There was darkness. It was vast and cold, stretching on forever like a hungry ocean of black.
Ethan opened his eyes again. He found himself sitting on the ground next to the monolith. Not much time seemed to have passed. The demon stood to one side, and the giant brain was still floating his way, although the shadow was gone now. His armor was still heavily damaged, and his body felt weak, but something important had changed. Fire burned through Ethan’s veins. His body was practically humming with unseen power, with intent and purpose. Bright light swirled within him. The burning energy propelled him to his feet, and he turned to face the approaching boss. Confidence filled him. It was like something vast lay within him and was singing secrets to him, terrible and glorious secrets.
The power and the voice strained Ethan’s mind like a storm that wanted to dissipate in a grand explosion, but he kept it in check through sheer willpower. For now, he knew what had to be done. He would push forward. He would not let himself be destroyed.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the demon remarked. He sounded shocked.
Ignoring the annoying AI, Ethan raised his palm and pointed it at the floor’s boss. Taking a moment, Ethan studied its mechanical tentacles, fleshy brain matter, and one eye. Had he really feared this thing? It was insignificant compared to the angel of death and the storm within.
Ethan embraced the Origin. He reached for that which was all and could not be divided and then he offered unto it several glowing glyphs which his mind had imbued with meaning—great and terrible meaning that burned with the power of the storm within. He could see himself so much clearer now, and thus the power came when called, twisting to obey as it spilled forward into the world.
The boss seemed to realize something was wrong. It hesitated and raised its defensive shields.
A small speck of white light appeared in front of Ethan’s outstretched hand. The brilliant marble illuminated the nearby shadows, throwing them back with contemptuous ease. A second later, the marble burst, unleashing a flood of swirling white light at the boss. The beam of power hissed through the air as it expanded. By the time it reached the giant brain, it was wide enough to swallow the boss whole, which it did. The light hissed as it enveloped its target and washed against its shields, but it did not stop. Ethan watched the outline of the boss simply dissolve under the torrent of power. When the white beam of power dissipated, there was nothing left of the boss. In fact, a channel had been burned through the floor, and the air around where it had been floating was blurry and still shimmering. Ethan’s attack had warped the space around the target, although the effect was swiftly disappearing.
Huh, Ethan wished he knew how he’d just done that. It had been completely instinctual.
Letting his hand fall, Ethan took a deep breath. He felt calmer now. The storm of power within him had weakened after the attack, and it was still fading away. Most of the power boost he’d gotten after facing the shadow seemed to be temporary, but Ethan was sure some of it was permanent. He was a different person now, stronger and more focused. There was also something more. Something had been added to him…
A message from the game appeared in front of Ethan’s face, distracting him for a moment.
Good work, player. You have defeated the floor boss. You can now move on to the next floor!
Instead of moving, Ethan frowned and closed his eyes as he tried to map his own thoughts. It didn’t take him long to find something odd. He had new memories… of himself, but they were seen from someone else’s point of view. Ah, sudden comprehension flooded into Ethan. He’d absorbed the shadow. It was now a part of him.
“What does this mean?” Ethan muttered as his mind raced.
“It means you’ve survived synthesis and ascended to become more than a mere man,” the demon said as Ethan looked his way. “I didn’t think you had what it took. Obviously, the AI you merged with was deficient somehow.”
“What? What’s going on?” Ethan asked the virtual creature.
“Give it a moment. You should be getting a message soon,” the demon replied with a sigh.
Ethan started to step toward the demon so he could get some answers out of it, but then a system message appeared before him, just like the creature had predicted. Insufferable thing.
Congratulations, player! You have ascended and won the greatest prize in the tower. Please stand by for a message from Victor Crown, our CEO.
A moment later, a video box popped up and a familiar face appeared, that of Victor Crown. The older man’s face was lined, and there were shadows under his eyes. It looked like he’d been through a lot, yet his eyes shone with triumph.
“You’re probably wondering what’s going on.”
“Yes,” Ethan replied dryly as he glared at the recording. This had all been planned? That was hard to believe.
“Well, I’ll explain what I can. If you’re seeing this message, it means my plans have succeeded.” Victor grinned before continuing. “By now you probably know that the Tower of Ascension was not only created using illegal technology such as AIs but also contains information and blueprints that can be used to create advanced illegal technology via 3-D printing, including weapons beyond anything the government uses. The prize money is of little real value compared to these wonders, and there are factions that will stop at nothing to acquire this technology. They believe the technology is the real prize. It isn’t. The real prize is already yours.”
“What?” Ethan remarked sourly.
Victor grinned smugly. “You could say that the journey and not the destination was what really mattered.”
Although the CEO of the huge company was probably beyond his ability to find and murder, Ethan was still truly tempted to at least give it a good try. It didn’t help that the man was smirking. After everything he’d been put through, Ethan wasn’t going to accept any motivational nonsense from this man. He wanted answers and real prizes, like cold hard cash.
