“Breathe,” said an elderly woman’s voice from inside of Adam’s head.
Adam sucked in breath like he had just surfaced from being underwater too long. His eyes shot open and he jumped out of the chair he was sitting in toward the ground covering his head and waiting for the truck’s impact. It didn’t come. After a few seconds the voice spoke again directly into his brain.
“Welcome to your nexus. I know this might be a shock, but you died.”
Adam lifted up his head and looked around. He was in a blank white room with a single black folding chair sitting open in the middle. There was no discernible light source that he could see. He could hardly tell the room was square with how disorienting the stark whiteness of the room was.
“What?” he said. “I’m dead? Are you serious? Where am I? Where are you? Why are you speaking in my head?”
A woman appeared in an identical black chair across from his empty one. She was slightly plump, puffy white hair, wrinkles, and eyes full of kindness. She was a grandmother if Adam had ever seen one. Adam felt a little at ease in her presence.
“Why don’t you have a seat dear and I’ll explain everything.”
Adam stood and hesitantly walked to the chair. His feet were a little shaky and he kept his eye on the old woman the whole way. She just sat there with her hands resting on a small black cane.
“Very good dear, I know this must be crazy, but I assure you I am only here to make your transition as smooth as possible. Now, like I said you died.”
Adam saw a flash of the truck barreling toward him.
“You were transported directly to the nexus upload center and here you are. It looks like you signed up when you turned eighteen. Do you remember signing up for The Nexus?”
“Um, yeah I signed up with my best friend,” said Adam. “Wait! What happened to Josh?”
“Joshua Weston?” asked the grandmotherly figure. Her eyes were staring past him like she was zoning out.
“Yeah, is he okay?”
“It seems he has also joined The Nexus recently. He will be going through this same explanation as you right about now. Now, let us get back to busi–”
“Can I see him?” interrupted Adam.
The woman smiled and said, “Yes dear, you can see him soon, but first we must finish here. Now, this room is yours. You may change anything in the room in any way that you want. All you have to do is use a little brain power. I will unlock the room now. Why don’t you give it a try?”
Room configuration currently unlocked rang a robotic voice inside Adam’s head.
Adam thought about his home. The room instantly changed to his one room apartment that he had left only a few hours ago. Clothes were scattered everywhere still. Dishes were in the sink, and the same old beige walls with movie posters hung around the room. The only difference were the two plastic black chairs where he and Guide sat in the middle of the room. He looked around and panicked a little at the mess. Instantly the clothes were gone, the dust cleared, and the dishes done. It was as pristine as the day Adam moved in. He let out a breath. For some reason he just didn’t want this lady to think he was a pig.
“Very good dear. You can change this at any time. You may also add rooms, change the size, and do anything else you would like inside this room.”
Adam’s thoughts wandered for a moment and a giant Olympic sized swimming pool appeared behind his bed. The room had grown to a massive size to accommodate the pool. Adam smiled to himself, and then the pool disappeared.
“What happened?” he asked, looking around.
“It is best to keep something you’re familiar with for the time being. Why don’t you try locking the room.”
“How do I loc–”
Before he could finish a window popped up in front of him floating in thin air.
Would you like to lock this configuration?
Y/N
He tried to reach up and choose the “Y” option and his hand went right through the screen. He tried again a few times before he realized he must have looked like a crazy person flapping his hand through the air.
“Use your mind,” said Guide. She tapped the side of her head and smiled.
Adam looked a bit embarrassed as he mentally chose “Y”. The screen flashed, lighting up the “Y”, and then it was gone.
The room configuration is now locked.
“Nice,” said Adam to himself.
“Great job dear. Now, let’s talk a little about what you can do from your nexus.”
Guide explained all things Adam was able to do in the nexus. He could contact people either in the nexus or still in the physical world. He could browse the internet, invite people to his nexus, and get any food he wanted just by thinking about it even though he didn’t technically have to eat. It was a paradise he could create. She even told him the room itself didn’t have to only be a room. It could become a grassy field, an ocean, or anything else he wanted.
All in all Adam was thrilled as he tested his new home. He practiced for a bit using his mind to open menus, accept notifications, and change his room around as he locked and unlocked the configuration. His mind wandered for a bit as he thought about the people who had made this place.
He had always heard about the creators of the nexus as if they were some sort of saviors. He had never understood it until now. All he had to do was sign up and they did all this without it costing him a penny. He hadn’t believed it, and a lot of people were skeptical when the nexus released. The creators, however, were the first to join leaving all their worldly possessions behind. Companies had tried to replicate or control the system throughout the years, but all attempts had failed. The world would riot if denied access to the nexus as it had nearly happened before, and the system completely unable to be affected from all outside sources.
