Multiverse

The idea that there's an infinte number of universes with a (smaller) infinite number of yous is silly, if you understand what's actually going on.

The multiverse isn't made up of universes where someone had toast instead of cereal, but rather universes where gravity is a little stronger, or water's melting point is lower, that sort of thing. So while many of them do have life, often similar to us, to claim that there's a 1 to 1 ratio of people is just crazy. It just doesn't work like that for anyone.

Except for Dave. He's in every universe, obviously.

Double Unlucky

I checked the settings, then flipped on the device, and put on the helmet. And there they were, floating in front of me, a ghostly figure.

"It works!"

They sarcasticly gave a round of applause, which threw me. They began to talk, it took me a minute to calibrate the translation matrix, so they were seemingly mid-rant when I began to hear them.

"-uck, the guy who kills me becomes-"

"I killed you?"

"Yes. Every ghost haunts who's responsible for their death. You cut me off in traffic, heart attack, dead."

"I don't remember that."

"Neither will anyone else, now."

The Other Edge

The prisoner was led in, struggling against their shackles as I sharpened the axe.

Once they were locked in place, and I approached, they switched from trying to physically resist to bargaining.

"You, do you know who I am?"

"My third of the day."

"No no, I'm a very rich man, you help me escape and-"

"You know why I have this job?"

There was a pause, which I let him have, lunch wasn't for an hour.

"You want to serve justice and-"

"Nah, my father, when he did this, helped someone escape. Guy who decided your fate."

I swung.

The News

She ran into my room and literally skidded to a stop.

"Did you hear the news?"

I didn't look up from my work.

"Which country blew up?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I assumed you'd only bother me if it was terrible news. Which lottery did I win?"

"What?"

"Well, if it's not incredible good news, nor incredible bad news, we're left with news that is merely good, bad, or intermediate. And in none of those cases, does it warrant you disturbing me. But since you're here, what is it?"

"That guy you really hate died."

"...

So the answer was Grim Reaper's lottery."

Thoughts

So I said I'd try to make this about America, given the holiday going on there nowish.

But the more I think about it, the more I worry that a million words wouldn't be enough, let alone a hundred.

Because a people are a nation, but not always are they the nation, at least the most prominent parts of it. There are plenty of good things about America, about Americans.

But I'm sure most of you can understand that's kinda hard to see right now, at least in the grand scheme of things.

So happy 4th of July. To everyone.

Lukewarm Shoulder

She had always tried to get me to open up to her, she offered herself as a source to confide in.

And for a long time, I didn't ignore it, but I didn't really let on anything too much. Call it the gender roles bullshit if you like, but I just didn't feel comfortable opening up. Besides, I was fine, I didn't need a shoulder.

Until I did.

Everything went wrong at once, and with nothing left to lose, I did open up and tell her everything.

She didn't seem to think less of me, but her advice was terrible...

Changing The Rules

Humanity had lasted a few galactic years before it got involved in a war. As Humanity's fleets were approaching a system controlled by the Rinaldians, an observer from the Galactic Alliance sat in on the mission briefing to ensure they didn't break a Galactic Conflict Law.

It went well as they discussed the jamming of sensors and dealing with defence systems.

But as the General was beginning the troop deployment plans, the observer raised a hand.

"Troop deployment? Everyone just blows up planets, that's-"

"Is regime change against the laws?"

"I... No, because no-one-"

Human style warfare proved disastrously popular.