<FINAL CASUALTIES: 2.8 TRILLION. LOAD NEW SCENARIO?>
Inside the simulation chamber, Curator Ranek stood alone as he tested the prototype mainframe known as Prometheus. Above him the computer had generated a vast galaxy map, its view centered on the tiny area occupied by humanity.
"Run again."
A chime sounded, and Prometheus once more constructed a future from the vast reserves of information it held.
But like before, an unseen force began to manifest itself. For a time it remained hidden, teasing its existence with isolated events until like a breaking wave it swept through the known worlds. After what seemed an eternity the simulation ended, and trillions of lives had been lost as the galaxy plunged into a new dark age.
Ranek tried to comfort himself by thinking these results were some anomaly, or a programming error. But however hard he tried, he could not rid himself of a lingering fear...what if the simulation was correct?
The computers designer, Bruno Ensor often quoted Sirius Gov: '....with enough data we can predict almost anything'. The unknown artifacts, Starship One, barnacles- Halsey... Ranek had run the program repeatedly in desperation, hoping for a different outcome.
But with each result it looked back at him- a fleeting, malevolent shadow caught between millions of disparate bits of data, traces of something else hidden in plain sight, waiting...watching.
With a wave of his hand he powered down the simulator. Looking up into the peaceful night sky he thought of the trillions fated to die, and those condemned to live amid the ruins of a shattered galaxy.
He gathered his thoughts.
"I have been granted a vision" he told himself.
"We must prepare".
Inside the simulation chamber, Curator Ranek stood alone as he tested the prototype mainframe known as Prometheus. Above him the computer had generated a vast galaxy map, its view centered on the tiny area occupied by humanity.
"Run again."
A chime sounded, and Prometheus once more constructed a future from the vast reserves of information it held.
But like before, an unseen force began to manifest itself. For a time it remained hidden, teasing its existence with isolated events until like a breaking wave it swept through the known worlds. After what seemed an eternity the simulation ended, and trillions of lives had been lost as the galaxy plunged into a new dark age.
Ranek tried to comfort himself by thinking these results were some anomaly, or a programming error. But however hard he tried, he could not rid himself of a lingering fear...what if the simulation was correct?
The computers designer, Bruno Ensor often quoted Sirius Gov: '....with enough data we can predict almost anything'. The unknown artifacts, Starship One, barnacles- Halsey... Ranek had run the program repeatedly in desperation, hoping for a different outcome.
But with each result it looked back at him- a fleeting, malevolent shadow caught between millions of disparate bits of data, traces of something else hidden in plain sight, waiting...watching.
With a wave of his hand he powered down the simulator. Looking up into the peaceful night sky he thought of the trillions fated to die, and those condemned to live amid the ruins of a shattered galaxy.
He gathered his thoughts.
"I have been granted a vision" he told himself.
"We must prepare".
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