The Double Cult Cha-Cha: An Al Squires of the Protectorate Story (Book 1)

Ch. 4.2: Meet the Shoulder Me's; or, Taking the Long Way to Work

The next day, after my successful bust at the No-Warehouse and the events after the bust that could most likely tank my chances at a promotion, I was summoned by the Chief to return home, go to the Division HQ, and report to him. "Where's home," I assume that you asked? Well, for starters, I can tell you that it isn't on any Earth. Even though I was born on an Earth (I'm not sure which one, but that's not important), I've never really saw any Earth as 'home.' No, the place that I call home is a place so nice, the named it...Omniopolis. I had you going there, didn't I?

Omniopolis, nicknamed 'The Crossroads of the Multiverse,' and 'The Great City-Realm,' is the unofficial de facto capital of the Multiverse. They call it the 'Great City-Realm' because it's so immensely vast; not even the wisest and the smartest beings in the Multiverse (yours truly included) know exactly how vast it truly is. I have a theory about how big it is, but I'm going to talk about it in an important future chapter. Back to Omniopolis, the reason it's so vast is because it keeps growing; making room whenever a new civilization, race, or planet/dimension/Realm becomes 'In the Know.'

In my opinion, Omniopolis is the definition of the phrase 'melting pot,' in its most extreme form. For example, do you know how most of the big cities in the U.S. have a 'Little Italy,' a 'Little China,' or a 'Little Japan?' That is, the Earths that actually have a U.S., mind you. Well, Omniopolis has pretty much literary a Little Everywhere; well, everywhere In the Know, at least. Omniopolis even has embassies to all of the civilizations that are In the Know (interdimensional or not, big or small, friendly or hostile); as well as representatives of all the religions/faiths/beliefs/philosophies in the Multiverse.

Another thing about Omniopolis is there's always one form of dichotomy or another wherever you turn. From the use of super-tech right beside someone reasonably using Magick in the streets, to the eclectic assortment of old, new and alien architecture in some districts; there's always some benign form of existential clashing wherever you look. Like I said, I'll talk about Omniopolis itself some more in another chapter. Right now, let's focus on its more obvious dichotomies: the 'people.'

For example, let's go where I am at the beginning of this chapter. I was riding the bullet train to my Precinct to face the proverbial music. Now, the bullet train in used in Omniopolis by either by those who don't have the time (or the courage) to venture into Omniopolis' streets as either a driver or a pedestrian with all the living and quasi-living creatures/contraptions that pass as cars that prowl them, or have the time (but not the literal stomach) not to use any Transmat booths or magick portals. Obviously, I was merely delaying the inevitable, taking the train; and, honestly, I was cool with that. It gave me time to think about what was going to happen. As I did this, I indulged in my favorite pastime while in Omniopolis: 'people' watching.

I'm using the term 'people' in the broadest sense of the word, of course; considering as literally all kinds of sentient lifeforms that walk around the City-Realm either call it home (me included) or are simply 'tourists.' There were quite a few in the car with me, but the closest ones near me included an android in a business suit, fake tan and an expensive looking haircut (I figured that he was emancipated, because he wouldn't have been wearing a suit, skin, or hair otherwise); a Steampunk-esque aeronaught wearing a leather Aviators hat, jacket, and eyepatch (his airship must be in the shop); a pretty female alien with four arms, two heads, and way too much makeup on both of them, that was talking on a phone-like device in one hand, texting with another, and using her free hand to occasionally par her outrageous light-purple hairdos that were a few shades lighter than her skin and eyes (not the best example of multitasking I've ever seen, but it counts); and an honest to goodness knight in shining armor.

The knight caught my attention the most; not just because he was sitting right next to me, but also because he had the tale-tell signs of being a tourist in Omniopolis for the first time: eyes bulging in shock, awe, and excitement; his head on a proverbial swivel; and his armor clanked a bit from him quivering a bit from excitement. He was covered in armor, and all I could see that was flesh was his face poking out of his chainmail hood; his helmet was bouncing on his lap. From said face, I could tell that he was young- maybe early to mid-twenties- and he could've been considered 'classically handsome' in many human/humanoid populated Realms. Sure, he was just on the side of pale that didn't make him look sick and still had some baby-fat on his cheeks, but still, it was a handsome face. I gathered that he was recently promoted from squire to knight, and this is his first real quest as a knight. Despite his nervousness from either his first quest or being a stranger in a very strange land or a combination of the two, the young knight kept a gauntlet-clad hand on the pommel of his sword which- under train rules- was sheathed and placed behind his lowered shield and in front of him for everyone to see.