Chapter Text
During my childhood, many people were worried about their computers’ inability to comprehend the year 2000, due to antiquated programming quirks. They acted as if our advanced civilization would cease to exist because it relied too much on computers – that planes would crash, and other vital machinery would stop working. Fortunately, computer technicians worked tirelessly to prevent this from happening. However, I wonder what would’ve happened if this so-called “Y2K Bug” occurred? My simple, pessimistic self naturally assumes that we would’ve been better off – free from whatever “Matrix,” that possibly has many of us addicted to the engagement bait of social media.
Anyway, the people of this particular universe thought it was no big deal and didn’t care to compensate the computer technicians for their efforts, so the Y2K Bug happened and the world descended into grungy, post-apocalyptic mayhem…at least only for the affluent materialists who put their faith in technology instead of the Divine.
This was also the world our self-proclaimed genius heroine now found herself in. Her name was Dr. Becklynn Mèquençée Novak, a Geneticist who worked for the Amicrozoon Corporation. She also successfully invented a Time Machine by combining an antique handheld gaming console with fragments of the mysterious Jewel of the Cosmos, she found while spelunking during her teenage years. Unfortunately, Becklynn was a Biology major and not a Physics major, so she ended up being teleported to another universe with what seemed like no way back home.
Becklynn’s stay in that first world she ended up being in wasn’t too bad. Even being turned into an immortal vampire wasn’t that bad either. However, she became concerned about the fabric of space and time tearing because she noticed that sections of her history books were rewritten. While most people would chalk this up as the “Mandela Effect,” Becklynn felt guilty with this possibly being her own fault. For this reason, she chose to remain in the world where she became a vampire. She didn't want to mess with the space-time continuum any further. Besides, the Master Vampiress treated her well.
But one day, when Becklynn decided to read from one of her History Books, she noticed an entry in the local legends of Lakeside City was drastically changed. It was the story of The Phantom of Hiker’s Ravine – a mysterious white-haired serial killer and political assassin who lived in the 15th century. The only reason she had a copy of this folkloric character was because he was constantly compared to her favorite folkloric hero – The White Wolfman of the War-Ravaged Northlands. The story of The Phantom of Hiker’s Ravine was part of her research that she used to recreate Lupine Supersoldiers for the Amicrozoon Corporation, besides the mummified remains of the White Wolfman himself. Although she remained skeptical that these were the same man, it was better to be safe, than sorry.
The reason for her skepticism was mostly in the differing physical descriptions of the Phantom and the White Wolfman. The White Wolfman was a tall, muscular man – had the stereotypical heroic physique, but with long white hair and striking yellow eyes. The Phantom of Hiker’s Ravine was a handsome man with a slim, delicate build. His eyes were described as icy blue eyes like limpid tears. (She also considered the Phantom to be an anti-villain. He opposed the Revolution that occurred in Lakeside City in the 15th century, where the monarchy was deposed, and only targeted the Key Figures for several decades afterwards.) What she liked about the Phantom was that the man accused of being him was an old hermit named “Uncle Bernie.” Uncle Bernie reportedly said to accusers, “I fight for a cause that you will never understand,” and this quote became very popular with rebellious punks who grew up in gated communities. A sentiment Becklynn felt was very relatable while she attended an elite private school.
The change in the History Books she noticed was that the moniker – The Phantom of Hiker’s Ravine was completely erased and changed to The Opossum King. Her heart sank upon the realization, even though she was adamantly against the idea of the Phantom and the White Wolfman being the same man. Curious, she read to see what had changed.
In the old legends of the Phantom, he was believed to be Lord Raoul XVII’s only son, Lord Ernest Jérôme De La Mer. There was a discrepancy about his appearance when his body was found after the Revolutionaries murdered the royal family at their home. Lord Ernest (referred to as “Lord Ernest the Elder” or “The Opossum King” in this change) was described as a youth with striking blue eyes and equally striking black hair that contrasted against his fair skin. The body presumed to be his, had brown hair. Naturally, Becklynn assumed that he was killed and that the Phantom was another mysterious person. But given the fact that the Phantom was now an Opossum (an animal that’s known to play dead), it seemed that he was indeed the same man.
In the “new” historical text, Lord Ernest survived the attack against his household with the help of his housecarl, another youth named Tremaine Ó Ciardha. With Tremaine’s help, Lord Ernest staged a swift Counter-Revolution and regained the throne months afterwards, becoming ruler of Lakeside City at the age of 19. He then tried to rule the city-state as justly as possible and many of his methods were imitated and applied in neighboring city-states. Lord Ernest the Elder was referred to as “The Father of Modern Politics.” He was also known for his astute insight that made him seem like a mystical figure that was more legendary than historical.
