REAL WORLD—JUNE 11, 2056
COEX CONFERENCE CENTER—SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Twenty-two years before he sent a poor Shcarstani man's mind back in time, and six years before Path of the Immortal launched, Dr. Wu Zuhai's career as a scientist had already promised amazing things in the future.
Though he was barely twenty-seven years old—practically a baby, as far as scientists were concerned—Dr. Wu Zuhai had already published several revolutionary papers on the development of artificial intelligence. Many of his fellow AI enthusiasts claimed that with each paper, Dr. Wu Zuhai had advanced the field by several years.
But after his third paper in four years, the young scientist had suddenly stopped publishing altogether. Moreover, he rarely responded to any attempts to contact him at the Inner Mongolia University, where Dr. Wu Zuhai was a full-time researcher.
However, he still showed up frequently to global scientific conferences like the one he was currently attending—the 2056 Bio-Engineering Symposium held by the Global Scientific Forum.
Dr. Wu Zuhai loved these conferences. Though he and his small family—a wife and a one-year-old son—enjoyed life in Inner Mongolia, he'd always loved traveling around the world and seeing the sights of other cities and landscapes. The facilities of Inner Mongolia University's Center for Biological Engineering were… dusty. Well, not literally. But their sterile interiors and decades-old lighting created the effect of a dull tomb.
Yes, it was good to leave all of that behind once in a while. Though it was one thing to read the findings of his fellow researchers in scientific journals, Dr. Wu Zuhai much preferred to hear those people explain their research in person at conferences.
Having just attended the last session of the evening—a summary of advances in laboratory-grown meat which could provide far more nutrients than beef while having an identical flavor and texture to even the finest A5 Wagyu—the doctor now sat at a small, out-of-the-way bar within the conference center and ordered a whisky and Coke.
"I've got that," said a calm, flat voice in Seoul-accented English.
Dr. Wu Zuhai turned to look at the figure, who was a handsome Korean man in the most perfect suit the doctor had ever seen. In fact, this man's whole appearance was immaculate. His short, oil-black hair didn't have a single strand out of place.
Though he spoke several other languages with more skill than he did English, it was in this language that Dr. Wu Zuhai responded with a short, "Thank you." That was the language everyone used at these sorts of symposiums. Then he examined the man a bit more closely. "Sir, please forgive me, but I'm afraid we haven't met before."
The Korean man gave a broad, white-toothed smile. "Not to worry, Doctor. A man of science such as yourself would have no reason to pay attention to a man of the cloth such as myself."
Man of the cloth? Dr. Wu Zuhai examined his memories, wondering why this man looked oddly familiar…
Then he got it. "Oh!" he said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at being cornered by such a wealthy church leader. "You're Minister Im! I'm terribly sorry to have not recognized you. You lead that, um… South Korean Church of Peace, correct?"
Minister Im chuckled and sat down next to him. He ordered a glass of soda water with a wedge of lime, then turned back to his unwilling guest. "The South Asian Church of the Ages, actually. No apologies needed. You're probably wondering what a holy man like myself is doing in a place like this, hmmm?"
Dr. Wu Zuhai tried to pick his words carefully. He was quite tired after a long day of focused attention, and the few sips of his rum and Coke had dripped into an empty stomach. The alcohol had immediately given him the tiniest beginnings of a buzz. He needed to be careful with what he said.
"Well, Minister, the Symposium is quite an interesting event. I wouldn't be surprised that anyone found it to be... well, interesting."
Minister Im laughed. "Oh, no need to be gentle about it, Doctor! Men of faith, such as myself, aren't exactly known for their devotion to science. It's a simple fact of life." His voice dropped in volume just a bit. "Though I'm not exactly like most men of faith, Doctor. In truth, I have a bit of an obsession with science. I firmly believe that science is simply the best way we can unravel the truth of God's world. Science can do nothing but reveal reality. Don't you agree?"
Dr. Wu Zuhai shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You don't think that science sometimes makes it hard to be a religious person, Minister?"
"Oh, of course not. Only for the narrow-minded sort of people who believe that their interpretations of holy Scripture are the only things worth paying attention to. There are a few men in the world who venerate both science and ultimate reality… people like you and me, Doctor."
"I'm afraid I'm not much of a man of faith, Minister."
Minister Im gave him that glaringly bright smile again. "Ah, but I think you are, Doctor! At least, you understand that there are things in this world which science cannot fully explain. Elements of the mind… and how it can be transformed from one form to another, even though science cannot explain this."
Dr. Wu Zuhai froze in his seat. Minister Im was referring to research which he very much should 'not' know about. 'Nobody' should know about it. It was a special assignment from his nation's government. In fact, this assignment was the reason Dr. Wu Zuhai hadn't published any research papers in a long, long time. Not because he wasn't making revolutionary and seemingly impossible discoveries, but because his government demanded that he keep them private.
"Minister Im," the doctor said very carefully. "Whatever you think you know about me and my research, I beg that you take caution. Very powerful and important people would be quite unhappy if they learned that anyone except for myself and my assistants were working in a certain field of research."
"Yes," said the minister, his voice dropping even lower. It was barely audible at this point. "And you speak not only for your own safety, Doctor, but for that of your family. I understand perfectly. And I will say no more about it… in public. I beg that you come to my room and meet with another man, however, in a much more private setting. The future of science—and perhaps the world itself—hinges on what we have to say."
Dr. Wu Zuhai shook his head slowly. "As you say, I cannot risk my family's safety. It would be stupid for me to pursue this any further, I'm afraid. Good day, Minister."
Then Dr. Wu Zuhai performed an action which, in later years, he would look back on as the stupidest moment of his life. He later decided that it wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that this action doomed the entire world.
The doctor made an elaborate show of standing, then tilting his head back and draining the last of the very strong whisky and Coke down his throat. A sudden thought crossed his mind that this drink was far stronger than he'd been expecting. The bartender must have put more than eighty milliliters of strong liquor in the drink. Had Minister Im arranged this to happen?
After lowering his glass, Dr. Wu Zuhai's head surged with certainty and coyness. He felt as though he'd just outsmarted a crafty opponent. He'd never been much of a heavy drinker, and the extra-strong drink on a very empty stomach had done his mind no favors.
And so, intending to give a snappy dismissal and then leave, Dr. Wu Zuhai asked quite a foolish question. "My research into the metaphysical workings of the mind, Minister… How did you learn about it? Which one of my assistants did you pay off?"
Minister Im's smile was as relaxed as the moment he'd sat down, even though his prey was on the verge of escaping. "Well, that's a major part of what I wanted to talk with you about. Have you ever heard of the term 'remote viewing,' Doctor?"
Dr. Wu Zuhai's blood froze.
He slowly sat back down.
The trajectory of the whole world changed, and it would never be the same again.