That is an insane amount.I"m a f.u.c.king kazillionaire!
By despite my wealth, I am shocked to learn that I am not the richest person in the solar system.
I am not even the richest person on Earth!
Seriously?
Apparently, almost everyone is a billionaire due to century of inflation.
In fact, the dollar isn"t considered as real currency anymore. It is still use primarily in the United States due to sentimental reasons.
The United States longs for the days when they are a superpower. They lost that status centuries ago, in the aftermath of the 4th World War.
They did win the third one though. It was against China.
China lost much of its population in the cyber warfare and nuclear exchange. However, thanks to their very active men and women, their population returns to the pre-war level in no time.
China is still a superpower, one of three on Earth.
The same couldn"t be said for the United States.
Luckily, my beloved country did survive the last world war – it is something I am thankful for.
Perhaps, I can change its destiny when I return to the past.
I have been training my power while growing up naturally back in the orphanage. I can now manipulate time of anything without needing to be in contact. I just needed to be close enough.
As for a universal currency, Earth and other planets in the solar system use something called credits.
A few thousand trillion US dollars is equivalent to 1 credit.
I crack up at the absurd exchange rate, but then again, that is how things are now.
Many people have millions of credits to their name, especially celebrities.
Planetary companies deal with trillions of credits every minute. Quadrillions of credits every day.
More than that, credit is necessary for the black market.
Military Grade Augmentation can only be brought via such a market.
Another option would be joining the Earth Military and climbing the rank to 5 stars admiral. Only then I can request for a military grade augmentation through the proper channel.
Yeah, I am not doing that.
Another planetary war will break out soon. This time with planetary annihilation weapons. I have seen the aftermath of using such a weapon.
Humanity effectively destroys itself in the upcoming conflict.
There are too many conflicting interests amongst the people. Nations still exists on Earth, fighting over stellar resources instead of working together.
Other planets such as Mars and Mercury have their own government and their own interest. As a fact, they even calling themselves Martians and Mercurians instead of Earthlings.
They consider Earth and those lives on the planet as aliens.
United Federation of Sol is merely a peacekeeping body like the United Nations, so they can do nothing but watch humanity waging wars on itself.
I wish to change all of that.
I wish that humanity can get pa.s.s its rather pointless rivalry and selfish nature to expand into the stars and become an interstellar empire.
The universe is for us to claim!
But before I can enact my plan, I need to make myself unstoppable.
While I am unable to die, getting killed really hurts.
How many times have I been killed already?
I couldn"t recall.
But I am sure that someone will be smart enough to put me into an unbreakable time loop, dying and reviving endlessly.
That is a fate worse than death!
I will not allow that to happen, considering Earth is beginning its research into temporal displacement – basically time manipulations.
Scouring the internet, I finally found a doctor who is willing to work on me – for a price.
As money is just a mean to an end and I could always get more, I pay the doctor whatever he wanted.
It is so he can give me the best augmentation possible.
"Ah yes. I saw your request, but this isn"t exactly a military grade. It is a very experimental one. While not as good as one used by military personnel, it does give you additional ability like matter and energy manipulation."
The doctor tells me.
"Say what? Matter and energy manipulation?"
"Yes. It"s like this."
The doctor demonstrates on a gla.s.s of water. The water froze over in his hand. It then melted, turning back into liquids before boiling.
"I am just extracting heat or introducing heat into the liquid. Not very useful, but it is something, like always having a hot cup of coffee. Hehe. I can also create electricity."
The doctor demonstrates by creating lightning between his fingers. It isn"t enough to stun anyone, but the fact he could do it means that his experimental augmentation is the most advance.
"What about matter manipulation?"
I am curious to what else he could do.
The doctor shows that he could use the nanites in his body to reshape matter at well. He turns a metal scissor into a small knife in the palm of his hand.
"This requires a lot of control, but it works just like an industrial Nano-lathing. Of course, the materials must be within contact for it to work."
Nano-lathing describes the method of using nanites to a.s.semble raw matters or materials into useful products within seconds.
And just like 3D printer, this method has changed the face of manufacturing industries. Anything can be produced cheaply, even stars.h.i.+p if there are enough raw materials available.
Combine with cybernetic lifeform, which cannot technically die in combat, wars are a battle of attrition in the 31st century.
That is why it is better to attack population centers since human life is the only that matters.
Enough deaths will force a surrender.
"Alright. Let"s do it. Augment me, doc. No funny idea now. I aren"t paying the rest if I wake up with my pants down."
I tell him as time is running out. I only have like a couple of months left.
"Heheh. Okay. No funny ideas. Time to sleep now."
The doctor puts me into a deep coma and begins to work on my body.
I didn"t wake up until several weeks have pa.s.sed, finding myself on a life support system.
The doctor is nowhere to be found. The room seems abandoned, with all the medical equipment gone.
At first, I thought I have been had, but several menus in front of my eyes tell me otherwise.
It is like seeing through the eyes of a combat mech.
Mechanized armor replaces traditional warfare completely. This is due to their greater flexibility. Pilots can control them from afar, from a safe position – sometimes from orbits when combat is taking place on a planet or moon.
There is also a message in my inbox. I open it to read it.
It is from the doctor.
"It"s done. Enjoy your new augmentation. I also programmed a VI to help you getting used to it. Also, I suggest you get off Earth as soon as possible. I heard some naughty things on Saturn. PS – pay me or I will be stabby."
VI is virtual intelligence. It is a step down from artificial intelligence and cybernetic lifeform.
"System?"
[I am designated Selene. How can I help you, operator?]
"Show me my status."
[Acknowledge.]
Selene shows me my status, detailing everything from my physical to my emotional state.
The virtual intelligence even shows me list of experimental abilities that my new augmentation gives me.
Usually augmentation increases a person"s physical prowess and makes them harder to kill, but these new abilities literally turn me into a one-man army.
"Cool."
It is the only word I can think off.
I pay the doctor the rest of the money wireless before he gets "stabby" – whatever that mean.
After that, I head to the public library.
It is to download everything I need before heading into the past. I haven"t decided what years yet, but it should be somewhere in the 1950s, just after World War 2.
Sadly, my study is cut short due to the thermal nuclear explosion outside a month later.
"s.h.i.+t. I guess time is up. I"m going to miss the future. How much of the technical information have you downloaded from the internet?"
"100%."
"Excellent."
I acknowledge as I look out the shattered window.
The Martian stars.h.i.+ps in orbit have begin to bombard Earth with thousands of fusion nuclear missiles and plasma lances.
It is a preemptive strike.
Their s.h.i.+eld flares brightly as they take the countless barrage from orbital defensive turrets. The s.h.i.+ps are destroyed within seconds, but the damage to the planet was done.
Earth is on fire with tectonic plates forcing to s.h.i.+ft, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes. The beginning of the end has come.
The World Government collapses. One of the remaining admirals foolishly activate a contingency plan.
Gigantic experimental railgun decloaked near the sun, revealing the trump card. Drawling power from the sun itself, it powers up and turns toward to the blackness of s.p.a.ce.
The railgun fire giant plasma slug at near the speed of light, one after another without pause. The slugs travelled unstoppable to the red planet, piercing the heaven and the mantle below, forcing the planet to implode from inside out.
It becomes a mess after that since the destruction of Mars causes the orbits of every planet to s.h.i.+ft.
Luckily. I am safe in the past, in the year 1950.