Although he often credited his trusted Steward and former housecarl, Tremaine, for helping him rule Lakeside City, the historians believed that he was purposely downplaying his wisdom. About 30 years into his reign, he began working closely with his firstborn son, Lord Ernest Hieronymus De La Mer, known as Lord Ernest the Younger. Lord Ernest the Younger eventually ascended to the throne about 15 years later, and ruled for about 30 years as well. There were paintings of Lord Ernest the Elder in the History Book. He was a slim handsome man with a delicate build. His eyes were icy blue but his hair was mostly black with graying streaks. The paintings of him in his 40s showed him with white hair and black streaks, implying his hair grayed quickly. One of his most famous quotes was, “I fight for a cause that you will never understand,” which was popular with impoverished folks, since he used his power to make their lives easier.
But what upset Becklynn the most was the fact that Lord Ernest the Elder’s biography made it clear that this man was a Stoner. Other sources that Becklynn had on hand even insisted that Lord Ernest smoked weed every day until he died. He was found with a smoldering blunt in hand, by a servant. His second son, the renowned Surgeon General, Dr. Sergei Antoine De La Mer, claimed that the Divines allowed his father to have one more puff before he left. Though most sources now said that Lord Ernest the Elder died of a sudden stroke at 91. (A CT scan of his body, in the early part of the 21st century, revealed that Lord Ernest the Elder suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke near his brain stem which instantly killed him. Whether or not it was caused by him smoking weed daily is still debated to this very day.)
After hurling her History Books aside, then picking them up and storing them back in her Inventory, Becklynn searched for her Time Machine. She activated it hoping to return to her homeworld. By Fate, she ended up back in Lakeside City – exactly 15 minutes before she accidentally teleported herself back in time to the Early Middle Ages. The first thing she did was change into her original clothes, which included her labcoat, black turtleneck sweater, stretchy jeans, and work boots. However, she no longer matched her ID because she was vampirically pallid, her eyebrows were unplucked, and her hair was un-dyed for centuries that it was now its natural blonde color. Since she had her ID and it still worked, she was able to easily gain access to the top-secret laboratory. As a vampire, she was vulnerable to sunlight but the soulless fluorescent lights didn't affect her. Since she had 15 minutes, she decided to stop by the part of the laboratory where the Lupine Supersoldiers were kept.
At the time of her disappearance, the first generation of the Lupine Supersoldiers were still preschoolers. They were very playful children who liked rolling around and chasing each other. They also transformed into various canine forms, which enhanced their games. But for legal purposes, these children were referred to as “Dire Wolf Puppies,” and the experiment was called “Project Sirius.” Although these puppies were legal property of the Amicrozoon Corporation, Becklynn became attached to the smallest, weakest, but nicest one called Specimen 0426. Becklynn named this pup after the mysterious lover of The White Wolfman – Izolda the Ingénue, but Becklynn affectionately called her “Izzy,” instead. One of Becklynn's biggest regrets was not visiting Izzy on that fateful day.
Becklynn approached the window of the puppies’ playroom. She worried she'd get carried away if she entered and interacted with Izzy, who was in her small gaseous wolf form. But Izzy spotted her and rushed to the window, leaping as far as she could and landing on the window sill. The first thing Izzy said to her was, “You look different.”
“Yeah,” shrugged Becklynn. “Randomly decided to stop dyeing my hair blue, and let it grow out.”
“It's so pretty,” said Izzy, as she wagged her fluffy tail.
Hearing Izzy's sweet voice nearly brought Becklynn to tears. But she had to be strong, or else Izzy would realize that something was wrong. For this reason, Becklynn looked at her phone and said, “I need to get to my office in 5 minutes. But first, let's take a selfie.” She then posed near the window as Izzy transformed into her little girl form. Luckily, this first shot was great; Izzy wasn't blurry and the glare from the window didn't show up. Becklynn then waved goodbye to Izzy, before leaving.
Feeling at peace with her farewell, Becklynn continued to her office. But as a mad scientist, Becklynn was curious, so she turned around to see that Izzy was staring at her with her big doleful eyes. However, if she succeeded in stopping herself from going back in time, this wouldn't be the last time she'd see little Izzy.