POV - [Nigel]

System Message

to the 7912th tutorial arc. Your world has been identified as having reached the critical population density to have sufficient chances of survival of the integration into the multiverse and is now eligible for uplift. You have been volunteered to participate in your species’ race for agency.>

Wow - wordy much? I felt that familiar relaxation of anticipation; like opening the first chapter of a new fiction. The willing suspension of disbelief as a new world is laid out before me. How much of this was me, and how much was some outside influence calming me, I could not tell.

Parsing this announcement was more than slightly ominous though, if survival as a species requires a base population this high. Vaguely I remembered the world population as closing in rapidly on 20 billion, with the stress of overpopulation and managing our planet's finite resources a major concern; only being addressed about 100 years too late. Before I could venture too far down the rabbit hole of minimum viable population and what on earth ‘sufficient chances’ might be, a new message popped up.

What!! This is fantastic. No more severe debilitating headaches, let alone all the physical impairments I had suffered pretty much all my life. The operation I had been laid out for was now totally unneeded.

Just how advanced was this system uplift? Not only peak health but also peak age? Looking down at myself I was still wearing the operating gown I was whisked away in. My arms and legs looked and felt their normal scrawny selves. I felt 22 years old, which wasn’t that strange since I actually was 22. I’m guessing this means older people are brought back to their early twenties and younger children accelerated to maturity. I felt a pang of concern for my younger sister. How would she be dealing with this? Was she isolated from our parents? How would Liv cope being just eight years old? And how were the olds doing?

(Totally picked that).

recommends relinking up with each other as a matter of priority upon entry.>

Okay, I'm totally onboard. What’s next? Hang on, what did that say? Trial?

And that was another direct answer to my unspoken question. I wondered if that betterment included the System itself. This was most definitely not the standard intro montage I was used to in the various MMORPG games I had briefly dabbled in.

Whoops. Don’t want to antagonise the System before we even get started. “Sorry,” I winced, “no offence meant. Please ignore my internal monologuing - it's a nervous defence mechanism.”

Huh, and here comes the fine print. Like what sort of choice is this? As always, I’ll scroll to the bottom and tick the check box. This was a no brainer.

Well, recycled sounds pretty terminal. I think I’ll pass on that thanks. I chuckled to myself as I thought of all the anti-authority, the anti-vax and various conscientious objectors who refused anything that impinged or may impinge on their perceived rights. I wondered how many were so infuriated with being volunteered by an outside agency that they rage-quit without properly reading the consequences.

Oh my word, my irreverent musings were brought up short. Over 10% of the world’s population were gone just like that. I hope none of them were children or infants who didn’t understand what such reckless obstinance would result in.

I drew in a deep breath, marvelling in the feeling of clean fresh air filling my lungs. Truly this was beyond marvellous. A thrill of new life and excitement infused my being. I was so ready to move on. I could handle the System’s intrusive condescension. After all it really was simply so much more than I could fully comprehend.

Hang on, I had a sudden thought, why isn’t there a System Avatar welcoming me instead of these blue text boxes. With the advanced capacities the System had displayed so far using the basic text boxes for communication seemed strangely limited.

Once again I was caught on the verge of taking offence. This was stupid. I was stupid. “Move on Nige” I recommended to myself.

> >

I firmly pushed on accept and the world folded in on itself in a swirl of colour.