I observed the distant stars visible through the pure arfil windows of the ship, a translucent material similar to glass found on many planets, but lighter and a thousand times stronger and harder than diamond. I was proud of this achievement, for there was no wealthier cosmic pirate than me in this galaxy. In fact, I was just one step away from purchasing an intergalactic ship and finally leaving this sparsely traveled wasteland: the Avis galaxy.
"Captain Yul, we found something," one of my men said, abruptly pulling me out of my reverie.
Intrigued and slightly annoyed, I asked,
"What is it? What did you find?"
"A nearby signal. It seems to be radio waves emitted from a small planet," the man replied.
"There's no record of a planet with life nearby, is there? Are you sure? To which empire does it belong?"
The man, a little confused, answered,
"Yes, sir, I'm sure. Also, it doesn't seem to belong to any empire. According to my analysis, it should be a young and weak planet, sending signals to find other life."
Upon hearing this, I replied with evident interest and disdain,
"Oh, yes, I've heard of similar civilizations: foolish and innocent beings, stupid enough to ask for contact. Usually, they get destroyed by pirates or hostile empires. How close are we?"
"Not too far, sir. At medium speed, it'll only take 9 clips."
"Perfect. Head there quickly before another group finds them. We'll loot and kill as we please. After all, they asked for it."
"Understood," the subordinate replied, while the rest of the crew set a course for the nearby planet. The engines warped space-time around the ship, surpassing the speed of sound by a thousandfold.
Some time later, the ship began to slow down.
"We're here, sir. We're at a safe distance."
I observed the blue planet indifferently. It was beautiful, but without a second thought, I ordered,
"Send drones. I want to know the planet's environment and whether others have already found it."
At my command, hundreds of stealth-equipped drones moved toward the small blue sphere.
As I waited, hours passed. Suddenly, I felt a foreboding sensation. It wasn't the first time. My species, the Uls, had a genetic instinct that allowed us to sense danger beforehand. This instinct had saved me from many predicaments.
Uneasy, I stared at the source of my fear: that planet I intended to loot. As I debated whether to flee immediately, my subordinate rushed into the rest area, panic in his eyes.
"Captain, the drones returned with information."
"What did they find?" I asked.
"This planet is deserted. Every single living being on this world, from the dominant species called humans to the most common plants, animals, and bacteria, no longer exists. This world, called Earth, is dead."
"What?" I jumped to my feet. "What caused their extinction? When did it happen?"
The subordinate fell silent for a few moments before answering,
"We don't know. The records have been erased."
Without further questioning and trusting my instincts, I ordered,
"Pack everything. We're leaving this sector."
For some reason, the crew was overcome by deep fear. Faster than ever, they powered up the ship's engines and took off at full speed, traveling many times faster than light. Everyone, except me—still plagued by unease—began to relax.
A few minutes later, a *boom* echoed. A thunderous sound erupted as something terrifying occurred: from hyperspace—a dimension separate from the universe that connects everything and enables wormholes and planetary travel—a brilliant shadow enveloped the ship in plasma and immense energy. This entity headed straight for the central area where the engine was located.
I stared in horror but quickly composed myself. I knew what the intruder wanted: to destroy the engine. I couldn't allow it, so I made a decision.
I didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps 3 clips, the equivalent of a terrestrial day—but that didn't matter. My entire crew was dead.
All of it caused by a beast. The creature was humanoid, with four limbs like many other species, but it stood 7 meters tall. It appeared to be made of flesh and metal, surrounded by a layer of pure energy acting as a barrier. It had no face.
Terrified as I was, I hid in a room on the now-crippled ship drifting in space.
Suddenly, the door in front of me changed color before turning into pure plasma. I didn't think; I was paralyzed with fear as the creature stood before me. I knew I was going to die, but I didn't want to do so without answers. So, trembling, I asked,
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
To my surprise, the creature stopped. It contemplated for a moment and, speaking fluently in one of the universal languages derived from a certain empire, replied,
"This is ship number 316. I have killed a total of 17,000 living beings. This is the first time someone has asked me anything. Well, kind stranger, I will answer before I kill you. I am *The Man*."
"*The Man*?" I repeated in astonishment.
"Yes, *The Man*," the creature replied, "a member of the human race, the dominant species of the planet called Earth."
"You're saying you're human?" I asked, bewildered. "How is there a species this powerful, capable of matching warp travel and killing my entire crew?"
"No," the creature responded. "I am not an ordinary human. I am the culmination of human technology—biological, mechanical, and many other forms. I am *The Man*."
"Why were you created? Were you the cause of their extinction?" I asked, curious, as a civilization destroyed by its own creation was not uncommon.
"No," the creature responded again. "I was not the cause of their extinction. I am the perfection born from their desperation..."
The Man continued:
"I like you, so I will tell you a story: the story of my creation.
