Station Theta-7 was operating at one hundred and forty-seven percent efficiency, which was physically impossible.
Dennis Knowles stared at his diagnostic readouts for the third time, convinced the sensors were malfunctioning. But every system check confirmed the data. Atmospheric processors were recycling air with efficiency that exceeded their design specifications. Power conduits were conducting energy with zero resistance loss. Coolant systems were maintaining optimal temperatures despite using thirty percent less coolant than calculations indicated they should require.
The station wasn't just running smoothly. It was running better than the laws of physics suggested it could.
"Dion, you seeing this?" Harold Osborne appeared at Dennis's shoulder, pointing at his own datapad. "Life support systems are showing performance metrics that don't make sense. We're getting output levels that should require twice our current input."
Dennis nodded slowly. "Everything's like that. Every system I check shows impossible efficiency. Like someone rewrote the operational parameters to ignore thermodynamics."
"When did it start?" Harry asked, though Dennis suspected they both already knew the answer.
"Three hours ago." Dennis pulled up historical data, showing the exact moment when station efficiency had begun climbing past theoretical maximums. "Right after Haroon returned from the foundation."
They stood in uncomfortable silence, both understanding what that correlation implied but neither wanting to say it directly. Haroon had absorbed power from thirteen omnipotent beings. Had elevated himself to capability levels that approached divine. And now Station Theta-7 was operating beyond physical possibility, as if reality itself was accommodating whatever Haroon had become.
"Should we report this to Commander Reeves?" Harry finally asked.
Dennis considered that question carefully. Report that their maintenance worker had returned from assignment and now the station was violating conservation of energy principles? That equipment was functioning better than thermodynamically possible? That reality seemed to be bending around whatever Haroon had become?
"Let's wait," Dennis decided. "See if it stabilizes. Maybe it's temporary effect that'll normalize once Haroon... adjusts... to whatever happened at the foundation."
Harry nodded agreement, though his expression suggested he wasn't particularly confident in that assessment. They returned to their respective duties, trying to maintain routine operations while every system they monitored performed impossibly well.
In Sector 6, Haroon stood motionless in front of an atmospheric processor, his cyan suit reflecting the dim maintenance lighting. He'd been standing there for forty-seven minutes without moving, without performing any visible maintenance tasks, just observing the equipment with focus that suggested intense concentration.
The atmospheric processor was running at two hundred percent efficiency. The air quality it produced was so pure that human lungs found it almost uncomfortable. Too much oxygen. Too few trace elements. Perfect atmospheric composition that human biology hadn't evolved to process optimally.
Haroon could feel it happening. Could sense reality adjusting around his presence, accommodating the enhanced power flowing through his manifestation. The Absolute Void had absorbed capabilities from thirteen omnipotent beings and now existed in a state that transcended its previous limitations. It wasn't just erasure capability anymore. It was creative potential. Authorial control over existence itself.
And that control was leaking.
Not intentionally. Not through active deployment. Just ambient effect of containing power that approached divine levels. His presence was editing reality in subtle ways, optimizing systems, improving efficiency, restructuring probability fields to favor beneficial outcomes. Like background radiation from star, except instead of energy it was reality manipulation occurring passively around him.
He needed to recalibrate. Needed to contain the enhancement properly so his mere existence didn't continue rewriting Station Theta-7's operational parameters. The station's systems were designed for normal physics. Having those systems suddenly operate beyond thermodynamic limits would eventually cause problems. Equipment designed for specific performance ranges would fail if pushed past tolerances, even if that failure came from excessive efficiency rather than inadequate output.
Haroon focused inward, examining the power flowing through his manifestation. The Absolute Void pulsed within the cyan suit, vastly enhanced, containing capabilities that exceeded anything he'd operated with before. He could feel the potential there. Could sense that he could now manipulate existence at levels he'd only theoretically understood previously.
