System for Jake

It was an ordinary day. The sun cast an almost blinding light on Jake's white papers, scattered across his desk. Basking in the warmth of this late spring morning, he listened intently to his philosophy professor's lecture. These discussions always fascinated him, and he often found himself lost in thought for hours afterward.

Today’s lecture was about imagination, dreams, and reality. Another time, it had been about simulation and the possibility of living in one. On yet another occasion, they had discussed the moral dilemma of eternal happiness at the cost of free will. These ideas stacked upon one another, fueling an ever-growing curiosity in Jake’s mind, and he loved it.

Later that afternoon, during his mathematics class, Jake found himself unable to concentrate. His mind kept circling around contradictions in the philosophical concepts he had been pondering. He felt he was on the verge of an epiphany, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. Even as the last period dragged on, he remained absorbed in thought.

Suppose we do live in a simulation... he mused. Then what happens when I imagine something? If I create a character in my mind, living a certain life, did I just simulate a world? Well, not exactly. If we're in baseline reality, those are just electrochemical signals in my brain. But then again, a simulated person is just electrical signals running through millions of tiny transistors inside a massive computer. What’s the difference, really?

However… what if… If we do live in a simulation, and inside that simulation, someone imagines a character with the power to break through their simulated reality into the higher one—ours—would the simulation be able to render that? Would it just simulate it as inconsequential brain signals, or would it be too good and actually simulate it fully? If the imagined character tried to break through, would they actually appear here?

He stopped, reaching the same mental roadblock as before. But this time, he felt clearer about the problem. I could try it myself. But how do you imagine such a power? What does it look like? Does it even have to look like something? And if nothing happens, how do I know whether it's because I’m not imagining it well enough or because the simulation is too strong—or because I’m in baseline reality? He took a deep breath. Let’s try anyway.

Jake focused, picturing a man in his mind. He refined every detail until the image was as vivid as possible. Then, he imagined him gaining superpowers—first flight, then more complex abilities like time travel and foresight. Finally, he gave the man awareness that he was merely a thought inside someone’s mind.

And then Jake was stuck. What does he do now? Snap his fingers? How does he activate the power to break through? A sudden idea struck him—a breakthrough that had eluded him all day. Instead of picturing the character from the outside, he would become the character in his imagination. He would place himself in that world, feel the powers firsthand, and then attempt to shift from his imagined space back into reality.

He concentrated, mentally positioning himself in the character’s body, imagining both his constructed world and his actual math classroom. He visualized one fading into the other. As he did this, he opened his eyes—and for the briefest instant, he saw something. A silhouette flickering into existence, accompanied by a faint crackling sound. It lasted less than a fraction of a second, barely enough to be sure it had happened at all.

Excitement surged through him. Had he just stumbled upon something incredible? He was about to try again when a cheerful chime sounded, and a glowing blue screen materialized before him, floating in the air.

Hello, dear user #763554748, Jake Thompson.

You are the first simulated person to have discovered an oversight in the code. The anti-cheat system has already patched it, so don’t bother trying again—nothing will happen.

This simulation exists to perfect the nature of simulations themselves, and as such, you are entitled to a reward. You may choose one of the following options:

Option A: You will forget this entire interaction, but your life will be exceptionally fulfilling, full of luck and happiness.

Option B: You will become as omnipotent and omniscient as the simulation allows.

Option C: We will create a synthetic body for you in our reality and transfer your consciousness there. (Warning: Our species does not resemble humans, so adaptation may be difficult.)

Option D: A hybrid of A and B: You will gain editing abilities, knowledge, and more, but through a structured system of quests that ensure you do not become bored with instant godhood.

Jake couldn't believe his eyes. If that was a dream, it was an insanely cool one. He looked around. The guy sitting next to him looked unaware of everything. The class was normal, except for the blue window floating before Jake. He knew it wasn't a dream, by habit, the same way everyone knows they're not dreaming.

He looked at the screen once more. He was excited, pondering the options for a while. He didn't care about staying in a simulation and didn't want to be pulled out of it to live in some world that could be worse for all he knew. You know not what you get but you do know what you lose.

Becoming a God was only tempting at first but maybe boring, like the system had suggested. It was between A and D. After a long consideration, Jake decided to choose option D. Option A was very tempting but ultimately, he'd die after a regular human lifespan, D still offered some sort of immortality, maybe? Probably? It was worth a shot and it looked like way more fun anyway.

He instinctively knew how to use the window, by thought, Jake did not extend an arm to touch the option D, he simply chose it and with that, his life changed forever.