Freedom To Another Cage [BILLFORD]

Chapter 4: Existential Tea

A few days in, all the same. "Jeez, the Theraprism was more fun than you, and that's saying something!" Bill insulted. "First of all, rude. Second of all, that place was a literal prison."

"Therapy-Prison. Ya got to do stuff there. Here, you just sit at that desk all day using your meat computer on useless things!"
"I am not doing anything useless. I am doing research, which is not useless in the slightest," Ford corrected, turning to face the Bill that was looking over his shoulder.
"Maybe if you ever asked yourself why you're doing it, and don't find a good answer, the you'd see how useless it really is!" Bill continued, hands on his lower sides.

That comment really got Sixer to pay attention, facing his meat body fully towards Bill. "I'm doing it because science is important. Research is crucial in order to develop new technologies, new ideas. It's not useless, not in the slightest."
"Really? Please, Six, get a grasp on the times! You humans flesh bags are out with useless items that call 'Falcon Supernova iPhone 6'!" Bill laughed at the ludicrous name. "Give up on humanity is what I'm saying. It's too far gone. But you, Fordsy, have been separated from humanity long enough to not evolve the way they did! Maybe being trapped outside your reality isn't bad at every angle," Bill sat on the table, crossing his legs.

Stanford's eye twitched slightly, and he spoke with an increasingly frustrated voice, "You think being separated from my dimension fro 30 years made my life any easier, Bill? You think that was good for me, that I somehow benefited from that?" Bill answered flatly, "Yes."

"How so the, Bill? Please, elaborate on how being in the multiverse, on my own, benefited me," Ford leaned forward in his chair slightly.
"Hmm... Well, let's start off with the basics, since all you wanna do is think about the bad side," Bill got up, floating over the human. "First off, you're not soft, anymore. Second, you go some skills and strength-" Bill poked Stanford's arm before the human slapped his hand away, "- and third, my favorite, ya had the guts to break some rules, which I thought was cool!" Bill chuckled.

Ford stood up from his chair, looking over the demon, "First, being 'soft' isn't inherently a bad thing. Second, thank you. And third, I don't feel very cool about that."
"Oh, quit it already!" Bill snapped, not liking how Ford was only paying attention to the bad side of it all. "No, I will not quit it! You're acting like the world is just a complete joke! Like nothing really matters, that nothing can change! You act like everything's just one big game!" Sixer snapped back.

"You'd think the same if you understood. Too bad your human brain wasn't designed to comprehend it all," Bill sneered. "Of course I can't, because everything that comes from your weird eye mouth thing is just nonsense!"
"Because it's coded into your brain to not understand! You can't even see the same colors or know the same numbers as I do! You're fragile meat pilot isn't built for omniscience."
"Go ahead, then. Tell me what I can't comprehend."

"Everything is a lie, Ford! All the rules? A cheap lie to keep you doing what they've designed you for! Your body? Only exists to live and make more bodies in a never-ending pointless cycle! The multiverse? Just a bunch of giant bubbles floating in a void, so that's a lie, too! Speaking of the multiverse- nothing is a lie! In one bubble, it could be impossible, but possible in the next! You think I'm bad? Try meeting some of my alternates! Although I'm sure you would like-hate Will." Bill explained.
"You can't just say everything is a lie and then say nothing is a lie."
"But I did, didn't I?" Bill laughed. "Think about it more if you want to have an existential crisis!"
"How do I even know if you're telling the truth?"
"You catch on quick! Keep questioning reality, and soon enough, you'll be thinking clearer than ever!"

Stanford sighed. "Then enlighten me, Bill, since you seem to know so much about reality. What's the point of it all then? Of life, of the universe, of the multiverse? If it's all a lie, and we're all useless meat sacks, then what is the point?"
"That's the fun part, Sixer. There's an infinite amount of answers to the meaning of existence, and quintillions of more are added every second! So tell me... What do you think the answer is?" Bill asked.

Ford had to think for a moment, processing the question. "I have... no idea.. There's just too many possibilities. It's not possible to get a definite answer."
"Good! Because I lied. There is no answer to the meaning of existence, and there never will be... is what I'll tell you."
"... There's more to it, isn't there?"
"Maybe."
"Then tell me."
"What do I get out of it?"
"What do you want in return?"
"Tea. Go make me some, and I'll answer all your questions- just as long as you don't use the microwave! And trust me, I know the difference."

Ford did just that. It was a simple task for answers to existential questions.

"I'll start off with the basics," Bill said, eyelids forming into lips as he sipped his tea before it formed back to normal. "Existence is an excruciatingly biometric storyline  of the multiverse, like a 'choose your own adventure' book, except you get a new story for every choice, thought, and word, sometimes leading the same way. Do you know what that means?"
"That every decision, every thought, and seemingly insignificant thing we say or do... could have a multitude of different outcomes and consequences that could effect the rest of reality?" Sixer guessed.
"Exactly! You're halfway there to mortal omniscience!" Bill chuckled, taking another drink of his tea. "Every cell of existence is formed by existence. Everything that happens? It's choice! But do you know know what happens when it leaves some to fend for themselves?"
"No, what?"
"Conflict. You know, wars, viruses, all that fun junk!"

A sense of concern and uneasiness was growing in Stanford. "Then... Why would they do that?"
"It's not easy to watch over and infinite amount of dimensions all at once. That's why it made other gods, kind of like editors to their storyline." Bill took another sip of his tea. "Some of the gods told some universes to write a book, but then the inhabitants edited it beyond recognition because they thought the truth was too hard to handle. Spoiler alert; it wasn't."
"So.. You're saying that religious texts have actual truths in them?"
"Small truths yes, but they feed white lies to soften the blow." He shrugged. "Although they may be lying in this reality, it could all be true in the next. Everything and nothing is a lie, remember?"

Six was starting to see what Bill meant. "What's the point of any of this, then? If everything is real and fake at the same time, what's the point?"
Bill looked down at his nigh-empty cup before back up at Stanford, "Refill my tea, and I'll explain what happened."
Ford nodded and grabbed the kettle, pouring more tea into the cup Bill was holding before setting it down again. "There."

Bill drank some of his tea before continuing. "The point of existence is nothing and something at the same time. So, to be clear, there's two ways to swing; The Nothing, or The Something. And I'm guessing you want The Something?" Bill asked, and Ford responded with a nod, albeit a bit anxious. "Yes. What's The Something?"

Bill started, "Well, to simplify the depressing poem from dimension zero, existence made existence as an ever-changing -usually described- ball, out of loneliness. The existence eventually exploded into what you humans call 'The Big Bang', and out sprang the multiverse," Bill explained briefly.
"And... The Nothing?" Ford asked.
"The Nothing is what everybody tells you what the point of existence is; it's whatever you want it to be."
"So... The Nothing doesn't really exist at all, does it?"
"Nope. Not in this reality." Bill sipped his tea.

Ford thought over everything he had been told, looking off to the side as he recalled it. Eventually, he looked back over to Bill, "Why.. are you telling me all of this?"
"You made me tea," Bill said, looking directly in Ford's eyes.