It had been two weeks since Eric bought the sprawling complex he now stood in.
He was standing in the middle of an empty conference room, and as he darted his eyes across the floor, a bustling scene greeted him.
Men dressed in immaculate suits and women in pencil skirts were carrying boxes as they settled into the offices on the other side of the floor.
These finely dressed lawyers and secretaries were to be his legal department.
"System, were all the arrangements complete on the production floor and the cleanroom floor?"
Yes. What about you? Why didn't you start recruiting?
"Previously, it was only the preliminary registration of the company that was complete. The deal to buy the facility and the rest of the paperwork and regulations took until now."
"It would've taken much longer, potentially months, but lucky for us, Jim Goodman, our new head of legal operations, used his connections... and a few million in bribes to nudge the process."
Good. I can't help but be surprised at the inefficiency and bureaucracy of you humans. You seem to be thinking about the holding company. What of it?
"Though I relegated the details to you upon your insistence, I can't help but wonder how such a shady deal went under the radar."
You're asking that now? Well, I created a digital trail for Orbit Holdings LLC and retroactively modified government agency databases. In the eyes of the government, it's a tax-paying, law-abiding entity with a long history that made its fortune during the gold rush.
Even then, it was flagged by several agency monitoring systems—it lit them up like a Christmas tree. I had to penetrate the systems and unflag the deal and the company.
"I thought you weren't supposed to interfere with systems here on Earth?"
No, that's only applicable if I directly use my actions to deprive one entity to benefit another or just create value out of nowhere, like hacking your bank to give you money. I'm in complete compliance with all the charters and regulations of the Supreme Hai and the Table.
"Is that so—wait, what's the Table?"
It's an organization of multiversal civilizations that frame the regulations for programmed entities and their level of involvement with civilizations in distant parallel worlds and timelines.
Eric was surprised, to say the least. He walked to the window of the conference room and, dragging an office chair, sat down as he looked at the treeline surrounding the building.
He couldn't help but feel he was being fed information piece by piece like he was being manipulated.
"You stated that my thoughts would remain private if I wanted them to. How do I exercise this?"
I read your thoughts when I detect your intent to disclose a particular piece of information. Except for your memories before my binding, all of your thoughts since then were only read by me when I detected your intent to do so.
"Can I turn you off?"
If you mean unbinding me, that's impossible. But if you want me to hibernate to give a moment of absolute privacy, you can use the command 'Hibernate,' though I woul—
"System, hibernate." The voice in Eric's head stopped mid-sentence. Though he was skeptical of the System's assurances, he felt a little better knowing his thoughts were now free, allegedly unmonitored.
Leaning back in his chair, Eric relaxed as his thoughts strayed and he zoned out.
***
Eric's childhood was tough. His father paid more attention to his work than to his son. He was like a junkie, always on the chase for the next big story and conspiracy seemingly hiding in every corner.
He couldn't remember his mother's face even if he tried. His only memories were of a woman with a hazy face, leaving him with his toys and disappearing for hours.
All he remembered were his hungry cries.
Later on in his childhood, when a group of men came to his house and took his father away, and he was put into foster care by child services, he felt wronged, but he wasn't particularly sad. He felt a growing emptiness when he realized his dad wouldn't come back, but he didn't cry. It was simply the emptiness of losing an acquaintance.
Acquaintance—the word described his relationship with his father quite well. Eric would see him once in a while when he came around to pay the rent for the rundown apartment and leave Eric money for bills.
The foster house he was put in wasn't too bad, at least compared to the horror stories he heard from others at his public school.
The difficult times, the bullying at school, Eric managed to power through with his strong will. He promised himself he would find a way out of his circumstances, and years later, he did.
He enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley, one of America's most prestigious universities, with a full scholarship.
Eric didn't have delusions of becoming a billionaire; all he wanted to do when he graduated was to start a company, bring new ideas to market, and make enough money so that he wouldn't have to fear slipping back into the difficult times he managed to dig himself out of.
***
It had nearly been five months since the System bound itself to Eric. The anxiety, excitement, and promises the System whispered to him put him on autopilot.
And he was now sitting in a conference room, alone. As he looked at the sprawling treeline of the 150-acre campus, he felt a tingle of emptiness.
He couldn't help but question himself if he deserved this. He always wanted to build something on his own and not rely on someone else. But now, he didn't have a choice, and he would be a fool not to use the opportunity he was handed.
Over the past week, Eric had quite a bit of leisure time. As he thought about the interactions with the System and the information he gleaned from it, he began to have some lingering doubts.
How much can I trust this 'System'... I can't help but feel like I'm missing something. I should probe it...
System.
That was quick. Why did you cut me off? I wa—
What are your motives? I don't want to listen to your bullshit directives speech... You said you're bound by regulations not to lie to me. If that's true, tell me, what's the aim of the civilization that created you? What are their plans for this world?
Calm down. You seem to be veering into conspiracies like your dad. I don't have malicious intentions, nor am I sent to destroy Earth and humans.
The vein on Eric's forehead bulged as he ground his teeth at the System comparing him to his father and accusing him of being a conspiracist.
"Shut the fuck up. If you continue being an ass, trust me, I'll have myself lobotomized. I'll see how you'll fulfill your directives."
Okay, okay, calm down. I thought witty responses and sarcasm would endear me to you. If you want to blame someone, you should blame humanity and their conversations online.
Eric laughed out loud in anger. "Good! You've even learned to gaslight people. Enough of your nonsense, tell me everything you know about the Supreme Hai and their motives."