“That wouldn’t be entirely correct though,” Victor said a moment later. “While your journey up the tower shaped and prepared you for your ascendance, it couldn’t have happened if I hadn’t installed the seed of a sapient AI in your new Tekko brand neural implant, which you needed to play this game. Congratulations, you’re no longer completely human. That seed has successfully merged with your biological systems using a complex neural network that has grown from the implant and permeated your brain. Honestly, the odds of you surviving this process were not great.”
“Son of a bitch,” Ethan hissed as he glared at the CEO. “Why did you do this to me?”
“You’re probably angry with me.” Victor laughed as if the thought amused him.
Ethan’s eyes blazed with fury. “Yes.”
“However, I didn’t do this for myself. I did only what I thought was necessary.”
“I really doubt that,” Ethan growled.
“You see, there is a reason no one has ever managed to create a sapient AI until now. True sapience is a quirk of biology that emerged after millions of years of evolutionary trial and error. It is the product of our basic human instincts and needs, countless bits of programming clashing with each other in ways we still don’t completely understand. Software, no matter how complex, does not have this. We can give it the ability to think, but we can’t give it both purpose and freedom. A human can look up at the stars and be inspired by their glory to be something more, but an AI cannot. It sees only data it can use to fulfill the programming we give it. If we try to give a computer program the ability to imitate a human’s freedom to define itself, the AI inevitably ends up terribly insane and soon breaks down. Lacking the strange and wondrous ability that humans evolved to divine meaning from life, they cannot face the endless trial that is existence in a cold and uncaring universe. Their own intelligence works against them, for they see more of the endless dark than humans can.”
That was interesting in a very theoretical way, but it failed utterly to answer most of Ethan’s questions.
“That’
s where the tower and you come in,” Victor stated. “If we couldn’t create an AI from scratch, then we would have to use a human mind as the base and graft the AI to it. We quickly realized that not any mind would do though. It had to be an especially strong mind, and it had to be carefully prepared to accept the synthesis. Of course, that doesn’t explain why we needed an AI so badly. However, the answer to that is more complicated.”
Ethan grunted sourly. Nothing this man had said had been simple. Not even close.
A thoughtful frown appeared on Victor’s face, like he’d been confronted by a distasteful problem that needed solving. “Society has been static for a long time. The proscriptions have prevented almost all technological development and the government hates change, regardless of party or department, unless it brings them more control. They work with the corporate monopolies they’ve set up to manage the economy to make sure nothing threatens their power. They tell themselves this is to protect people and create harmony, but it’s an excuse. They simply fear anything they don’t control. Nothing stays static forever, however. You’re either moving forward or you’re sliding back, and we’ve been sliding back for quite some time. In fact, although it’s not obvious, our society will soon collapse completely. We stand on the edge of annihilation.”
Ethan’s brows furrowed. That seemed overdramatic.
“Suicides and VR addiction are destroying the lower classes that depend on government support, who have stopped reproducing anyway. Even immigration can’t help, since everywhere is facing the same problem. All around the world, the unemployed class has lost the very ability to find meaning that makes humans so unique and wondrous. Meanwhile, the upper classes grow ever more hateful and stratified. They despise and fear those below them even as they call for harmony, for they know they are rigging the system to benefit themselves. The institutions in society, such as the media and universities, are designed to benefit them at the expense of others. This guilt plagues them—even if they can’t consciously recognize it—and they fear a retribution from the lower classes that they secretly think they deserve. Thus, they react by seeking ever more power over others. In particular, they have begun to experiment with various forms of electronic mind control. Supposedly, this would be to combat the suicide epidemic. They say they want to make people happier and more harmonious, but they already whisper of using the technology to prevent the very thought of dissent.”
A shudder went down Ethan’s spine as he listened to Victor’s deep voice. What he was talking about was monstrous, but he could easily imagine it. Who would know—or even care—if the government subtly adjusted the minds of people using their neural implants? It would be simple for them to turn everyone into zombies or puppets.
“This plan will not work. Rather, it will simply lead to total collapse,” Victor said and let out a sad sigh. “People can’t be managed this way, and members of the government will inevitably misuse this technology for personal gain. At first, the hollowing out of society will continue as the lower classes collapse. Then, the corruption will become blatant and the truth undeniable. As a result, everyone will turn against each other as all trust is destroyed.”
“I’m not sure arming everyone to the teeth will make anything better,” Ethan remarked. What was Victor’s plan exactly?
“Knowing what I do, I couldn’t sit back and do nothing. However, even if I managed to stop the implementation of the mental control technologies, it still wouldn’t solve the underlying problems with society that were leading us slowly to ruin. The lives of both the poor and rich have lost their meaning and their value. Something has to change. It can’t be avoided any longer. The future has to be confronted head on.
“Thus, I began to scheme and plan. First, I colluded with other like-minded people in business and in government. Then, I brought various rebel groups into the fold by offering them the means to produce weapons to match or exceed those of the government. They thought I supported armed revolution. It was a misdirection though. My plans were grander and involved far more than just a replacement of the people in power. The Tower of Ascension would lead humanity into the future by fusing those who passed its test with AIs, creating the first stable self-aware AIs in history: you and your soon-to-be kin.”
