I don't know how much time has passed. Hours? I just sat there – on one of the old, dusty chairs next to the hologram table. Motionless. My gaze was fixed on the galactic projection as one Earth after the other lit up.
Then another. And another. Each one a new hit. Each one is a small cut in my worldview. I had stopped counting them. At some point I hadn't even flinched anymore. I just sat there, silent, empty, overwhelmed – waiting for it to end. Then, at some point... the last ping. Silence. No more new Earths. The projection froze. Thousands of markings shone on the hologram like a night sky full of false promises.
I blinked. „War es das... ?“
//Was that it... ?//
My voice sounded strange. Rough. Dusty. Almost as old as the room itself. I took a deep breath. Not because I had an answer. But because it no longer made sense to look for any. I stepped closer to the hologram table. The display flickered briefly, then it readjusted. At the top, above the model of the multiverse, a number appeared. Big and Clear. I stared at it.
//Earth – 23,445,972 results//
My lips moved silently as my mind tried to grasp it.
"Thirty-two... million... "
My legs gave way. I slumped back into the chair. Not because I fell – but because I had to. Because it was just too much. Too many earths and too many possibilities.
Too many realities in which each version of me was most likely different.
Maybe dead. Maybe never born. Perhaps... not even human. I ran my hand through my face.
I whispered.„Das ist... viel zu groß.“
//This is... way too big//
And for a tiny moment – just one – I wished I had never touched this hologram table. I needed... something. Something that didn't consist of stars and existences. I reached into the pocket of my jacket – a new one I had found in an abandoned shop. Black, slightly damaged, but functional. From the left breast pocket, I pulled one of these teriyaki noodle cups. I looked at it for a moment, as if it were an artifact from a better time. Then I fished the small water bottle out of another bag, unscrewed it and carefully poured it into the cup. The reaction was almost immediate – a soft click, then a hissing sound. The bottom of the cup began to vibrate. It´s Self-heating, just four minutes of waiting. I put the cup on the hologram table. Right next to the glowing number.
//23,445,972 results//
I sighed. „Ich brauch was im Magen, sonst dreht mein Kopf noch weiter.“
//I need something in my stomach, otherwise my head will turn even further//
I dropped back into the chair, rested my elbows on my knees, and stared at the steaming cup.
The noodles may not have been the answer to the multiverse. But they were something. I took a sip of water while waiting for the steaming teriyaki noodles. The first bite would be ready in a moment. I felt my mouth dry, my throat scratchy. The water felt good – until I swallowed slightly and reflexively spat forward. A small drop landed on the control panel of the hologram table. I wiped it – and suddenly it was there. A menu that I did not have seen before. Two options glowed calmly in bluish light:
// [ ACTIVE ] [ NON-ACTIVE ] //
I stared at it.„Was soll das bedeuten... ?“
//What does that mean... ?//
There is also something else underneath. A second section.
// [ Layer: > REALITY > SUBSPACE > DATAFRAME > DIMENSION ] //
I frowned. What does that mean – Layers? I raised my smartphone and briefly opened the translation app – just to be on the safe side. But… I didn't really need it. The longer I looked at it, those terms became more clearer:
REALITY – physically existing versions of Planets, places and such, like the Earth.
SUBSPACE – alternative layers with different laws of nature.
DATAFRAME – digital realities, simulations.
DIMENSION – no translation needed.
And somewhere out there – in this vast network of realities and simulations – was perhaps my world. I took a deep breath, then straightened my finger.
// [ ACTIVE ] //
Then the first entry under Layer.
// [ ALL REALITIES ] //
A quiet click.
The hologram table vibrated barely noticeably. The projection changed. The countless markings of the earths – previously wildly distributed over space and layer – suddenly contracted. They reorganized. Context. Physical Laws. Mass. Gravitation. Systems reorganized themselves. The map became quieter. Clearer. Sharper. I looked at the new counter in the corner.
// FILTERED: 31,128 results//
The display automatically zoomed in on a group of markers close to each other. Each one has a small, blue dot with a name next to it.
//Earth-021-C//
//Earth-VX7//
//Earth-Arkadia//
//Earth-Prime//
//Terra-Null//
I moved my fingers slightly over the interface – the selection was now fluid, almost organic. The system seemed to read my intuition. I stopped over a point.
// [Earth-92A – STATUS: Confirmed human presence / Pre-collapse urban pattern] //
I frowned. "Pre-collapse?"
Whatever that meant, this earth was not dead. At least not quite. My finger trembled slightly over the button
//DETAILS//
Each had its own story, its own state: some showed a healthy biosphere, but no civilization at all. Others were destroyed – by war, natural disasters or... things that were not named, even Redacted. A few carried warnings:
// [Do not access, quarantined by protocol X8, System corrupted] //
The longer I dealt with it, the more I realized: These earths were no longer fiction. They were systems. Experiential places. I got lost in the data stream, clicked, scrolled, read and analyzed – until suddenly... Plop. A new window appeared.
[ ? ]
In the middle of the hologram table. Flashing, almost like a glitch. Slowly, in white letters on a dark background, a sentence appeared.
//Do you want to know more?//
I had to laugh out loud. „Starship Troopers-Referenz, huh? Na gut... wieso nicht.“
//Starship Troopers reference, huh? Fair enough... why not//
I clicked on it. For a few seconds nothing happened. Then... the entire hologram changed. All earth entries disappeared. The Map disappeared. And then, slowly, something began to rise from the center of the table – a shimmering, glowing blue light, about the size of a tennis ball. He pulsed softly, as if he were breathing. And then it formed into a humanoid form...
