Riley woke to the sound of a quiet mechanical hum. …No. Not woke. Regained consciousness. Its head pounded. The room was cold, illuminated only by rows of crimson lights that pulsed like a heartbeat. Strange machines lined the walls, their displays filled with equations Riley couldn’t even begin to understand. “…Wh…” It tried to sit up. A stabbing pain tore through its abdomen. “AH-” Riley doubled over, clutching its stomach. Metal restraints around its wrists clicked open. “…” “…Glorp?” A familiar voice answered before Riley saw him. “Good. You retained consciousness.” Across the room, Glorp stood at a massive holographic display. Endless formulas drifted through the air around him. He didn’t even turn around. “…Where am I?” “My laboratory.” “…Why?” Silence. Only the quiet tapping of Glorp’s fingers against floating controls. Finally- “Because I required uninterrupted access.” Riley laughed nervously. “…Okay…Funny joke.” Glorp looked over. His expression never changed. “I am not joking.” Riley’s smile disappeared. “…” “…Glorp…” Another wave of pain surged through its body. It gasped. “What… what did you do to me?” Glorp calmly walked closer. “I implanted an antimatter device within your torso.” Riley stared. “…” “…You…” The words refused to come. Glorp continued. “It is programmed to detonate in..." A monitor on the wall lit up. "29:43" “…” “…No…” Riley instinctively grabbed its stomach. “No, no, no…” Its breathing quickened. “You…” “You wouldn’t…” “I already have.” Silence filled the room. Riley looked back and forth between the timer and Glorp. “…Why?” Nothing. “…WHY?!” Its voice echoed through the laboratory. Glorp simply folded his hands behind his back. “Your existence produces a catastrophic probability cascade.” A web of stars appeared in the hologram. Lines connected hundreds of worlds. One line glowed brighter than the rest. It ended… …at Riley. “Within approximately fourteen years…” More calculations appeared. “…your decisions increase the likelihood of universal-scale collapse beyond acceptable limits.” Riley shook its head. “…That’s impossible… I-I haven’t done anything!” “Not yet.” “…” Riley backed away. “No… There has to be another way.” Glorp’s eye flickered as thousands of calculations passed through it. “There were 8.2 billion proposed solutions.” “…And?” “This one possessed the highest probability of success.” “You picked killing me?!” “Correct.” Riley’s legs gave out. It sank onto the cold floor. “…Glorp…” “…We’re friends…” For the first time… Glorp hesitated. Only for a second. His ears lowered almost imperceptibly. “…Correct.” “…Then don’t do this.” Silence. “Personal attachment does not invalidate statistical certainty.” “…You really believe this.” “Yes.” “…Even if you’re wrong?” “The probability of error is 0.018%.” “…That’s not zero… What happens now?” “You have twenty-eight minutes.” “…You’re just gonna let me die?” “I will observe.” “…You’re not Glorp anymore... I-I don't know you" “I am still Glorp... I have simply removed unnecessary variables.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On the rooftop, the sun was beginning to set. Enzy and Riley sat side by side on the edge. Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally- Enzy: “There has to be another way.” Riley smiled faintly. “You know… I always wanted to see the stars with you.” Enzy’s light flickered. “…I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For not being able to save you.” Riley gently bumped Enzy’s shoulder. “You stayed.” The timer ticked lower. 00:05 Riley stood. Looked over the edge. Then back at Enzy. Smiled one last time. “Don’t let Glorp decide what the future should look like.” Before Enzy could react… Riley jumped. A brilliant flash erupted below. Enzy was left frozen, staring over the edge in silence.