Writing reality rather than just editing it. Creating rather than just maintaining. The difference was fundamental. Before, he'd worked within existence's framework, adjusting variables to preferred outcomes. Now he could work on the framework itself, restructuring how reality functioned at base level.
That capability needed containment. Needed control. Needed to be restrained so his operational baseline didn't accidentally destabilize everything around him through passive optimization effects.
He began the containment process. Layer by layer, restricting the ambient leakage, building structures within his manifestation that would hold the enhanced power dormant until deliberately deployed. It was delicate work, requiring precision that exceeded anything he'd attempted before. One mistake and he could either fail to contain the enhancement—leaving passive reality manipulation ongoing—or contain it too severely and lose access to capabilities he might need for crisis response.
Time passed. Haroon remained motionless, working on internal calibration that had no external visibility. To any observer, he was just standing in a maintenance sector, apparently doing nothing. But internally, he was restructuring his entire operational framework to accommodate power that approached authorial control.
"Haroon?"
Bradley Proctor's voice interrupted the containment work. Haroon paused the calibration process and turned to face Brad, who'd just entered Sector 6 carrying a datapad and wearing expression that suggested official visit rather than casual encounter.
"Brad," Haroon acknowledged. "Is there a problem requiring attention?"
"That depends." Brad gestured at the atmospheric processor. "This unit is operating at two hundred percent efficiency. That's impossible according to our understanding of thermodynamics. And it's not just this one unit. Every system on the station is performing beyond theoretical maximums. Dennis and Harry are concerned we're experiencing some kind of reality manipulation event."
"They're correct," Haroon said simply. "There is reality manipulation occurring. I'm the source. The power absorption from yesterday's engagement enhanced my baseline capabilities significantly. I'm currently working on containment protocols to prevent ambient leakage from affecting station operations."
Brad stared at him. "Ambient leakage. You're passively editing reality just by being here."
"Correct. The enhanced Absolute Void contains authorial-level capability that wants to optimize everything in proximity. I'm establishing containment structures to restrict that tendency to deliberate deployment only. The process is approximately sixty percent complete. Station efficiency should return to normal parameters within two hours."
"Two hours," Brad repeated. "And until then we're just operating in impossible physics."
"The impossible physics are beneficial," Haroon pointed out. "Systems are functioning better than design specifications. No damage is occurring. Personnel are receiving higher quality air and more stable environmental conditions. The optimization is net positive for station operations."
"Except that it's also evidence that you've become something beyond what anyone expected." Brad's voice carried mixture of awe and concern. "Commander Sarah sent me to check on you. She wanted to know if you're... stable. If the power absorption caused any adverse effects."
Haroon considered how to answer that question. Was he stable? By most definitions, yes. His consciousness remained coherent. His operational priorities hadn't changed. His commitment to maintaining Station Theta-7 and protecting human civilization continued unchanged. But he'd undergone fundamental enhancement that elevated his capabilities to categories beyond normal Controller classification.
"I'm stable," he finally said. "The power integration is proceeding smoothly. I maintain full operational control. There are no adverse effects beyond the ambient optimization that I'm currently containing. Tell Commander Sarah that I'm functional and will resume normal operations once recalibration completes."
Brad nodded, making notes on his datapad. Then he looked up with expression that suggested he was about to ask question he wasn't certain he wanted answered.
"The power you absorbed. The enhancement to the Absolute Void. Can you quantify what you're capable of now? What you could do if you deployed full capability?"
Haroon was quiet for long moment, examining the question and his own understanding of the answer. What could he do now? What were his actual limits with authorial-level control over reality?
"I could rewrite existence," he said slowly, speaking carefully because the truth was vast and difficult to articulate. "Not just edit outcomes or adjust probability. Actually rewrite how reality functions. Change fundamental forces. Restructure dimensional relationships. Author new physical laws. If I deployed full enhanced capability without restraint, I could remake this entire sector of space according to different principles."
