Quantum: The Complete Series

Chapter 15: Alphacore

-Three Days Later-

Alphacore wandered through the stone halls with a scowl on his face. It has been theee days since he's started on a project he claimed would exterminate Mario to satisfy Traviere. He called it the Multiverse Project, a device that would throw the Quantum-7 into an eternal loop through space and time, creating rifts to parallel universes every six to eight hours. His plan included Tari, who was to be the one warping them between universes. She has been rejecting his idea ever since he brought it up and was thrown into a poorly assembled cage with Luigi, who was now awake and freaking out to his new surroundings.

Luigi: W-Where are we? Who was that!?

Tari: Luigi...calm down. He won't hurt us if we stay quiet.

Luigi: Quiet!? Why should I stay quiet when there is some...beast that just dragged you in here!?

Tari: It...has a name, and its Alphacore. Apparently he's also working with Traviere.

Luigi: How is that possible? Is Traviere some sort of king of the universe now?

Tari: I don't know, Luigi, but I do know that this Alphacore guy is not planning anything good for me.

Luigi: For you? What are you talking about, Tari?

Tari starts to get visibly nervous, beginning to shudder a bit and tears could be seen welling up in her eyes.

Tari: He wants to use me...so he can kill Mario.

Luigi: What!? Why would he want that!?

Tari: Like I said, he's working with Travi-

Alphacore: Stating my plans to your little friend here won't muffle the pain you will feel when it is all over. To add, Traviere's name shall not be referenced during your time here.

Tari: (nervously) Just...P-Please...l-leave me alone.

Alphacore: The more you struggle, the more it will hurt. In other words...quit your whining.

Tari goes quiet instantly, all the while staring at Alphacore angrily. Luigi was shaking the whole time, so he couldn't say a word or appear defensive towards him.

Alphacore: You know what? I think today just might be the day we start on your procedure with us.

Tari: Wait what!?

Alphacore opens the weak cage door and walks in, trapping Tari in a corner. She attempts to spit in his face before trying to run past him, but he quickly reacts and grabs hold onto her broken wrist, sending hot pain throughout her arm.

Tari: Ow! Stop! Stop!

Alphacore: Try that again and I'll tear your hand off. Consider having it broken mercy.

Tari: (giving up) What...do you want me to do?

Alphacore: I'm glad you asked. Take your friend here and follow me.

He gives Tari a length of heavy rope and tells her to tie it around Luigi's arms so he wouldn't escape when he let him out. Reluctantly, Tari listened after repeated threats to hurt Luigi.

Tari: (quietly to Luigi) Sorry I have to do this.

Luigi: It's okay, Tari. Make it seem like your trying to make it tight.

Tari: You want me to keep it loose?

Luigi: I've got an idea, but the rope needs to be loose enough for it to work.

Tari thinks about it for a second before undoing a part of the rope and tying it again, making sure it was looser for him to squeeze his hands through when he was ready.