"Greetings, lifeform."
What is this? Is it space? It has properties I can't explain. I think it's black, but it could just be that either I can't see or that there is nothing to see. My other senses are giving off similar feedback. And that greeting just now, it's not that I heard it but that I simply sort of knew it. Whatever the case, there clearly exists some kind of entity that can communicate with me.
"What just happened?"
"Your part ended."
What? Ended? What does that mean?
…no way. Death?
Is that possible?
...
…..Can't be the truth. I can't really be dead. But this right now is impossible. There is no place on Earth with zero sensory input and the ability to directly inject thoughts into people. It's impossible unless something like death happened. But I can't be dead.
…
...no. No no no. NonononoNONO
That entity suddenly did something to me. It's true. I'm dead. I know it. I can't be dead, but I am dead. I believe the former, but I also believe the latter. It contradicts, but it's okay. WHAT THE HECK IT'S NOT OKA-
Another change. I can move on now. No, I've already moved on.
…a short silence.
"That's quite enough. Now. I set the experiment parameters that made you, to see what would come of it. You and your fellow pseudo-sentients, what you call lifeforms, are among the most interesting results of your run. However, since lifeforms were the coincidental outcome of a piece of the system that had little power, you lifeforms all came out more or less equal. That is well and good and quite worthy in itself, but I also wish to know what would happen if, for instance, there was a strong inequality in the mix."
Parameters? That made us? Is he talking about the universe? If he "set the parameters that made" us, then does that mean the universe was set up and just...left to act? By this guy? To see the results?
"You and a few others like you are going to help me test a strong inequality. I've set aside a handful of fresh runs using the data from your previous run to ensure more lifeforms. You will each get to have one."
Hang on, I have to process all this! You've basically just implied that the meaning of life is to give you test data!
"I will ensure that your abilities are far greater than any threat you can reasonably meet. For the remaining control runs, a random native will be selected to gain power. In all worlds, life will be additionally be given an energy type of its own. That explains the situation. You will now be redirected to your run."
"WAIT!"
"What is it?"
This guy's not patient, so this has to be direct. First, the important question.
"What the hell is going on?"
"You can do whatever you want as long as you want, limited only by total run time."
That's not an answer, but that last bit sounded ominous. Something called run time has a limit? Instinctively, I think I know what this is referring to, but that means…
"Is the second law of thermodynamics true?"
Uuuuu...that sounded so dumb. The silence stretches for a bit. Suddenly a memory forces itself to the forefront of my mind. The first time I learned of the second law of thermodynamics. I did not try to recall this memory.
High school chemistry. On the board, "The second law of thermodynamics: all spontaneous processes increase universal entropy." In other words, anything that actually happens causes the universe to irreversibly move towards eternal stagnation. Part of my mind quietly exclaims that this really isn't something you should be telling high school students, but that's not important right now.
"So that is what you called it. Then, yes. It is a test parameter. Tests must all end somewhere. Now..."
**
AN: I don't see why God has to play nice. Pick a sucker, make him accept his position, then drop him in and collect your data. He's just a creation anyway. Also, a higher being would probably not consider humans to be particularly sentient (or rather, aware of the situation), hence "pseudo-sentient" got thrown around once.