He paused, letting Brad process that statement. Then continued: "Which is why I won't deploy full capability without extreme necessity. That level of reality manipulation would be catastrophic if applied carelessly. I'm containing the enhancement at levels appropriate for routine operations. The authorial capability remains dormant until situations require it."
"And if situations do require it?" Brad asked quietly. "If the Dissolution Compact recovers and attacks again with new strategy? If threats emerge that require you to use that authorial power?"
"Then I'll use it with precision and control," Haroon answered. "Minimum necessary application to address the threat. Same operational principles I've always followed. Enhanced power doesn't change my function. I maintain. I protect. I address problems. The methods available for addressing those problems have expanded, but my purpose remains constant."
Brad seemed to accept that assessment, though his expression suggested he was still processing the implications. "Sarah will want formal capability report. Can you provide estimates of what your enhanced limits are? What situations would require authorial intervention versus standard operational response?"
"I'll file appropriate documentation," Haroon agreed. "Though quantification will be difficult. The enhancement is significant enough that conventional measurement frameworks may be inadequate. I'll provide operational guidelines instead. Scenarios that would trigger different capability levels. Threat assessments requiring escalated response protocols."
"That works." Brad made final notes, then looked up with something that might have been concern or might have been curiosity. "Are you okay? I know that's probably odd question to ask someone who just absorbed power from thirteen omnipotent beings, but... you spent three years maintaining this station through routine work. Now you're something beyond even what you were before. That has to be adjustment."
Haroon considered the question seriously. Was he okay? His consciousness remained stable. His operational priorities continued unchanged. His commitment to maintaining Station Theta-7 persisted. But Brad was correct that the enhancement represented adjustment. He could feel the difference in how he perceived reality. Could sense layers of existence he hadn't accessed before. Could manipulate causality with precision that exceeded his previous capability.
"I'm adjusting," he said finally. "The enhancement is significant but manageable. My core function remains the same. I maintain station operations. The fact that I can now do so with authorial capability rather than just reality editing doesn't fundamentally change what I do. It just expands my options for how I do it."
"Practical answer," Brad observed. "Very you. Power that approaches divine levels and your response is 'I can maintain equipment better now.'"
"That is my function," Haroon said simply. "Enhanced capability serves that function. I'm not interested in power for its own sake. Only in maintaining operational stability and protecting human civilization. The absorption enhanced my ability to fulfill that purpose. That's sufficient."
Brad smiled slightly. "Commander Sarah was worried you might be destabilized by the power increase. I'll report that you're completely stable and primarily concerned with preventing ambient reality manipulation from making atmospheric processors too efficient."
"Accurate summary," Haroon confirmed.
Brad departed, leaving Haroon alone in Sector 6 with the impossibly efficient atmospheric processor. He returned his attention to containment work, continuing the delicate process of restricting ambient leakage while maintaining access to enhanced capabilities for deliberate deployment.
The recalibration continued. Layer by layer, establishing structures that would hold authorial power dormant until needed. Building frameworks within his manifestation that could contain capability approaching divine while keeping his operational baseline at levels appropriate for routine station maintenance.
It was complex work. Required precision that exceeded anything he'd attempted before. But Haroon had always been precise. Had always operated with careful control over his capabilities. This was just extension of existing practice, applied to power levels that transcended his previous limits.
Two hours later, the containment was complete.
Station Theta-7's efficiency immediately began normalizing. Atmospheric processors returned to design specifications. Power conduits resumed standard energy loss patterns. Coolant systems returned to expected consumption rates. Reality stopped passively optimizing around Haroon's presence as the enhanced Absolute Void settled into properly contained state.
Dennis Knowles noticed the change immediately. Watched his diagnostic readouts shift from impossible efficiency back to normal operational parameters. Everything still functioned perfectly—Haroon's maintenance work ensured that—but now it functioned according to thermodynamics rather than reality manipulation.
