The scanner clicked, the door moved aside, and they entered. The scientist's colleagues followed them like an entourage, or perhaps an escort.
– Dear Big-data, I turn on the link, make contact between the chip and the system, remove the password, and you already know everything I knew. I mean… It's really confusing.
He laughed.
– Come on, smile, smile. Make me feel like a big important boss too. No, not a boss, but part of the power of the world. How did you get into this system, anyway? It's not the billionaires who are the rulers of the souls of men, it's some dark personalities.
– I'll ask you to be careful where you turn. There are billionaires out there, and there are people like you. The first one to conceive is the one with the power over everyone.
– Uh-oh. That's an interesting thought. I'll say – and my idea is not a bad one.
– It'll be over soon.
– Soon. Maybe I'll like it… and leave it at that.
– The timer's a stubborn thing, and Irene can see everything.
– Don't forget that timers are made by people, programmed by people, and yes Irene was created by people like us.
– Stop fantasizing. What's next?
– Open in your memory, recall my speech, the arguments about convincing the council in the reality of the program of transmigration of consciousness, the existence of parallel worlds and the possibility of instilling consciousness from here into a person there.
– I hope you get cured. Your past programs have been a success after all.
– Tell me, you didn't believe it, did you? All of you – the council, other colleagues and staff, no one.
– In rapid cloning?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– Who'd believe you could make a human being like a crystal in a test tube?
– That's right. It worked.
– Right. That's why you're in complete control.
– And then why not put someone else's mind into that body?
– What do you mean? You mean the Super Spy program?
– Yeah. You build a body, take out the personality you want, put in your mind, and presto! – you're ready to be president.
– People like you, trust someone like that, leave them unchecked – that way you'll replace everyone with yourself.
– Why, just like that, we are the rulers of the world.
– Yeah. And they're fools, that's why they're rulers over such… and more. We've forgotten what you're up to, buddy. I did it back in my last Super Spy program. Chipping and mind transference. You weren't the first to think of it. And in case you haven't forgotten, I've developed many important programs with you.
– Yes, yes, I remember everything, Your Excellency. Just the scientific basis, all the little things on which the technology is based, have been developed and realized through experiments by our scientific community.
– Okay, what's next? What else is in the program?
– Nothing in the program. Just life as usual. What was on the schedule? Council presentation coming up.
– Oh, those minutes would be up by now. How much time is left?
– Buddy.
He smiled.
– It's kind of unusual to have a dialog. We're not in virtual reality. I'm being honest with you. Yeah, it's an experiment, I didn't mean to do anything wrong. Although I had it all figured out, I suspect the system had more than that. I mean, you can't hide from Irene. She could have known what we were up to, for all I know. It doesn't matter, though, because I'm not going to take over by switching identities. I want to prove to the council that my program is real.