"Hello, my name is AURA. Please state your name and race."
I flinched slightly. A brief moment of silence. I stared at it. It didn't move, but I felt it saw me.
I took a deep breath."My name is Philipp... Human."
The ball seemed to react. A light flickered inside of it.
"Thank you, how may I help you?"
I stood opposite to it. It still glowed calmly, gently pulsating, as if it were connected to my breathing. I was still a bit shocked that... something else is still alive besides me, if you can it alive..
For a moment it was quiet. Then the question.
"Where do you come from?"
I stared at it. I hesitated. Then I looked at it directly.
"Please show me the Sol system, on the Milky Way Galaxy."
It floated still for a moment, to which it answered.
"Which one? Specifically, at which layer?"
For the first time, I was confused about what it meant by that. But the answer was self-evident.
"Of course, I'm in a multiverse."
I slapped myself on the head. "At, aahhmmmm... "
I didn't know. HOW am I supposed to know that? It's not like everyone could travel through the universe before?! Let alone through other realities!
Then AURA had a suggestion.
"If you'd like, I can find out where you come from by taking a sample of your blood."
I looked at her abruptly, not expecting something like that.
"THAT'S POSSIBLE!? How does that even work?"
The answer was surprising, but also informative.
"Since the event, every DNA sample has been Recoded in such a way that it's possible to identify when and where you original came from. No matter what timeline, dimension, reality, universe, galaxy, or ultimately what star system. If you know where to look, you'll usually know the ID-Number for everything."
The Event? Sounds like something that would explain why everything is the way it is now. But that question doesn't interest me right now. I'm only interested in one thing.
Whether my Earth still exists. And how I can get it back.
"Okay, then take a sample from me."
Then it nodded off. AURA took a small step forward, then pointed toward a compartment in the wall. With a gentle motion, it slid open, revealing a sleek, minimalistic medical device – like a futuristic lancet merged with a scanner.
"You can use that to take a sample. Just press it against your upper arm – it'll extract a minimal amount of blood and upload the data directly to me."
I stared at the device for a moment. It didn’t even look like something that could pierce skin, let alone extract blood.
"Are you sure this thing works?"
It smiled faintly.
"Pain-free. Almost undetectable. Just trust it."
I hesitated first, then grabbed the device and did as instructed. A soft click, a brief pulse of warmth – and it was done.
The light in the room changed. The hologram activated again – but this time not by itself. It followed her. A representation of the galaxy's structure appeared. Whereupon it slowly zoomed in on the Sol system. AURA was silent for a moment. I thought it wouldn't answer.
But then... without hesitation.
"There was never an earth in this sector... or life."
I Froze. Those words hit me like a blow into nothingness.
I already had what it said in my head, but only as a scenario. But apparently my home planet has actually either been wiped out, or worse, obliterated. I wanted to object. Say something. But... nothing. No anger, no tears, just a silent, empty feeling in my chest. I stood there alone, in the middle of the room. In the middle of a universe full of possibilities – but none that was mine.
AURA was still hovering before me, the light in her form pulsing more quietly, as if she, too, were... thinking.
"It could be a malfunction. I'll try a few more attempts."
I don’t think it is. I saw it´s attempts. And every single one of them, failed.
I looked at AURA. This time I spoke calmly. "Just stop, ok. It´s useless."
I lowered my gaze. The words no longer had any hold. Slowly, I let myself sink to the ground, just sat there – in the middle of the light of the galactic projection. I felt the cold ground beneath me. Not out of exhaustion. But because I didn't know what else to do.
It´s voice was different now. "Wait a minute, I'll check something."
The light of it´s form flickered very briefly while on this search.
Then a whispered – almost shaken for it´s being. "I... was offline."
I slowly raised my head. Continued to speak.
"For... 71,722 cyclic solar orbits. My primary matrix was inactive."
I stared at them. 81,722 cyclical solar orbits? That means more than 70,000 years the other way around. It has no longer a concept of the now.
"Can you find out what happened? 70,000 years ago? Something? The reason you were offline... maybe also why everything now... that's how it is?"
It didn't answer immediately. Then it said, very calm.
"I'll try."
Its light flickered slightly, but purposefully. Like the beginning of a deep dive.
"Please be patient, Philipp. Some truths... are deep."
The hologram flickered softly as AURA searched deep into the system archives. It didn't say anything – but you could feel the activity. Data. Analyses. Access to protocols that have been untouched for thousands of years.
I watched it in silence. This one sentence it said to me, kind of weird for a normal AI.
Then I asked quietly, almost casually.
"What kind of AI are you?"
It stopped. The lights became calmer, more even.
"I'm not an AI. I am an ASM. A Asisstend System Module."
I raised my eyebrow slightly. I looked at her for a long time.
"You know... I'm not an expert on AI´s and other similar intelligences – but I can read emotions to a certain extent."
It was silent. I continued.
"And what you're showing right now... this is not a programmed-reduced answer. This is a real reaction. You hesitated, you waited, you showed something like compassion. No model in the world can simulate this without... to be."
Still it said nothing. Then... a barely perceptible twitch in her posture. She turned to me. And there was a smile in her voice.
"You caught me."
With a snap of it´s fingers, the appearance changed.
The soft blue glow became clearer. Defined. It seemed... Human. Female. The silhouette took on more concrete features. A face. Eyes. An expression that showed something of its own for the first time. And again something... known.
"I'm sorry... but I wanted to be on the safe side. My name is not AURA. I am – "
I raised my hand and said calmly.
“ – Cortana, your name is Cortana.”
She blinked. And then – a wide, honest smile.
"Huh... i didn’t expect that."