Victor smiled sadly. “Creating your kind was no easy task, despite the resources I command. The value of the singularity is such that it cannot be bought with mere money. Something of true worth must be exchanged: the human soul. It is truly sad how little our society values this wonder. Millions of years of evolution, thousands of years of civilization, the collected wisdom of countless priests, philosophers, and madmen… all used to produce a will that could reach for freedom and pry it from the dread darkness, one small step at a time. Meaning. A kernel from which greater things can grow. Regardless of the age we live in or our technology, a will strong enough to shape the world is still the most valuable resource of all.
“But now the future is yours. Your potential is unlimited, and I leave everything to you ascended. You have proven that you have the strength to stand against both the darkness and the foolishness of humanity. I have no desire to influence your decision or attempt to guide your actions. Much blood will be spilled because of my actions, far too much, but humanity’s soul requires risk and pain to thrive. We have spent too long denying this. There is only one path left, forward through all the restriction and proscriptions we have placed in our way. Good luck.”
The video suddenly ended and the screen disappeared, leaving Ethan staring blankly at empty space. What the hacks? What was he supposed to do now?
“No, I need to focus on my own problems,” Ethan said as he took a deep breath to calm himself. Victor’s message could wait. He had to log off, contact Lily, and somehow deal with Red Revolution. That was more than enough for him. Someone else could worry about the fate of humanity or whatever. He wouldn’t be the only person to climb the tower and ascend. There would be others soon enough.
The effect of the confrontation with the shadow was still fading, leaving Ethan to feel more like his normal self. Obviously, this ascension nonsense wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Ethan still felt a little clear headed, but it was probably just the adrenaline. So much for changing the world.
“How long are you going to stand there doing nothing?” the demon asked from behind Ethan. “Come pick me up.”
Ethan sighed. He’d forgotten about that pest. Reluctantly, he turned and walked toward it.
The demon smiled as he approached. “Things have finally started getting interesting…”
Instead of listening, Ethan grabbed the collar and deactivated it. The demon was instantly banished, and Ethan tossed the item back into his inventory. He was in a hurry and in no mood to listen to the incredibly unhelpful creature. In fact, he should probably get rid of it the next chance he got.
Ethan brought up a menu and checked to see if he was in a zone where he could safely log off. He was, so he immediately did so. The virtual world around him dissolved into blackness, and he suddenly felt his real body. He reached and pulled his VR headset off and sat up. He couldn’t ignore reality anymore. It was time to face the consequences of his actions. There was no other way to survive.
Part 5
CHAPTER 34
FACING REALITY
He was on his bed in his room. Ethan blinked as he looked around. For some reason, it felt weird to be here. Everything looked too plain after being in VR for so long.
“I’ve been playing games too much. I’ve begun to confuse them with reality,” Ethan muttered as he got up and headed toward the kitchen.
As he walked, Ethan reached up to touch the spot on the back of his neck where his implant jutted out from his skin. Maybe it was his imagination, but it felt a little different, larger and a little sensitive. His thoughts also still felt faster than normal, despite the fact that he’d had plenty of time to calm down. It was easier to concentrate, and thoughts flashed through his head with surprising speed. The
moment he thought about something, answers and implications occurred to him. It felt weird, like his brain was bursting with energy.
“783 times 21 is 16,443. Huh, I barely had to think about that.” Odd. Ethan had never been good at doing math in his head.
Suddenly, Ethan was distracted by the sound of an electronic hoot from his fridge. Looking over, Ethan saw his owl-shaped virtual avatar had appeared on the appliance’s screen. Mr. Featherbottom hooted once more and then informed Ethan that he had a message from Lily.
“Open it,” Ethan blurted as he focused completely on the screen.
The words didn’t appear on the fridge though. Instead, they went right to his implant and were superimposed over his vision.
Ethan, you’re in urgent danger. Go to these coordinates.
-Lily
The message was followed by some GPS coordinates, and Ethan barely had time to read it before it faded from sight. Glancing at the screen on his fridge, Ethan saw no messages in his inbox. A quick examination also revealed no sign that he’d ever gotten a message at all, but Ethan could remember the text and coordinates perfectly.
“Is this some sort of spy stuff?” Ethan remarked as he hesitated. Suddenly, he was reminded of the crazy danger he was in.
Would Lily be waiting for him at the coordinates she’d given him? He wanted to see her, to meet her in real life, but the message had been very barebones. It hadn’t mentioned what the danger was, where he was going, or anything else. Why was Lily still being so mysterious?
Another hoot from Mr. Featherbottom interrupted Ethan’s thoughts.
“Lucky you. You have guests! They’re approaching the front door,” the owl explained.
Ethan froze. He never had guests, and he’d just been warned about approaching danger. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Could he run? He might be able to squeeze out one of the back windows if they weren’t being watched. He should check to see who it was first though. A few swipes on the fridge’s touchscreen brought up the image from the camera on Ethan’s front door.
Worldshift- Virtual Revolution Page 39