An unusual elevator ride (contest)

An unusual elevator ride

So, the day was feeling odd, the morning coffee tasted not great but also not anything, the light felt doll, and overall, everything seemed out of place. Even though I had this feeling I kept going with my day, work is not something I can skip, no matter how weird the day is.

I get dressed and head out to my car, still with a sandwich in hand. When I pass the streets, the feeling didn't go away. "Was that store there yesterday" I found myself wondering. People's faces were almost like NPCs, and it kept feeling weirder when I arrived at the office.

I get in the elevator whit what I was already convinced was a bunch of NPCs without paying too much attention to it. My dad wanted to talk to me early morning, the cons of working in a family business are having to deal with your dad with work-related issues as well as family matters. I couldn't guess for the life of me which one was this time. Probably both.

One of the men in the elevator looked directly at me and said "So, I bet you're wondering why I've gathered you all here today" before hitting the emergency button. I was surprised but also this had a lot of sense, I looked back at him and without hesitation said, "are you the simulation guy"

He seemed surprised by my response, the elevator stopped and the four other people inside the elevator were visibly scared.

"What do you mean you gathered us?" said a blond guy "do you know him?" said back to me

"I don't," I said "I was just really convinced you guys were NPCs" the men that stopped the elevator laughed a little bit.

"What is an NPC?" said a short girl behind him

"I don't think it matters" replied the men "I gather you here because as this cleaver girl pointed out we do have some issues with the simulation"

"I knew it," I said failing to dissimulate my happiness "but why us?" I asked

"We think the five of you are too awake today, I should add in different ways, but still. We will have to ask you to do some things, so you don't break the whole system around you" he seemed to look into his jacket for something.

"Are you saying birds are indeed not real?" said a short guy that hasn't spoken yet. "Oh no, that's not a woke thing my friend," said the man finding a pen and a notebook on his jacket.

"So why are we so awake?" I said, "Our memories are going to be erased for sure so might as well know"

"Oh no, I'm not erasing your memories. That's very 80's of you to think, we stopped doing that, it was a lot more problematic, but I digress. Sure, I'll tell you why is fun actually".

He looked into his notes and said "Tom you love everyone unconditionally, that's amazing my guy but you're about to jump into the 5th dimension if we don't do something. Do you want to go now, or do you want to wait till you die?" Tom the brunet that hasn't spoken a single word seemed baffled. "amm, can I think about it?" he said shyly. "Sure, the men said"

"Emily, you need to stop taking drugs, you've been to a couple of dimensions you're not allowed to and we're getting complaints about your behavior. Same as Tom either choose a dimension you like or wait till you die, but this must stop" Emily the short girl nodded with a shocked expression in her eyes.

"Ok so, Carlos we have gathered some complaints about your time travels, is great for you guy, but you need to get us a calendar so we can work around it ok?" Carlos, the blond guy went full formal and replied "Oh, yes sure I can come up with a calendar" The men took note of that and nodded "that's great, our time team will be very happy to hear that"

"Oscar, you're getting a lot close to unraveling how the whole system works and that's causing some lag, that's mainly why everything feels odd today. I mean you are all causing lag, but you're getting our ram too full, is like having a copy of the universe in itself you know? Our capacity team suggested we simplify your theory so you can erase everything else that doesn't work, and we can get to our normal ram levels. What do you think?" Oscar, the short guy nodded without saying a word. "That's great, a capacity team will head back to you with a proposal that's lag-friendly in 2 to 3 business days," he said taking notes on that.

"And our last participant of this meeting, the cleaver Sophie, you were right, and we wanted to talk to you, we're looking for someone to check controls on the simulation. We think your capacity of noticing the oddness around you is a great indicator that you'd do a great job. The package of the work is great, and you don't have to leave your current life, consider it an internship. What do you think?"

I was shocked, "an internship to monitor the simulation?" I said not believing it. "Was I not causing lag?"

"Oh yes, but if we give you access to a level 1 security protocol you can notice those glitches without lagging the system, so it'll solve two problems in one," he said.

"Tom how do you feel about the 5D?" asked the men getting back to Tom. "I think I'll stay till I die" The men started writing back in the notebook. "That's great Tom, thanks for making me win the bet against the jumping team" "Emily any thoughts?" Emily looked at him with a concentrated look in her eyes. "Is there a way I can visit the dimensions I like without causing any problems?" The man closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, "you could meditate, and a spirit guy will guide you to the places you're allowed to be, what do you think?". Emily seemed happy about that, "I would like that yes" The men noted that in the notebook.

"So, Sophie what's going to be for you"

Everybody seemed happy with their decisions, and they were all looking back at her.

"I think you could do a great job," said Tom. "Yes, yes" they all agreed and nodded.

"Ok I'll do it," I said with a smile on my face.

"Perfect, we will send you some dreams about the information you will need, don't worry is just downloads you don't have to do anything." The man wrote one last time in the notebook and got himself very formal again.

"It was a pleasure to meet you all, have a great day" he jumped the elevator back up and they all got out feeling like a great day was about to happen.