"It stopped," Harry said, appearing at Dennis's station. "Whatever was causing the enhanced performance just... stopped."
"Haroon finished his adjustment," Dennis guessed. "Whatever he needed to do to accommodate that power absorption, he's done it now. Station's back to normal physics."
They both felt relief at that statement. Normal physics were comfortable. Predictable. Station operations that followed thermodynamics made sense in ways that impossible efficiency didn't. Even if the impossible efficiency had been beneficial, its presence had been unsettling reminder that they shared their station with something beyond normal comprehension.
Haroon completed his recalibration and filed status report to Commander Sarah. Enhancement contained. Ambient leakage restricted. Operational baseline returned to standard parameters. Enhanced capability available for deployment if situations require it, but dormant during routine operations. Station Theta-7 functioning normally. No further anomalies anticipated.
Sarah's response came quickly: "Thank you for the report. Appreciate your diligence in containing the enhancement. We'll update strategic planning to account for your expanded capabilities. Continue normal operations."
Normal operations. Haroon reviewed his maintenance schedule. Sector 9 required inspection. Power systems in residential modules needed diagnostics. Waste recycling processors were due for preventive maintenance. Standard tasks that would occupy the next six hours.
He gathered his equipment and began the work, moving through Station Theta-7's corridors with same unhurried pace he'd always used. The enhanced power remained contained within him, authorial capability held dormant, ready for deployment if needed but inactive during routine tasks.
Personnel he passed in corridors nodded acknowledgment. Some showed the usual wariness that accompanied his presence. Others had grown comfortable enough to offer casual greetings. None of them knew what he'd absorbed yesterday. None understood that he'd elevated himself to capability levels that approached divine. They just saw the maintenance worker in the cyan suit, performing his assigned duties with reliable competence.
That anonymity was valuable. Necessary. Haroon's function was to maintain and protect, not to be noticed or acknowledged. The fact that he could now author reality itself rather than just editing it was irrelevant to most situations. Station operations required routine maintenance, not cosmic-level reality manipulation.
He reached Sector 9 and began his inspection. Power systems showed normal wear patterns. Minor inefficiencies that would become problems in approximately three months if left unaddressed. Haroon made notes for future maintenance scheduling. Standard work. Predictable tasks. The kind of operations he'd been performing for years.
The enhanced Absolute Void pulsed quietly within his suit, containing power that could remake existence, held dormant because routine maintenance didn't require authorial intervention. Available if needed. Inactive by default. Properly contained and controlled.
Sufficient.
Optimal.
Exactly as it should be.
The recalibration was complete. Haroon had adjusted to his enhanced state. Station Theta-7 had returned to normal operations. And the universe continued existing, unaware that the being maintaining one small facility had absorbed enough power to rewrite fundamental reality itself.
Tomorrow would bring new maintenance tasks. New systems requiring inspection. New situations where careful attention prevented problems from developing. The same work Haroon had been doing for years, now performed with capability that transcended previous limitations but applied with same precision and restraint he'd always demonstrated.
Power wasn't the point. Function was the point. And Haroon's function remained unchanged regardless of enhancement: maintain Station Theta-7, protect human civilization, address problems before they escalated.
Everything else—including the ability to author reality itself—was just methodology serving that constant purpose.
The inspection continued. Equipment was checked. Maintenance schedules were updated. Station operations proceeded smoothly. And in his cyan suit, containing power that approached divine, Haroon performed routine tasks with dedication that exceeded any cosmic capability he possessed.
Because maintenance work mattered. Systems required attention. People needed protection. And someone had to check the power systems and ensure everything functioned properly.
That someone was Haroon. Enhanced or not, elevated or not, author-level or not, his function remained the same.
Maintain. Protect. Address problems.
Everything else was just details.
The work was never finished. The universe always needed maintenance. And Haroon would continue providing it, regardless of what power he contained or what capability he could deploy.
Sufficient.
Always sufficient.
Forever sufficient.
That was enough.