Chapter 0:Our world is virtual.
In the vast, dark void, a serene blue planet floated silently, its soft azure glow resembling a sapphire embedded in the abyss. The planet radiated a mysterious, almost ethereal light, captivating and dreamlike.
The camera slowly zoomed in, revealing the planet's contours—crimson landmasses intertwined with deep blue oceans, a breathtaking tapestry of nature's artistry.
As the view descended through the white clouds, a sprawling city came into focus. Towering chimneys punctuated the skyline, belching thick black smoke into the heavens. The architecture suggested an era reminiscent of the 18th-century Industrial Revolution.
"Fast-forward 300 years." A gentle, melodic voice, unmistakably feminine, resonated through the air.
In an instant, the world convulsed. Time surged forward at an astonishing pace. Within mere moments, the old streets and buildings underwent rapid transformation. Skyscrapers shot up like steel saplings, forming a modern metropolis.
"Stop," the same voice called out, and the flow of time returned to normal.
The camera continued its descent, weaving through the bustling cityscape until it settled on a lively street. Cars zipped by, pedestrians hurried along, and neon lights from storefronts painted the scene in vibrant hues.
At the corner of the street, an outdoor café sat in quiet contrast to the chaos.
Afternoon sunlight spilled lazily over the tables, where patrons sipped their drinks.
Among them, a young woman sat idly, scrolling through her phone.
Her attention was caught by a video. With a tap of her finger, the screen came to life.
Onscreen, a middle-aged man, likely a journalist, stood below the podium, clutching a microphone as he posed a question.
"There's a sort of philosophical concept that a sufficiently advanced civilization would be create a simulation,and so the theory follows that maybe we're in the simulation.What's your take on this?"
The camera panned to the stage, where a handsome man in a tailored suit sat. A caption identified him as Elon Musk (CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors).
Elon Musk listened intently to the question, then gazed momentarily upward as if gathering his thoughts.
"Uh... The strongest argument for us living in a simulation...I'd start by saying that forty years ago, we had *Pong*two like rectangles and a dot. Now, forty years later, we have photorealistic 3D simulations with millions of people playing simultaneously,and its getting better every year."
He paused, then continued, "We also have
Virtual Reality,Augmented Reality.if you assume any rate improvement at all,then the games will become indistinguishable from reality."
He sighed, looking upward again. "it would seem to follow that the odds that we're in base reality is one in a billion..."
As the video ended, the young woman lifted her coffee cup and took a slow sip.
"Interesting."
The same voice echoed.
The camera slowly pulled back, revealing that the young woman was, in fact, a holographic projection.
The setting expanded, revealing a high-tech chamber filled with cutting-edge technology.
At its center stood an expansive holographic table, pulsing with an ethereal blue glow. Above its surface hovered intricate 3D projections—data streams flickering in midair. Fiber-optic strands wove through the edges of the console, pulsating faintly in sync with the shifting projections.
Two figures stood beside the table.
The girl—
Clad in a sleek silver bodysuit that sculpted her slender form. Her long, luminescent hair cascaded like a nebula, her features so striking they seemed almost otherworldly.
The boy—
Dressed in the same silver attire. Arms crossed, he smirked, a glint of disdain flickering in his gaze.
"I didn't expect them to realize they were virtual this quickly," the girl said, her voice unmistakably the same as before.
The boy scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "Boring. This simulated world you've created lacks any real excitement."
The girl shot him a glare. "Your hack-and-s***h worlds are the boring ones."
Rolling her eyes, she turned on her heel.
A wall made of nano-intelligent material sensed her approach, smoothly parting to create an opening. She stepped through without hesitation.
The boy remained, his eyes fixed on where she had vanished.
The nanowall sealed itself shut once more, locking out the world beyond.
A slow, wicked smile curled his lips.
He raised his right hand, fingers gliding effortlessly through the air.
A translucent control panel materialized before him, its interface composed of layered light projections.
His fingers danced across the virtual panel, and the holographic projection of the young woman at the café dissolved into a stream of intricate code.
The boy continued working, his smirk deepening.
On the display, the table's projection shifted—first to a reddish-brown planet, then to a dense matrix of code.
His fingers drummed rhythmically against the virtual keyboard.
Lines of code scrolled down at dizzying speed—
`import pandas as pd`,`earth_data = pd.read_json`,`otherworld_data = ...`
With the final keystroke, he whispered a single word: "Connect."