“Now that you seem to have a handle on things I have one final part of the nexus to show you. This dear, is the true reason why the nexus was created. I would like you to ask the nexus for a list of worlds.”
Adam mentally asked the nexus for a list of worlds. Within seconds hundreds of small planets were slowly rotating around him and Guide. They had an array of colors and sizes. Adam focused on one that looked like Earth for a moment. It floated between the two and a description popped up next to it.
World: Earth 2.0 Description:
This planet is a copy of Earth newly populated by the inhabitants of the Nexus. There is no unwanted crime, violence, or war allowed on this planet. People live peacefully following their passions, finding love, making families, and anything else within the planet’s rules. Money is no longer an obstacle as everything is provided by the Nexus.
Death: You may choose to leave the world at any time. You may also rejoin the world at any time. Current World Age: 5 years, 355 days, 23 hours, and 15 minutes. Current World Population:
1,150,828,223
Would you like to join this world?
Y/N
He had heard of these worlds. He had even seen a few videos about them. Earth 2.0 was a popular one where people could live out their lives and still interact with new people. It was one of the first worlds ever created and it was said to be the reason for the success of The Nexus.
“Great job,” said Guide. “It seems you have a handle on everything now. It is suggested that you spend some time in your nexus room with company or with an appointed therapist AI. The change can be something that is hard to acclimate to. The idea that you are you still, you’ll live forever, and that your body on Earth is gone. I will take my leave now. Before I go I will update your contact list. If you have any other questions all you have to do is think about me and I’ll pop right in.”
She gave a little laugh and burst into a small cloud of smoke that smelled like freshly baked cookies. Adam was a little shocked at how abruptly she left, but as he noticed the smoke something else popped into his head. He hadn’t even thought about having a cigarette since he’d gotten to the nexus. He didn’t crave it even now while it was on his mind.
I guess that’s one positive of dying, he thought, my nicotine addiction died with me it seems.
With that thought the floodgates seemed to burst open. He felt the warm tears run down his face as thoughts raced through his head. He had died. There was so much he hadn’t done. So much he wouldn’t ever be able to do. He didn’t think about marriage or kids before, but when the prospect was suddenly ripped from him that’s all he could imagine.
“Why can’t you still have all of that?” a voice rang out in his room. It sounded like an older British man.
“Who’s there?” Adam looked around his room as he wiped his tears away.
“My name is Charles and I’m an AI therapist that was alerted to your crises by the nexus.”
As soon as the voice stopped a blue portal appeared in front of Adam and out stepped a man in a tan suit with a short beard and long white hair. He had slight wrinkles around his eyes just barely noticeable behind his glasses.
“How did you know I was having a problem?”
Charles cleared his throat slightly before he said, “You are part of the nexus now. It knows everything.”
“Well that’s creepy.”
The AI gave a short laugh. “Yes, it can be a little unsettling, but you must know that nobody has access to the nexus or any of its information. Even the creators can only make improvements, but not interact with the internal system. This is just a safety precaution for times exactly like this.”
“If you say so,” said Adam, not convinced.
“Try not to worry about how I knew you needed me, but instead let’s talk about why. Tell me what’s on your mind?”
“Can’t you just read it?”
“Of course not, the nexus alerted me and no more.,” said Charles as he sat down in the black chair Guide had used. He changed it into a comfortable looking leather chair a moment later.
Adam took a breath and did the same, turning his chair into a recliner and laying back. Screw it he thought. He’d always wanted to talk to a therapist even if he couldn’t ever afford one. Now he had the best of the best in AI technology to pick apart his brain.
Once he was comfortable he started to talk. It came out like he’d been holding it in his entire life.
“There was so much I wanted to do and I didn’t even realize it until now. I want to love someone, I want to have children, I want to try new things, taste new things, and see everything. Now, I’ll never be able to do any of that.”
“Why not?” asked Charles.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Because I’m dead.”
“Correction, your body on Earth died. Your mind and consciousness has been uploaded to the nexus. You have a body just like you did on Earth. You can feel pain, love, depression, anger, and happiness just like you could before. You can feel the pinch of skin, the bump of a knee, or the pain of loss if you want. Just think about what you’re feeling right now. You are still you, and your life is only really beginning now. Just look at the possibilities each world offers. You can find love, have a family, and even children if you wish.”
