Emilio Wamarez Sanchez

Only one living creature equaled or surpassed Marilyn’s digital addictive showmanship, it was the world-famous President Emilio Wamarez Sanchez. Sure, the man had a strange gift of foresight, but the former garage mechanic was now much more. His mind, a rare occurrence folded time and peeked into more than three dimensions. It saw outcomes.

His online charisma was even more electrifying than his life colorful self. Any eye that beheld him felt riveted to him for obvious reasons. Today would be no exception. He would not squander this opportunity to help every person he could. Imperfect in so many ways, he was the ultimate renaissance man. His "power" borrowed the genius of others and focused it so forcefully that he could see future outcomes with more accuracy than anything not called Electoral and in some instances, he beat her at forecasting. Standing in a crowd of intellectual specialists, Emilio was ordinarily invulnerable. Yet, the Sixth Attraction was humbling even to him. In this quarter-finale, connected magically to a strange collective mind, he stood on the shoulders of billions.

It was undeniable, at the moment, the man was more.

But these last days had made him even richer. The Communion had given him perspective, a deeper understanding of the Multiverse, knowledge of his gift, a love-filled man, thanks to the computer’s matchmaking skills. Marilyn’s gift made him whole, but he knew better than to gloat. His life mattered little when compared to the weight of responsibilities resting on his shoulders.

Marilyn’s strange logic feared Emilio’s foresight, in a time of universal need, would vanish if he knew love. She threw his aid aside and opened his door to true love, that warmed his heart. Love, this strange thing that he had so long tried to avoid in the kindest of ways, had made him stronger.

They jumped again, time shifted and he needed to adapt. This game mattered not because of Laurent’s high school’s escapade but for something else. Down on earth, he did not jump in the tube, he simply closed his eyes, imagining his assistant, and every portion of his body and mind was fueled with burning power. He felt indestructible. For the first time in his life, Emilio wasn’t alone and he arrived in the digital world.

Eyes opened, he saw the thousands of small attentions these last decades by his loving assistant. He saw himself leave his office, a tumbler of scotch in hand, and Kaï, remaining there alone in the office, looking at the empty silver platter, wishing Emilio was still there. The man aligned the President’s toothbrushes next to the sink not because of an obsession for order but out of pure love. He knew Emilio wanted them this way. The assistant wasn’t a stalker, he was just profoundly in love and had been for years.

As the Attraction approached, the alternative views had merged into a single stream; he saw the road ahead. Some pieces and paths ahead appeared out of focus the closer they stood in the proximity of the young Attractor. Sophie was a linchpin, a focal point around which chaos thrived. What he saw was her, fixed and in focus, around her, on each side, the world was fuzzy and lacked definition.

But today he smiled to himself. For most parts, he saw some light ahead to the Attraction. It now made some partial sense to him, and he was the first living creature to see a potential win down past it, he saw images over Sophie’s shoulder. Even the Multiverse and Marilyn, he was sure of that, saw darkness on the girl’s birthday.

This Multiverse was perfection.

Emilio alone knew precisely what Sophie could do and felt his place in this celestial game. Of the futures ahead most resulted in the destruction of all life, including the annihilation of earth. One single door opened to a future concerning a . . . better outcome. Sophie was the only creature alive with a minimal chance of success, and there was only one point in this stream of events where he could help.

He saw himself at the finale.

He needed to fight Laurent.

Today his role was different, this entire game was about sending a subconscious suggestion to the Attractor. To convey yet another reinforcing message to the young girl when she resurfaced from the Underworlds.

He felt the General Vurdu from an old game mattered, the High School reunion of Laurent also mattered, it all was linked.

He knew - saw - what to do to help.

***

The President twitched in his mind his invisible fingers to engage the Electoral interface and to navigate to the place in the system where he could make strange requests.

The words blinked in his mind. After a second appeared a response.

Ignoring the Computer’s refusal, Emilio typed.

Emilio needed the character. He needed to be more convincing. The fate of the Multiverse depended on it. Marilyn did not know of his newfound abilities and his reasons.

He wanted the wizard, told the computer this was for Sophie’s benefit only. There was a short human delay corresponding to an insufferably long delay in the digital world.

So in essence, the world was watching as Emilio was customizing the interface to fit the needs of his visions. He wanted to be free of this stupid scenario. Marilyn trusted Emilio. He added from his own voice, “This is important, trust me Mary.”

The words rang deep. Then, the computer, who was watching from a distance, showed her humanity and typed simply: