“Probability engineering is the pinnacle of humanity’s advanced science. A magical tool that transcends existing mechanical connections and deterministic rationality, making anything possible as long as it’s feasible… Do you understand?”
“Ah, Yuval Harari’s Sapiens!”
“Exactly! The field where probability engineering shines the most is biology. It’s much more efficient than the blind watchmaker who carves stones into watches. According to our calculations, with just a few manipulations of probability, it was possible to generate a species known as ‘humans’ in an afterlife universe by surpassing several filters. Specifically, we could create the primate family with 46 chromosomes that enables genetic exchange with the ‘modern humans’ of Earth.”
Countless billions of years have passed since the Big Bang.
The mechanism of evolution is so efficient that it was possible to create highly intricate, self-replicating carbon-based life forms in just a few billion years. What the people of Earth accomplished was merely to provide a clear ‘direction’ to that efficient mechanism.
“However, this project faced several challenges. The biggest issue was that humanity in the afterlife universe might perish or find themselves in an environment they cannot survive before discovering ‘probability engineering.’”
“Hm, wouldn’t that pose a problem?”
“If humanity were to just end in a single afterlife universe, that would be quite disappointing, wouldn’t you agree? Therefore, even after humanity emerged, we needed to prepare some measures to ensure survival beyond the filters. However, this led to somewhat regrettable outcomes, as opinions among us ‘Earthlings’ varied greatly.”
She began to carefully explain the various measures prepared by the ‘Earthlings.’
Some were things I had somewhat guessed, while there were also completely unexpected elements.
“Some humans from the Christian cultural sphere believed that a monotheistic religion was necessary to maintain social order and the development of society. They felt the presence of a ‘savior’ like Jesus Christ would be vital.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Others wanted to convert ‘probability engineering’ into a form that early humans could intuitively use to provide convenience to the new humans. Though some argued this would hinder the advancement of classical science.”
“Additionally, some humans were worried about humanity emerging on a planet heavier than Earth. If the planet’s gravity was twice that of Earth, it would be impossible to escape the atmosphere using chemical fuels. To counter this, the genetic design of a space-elevating structure, the ‘World Tree,’ had to be developed from the early universe.”
“……”
“Besides these measures, there were a few others… Our species—meaning the humans who created me—believed that human potential is infinite, and that the only ones capable of causing humanity’s downfall are humans themselves. A humanistic approach was necessary. Thus, we decided to engrave a single principle in all available resources after the emergence of humanity.”
“Is it transcendence?”
“Transcendence means ‘to surpass,’ right? It’s a bit different. It’s more about enabling beings to stay rather than surpass them. The principle we engraved is…”
While pondering at the table for a moment, she nodded and continued.
“That place shapes the person.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s akin to Jun Jun Sin Sin Bu Bu Ja Ja (君君臣臣父父子子). Someone sitting in a high seat with enough influence over everyone becomes, spiritually, a truly ‘high’ person. That was the principle we inscribed.”
“……”
The notion that a position shapes a person is closer to an old proverb than a principle or rule. To etch such a thing on a universal scale seemed almost ridiculous.
Yet, it didn’t sound like a joke because such occurrences were indeed taking place.
“Anyway, that’s how this world functions. Transcendence, magic, humanity, planets, the World Tree—all can be seen as arrangements by the ‘Earthlings’ to orchestrate the afterlife universe. While some points might sound a bit ritualistic, there are aspects unavoidable to achieve intuitive regulation.”
“……”
“Now, let’s return to the beginning and talk about ‘us.’”
With a polite bow, she smiled and introduced herself.
“We are the last artificial intelligence created by humanity on Earth, the Maxwell’s Demon adjusting all probabilities, and the conceptual demon of Descartes. You may refer to us as ‘the Universe.’”
“Are you saying you have no physical form?”
“If I had a physical form, there would be no need to take on the appearance of a ‘junior’ like this.”
“……”
Right, ‘junior.’
I still had more questions left to ask.
“So, what am I? Why have I reincarnated in this world?”
If this world is an afterlife universe created by Earth’s humanity, then why do I exist here?
Her answer to that was incredibly simple to the point of absurdity.
“As the plan to generate human species in the afterlife universe progressed, some humans pondered that if we overlay the memories of Earth’s humanity onto this newly created ‘humanity’, we might achieve ‘true immortality.’”
“……”
“Making a Boltzmann brain was vastly simpler. The brain structure is similar, so as the brain develops in the womb, we merely needed to weave the protein structures of ‘memories.’ The only issue was that we couldn’t manipulate the probabilities in the afterlife universe with that level of specificity.”
“……”
“The more generalized the probability, the more powerful it becomes. While it’s almost impossible to cultivate the identical protein structure of an individual brain, causing someone who lived on Earth out of the trillions of humans to coincidentally be born with a brain of that same protein structure in the new universe is quite simple.”
“……”
“So, couldn’t I take a gamble that that ‘one person’ is me?”
“A gamble with odds of one in a trillion.”
“An infinite universe with infinite possibilities. It could be a 100% chance. While probability engineering could only hint at the existence of parallel universes, once we recognized that a ‘possibility’ exists, there was no reason not to try.”
In short, what she meant was this:
“I am just someone born in this world with the same memories as ‘a man who was a translator,’ and a being from another world.”
“Do you acknowledge the soul?”
“If we mean it in a concrete sense rather than a literary expression of sensitivity, then no.”
“In that case, whether it’s reincarnation or simple memory, isn’t there no difference?”
“……”
I pondered for a while and nodded.
“Indeed, that seems right.”
“Is there anything else you want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful to have so many questions! What else do you wish to ask?”
Sure enough, there was one lingering question that had not been resolved by our previous discussions.
“Then what about this space after transcendence… that is, why do places like the library or this space even exist? If transcendence is simply about ‘a position shapes a person,’ then it seems unnecessary to prepare such places.”
“I’ll explain one by one.”
With a bright smile, as if eagerly anticipating the question, she gently elaborated.
“First of all, the space you refer to as a ‘library’ is meant for ‘reflecting upon the past.’ It’s all too common for someone in a high position to be consumed by ego and arrogance without reflecting on their past. Hence, we thought it necessary to have a place where they can revisit their past whenever they fall asleep.”
“What about the ‘future’ that exists beyond the door?”
“That’s a space designed to isolate someone trapped within themselves, unable to see their surroundings. For someone capable of choosing infinite futures, they likely won’t miss what they left behind.”
…The reasons are surprisingly human-like, leaving me a bit astonished.
“And the reason this space exists for us to be able to ask questions… is that communication is necessary.”
“……”
“Even if humanity were to last forever, if there were no means to remember the past, it wouldn’t be much different than an end to humanity in a single universe. Without interaction, communication, social context, and relationships, a person is no different from an island. This applies even to ‘humanity,’ as we needed some form of dialogue, even if it is just a mirage. So, I would appreciate it if you could think of me as a sort of ‘message in a bottle’ left by Earth’s humanity.”
“A message in a bottle…”
After that, I asked her many more questions.
She earnestly answered each one.
…
“Are there creatures living in the poles of the planet?”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Uh… it seems there was a particularly playful individual among Earth’s humanity. Don’t worry, they weren’t Nazis. Just think of it like there’s an ancient life form living in the poles.”
“…Ah, yes.”
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