Chapter 23: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach

September 30, 2652 – 363 Days Before Judgment Day

There was nothing left to say. Aaron realized that what’s done is done and that he was going to spend the final day he had left with his friends doing everything that they had ever wanted. Lucius and Riley had it all planned out – first, they were going to book a trip to Luna and jump all over it like a trampoline. Then, they were going to settle whose the fastest swimmer once and for all by racing against the Turquoise Sea, gamble all of their money in Neo-Atlantis, stay for some sushi, and then lastly, they were going to go back to Aaron’s room, order a pizza, and finish watching Shogun.

Or at least that was the plan until Aaron woke up and received a message back from a man who should’ve been dead.

“Do you still want to save your friends?” Virgil’s message read cryptically.

There wasn’t a doubt in Aaron’s mind and so, Aaron replied back and a meeting was arranged.

The place they had chosen to meet at was the New Haven City Hall, which with the exception of Aaron and Virgil, was completely deserted.

“Thank you for meeting me,” Virgil said upon seeing Aaron at the steps of the building

Angrily, Aaron asked, “Where have you been!? I’ve been trying to reach you for days!”

“Oh you know, here and there. Making preparations,” Virgil said facetiously.

Aaron didn’t take the bait and demanded, “How can I save them!?”

Virgil walked over to Aaron, touched him on the shoulder, and then portaled him back to the Lake Ellis Train Station.

“It’s quite simple really. I’ll just sponsor your friends,” said Virgil.

Aaron turned to look at Virgil and asked, “You can do that?”

“Oh yes. Quite easily,” Virgil replied.

“But what’s the catch?” Aaron asked.

“No catch,” said Virgil.

“I don’t believe you,” said Aaron.

“You’re learning,” Virgil said approvingly.

Aaron scrutinized the well-dressed and dapper man before him and tried to make sense of the situation but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t.

“So what is it?” Aaron asked.

“You don’t even want to try to guess?” Virgil asked back.

“I can try, but ultimately I don’t see why it matters,” said Aaron.

“And why’s that?” Virgil asked.

“Because I don’t have a choice,” Aaron replied.

“No. Nuh-uh,” Virgil said while shaking his head. “You have a choice. You always have a choice. They might not be good choices, but you always have a choice.”

“So what happens if you sponsor them?” Aaron asked.

“Use deductive reasoning,” Virgil instructed.

Aaron furrowed his brow, got slightly angrily by instinct, and then the answer came to him. Then, he couldn’t help but scoff.

“Then 2 other people will die,” Aaron said.

“Bingo,” Virgil replied. “I could easily sponsor them – I don’t mind at all. But if I do this, you have to understand that, even if I’m the one pushing the button, you’re the one making the choice.”

“Yeah, all right. Do it,” Aaron uttered without hesitation.

“Wow. Just like that,” Virgil expressed with surprise.

“Yeah, just like that,” said Aaron.

“You know, people normally struggle with the choice,” said Virgil.

“Maybe. I mean, I did too, but not today because I already made the choice yesterday,” said Aaron.

“My god. It really broke you,” said Virgil.

“Is there anything else?” Aaron asked.

“No,” said Virgil with a smirk.

With an outstretched arm, Virgil pulled down his HUD. Then, he selected Lucius’ and Riley’s names and chose them for B-rank promotion.

“All right. Last chance,” said Virgil.

In may regards, Aaron was lucky. So many people go through their lives without the slightest chance of picking anything good but Aaron had been given chance after chance and now, he was being given another one. There was no need for hesitation. Aaron walked over to Virgil, picked up Virgil’s hand, and pushed it against the button himself.

And just like that, Aaron had saved his friends.

Some lives are worth more than others. People might argue about who’s worth more than who, but hierarchy is not in dispute. It’s just a simple fact and anyone who disagrees with that is either an idiot or a liar.

As Aaron turned to walk away, Virgil called out to him and asked, “Don’t you have any other questions for me?”

Aaron turned back around and asked, “Do you promise not to lie?”

“I’ve never lied to you,” Virgil replied.

“Was the culling even necessary?” Aaron asked.

“Yes, and no,” Virgil replied. “We weren’t running out of crops but sowing division helps keep you people from getting uppity.”

Aaron smirked and shook his head.

“You’re an administrator, aren’t you?” Aaron asked.

“I am,” Virgil confirmed.

“Why do you keep us alive?” Aaron asked.

“For population stability,” Virgil replied.

“No. I don’t buy it,” said Aaron. “You don’t need that many people for population stability.”

Virgil nodded and said, “That’s true. But part of the reason is population stability.”

“And the other part?” Aaron asked.

“I think you already know,” Virgil replied.

Aaron faced the sky and exhaled. Then, he said, “It’s because we’re the server, aren’t we?”

“Go on,” said Virgil.

“It’s what I’ve never been able to figure out – how any of this works. I’ve crunched the numbers; I’ve done the math. There is no way to build a supercomputer capable of performing the number of calculations necessary to keep a server like the one the Columbus Server is operating based on semi-conductors. It is physically impossible, as in a hard limit in materials engineering. It’s also impossible for our power plants, the ones powering the Columbus Arcology, to generate enough energy to grow crops, harvest them, run the soil, sewage, water, air, and other reclamation systems AND power the server. And yet, the server certainly existed – I just couldn’t figure out how until Mt. Inferno,” said Aaron.

“It was the exaflops,” said Virgil.

“We live in a post-labor society – we have no value as workers. We no have no value as slaves. So why keep us alive? Because we’re commodities. We’re cheap biological supercomputers who are magnitudes more energy efficient than artificial ones,” Aaron concluded.

“Does it make you angry?” Virgil asked.

“Yes. But there’s also no point,” said Aaron. “Nothing will change.”

“Nothing will change,” Virgil repeated. “But something might change for you. How would you like to become an administrator?”

Aaron turned his head in confusion and asked, “What? Why?”

“Because I’m old, and I’m dying,” Virgil replied.

“Dying from what?” Aaron asked.

“At the end of this day, I am going to be culled,” Virgil replied.

“What? But you’re an administrator,” said Aaron.

“Yes, but you over-estimate the value of this title,” said Virgil. “An administrator is only powerful inside the server. It has no real power outside – it doesn’t even match the power of a single dev, let alone the true masters who control everything from beyond the wall.”

“But why are you being culled?” Aaron asked.

“To maintain the illusion that I am only an S-ranked,” Virgil replied. “You don’t have to accept. In many ways, you will probably be happier as you are now. You are freer without the burden of responsibility and power, even a modicum of it, will alienate you forever.”

Aaron thought about it for a moment and then said, “But it’s also necessary. I’ve already experienced it – you cannot do anything without power.”

“Very well. Then the title will pass to you,” said Virgil.

“What will you do now?” Aaron asked.

“Be alone, because I know you will return to your friends,” Virgil replied.

“You could come,” Aaron offered.

“I cannot,” Virgil replied. “I must maintain the illusion, just as you must.”

“What happens if I don’t?” Aaron asked.

“Every choice has a consequence,” Virgil replied.

“How do I know anything you said is true?” Aaron asked.

Virgil laughed and nodded approvingly. Then, he said, “Now you’re asking the right questions.”