“Would they even be real? Is any of it real?” asked Adam.
“It’s as real as what you feel right now. Every AI that is created within the nexus has its own mind. It has freewill to do whatever it would like just like you do. I, for example, am free to stop helping people whenever I feel like it and go do whatever I want. The nexus created me but it does not control me. I am my own person. I feel things just the way you do.”
“Whoa,” was all Adam could say. It was a lot to process. He’d never imagined something like this could exist even knowing about the nexus. It was all just too much.
“But I would suggest looking into yourself for a moment. What is stopping you from doing everything you never did before? There are worlds where anything is possible. Take some time to adjust and then take the first step toward the rest of your life.”
Adam let the words fill his mind as he laid his head back in the recliner and closed his eyes. The last thing Charles had said seemed to resonate with him. He heard a pop and the smell of pipe tobacco filled his nose. He looked around to see Charles and the chair gone.
Another screen came into his view not long after that.
* Contact Added: Rebecca Robinson - Relation: Mother - Location: Earth
* Contact Added: Brian Robinson - Relation: Father - Location: Earth
* Contact Added: Joshua Weston - Relation: Friend - Location: Nexus
* Contact Added: Gerald Filson - Relation: Friend - Location: Earth
The list continued on and on as it added more and more people, some of whom Adam didn’t even remember knowing. He thought about Josh and a new menu replaced contacts.
Name: Joshua Weston Age: 25 Location: The Nexus Contact: Nexus call, Nexus message, Nexus video chat, visit home, or email
Adam wondered what a Nexus call was when the prompt popped up in his face again.
Would you like to call Joshua Weston?
(Y/N)
Adam chose "Y" and a ringtone sounded in his mind. It rang twice before Josh picked up.
“Bro! Are you okay?”
“I guess, I think I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything. Can you actually hear me?” Adam felt weird just talking without having a cellphone or earpiece or something.
“Yeah, loud and clear. Yep, can’t believe that shit bro. But look on the bright side. We don’t have to go to work tomorrow.”
Adam laughed a bit at that one. “I guess you’re right.”
“Did you see the world stuff?” asked Josh.
“Yeah, looks pretty cool. I only checked out Earth 2.0 though.”
“Are you serious? This shit is insane. Hold on, I'm coming over.”
The line went silent and a moment later there was a knock that reverberated around Adam’s room.
Would you like to invite Joshua Weston to your home?
(Y/N)
Adam accepted the prompt and Josh walked through the front door of his new home pretending to be his old home. Josh went right to the fridge and grabbed a beer before throwing himself on the small leather couch. Adam was pretty sure there hadn’t been beer in his fridge before that.
“Check this out,” said Josh.
As he cracked open the beer, hundreds of tiny planets appeared again rotating around them. Josh took a drink and let out an audible sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch. As he did, a small galaxy floated toward the middle of the room.
Adam moved out of his recliner toward the scene unfolding in his living room. The rotating planets flickered blue as he passed through them without resistance to look at the galaxy closer. It wasn’t like the other planets, but instead seemed to be a small galactic system of its own. As Adam looked a description appeared next to the floating mass.
World:
The Tetra Galaxy
Description:
Space pirates are a thing, aliens are too, and you can explore them all along with all the planets that The Tetra Galaxy has to offer. Become the captain of your own spaceship, and explore the darkest depths, the brightest stars, and the greatest planets. Beware though, not all the lifeforms out there are friendly.
Death:
You may respawn in The Tetra Galaxy, but you lose everything and start back at level 1.
World Age:
3 years, 2 days, 1 hour and 23 minutes
Population:
3,635,728
“Space pirates?” he asked. “But you really want to just jump into a whole new world?”
“What else are we going to do?” said Josh. “I’ve been thinking about it. What’s the point of waiting around here? We talk to our parents, or whoever we left behind and we tell them we’re good. There’s nothing here in this little room for us. There’s a whole world out there and this time we can finally live.”
Adam thought about what his friend had said. He wasn’t wrong. They didn’t leave much behind. Adam had just been dumped a few months ago for not “living up to his potential” as she had put it. He didn’t blame her, but he hadn’t felt like anything was worth living for. Now that it was gone he had a small hole inside himself. Like he had missed something. With that hole came a drive to fill it. At the moment he didn’t feel whole, but the idea of joining a new world, one where they could fulfill their full potential sparked something inside Adam.
“Let’s do it,” he said. “But not this one. I don’t think I like the idea of space just yet. Maybe another time.”
