World Builder #ONC2024

7| t-minus five seconds

WYATT

I WALKED TO the lab, enjoying the short walk in the well lit hallway. The World Building wing was so much nicer than the student wing. Probably because we had earned it.

I felt a smile tug on my lips. I had earned it.

I stopped in front of the door my graduating class and I had gone through the night before. This time, my entry was not only allowed but required if I wanted to keep my new rank. 

I took a deep breath and schooled my features into an impartial mask. These people needed to know I meant business.

I scanned the key card I had seen that morning on my way out the door and opened the door. Wonder had been what I had felt when I had seen the lab for the first time. Because this wasn't my first sighting of the lab, I was able to keep my cool expression in place. Maybe it wasn't so bad that we had snuck a preview.

"Pst! Wyatt! Over here!" Jackie whisper yelled from across the room. It took me a few seconds before I realized where she was, and that she was surrounded by Alex, Clara, and Emmet. 

I quickly crossed the room, taking an available chair near the group. As I looked around, I realized we were the only people in the lab.

I double checked my watch. That was odd. We were only five minutes early. Perhaps they were five minutes late on the World Builder side?

We weren't left in suspense for long. When the clock hit eight, Kalahan walked into the lab, turning on the lights and smiling brightly at us.

"Professor, what are you doing here? Isn't there another batch of students coming up?" Jackie asked, returning Kalahan's smile. "I don't mean to indicate that I'm unhappy to see you, though. It's nice to see a familiar face."

"Well," Kalahan said, "fortunately for you all today, you get this state of the art lab all to yourselves. Because tonight, you will launch the very first versions of your planets."

I could barely contain my surprise. Clara audibly gasped.

She had never told us anything about launching right away. Though that would mean Fortis would be real...

Fortis would be real.

I could visit the place I had been dreaming about for years tomorrow. Unless the launching process took longer, but I had waited almost a decade. What was one more day, week, or month?

"I was not able to disclose this when you were not official, but planets do in fact go through several updates and versions before you are allowed to move on to another project. However, if your planet fails, you will be fired from the World Building division, similar to the fall of Earth's creator. We can't afford to make such catastrophic mistakes when we are trying to find a permanent home."

This was completely new to me, but I wasn't too concerned. The things I had designed would surely need refinement. I almost enjoyed the idea of being able to visit and physically observe Fortis so that I could perfect it.

"Alright then!" Kalahan clapped her hands. "I will be showing you around and introducing you all to the Creator, but everything else is up to you. We like to throw the newbies in the deep end to see how you will adapt. This will be incredibly telling of the successes of your projects now and in the future. So if you all would follow me, I would like to start."

Jackie and I stood first, clearly the two most on board with the plan. I would have to be careful around her. She was assuredly my biggest competition for any future rank climbing.

And I wasn't about to let her get in my way.

Kalahan led us through the large room, pointing out the different stations for different areas of development. A lot of these stations were for monitoring different things about each planet, like population and the growth rate of wildlife and nature, if the designer had chosen to include those things in their design. Kalahan made sure to emphasize that though our first projects were for habitable planets, some World Builders were focused on finding the perfect combination of conditions to create new life.

The room was shaped like an oval and circled downwards, like a pit. When we reached the bottom, I looked up, observing the hundreds of holograms, computers, and 3D printers available for my use in the future. I really hadn't gotten a good enough look the night before.

"And finally, the Creator," Kalahan said, gesturing at the floor beneath our feet.

But when I finally looked down, I understood why it could actually make planets.

It looked like a large laser, large enough to destroy a planet, not make it. Because the floor was glass, I was able to see every little piece of machinery that helped to make the planets.

It was incredible.

"Because you already have your planet designs, all you will need to do is find your file on the computer over there and generate it. It may take a while for your planet to fully form, but once it does you may visit and observe any imperfections. The first test of your planet should last around five years, just so you can get some reliable long term data for your second iteration."

We were all silent, taking Kalahan's words in. We were so close to living the dreams we had been having for so long. I was physically shaking from the effort it took to hold myself back from sprinting to the computer and making sure Fortis was first.

"Well, if there are no questions, I will leave you to explore and launch your planets. If you will remember, you need to create a video diary to log from each day, so you will also need to start those today. Otherwise, I will be leaving," Kalahan hesitated, scanning our faces for any trace of uncertainty. When she found none, she turned and walked to the door, not sparing us a second glance. Her heels clacked all the way up to the top of the lab before the sound disappeared with the squeaky closing of the lab door behind her.

"Wyatt, I can see you shaking. Get over there and launch your planet. I don't think any of us want it as bad as you do," Jackie said, giving me a small smile. I saw Emmet open his mouth to argue in the corner of my eye, but Jackie sent him a warning look.

I had never felt more grateful for another person in my life.

"Thank you," I whispered, worried my voice would break if I had spoken any louder.

I walked to the computer Kalahan had indicated when she was giving us instructions and loaded the launch window.

I scrolled through the different designs, taking the time to truly appreciate the hard work that had gone into each of the tiny files on the desktop before searching the page for my name.

I almost cried when I saw Fortis' file. All of my hard work, and here was proof that it was possible. I opened the file and sent it to the Creator, holding my breath as the upload window came up.

There was no going back. 

"Five, four," I whispered to myself, taking private glee in the countdown to the launch of my planet. "Three, two..."

I moved the mouse to hover over the file, taking a last deep breath as a regular person.

"One."

I clicked the mouse, and Fortis went to the Creator. The ground shook under my feet, and everyone stopped what they were doing to watch as the Creator below us glowed a crimson red and shot a deep laser into space.

"Upload complete," an auto generated voice said. "Planet design will take approximately twelve hours."

I stepped away from the computer, still staring at the Creator below me.

I had the most distinct feeling that my life was irrevocably changed.

I wonder if this means Emma is alive now... ;P