The Big Damn Fight

The waiting room was comfortable and largely clean in spite of the obvious lack of staff. With the entirety of the complex kept immaculate, there were no spiders to spin cobwebs to show just how long the room had been left vacant. No announcements were made over the intercom, the doors leading into the facility proper had rusted shut, and while the binder at the receptionist's desk still had a pen sitting on it, as though the attendant could come back at any moment, the ink had long since gone dry.

A pair of oblong screens played an advertisement in a loop, showcasing the creation and destruction of countless worlds. Grasses bloomed on desolate mountains, volcanoes burst from unbroken plains, and showers of stars carved furrows into whole continents. Species grew from the seas, were compelled to worship, and then were obliterated with the capriciousness that can come only from overwhelming power. The low-volume sound emitted from the speakers was mostly just dramatic music, with the studio's slogan stated in a charming voice at the end of each run.

The video was clearly intended to invoke awe in its viewers, to showcase just what power had been sold from these labs. No mention of price was made, but the sheer scope of the creation and destruction should have been more than enough to dissuade any but the most exorbitantly wealthy beings in all of existence.

Soon enough, however, an unmistakable voice spoke up as its owner pointed to the screens.

"I want one!"