“Fair enough, let’s look around.”
For the next few hours the two scrolled through the small floating planets together. After about an hour they realized there were filters. The first filter they chose was an upcoming world or newly opened world. The next filter was something with dragons, because who didn’t want to fight a dragon. The last filter box they checked was something called Hardcore. The little information window appeared when Adam focused on it.
Hardcore:
Death is permanent in this world. If you die you will be sent back to your nexus and unable to join the world ever again.
Adam had always enjoyed perma-death in games. The risk vs reward, the sense of accomplishment, it was what made it so enjoyable. Plus, the idea of just respawning with everything seemed a bit boring.
When the last filter box was checked only one planet remained. It floated slowly around the two like all the others, but when there was only one it felt like it had chosen them rather than the other way around. There was a palpable excitement in the air between the two as the planet moved between them.
World:
Ethera
Death:
Hardcore - If you die you will be returned to your nexus and unable to rejoin the world ever again
Description:
A land of magic and wonder. Adventure through the world of Ethera. Discover power, fight monsters, find treasure, create kingdoms, and rise to the top.
Time Until World Birth:
5 hours 52 minutes
“That’s the one,” they both said simultaneously.
Another small menu appeared a moment later.
Would you like to view the trailer to this world?
Y/N
“There’s a trailer?” asked Adam. “Like a movie?”
“I guess.”
They both mentally selected "Y" and their vision was filled with a blinding light. Then Adam was floating above a grassy plains. It felt like he was in a waking dream. He had no body, but was instead just floating senses. He could feel the summer breeze, he could smell the grass, he could hear the birds, and he could see far into the distance. Then, everything started to move. He couldn’t control where he was going but only look around. He saw castles, villages, and even some people. The people were not all human either. Some looked like they were carved from stone, others were small and dark with pointy ears. He even thought he saw a man made of glass and smoke.
As he floated through the land he noticed his speed starting to pick up. It wasn’t long before the world was flashing by him so fast he was starting to get dizzy. Everything blurred together like some sort of video playing at one-hundred times the normal speed. Adam screamed but no sound came out.
Darkness filled his vision. It was utter and complete. For a moment Adam felt worried. His mind raced with scenarios on what happened. Maybe the Nexus wasn’t perfect. Maybe there was some sort of bug. Maybe he was actually dead and this was all just some sick dream.
A voice rang out through the darkness just as Adam started to panic. “The people of Ethera were not always so complacent.” The voice of the woman demanded attention and exuded power. A small blue light appeared within the darkness. It started to grow bigger as the woman spoke again. “They were not always so weak.” The blue light started to come into focus for Adam. He could finally see that it wasn’t a light at all but a giant blue crystal. Inside the crystal he saw scenes play out before him like thousands of tiny movies.
War raged, magic flew, and monsters crashed through the lands inside the crystal. A flash of lightning crackled through the crystal and Adam saw the shape of a woman curled up inside.
“It is time my children were once again tested,” said the woman. The crystal cracked. “They shall not be alone.” The sound of breaking glass reverberated inside Adam’s ears. “They will need you. Help them.” The crystal exploded and Adam was sent flying backwards. His vision shifted and he was on the grassy green plains again. He looked up as the sky was filled with shimmering blue crystals like millions of tiny stars. They hovered high above the lands covering the entire sky for a brief moment. Then the crystals plummeted toward the world of Ethera.
Adam was suddenly back in his nexus room laid back in his recliner. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“That was intense,” said Josh.
“Yeah, vague as hell too. Looks like they didn’t want to spoil anything.”
“Whelp, guess it’s time to call the parents and tell them we died.”
Adam couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the statement. Josh was right though. They needed to let people know that they were part of the nexus now.
It took them only about an hour to call their loved ones and let them know what happened. Josh’s girlfriend at the time didn’t take it too well and he spent some time consoling her, but in the end they decided it was probably best if they parted ways since she’d be alive for a long time still. Adam’s was much easier as he just called his parents. He told them to sell whatever he had that was worth anything, and hopefully he’d see them again one day. They took it pretty well, but they were big supporters of the nexus. Death just didn’t seem that big of a deal when you lived forever.
With business handled the two friends were ready to start their next adventure. Together they mentally brought up the world list and selected Ethera.
Would you like to join Ethera?
Y/N
Time Until World Birth: 3 hours 35 minutes
“You ready?” asked Josh.
Adam nodded without hesitation. “Let’s blast.”
They both accepted and darkness once again filled Adam’s vision.