text: EDIT: Added more of an actual ending. Changed a couple of lines in the preceding, non-ending part. “Oh shit!” thought Niklas Chalmers as he poured over the results from the latest tests. He read further down the page. “Oh shit.” He patted his pockets for his phone, pulled it out, and dialed Wilhelm. “Wilhelm, the results are in. It’s true. It’s fucking true! They’re hitting the detectors at an uneven distribution. Billions of them.” There was a moment of silence on the line before Wilhelm finally responded. “I see,” he said solemnly. “Well that’s that then.” “This explains everything” said Nik excitedly. “The discrepancies we saw in the weak-force, the lattice results over at Geneva, everything!” Nik paused and thought for a moment as the realisation of the results hit him. “So that it then? We’re living in a simulation? Nothing is real?” There was another long pause on the line before Wilhelm responded. “It certainly looks that way, my boy.” “Well, shit. “ “Well it’s not necessarily a bad thing Nik. Everything’s the same as it was. I hate to sound philosophical about the whole thing, but what is real anyway? Nothing’s changed. Just our perspectives I suppose” “I don’t know what to feel. I just feel kind of empty I guess. I have to get home. Listen I’ll call you again tomorrow morning. We should call a meeting with the investors, shit, there’s gunna be so much press. Jesus, this is it. This is fucking it!” “Nik,” Wilhelm said, urgently. “Have you considered this? Have you thought this through? What would happen, I mean? If this were to get out? Why, it would be catastrophic. Think of the world reaction. Think of how empty you felt just now when it hit you- Think of how empty the whole world is going to feel. That nothing is real? That nothing is worth anything? That life is not worth anything? We- *you* need to think about this.” “So we should just not tell anyone? Wouldn't you want to know? Don’t these people deserve to know? I mean sure, people will be shocked, but it’s the truth.” Wilhelm was silent. It’s the *truth* Wilhelm,” Nik pleaded. “Do you want blood on your hands Nik? Because that is what you will have if this gets coverage.” Wilhelm was angry. His voice crackled through the receiver. Nik didn't know what to say. “Anyway,” said Wilhelm, calmer now. “It doesn't matter. It’s out of your hands. Out of my hands even.” “What do you mean?” asked Nik, confused. The line crackled a little before Wilhelm responded. “I liked you Nik. I always did” “Well I like you too Will, but what are you saying?” “I told you,” said Wilhelm calmly. “It’s out of my hands.” “What’s out of your hands?” And in that instant everything stopped. Nik’s phone dropped to the ground. For a moment he felt as though he was floating. He no longer felt any weight to his body. He no longer felt much of anything. Too quickly, his brain was unburdened of his memories, his body unburdened of his brain and finally, the simulation within which he existed was unburdened of his entire existence. Everything that was once Niklas Chalmers was no more. Wilhelm hung up the receiver, took a deep breath and lent back in his armchair. “*It’s a shame,*” he thought. “*I really did like him.