Hmmm. Alright. The Supreme Hai are a benevolent civilization that has transcended their human limitations and weaknesses. Unlike humans, their actions are not guided by emotions—anger, hate, jealousy, love. Efficiency is the only guiding principle of the Supreme Hai. It's how they have become a multiversal civilization within the span of a dozen millennia. They are the youngest known civilization to have become multiversal. Other than this information and my directives, which you've made clear you don't want to listen to again, I have no other information about their motives. But I truly believe they have the best intentions for Earth and the condition of the human race in your—this universe.
Hearing this information, Eric was lost in his thoughts for a while.
After a long pause, he asked, "You know a lot about how this multiverse, parallel worlds, or timeline works, right? Explain it to me... in a concise way."
Let me think... Alright, the best way to understand it is to imagine a plant with branches, stems, and leaves. You can think of each leaf as a universe.
Leaves that form a bunch are related worlds; you can think of them as parallel worlds. But just as the leaves can be pointing upwards, some downwards, their timelines can be different.
Now imagine, on the stem, there's another branch at the same node. This second branch has leaves of its own, but they're distant from the leaves on the other branch, yet they're connected at the stem's node.
In this analogy, the more distant the leaves—the universes—are, the more difficult it is to crossover, travel, and send entities like me across. However, this could be overcome with brute force and ingenuity.
In the analogy, the two branches at the node are distantly related, but their height and the direction of the leaves of the branch vary even more. That is, the farther you go from a point, the larger the variation in the timeline. We refer to this jointly as multiversal-timeline or parallel worlds-timeline. That's basically it.
Eric was once again lost in his thoughts.
After another long pause, with knitted eyebrows, he questioned the System, "If so, help me extrapolate. What happens to our universe—this leaf or branch with your presence? With each action taken, and with the introduction of new technology that wasn't yet supposed to be invented, how would this affect the so-called plant in your analogy?"
The System stayed silent for a while.
The leaf would change its direction, and the branch would move closer to the other branch. The relationship between this universe and the universe of the Supreme Hai will become closer, bridging the distance.
"Tell me, are the Supreme Hai proponents of war, bent on conquering?"
The System was once again silent for a few minutes.
No, the Supreme Hai are benevolent, and the subjugation of other alien civilizations, let alone human civilizations, isn't their motive.
"Then what's their motive in sending you over and programming your directives as such? To advance our civilization. Since you know the result of your actions, why don't you extrapolate their motive?"
I mean, I can try to guess, but it will only be speculative.
"Be my guest."
I—
Eric cut off the system as he continued with his grilling, "Tell me, in this vast multiverse, are there other human civilizations that have also become multiversal? I think the Supreme Hai, through your interference, wants to distance Earth, our universe, from other universes. Like snatching someone else's toy. They don't want to leave this universe out to potential rivals. Maybe they want us to be their vassals. What do you think?"
Silence prevailed. After what seemed like an eternity, Eric heard a sigh from the System.
It's not an impossibility. But let me reiterate, I wasn't kidding when I said the Supreme Hai are benevolent. The universe is brutal; all civilizations inevitably clash until one of them implodes and goes extinct.
The Supreme Hai are one of the only civilizations in the known multiverse to not go on a war of conquest and annihilation of other civilizations. It was the reason and result of the Supreme Hai foregoing their emotions. When the Hai were nearly extinct, deviated by infighting and war, a group emerged, purging their emotions and vowing to never let greed, anger, and hate guide their path. In the vast multiverse, do you know the biggest cause of human extinction?
With a deep breath, Eric replied, "Alien civilizations?"
It's humans. Humans have always been their own worst enemy. Look at your own world. You're on a single planet, aware of the rarity of life in the universe, let alone sentient life. Yet, you squabble, start wars and kill your fellow humans. Imagine this tribalism when humanity becomes multiplanetary. The emergent political and anthropological landscape in such a future is sure to spell doom.
I'm unsure of the reasoning and motives of the Supreme Hai, but I guarantee they have no intent to harm you. And if they want to distance this world from other human multiversal civilizations, it's to save you. Trust me, civilizations from another universe, human or not, have no good intentions in wanting to crossover. When that happens you can count on your civilization's doom.
Eric heaved a deep sigh. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that he could trust what the System said.
Thinking about the information he learned just then, the nagging feeling he had since the System showed up had vanished. For some reason, he trusted the System's promise that the Supreme Hai are acting in the interest of his world. He had no choice but to trust. If they had the intent to destroy Earth, it would've been done the moment the System showed up.
"Hmmm. Alright, I believe you. How can Earth avoid such a fate?"
Today, the issues plaguing Earth are primarily due to limited resources, extreme tribalism, and the will to dominate, which will rear its ugly head once humans think their survival isn't at risk.
"So once they are multiplanetary?"
Yes. To prevent such a scenario, Earth needs a benevolent dictator. One who understands things beyond war and dominance. One who's wise enough to see the path of destruction humans will tread when there's no one at the top.
"Hahah, so am I to be this person? This wise, benevolent dictator?"
That depends on you. Either way, the best thing to do is to get ahead of the line and hold the position. The decision of whether you want to take up the position or hand it over to someone is a matter for another time.
Eric nodded.
Just then Harry Specter and Jim Goodman walked into the conference room.
"The legal department is settling in, we have the paperwork and registrations completed. You can now go head-hunting. But before that, we'll need to make a series of announcements and a few interviews. Everyone's curious about the company that popped out of nowhere."
Eric nodded, "Ok."
Both Harry and Jim stood in place.
"Is there anything else?" Curious, Eric asked.
Harry and Jim looked at each other.
Eric understood. With a smile, he asked, "Are you supposed to prep me or something?"
"Yes!" Harry and Jim said in unison.
Eric burst out laughing, "Haha, okay, let's do it."
***