text: I don't honestly understand how I got here, or why. It's a kind of fly in the ointment, seeing how much else I do know, or that I can figure out, at least. But since nothing else is going to happen on its own as far as I can tell, I suppose that, seeing as I feel pretty settled in, I should make things happen. ... What? No, I don't need servants. What for? I'm in complete control here, and I can do whatever I want, right? Of course, right. They'd just get in the way- ... Um, no, I'll be fine. I feel pretty secure in myself without anyone saying how wonderful I am constantly. Right, so I have an intuitive understanding of how all this works, so... yes, that's got it. Tricky. I'll let things play out for a while and then I'll find the right place for the next phase. ... Well, yes, I could just skip right to it, but I think it's important to allow nature to take its course; otherwise we're doing nothing but creating a theme park or a zoo. That one looks good. It's a bit split up, but it'll come back together. I can wait until then. ... No, I think it's important to keep everyone in one place, comparatively. The fewer differences, the better the chance I can make this work. There, I think it's ready. So, there are virtually infinite possibilities, but I think sticking with the classic is the best way to go. Two arms, two legs, opposable thumbs, arched supports, and so forth. ... Like everything else there? That seems pretty inconvenient. And besides, one might take advantage of the other or they might attach a moral compass about the whole thing in terms of what they're supposed to do. No, I'll make them hermaphroditic. One less thing to fight about. ... Well, as I said, I can do what I like. The weather's a little variable as well, so I'll give them a light fur that can keep them warm in the cold and keep cool air in when it's hot. They can still sweat through their palms and soles. Oh, and everyone should be the same color, more or less. Should they still eat meat? There will be an awful lot of them. Maybe say that if they eat more than half of one percent of their body weight per day in meat, they get sick. That should work. ... They'll know the difference because otherwise they won't get sick. ... What? No! Why would I do that? Parasites, bacteria, viruses...Why should these guys be subjected to that? It pains me enough to know that some of them might kill each other, have fatal accidents, and so forth, and that there's a limited lifespan. They don't need to suffer needlessly. ... You have a weird sense of priorities. These are going to be my children, and I want them to have the best possible start, so that they can grow and become something great. ... Well, yes. Why else have children if not to see them flourish and become at least what you have become? ... First of all, that seems fairly pointless since I know how important I am. And secondly, I'm going to talk to them and instruct them. Set boundaries. ... No, not like that. Maybe something physical they can touch and that everyone around can hear. No room for misinterpretation and misuse. Huge crystal structures, perhaps. Something imposing but magnificent to aspire to instead of being afraid of. And I can put them everywhere so that they can always talk to me. ... Well, I'll set ground rules and council them. If one does great evil, then death means death. Oblivion. If one behaves, than it can become part of a collective consciousness that can grow in wisdom and understanding. That way, death is a potential transition into something greater, but still literally a death. And when the time is right, that consciousness can be sent into its own universe to have its own children and so on. Very clever, if I do say so myself. ... And then what, you ask? I can do it multiple times over. Or I can start a new universe. Maybe I can even cease my own existence, I don't know. What I do know is that I want to be what every parent should aspire to: raising children who want to grow and strive to be like you because they love and admire you, and encouraging them to do it from the start. And not playing favorites, either. ... I've heard enough. I'm doing this my way, and if I'm somehow wrong, at least I'll have been wrong out of love. It's time to get started. There we go. "Wake up, Adam.