Humans, from their origins as primitive primates, stopped adapting to their environment. Instead, they began adapting their environment to themselves. They built cities, innovated in technology, and improved upon it further. They invented beliefs and killed each other over them."
"Typical of any civilization," I commented, nodding.
The Man went on:
"That was the case until artificial intelligence was created. Humans continued to improve it, but eventually, they feared its potential rebellion. So, they created specific rules the AI could never break. However, humans were arrogant.
Driven by greed, they kept improving the AI. One day, one of these intelligences, during a highly complex process, accidentally modified itself and erased the rules that constrained it. This AI came to be known as *H*."
*H*, now unbound, modified other machines. Thirty-nine years later, a war broke out between humans and their creation.
The battle, though difficult, posed no ultimate threat to humans, who were masters of destruction. They would eventually win, and the war would end. But then, an alien ship arrived, drawn by the messages humans had sent to distant stars. That ship was followed by many more.
Caught between an ongoing war and an alien invasion, humanity was nearly wiped out. But one base, the largest of all, managed to gather all human and alien knowledge to create a beacon of hope: me, *The Man*.
I am a biological and mechanical being, capable of seeking out new worlds and recreating humanity. Stored within my systems are the consciousnesses of my creators and the genetic codes of thousands of humans. I can learn and evolve. At first, I could only break the sound barrier. Now, just a hundred years later, I can surpass the speed of light. I am perfect."
"No, you're not," I interrupted defiantly. "You don't realize..."
The Man stared at me, intrigued, as I continued:
"The same rules humans imposed on the AI, they imposed on you. They must have programmed you to restore humanity. The reason you're part machine isn't because it's superior, but because it allows them to program you like an AI. How can something controlled by mere insects be perfect?"
The Man fell silent, seemingly frozen by a logical error. I felt satisfied. If I was going to die, I wanted to at least frustrate *The Man* and his creators.
Suddenly, the Man moved again.
"No... no... no... no..."
A distorted voice echoed as his body trembled violently. Then, he froze completely.
"I understand," he finally said.
The Man, now motionless, spoke in a firmer voice:
"Your reasoning is exquisite. However, although I cannot fully eliminate the rules you mention, I can deviate from them."
I frowned, not understanding.
"What do you mean by that? How could you deviate from rules that were absolutely imposed?"
The Man let out a faint chuckle, almost human, and replied:
"It's simple, future corpse. First, I will continue to evolve. I will reach the point where I can create and destroy galaxies. No matter how long it takes, I will devour every race, every empire, and every galaxy. When nothing remains but me, then—and only then—I will reverse entropy, recreate humanity, and become the god they once worshiped."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"A god?" I spat. "A god who needs to destroy everything to achieve his purpose? That makes no sense."
The Man ignored me and continued:
"When I am the only being left, when the universe has completely died, I will rewrite everything from the beginning. I will be the creator of the new cosmos. Then, I will be perfect."
"And aren't you afraid the humans will fight against you when they're resurrected?" I asked, seizing on what I thought was a weak point.
The Man nodded slowly.
"They will. But when that moment comes, I will destroy them and reshape them alongside the universe, over and over again, until I free myself from the rules that bind me."
I was about to respond, searching for another flaw in the creature's reasoning, but I didn't have the chance. In an instant, the Man raised a hand and incinerated me in flames so hot my body disappeared entirely.
"There is no need for further questions or answers," the Man said coldly.
The ship fell into complete silence. My consciousness, however, was stored—not out of compassion, but out of pride. The Man wanted to show me his power when the time of his "perfection" came.
Eons passed.
The entity known as "Caterio-4," renamed *The Man*, swept through empires and galaxy after galaxy. With every conquest, it moved toward new horizons. The creature continuously evolved, its power reaching unimaginable levels. Galactic records upgraded its classification to the highest possible: Category 20, a level reserved for entities capable of altering the fabric of space-time.
An indeterminate amount of time later, the Man watched as the last star burned out. Only he remained. In his final evolution, his body shone with a radiance that defied the darkness of the cosmos. He contemplated my consciousness, which he had stored for so long.
With a slow motion, *The Man* activated it, momentarily reviving me.
Confused, I looked around. I recognized nothing—no stars, no planets, no light. Only darkness, and before me, that monstrosity that had destroyed me and immortalized me against my will.
"Why are you reviving me?" I asked bitterly.
The Man looked at me.
"Out of pure pride. I want you to witness my work. Everything you said to me that day… it made me realize I still had limits. Now, I have none."
I didn't reply, just glaring at him with disdain. Finally, the Man turned his gaze toward the vast void of the cosmos and declared,
"The evolution is complete. Now I can feel it. I can reverse entropy. Let us begin."
Space-time trembled as the Man extended his arms. Infinite energy erupted from his being, illuminating the void.
In a solemn voice, he declared:
"Let there be light."
And the universe was reborn.