, she approached Alex and whispered, "Mr. Alex, there was an incident in the lab. We seem to have inadvertently received some information sent from another universe during the equipment test."

"Hmm, I'm already aware."

Alex placed his teacup back in his magical space and turned around.

"Oh, you knew." Susan sighed in relief. Given that Alex was the master here, nothing could escape his watchful eye. "How should we handle it?"

"Is there any way to decode the information?" Alex asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but my husband should be able to figure it out; he's very passionate about it. But I'm worried this could lead to negative consequences."

Seeing Susan's conflicted expression, Alex nodded slightly and spoke.

"I understand your concerns, Susan. But have you considered this? Since we were able to receive the signal, it means the universe that sent it isn't far from us. That's the biggest implication here."

"You mean…"

Susan caught on to Alex's line of thinking.

Alex continued, "Yes. As a universe abandoned and left desolate, the Wasteland clearly has all sorts of more dangerous worlds surrounding it. We may have saved this universe, but we still need to be wary of unknown threats from beyond."

Following Susan into Reed Richards' lab, they found him enthusiastically tapping away at his keyboard. Seeing Susan and Alex enter, Reed immediately spoke up.

"Alex, you're just in time. I've managed to record most of the information. The other party is clearly a skilled scientist. They've been consistently sending repeated frequencies, and with a bit more time, I believe I can decode it."

Alex nodded, then replied seriously.

"Alright, but let me remind you, until we have a clearer understanding of their intentions, avoid initiating any direct contact. And do not, under any circumstances, reveal our location."

"I understand. The Dark Forest Theory," Reed responded, taking off his glasses.

"If we consider the Wasteland Universe as a single planet in a dark universe, then the other multiverses are like other civilizations hidden in that darkness. We know nothing about their technological level, and striking a light might only attract unwanted attention."

"Good, as long as you understand," Alex said, though he felt an unsettling pressure building inside him.

The unknown is always terrifying. For Alex, who had witnessed the devouring darkness, this unknown struck a deep chord.

Surrounded by chaotic worlds, the Wasteland Universe felt like a desolate place shrouded in dread. Though he couldn't identify these "neighbors," Alex sensed that all the gazes hidden in the darkness were menacing.

No one could tell where this signal was coming from.

What intrigued Alex the most, while also filling him with dread, was the content of this repeated message.

What if it turned out to be nothing but "Don't respond, don't respond, don't respond!"

The thought alone gave Alex chills, his hair standing on end.

Yes, countless unknown worlds.

And endless stories unfolding within those mysterious universes.

I have witnessed the genesis of reality, the extinction of countless gods, the destruction of celestial bodies, the birth of worlds, and the apocalypses of civilizations.

I know that everything eventually meets an "end." This end can be beautiful and peaceful, a serene acceptance of the conclusion, followed by a welcoming of the next cycle.

But some unique universes…their end does not bring peace.

It brings endless suffering and torment.

"You certainly do have a lot to say."

As Susan and Reed got to work, Alex moved quietly to a corner, where the Watcher stood in the shadows.

"You're good at making an entrance. I hadn't even sensed your presence until you spoke."

"In certain environments, my existence is not easily influenced by space, time, or matter. What you see is not my physical form, which is why most cannot detect my presence."

"Ah, like astral projection," Alex murmured to himself. Then, looking more serious, he asked, "About this message—you must know more than I do. To transmit a signal near the Wasteland Universe, they must be close."

"…"

The Watcher fell silent.

Seeing this, Alex pressed on.

"To us, they may be unknown and dark. But for you, it's different. You can see them. You know the truth of their nature."

"I know what you're asking, Alex, but I cannot discuss it further. This is not within my purview, and that universe isn't under my observation."

"Wait—not under your observation?"

Alex frowned.

"You said yourself that your observations extend to countless multiverses beyond the Wasteland. If they're this close, how could they not be within your scope?"

The Watcher looked at Alex calmly, for the first time showing a faint smile.

"The boundaries of the multiverse aren't so easily defined. This is a concept far beyond the understanding of ordinary humans. Even you are no exception. Space or distance are not factors that can be used to measure or delineate it."

"Could you explain further?"

Alex was puzzled, though he had some inklings.

"To the average person, the multiverse might seem like something visually perceptible, but to a Watcher, the multiverse appears more like a series of prisms."

The Watcher met Alex's gaze and said softly.

"How can you be sure that the message you received wasn't reflected through a series of prisms across different universes?"

This struck a chord of understanding in Alex.

Perhaps his assumptions had been misguided from the start.

All along, he had approached the multiverse from an ordinary perspective, thinking of the "distance" between universes as a simple spatial range.

In other words, the relationship between reality and different dimensions.

But in truth, the multiverse exists on a level beyond spatial definitions. This is not something that can be measured or labeled by any unit or symbol.

.....

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